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Vote set on increased cost of sewer system

   Residents of the town of Schoharie portion of the Central Bridge Sewer District will have another chance Wednesday to vote on whether to raise the authorized construction cost of a long-proposed sewer system from the $4.5 million cap approved in 2004 to $6.8 million.
   Wednesday’s vote is an effort to break a 55-55 tie in June on the same question in the town of Schoharie. Esperance voters approved increasing the construction cost during the June 26 voting. The district includes parts of both towns around the Central Bridge hamlet, so approval by voters in both towns is needed, according to officials.
   Schoharie property owners in the district can vote from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Central Bridge Methodist Church hall. No absentee voting will be allowed.
   In August 2006, voters in both towns rejected increasing the cost to $6.8 million. No more than $5.13 million of the project is attributed to Schoharie portion of the sewer district.
   The higher construction authorization, which sewer district planners say will be nearly 60 percent covered by state or federal funds, and the rest by long-term loans, was sought after construction bids came in higher than the amount authorized in 2004.
   Even at the higher building cost, sewer district officials say that additional grants and increasing the number of housing units to be connected from about 270 to 377 units, made the proposed $498 annual user fee lower that an earlier estimate of $544 per year.
   The sewer system has been under discussion for more than 10 years in an effort to solve pollution problems from failing private septic systems in the poorly drained soil around the hamlet.
   Opponents have objected to some voting procedures and some argue that owners of property with failing septic systems could use alternative methods to fix the problems without building a central system.
   District officials contend alternative systems would be expensive and ineffective.  

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sewer district planners say will be nearly 60 percent covered by state or federal funds

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The cost as of a couple of years ago for D'burg sewers was about $1,800 per household

Quoted from bumblethru

HOLY COW!!!!!  

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HOLY COW!!!!!

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Work together to fi x Central Bridge sewers

   Let’s hope it doesn’t take too long for wounded pride to take a back seat for the common good. The 93-65 vote on Sept. 5 proved the majority of the people in Central Bridge do not want to be put in debt for 30-plus years to fix the sewer problems plaguing our small town. That is not to say we do not want to work together on a solution — we do.
   Our town is blessed with talented, ablebodied people in capacities ranging from engineers to contractors, and plumbers to laborers, to name but a few. There is no reason to continue paying, or plan on paying, exorbitant fees to an outside firm to do the work our community members are ready, willing and able to do for free or incredibly reduced rates. This should not be a foreign concept. This has been done in neighboring towns in our county — Seward, for example. We can come together, work out a feasible plan, match the plan with funding and get to work! Let’s not just leave it up to the few who have been in charge for the last 10-plus years. They are out of ideas, and they need our help. Let’s hope they are not too proud to accept it.
   We are all neighbors, and we can still work together to get this done before the grant funding runs low. Working against each other now only wastes time.
   MICHELE MARGER
   Central Bridge  

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Work together to fi x Central Bridge sewers

   Let’s hope it doesn’t take too long for wounded pride to take a back seat for the common good. The 93-65 vote on Sept. 5 proved the majority of the people in Central Bridge do not want to be put in debt for 30-plus years to fix the sewer problems plaguing our small town. That is not to say we do not want to work together on a solution — we do.
   Our town is blessed with talented, ablebodied people in capacities ranging from engineers to contractors, and plumbers to laborers, to name but a few. There is no reason to continue paying, or plan on paying, exorbitant fees to an outside firm to do the work our community members are ready, willing and able to do for free or incredibly reduced rates. This should not be a foreign concept. This has been done in neighboring towns in our county — Seward, for example. We can come together, work out a feasible plan, match the plan with funding and get to work! Let’s not just leave it up to the few who have been in charge for the last 10-plus years. They are out of ideas, and they need our help. Let’s hope they are not too proud to accept it.
   We are all neighbors, and we can still work together to get this done before the grant funding runs low. Working against each other now only wastes time.
   MICHELE MARGER
   Central Bridge  

Quoted from senders

Read Rotterdam's history first.....keep it separate.....business and neighbors and politics dont mix.......