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YORKTOWN, N.Y. - Ten municipalities in northern Westchester have entered into an agreement with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection in an effort to reduce the approval process for $10 million in water-quality improvement projects.
The inter-municipal agreement was announced Tuesday by County Executive Rob Astorino and members of the Northern Westchester Watershed Committee (NWWC) at Yorktown Town Hall.
"We're trying to cut out the middle man and, quite frankly, the middle man was the county," Astorino said. "I think this will speed up the process and get the decision in the hands of people who make the decisions, the town supervisors. I think it's a good day for Westchester. This is how government is supposed to work."
In 1997, New York City gave Westchester $38 million to create the East of Hudson Water Quality Investment Program Fund. The funds were intended to pay for dozens of clean water projects in northern Westchester that are designed to protect New York City's drinking water supply. Approximately $28 million has already been disbursed.
Somers Supervisor Mary Beth Murphy, chair of the NWWC, said cooperation between government entities often results in a more efficient process.
"I know my colleagues are happy to get to this day. This is an absolutely fabulous day for the towns in northern Westchester," Murphy said. "I am extremely proud of and grateful to all my colleagues in local government both in Westchester and Putnam counties for their patience, tenacity and hard work in achieving this milestone."
The 10 municipalities that are part of the agreement are Bedford, Cortlandt, Lewisboro, Mount Kisco, New Castle, North Castle, North Salem, Pound Ridge, Somers and Yorktown.
"Hopefully, over time water quality in those areas will improve," said North Salem Supervisor Warren Lucas.
Comments (10)
Dear Mr. Astorino,
How can you stand next to the biggest crook in the room on your right shoulder? OMG
Talk about letting the fox in the hen house? MB Shennagans Murphy is the biggest crook
out of the whole bunch. Its time the town of Somers got one honest person to run the town.
Tax payers are sick and tired of being looted by this corrupt career politician. The games are over.
Then at the top of the list we have KARMA ! Whatever bad you have done to others will come back to you.
Then at the top of the list we have KARMA ! Whatever bad you have done to others will come back to you.
Then at the top of the list we have KARMA ! Whatever bad you have done to others will come back to you.
Then at the top of the list we have KARMA !
The Bible says that: " The Love of Money is the root of all evil."
Where is the monitoring of these funds? Hopefully, they will realize that all these funds must be carefully monitored by an unbias committee to over-see that there is no under the table deals.
Whats thaty old saying? I think it goes something like this :
" POWER TENDS TO CORRUPT, AND ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY "
By Lord ACTON 1887
P.S. Hey Mary Beth have you done anymore favors for your friends lately?
Mr Astorino,
Lets keep Politicians honest by monitoring all spending of tax payers hard earn money.
We need accopuntability with every level of our government and above all we need to bring back integrity to Westchester County by setting up higher standards for everyone who are in a position of trust. Its time that we put a stop to political corruption with westchester county and in NYS.
The NWWC must be out of their mind to have appointed Supervisor Murphy to be head chairman?
Thats like putting the fox in the hen=house without any monitoring of her activities? Are they kidding?
Does NWWC monitor where the funds go or how they are used? More wasteful spending on the taxpayers dime. We would'nt trust that woman with anything. Career politicians have to go.
How much of that 28 million will get redirected in some politicians pockets? Who are these people
trying to kid? Maybe not all of these Politicians but some of them are getting kickbacks on the money, and that you can be sure of.