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Public Works lays out capital needs, water/sewer risks and multiyear bonding plan
Summary
Public Works presented detailed operational statistics, water and sewer risks and a multiyear capital authorization approach; staff recommended authorizing large amounts and issuing debt in phases to avoid bond‑rating impacts while targeting drainage, paving and sewer replacement work.
Richard Fawn, commissioner of public works, delivered a detailed operational briefing to the Town Board on Oct. 21 as departments submitted capital requests for the 2026 tentative budget.
Fawn enumerated the scale of day‑to‑day operations: “Service the Bureau of Sanitation services approximately 10,411 households within the unincorporated Greenberg,” he told the board, and listed weekly pickups and vehicle/fleet responsibilities essential to town service delivery.
The water and sewer system drew particular attention. Fawn said the town produced 2,769,000,000 gallons in 2024 with a daily average of about 7,470,000 gallons, and reported roughly 300 water breaks this year. He described completed and planned infrastructure work, including the Stadium Road chemical/contact building added in June 2024 after a New York City rule suggested changes to regional disinfection practices: “They were gonna stop chlorinating the water,” he said, explaining the town expedited a contact tank project and used federal COVID funds to offset costs.
On capital finance, town staff and the board debated a multiyear authorization structure. The controller and financial advisers advised that bond ratings are based on the debt actually issued, not on total authorized amounts; the board discussed authorizing a multi‑year capital program and issuing in stages to protect ratings while ensuring project readiness. Board members asked for a rolling debt chart and clearer timelines for each capital project to avoid unspent authorizations and to prioritize urgent work such as drainage and sewer upgrades.
Why it matters: The presentation framed long‑run tradeoffs — substantial sewer and drainage needs, an aging system with terracotta house connections in places, and the complexity of timing major borrowing without harming the town’s debt profile. The board requested more detailed schedules and prioritization before finalizing capital authorizations.
Next steps: Financial staff will prepare a rolling debt schedule and proposed annual issuance plan; public‑works staff will supply more detailed project timelines and cost estimates.
