The Other Side of Dissolution - August 2008 Edition

The Other Side of Dissolution              August 2008 Edition

A monthly newsletter written by Johnson City residents opposed to dissolving the Village of Johnson City.   Our goal is to help Johnson City residents make a better-informed choice, when this goes to vote .

Dissolution Study Committee Meetings: Article #7
Department of Public Works and Water

Written by Julie Deemie

Unfortunately, I could not attend the June 2nd Dissolution Study Committee meeting.  Thanks to a fellow Johnson City resident, Barbara Thompson, I was able to obtain some very well written notes from the meeting.  I also want to thank Mr. Bob Bennett for filling me in on some details.

The June 2nd meeting consisted of a presentation given by the Johnson City Department of Public Works and Water.  Representing the departments was Bob Bennett, Director of Public Services (DOPS).  Bob delivered information on department structure, the types of services provided to our residents, and associated costs.  Besides overseeing Water Department operations, Mr. Bennett also oversees Street, Sewer, Refuse, and Parks Departments.  Bob is responsible for a wide array of engineering duties including reviews, proposals, inspections, reporting, training, and standards adherence.  He also maintains and reviews budgets for the Public Works and Water Departments.  Whew, that’s a lot of responsibility!

Employees of the Johnson City Water Department are responsible for all aspects of delivering safe water to residents and businesses.  This is a revenue generating utility, which is fully funded, by revenue collected.  Our water is sold to Westover, Fairmont Park, Broome County Airport and Landfill, and parts of the Town of Dickinson.  Johnson City water is also sold to the Town of Union’s Choconut Center Water District.  All Water Department personnel are required to maintain NYSDOH certifications.  There are 70 miles of water pipes, 5 wells, one treatment facility, 2 booster pump stations, 4 water storage tanks, approx. 550 hydrants and approx. 2500 valves; all requiring periodic maintenance, inspections, testing, and reporting.  The department is also responsible for maintaining 2 booster pump stations, 3 water storage tanks, and 2 re-chlorination buildings, all outside of the Village’s boundaries, within the Town of  Maine, as part of the Broome County water system.

Water supply is one major difference between Johnson City’s DPW, and the Town of Union’s. The Town of Union does not own its own water supply.  Supervisor Bernardo made it clear, at an earlier meeting, that the Town of Union would be pleased to have control of this valuable natural resource. Currently there are different user rates for water.  Village residents have a lesser rate than the outside users.  It is very likely that if the Town of Union was in control of the water system, Village residents would see an increase in their water rate.  We are very fortunate to have a plentiful supply of underground water, at our disposal.  In fact our large reserve has recently afforded the village the opportunity to sign agreements with gas drilling companies, to sell some of our water for a handsome profit. This will generate some much-needed revenue.  With the potential for long term, very lucrative gas exploration in our area, perhaps this is not the best time to consider giving this control to the Town of Union, through dissolution.

The July 7th meeting brought Lou Caforio, Commissioner of Public Works, Town of Union’s DPW presentation.  Lou is fairly new to this post, with only twelve weeks experience with the Town.  Lou relied on individual departments to present their information to the committee. The Town of Union DPW consists of much of the same departments as Johnson City, Recreation and Parks, Highway Department, Refuse, and Sewer. Therefore, because much of the services are similar, I will highlight some of the differences.

In Johnson City, there is shared manpower between public works departments.  This allows for the manpower needed year round, as many services are seasonal.  This also allows for the manpower needed to keep our roads cleared in the winter.  In the Town of Union only designated highway department employees plow roads.  Village of Johnson City employees maintain more miles of road, pre man, than the Town of Union.  The village ratio is 6.2 miles per man, Town of Union 4 miles per man. 4 additional highway employees would be required to provide the same services, if dissolution were to occur.  There is concern over whether or not the current NYSDOT funds (CHIPs) would continue, post dissolution.  Also, the Town of Union currently supplies the DPW with CDBG funds for road repairs.  Would these funds continue to be allocated for village use? CDBG funds are not utilized for road projects in the Town of Union.
Town of Union Highway Superintendent, Don Battaglini, pointed out that the town has different issues with its roads, than the village. For snow removal, he pointed out that the town roads are generally wider, and require different trucks.  During the winter months, snow can accumulate quickly on the rural hill areas of the town.  Often one truck gets tied up, just clearing a long stretch of hilly road, over and over.  Mr. Battaglini best described these geographic differences by saying, “it’s a different element.”  Because of the many rural roads, within the Town of Union, there is a high volume of ditch work and sluice pipe cleaning.  This requires a different type of equipment, than would be used in the village. While the village contracts out many road repair and rebuild duties, the town has personnel to cover their own roadwork repairs. 

