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Trustees table large water and sewer budget amendments after questions over overages
Summary
The board approved two small fiscal cleanups but postponed larger transfers to cover water and sewer overages until department managers provide detailed line‑by‑line explanations.
The Village of Rhinebeck Board of Trustees approved minor budget cleanups for fiscal 2023–24 but tabled larger proposed transfers to cover more than $100,000 in water and sewer overages after trustees asked for more detailed documentation.
Karen McLaughlin, village treasurer, presented vouchers and several budget amendments. She asked the board to approve vouchers totaling $13,584.15 for the general fund, $4,002.42 in three escrow payments, a $150 compost grant bill, $222.58 in the sewer fund and $561.08 in the water fund. McLaughlin also reported a pending water‑treatment grant vendor payment of $658,003.89 that she expects to be released by the Environmental Facilities Corporation.
McLaughlin identified roughly $100,000 in overages in the water fund driven by multiple items: bond anticipation note principal and interest, higher electricity and chemical costs, repairs to generators and panel boxes, and substantial excavation work paid to D & D Excavating. She said the village had spent about $48,300 with D & D Excavating this fiscal year.
"All of those amounts, those overages, amount to a hundred thousand dollars," McLaughlin said, and requested a $100,000 transfer from the Capital Water account. Trustees pressed for clarity about timing and why bills dating back to July 2024 were being reconciled now. Trustee Lydia Sladey and others asked for line‑by‑line documentation and for departmental managers — including Kyle Naney and Will Caruso, who oversee water and wastewater operations — to appear at a future meeting to explain emergency versus recurring costs.
The board approved two small prior‑year write‑offs — a $165 debit to cash and a $28.64 decrease for a miscellaneous account — by motion and voice vote. Trustees then moved to table the larger water and sewer amendment requests pending a report from the water and sewer managers. Mayor Fernando said he would pull the detailed line items together and summon the department staff to the next meeting.
During discussion trustees repeatedly raised the need for improved reporting when line items approach exhaustion and for clearer processes to notify the board before large emergency spending occurs. McLaughlin agreed to provide printed line‑item reports and email them in advance of the next meeting.
No formal vote tallies were recorded in the transcript for the motions; the minutes show voice votes of "aye" for the approved voucher and write‑off motions and a motion to table the larger amendments.
