The Town of Owego: 2004 in Review 
and Looking Ahead to 2005

By Carol Sweeney, Town of Owego Supervisor 

The Town of Owego continues to be a great place to live, with clean water and air, well-maintained roads and parks, not to mention a friendly and hard-working population and a beautiful rural and small town environment. That said, the town faces challenges due to the continued economic stress in our local area, as well as the budget troubles facing New York State and the Federal Government. However, the town remains able to provide the services that are essential to basic public function as well as those things that add to our quality of life. 

 This past year, under the town's Unsafe Buildings Code, the town board condemned Dutch's Tavern and adjoining house on Main Street in Apalachin, and is in the process of taking these buildings down. This is a challenge, since the town does not receive any federal or state monies to help offset these expenses. These considerable costs are applied as a lien against the property. During 2005, the town will continue to evaluate structures for serious hazards, seeking to remove those that detract from the quality of life in our town.

 The town continues to responsibly maintain our sewer and water infrastructure. Our two sewage treatment plants have functioned well this past year with ample capacity to serve the needs of our industries, commercial establishments and residents. The final project for the 32-year-old Apalachin sewage treatment plant, as part of a five-year upgrade plan, is to replace the original digester covers, which have corroded. (The digesters are the two round brick buildings.) These covers will be replaced by the spring of 2006. Once the upgrade of the Apalachin plant is complete, there will be even cleaner effluent to the Susquehanna River and better odor control at the plant. 

 The town continues to evaluate our water and sewer pipes before any roads are newly paved. This past year we replaced over 1,000 feet of sewer lines. Over the last four years we have also been in the process of rebuilding or rehabilitating the town's fourteen sewage pump stations. By the end of 2005, the town will have completed this major upgrade.

 A five-year capital improvement program for our water system is underway as well. By the end of 2008, the town will have provided emergency back-up power for all of our wells, as well as rehabilitating or replacing all of the thirty- to forty-year-old reservoirs. The town has applied for low interest loans and grants to fund these major water system improvements. We will hear shortly whether we qualify for this financing.

 This past fall, the town received very advantageous interest rates for long term financing of our last two water extension projects in the Shady Hill Road/Laine Court/Eland Drive/Perry Drive area and the Brookside Avenue West/Griffin Drive area. A local bank, Tioga State Bank, was the low bidder for this financing. 
 Hickories Park was well utilized again this last year. The Hickories generated a record $181,730 in camping and pavilion rental revenue this past year, which is used to help offset the property tax. The Hickories suffered extensive damage from the remnants of Hurricane Ivan in September. The Town has applied to FEMA for reimbursement of the many expenses that resulted from this flooding.

  I look forward to continuing to work with you to make 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 2005!