Yates opposes ‘clean water’ restrictions

YATES COUNTY—The Yates County Legislature took action against new proposed regulations which would restrict county waterways. The legislature voted Tuesday, Feb. 18 to pass a resolution opposing the Clean Water Act (CWA) draft guidance proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The legislators oppose the CWA regulations because of the increased number of water bodies that would fall under its jurisdiction.
This comes over concerns the EPA would have increased authority over the municipal projects that take place in roadside ditches, intermittent water channels, wet areas and man-made ponds. The legislature believes these would be costly and time consuming regulations which would also create uncertainty and confusion in the significant amount of public works activities that would now be subject to CWA regulations.
“It’s way too restrictive,” County Administrator Sarah Purdy said.
According to the resolution, “Yates County urges the EPA and the [United States Corps of Engineers] to withdraw the draft CWA guidance immediately.” It also recommends the EPA “work collaboratively with states and local governments to enforce the current scope of the CWA while respecting the authority of state and local governments in ensuring the protection of our water resources.”
In other business:
• The legislature passed a resolution requesting home rule legislation to renew the increase of the mortgage tax. The 0.25 percent increase in the county portion of the mortgage tax rate has been used by Yates County as a method for generating approximately $200,000 a year in additional revenue. The increase, first implemented in 2005, expires Nov. 30, 2014, and was renewed in 2008 along with 2011. The legislature ensured this was not a new tax, but a renewal of an old one.
• The county authorized the filling of two positions vacated due to retirement. One includes an emergency services dispatcher position to be filled by the Yates County Sheriff. The second position is a social welfare examiner in the Department of Social Services (DSS). Purdy said the DSS position would be filled by promotion and would not be an increase in workforce.