Ballston Spa trustees direct attorney to send 30‑day notices and to terminate service for theft‑of‑service account

The Village of Ballston Spa moved to enforce delinquent water accounts and to address one case identified as theft of water service. Trustees directed the village attorney to send formal 30‑day notices under code §200‑50 to three delinquent accounts and indicated they would terminate service to a non‑customer using village water if the party did not respond by the March 16 deadline.

Mayor (meeting leader) framed the matter as both a code enforcement and billing‑recovery issue, noting that "this is theft of water" when discussing the property that has not been billed since 2023. Trustees discussed options and the board’s consensus favored a firm 30‑day notice and termination where appropriate. Staff calculated that two to three longstanding meter irregularities together suggested a pattern; the unpaid balance for the theft‑of‑service property was estimated in discussion at roughly "$850–$900 plus penalties," based on several periods of minimum charges, though an exact invoice amount was not in the record.

Trustees also noted operational pressures on the system: planners estimate that two possible developments (Milltown Center and Tannery Commons) could add up to about 670 connections — roughly a 25% increase on top of the village's stated 2,500 connections — and that improving meter reads and upgrading technology are priorities to reduce unaccounted‑for water.

Next steps: the village attorney will send required §200‑50 notices to delinquent users; trustees authorized service termination for the theft‑of‑service property if there is no corrective action by the March 16 deadline. The board also asked staff to advance meter‑technology upgrades and to have the DPW focus on restoring accurate meter readings.