Washington, D.C. – In case you missed it, today, The Daily Gazette reported that Congresswoman Elise Stefanik secured $2 million in funding for a Consolidated Regional Sewer System Project in Fulton County through the Consolidated Appropriations Act. This funding will be used to establish a new sewer district to provide modern resilient wastewater infrastructure and prevent older and failing structures from negatively impacting the water quality of nearby surface water bodies and groundwater.
Read the full article below:
The Daily Gazette: Fulton County secures $2M for Great Sacandaga Lake sewer project
By Tyler A. McNeil
Fulton County’s priciest water infrastructure project is getting a seven-figure boost in funding.
As part of a federal appropriations bundle signed by President Joe Biden, the county will receive an additional $2 million to build a centralized sewer system around the Great Sacandaga Lake region.
U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Saratoga, helped earmark the project.
“As we look across the district for infrastructure needs, the sewer investments are very important and they are just in need in rural communities across the country,” Stefanik told the Daily Gazette Family of Newspapers.
To extend sewer pipelines from Gloversville to Mayfield, it’s expected to cost more than $8 million. To extend the system all the way to Northville — the county’s long-range goal — costs are estimated to number $30 million.
Officials in Johnstown last year applied for funding closer to $10 million, according to county Administrator Jon Stead.
“The way they do things and the way they spread the funding across the entire state of New York, double-digit millions are not likely in this program,” Stead said. “We’re very happy and the $2 million is a very nice feature.”
So far, phase one funding has been covered by COVID-19 relief funds. Using the rest of that funding line, the county Board of Supervisors on Monday OK’d three contracts to begin construction.
ManFred Construction, the main contractor, hopes to commence construction in the late spring and finish at any point between June and November, according to Fulton County Planning Department Director Scott Henze.
“When we met with them, we talked about the project, how they were going to phase it and they seemed eager and gung-ho to start laying the pipes from Gloversville to Mayfield,” Henze said.
Henze expects that recent federal appropriations could help cover some of the costs of inching closer to Lanzi’s Lakeside Tavern & Marina on state Highway 30. Roughly each mile costs $1 million.
“As long as we’re utilizing it on the Route 30 sewer project — I mean, we have quite a few miles to go to get from Mayfield to Northville,” Henze said.
In order to start, the county has to receive approval from Glove Cities, which together operate the Gloversville-Johnstown Joint Wastewater Treatment Facility. Two weeks ago, both cities sent a letter to the county requesting contractual changes.
Johnstown Mayor Amy Praught has made clear that she will throw her weight behind any final agreement until the county alters the language of the contract.
“I’m waiting’” she said. “It’s in their hands. I can’t do anything.”
Stead is hoping that both Johnstown’s attorney, Michael Albanse, and the county’s attorney, Jason Brott, will soon meet to discuss technical changes.
“It’s really mostly wording changes and wordsmithing from what I see and so they’re going to be talking about in the next week or so,” Stead said. “Hopefully, within two weeks, that’ll be signed, sealed and delivered.”
