By DOUG LA ROCQUE
NEW LEBANON – Should Lebanon Spring be included in the town’s Water Protection Plan or not? At the September 12 meeting, when the town board was listening to a review of the action plan presented by a representative of New York Rural Water, Town Board member Deb Gordon asked why Lebanon Spring, a thermal water source, was not included in the study, indicating two to three dozen people use it for their drinking water. She believes it may have been purposely left out because it “is a sticky wicket.” Councilmember Gordon felt it should be included.
The problem, according to Town Supervisor Tistrya Houghtling, is that the plan can only include approved drinking water sources. Supervisor Houghtling said both the county and state health departments say the spring does not meet those qualifications and people should not drink from it. According to Ms. Houghtling, yes, some do, but that is their choice. The supervisor also said she could not discuss it any further on the advice of the town’s attorney. Councilmember Gordon said she still felt it should be included. Supervisor Houghtling also said efforts to include the spring further down the road are not precluded. She called the plan “a living document” that is subject to modification.
Another point brought forward during the discussion was de-icing efforts around the town aquifer and action that could be brought forth to mitigate the impact. The town’s Conservation Advisory Council is continuing free water testing, with many more samplings scheduled to be taken in the next couple of weeks.
Water of late has been a major topic in the town, from this past summer’s Massachusetts beaver dam break that caused some flooding to the just discussed water protection plan to well drilling in the town park for the creation of a splash pad. Town members previously approved the pad’s construction and agreed Smith Well Drilling would install a new well to provide the needed water flow for the pad. What was not yet approved was the actual motion needed to begin the drilling. The estimate from Smith could be as much as $45,000 or as little as $15,000 depending on the type of ground they must drill through. Supervisor Houghtling said even if it is the worst case scenario, it would not break the budget. The board voted to approve the drilling process at a cost not to exceed $46,000, but hopefully a lot less.
Also at the meeting:
*Commercial storage units have been an issue in front of the board for several months. The moratorium on the construction of such units is due to expire, and the board voted at the September 12 meeting to extend it for one year, pending a review of the language and conditions that need to be included in the town code revisions. This moratorium does not include private storage sheds
*It is not really a financial windfall but the recent switching of bank accounts, particularly the one that holds the bulk of the town’s money, has resulted in a marked increase in interest earned. Supervisor Houghtling said the monthly figure has grown from $44 to $6,713. Enough of an increase that it will become a revenue line in the 2024 budget
*The board approved a change of health plans for employees that saw no opposition from the workers and saves the town some money, especially considering the increased costs of these plans for the coming year
*There was discussion about the employee evaluation process as it pertains to job performance and compensation. It was determined the evaluations need more evaluation.
*The board picked Tuesday, October 3 at 5 p.m. as the date time of their first budget workshop.