Town discusses raising water rates

During the Feb. 25 meeting of the Chester town board, Councilman Tom Becker said the board needed to discuss the raising of water rates in the town. Currently rates are at $10 per 1,000 gallons according to Supervisor Brandon Holdridge. Town board members said that when water rates go up, water taxes go down, as people pay for what they use and the overall tax subsidy is lessened.

Holdridge said it is the town’s hope to increase the water rate by $1 per 1,000 gallons each of the next five years. In order to do that for 2027 the town will need to pass a resolution by June of this year.

In other water news, the board set a March 25 date for a public hearing on the creation of a new water district for the Chester Greens development.

Town receives a police grant for equipment

Holdridge announced a $50,000 grant for the police department that they earned as a reward for becoming accredited. The money, which was awarded by Senator James Skoufis, will go toward equipment that helps keep the department accredited. He also announced a $3,500 grant for the Chester Fire Department for thermal imagining cameras that will help fight wildland fires. The town’s grant writing service, Millennium Strategies, was used to gain the grant.

“The town of Chester was happy to lend our grant writing services to the fire district. We are all one Chester, and we are safer because of this grant award,” Holdridge said in a press release sent out February 17.

Local laws for battery storage and land-use transparency

A public hearing was held on a local law to extend the town’s battery storage moratorium six months. Nobody spoke during the public hearing and the extension passed unanimously.

The board introduced a local law that seeks greater transparency as to the identity of persons behind land-use applications before the planning and zoning boards. The new entity disclosure law would require the identities of persons to be made public as part of the filing process. A public hearing was set for March 25.

A call slower driving

During public comment resident John DeRosso spoke about the need to reduce the speed limit on Sugar Loaf Mountain Road from 40 mph to 30 mph. He gathered a petition with 49 signatures from folks in the neighborhood who want to see the change.

He said in recent years pedestrian and bike traffic have greatly increased on the road and drivers routinely speed past at 50 and 60 mph. Later in the meeting the town board passed a resolution to request the state DOT to lower the speed limit on the road to 30 mph.

A proclamation for a pageant winner

Christina Contento, Ms. New York International 2025, was awarded a proclamation from the town board for her service in the area of promoting positive health practices for young people and for women.

New purchases and appointees

The board approved a $76,393 purchase of a 2026 F-350 for the Highway Department. They also approved the sale of a 2020 Ford police interceptor for $4,650 and transferred the title of a 2015 Ford 350 used by Moodna to the town of Monroe.

The board appointed Paul K. Miller to be the new alternate position for the ZBA. They also filled a vacancy on the planning board, appointing Don Higgins to the role.

The town board approved a new contract for cleaning services of $19,620 per year with D.O.C. Cleaning Services and Property Maintenance.