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VILLAGE OF RED HOOK RESOLUTION #___ – 2026 DATED: APRIL 13, 2026
RESOLUTION DIRECTING PREPARATION OF A PHASE I SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE LESSONS LEARNED REPORT
WHEREAS, the Village of Red Hook has completed Phase I of its sewer infrastructure project; and
WHEREAS, the Village has experienced equipment failures and unplanned costs during Phase I buildout and early operations; and
WHEREAS, the sewer fund experienced a cash shortfall in fiscal year 2025-2026 requiring an emergency interfund advance of up to $205,430 from the General Fund, with no mechanism in place to detect or report the developing shortfall before it became a cash crisis; and
WHEREAS, the Village is preparing to undertake Phase II of the sewer infrastructure project, and the Board has a responsibility to ensure that lessons from Phase I inform the planning, design, and execution of Phase II; and
WHEREAS, the Village Engineer served as the contractor for Phase I buildout and has been engaged for Phase II, and therefore possesses direct knowledge of the conditions and challenges encountered during Phase I; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees has turned over entirely since Phase I was initiated, and the current Mayor took office only when the sewer was made operational, and the current Board requires an understanding of how prior governance and administrative decisions affected project outcomes in order to exercise effective oversight of Phase II;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Red Hook as follows:
1. The Board directs the Village Engineer to prepare a Phase I Lessons Learned Report addressing the following:
(a) Root Causes. Identification of the underlying causes, whether in original design, equipment specification, procurement, installation, operating conditions, or governance and administrative decisions, that drove the pattern of equipment failures, unplanned costs, and operational disruptions during Phase I. The report should focus on systemic and recurring causes rather than comprehensive documentation of individual incidents.
(b) Governance and Administrative Factors. To the extent that Board or Mayoral actions, including timing of approvals, budget decisions, or directed equipment or vendor selections, contributed to adverse outcomes, identification of what information or processes would have supported better decision-making. The report should specifically address what the Board should have been asking, what reporting it should have required, and at what points Board involvement would have changed outcomes.
(c) Phase II Recommendations. Specific recommendations to address the root causes identified above, including but not limited to equipment selection, specifications, redundancy, and commissioning procedures. Recommendations should also include a proposed Board oversight framework for Phase II, identifying key decision points, approval gates, reporting milestones, and the information the Board should require at each stage to fulfill its fiduciary and oversight responsibilities.
2. The report shall be delivered to the Board no later than the June 9, 2026 regular meeting, and shall be presented at a public meeting prior to final approval of Phase II scope and budget.
3. The report shall be a public document and posted on the Village website.
4. No resolution authorizing Phase II expansion of the sewer system shall be adopted until the Board has received and reviewed the report.
5. If any provision of this resolution is held invalid, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
6. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
Motion by: ____________________ Seconded by: __________________
The foregoing resolution was duly put to a vote, which resulted as follows:
| Mayor Smythe | □Aye | □Nay | □Abstain | □Recuse | □Absent/Excused |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deputy Mayor Kjarval | □Aye | □Nay | □Abstain | □Recuse | □Absent/Excused |
| Trustee Uku | □Aye | □Nay | □Abstain | □Recuse | □Absent/Excused |
| Trustee Allen | □Aye | □Nay | □Abstain | □Recuse | □Absent/Excused |
| Trustee Rothstein | □Aye | □Nay | □Abstain | □Recuse | □Absent/Excused |
| Vote Total | |||||
| Result | Motion: |
I hereby attest that the above Resolution was approved by the Board of Trustees at its April 13, 2026 meeting, and that I have been authorized to sign this Resolution by decision of the Board of Trustees.
Jennifer Cavanaugh, Clerk
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