With every publication of The Sloan Connection, we provide an update on the most pressing matter facing the Village: sanitary sewer infrastructure. The Village is under an Order on Consent from the DEC to reduce Inflow and Infiltration (I&I). Last year, we applied for grant funding to assist in the estimated six million-dollar cost of mandated repairs. We were awarded two grants, which will cover approximately 80% of the costs. The remaining funding will be financed through interest-free bonds, resulting in a minimal impact to our taxpayers. As we reduce the infiltration of stormwater into the sanitary system, our annual costs for sewer treatments will diminish. Based on the results of our engineers’ house-to-house inspections and smoke testing, many property owners received letters requesting minor repairs to their vent/cleanout caps or downspouts. Several homeowners also received letters advising of their sanitary laterals cracking/collapsing, which allows rainwater to enter and tree roots to infiltrate the system. This fall and into 2020, sewer reconstruction, slip lining and manhole rehabilitation will be occurring throughout the Village. The Village has recently contracted with NYSEG to convert all streetlights from High Intensity Discharge (HID) to LED later this year. These conversions are in line with New York’s energy efficiency project “Smart Street Lighting NY”, announced by Governor Cuomo last year. The program focuses on converting over 500,000 lights across the state, cutting energy use and saving taxpayers money. Our estimated annual streetlighting bill would decrease an estimated 40-50%...money that can be used to provide critical municipal services to our residents. On October 31, 2019, our Refuse & Recycling contract with Modern, Inc. is expiring. We have met with several service suppliers over the last 6 months to discuss the bid process, increasing costs, the future of recycling market and more. There is a shift in the worldwide market resulting in low demand for recyclables and a cost for disposal instead of it creating a revenue stream. Additionally, the cost for garbage collection and disposal is expected to rise substantially. The Board is reviewing options such as moving to a quarterly pickup of bulk items, extra bag and bulk tagging systems, user fees for multi-unit apartments etc. In our fall issue of the Sloan Connection, we will outline the new procedures for both garbage and recycling taking effect in November. Although there will be some adjustments for our residents, we are making critical decisions to balance services with the cost to our taxpayers. We invite everyone to Griffith Park for our Annual Concert Series, which begins on June 27th at 7:00pm. This is a bi-weekly event that continues until August 22nd. While at the park, visit our brand-new splash pad recently installed. We want to thank Assemblywoman Monica Wallace for her generous grant towards this project. The annual Village-wide garage sale will be held on August 24th- please call Village Hall to register your address. On August 29th, we will be hosting a Veterans Event in Griffith Park from 4:30 to 9:00pm. Please review page 4 for more information. Hope to see you over the summer!