IDA board details water-line easements and water-tank permitting delays tied to state reviews

At its meeting the Herkimer County Industrial Development Agency received updates on water infrastructure projects tied to business-park development and village service improvements.

Staff explained they have secured and filed three of four 20-foot easements needed to run a water line between the Mahheim business park and the village of Delo; the fourth easement is still with state attorneys for signature, a process the presenter said could take "two more weeks" and has been delayed by bureaucratic review.

Separately, staff reviewed the long-running effort to site and approve a county water tank. The presenter said Department of Health reviewers have requested extensive mapping and documentation for a tank that sits outside, but serves, village systems. Those additional requests have extended what staff described as a years-long approval process.

Funding for the water tank project includes a village WIA grant (amount not specified in the meeting), $500,000 from the governor's office and additional ESD support; staff said the combined funding will support a tank intended to provide backup water supply and fire-suppression capacity for Dodgeville and surrounding areas.

Board members questioned the pace of state reviews and urged continued pressure on state agencies to keep grants and projects on schedule. "The Department of Health...slows down every grant that we have," a board member said, urging persistent follow-up with state officials.

Staff asked the board to note the delays and expect further updates as easements are finalized and regulatory comments are resolved. The board did not take a formal vote on the easement paperwork during the public session; staff said the project will advance once remaining legal signoffs and contract documents are complete.