Refuse collection varies greatly between the village and town.  Our fees are paid quarterly through separate billing, while Town of Union residents pay for this service through their taxes, yearly.  In Johnson City, all residential, multi-family, and commercial properties receive the same service.  Town of Union multiple apartment and commercial properties must contract their own refuse providers.  White goods (appliances) are picked up at the curb on regular pick-up day in Johnson City, while in the Town of Union; this requires a phone call and up to a 3-week wait.  In the Town of Union, the property owners must haul construction materials to a collection site, and there is a restriction of one cubic yard-per month.  Johnson City refuse workers collect this material at the curb, by appointment. During the winter months, when yard waste collections are at a lull, JC Refuse Department employees are utilized in the Street and Parks Departments. Both Town of Union and Johnson City refuse workers are allowed to work shorter shifts, if their route is completed early, and be paid for a full day.  The difference is that by contract, Town of Union refuse workers can pick-up “extra hours” in street or sewer departments at OT rates, after working less than 8 hrs.  Hmmm……..
Key differences between JC’s Sewer Department and Union’s lie in the rural vs. urban characteristics.  There are a large number of homes, in the Town of Union, on septic systems.  The town reimburses these residents every 2 years, for septic tank pump outs.  The village receives a credit, from the Sewage Treatment Plant, for outside of village sewage, that flows through our village owned trunk lines.  If these trunk lines were to become the responsibility of The Town of Union, we could loose this credit to our sewer bills.

Johnson City and The Town of Union conducted a parks consolidation study, which was completed in 2007.  The study showed that the village would experience a sizeable tax rate increase, if these services were consolidated.  Although the Town of Union has a more expansive recreation program, Johnson City residents are provided access to these programs at Town of Union rates.  Many of our parks upgrades come from the CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) program.

When I think about the possibility that the Village of Johnson City could dissolve, into the Town of Union, I think about the fact that we would loose our most valuable resource; water.   This month, I could not limit my quote to just one; there were many I felt to be suitable.  So, here I offer you, this month’s quotes:

“High quality water is more important than the dream of the conservationists, more than a political slogan; high quality water, in the right quantity at the right place at the right time, is essential to health, recreation, and economic growth.”-Edmund S. Muskie, U.S. Senator, speech, 1966

“When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.”-Benjamin Franklin

“All the water that will ever be is, right now.”-National Geographic, October 1993

“Water has become a highly precious resource. There are some places where a barrel of water costs more than a barrel of oil.”-Lloyd Axworthy, Foreign Minister of Canada, 1999 (I wonder if this still holds true, today?)

“Water is essential for all dimensions of life.  Over the past few decades, use of water has increased, and in many places water availability is falling to crisis levels. More than eighty countries, with forty percent of the world’s population are already facing water shortages, while by year 2020 the world’s population will double.  The costs for water infrastructure have risen dramatically. Over one billion people lack safe water.”-World Bank Institute, 1999

After the dissolution study committee completes its plan to dissolve the Village of Johnson City, it will be up to the voters to decide if they are willing to give up control of our water, to The Town of Union.

Public attendance at the Dissolution Committee meetings has been increasing, but we need many more residents to become interested enough to attend these meetings.

This is a public forum and I would encourage all interested taxpayers, regardless of your residency location, to attend.  The next 2 meetings are planned for August 18th and September 8th at 7pm in the Village of Johnson City Justice Bldg, 2nd floor.  I hope you will join us.