Village of Lewiston to pay less for mold remediation; slates public hearing on water rate increase

The Village of Lewiston’s final bill for mold remediation services has lessened following the results of an air quality study and further assessment of works rendered.

Initially, the total cost was pegged at $200,000. On Monday, trustees voted to use the general fund balance “for the purposes of paying 716 Clean Up and Restoration for the balance of their contract in the sum of $100,000.” The village had a previous bill of $20,000, making the total remediation cost $120,000.

716 Clean Up & Restoration used what project manager Shane Hill described as “a plant-based antimicrobial, and then we also have a commercial, hospital-grade disinfectant that we use, MediClean and ShockWave” to clean the Red Brick Municipal Building following the discovery of mold in mid-September. Hill said the remediation process including fogging, eight HEPA-700 machines, dehumidifiers, HEPA scrubbers, particle vacuuming and a negative air machine.

A resolution to pay this bill read, in part, “the Village of Lewiston, New York was confronted with an emergency situation involving the discovery of mold at potentially dangerous levels requiring the immediate and continuous evacuation of all persons present in the building at 145 North Fourth Street. … The Village of Lewiston, New York called for an emergency public meeting on Friday, September 23, 2022 at 6:00pm for the purposes of awarding an emergency contract to 716 Clean Up and Restoration to remediate the mold situation and to pay out of cycle, a down payment to such company for the aforesaid remediation, and such Motions were approved; and WHEREAS, the aforesaid building has been deemed safe for re-occupancy; and WHEREAS, the current fiscal budget for the Village of Lewiston, New York does not contain funds budgeted for and/or appropriated for such contract given the emergency nature of the situation.”

No residents spoke at an Oct. 17 public hearing regarding this matter.

Water Bill Rate Expected to Increase

The Village Board has scheduled a public hearing for 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 21, to discuss a proposed 8-cent water rate increase – from $3.95 to $4.03 per 100 cubic feet of water consumed – effective Jan. 1, 2023. This rate would amend Village Local Law Section 20-194. 

This proposed increase is said to be the result of a rate increase from the Niagara County Water District. 

That entity recently informed the Village of Lewiston that the rate to be charged is going from $0.90 per 1,000 gallons to $1 per 1,000 gallons. This will result in an increase of 8 cents per 100 cubic feet of usage.