SOUTHWICK – The Water Commission tabled discussion of an offer of $50,000 to rectify the nearly $70,000 water bill for Whalley Park Thursday night.
The offer came in the form of a letter to the Commission from Chief Administrative Officer Karl Stinehart.
Water Commissioners Luther Hosmer and David Meczywor decided not to take up the measure Thursday because Water Commissioner Edward Johnson was not in attendance. They agreed to take another reading of the meter and consider the offer during its next meeting.
During a regularly scheduled meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission earlier this week, it was agreed that the Parks and Rec. would make a $15,000 contribution towards the bill.
A written motion was made to offer the funds “without accepting any responsibility regarding the outstanding water use” and further stated that it was “in the best interest for both Whalley Park and the Town of Southwick to put this issue behind us so that we can move forward with building a state-of-the-art park that the town can be extremely proud of.”
The bill in question was for water used prior to the Parks and Recreation Commission assuming responsibility for the maintenance and scheduling of the park. Town Meeting voters accepted the park – a nearly-complete 70-acre park gifted to the town by John and Kathy Whalley – in October of 2012. A water meter reading taken following that approval revealed a large amount of water was used, totaling just under $70,000.
The Parks and Recreation Commission has stated numerous times that it did not authorize any use of water at Whalley Park until July of this year and it should not have to pay the bill.
It was discovered that the Southwick Recreation center had connected to the water line at Whalley Park with permission from the previous owner. However, the Water Commission absolved the SRC from any responsibility for the bill last month.
Parks Commission Chairman Kelly Magni and members Susan Grabowski and Daniel Call approved the measure. Members Li-Ling Waller and Michelle Ackerman were absent.
Stinehart said the remaining $35,000 would be taken, by the Southwick Finance Committee, through reserve requests from year-end balances.
Stinehart said the water bill is one of several loose-ends related to the park.
“We’re looking into trying to resolve some of these outstanding issues related to the acquisition of Whalley Park,” he said.
The Parks and Recreation Commission this week approved accepting a bid from J and L Construction to lay conduit at Whalley Park for lighting the driveway.
