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Mostly Cloudy Lynbrook officials react to LIAW plan
Say reduced water-rate hike is an achievement
Speaking on behalf of the Lynbrook village board, Deputy Village Attorney Charles Horn said at Monday night’s regular meeting that much has been accomplished in the fight against Long Island American Water’s proposed water rate hike.
“I think at the end of the day, it was a very good outcome with the municipalities,” said Horn, referring to a recent public hearing he attended, along with Mayor Bill Hendrick and Village Administrator John Giordano.
Hendrick said he was happy to see a reduction in LIAW’s proposed rate increase from 19.5 percent to 7.3 percent, which would be spread over three years: Rates for residential customers would increase by 2.5 percent in 2012, 2.6 percent in 2013 and 2.2 percent in 2014. There would also be a 6 percent hike in the cost of fire hydrant rentals, for which the Lynbrook Fire Department currently pays $271,000 per year. The increases would boost LIAW’s annual net revenues by $1.4 million.
“We are pleased with the direction of this tentative settlement,” Hendrick said, “and encourage the LIAW to continue to make cuts to their request.” He added, however, that he does not believe LIAW President Bill Varley will reduce the proposed rate increase any further.
LIAW: hike is needed
According to a press release from LIAW, the proposed increase is necessary “to invest in essential infrastructure improvements, while keeping pace with rising property taxes and increasing operational costs.” Over the past four years, LIAW has spent some $54 million on infrastructure improvements — including the $7.5 million iron-filtration plant it opened last year on the Malverne-Lynbrook border. The company has also laid 16 miles of new water mains, and is in the early design phase of constructing a new iron-removal plant in Lynbrook. It says there are a number of other capital projects in the works as well.
James Larocca, one of five members of the state Public Service Commission who regulate the state’s utilities, listened for several hours as unhappy customers and officials of some Nassau County villages criticized LIAW and its rate hike at a hearing on Dec. 13.
