Homeowners in a neighborhood off Bedford Road in Pleasantville received bills for $543.21 from the Water Department this month to fix a water line that serves 14 houses, The Journal News/Lohud.com reports today. A pipe at the intersection of Locust Road and Park Street recently broke, and the repair bill was $7,605.
Lee Daniels, a Fairview Avenue resident, said he spent almost $3,000 on repairs in the past decade. “I felt the blood rushing to the back of my head when I got the bill,” Daniels said as he inspected the fresh asphalt covering the water line. “Neighbors here are just getting a blank bill. Don’t we have a right to know what it’s for, and why this is ongoing?”
Village Superintendent of Public Works Jeffrey Econom told The Journal News that frequent repairs have been necessary because the village has to replace galvanized pipes that are nearly 100 years old. The contractor replaced 8 feet of a 1.5 inch-diameter pipe and installed two valves, he said.
The state constitution prevents the village from financing improvements that don’t directly benefit the municipality, so homeowners have to cover the cost of repairs on private streets and in areas outside the village boundary lines, according to Pleasantville officials.
“The problem is we have no recourse, really,” said Jeff Goldberg, who also lives in the neighborhood. “We can pay it and then sue. But is there a way we can say enough is enough without spending a a lot of money on attorneys?”
