Town of Cortlandville Looks to Add Another Well – Comes to an Agreement With Byrne Dairy on Location

During last night’s Cortlandville Town Board meeting, a last minute resolution was added to the Board by Town Attorney, Fran Casullo. The resolution Mr. Casullo asked the board to vote in regards to a memorandum of understanding between the Town of Cortlandville and Byrne Dairy for a location of the construction of a new well. Casullo said the last minute resolution was due to a grant the town could apply for in the construction of a new well. The paperwork for the grant application is required by as late as early next week and cannot be done unless there is an agreement on where the well would be located.

Earlier Wednesday morning, Casullo said the town had come to an agreement of a transaction with Byrne Dairy for land located in the Industrial Park Byrne Dairy now owns a majority of. The land the town will acquire is approximately 5 acres with Byrne giving the land to the town at no cost. In addition to no cost for the land, Byrne Dairy will also pay for the test well on the land. A subdivision will be required for the land as the lot itself is 7 acres in size with Byrne keeping the remaining two acres. Mr. Casullo noted that the subdivision process would be the same as if it was a private matter with a SEQR being conducted as well. He added this process will allow public input during the public hearing phases.

“We have retained the services of Tom Fucillo, who is an environmental attorney and who is helping [the town] on environmental matters. He is going to lend [the town] his expertise on how to do the SEQR properly.”

Casullo said to the Town Board.

Casullo then asked the Town Board to authorize Town Supervisor Greg Leach to sign a memorandum of understanding between the Town of Cortlandville and Byrne Dairy of acquiring the land for the future well.

Signing the memorandum of understanding will allow the Town of Cortlandville to apply for up to a $1 million dollar grant through the Empire State Development (ESD) County Infrastructure Grant Program. The grant would assist the town in financing the development of a proposed well. The Town of Cortlandville, if awarded the full amount, would be responsible for up to a $1 million dollar match for the grant.

Board member Sunday Earle asked a question in regards to the cost of building a new well. Fellow board member Jeff Guido said he believes a new well can cost anywhere from $3 to $5 million dollars depending on the infrastructure required to be built in addition to the well itself. The Town of Cortlandville has been working with the Cortland County Planning Department in regards to the ESD grant and planning for the construction of a new well. The town has not had a new well installed in about 15 years, Casullo noted during the meeting.

“I feel pretty confident that this will be a very very good thing for the town [and] county. It’s been a long time coming that [Cortlandville] needed a well. It goes, from reports from County Planning back as far back as 2008 or 2009 that any further development in the [Route 13 Corridor] a new water supply would need to be looked into.”

Casullo added.

The Town Board voted unanimously to approve the authorizing Town Supervisor Leach to sign the memorandum of understanding.