On June 25, 2014 the Village of Stillwater held a meeting with the Town Board of Stillwater. This meeting was held for the purpose of drafting a Memorandum for the Town to give its ok to the Village to have funds release from the General Electric settlement, which is presently held in an escrow account, so the Village can pay off its water debts to the USDA and the EFC. (new pipe line and old water plant debt).

After discussions with the Town Board, no decision has been made on a Memorandum, were as the Town couldn’t come up with a plan, on what they were looking for from the Village. The Town Board wouldn’t accept the Village’s reasons that they can’t afford the Town’s requests.

This settlement money belongs to the Village taxpayers and the Town Board is holding the Village up over this settlement. The Town was only a silent partner in this lawsuit in the first place. So what does this mean? It means the Village will have to continue with the EDU’s payments on the Village water bills until further notice to pay for the water debts that this GE settlement could eliminate, while your Village settlement money sits in escrow and hostage by the Town Board.

This Mayor is asking all Village taxpayers to call their Town Supervisor and Town Board members and demand the Town sign a Memorandum with the Village now to release these funds.

Sincerely,

Ernest W. Martin
Stilwater Village Mayor