At a recent village board meeting there was much talk about listening to experts. The public has been listening to experts with regard to Fredonia’s water for quite some time. Here is a recap of what the experts have done and said.

In 2016, village taxpayers paid for an expert study by O’Brien and Gere under the Landis administration. The experts presenting this study determined that upgrading the village’s reservoir, dam and water treatment plant was the least expensive option for Fredonia water. Had Landis been re-elected as Fredonia’s mayor, it is likely that grants would have been found, the upgrades would have been made and Fredonia’s water system would be functioning properly without all the boil water orders.

Landis was not re-elected and the subsequent administration did nothing to address the village water issue until their four year term was almost finished. What that administration did do was pay an additional $140,000 to fund another study. This study was completed by the LaBella experts. These experts presented three water options for Fredonia and once again, according to their study, the experts indicated that upgrading the village’s dam, water treatment plant and reservoir was the most cost effective course of action.

And yet the village board at that time decided that buying water directly from Dunkirk was the best option for Fredonia water, despite a petition signed by over three hundred people and vocal opposition from a large number of village residents. The LaBella experts also informed that an environmental study was not necessary to move ahead with this course of action. A judicial expert determined that a SEQR was in fact necessary.

Next, this village board had experts from SUNY Fredonia report out to the public in a presentation highlighting the deficiencies of Fredonia’s water system. These experts provided no cost analysis regarding resolving Fredonia’s water issues. During the question and answer portion of the experts’ presentation, difficult questions were filtered and much of their presentation was conjecture and speculation.

Just recently the county paid the LaBella experts to conduct yet another study with the outcome predetermined that Fredonia should buy water from the North County Water District. The experts did not include in their second study any grant possibilities nor did they include the loss of Fredonia water revenue or the need to dredge the reservoir or the cost to do so. One LaBella expert begrudgingly admitted that their study as presented showed that upgrading the water treatment plant, dam and reservoir was the least expensive option for Fredonia water. Not surprisingly, the LaBella experts did what they were paid to do and recommended that the village buy water from the NCWD.

In their first presentation the LaBella experts listed all the possible grants available for the three presented options for Fredonia water. No grants were mentioned in their second presentation but the experts never said that grant money would not be awarded unless an inter municipal project was proposed, as was stated by the mayor and a couple of trustees.

The experts also did not say that Fredonia’s dam was in imminent danger of bursting and causing a catastrophic Texas-like flood. But even if the dam is in dangerous condition, it will have to be fixed no matter what direction the board decides to take with regards to village water. If the cost to repair the dam must be incurred regardless, and upgrades to the water treatment plant must be made while any connections are made to the NCWD, why not just upgrade the dam, water treatment plant and reservoir, save water purchasers money and keep Fredonia’s water independence?

The village’s legal expert differed in opinion with another expert, the former village attorney about who the lead agency should be with regard to the plan to buy water from the NCWD. This expert also stated that an environmental study was not needed to move forward with this plan. Even after the ruling by a judicial expert indicated otherwise with the previous plan to buy water from Dunkirk.

Now let’s address the county’s experts who implemented the water connections between the NCWD and the village of Fredonia. These experts did not check to see if the two systems were compatible in terms of water pressure, water flow and water quality. These interconnections are currently inoperable.

Our county tax dollars paid for these water interconnections. How much did they cost and what experts are responsible for these connections being inoperable?

These experts also drew up an emergency water use contract between the village and the NCWD but did not define what a water emergency is. So we now have experts disputing whether or not a boil water order is a water emergency.

The mayor and the village board have an obligation to village taxpayers and water customers to determine if the interconnections and the water contract entered into with the NCWD, if done correctly, could have prevented past boil orders and if the connections are made operational, could they then prevent future boil water orders?

During my lengthy career as an administrator and in my personal life, I have had to listen to many experts. Here is what I have found.

Experts often have differences of opinion.

Experts aren’t always correct in their findings.

Experts can be dishonest.

Experts rarely take responsibility for their mistakes, unless they are forced to do so.

Yes, we need to listen to experts. But we also need to ask intelligent and probing questions. And we need to hold experts accountable when they are incorrect. If that necessitates legal action through an impartial judicial expert, then so be it.

Andrew Ludwig is a Fredonia resident.