Officials Working Against the Clock To Address Mold Issue

By DARLA M. YOUNGS
HARTWICK

Town of Hartwick residents have a lot to unpack after two consecutive Town Board meetings on Monday, April 14. Roughly 50 people were in attendance as town officials met first for an emergency water meeting called by Interim Town Supervisor Connie Haney after Councilmember Bryan LoRusso reached out to the New York State Department of Health following reports from a resident who has questioned the health and safety of the town’s water system.

In a letter to the DoH dated April 3, LoRusso wrote:

“Please take a look at the picture taken recently at the Town’s water tank. I am having a hard time believing this [mold] is healthy, and I would like not only to know if this should be shut down but also what remediation needs to take place to clean this up. Will the DOH please step in and inspect this structure and make recommendations?”

Haney released the following statement on Friday, April 4 in response to an e-mail inquiry sent to all town officials:

“I have personally spoken with the Lead Engineer at the DOH and he has confirmed that our water is safe for consumption. There is NO cause for alarm. Our water operator and deputy have been involved with the DOH to address structural concerns at the water shed for some time.”

However, Haney began the water meeting by confirming that the town does, indeed, have a serious problem.

The mold issue, Haney said, has been “observed and noted by the Department of Health as a deficiency” that needs to be rectified immediately.

Town Councilmember Chris Briggs is Hartwick’s water supply administrator, whose responsibilities include checking and testing the water monthly for quality and maintaining the wells and pumps, according to the town’s website.

With regard to the mold issue, Briggs said, “This condition has been going on for some time.”

He pointed out that the town’s water is tested on a regular basis and DoH has found no issue regarding the quality or safety of the water supply, but confirmed that the DoH termed the mold issue a “deficiency” in a report released last week.

“We have no choice but to fix it,” Briggs said.

Following a round of recriminations and finger-pointing, Haney put her foot down.

“I will not tolerate yelling at this table. Our job is to be smart about how we solve this,” she said. “It is our job as a board to correct the issue.”

LoRusso’s motion to approve the installation of a humidistat and an override switch for the fans in the building that houses the town’s water tank—and to repair two exterior louvers—at a cost not to exceed $6,000.00 was unanimously approved.

Officials agreed that they must address the building’s ventilation issues and dry the building out first, before treating the mold.

The town has 120 days to act upon the DoH deficiency report—the total cost to make all necessary repairs is estimated at $23,000.00. Officials also confirmed that the Environmental Protection Agency as well as the state DoH are monitoring the town’s progress and that both departments are willing to provide assistance.

At the regularly-scheduled Town Board meeting, directly following the emergency water meeting, there was lengthy discussion of what Haney described as “significant concerns with regard to [the town’s] finances,” including allocation of funds, grant reporting, the tax levy and the town’s fund balance.

Town officials also moved to executive session to discuss mediation as a result of a finding by Courtney E Heinel, Esq., of Romer Wallens Gold & Mineaux LLP—which specializes in public sector labor and employment law—that Councilmember Briggs had violated the town’s Violence in the Workplace Policy. Briggs had been accused by several town employees of harassment and threatening behavior, including current Highway Department Supervisor Keith Bronson. As an elected official, Briggs cannot be fired. Board members could not come to a consensus regarding mediation at the December 9, 2024 meeting and the discussion remains ongoing.

The regular board meeting was adjourned at 10 p.m., followed by some heated public discourse. A full report on that meeting will follow next week as there is, indeed, a lot to unpack.