Lucia Tyler's Water District Resolution

Here is the resolution that was passed at the Tuesday 4/8/08 Town Board meeting.

Voting,

Dave Kerness - aye
Liz Thomas ----aye
Lucia Tyler ---aye
Doug Austic ---nay

The democratic process is alive and well in Ulysses, if not in Washington.

I went to the Comprehensive Plan Workshop Saturday at the High School. Bergman Associates had four planners there. About 25 residents came. We broke into small groups around big maps of Ulysses spread out on tables, and everybody got a chance for input. I was impressed with their process, and I'm hopeful that if the Town Board places a high value on this work and if it informs the revision of the zoning ordinances, then we are headed in the right direction. Liz Thomas and Lucia Tyler attended the workshop. (no sign of the Supervisor)



Resolution Introducing Water District 6

Whereas the Town of Ulysses was notified on January 7, 2008 that the New York State Department of Health and the Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) had reconsidered their position and allowed the Town of Ulysses additional time to submit a completed application and package for the Water District 5 project (WD-5) and would allow changes in the scope and service area of this project while retaining the current financing offer (DWSRF project #17468); and,

Whereas WD-5 alternative plans and cost estimates, as presented by Eric Pond of Barton and Loguidice on February 21, 2008 were produced on a short time table; and

Whereas there is insufficient time for adequate review of WD-5 Alternative C with revisions (revised WD-5 Alt. C) by elected officials and citizens nor enough time to meet the required legal application process, environmental review, and inter-municipal agreements needed by March 24, 2008; and

Whereas (revised WD-5 Alt. C) as presented on February 28, 2008 is significantly more costly than the original WD-5, since it is geographically more extensive, and the total estimated cost of $9.87 million is extremely close to the $10 million cap required to retain zero percent interest financing from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF); and

Whereas consideration of any alternate district is premature at this time due to the lack of a town wide water needs survey; and

Whereas the quantity of water that can be provided to the Town of Ulysses from Bolton Point through the Town of Ithaca infrastructure without improvements does not meet the total requirements of WD-3, revised WD-5 Alt. C, and the Village of Trumansburg second source; and

Whereas the revised WD-5 Alt. C is not in accord with growth patterns encouraged by our current zoning; and

Whereas revised WD-5 Alt. C impacts an identified Unique Natural Area and environmentally fragile lands west of New York State Route 89 not having proper conservation protections in place; and

Whereas revised WD-5 Alt. C cannot take into consideration the Comprehensive Plan initiative under progress, which is based on broad citizen input and scheduled for completion by October 2008.

Therefore be it hereby resolved that Water District 5 Alternative C with revisions be removed from consideration in favor of a cooperative effort using the inputs from the newly formed Town of Ulysses Water Needs Committee, the Town of Ulysses Comprehensive Planning Committee, the Town of Ulysses Planning Board, the Village of Trumansburg, Finger Lakes State Parks, and the Town of Ithaca to look at alternative water solutions and to design more mutually agreeable, fundable water project hereafter to be known as Water District 6.

Further be it resolved that EFC and DOH be sent a letter that we will not be following through with DWSRF project #17468 and that we will be targeting submitting a new IUP by 2009.

Finally be it resolved that the estimated timeline for completion of a project plan and submission to the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and other applicable funding sources is no later than October 2010 (see attachment for detailed schedule).