SCHOHARIE - Last Tuesday, the Schoharie Village Board announced that the updated sewer rates, as provided by RCAP Solutions in 2025, will finally be hitting residents during this month’s billing.
The reason for this change is the result of the Village attempting to reduce expenses for the locals for years. According to the Board, their water and sewer infrastructure has been in the red for a long time, and they’ve been pulling money from reserves to keep down the costs.
However, with the reserves running dry, that’s no longer an option. Last year, the Village increased water rates and contracted with Jesse LaVigne from RCAP Solutions to find another viable way, and what he found was seven miles of infrastructure that was outdated by almost one hundred years.
And so, when the Board was asked on Tuesday why they raised the rates, their answer was twofold; to first make their system sustainable, and then to save money for costly repair work.
Deputy Clerk Debra Byrne explained that DPW has begun reading the meters this week and the Village is in the process of creating the invoices, though there are seventeen meters that will still have to be read manually.
Member Sal Medak raised the point of getting in touch with the meter company, saying “It’s ridiculous that we spend so much money only for them to fail to read.”
Peter Johnson shared his sentiment, further stating how much work it takes for DPW to dig up some of the buried meters if they’re not reading correctly.
A resident from the audience suggested that it may fall on the company’s end if they’re not fully updating each meter’s software, and the Board decided to discuss the matter further at their employee workshop.
Finally, during public comment, more audience members asked the Board what had happened during their special meeting in late February concerning the sewer rates.
Although the meeting was properly posted, many people had missed the notice, either because they didn't receive a newspaper or they could not find it on the website.
“Why not send out a notice through text,” said resident Diana Bell Jackson, alluding to the Village’s TextMyGov system. “That way, the people that want to know when a special meeting is or when you cancel a meeting can get it if they sign up.”
Agreeing with her assessment, the Board apologized for those that could not attend the special meeting, and they noted that they will hold an additional informational section during their regular meeting in April to go over what anybody missed.