Coming Vernon sewer expansion

To McAfee residents and other marked areas of Vernon whether you know it or not, you need to get yourself to the next town council meeting pronto if you don't want to be financially ruined because of mandatory sewer hook-ups. The MUA who calls themselves a totally benign advisory committee won't blink an eyelash in having you pay exorbitant initiating fees and high monthlies thereafter for sewer/water you may very well not want or need like this writer. After all, who could have foreseen, they say, the original plans on financing didn't work out for the sewer system already put in.

They are merely trying to get their foot in the next door now, so if you're not on their map for additional sewer hookup now it is just a matter of time before you are. The MUA says right now they are presently after just a study that can go any way so what's the harm, right? But once it's done, it will be just a leap before it goes to the Vernon council to force you to hook up. The MUA is confident and arrogant that this will be the case no matter what, and that the costs will be passed onto the next hookups in time maybe all of Vernon.

We were told when the sewers were being put in, that it was only for businesses and residents up to a point on Route 94, and no one else had to pay. And they callously have been billing the GGV property owners in the interim the unbelievable costs, because they don't use meters like most sane communities. They are unfairly billing them on the number of bedrooms, no matter how many people are in the house and usage is high, the same as if there are only 2 people with the same amount of bedrooms. These homeowners in GGV, who can blame them, are now at wit's end, as their costs are also going to rise in the future unless the township finds the money elsewhere. And we also all know the story of the Veterans being ignored their financial hardship for paying these costs as well. Yes, it is a problem. These people do need help and conideration. But guess where they're planning to get their money?

Now they are deciding that they will pass the costs onto you. Doesn't matter if you don't have the $5,000 hook up fee, $18,000 excavation and engineering costs, and thereafter forever more high monthly fees for sewers and water most of us don't want, don't need, or can afford. They will look into a bank to take on the loan for you, and tap into your home equity. No problem. No matter that McAfee section in particular is not on the high end of the income scale to begin with. No matter that you won't be able to sell your houses if your forced to leave because who will want to buy them. They need to pay for their own created misjudgments from square one so all is justified for them. (BTW, these are the actualy ballpark figures guesstimated at the moment.) Oh, and if you have no home equity left, they will give you an extension to have it all paid off due to financial hardship, so not to worry.

Additionally, and very important, they know the Department of Environment doesn't want much expansion in Vernon and you may have heard they are recommending the expansion into McAfee section for one because of environmental concerns. However , more than one person at the MUA tonight admitted that wasn't really the case. The real reason is the financial reason above, but they know the DEP won't go for it so they are playing up the environmental need aspect.

They have said they have a 3-prong attack, 1. to use the environment as a reason to get approval, 2. finances 3, and to develop, develop ,and develop the town more and more (also on the agenda); forget about those of us who are here to enjoy some of the last vestiges of nature in the state and never wanted the sewers from the beginning because of that alone. And they know that McAfee is an easy mark for them to reach at this time with the DEP and in the lack of resistance.

So you really need to come out to the next township meetings and hear for yourself. Push back and defend your home investment until this situation is resolved before there are more abandoned houses and people ruined financially in this town (and in our area). The MUA doesn't care about you. They are cold weasels as the GGV and veterans can attest to. They need your money and have no qualms of taking making "you" endure the burden. See for yourself. There has got to be a another way to help all Vernon's residents with this mess they've gotten the town into. Maybe all who lied to us in the beginning should eat the costs as that would be justice and they deserve it most. Thanks to Jean Murphy and Sandra Ooms for their persistence tonight to do what's right the best they can for the residents, also Dan Kadish, who are trying to find a way for the property and business holders who don't want or need this. Rotten tomatoes to the rest.

Janys Kuznier
McAfee