Membership, Appointment & Term

There shall be a Wastewater Treatment Board consisting of 5 members who shall be appointed by the Mayor with confirmation by the Common Council. The members shall serve 3 years with no compensation, except the Common Council may authorize reimbursement of expenses. The Wastewater Treatment Board shall, at the beginning of each year, elect one of its members as Chairman.

Ex Officio Members of Wastewater Treatment Board

In addition to the membership provided for in § C17-3, the Wastewater Treatment Board shall consist of 1 ex officio member from each municipality as shall have inter-municipal wastewater treatment agreements with the City of Cortland. Selection procedures and length of terms shall be determined by each municipality who has such agreement with the City.

These ex officio members may participate in all discussions concerning the Department of Wastewater Treatment, but they shall not vote in any matters before the Wastewater Treatment Board, and their presence or absence shall not be a factor in determining the existence of a quorum.

Powers & Duties

The Wastewater Treatment Board shall have the powers and duties to:

• Submit to the Mayor the names of at least three qualified candidates, if there are three qualified candidates on the list of names reviewed and evaluated pursuant to § C4-3C for the position of Chief Operator of the Department.
• Be advised of all appointments of subordinate personnel made by the Chief Operator and review, at his request or as the Board may deem necessary, disciplinary matters.
• Review the estimates of revenues and proposed expenditures and capital program of the Department and make recommendations to the Mayor and Capital Program Committee, respectively.
• Adjudicate grievances presented by any user aggrieved by his sewer charge. The Board shall have the power to affirm or modify the sewer charge, must state its reasons for its decisions in writing and shall order that a refund be paid to the grievance if its decision involves modification of the sewer charge.
• Review all complaints by citizens and, with the Chief Operator of the Department, devise solutions to valid problems in Department operations.
• Counsel the Chief Operator on the administration and operations of the Department as he or the Mayor may request or as the Board deems necessary.