The concept of including sanitary sewage systems around portions of Cazenovia Lake is no longer a focus of just the town board; the Cazenovia Village Board has also expressed interest in the potential project. During the Cazenovia village and town joint meeting on July 31 in the Municipal Building, Village Mayor Kurt Wheeler and Town Supervisor Ralph Monforte expressed interest in moving forward with the plan. While no actions have been made, the officials agreed having segments of residential areas along the lakeshore hooked to municipal sewers would help ensure the vitality of Cazenovia Lake. “It is a real advantage to the health of the lake, having the potential for sewer and water lines. It’s great that the village is willing to extend services beyond the village lines … to entice people to hook up to the sewer line when it becomes available up East Lake Road and around the southwest side of the lake,” Monforte said. “Residents will not be able to have water without sewer and sewer without water, so it comes as a package price. We’ve also been working really hard on the numbers, and getting the costs down by using new technologies that are available.” The village board was in agreement that the lake is one of the most important issues in Cazenovia, and was supportive of the idea to extend existing sanitary sewers to some lakeside residents. “I think we all agree that the vitality of Cazenovia Lake is very important … and we need to examine every available option to ensure its future health,” Wheeler said. Monforte said he is looking forward to the plan being presented at the Cazenovia Lake Association’s annual meeting in late August, where area residents will have the opportunity to hear of the proposal, and potential costs. Also during the meeting, the town and village board discussed the recent issues with unlicensed dogs in Cazenovia. The two boards told the public that their respective attorneys are currently reviewing the current laws, with plans to move forward on creating a formal agreement for dog control within the municipalities. In other board news:
—The Cazenovia Village Board unanimously appointed Kerry Bishal as the full-time court clerk. Bishal, a Chittenango resident, is currently a part-time court clerk for the town of Sullivan. She will hold regular hours in the Cazenovia Village Office, as well as be on hand during evening court dates. —Village trustees unanimously approved the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation’s Green Innovation Grant Program Grant Agreement, regarding the village’s stormwater harvesting project. Trustee Peggy Van Arnam said this new agreement offers the village more resources and the liberty to approach the project as they wish, “I think we’re in a better position than we were,” she said. —Payment was approved for the work done on Carpenter’s Barn, which is expected to conclude in the coming weeks. —Doug Shepperd, of Cazenovia, spoke to village trustees regarding interest his company has expressed in developing the Trush Building, located at the southern end of Cazenovia Lake. Shepperd said the building, which has been vacant for more than 30 years, has the potential to be developed into residential and commercial space. Pierce Smith is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at 434-8889 ext. 338 or [email protected].