Webster Town Board approves $526K in MRB contracts, gets wastewater update and Bay Road briefing

The Webster Town Board closed out May 21 with a full agenda: two engineering contracts totaling $526,000, a wastewater plant update, a county road project the board said it was not properly informed about, and a handful of routine but notable votes on everything from a 200-year-old cemetery to the police chief's pay.

Wastewater plant: behind schedule but meeting its Fairlife commitment

The plant's chief operator and assistant chief operator briefed the board on the town's wastewater treatment plant upgrade, which is running behind its original schedule but is on track for substantial completion in August.

The project prioritized readiness to accept high-strength waste from Fairlife, a commitment the operators said was met on time in August 2025. Key systems have come online in the months since: ammonia levels that were consistently failing the DEC permit limit of 13 milligrams per liter are now averaging around 1 milligram per liter following upgrades to the aeration blowers.

Delays were tied largely to overseas-manufactured equipment, including aeration blowers that arrived as the wrong model and required retrofitting on-site. Councilmember John Cahill encouraged every board member to tour the facility, citing the dryer system in particular as a major cost savings over landfill disposal of biosolids.

A detailed look at the project timeline, costs, and Fairlife revenue projections will follow in a separate story.

$526K in MRB contracts approved

The board approved two contracts with MRB Group for infrastructure work.

The first, valued at $311,250, authorizes MRB Group to prepare a bid packet and provide construction administration and oversight services for the Vosburg Pump Station. The master schedule will be included in the RFP.

The second, valued at $214,800, covers construction administration services for the Salt Barn and Truck Washout building. Town Highway Superintendent Pat Stevens walked the board through why the contract was not competitively bid: because MRB Group is the engineer of record for the project, it carries legal responsibility to verify that construction follows its own design, an obligation that cannot be easily transferred to another firm. Councilman Cahill used the discussion to underscore a standing board principle that RFPs for engineering services should go out early in any significant project, before a single firm becomes effectively locked in.

Both contracts were approved unanimously.

2025 audit: clean bill of financial health

The board accepted the 2025 Basic Financial Statement Audit Report, prepared by Mengel, Metzger, Barr & Co. LLP, dated May 5, 2026. The firm issued an unqualified opinion with no material weaknesses identified. Councilmember Garrett Wagner, a CPA, noted the town holds a substantial surplus and is in excellent financial position.

Other board actions

Monroe County Department of Transportation engineers presented the final design for a Bay Road road diet between Route 104 and Lake Road at the workshop that preceded the regular meeting. The project, contracted to Keeler Construction, is scheduled to begin June 15 and take five to six weeks, converting a four-lane stretch to three lanes with a center two-way left turn lane. Several board members said they were hearing about a key design change for the first time. A county representative acknowledged that directly involved town officials and the Town Supervisor were notified, but the board as a whole was not consistently in the outreach loop. A fuller look at the Bay Road project is forthcoming.

The board approved a resolution waiving the 30-day New York State Liquor Authority notification period for TEMPO Italian Kitchen & Bar, Inc. at 807-A Ridge Road, Webster, New York. Town Clerk Danene Marr explained the waiver allows the applicant to submit its license application to the state sooner, rather than waiting out the full notice window. No zoning issues were identified; the space was previously occupied by a restaurant.

The board voted to waive the $120 site plan application fee for a proposed expansion of Webster Union Cemetery at 345 Webster Road. Supervisor Scialdone noted the town carries a standing municipal responsibility for the cemetery if its operators were ever to cease operations, and said the waiver is consistent with past precedent. The cemetery holds the graves of Revolutionary War veterans, and fall tours led by cemeterian George Baker are planned.

The board authorized the town clerk to advertise for bids on polymer chemicals used to dewater sludge at the wastewater treatment plant. Bids are due no later than June 8.

The board approved a $5,943 budget transfer from the vehicle gasoline account to the chief of police salary line as a partial fix for a pay compression issue affecting the police chief. The compression stems from differing cost-of-living adjustment rates between the chief's white-collar classification and the "1,000 Club" structure that governs the rank and file. The full resolution is expected to be addressed through the 2027 budget process.

Finally, the board approved surplus sewer department equipment and a wooden desk from the supervisor's office for recycling.

Public comment

One resident addressed the board during the public comment period, describing conversations with other residents across several neighborhoods near Bay Road. He said the primary concern he heard was traffic safety and that many residents remained anxious about the change. He asked the board to prioritize clear communication and active listening as construction approaches.

AI tools were used in drafting and research.