Riga residents look to officials for water

Riga residents look to officials for water

Residents in the Town of Riga were hoping that when the Mill Seat Landfill came in that money would begin flowing toward efforts to hook all residents into a townwide water system.

In a phone interview, Town Supervisor Pamela Moore said that the prior town board did indicate they would make an attempt to get a Home Rule exception and provide townwide water. She said that is still a possibility but if the town was denied a Home Rule exception and the issue of townwide water was put up for referendum and voted down, there would be no way to provide water by utilizing landfill money.

"There are several reasons people want public water. For some it is a water quality issue - they have sulphur water or very hard water and that requires more frequent replacement of water heaters, etc. Some spoke about low pressure as well," she said. "And, then there are folks who feel it is a safety issue, they are close enough in proximity to the landfill that they do not wish to be on well water. Others have merely stated that they believe public water is simply something everyone should have. But, other residents, who do not have public water have said that they do not want it."

In its most basic terms, Home Rule states a municipality may not spend public funds on projects that would not benefit the entire population.

"The more prudent thing to do is to look at money from other sources and not put all of our eggs in one basket by asking for a change in the Home Rule law," she said. "We are certainly pursuing the Home Rule option but are also looking into the feasibility of other options," Moore said.

At a community forum in June, Moore said town officials asked residents what they wanted to do with the money that was coming in from the landfill. "Some said they wanted water, some said drainage, a new firehouse and other items," Moore said. "Money is certainly not off the list."

At the June community forum residents from Bromley Road, Buffalo Road and Palmer Road asked for water. There are also residents on Riga Mumford Road that have raised the issue with both Moore and other town board members. "Board member Ken Kuter lives on a portion of Riga Mumford Road that does not have water," Moore said. "There are more areas without water beyond those listed above and I am relatively certain some of those folks also would want water."

Moore favors long-term planning and identifying projects and locating funding for those. "If you identify projects, search for funding and for those that require matching funding, we would have money set aside in a reserve fund. Grantors look more favorably upon projects that have matching funding available."

Also on the agenda would be working in tandem with the Village of Churchville. "We are close in both proximity and philosophy with Churchville and the synergy between the two (municipalities) could help us move toward long term budgeting and setting up reserve accounts for mutually beneficial projects," Moore said.

Town Board Member Robert Ottley agreed with the hiring of Paul Chatfield, of Chatfield Engineers, to study the feasibility of a water project. "He did an excellent presentation informing residents of how water districts are formed. It is a difficult process to understand and his explanation may have shed some light on the big issue as to why so many people in Riga are without water and why the 'town' has not been able to 'give' them water in the past," he said in an e-mail.

The feasibility study, being conducted by Chatfield, will identify all areas - roads or portions - without water. Updated maps are being requested from Monroe County Water Authority. In quite a few places there are portions of a road without water, Moore said. "Bromley Road has water at the ends and there is a short portion in the middle without water. As part of our review, we will seek input from residents who do not have water."

According to Ottley, Chatfield explained that the rules are very stringent from the state audit and control. "Simply put, if you have x number of feet times, say $40 per foot, that equals how much the water line will cost. The cost is then borrowed and the payments for the bond are divided between the property owners whom that line will serve," Ottley said. "If the amount that they would be paying on the bond, including the fee for the water usage, exceeds $579 per year, then Audit and Control will not allow the district to be formed."

The issue in Riga is that there are many miles of pipe that would need to be laid and very few residents living on those roads. This is wonderful, Ottley said in his e-mail response to a request for his comments, as many folks moved here for that rural character but many of these areas have poor well water. "Unfortunately for these folks, and I am in the same boat as them, the only way to receive water is with more development on their roads so that the cost is spread over more people thereby allowing approval by the Department of Audit and Control," he said. "I have no doubt that Chatfield will come back stating that the cost per resident will well exceed what is allowed by Audit and Control and that the town will need to utilize surplus funds from landfill money in order to build these water districts. The math is really quite simple to do."

Ottley said he supports a change in the Home Rule law and allowing the citizens of Riga the choice on how excess funds are spent. "If that means water for residents that don't have water, fine; if that means tax rebates for residents, that's fine, too. Or if drainage problems are what the citizens vote for, then that will be their choice. But without Home Rule law changes, no action can happen and we will have spent more time doing studies and the bank accounts for the town will continue to grow. And our residents will not have had a say in any of this."