County requirement adds to EW water woes

Richard Tedesco

The cost of maintaining its water supply continues to be a prime concern for the East Williston Village Board.

This time it’s not the escalating water rates from Williston Park, but rather a county health department requirement for creation of a chlorination system in the village water system.

At Monday night’s village board meeting, East Williston Mayor David Tanner said the board wants to retain an engineer to evaluate what the village needs for a chlorination plant. That need is based on a new requirement by the Nassau County Department of Health that the village have the means to adjust chlorine levels in its water system in case of bacterial contamination.

When a resident asked whether the compliance of Williston Park – which supplies East Williston’s water – with the new county stipulation about chlorine would satisfy the health department, East Williston village attorney Jeffrey Blinkoff said, “Mostly, yes.”

Blinkoff said the county health department defines East Williston’s water system as a separate system from that of Williston Park. He said in the absence of any current working agreement about the two villages’ water systems, East Williston would have to comply with the county’s directive.

“We must assure the county health department the water system in East Williston would be safe,” Blinkoff said.

East Williston and Williston Park remain locked in an ongoing court battle over the rates Williston Park charges its neighbor for water. A recent ruling in Nassau County Supreme Court determined that Williston Park had by-passed its own local law by not holding a public hearing on the rate increase it imposed on East Williston – from $2.99 to $3.83 per thousand gallons – in April. Williston Park is filing an appeal to that decision.

After the meeting, Tanner said the money for the chlorination plant would have to come from the village water fund, a fund the village maintains based on water rates it charges residents above the cost of the Williston Park rates. The fund enables East Williston to cover maintenance costs of its own system. Tanner said the county has not imposed a deadline for the chlorination plant to be in place

Tanner said East Williston officials continue to have conversations with Williston Park officials about the water rates, but no meetings are planned to discuss the contract..

East Williston Deputy Mayor Bonnie Parente, who initiated a prior meeting with Williston Park officials that failed to produce a compromise, said East Williston’s door remains open to settle the dispute.

“We’re always willing to resolve the situation amicably,” Parente said. 

On another front, Tanner said the board is expecting engineer’s bids by week’s end on demolishing or repairing a roofless house at 8 Sumter Street itaht has been in serious disrepair for the past several years. 

The board voted to seek engineer’s bids on the property at last month’s board meeting.

Efforts to reach John Muzio, the owner of the property, were unavailing.

Blinkoff has made repeated appearances in Nassau County Supreme Court to secure a judge’s decision to permit the village to take action on the property. Muzio has allegedly ignored repeated summonses from the village to rectify problems on the property, including an infestation of racoons in the house, leading to the court action.

Tanner said a recent engineer’s report from Dean Koutsoubis of Koutsoubis, Alonso Associates estimated repair costs of approximately $300,000. The mayor said demolition of the structure would cost considerably less. Tanner has said the village expected to recoup costs from the owner. 

In other developments:

• The board will hold a public hearing on Oct. 15 to consider a change in local law to permit residents to conduct garage sales on an annual date to be determined.

“ Our current laws do not permit our homeowners to conduct garage sales unless they’re moving,” Tanner said.

He said there has been interest in permitting garage sales but added there are “some concerns.” He said the board might implement a garage sale plan on “a trial basis.”

East Williston Trustee Caroline DeBennedittis said village-wide garage sales could be “a community get-together as well.”

• The board voted to permit the Village Court to apply for a Justice Court Assistance grant. The amount of the grant, between $5,000 and $10,000, is yet to be determined.

• East Williston Trustee Christopher Siciliano said the village’s system of affixing orange stickers to garbage bags to distinguish them as grass cuttings has been successful. He said the village Department of Public Works is ready to supply residents with bags for leaf pick-up.

• East Williston Trustee Robert Vella Jr. reported the farmer’s market on the Village Green will continue on Fridays through November.

He said fall boot camp exercise sessions on the Village Green would be starting with Rafaella Suskind, who can be contacted via e-mail at raffaeladunne@washsquare.com.

Vella said a nine-week fall tennis session was also starting with Christine Conte, who can be reached via e-mail at cconte311@gmail.com.

Fall yoga classes are also being held. The contact is sherig217@yahoo.com

Fall running sessions are being conducted by Mary Kasparian, who can be reached at harrymaryk@verizon.net.

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