Stamp of approval needed
Sewer project needs residents’ signatures
CADIZ — Cadiz officials announced the village needs the signatures of nearly 200 local residents in order to move forward with a sewer line replacement project.
Village officials discussed the matter at Thursday’s council meeting. Mayor John G. Migliore said 196 property owners’ signatures are required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in order to secure the loans and grants needed to proceed with the $8,749,500 South and Central Collection Systems project.
Village Administrator Ted Andrzejewski said the 196 residents, located throughout the village, will receive two documents: one is an easement and one is letter giving the village permission to proceed with the project.
Easements were already signed back in the 1920s and ’30s, however, they were improperly recorded and there is not a remaining record, he said. The USDA requires the signatures to move forward with the loan.
“We’re asking people to come in and sign the easements for the next generations. They don’t include additional land, they only include where they’re (sewer lines) at now. We’ll replace some lines, in the same spot, and some just need to be lined,” he said.
The project is the second phase of the North and Central Trunk Lines project. The first phase, the North Trunk Lines, was completed last year, Andrzejewski said.
“During the South and Central Sewer Line projects, there’s going to have to be public meetings to get easements for (the project), so we can be able to replace the sewer lines on those projects,” Migliore said.
He added that 56 letters have been mailed out to residents thus far with the remainder to be mailed out soon.
Residents who receive a letter are asked to attend the upcoming meetings.
“The letters have already been sent out. It’s very important for the property owners to attend the meeting here in council chambers,” he said.
Those residents must attend one of the upcoming meetings set for 6 p.m. Wednesday and Feb. 5 in Council Chambers, 128 Court St. in Cadiz.
“It’s really important that we get that done. … (I) want to make sure people understand how important it is for the community” he added.
Village attorney Costa Mastros said the line in question is a collection line that has been on the properties for many years.
“There’s a trunk line, you have a collection line, then you have a service line. The collection line connects your service line to the trunk line. This is a guess, but probably 95 percent of the collection lines are there already … it’s already buried, it’s been there since you owned it. We’re replacing and rehabilitating that line, and it services the citizens’ property,” he said.
Mastros said the rehabilitation will allow the village to continue to provide sewer service to residents’ homes. He reiterated the importance of residents who receive a letter attending one of the meetings.
“It is a requirement, and we are under findings and orders to rehabilitate our sewer system. We are making progress. This will be our last project until the (water) plant itself,” he said. “Then we will have a very, very nice sewer system that will last generations.”
Andrzejewski added that those residents who do not wish to attend the meetings may sign the documents beforehand at the village hall.
“They are welcome to come anytime next week,” he said.
In other matters, Andrzejewski said the new security system that enables the tracking of bulk water sales at the Sally Buffalo Park Station has been installed.
“It’s really nice. Each company has been given a code. They have to put the code in in order for them to turn on the water,” Andrzejewski explained. “The system will allow us to match the companies’ number of times at the bulk filling station to what they wrote down and they should match.”
The data inputted by the companies will be compared to department records, ensuring all the water usage is accounted for.
Councilman Terry Capers said that water pickup has greatly improved as of late due to the new system.