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Red Hook Water Board agrees to recommend raising minimum quarterly charge to $68 to help cover tank loan
Summary
The Town of Red Hook Water Board agreed April 15 to recommend an increase in the minimum quarterly water charge from $57.33 to $68 to help fund repayments on a tank rehabilitation loan; the board discussed financing policy and asked the Town Supervisor to check district insurance coverage.
The Town of Red Hook Water Board agreed during its April 15 meeting to recommend raising the minimum quarterly water charge from $57.33 to $68 to move revenue toward covering repayments on a tank rehabilitation loan, according to the board minutes.
The meeting was opened by Water Board Chairman Hank Van Parys at 7:03 p.m. and was attended by Secretary Doreen Buono, Co‑Chairman Jerry Gilnack, Liaison Bill Hamel, Town Supervisor Robert McKeon and board members Larry Carr, Phil McDougal, Greg Fildes and Michael Roomberg. The board approved the minutes of the March 24 meeting on a motion by Larry Carr, seconded by Greg Fildes.
Board minutes record that members "agreed to recommend" increasing the minimum quarterly charge to $68 and to raise the rate charged per 1,000 gallons for usage above the 9,000‑gallon minimum. The minutes do not specify the new per‑1,000‑gallon rate and do not record a formal roll‑call vote on the rate change.
During discussion, board member Michael Roomberg urged considering a capitalization approach that uses roughly 60% debt and 40% reserves for large investments, saying debt is typically less expensive than holding large cash reserves. Town Supervisor Robert McKeon responded that municipal finance law differs from private‑sector financing and explained why the town cannot simply adopt private corporate loan‑rollover practices.
The minutes also record a question about whether the Water District is covered by the Town's insurance; Town Supervisor McKeon was asked to check and report back. No additional implementation timeline or recipient of the board's recommendation is specified in the minutes.
Next procedural steps in the minutes are limited to the board's agreement to recommend the rate change and the assignment for the supervisor to confirm insurance coverage. The minutes do not indicate a scheduled vote to finalize any rate ordinance or an effective date for the proposed minimum charge.
