Published: May 14, 2008 01:16 am      

ROYALTON: Budget, sewer problems hashed out at Town Board meeting

ROYALTON — Long-festering sewer problems and bookkeeping blunders came to a head at Monday’s Town Board meeting.

The town that doesn’t know how much money it has, settled a suit with Niagara County for worker’s compensation two weeks ago and must take out a loan to pay $210,000. Add to that, there’s a 12-year old pipe problem that needs to be resolved for the Royalton-Hartland School District and the Village of Gasport.

Paul Bono, the Roy-Hart superintendent, brought the sewer line issue before the board. The board said it could do the job for $65,000. Bono said that he talked to three contractors who could lay the 400 feet of pipe for $35,000.

Several years ago, a 9-inch pipe was hooked up with the required 12-inch pipe. That causes standing water at the Gasport School and flooding in the Emerson and West Avenue neighborhood.

“At Emerson, they have a 9-inch pipe feeding the 12-inch pipe on West Avenue,” Bono explained. “That’s been a cause concern for the hamlet for over a decade who have had flooding.”

There is a tremendous runoff from Route 31 to the canal where there is another 12-inch pipe, he said.

“It’s just going to put more water on Emerson for them to deal with,” Bono said. “They’re going to have some very unhappy taxpayers. There’s going to be additional water, because it won’t be standing on school property any longer.”

During the steamy debate, Highway Superintendent Terry Nieman felt he was insulted by Bono, and Bono felt he was insulted by Town Attorney Thomas Brandt.

The town told the school to go with the low bid, but the town has no money to finish the job.

“We don’t have the money in the budget for the project,” Councilman James Budde said. “There have been no long-term plans or short-term plans. We’re still trying to figure out how much money we have.”

Nieman noted that he had a good, long-time relationship with Mike Fisher, director of operations and facilities for Roy-Hart.

“All of a sudden, we’re getting a different version that we’re trying to rip the school district off,” he said in criticism of Bono. “I take offense to that. I bend over backwards to do whatever I can to work with you and MIke Fisher.”

The town said the work might take 15 days because of possible rock and electrical wires. Bono said contractor told him it would five days.

Bono insisted that Supervisor Richard Lang told him last week that the cost were a firm $65,000, and there was no more negotiations. Lang said he was sorry if he was misunderstood.

Deputy Supervisor Jennifer Bieber said, “A 12-year old project should have been completed 11 years ago, however, we need to do it. I’m committed to the project.”

In other business, it was resolved that the civil action by Niagara County against the town regarding workmen’s compensation be settled. The supervisor was authorized to deliver $210,000 to Niagara County. The town was authorized to borrow the money. The suit goes back to 2001. The town inherited the $210,000 workers compensation claim that goes back to 2001.

The board hired Berry & Berry to do its books and, according to Lang, the accountants “were very disheartened by the state of the 2007 books ... Jack Berry said that the information contained in the general ledgers were for the most part bogus entries and did not correspond with the bank statements.”

Contact reporter Bill Wolcott  439-9222, ext. 6246.