Opt-out fees for new water meters examined

The Town of Chester is in the process of installing new cellular endpoint technology for water meters to replace the old system, which required a worker to check the meter. The move has caused some controversy, as a small but vocal segment of the town believes the cellular technology will cause harmful EMF radiation.

The board said there is no reason to fear the new technology, but to satisfy the critics, they have voted to allow an opt-out. The question now is whether the opt-out will be free or carry a cost.

Councilman Tom Becker was the first to broach the issue at the Feb. 11 board meeting. He said it will cost the town $2,000 to maintain the software for the old system in addition to the human hours to manually check the meters. As a result, he said he wants the town to see how much it will cost and divide that number by how many people opt-out to come up with a fair fee.

“The cost shouldn’t fall on residents who are using cellular endpoints,” Becker said.

On the other side of the issue, former candidate for council Chris Maurer had pointed out at a previous meeting that the Town of Chester set a precedent in 2019 by passing a resolution asking O&R to rescind its opt-out fee for smart meters.

After a brief discussion, the matter was tabled until a later date.

The board also voted to pass a resolution to authorize the town comptroller to close the 2019 bond for the Sugar Loaf PAC, which has been sold to the county. A resolution was passed to reduce the work schedule of the secretary to the Planning Board from a 35-hour workweek to a 21-hour workweek effective Feb. 26.

A resolution was passed authorizing a road closure of Kings Highway on Oct. 3 for the Sugar Loaf 5K race. A resolution was passed correcting a paperwork error for a civil service issue with the county, creating a Town Historian position and appointing Clifton Patrick to it. He had already been named historian at the town reorganization meeting, but the board needed to pass the resolution to satisfy the county civil service requirement.

The board voted 3-1 – with Becker the lone “no” vote – to allow the Sugar Loaf Chamber of Commerce to use the town’s billboard to advertise the spring festival starting in March. The board passed three requests to attend conferences, including a $975 trip to the GFOA annual conference on April 16-17 for deputy comptroller Tanya McPhee.

The board also voted to refund seven residents $79 after their bus broke down for the senior bus trip. The other residents took a rain check.

In new business, the board discussed the need to adopt a preservation plan now that the state has approved the town’s preservation fund, financed by a tax on real estate transactions.