Convinced Schoharie County’s future lies in the development of the Route 7 corridor, a threesome that doesn’t always see eye-to-eye on everything is looking at ways to get water and sewer services there.
Just in case the Town of Cobleskill’s request for some $2.575 million in federal Economic Development Agency money for the work gets turned down a third time.
Deadline for this round of EDA applications is Friday.
County Planning Director Alicia Terry is confident the shortcomings ID’ed in previous applications have been addressed and she’s optimistic when news comes in 4-6 weeks it will be good.
But at the same time, she agrees with County and Town Attorney Mike West and County Treasurer Bill Cherry that there are different ways to get the job done.
“If there’s a magic silver bullet, I wish I had it in my back pocket,” Ms. Terry said.
“We’re all trying to figure out a way to get this [Route 7 lines] done that we can all live with. There are so many options that they can get overwhelming if you don’t work with them every day.”
With that in mind, the county’s trying to set up a meeting with others who’ve funded similar projects before—experts in financing and representatives from Luther Forest Tech Park in Malta among them.
One of the possibilities that’s being floated is whether the county itself could help finance and then own the lines—and revenue.
“It’s just spaghetti against the wall,” Mr. West said of the idea, which has more questions than answers.
“It’s just brainstorming…thinking outside the box. But I think everyone agrees developing this corridor should be a priority. Otherwise, the next time a Lowe’s wants to come in? We’ll be in the same boat.”
Among the questions that idea raises is whether the county can own lines in multiple towns and if it would have to create an authority or whether a water and sewer district would work.
A tougher question is whether the county would bond the work.
“I’m hoping the grant comes through and it’s full speed ahead,” Mr. Cherry said, “but even when they’re successful, these projects take a long time. It would be wise to look at ideas too.”
The Route 7 water and sewer lines are seen as crucial to development plans at Howe Caverns.
In fact, said Ms. Terry, linking the lines with the jobs the Howe Caverns project would create is its best shot at the “best” money.
The EDA money is grants, she pointed out, which need to be tied to something like jobs.
Money for water and sewer without jobs would more likely come in the form of long-term low-interest loans.
“If we want to try to fund outside sources of money to extend water and sewer lines along Route 7, Howe Caverns…is essential,” Ms. Terry said, adding, “But in the end, the bottom line is getting the job done. If we do it now or if we do it 10 years from now, we need to get it done. We all agree with that. The devil is in the details.”
Mr. Cherry said he’s also on the same page when it comes to the need to explore alternatives—including the county being a partner in the lines—if the EDA grant doesn’t come through.
“It probably wouldn’t be a gift from the county to the town or village…:” Mr. Cherry cautioned. “And if the county did need to borrow the money, there would be a lot of legal hoops to jump through.”
Would Mr. Cherry, as county treasurer, be willing to sign off on bonding the project—something supervisors would also have to agree to?
“I think that should be up to the voters,” he said. “If the project develops well…I could get behind the idea. But the voters—who, after all, would be paying for it—would have to have the final say. It would have to be on the ballot.”