Village of Homer. (Photo Source: Kevin L. Smith of The Cortland Voice).
The Village of Homer unanimously accepted a bond anticipation note for over $500,000 that will go toward its $5.5 million sewer pump project.
The bond, according to village officials, is for $550,000. Homer mayor Hal McCabe said at Tuesday's Board of Trustees meeting that since the village has to “pay out of pocket” for the project, it will borrow money “in the short term” for projects.
McCabe noted that once grant funding is secured, the village will be able to pay back the $550,000 that’s being borrowed.
The search and application process for funding has been spearheaded by Barton & Loguidice, who is assisting the village with the project. This led to the village also approving a financial advisory agreement for the project.
The sewer project will see an overhaul of the village’s 50-year old sanitary sewer system, including the renovation of pump stations.
Jacqueline Novak, of Barton & Loguidice, said on Tuesday information was gathered in February on flows from the main pump station, which allowed for the collection of pump-operating hours and further data.
“That is all very helpful for design to ensure that what we propose for pumps (and more) has the capacity to handle the flows that the pump stations are currently seeing,” Novak said.
Also on Tuesday, the village board approved an owner and engineering agreement with Barton & Loguidice for the proposed water tank storage project. According to Novak, the project consists of constructing a new water storage tank on Wolf Road and decommissioning the two existing steel tanks in the village.
Novak said the water project proposal also includes a water main extension that will serve specific homes in the area, and install a small booster pump station that would go up a hill to the users. Consideration for that work is to be determined.
According to Novak, both the sewer and water projects are currently running on a similar schedule. Designs for each project could be submitted by this fall and bidding could start in January/February 2025. Novak noted if the schedule continues to move well, construction for both projects would begin in spring 2025.
