NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - A promised federal grant that had been rescinded by the now disbanded Department of Governmental Efficiency has been reinstated, North Salem officials announced recently.
The $1.25 million was secured through the office of Congressman Mike Lawler (R-17th District) and unveiled with great fanfare in October 2024.
Then DOGE stepped in. Lawler had worked since then to revive the grant, the money for which comes via Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) – formerly known as “earmarks.”
These are funds that are set aside by Congress in federal appropriations bills for specific projects, entities, or localities. The purpose is generally to be used on projects that enhance public safety, infrastructure, or community development.
Town Supervisor Warren Lucas and Deputy Supervisor Peter Kamenstein met with Lawler in Rockland County on Wednesday, March 11.
They got the good news that the $1.25 million grant went back to Congress and has been – again – approved for fiscal year 2027.
The town has been working towards creating a public sewer system for a while.
If the proposed $16.5 million project is approved by voters, it would have a direct impact on the hamlet’s businesses that are currently dependent on septic tanks and/or septic fields -- which limit potential uses -- and also on any residences within the district’s boundaries.
In 2024, North Salem entered into an Intermunicipal Agreement (IMA) that will allow it to hook into the Heritage Hills sewage treatment plant in neighboring Somers.
The town has been pursuing outside funding for the infrastructure’s construction.
According to Lucas, it so far has raked in $8 million from the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and a $6.8 million Water Quality Improvement Grant (WQIP), which is money given to Westchester by the NYCDEP.
Now it has the $1.25 million from the federal folks, meaning that the project’s costs are covered.
Nevertheless, the town still plans to root around for more outside funding – just in case.
The topic of funding came up at the Town Board’s March 10 meeting.
According to Lucas, the town has “the right” to pump up to 20,000 gallons of effluent a day to a wastewater treatment plant at Heritage Hills in the nearby town of Somers.
The facility is owned and operated by Veolia Sewer New York Inc.
The company is currently reviewing engineering work done by the town’s consultants, Hahn Engineering.
Lucas said that Veolia has given him prices for using the plant “verbally.”
He won’t know the final numbers until he receives those in writing, but he’s been told that “they will be little changed,” Lucas said.
Once Veolia decides how much it’s going to charge North Salem for sending effluent to the plant, the town will be able to determine what the operating and maintenance (O&M) costs per sewer district customer will be.
Lucas told Halston Media that he estimated the cost at $500 a year.
He promised that as soon as the town gets those final figures, he “will be going out to everyone in the proposed district to see what they would like to do.”
“Currently, the majority is in favor,” Lucas claimed in a social media post.
The original plan had started out “just to support the businesses with sewer connections and some of the homes near the district (water) well,” Lucas said, explaining that the town was subsequently asked to look at the rest of the residential area.
That “needs assessment” is now “just about complete” and a map, plan, and report – necessary for creating the district on the state level – is “basically done,” he said.
Councilwoman Katherine Daniels asked for clarification about the consequences for folks who lived within the district but didn’t want to hook into the new sewer system.
Lucas allowed that there might be a fee for opting out and then quickly switched back to talking about the “big check” the town had just received from Lawler’s office.
While there are still a couple of hoops to jump through, eventually the district will be put forward as a public referendum.
“It will be up for the people to decide,” Lucas said at the March meeting.
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