Williston Park Mayor Paul Ehrbar announced Monday that the village will be sending East Williston trustees a letter agreeing to a meeting to discuss water rates, which have been a source of contention between the two villages for over three years.
“We haven’t come up with a meeting date yet but we have a pretty good idea,” Ehrbar said at the village board’s regularly scheduled meeting.
Ehrbar said that the letter to East Williston will be sent in the near future and will offer a specific date to meet.
Ehrbar said Monday that it is the best interest of both villages to reach an agreement.
“Both sides are looking for a reasonable agreement,” Ehrbar said. “I’m hopeful that agreements can be made.”
The letter to East Williston comes in response to a letter sent three weeks by East Williston trustees to the Village of Williston Park, requesting a meeting
The letter from the East Williston trustees offered to meet on Jan. 6, Jan. 7, Jan. 8 or Jan. 15 of the upcoming year.
Williston Park officials said two weeks ago that they would consider the meeting request during an executive session held Monday night.
The letter from East Williston came 12 days after a hearing to discuss a proposed $7 million well project in Devlin Park that East Williston trustees said was forced on them by Williston Park trustees’ unwillingness to negotiate with them.
“Had we not put forth the effort to come up with this plan there would be no other opportunity to negotiate,” Tanner said in an interview with the Williston Times.
The Village of Williston Park has raised the price of water to East Williston twice in the past three years.
In 2011, the Village of Williston Park board raised the price of water to East Williston from $2.99 per thousand gallons to $3.83 per thousand gallons in 2011. Williston Park followed with an increase from $3.83 per thousand gallons to $4.33 per thousand gallons in 2012.
The Village of East Williston trustees filed lawsuits against Williston Park following the two rate increases after a break down in negotiations between the two sides in which both sides blamed the other.
In early July, 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.
The Village of Williston Park 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.
During the Nov. 13 hearing on the proposed village water system, East Williston trustees told residents that Williston Park would not meet to negotiate unless “negotiating penalties are put on the table.”
Williston Park Trustee Teresa Thomann said at the meeting that Williston Park has its own “plan B” as well, but said that she would be willing to facilitate meetings between the two boards to come to an agreement.
“We’re a community, we shouldn’t be adversarial,” Thomann said. “Call my cell number, send me something because I will make sure we facilitate a meeting.”
“I thought that we should have possibly facilitated a year and a half, two years ago.” Thomann added. “Unfortunately not everyone liked my idea.”
Thomann said she believed the two villages could benefit from having both boards meet together, something she said is required at this point.
“I feel that it is bigger than the 10 of us,” Thomann said. “There’s a lot at stake here and I think we owe it to our children, I think we owe it to ourselves to figure something out.”
Tanner said two weeks ago that the well project, which consists of a 70’ by 50’ water system built partially below grade along East Williston Avenue with no overhead or elevated water tank, is still a “plan B” for East Williston.
“Our ‘plan A’ is to reach a permanent, reasonable solution with fair prices for both village’s residents,” Tanner said.
Tanner said that East Williston is looking at other methods of negotiating with Williston Park.
“I’m absolutely optimistic about the letter,” Tanner said two weeks ago. “We’re also considering an informal committee of citizens to speak with their citizens.”
He said that this plan is still being discussed.
“We’re looking for a solution where everyone wins,” Tanner said. “Williston Park is our sister village.”
