Our Views: Can’t the two Willistons just get along?

The Island Now

A dispute over what the Village of Williston Park charges neighboring Village of East Williston for water is now going on four years.

During that time, East Williston has sued Williston Park twice for raising their water rates – winning the first case and losing the second.  

And recently, Williston Park returned the favor, suing East Williston for $300,000, which it claims East Williston owes for fines and penalties stemming from payments not made during the first two lawsuits.

Begging the question: Can’t we just get along?

The answer is apparently no.

Trustees for the two villages have met without success on a number of occasions in the past four years in an effort to negotiate a written agreement. Each side has blamed the other for failing to do so.

East Williston Mayor David Tanner, who advises municipalities for a living, last week criticized Williston Park’s handling of its water system, calling its budget a “fiscal disaster.” 

And as he and other East Williston officials have done in the past, he pointed the finger at Williston Park Mayor Paul Ehrbar who he said has broken a decades old “gentleman’s agreement” in which Williston Park had charged East Williston wholesale prices.

Ehrbar said neither he nor his wife Doreen, who also served as mayor of Williston Park, had ever heard of such a gentleman’s agreement.

The dispute between the two villages is not without a significant cost.

In responding to Tanner’s charge that the Williston Park water system faces a $150,000 deficit, Ehrbar did not dispute the claim. Instead he said the $150,000 was “equal to the cost needed to defend ourselves” in litigation with East Williston.

That’s just Williston Park’s cost in 2015. It doesn’t include East Williston’s legal fees in 2015 and both villages’ legal fees in previous years.

In a letter posted on the village website, Tanner and the East Williston trustees called for a meeting with residents in September to discuss the village’s options.

Those options include the construction of an independent water supply system for $7 million. 

Given the need for other water districts to close wells due to chemical contamination, we question whether building its own well is a wise choice for East Williston. 

What happens if East Williston needs to be closed for remediation as three of the Roslyn Water District wells have needed to do?

On the other hand, the prospects of the two sides reaching an agreement do not seem good – especially with the bad blood apparent between the two sides?

What to do then?

We suggest the two sides consider a third party to arbitrate the dispute.

Given that both villages are part of North Hempstead, perhaps Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth and the town council could possibly play that role or recommend someone who would. 

Or perhaps the Nassau County Village Officials Association could do the same?

And while they are at it, perhaps they could discuss the creation of a water district made up of both villages.

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