Penn Yan village officials approved an updated bond resolution Monday that increases the estimated cost of major water treatment plant improvements by more than $1.7 million, citing expanded project scope and evolving design requirements.
The Village Board authorized a revised maximum project cost of $7.33 million for water treatment plant upgrades, up from an original estimate of $5.61 million. Village officials said the work includes plant automation and improvements to the facility’s chlorine contact time, which is required to ensure proper disinfection of drinking water.
Director of Public Works Melissa Gerhardt told trustees the village recently secured a $500,000 Empire State Development grant to support automation efforts. She explained that the village currently relies on its water distribution system to achieve required chlorine contact times because the plant’s existing clear well is too small. One solution under consideration would repurpose existing waste tanks into clear wells by enlarging the current waste tank system. Gerhardt said the increase in project costs stemmed from moving beyond preliminary design into a more detailed engineering phase that expanded the project’s scope.
The board also authorized a letter of support for a grant application to fund a biosolids study at the wastewater treatment plant. Gerhardt said the facility has received three violations related to suspended solids and that previous attempts to address the issue through chemical treatment have not succeeded. The proposed $50,000 study, which would require a $10,000 local match, would evaluate the entire treatment process and identify potential improvements.
Trustees additionally appointed Michael Terpolilli to a three-year term on the Municipal Utilities Board, named Johanna Hullings deputy registrar, accepted the retirement of Heavy Equipment Operator George Burnett effective June 26, and authorized recruitment to fill the upcoming vacancy. The board also approved a request allowing a Fidelis Insurance bus serving residents of a FLACRA-operated house on Maiden Lane to use a municipal parking space during June.
The village approved annual contributions of $3,500 to the Yates County Historical Society and $1,000 to the Penn Yan Library, along with insurance-related payments totaling more than $127,000 for volunteer firefighter benefits. Following several executive and closed sessions, the board appointed Joseph Yankanich and Ioannis Prodromou as designated personnel in charge for the electric department, each receiving a $1.50-per-hour second-in-command stipend.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].