On December 5, 2023 Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health (Department) conducted a sanitary survey of the Water District. As a result, the Department issued a letter on December 25, 2023 requiring the Town of Amenia to take certain steps to updated the District’s infrastructure.
In May 2024 the Town Board released a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeking professional engineering services for the District to develop and implement required capital infrastructure improvements. Seven firms responded to the RFQ and in July 2024 Delaware Engineering, D.P.C. was selected.
In July 2024 the Town Board contracted Delaware Engineering for a fee of $36,000 to prepare a Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) conforming to requirements of the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) focusing on:
The PER was paid for with $21,000 of ARAP Funds and the District’s engineering budget.
The recommended improvements in the PER include:
NYS Town Law 202-b requires the preparation of a Map, Plan and Report (MPR) for any increase or improvement of facilities to a water district. In December 2024 the Town Board contracted Delaware Engineering for a fee of $15,000 to prepare a Map, Plan and Report (MPR); prepare environmental SEQRA/SHPO documents; assist with public hearing and bond coordination; and prepare and submit a DWSRF/BIL funding application.
The MPR included:
The Town Board has developed a 4-part phased plan to execute the most crucial capital infrastructure improvements.
Phase #1 – Lavelle Road Pump House & Wells 4/4A Upgrades
Phase #2 – Washington Court Well 5 Requalification & Well 6 Upgrades
Phase #3 – Water Storage Tank Rehabilitation
Phase #4 – Select Water Main Replacement
In December 2024 the Town Board contracted Delaware Engineering for a fee of $68,278 to prepare design plans and specifications (bid package) for a prepackaged pump house and well upgrades at Lavelle Road site and regulatory coordination. The design plans, specifications and bid document contract was paid for with ARAP Funds.
The Town Board anticipates authorizing the solicitation of bids for the Lavelle Road Pump House & Wells 4/4A Upgrades at their September 4, 2025 meeting. The following is a tentative schedule for the bidding process:
9/5/25 - bid docs published on bidnetdirect.com and town's website
9/11/25 - legal notice published in Millerton News
10/27/25 – sealed bids due by 2pm in the Town Clerk’s office
10/28/25 – sealed bids opened at 2pm in the Town Clerk’s office
11/6/25 - Delaware submits award recommendation to Town Board
The project will be funded through various sources including a combination of grants and borrowing.
Project costs not grant funded will roll into a 30-year low- to no-interest DWSRF hardship financing loan based on the District’s designation as a disadvantaged community.
Debt service will be divided among all parcels in the District according to the benefit derived from receipt of water service.
Division of costs for the service of water supply and distribution should not be based upon assessed value as the assessed value of a parcel is not related to the benefit received by the service of water.
All parcels will be assigned debt service points according to the basic land use types as indicated in the MPR Schedule of Debt Points, Table 3. Vacant parcels at or greater than 0.25 acres will also be charged a portion of debts service costs as the existence of nearby water service is a benefit to the parcel.
With grant funding, the amount of capital improvement to be financed is less and therefore debt service charges in total are lower. The table below illustrates potential annual debt service payments and a debt service charge per point, based on three funding scenarios.
