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Menands confronts $5 million gap on South End water and sewer rebuild; board eyes phasing and scope cuts
Summary
Village officials told residents the South End water and sewer reconstruction now costs about $17.2 million, roughly $5 million more than original funding; officials proposed phasing the work, changing curb materials, reapplying for new grants on a reduced scope and seeking federal help to close the gap.
Speaker 1 told the Menands Village Board that the multi-year South End water and sewer reconstruction — originally funded at about $11.6 million — is now estimated at roughly $17.2 million because of inflation and supply-chain pressures. The shortfall is about $5 million, he said, and federal- and state-level funding programs that previously supported the project are oversubscribed.
The mayor (Speaker 1) outlined options the village is weighing to close the gap: phasing the project to prioritize lower-cost sections, returning the most expensive Amsterdam–Wolford portion to the original financier (ESC) and reapplying under recently announced programs with higher reimbursement rates, reducing scope and materials (for example, replacing granite curbs with concrete to save an estimated $400,000–$500,000), or borrowing additional funds — an option the village warned would likely require higher user rates to pay debt service.
Speaker 1 said the village has asked state and federal offices for help and noted that staff has written to Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Paul Tonko to include the $5 million gap in federal budget requests for 2025. He said the village hopes for at least partial federal help but cautioned there is no guarantee that additional money will materialize.
Officials also described a phasing strategy that would allow the village to reapply for funding for pieces of the original scope under newer programs with higher reimbursement percentages (e.g., higher water reimbursement rates), which could reduce the amount the village would need to borrow. The board asked LaBella (engineering/contracting assistance referenced in the meeting) to price out options, including concrete rather than granite curbs and other cost-saving construction choices; officials said they expect updated cost/options from the consultant in the next one to two months.
Timeline and next steps: bidding documents are expected this fall, bids returned over the holidays, awards early next year, and construction potentially beginning in March if funding and weather permit. Meanwhile, the village will pursue grant appeals and continue to refine scope options with engineers and LaBella.
Why it matters: The South End scope includes critical water and sewer work that requires digging and road reconstruction; delaying or reducing scope could change which streets are rebuilt and could leave some neighborhoods with temporary patching rather than full reconstruction. Any borrowing to close the gap would likely affect user rates or the village budget.
Quotes from meeting participants were limited to those recorded in the transcript; officials repeatedly framed the choices as constrained by current grant rules and the reality of higher construction costs.
