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Herkimer County rejects Village of Herkimer's counter offer

By MIKE LaFAVE

Story Created: Sep 8, 2010 at 9:58 PM EDT

Story Updated: Sep 8, 2010 at 11:51 PM EDT

HERKIMER, NY (WKTV) - Herkimer County officials have rejected the Village of Herkimer's counter proposal for the proposed Herkimer County Jail.

The Village requested the County pay it $800,000 to put towards a sewer project and $58,000 every year, with no cap on years, only then would Village officials give the County the go-ahead to build the new jail.

Originally, the County offered the Village a $400,000 lump-sum payment with $20,000 per year for 20 years. The Village rejected that offer.

The Public Safety Committee did approve Wednesday night an $8,500 percolation study at the P&C site. First the proposal must clear the Ways and Means committee and then it will head to the full Legislature for final approval.


Fresh Idea

A Herkimer resident was at Wednesday night's meeting. Dave Foster informed lawmakers about a 36 acre plot of land that Foster says the Village bought in 1969 for $42,000.

It's off Steuben Road, but it has no water and no sewer.

According to Foster, the Village originally planned to install an 11 million gallon reservoir for industrial growth, but that never materialized.

Foster also suggested that proposed jail could be downsized to save the County money.

"I says if you cut the size of the jail back a little bit, down to say 90 beds or 80 beds, you might shave off a few million dollars," Foster said.

According to Herkimer County Administrator James Wallace, Legislators have decided to look into the Steuben Road site.

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