Romulus recinds approval of rt. 89 water district

The Romulus Town Board has rescinded conditional approval of the proposed Route 89 water district and cancelled the scheduled September 18 referendum on the district while the matter is further studied.The town board took the action at special board meeting on Thursday (August 23) on the recommendation of Town Supervisor David Kaiser and Town Attorney Steven Getman.That recommendation was based on “certain potential errors and/or omissions with the map, plan and report [for the project], which …warrant further study, review and possible revision.”In addition, the resolution noted, Kaiser had received a number of requests for absentee ballots for the election.However, the town had previously received a copy of an opinion from the state board of elections that held absentee ballots could not be used. Therefore, Getman recommended, and the board authorized, further investigation to determine if a local law or other authority might be used to authorize absentee voting.“We just want to make sure that everything is done as accurately as possible and that we give every potential voter a chance to be heard,” Kaiser said after the meeting.The town had tentatively approved the plan for the district and scheduled the referendum at its July 11 meeting, following a public hearing. In rescinding the approval, the board requested that no further action on the matter be taken until a revised report could be issued and the town attorney finished his review of the election procedures. Therefore, the September referendum was no longer needed.The town will review the matter further over the winter months, with an eye towards scheduling any future referendum during the summer of 2013, Kaiser said.