The Village of East Williston continued public updates on their progress with settling a long-lasting water rates dispute with Williston Park on Feb. 10.
The two villages met separately to discuss the dispute in January. Another meeting is scheduled for Feb 25.
Williston Park raised the price of water twice in the past four years—in 2011, water rates increased from $2.99 per thousand gallons to $3.83, and was followed with an increase to $4.33.
The two boards convened in executive session in opposite rooms, and from there, two members each from the East Williston and Williston Park boards met with legal counsel to discuss the water rates, while the other trustees waited in closed session to avoid a quorum.
Both village boards originally planned to meet, but according to Committee on Open Government Executive Director Robert Freeman, the meeting would have violated the Open Meetings Law of 1977. Village of East Williston Attorney Jeffrey Blinkoff acknowledged this last Monday.
In September 2014, a judge ordered East Williston to pay $600,000 in payments withheld during the arguments, including interest accrued. East Williston has paid at least $239,000 to date.
“We’re optimistic, but we still have challenges ahead,” East Williston Mayor David Tanner said.
East Williston is now considering two options—continue negotiations with Williston Park to reach an agreement, or build their own water system, which was estimated to cost $7 million at a special meeting last November.
According to Tanner, East Williston is looking to secure a 40-year deal.
“We’re looking for as permanent of an agreement as possible,” Tanner said.
East Williston resident Michael Guglielmo asked if the village board was “happy” with the results of meeting with Williston Park last month, which village trustee Robert Vella replied, “happy’ is a tough word to use.”
“It will give us the greatest control of price and product,” said Vella, who pointed out that Williston Park has a water system that is 80 years old.
During the November 2014 water rates meeting, Vella explained that currently, based upon the village’s average water usage, their debt service comprises 68 percent of the cost to produce water, and said “that’s going to stay the same for 30 years, however the wild card is what are the other operating costs going to be? If they doubled, give or take, the cost would go from $4.68 to $6.17 per thousand gallons of water.”
At last week’s meeting, Vella said if the village’s administrative costs and operational costs doubled, the water rate would only increase an estimated 20 percent. He then remarked that Williston Park has raised the village’s rate 35 percent in the past three years.
East Williston attempted to reach out to neighboring villages to find another water supplier, but all declined.
“If we end up entering an agreement with Williston Park, we are essentially forgoing an opportunity to build our own well,” Tanner said.
