BENEFIT BASIS BUDGET

Motion by Supervisor Clark, seconded by Councilman Osmanski, that proofs of publication and posting of legal notice: “OF A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER THE YEAR 2005 BENEFIT BASIS BUDGET (SPECIAL DISTRICTS BUDGET) UPON WHICH THE COST OF MAINTENANCE AND DEBT SERVICE THEREOF IS APPORTIONED AND ASSESSED IN PROPORTION TO THE AMOUNT OF BENEFIT CONFERRED” in the Town of West Seneca, be received and filed.

Ayes: All Noes: None Motion Carried

Motion by Supervisor Clark, seconded by Councilman Osmanski, to open the public hearing.

Ayes: All
Noes: None
Motion Carried

Supervisor Clark stated that the 2005 Benefit Basis Budget included the Special Districts, those districts that were either isolated by geography or by function. They included the following: 1) Sewer Service Department and Sanitary Sewer Districts - The Sewer Service Department was the central department that serviced all town sewer districts. Sewer districts in the town ranged greatly in size and were historically built in as the town developed. Each new section became a new sewer district as the town grew. 2) Water districts - The delivery infrastructure for the water that was purchased from Erie County Water Authority. 3) Industrial Park Special Assessment District - Used to construct and finance the Phase II infrastructure development costs. 4) Gas and electric lighting districts - Specific to certain geographic areas or subdivisions. Supervisor Clark noted that the special districts were tax assessed based generally on assessed value of the property. The total assessed value within the district (sewer or water) was allocated to it, either specific costs to the district or an allocation of an overall department like the Sewer Service Department. There were no unusual costs, but there were still very strong expenses in the Sewer Service Department because of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) mandates with respect to discharge permits during wet weather conditions. The town was very aggressive in continuing a program of surveying and lining the sewers in problematic areas.

Councilman Graber stated that he and Councilman Hicks expected that the gas light technical analysis would soon be completed and early next year they would be contacting the people in the gas light districts to make a decision as to whether they should be changed to electric lights to lower their rates. They anticipated starting the project in the late spring of 2005.

Virginia Grandoni, 870 Orchard Park Road, referred to the sewer budget and the desperate need of the sewer district that serviced her area of town. She questioned if there was an increase in the funds allocated to that sewer district.

Supervisor Clark advised that Sewer District #13 would be increased by $102,000 from $2,757,000 to $2,859,000. The majority of this was for maintenance and for charges by the Buffalo Sewer Authority to treat the sewage.

BENEFIT BASIS BUDGET (continued)

Councilman Graber commented that everyone understood they needed to spend more money on upgrading Sewer District #13. They currently had a 15-year program for the outfalls with the SPDE’s permits. Next year they would be embarking on an inflow and infiltration study. An outside expert would be hired to look at the entire district and identify where they needed to apply future resources.

Town Attorney Tim Greenan advised that they were currently working with the Engineering Department and NYSDEC for a solution to the problem in Sewer District #13. They needed to eliminate infiltration of rainwater into the sewer system, and Town Engineer George Montz had been putting funds into lining various sewers annually. The town was in agreement with the NYSDEC that they needed to accelerate these efforts. The NYSDEC required that the town contract with someone to do a total infiltration study on the sewer district. Requests for proposals were put together two or three months ago to hire an engineering firm to determine what could be done to fix the problem. Within a certain time period after that, the town agreed to put together a plan with steps to address the problem long term.

Councilman Graber noted that the town was spending $350,000 to $400,000 each year on the lining project in Sewer District #13. Every $100,000 increase in major expenditures would increase the sewer tax by 5 percent.

Councilman Osmanski stated that because Mrs. Grandoni lived on Orchard Park Road she was near the trunk line. Every year that they did work on the feeder lines into that, she should see less and less problem. They hoped that eventually the existing trunk line would be more than adequate for all the sewage in the district without the infiltration.

Supervisor Clark stated that every additional lining they did protected the system and downstream there would be less water received from upstream infiltration.

Motion by Supervisor Clark, seconded by Councilman Osmanski, to close the public hearing.

Ayes: All Noes: None Motion Carried

Motion by Supervisor Clark, seconded by Councilman Hicks, to adopt the 2005 Benefit Basis Budgets (includes various special district funds) as previously filed by the Town Supervisor and known as the “Preliminary” 2005 Benefit Basis Budget, with the following amendment: An additional appropriation within Water District No. 3 for Bond Anticipation Note Interest Expense (Account code 03.8303.0912) and increase the amount of the tax levy for such water district by $246.

Ayes: All Noes: None Motion Carried