OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Village Trustee Cathy Cruver will continue to seek applicable grant opportunities for the necessary upgrades to the Village’s water system.

CASSADAGA — The village of Cassadaga is in need of substantial water system improvements. The Village Board took the next step in making those improvements come to fruition.

A payment of $20,000 was approved to Barton and LoGuidice to conduct an engineering report and an environmental review of the system. The Village applied for American Rescue Plan Act funding to cover the cost.

“I think it will be money well spent,” Superintendent of Public Works Sam Alaimo said.

Alaimo recently met with an engineer from Barton and LoGuidice to evaluate the village’s water system. Alaimo stated the system needs an improvement project of approximately $3 million to $4 million, based on his estimates, because of several water lines that approach a century of service, coupled with inaccurate, outdated water meters.

Alaimo urged the Village Board to move forward with improvements to the system. “The only thing you can do is move forward,” he said.

Once the reports from Barton and LoGuidice are received, the Village will pursue grant funding to complete the necessary upgrades to the water system. Trustee Cathy Cruver will continue to seek applicable grant opportunities for the necessary upgrades.

The Village Board also made a budget adjustment to free up funding to allow Alaimo to purchase a John Deere lawn mower from Land Pro Equipment at a reduced cost of $12,636.

The Board is also evaluating the purchase of automated external defibrillators (AED). The cost of an AED varies from approximately $1,500 to over $2,000 per unit. Cruver and Trustee Danna DuBois have each looked into the matter. The Village will continue to explore its purchasing options.

“I think it’s really important to have one in this room,” DuBois said of the Village Hall.