21-07-2025
Town Council balks at purchase of Lettiere Tract water system
Jul. 20—WATERTOWN — James V. Lettiere was assured that he'd be able to get a water district formed for the subdivision that he owns in the town of Watertown.
But those plans hit a major detour when the Town Council on Thursday night voted, 3-2, against the water district for the Lettiere Tract, leaving the deal that's been in the works for more than a year up in the air.
"Are we going to have to go back to square one?" he said Saturday.
To get the water district formed, Lettiere had to get enough residents to sign a petition to okay the deal. He had been told that a sufficient number of residents signed petitions for the project to move forward.
The Town Council on Thursday night unanimously agreed that there were enough signatures. But when the vote to approve the water district came up, council members went into an executive session for about 10 minutes to discuss forming the district. They then came out and voted against the matter.
Council members Michael Perkins, Joanne McClusky and Robert J. Slye opposed it, while Councilman David Prosser and Town Supervisor Joel R. Bartlett supported it.
On Friday, Bartlett said he didn't know what the town's next move would be. The water district also would include about 15 homes on outer Ives Street.
Bartlett doesn't know if the Town Council will decided to eliminate the Outer Ives Street portion of the district.
Council members could just agree to move forward with the district consisting of only the 119 homes in the subdivision or "just drop the project," Bartlett said.
"I don't know what's going to happen," he said.
Neither does Lettiere.
"I was disappointed," he said. "I don't know if they're going to change the project."
The town would pay Lettiere $500,000 to purchase the subdivision's water system.
On Thursday night, a Lettiere Tract resident questioned whether Lettiere should have been allowed to gather signatures since he was the one who was going to benefit from the deal.
Lettiere said that the Town Council had approved that arrangement.
Although the water system has been appraised for $650,000, Lettiere said he would move forward with the $500,000 "because that's the price I've said right along."
For years, the 50-year water system has been the subject of much discussion over its fate. Some people have questioned its condition.
Lettiere formally approached the town with the proposal in February 2023. Lettiere, 71, hopes that the project moves forward because he'd like to retire.
Water users in the new district would pay $489 a year on the debt for the 30-year bond. They also would pay $8.02 per 1,000 gallons of water.
According to the town, 51% of 147 property owners and 51% of the assessed valuation needed to sign the petition for the water district to move forward.
Of those 147, 119 residents live in the Lettiere Tract and 17 own vacant lots.
The four council members could not be reached for comment.
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