The Glen Cove city council disputed a water surcharge at the Nov. 12 council meeting which passed after a debate among council members.
“Nobody likes to make surcharges,” said Mayor Pam Panzenbeck, “but I’m sitting here. I’m the mayor.”
“As much as nobody wants to do this, it’s my responsibility to make sure that this is done,” she said.
The surcharge will affect residential, commercial and fire line water accounts.
Panzenbeck said the surcharge will be used to offset the cost of over $50 million in water infrastructure improvements.
“The monies received from the surcharge will help to fund various water infastructure improvements,” she said. This will include upgrades to wells, tanks and filters, she said.
Panzenbeck said the improvements will take place in the next five to 10 years.
“This will last until all debt is paid, or at which time a surcharge is no longer necessary,” Panzenbeck said.
The surcharge will be $60 annually, which is $5 per month, for residential lines.
Commercial water line surcharge will be dependent on water usage and will range from $10 to $40 a month. The fire line surcharge will be $10 per month.
“This isn’t something that we choose to do or that we like to do, but water is our most important commodity, and we need to get this right,” Panzenbeck said.
Council Member Marsha Silverman did not support the surcharge because the city recently received a grant from the governor to improve water infrastructure.
“We got new information late last week. The governor’s office granted us $5 million for our water infrastructure at Kelly Street,” she said.
Silverman said the city focuses on one program at a time, and the grant money can be used prior to the surcharge.
She said residents have seen recent rate increases and now might not be a good time to add additional charges.
“I’m just wondering if this is the right time to do this,” she said.
“After a tax increase that was voted in a couple weeks ago, the sewer lateral program that went on taxpayers bills, I would just hate to see another burden to our taxpayers,” Silverman said.
Panzenbeck said the grant money will be used in segments. She said the sewer lateral program is optional, and the surcharge will be $5 monthly.
“For you to insinuate that I’m adding burden to taxpayers, I’m really not,” Panzenbeck said.
Silverman made a motion to table the conversation, which was supported by council members Danielle Fugazy Scagliola and John Zozzaro.
“We definitely need money for water, and that’s very important,” said Fugazy Scagliola.
Fugazy Scagliola said at a flat rate, every resident pays the same increase, which might be unfair to homes that use less water.
“I want to see us do something, and I do think we need to do something, but I feel like maybe we should look at this a little bit more carefully,” she said.
“I do think it really should be based on your usage,” Fugazy Scagliola said.
The motion to table did not pass.
“My quarterly water is $45,” said Council Member Kevin Maccarone.
“So $15 a quarter on top of that really isn’t going to affect most people,” he said.
Maccarone said the city has kept residential taxes stable.
“That’s why it’s been very important that we kept taxes stable over the last four years,” Maccarone said.
“Now, there was a small increase this year,” he said. Other than that, we’ve kept it stable.”
Last month, the council approved a $65.4 million budget with an almost 2% residential tax increase.
Panzenbeck said the council discussed this surcharge at two previous meetings.
The surcharge passed with four in favor and three against the motion. It was supported by Panzenbeck, Maccarone and council members Grady Farnan and Michael Ktistakis.
“We have been speaking about issues with water more than any other issue that we have had. Our infrastructure is ancient,” she said.
