Getting close to water for Fairville
By John Zornow

The Arcadia Town Board had support from the "experts" on Dec. 30, when the possibility of municipal water to Fairville was discussed.

Sharon Lilla, Wayne County Planning Director, grant writer Stu Brown, and Marti Aman of MRB Group were there to support the town's efforts to pipe water to the north. Town Attorney David Saracino is not optimistic that the February 3 deadline can be met. But grant writer Brown stated that it was possible for Arcadia to participate in the 1999 round of grants from HUD.

A win-win situation, with the county picking up the tab for the preparation of the HUD grant, Supervisor Dominic Bartucca said he will pursue the grants this year, in order to start work on the project as soon as possible.

Tom Chappell, a resident of Arcadia, criticized the board for waiting until now to begin the process. According to Chappell, the work should have been done months ago. Bartucca thanked him for his input, and explained that income statements had to be obtained from affected residents, and this was the reason for the delay. Bartucca later indicated that the income statements were a problem and that he literally had to go door to door himself to obtain the necessary information.

"People are very private when it comes to questions about their income. This is personal information, and I don't blame them for being hesitant," said Bartucca.

Of the many items of red tape that need to be addressed, water sampling, and letters are the most timely. Supervisor Bartucca, along with Fairville Fire Department members and others began a door-to-door canvas on Sunday to collect the samples and data needed for the grant. Letters from residents are required - letters that describe the condition of their well water. Also required is a petition signed by a majority of residents of the area affected. Grant writer Stu Brown indicated that supporting information must be obtained proving that there is a need.

The town will hold public hearings, as required for the HUD grant application, on January 13 and 14.

Residents of the north corridor who want municipal water are asked to submit letters and sign the petitions.

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