The Village of Brockport has raised its water rates eight cents per thousand gallons to $2.93. That rate increase had been levied against the village in January by the Monroe County Water Authority. The authority wholesales water to the village which in turn retails the water to local customers.

The village didn’t raise its retail rates in January, according to Mayor Mary Ann Thorpe, because it had joined a coalition of other villages and towns protesting the rate hike. The municipal group had hoped to convince the water authority to lower the hike.

The municipalities are incensed that the eight cent hike only applied to villages and towns that retail water. The water authority’s own retail customers were levied a smaller increase. What makes it seem even more unfair, Thorpe said, is that the village maintains its own water lines; those facilities are not an expense born by the water authority.

According to Thorpe, the Monroe County Water Authority has agreed to hire an outside consultant to determine if its rate structure is appropriate.

In other business: Attorney Roy Heise reported that the New York State Appellate Court has upheld Brockport’s definition of "family" in its zoning code. The definition had earlier been upheld by Justice Galloway of the New York State Supreme Court. The Webster family has challenged the definition which is used to control the number of college students that may live in a single family home.

•The SPARTAC patrol will begin its work again after a kick-off meeting in the next few weeks. SPARTAC members walk village streets on weekend nights to serve as extra eyes and ears for the police department. Currently, there are five members and more are needed.

•Brockport will begin charging a $15 fee for non-residents (excluding business owners) for fingerprinting. Police Officer Mark Cyr said officers were printing two to 10 people a day, pulling officers off road patrol for 10 to 25 minutes each time. Other area police departments were already charging a $15-$20 fee and the "word was out," Cyr said, that the service was free in Brockport.

•The Board of Water Commissioners has changed its monthly meeting day. The board will now meet on the first Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the village hall.

•The Village Board accepted a bid of $34,917 for the second phase of the Utica Street playground.