KINDERHOOK–Village Mayor Carol Weaver announced at a regular meeting November 13 that the board is accepting bids for the Wastewater Collection Project and hopes to have construction on the sewer project start in the spring.
The project will connect several buildings in the business district in the village to the Valatie sewer plant. The Kinderhook Board was able to get state and federal grant money, as well as private donations, for the project. The board also has borrowed $231,000 for the project. Mayor Weaver said that the deadlines on the grants have been extended past the original 2013 cut-off, allowing the villages to complete the project without a loss of funding.
The mayor said 10 property owners have signed permanent easements with the village for the sewer main to cross their property. The board has to get temporary easements from 23 property owners who will have their buildings hooked-up to the sewer line.
Eight of those 23 property owners have not signed the easement agreements. “If they don’t, they will have to pay the service fee, and if they want to hook-up they will have to pay the hook-up fee,” the mayor said.
The Village of Valatie is waiving the $1,500 hook-up fee for the properties in Kinderhook that are part of the project. Without the waivers, those property owners would normally be charged as out-of-village sewer system users.
Mayor Weaver said the project will proceed with or without the agreements. “We will run the pipe to their property line,” she said of the property owners who have so far refused to connect to the sewer system during the project.
Sewer Project Manager Jim Dunham told the board that the money the village has borrowed to complete the project should cover the construction costs when the grant funds are included. He said that laying the pipe under the now completed sidewalk link between Kinderhook and Valatie came in under budget so he is hopeful that the bids for the next phase of the project will also be competitive.
The bids will be opened December 16. Mayor Weaver said construction should take six to nine months. “This time next year the project will be done,” she said.
Also that the meeting the board:
•Accepted the resignation of William Snyder from the Highway Department. “We appreciate the 31 years of service that he has given the village,” said Mayor Weaver.
•Discussed resolving the issue with power lines that run close to the Village Hall roof, a situation that could increase the cost of repairs the building requires. National Grid has agreed to move the lines and the village will pay to reroute the line that operates the siren on the Village Hall roof. Board Member Bob Puckett said rerouting the power for the siren will cost about $5,000.
•Reviewed new permit fees for construction in the village. The board has received recommendations for new permit fees from Code Enforcement Officer Glenn Smith and will determine the new fee schedule at the next meeting.
The next regular board meeting will be Wednesday, December 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall.
To contact reporter Emilia Teasdale email eteasdale@columbiapaper.com.
