ROTTERDAM & SCHENECTADY
City, town in talks after shutoff threat
BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
Reporter Michael Goot contributed to this story. Reach Gazette reporter Justin Mason at 395-3113 or jmason@dailygazette. net.
Rotterdam and Schenectady are back at the negotiating table for a service contract after the city threatened to “plug all sewer lines” running to the town last week.
John Polster, an assistant corporation counsel for Schenectady, said the city was contacted by Supervisor Frank Del Gallo, who scheduled a meeting to continue negotiations next week. Rotterdam’s agreement with Schenectady expired sometime in 2003, but had continued to receive service under the rate of the previous contract, which city officials considered inadequate to cover their costs.
“It now appears as though they’re going sit down and we’re going to negotiate a new contract,” he said Tuesday.
Earlier this year, the city indicated a new contract needed to be hammered out to reflect the increased cost incurred by Schenectady for treating Rotterdam’s waste. City requests for a new contract apparently went unheeded even after Polster hand-delivered a letter to Del Gallo’s offi ce requesting immediate attention in the matter.
“That letter was sent only after dozens of phone calls and personal conversations with Town offi cials … over many months yielded no response,” Polster wrote in the Dec. 1. letter that was sent to Del Gallo and several businesses that connect to the city's sewer service
Polster’s letter threatened to terminate the town’s sewer service on Dec. 14 unless negotiations were rekindled. He said the town’s failure to respond left the city with no other options.
“The city can no longer subsidize the town of Rotterdam,” the letter states. ...................>>>>.....................>>>>.....................
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