Watkins Glen prepares shovel-ready projects

WATKINS GLEN--The Watkins Glen Board of Trustees authorized phase one of water infrastructure improvements during the Tuesday, March 2 board meeting. The vote does not include any timelines, authorization of plans or expenditure of money however it does state the board's plan to tackle the improvements in steps instead of all at once.
"The authorization for phase one does not include specific dates, it just means that we voted to do the project piecemeal and it can always be modified," said Watkins Glen Mayor Luke Leszyk after the meeting. "All this does is state this is what the plan is, this is what we are comfortable doing now, and this is what we are going to work towards now. Then we can look at phase two."
Unlike the recently completed water treatment plant, Leszyk said the water infrastructure improvements can be done in a tiered approach. At the top of the list is the intake and treatment plant on Steuben St. and building a new water intake that would also include a new pump house and treatment facility that is estimated to cost roughly $9 million. While no grants have yet been obtained for the project, Leszyk said based upon analysis by consultants he is confident that roughly $6 million in grants can be obtained to help with the cost.
"This will create a debt of, and I hate to say only, but only $3 million with a zero percent loan spread over several years," Leszyk said. "$3 million is a lot better than $9 million. So you're talking a couple of dollars per user, nothing like (the cost associated) with the treatment plant."
As it stands, Leszyk said it's possible that phase two of the project, which includes street and main improvements, will not begin for five years but said other factors could actually speed up the timeline.
"We don't know what will come down from the federal government in terms of stimulus so we want shovel-ready jobs to be ahead of the curve," Leszyk stated. "If they release money we can say we have plans and that we are ready to go, so that's why we move ahead during these economic uncertainties... if we can secure more grants maybe we can say it will happen in three years, it depends on unknown factors."
Regardless of how long or how difficult, Leszyk said the water infrastructure is a priority.
"No more kicking the can down the road, it's not fair to the next generation to be saddled with this stuff," Leszyk added. "Water is one of the most important things for a community... you can't grow without the foundation being (solidified)."
After some confusion, a resolution that has been presented to municipalities throughout the Finger Lakes stating opposition to the Greenidge Bitcoin mining operation expansion, was tabled by the board after initially being listed as a voting item. Leszyk said the resolution was originally supposed to be a discussion item only but was mislabeled as a voting item.
"We will decide with the board what they want to do, whether it will be something down the road we will address... or if the board says we are not interested in taking a side on it, we might not pursue it at all," Leszyk added.
While the fate of the resolution is uncertain, Leszyk said it is worth considering having the discussion.
"It affects us because we are on the lake like any other community, so we would have an interest. But if it's decided we don't want to get involved, we won't," Leszyk concluded.