This past year has been busy for our town personnel as we have continued to finish projects that were caused by the 2006 flooding and to finish some major water and sewer construction projects. 

This past spring the town purchased and demolished five homes whose homeowners had elected to participate in the FEMA flood mitigation buyout program.  Two homes were located on Kuenzli Drive and the other three were located on Miller Beach Road. This land will stay forever green – no one will be allowed to build any permanent structures on these properties.

The flood repairs at the Apalachin sewage treatment plant are 100% complete and we are waiting for final reimbursement from FEMA for last year's work.  Door dams were installed throughout the treatment plant (to keep out any future flood waters) and the underground electrical wiring was relocated overhead. The reconstruction of the Depot Street well house (across from the old train station) will start in the spring of 2009 and will be completed this year. Since this building was four feet submerged and all electrical equipment and controls were lost, the new building will need to be elevated four feet above its current elevation so that it is above the 100-year flood level.

In addition to completing the flood repairs to the town's water and sewer infrastructure, the town proceeded with completing the major water and sewer capital projects that had been started in 2007. The town finished installing emergency back-up power to all of the town's wells so that, in the event of losing power for any length of time, water will still be available for our residents. The digester covers at the Apalachin sewage treatment plant have been replaced and we are in the process of replacing all the equipment in the clarifiers. This will complete this capital project for the thirty-seven-year-old Apalachin plant.

As we look ahead to 2009, there will be a number of issues that must be addressed. With the state of the economy in recession, the town's revenues from the state and also from the mortgage tax and sales tax could be severely impacted. We will be keeping a close watch on the town's expenses and revenues during this challenging time.

Also, the potential impact of natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale could have a significant impact on the town's roadways and quality of life. The town has formed a committee to look at these issues and investigate mitigation measures.

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. 

My very best wishes for a wonderful 2009!