The Village of East Williston is pursuing “parallel paths” to resolving the community’s water supply issue, trustees said at Monday’s Board of Trustees meeting.
East Williston Mayor David Tanner said the village is continuing to talk to Williston Park officials about resolving differences over the amount Williston Park charges it for water.
There is “healthy back and forth” between the two villages, Tanner said.
The village is also exploring other possible solutions, including building its own well, officials said.
East Williston has already initiated an environmental impact review, Tanner said, which is required by the state before a well can be built. The Board of Trustees approved the environmental review in August.
Tanner said he hopes the board will be able to present the community with two possibilities in the near future.
During the summer, village officials had said they planned to hold a meeting in September to discuss the village’s water situation.
East Williston Deputy Mayor Bonnie Parente said the board has also contacted other neighboring communities about the possibility of buying water.
None of these options seem viable at the moment, she said, but “we aren’t closing any doors on our side.”
Tanner declined to comment further on the talks with Williston Park, citing a recent lawsuit filed by Williston Park to collect $300,000 in interest and penalties that Williston Park claims is owed for payments not made during two previous court battles.
In 2011, the Williston Park board raised the price of water to East Williston from $2.99 per thousand gallons to $3.83 per thousand gallons. Williston Park followed with an increase from $3.83 per thousand gallons to $4.33 per thousand gallons in 2012.
East Williston trustees filed lawsuits against Williston Park following each rate increase.
In early July 2014, a state Appellate Court found in favor of East Williston in the first lawsuit, stating that Williston Park should have held a public hearing prior to imposing the first rate increase in 2011.
But the court found in favor of Williston Park in the second lawsuit, stating that Williston Park was within its right to raise the water rates in 2012 to $4.33 per thousand gallons.
Williston Park then sent East Williston a bill for $600,000 — $300,000 for withheld rate increase money and $300,000 for interest and penalties – following the court decision.
The Village of East Williston made a payment of $239,000 to Williston Park to cover the cost of the rate increase, minus $61,000 accrued under the price hike that the court ruled to be improper.
East Williston officials also announced that Williston Park was not entitled to penalties and interest and they would fight any effort to collect them. Tanner said the water penalties Williston Park is attempting to collecting are punitive in character.
Williston Park trustees voted in July to file suit in Nassau County Supreme Court against East Williston over the unpaid penalties.
