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Council green-lights talks on forming water and sewer districts for outside users including airport and school
Summary
Development Authority presenters told the Ogdensburg City Council that forming water and sewer districts would protect the city, clarify billing and infrastructure responsibilities, and unlock grant funding; council gave consensus to pursue discussions with the Town of Aswagotchi and other partners to form an initial two-parcel district.
Carrie Tuttle of the Development Authority and Thomas Haines, director of engineering, told the Ogdensburg City Council that forming water and sewer districts for customers outside the city limits — including Ogdensburg International Airport (OBPA) and a proposed city school transportation facility — would clarify who pays for infrastructure, create a mechanism for collecting unpaid bills, and open access to state and federal grant programs.
The presenters said town-created districts limit debt and operations costs to the district’s ratepayers rather than the municipality’s general fund, and make it possible to re-levy unpaid charges through the county when customers default. "Those districts are set up separately, and only those residents that receive the benefit of the district pay for the district," Tuttle said. Haines added that connecting outside users without a district can leave infrastructure in a "no-man’s land" with unclear easements, ownership and maintenance duties.
The immediate recommendation was to form a two-parcel sewer district (the airport parcel and a proposed school parcel) on the Town of Aswagotchi side to address the OBPA connection and the adjacent school request. Presenters said that district would be "very clean" to form because the airport already has a written agreement for water service and the village of Huvelton’s sewer agreement requires city approval for additional users. Presenters described a later, broader second district that could encompass roughly 30 currently served parcels and any additional developable properties once survey and parcel-owner outreach are completed.
Council members asked about billing methods for outside users, zoning controls to protect the city’s tax base and the DEC requirement to separate stormwater from sanitary sewer connections. Tuttle and Haines said many outside-user arrangements are informal or outdated, that districts allow the town to adopt sewer-use laws mirroring the city’s DEC compliance requirements, and that zoning overlays or connection conditions can be written into district agreements to address commercial development concerns.
City staff reported that the Town of Aswagotchi held a special meeting and is "in favor of moving forward" with district formation, and the Development Authority recommended a six-month schedule for creating the initial two-parcel district and another roughly six months for surveying and forming broader district boundaries if there is sufficient owner support. Presenters noted that district formation typically requires a majority of parcel owners in the proposed boundary to vote in favor.
After the presentation and questions, the council signaled unanimous consent for staff to continue discussions with the town, OBPA and the school district and to advance formation steps for the immediate two-parcel district and prepare options for a larger district later.
The council and presenters emphasized that forming districts would both protect the city's finances when serving outside users and make outside infrastructure eligible for grants and low-interest loans, but several council members stressed that any district rules must protect the city's zoning and tax interests before connections were allowed.
