Apalachin Community Press, January 2000

The Town of Owego:  1999 in Review,  Looking Ahead to 2000 by Carol Sweeney, Town of Owego Supervisor

1999 was a busy year, dealing with many infrastructure needs in the Town of Owego. Bridges, sewer treatment plants, sewer extensions, and water wells all required attention.

There are three major bridge projects scheduled in our town in the near future. The Department of Transportation (DOT) will open bids in mid-February for the new Apalachin/Campville bridge and award the contract by early April. Construction should start in late spring with the bridge due to be completed by the summer of 2001. In conjunction with the bridge construction, the Route 434 Eastbound Safety Widening project will be completed. In addition, the DOT is working on designs for a new Court Street bridge with construction scheduled to start in the summer of 2001. According to the DOT, the new Apalachin/Campville bridge needs to be open to traffic before the Court Street bridge can be closed, since the Hiawatha Bridge (at Route 17, Exit 65) cannot safely handle all the additional traffic that will be forced across it once the Court Street Bridge is closed for construction. Lastly, the DOT has agreed to fund a refurbishment of the Apalachin Main Street bridge as a "pass-through" project with Tioga County administering this project. Preliminary engineering design will be done over the next few years and the bridge will be refurbished in 2002.

Our aging sewer and water infrastructure have also required much attention this past year. A major four million dollar upgrade to Sewer Treatment Plant #1 (located behind the Hadco plant in Owego) came online in the fourth quarter of 1999. This expanded plant will allow for continued industrial, business and residential growth in our town. During the drought of this past summer our wells were stressed and we discovered the need to redevelop the 40-year-old wells at the bottom of the Crestview Heights/Pine Knoll area. This was accomplished for both of these wells this past fall and they are now producing at the same capacity as when they were first drilled. Also, the sewer pipe that runs under the Susquehanna River and connects the Crestview Heights/Pine Knoll area with the Apalachin sewage treatment plant was reburied this past year using FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds since it had become exposed in the river. During this year, the town will be extending water and sewer service to over 200 residences in the Old Owego Road area and will be evaluating what needs to be done to the Apalachin sewage treatment plant which is currently almost 30 years old.

There are renovations and expansions planned at our town parks in 2000. A new bathroom is being built at the Hickories Park campground. This project is being done with the help of BOCES students, which saves labor costs for the taxpayers and gives great experience to these students. In addition, construction of a new pedestrian loop for walkers, skaters and bikers is scheduled early in the year. This is made possible by a $4500 grant from the UHS Heart Association. Also, the bathroom at Muth Park in Apalachin will be updated this year and made handicapped accessible.

This past year saw the completion of a multi-year effort to get an accurate database of the lights in all of the town's eleven special lighting districts and the town's general district. Through the efforts of two Eagle Scouts and their troops the town finally has accurate lighting records that match NYSEG's. The culmination of this project was a billing review with NYSEG that produced refund checks totaling $45,937.26. Thank you to Eagle Scouts Paul Smith and Matt Sweeney and Troops 60 and 43 for all their help through this extensive project.

In August of last year the town was awarded, for the first time, a $400,000 HUD Community Development Block Grant in order to rehabilitate 25 residences of low-income homeowners. This work will be going on during 2000-2001. Thanks goes to Congressman Hinchey for helping the town secure this grant.

We have been able to maintain a stable town tax rate this year. We have worked hard to control costs, have applied for and received many grants and have been helped by some additional revenue. We have seen an increase in our revenue from the town courts due to a state imposed surcharge that returns to the town. In addition, since I initiated new fiscal controls in Hickories Park in 1997 the camping revenue has climbed by 67% without a rate increase.
 

During this year the town will be addressing the equity of our tax assessments. Since 1992, when the town conducted an inventory of all properties (but did not do a reassessment), the town has lost over $150,000 of state aid due to the fact that the town has not kept assessments current and equitable. Over the next 5 years (2000-2004) the town will lose another $225,000 of state aid due to not having our assessments equitable and at full market value. This year a citizens' advisory committee will be looking at the issue of reassessment and making a recommendation to the Owego Town Board.

As I start my third term as Town Supervisor I want to thank you for all your input. As we work toward making the Town of Owego a better place to live, work and raise a family I encourage you to contact me with your ideas and suggestions at the Supervisor's office at 687-3535. My best wishes to you for a wonderful 2000!