The
people's choice in Livingston County... and beyond!
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The
people's choice in Livingston County... and beyond!
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In a landmark August 20 decision, at a meeting held at Avon Downs Park, the Avon Village Board voted to build the filtration plant on a preplanned Route 256 site and to initiate the land purchase arrangements. While the resolution was also tempered with a provision to "seek out a larger customer base," the resolution was effectively a 'declaration of water war' against the Town of Avon and against the County Water Authority.
The Avon Area Chamber of Commerce had initially allied itself with the town and county, and came out against the village's plant project. At a well attended meeting September 7, the village board heard citizen opinions on the water issue. The overwhelming wish was that "village and town stay together." The September 26 Clarion announced that village water would rise in cost from a $158 annual average to $500-to-$600, because of filtration. It was suggested that either filtered water source would bring about a comparable increase in water cost.
The authority desperately met with the village in a last ditch session to salvage an important potential customer, but was unable to guarantee a specific formula for determining water rates, so the contract offer was once again rejected by the village.
But the county was also beginning to take an offensive stance. The October 10, 1996 Clarion noted that because county funding assisted construction of the village water main under Route 390, the county might want the line back-to use for supplying Hemlock water to the Town of Avon!
The November 7 Clarion reported a challenge brewing against the filtration plant decision from within the Village of Avon. Opponent village residents would be able to collect petition signatures which would bring about a public permissive referendum on the Village Board's vote to bond the financing of the plant.
In a reconcilatory gesture reported November 21, the village board offered to surrender its control of the water system to a joint village-town commission. The town board listened, but didn't bite. The 'big decision,' the water source, had already been made by the village, the town noted.
The village proceeded to forge ahead with a $130,000 zebra mussel control system at the Conesus Lake intake, an action which solidified its commitment to build the plant.
The Village launched a major offensive, reported December 12, when it resolved to bring suit against the Water Authority on the grounds that the authority plan to bring Hemlock water to the Town of Avon failed to address environmental matters.
Just before Christmas the village effected a $14 monthly water customer billing surcharge, dedicated exclusively to plant costs, to be removed in 20 years.
Clarion stories of January 9, 1997 indicated that both the town and village were promoting their opposing points of view via pamphlets and newsletters-and that the Water Authority had signed a 40 year water purchase agreement with the City of Rochester.
In another landmark resolution, on January 7, 1997 the Avon Village Board adopted a $3 million bond issue to finance its filtration plant.
As reported January 23, angry Town of Conesus residents, who felt the Avon lawsuit would delay their public water project, appeared before the Livonia School board, demanding annulment of the promised plant tax abatement. Meanwhile the Town of Livonia was moving forward on constructing its waterline along the east side of Conesus lake-a necessary precursor for the Town of Conesus line.
According to the January 30 1997 Clarion, hundreds of Avon citizens were signing the petition to bring about the referendum on the plant bonding. However, the village board embraced the referendum before the petition was submitted. A March 25 election day was announced.
Avon Councilman George Cullinan announced his bid for the GOP Avon supervisor endorsement, in the wake of current Supervisor Jim Steele's decision to not seek reelection.
In February 1997, the Village of Avon hired prominent environmental attorney Alan Knauf to represent its case against the Water Authority. The village's regular attorney, Dennis Cohen, withdrew himself from the litigation because of his ties with Livingston County, as a Family Court prosecutor. At the same time, Livingston County Grantsman Stu Brown was accused by the village of failing to follow up on potential grant funding for the filtration plant.
As a result of his apparent conflict of interest in attempting to serve both village and county, the village dismissed Brown from his administrative assignment on an unrelated project, the Avon-on-the-Green senior citizen apartment.
Back in Livonia, village and town water system consolidation utilizing the
Hemlock source was now an accomplished fact. Meanwhile the Village of Livonia
embarked on major water upgrades, which were the direct result of its new water
partnership with the Town of Livonia.
Back to Chapter 3: Efforts at Reconciliation
Forward to Chapter 5: Two Referendum
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