REMINDER-2ND HALF OF SCHOOL TAXES DUE LAST DAY OF JANUARY--the town collects school taxes for each of the school districts located within the town.

HAVE YOU SEEN ICY CONDITIONS ON THE ROADS--WHY IS THERE MORE ICE THIS YEAR THAN IN PREVIOUS YEARS?

In recent weeks I have received numerous e mails and phone calls from residents all over the town who have contacted me about ice conditions on their streets.  Every complaint has been forwarded to the Commissioner of Public Works and our town engineers for follow up investigation.  I asked the Commissioner of Public Works, Victor Carosi to explain what's happening.

Is your yard wetter than you remember?  Do you see more water and ice buildup alomsoja@mdgltd.comng the shoulders of some roads than in the past?  Are your sump pumps running almost non-stop? You see ice or water and figure it must be a leak from somewhere because you’ve never had this problem? Or perhaps you see a neighbors drain that spills continuously, not only when it rains?  Something must be done!

In 2018, 65.52 inches of rain in was recorded in New York’s Central Park.  That is 15.58 inches above normal and makes 2018 the city’s fourth wettest year on record according to a weather reporting agency.  The greater than normal rainfall amounts recorded in NYC are similar for our area and are creating problems all over the Town.  Reports of water leaching from cracks in the road, a neighbors drain, or seeping from the curb or edge of the road are common.  The ground is nearly saturated and has little capacity to adsorb more moisture.  As a result, any excess water follows its path of least resistance -  a crack in the road, a low point in a yard, a drain pipe, a weaker point in the soils, perhaps your basement – and it flows, and flows, and flows.   Now with the cold weather, all this seeping groundwater freezes.

What can we do about it you may ask?  As a precaution, our water department personnel will first verify that it is not a water leak from the underground pipes.  Beyond confirming it is groundwater, in most situations, the unfortunate answer is that the Town is limited with resources to identify, capture and direct many of these seasonal and intermittent naturally occurring groundwater flows.  DPW crews routinely apply road salt to these areas for safety, but even that is only temporary.  Our engineers have at times been able to resolve icing conditions when the problems were created by pipes, leaks, etc.

It is winter in the northeast and hazards due to cold temperatures and the excessive rainfall amounts do exist all over the Town.   The Town salts to temporarily control identified hazards.  Pedestrians and drivers must be aware of changing and potentially hazardous conditions and be prepared to adjust to accommodate the hazards.  As the weather naturally changes, and perhaps provides for somewhat moderating rainfall amounts, the nature and extent of the groundwater problems will subside.

PAUL FEINER