Southern Dutchess News August 22, 2012 a great source for local news. I subscribe to it for $26 a year, 50 cents a issue mailed to your house. To subscribe call 297-3723
By Kristine Coulter Staff Writer
Fishkill- More than 80 people were in attendance to hear about the possible rate increases for some sewer and water districts in the Town of Fishkill. The Fishkill Town Board met on Wednesday, August 15. Fishkill Town Supervisor Bob LaColla began the public hearing by showing numbers concerning the general fund, highway funds, parks land and trust funds, affordable housing and special districts (lighting, fire, ambulance, library, sewer and water) funds.
"Rombout sewer has been in (deficit) since it's inception," said LaColla.
The Dutchess Park Sewer District fund balance, said LaColla, is $664,044 in the red. The Rombout Sewer District is $40,917 in the red. The fund balance for the Brinckerhoff Water District is $116,391 in the red. All numbers are as of December 31, 2011 according to the supervisor.
LoColla showed a slide titled "Reason for Water and Sewer Increase" for the proposed increases for the Rombout Sewer, Dutchess Park Sewer and Brinckerhoff water. The 2011 total revenue for the Dutchess Park Sewer was $1,607,947. The total 2011 appropriation for the district was $1,838,503 for operations. The net cost, was negative $228,556, according to town officials data.
The Rombout Sewer District total revenue for 2011 was $1,239,791 and the total appropriations for that year was $1,578,480. The net cost for the Rombout Sewer was negative $339,057, according to town data.
In regards to the Brinckerhoff Water District, in 2011 total revenue was $134,332 and the total appropriations was $162,152 with a net cost of negative $27,826, according to town data.
The budgeted cost for 2012 and actual cost for 2011 were shown to those in attendance by the supervisor.
For Dutchess Park Sewer, the budgeted costs for 2012 were $1,632,233 and the 2011 actual costs were $1,838,503, he said. The budgeted 2012 costs for the Rombout Sewer District were $$1,531,111 and the 2011 actual costs were $1,578,480. Brinkerhoff Water had actual budget costs for 2011 of $162,158 and budgeted costs for 2012 of $143,556, according to LaColla.
The current value for users of the Dutchess Park sewer district is $34.50. The proposed value is $41.40, with a minimum charge increase, according to town officials of $6.90 per quarter. For Rombout Sewer the current value per user is $36.90 and the proposed value is $44.28, town officials said the change per quarter is $7.38. The change per quarter for the Brinkerhoff water users is $6 per quarter, according to town data. The water districts current value is $7.70 and the proposed value for the district is $13.70, according to town officials.
Kevin McCarthy, a resident of the town since 2005, asked why the public hearing notices sent out to residents stated rate adjustments and not a mention of a possible rate increase.
"We're not acting on this tonight," responded the supervisor. "We did make the effort. I'm sorry it fell a little short."
After the meeting McCarthy said, "vague would be the best word" in regards to the supervisors response. A lot of "We're looking into it," McCarthy said.
McCarthy who lives in the Dutchess Park sewer district and Brinckerhoff water district, said LaColla seemed to "brush it off" about no mention of a possible rate increase on the notices that were sent out.
One resident stated, It seems like also a lot of problems in the last 23 years I've lived here is over development on infrastructure." He went on to say if residents conserve they still get penalized.
The current town board, said LaColla is leaning toward the "good neighbor policy."
Councilman Thomas Knips said although residents are seeing a increase, if the board votes for the rate adjustments, it does not appear to be out of line according to the Dutchess County Web site.
One resident asked, "When do we get some good news?" When some of the initiatives, LaColla said, that the board could implement, residents could possibly see lower rates.
LaColla said that for the first six months town officials "have worked hard to untangle these issues."
"What happened was we didn't have solid balance numbers. That didn't happen until May," he added. He went on to say that some districts had surpluses.
"We may need to use those surpluses to pay off other districts," the supervisor said.
Former Fishkill Town Board member Hal Brilliant asked if there could be a water commission board, this way the residents who live in the districts would have a say.
Another resident agreed with "home rule" and said it was something that was "worthy of exploring."
One resident asked why his sewer bill is five times higher than his water bill.
LaColla asked to see the bill.
"Hey, listen it's got to be paid by the 25th," the resident told LaColla, which got a laugh from the audience members.
The next meeting regarding water and sewer rates will be on Wednesday, August 29 at a special town board meeting at Fishkill Town Hall, 807 Route 52 at 7 p.m. in the Francois R. Cross meeting room.
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