- By Dan Veaner
- News
Print 
Current estimates predict that the cost per household will be $743 in the first years, and that will be reduced as new homes are built in the district. However the committee hopes to raise enough money from contributors to lower the annual cost to homeowners to only $580 per year. The fact sheet includes a map that shows what areas of Lansing are included in the district and where the initial service area is.
The committee has slipped into high gear now that the route for the trunk line between the Cayuga Heights Treatment Plant and Myers Point has been chosen. Engineers presented a Wastewater Facilities Plan at the last meeting, a thick document that describes all aspects of the plan. Blum is waiting for comments from committee members as he develops the final draft that will be presented to the Town Board in its August 16 meeting.
If the Board accepts it, public meetings could begin in late August and are likely to go into September as well. The committee plans to mail the facts sheets to all residents within the proposed district before public hearings begin, so that residents have accurate facts and have a chance to ask questions about them.
Meanwhile Town Engineer Dave Herrick noted that municipal officials had met with plant representatives to discuss treatment charges and plans to handle the effluent. He expressed concern about the chain of responsibility between the Cayuga Heights Plant, Town of Ithaca Plant and the Town and Village of Lansing, noting that if the Lansings are purchasing services from Cayuga Heights that the plant should negotiate with the Ithaca plant for any treatment they do when the flow exceeds the Cayauga Heights Plant's capacity.
Herrick said that he is concerned that if the plant cannot provide assurances that they can either handle or outsource treatment for at least 20 years that Lansing could be faced with a sewer moratorium five years out, something the Town finds unacceptable. "That relationship (between the two plants) has to be solidified," he said. "Cayuga Heights has to act on behalf of the outside users to insure that the plant always has capacity to treat the flow from the Lansings."
Andy Sciarabba reported that he and Noel Desch continue to meet with potential donors, and have also reached out to the Lansing School District to meet with school board members and administrators to answer concerns about how growth resulting from the sewer would impact the schools. Sciarabba said he considers it important that school district officials support the sewer project.
The committee plans to have the final draft of the facts sheet and Wastewater Facilities Plan completed by their August 9 meeting so they will be ready before the Town Board meeting on August 16.
----
v2i27