PORT JEFFERSON — Port Jefferson Village Council heard and ratified an ordinance approving the appropriation of funding for a number of projects for 2018. Village fiscal officer Judy Fair prepared and read the report to those in attendance. Fair reported there is presently $47,014 in the general fund, $36,088.00 in special revenue, $8106.00 in special assessment funding, and $248,435 in enterprise funding bring the total to $339,643.00.
• $27,340 is earmarked for street maintenance and repair
• $2855 for the State Highway repair (state Route 47)
• $878 for a new computer for the village office
• $1515 for sidewalk repair
• $3500 from a one mil levy for the Village Fire Dept.
• $8,106 was allocated for street lights and $248,435 for sewage reserve, sewage maintenance, and sewage debt.
Mayor Steve Butterfield told council that since a council seat was still vacant that he had pursued his option to fill the seat inviting local resident Chris Geuy to fill that vacancy. Geuy who was present at the meeting had originally considered taking the position but announced that he would abstain for the time being as there was a possibility he would be bidding on some village-owned property and did not want there to be a conflict of interest concern. Butterfield invited him to come to a few meetings and then come back after the land sale and participate if he so desired.
The village is in the process of advertising for bids for the village-owned property north of the Community Center and will be looking into those bids at the next meeting in April.
“We have not received any bids yet” Butterfield said “But we are sure to have at least one by the next meeting” noting the fire department wants the property for the construction of a new fire station.
Butterfield announced the village took in $1825.00 in traffic fines for the month of February. He also reported on plans to rebuild portions of Spring Street and Wall Street beginning on April 23 and ending on June 1.
“Spring Street will be closed between Wall and Main for the removal of trees and an old pole and power lines that are no longer in use, it will look really nice when the project is completed” Butterfield said. He noted “The village will pay 10% of the total cost of $133,000 and the State of Ohio will pick up the rest.”
Village resident Eric Roe told council he had addressed an issue with a sump pump pumping grey water into the septic system by re-routing the water.
“My sump pump cannot keep up with the water coming in my basement, between record rainfalls and the natural spring beside my house there is a lot of water. The old homeowner ran the discharge from the sump pump into the septic line which made our rates go up so I tried to remedy the problem by running it down the shallow ravine that runs along the alley but the water just has no place to go, the ground is saturated,” Roe said.
Butterfield agreed saying the village sewer rates had increased due to high rainfall and the fact that a number of residents are illegally pumping surface water that gets into their basements into the septic system.
“I commend Mr. Roe for attempting to direct the water from his basement to someplace besides the sewer, though it still needs work at least he is honest in his attempt to do the right thing while the actions of others are causing the septic rates to go up for all the rest of us,” said Butterfield.
Butterfield indicated there will be a study conducted in the future to determine where all the water is coming from if residents do not address the problem.
“This town is full of water, we need to have things working properly to move that water out,” he said, “It’s not fair for those who have properly designed and working systems to pay higher sewage rates because of those who are misusing the sewage set-up.” Butterfield said.
Before closing the meeting Butterfield said the village will be taking appropriate measures to get the village cleaned up in the near future.
“We have passed ordinances about removing junk cars, garbage and trash that is sitting around our village and now we are going to enforce them. Notifications will be issued to those not in compliance and if they do not clean up their mess we will do it for them and send them a bill,” Butterfield said. “We have a nice little town here and most of us are proud of our community and its people, we are not going to let this thing go any longer, something will be done to clean it up one way or another.”
