Story by Lourice Angie
Village of Greenwood Lake Mayor Jesse Dwyer acknowledged Eagle Scout Kevin Holder of Troop 121, during the Village Board meeting that was held in February. Holder completed his Eagle Scout project at the Greenwood Lake Community Center.
The project involved many tasks and steps before being completed such as hanging drywall, installing a brand new floor, placing ceiling tiles and renovating the kitchen. The cost of the project was approximately $6,500.
While recognizing Holder, the son of Trustee Katheleen Holder, Mayor Dwyer was surprised when Holder awarded him with a special plaque on behalf of himself and Troop 121.
“I’ve never brought somebody up to acknowledge them and received a plaque,” said Mayor Dwyer. “I also have never seen anything as magnificent or large scale as what I’ve seen completed this past month. If the government did this job it would have cost a minimum of $40,000. Kevin was able to perform this job and fully renovate the upstairs portion of the Community Center.”
Water Treatment System
During the meeting the Board stated that a water master plan and rate study is needed in order to apply for consolidated funding, grants and long-term low-interest loans that would support the water treatment process including the distribution lines and system in addition to the plant itself.
“Everyone has seen that just putting in a well has cost us over $200,000 and took over two years. It is a very tricky and difficult process, not only to find funding, but to spend money on government projects such as water,” said Dwyer.
Dwyer says that seeking a Request For Proposal (RFP) and engineering firm to put together a master plan that will help identify long and short term goals for the Village’s water treatment system.
There are two ways that the Board can handle the water situation – treating it as an emergency which would cost twice as much or planning ahead and ensuring that the Village obtains the proper funding to pay for these projects.
At the January Board meeting the Board moved forward with issuing an RFP as they decided that it would be best to solicit bids competitively. They’ve received three bids for a water and master plan rate study. Mayor Dwyer says all firms are reputable and unique, but the Village is looking for a firm that specializes in water.
The Board felt most comfortable with Delaware Engineering, who come highly recommended and currently serve as the Village of Monroe’s water engineering firm. Mayor Dwyer also said that for the $20,000 the Board specifically budgeted for last year, this will provide an engineering study and a rate analysis. The process is anticipated to begin immediately to ensure that the Board can apply by the July consolidated funding application deadline.
New Well Progress
Mayor Dwyer said that water operator Phil Landru has been working tirelessly since the Village received approval from the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Department of Health to extract water from the well. The next step will include sizing the well pumps. The Board is actively seeking quotes for the well pump and pump installation.
HUD Projects
Mayor Dwyer updated the Board that the Village received $20,000 in additional funding from a Community Development Block Grant to complete the Senior Center entrance way. Mayor Dwyer says they are currently working on getting the bids at a lower price. Dwyer anticipates that the project will be executed within the next few months.
The Village was approved for $84,000 in Housing and Urban Development funding to improve the front entrance. Mayor Dwyer says that the Board has already solicited bids for the project.
Police Report
Det. Jones reported that for the month of January, the Police Department handled a total of 1,629 complaints, made 10 arrests, issued 75 traffic tickets and investigated five motor vehicle accidents within the Village.
The Village Board passed a resolution to hire current Village Dispatcher Cameron Gomas as a part time Village Police Officer. Dwyer says that the Village is always looking to hire new part time officers.
Greenwood Lake Drawdown
At last month’s Village Board meeting, the Board passed a resolution for the unanimous support of the 2020 drawdown.
“We feel it is very important for not only homeowners, but for anyone who uses the lake. We know how important it is to do lake projects, lake clean up, storm water management, so we offered a resolution to support the drawdown, and it was a worthwhile cause because at the most recent meeting of Greenwood Lake Commission there was an overwhelming community support for the drawdown,” said Dwyer.
The drawdown will take place after getting approval from the New Jersey Department of Preservation. If everything goes as expected it will start in October and run until Jan. 1, 2021.
Next Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Mon., Mar. 16 at 7:30 p.m. preceded by a 6:30 p.m. workshop at the Village Courthouse, located at 47 Waterstone Rd. in Greenwood Lake.
