Plandome considers water billing, reopening Village Hall to public

The Island Now

BY KIRA LOVELL

A possible change in water billing and the reopening of Village Hall were the main topics of discussion at the Village of Plandome Board of Trustees meeting on Monday.

The Manhasset-Lakeville Water District supplies water to the village, and the board discussed options to lower the cost for Plandome residents.

One option proposed is for the district to take over billing on an individual level. Plandome residents would be billed at the same rate as residents of the district, starting at a minimum of $10.80 for a four-month period, according to the Manhasset-Lakeville Water District website. The bill per household would be tied to consumption, to encourage residents to conserve water.

Another option suggested by the district would be for the district to bill the Village of Plandome as a whole, which would also require an additional bill to cover village operating expenses.

“We’ve done the calculations and we think that the total of that would still be less than what our current residents are being charged,” said Trustee Andrew Bartels. “So there could be a meaningful savings, maybe in the order of around 20% plus or minus of what they’re currently paying.”

In addition, a motion was passed to collect more than $23,000 in uncollected water fees through taxes rather than through water bills. The revenue will be moved to the Board of Trustees ledger through the village’s tax process, according to village Attorney John Ritter.

The trustees also discussed plans to reopen Village Hall to the public. Pending guidance from the state, Ritter said that he should be able to provide a more concrete timeline by Friday. Residents can expect to visit Village Hall by appointment only and will be required to wear masks.

To limit the number of people needing to visit the Village Hall, the board passed a motion proposed by Bartels to extend current parking stickers through August and revisit the topic in September. Village Clerk Barbara Peebles said new temporary stickers would be available for those who need them.

Peebles said of the reopening plan that so far “it’s going along without a hitch.”

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