Grab the opportunity to place sewers in North East

Who knew that President-elect Barack Obama would start to make an impact on our area so soon, before even officially taking office? Obama could offer the village of Millerton and the town of North East — two municipalities so small they barely register as more than pinpoints on the national map — the key to economic prosperity and stability: sewers.

That’s right. Millerton and North East could be in store for a wastewater system. It’s in the very early stages of conjecture right now, but Millerton/North East Joint Sewer Committee Chairman Robert Trotta said Obama is looking to disburse $700 million for sewer and water treatment projects in rural New York state.

The money is meant to be an economic stimulus in the face of the current financial downturn that’s hit the country, the state and many of the communities we live in.

Obama is said to want a list of such communities in January, but only if they happen to be “ready to go� with wastewater projects. Because the town of North East and the village of Millerton already have a Joint Sewer Committee working on the problem, both municipalities are in pretty good shape to make that list. But they have to act quickly as there is still more work to do.

The committee must create a feasibility study, which the town and village both have to commission, to present as proof of being “ready to go� when January rolls around. There are two options here: The boards can commission C.T. Male Associates, P.C., of Latham, N.Y., the engineering firm that worked on the sewer report, to draw up the feasibility study for roughly $11,000, to be finished sometime in January; or they can work with the Dutchess County Water and Wastewater Authority, which would draft an RFP (request for proposals), help select an engineer, offer staff support and pay for one-third of the as-of-yet unknown cost. The latter option would take until at least March to start the study, which wouldn’t be done until May.

Time is of the essence here. The town and the village are in need of a sewer system. Yes, the feasibility study needs to be thorough and well-done, but there’s no reason to believe that C.T. Male can’t handle that responsibility — it’s done a good job working with the Joint Sewer Committee thus far. The two boards should make a decision soon and move forward with determination and a single vision.

There’s one point, however, that needs to be made. In that single vision the integrity of the village and the town needs to be preserved. Over the years both municipalities have grown into a joint community steeped with character, warmth and individuality. All of those traits need to be preserved. The growth that will inevitably come along with a new sewer must not eradicate what so many have worked to create and maintain — a charming village nestled within the rolling hills of a rural town.

It will take a lot of hard work and diligence on the part of our planning and zoning boards, town and village boards and the community-at-large to protect our homes and workplaces from over-development and misuse. Let’s hope we can all have the foresight to take advantage of opportunities like the one our president-elect is likely to provide us and use them in the smartest ways possible.