The 31 municipalities in the Syracuse area designated as MS4 communities by the Department of Environmental Conservation are required to participate in Onondaga County’s Storm Water Education and Outreach Program. The village of Marcellus passed a resolution to take part in year three of the program at its Nov. 22 village board meeting, but takes issue with the cost. Marcellus Mayor John Curtin said the program costs $3,500 for each municipality, regardless of their size. The village of Marcellus has less than 2,000 residents compared to more than 50,000 residents in the town of Clay – both pay the same price for the service. Curtin said he wrote to CNY Regional Planning and Development Board asking if this could be adjusted and was told the issue would be brought up at their next meeting. MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) seeks to reduce pollution of surrounding lakes; the village installed an expensive vortex on Reed Street in early October to eliminate phosphate from storm water that flows into Nine Mile Creek as required by MS4. The board also discussed participating in Onondaga County’s Village Infrastructure Improvement Program, which would provide the village financial assistance for “the construction and maintenance of public improvements designed to enhance or promote regional growth, reduce undesirable sprawl, or encompass green technology and sustainable growth for the period of 2011-2020,” Curtin said. Curtin said the program is meant to make up for the loss in county sales tax revenue, but noted that the funding accounts for only half of what esd once received by the village. Curtin motioned to table the item until December’s meeting, anticipating changes made to the language of the agreement. Flood agreement approved
The board approved a legal agreement negotiated between village attorney James Brown and the Upper Crown Mill Condominium Association where the association takes primary responsibility for the continued operation, inspection, maintenance and repair of the Upper Crown Mill’s levee system – the mill sits in the Nine Mile Creek flood plain. The agreement also makes the village ultimately responsible for the levee system should the condominium project go out of business. “FEMA demands that a municipal or similar government agency assume that responsibility,” Curtin said. Reservoir designated as ‘surplus’
The board passed a resolution announcing the village reservoir, also known as Rockwell Pond, as surplus village property that is no longer needed for municipal purposes. Curtin reported that the village has a potential buyer for the property.