DRAFT FILED: 12/21/01
FINAL APPROVAL: 3/5/02
VILLAGE OF CROTON-ON-HUDSON, NEW YORK
WATER CONTROL COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES
OF DECEMBER 19, 2001
A meeting of the Water Control Commission of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y. was held on December 19, 2001, at the Municipal Building.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Sally Odland, Chairman
Marc Albrecht
Charles Kane
MEMBERS ABSENT: Stuart Greenbaum
Mark Goldfarb
ALSO PRESENT: Leo Weigman
HEARINGS:
There were no hearings scheduled
DISCUSSIONS:
TEMPLE ISREAL:
The Board stated that the Temple has completed their review of the Village's report and they have submitted their own report prepared by Cronin Engineering. The Board stated that there was a lack of information in the report. The population data with respect to student population for the nursery school and there was no additional investigation with respect to sampling. The Chairman of the Board recommended there be continued monitoring. Testing by the County should be contingent upon certain threshold conditions and a written ground water study report should be requested.
The Village needs the Water Control Commission to come up with a list for sampling perimeters. The Village is also looking for a third party to conduct sampling.
Given the conditions reported by the village's consultant (tanks full to capacity, no leach fields found, elevated nutrients, and fecal coliform in water samples. The Board stated that monitoring of water usage should continue. The Board stated that the Temple has reported that they repaired a leak that might have been the reason for a water usage of 1,500 to 1,600 gallons per day. The water usage in 1999 leaped to 4,000 gallons per day which the Board believes was at best partially due to the leak. However the recent reading of Tony Conetta, from the Village's consulting firm of 450 gallons per day needs to be confirmed as it is lower than any previous reported usage. The Temples conclusion that they have the capacity to expand is not supportable based on one low data report.
STORM WATER RUN OFF STUDY:
D'Virka & Bartilucci conducted a site visit of the area of Hudson National with the WCC. He has not been able to get aerial photos & detailed contour maps released from the county. They need this detailed mapping for their modeling.
With respect to Brook Street resident Mrs. Kelly's concern about the run-off, Sally Odland, Chairman of the WCC, conducted a site visit and reported back to Tony Conetta. Bruce Donohue, consultant, requested she join him for a site visit of the drainage basins at Hudson National and she did. Ms. Odland stated that they walked the area of Mt. Green Road, Finney Farm Road, and Prickly Pear Hill Road.
Ms. Odland suggested mapping and tracking troubled drainage areas including the areas that were washed out by Hurricane Floyd and the Fathers Day flooding of June 2001.
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS SYMPOSIUM: STORM WATER MANAGEMENT:
Charles Kane, WCC Member and Fran Allen, WAC Chairman attended the meeting on November 28, 2002 at Yorktown Town Hall.
Charles Kane, presented to the Board a report with respect to the issues discussed regarding "Storm Water Management".
Mr. Kane stated that as an educational awareness project, one suggestion was to stencil or paint drainage areas with pictures of fish such as stripe bass or sturgeon to raise awareness to the public of where these storm drains empty. A different fish would be stenciled for drains into the Croton River. The Board agreed unanimously that his was a Boy Scout or High School Student project worth investigating.
The Board expressed their desire to further educate its members and the public on how to address storm water management problems and reduce pollution of our water sources.
Ms. Odland suggested that the students could possibly obtain permission from the High School to use the shop to design and create a stencil.
The Board also suggested possibly using the local newspapers or creating a brochure that would indicate the Village's sensitive areas with trail maps and educating the public about the seriousness of discarding certain debris down drains.
The Board recognized the need to be sensitive to budgeting and suggested tying into village and county flyers or brochures that already exist.
Mr. Kane agreed to prepare a proposal to Richard Herbek, Village Manager and Leo Weigman, Village Board Liaison to the WCC, expressing these issues.
The Board also discussed the potential need for a "Storm Water Management Code" of which maintenance responsibility would be a big issue for areas where drainage crosses private property.. The Board agreed that this needs further discussion as the Village's drainage study progresses and as suggested remedies emerge.
The Board suggested that if a new code turns out to be necessary, the Water Control Commission could function as "lead agency".
MAP OF LIMITED ACTIVITIES AREA AT HUDSON NATIONAL:
The Board stated that they were in receipt of Hudson National Limited Activities" area map that was submitted to them by Bruce Donohue. The map indicates areas of fertigation, irrigation, no mow areas, no chemical areas and etc.
The Board pointed out that one of the areas of concern to the Village is the Mt. Green area which drains to High Street. The Hudson National map indicates storage basins, drainage basins and holding ponds that hold a lot of water in this area. From Bruce Donohue's and Sally Odland's field observations, it was their opinion that not much water flow can physically develop in this area.
Kane - Stated that there was a need to slow the flow from the High Street Area.
Odland - Stated that it appears the Golf Course has slowed the flow substantially from their property, which is designed to handle the flow from a 100-year storm, but some of the areas below the Hudson National Property are private properties that may be designed for a 10 yr. flood. There are also private, undeveloped, properties in this area where it might be possible to build a detaining basin.
The Board agreed that there was a need to identify potential problems and come up with a plan. They will continue to assist D'Virka and Bartilucci in their study in any way that they can.
Discussion Closed:
The Board announced the next meeting date will be January 16, 2002
Respectfully submitted
Janice Fuentes
WCC Secretary
12/19/01
WCC BOARD MEMBERS OFF THE RECORD NOTES TO THE FILE:
ARBORETUM:
The Board requested a copy of the Water measurement agreement between Hudson National and the Arboretum.
The Hudson National Golf Course currently buys $60,000.00 of water per year from Croton to meet their obligated 30 gallons per minute flow. Onsite wells produce only 10 gallons per minute combined. The question is whether the arboretum needs the measurement of water agreed upon. The Board noted that reports show that Hudson National did conduct drilling hoping to fill the irrigation pond.
Bruce Donohue said the wetland is now permanent, not seasonal, and vegetation is changing.
It was acknowledged by the Board that this is a big cost to Hudson National when it might not be needed perhaps it may be possible to give less water and still maintain the wetland boundaries. A trial period of, just using wells, was suggested by the Water Control Commission.
The Board suggested that perhaps this issue should be re-visited by the Water Control Commission for re-evaluation. The WCC's main concern is wasting village water, especially in the summer.
The Board suggested that if the Village was to come to a drought decision the Arboretum/Hudson National is where the Village should cut down the water usage. The Board expressed that their concern is due to the fact that the reservoir is currently low and this could become a problem in the next season.
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