$1.76 million state grant gets Kendall closer to new sewer system

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 November 2022 at 5:57 pm

KENDALL – The state announced a $1,763,835 grant on Friday to assist with a new sewer facility in Kendall and Hamlin.

The money gets Kendall and Hamlin closer to moving forward with the $15 million project, but Tony Cammarata, Kendall town supervisor, said the two towns are still seeking about $4 million more in aid to make the project affordable for residents.

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday announced the $1,763,835 for the project as a Water Infrastructure Improvement (WIIA) grant. It was among $300 million state-wide for water and sewer projects.

“Grants are crucial to helping communities undertake environmental infrastructure projects that are vital to the health and wellbeing of New Yorkers, the resiliency of shoreline communities, and economic development that supports industry, businesses and homeowners,” Hochul said in a statement. “We are proud to support municipalities with a historic level of funding for water infrastructure improvements, and we’ll continue our efforts to modernize our infrastructure and provide safe, reliable water systems for generations to come.”

Kendall and Hamlin are working on a new sewer system to serve about 350 residences along the lakeshore.

The state committed to paying 95 percent of a $9,053,000 project as part of the Lake Ontario Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative. However, the project has topped those estimates from 2019. Cammarata said supply-chain issues for materials have pushed the costs up significantly.

Cammarata said the cost is now about $15.6 million. The state is unwilling to increase its REDI contribution for the project and has urged Kendall and Hamlin to look for other funding sources.

“We appreciate this very much,” Cammarata said about the state grant announced on Friday.

Kendall and Hamlin were seeking about $2.8 million in the WIIA grant.

“We’re still short,” Cammarata said. “We’re going to see if there are other opportunities. We got our feelers out.”

Kendall and Hamlin could seek another WIIA grant, or a state program for infrastructure near the shoreline, he said.

He wants to keep the total amount as low as possible for the local taxpayers.

“This is the largest project Kendall has ever gone after,” he said. “This is a blue-ribbon project we’re trying to bring to fruition. This includes two towns, two counties and the Hamlin Beach State Park.”

While the towns look for additional funding, Cammarata said they will be doing surveying work and working on other government approvals for the project.

“If we can get more money that would really accelerate it,” he said about construction for the project.