Town polls produce mixed results
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James Tomlinson is accompanied by his son, Curtis, while voting at Proctor High School on Tuesday. Cassandra Hotaling / Rutland Herald |
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By Brent Curtis Staff Writer - Published: May 20, 2009
Pittsford voters approved $4.75 million worth of bonding for water improvements on Tuesday while voters in Proctor split over two bond articles worth $1.67 million.
In Pittsford, the 136-89 vote cleared the way for a project that will connect the Pittsford and Florence water systems, make a variety of improvements to the distribution system and install new meters.
But in Proctor, the results were divided as voters approved a $770,000 that will replace 3,700 feet of antiquated pipes on Olympus Road, Park Street, Grove Street and Holden Avenue. Voters approved that project by a vote of 104-71.
However they rejected a second $900,000 article, seeking to install back-flow prevention devices and install water meters on every home and business in town, by a vote of 63-110.
Both bonding requests were contingent on the town receiving federal economic stimulus funds that would have cut the pipe project's costs by 57 percent and the metering project's costs by 67 percent, lowering the effective price tag to the taxpayers to $628,000.
With the defeat of article two, the taxpayers' obligation drops to $331,100.
News of the voters' decision was bittersweet to Select Board Chairman Bruce Baccei, who said he was happy to see that the water pipes would be replaced, but disappointed voters turned down the meters that town officials and state engineers said were needed to plan a new water system for the town.
"I'm kind of half smiling," Baccei said Tuesday night.
Baccei said the voters' decision could cost the town extra money in the future if bigger and more expensive tanks, pumps and other equipment are bought to meet water demands that don't exist.
"We'll have to err on the high side," he said.
brent.curtis@rutlandherald.com
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