NEW BERLIN – Among other things discussed at the January New Berlin Town Board meeting, talk surrounded the South New Berlin Water District improvement project and changes to the town permit rates.

On Monday night, Jan. 12, 2015, the New Berlin Town Board convened in the New Berlin Town Hall to discuss town business. Despite the horrid traveling conditions and freezing temperatures, there were a handful community members in attendance.

The main order of business for the board was to begin finalization of the multi million dollar South New Berlin Water District improvement project. The engineering stages of this project began back in 2010. Construction for the project was started in early 2014 and is just being finished.

Among the improvements made to the water system, which services 140 residences in and around the hamlet of South New Berlin, there was an additional well drilled, a water filtration plant was installed, there was 1800 feet of pipe installed for service to more residences, and there were new, remote read, water meters installed. These water meters would allow the meter reader to drive down the street and read meters on both sides of the street without having to leave the vehicle.

One of the orders of business last night was to determine what to do with the 20 or so extra water meters that the town has in surplus upon completion of the project. The meters could be sent back to the distributor from where they were bought for credit; but, since the town has already paid for the meters, they decided to keep them as spares. This will allow the town to replace faulty meters and add new customers to the water system in the future without having to purchase additional meters.

The Town of New Berlin also slightly raised the rates of building permits and the penalties associated with them to match Chenango County rates. This was done because New Berlin plans on eradicating its codes office and to begin utilizing Chenango County's code enforcement office beginning in 2016, and they want to prepare residents for the new rates. Since New Berlin residents are already paying for county code enforcement in their county taxes, the board sees no reason to double tax town residents to fund a town code enforcement office.