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8th Town Board Meeting 04/15/2026 Page 7 fifteen (15) Town-owned water bodies would also be completed in the necessary timeframe, weather and appropriate season; and WHEREAS, the environmental services to be provided for the maintenance of Town ponds/lake are proposed as an annual maintenance service agreement and will include: Non-Pesticide Aquatic Vegetation Control (grass carp stocking), Initial Walkthrough (Biological, Chemical and Physical Analysis), Water Quality Analysis, Aeration Assessment, Installation and Adjustment, Stocking Permit Procurement, Fish Stocking, Fishery Assessment/Management and General Consultation Services. Aqua Tech Environmental, Inc. will provide these services on an as-needed basis for a fee of $1,000.00 due in April. Also a $1,000.00 stocking deposit will be due in April and will be later subtracted from the overall stocking costs; and WHEREAS, the total anticipated pond treatment (weather dependent) cost for 2026 is $0.00 for the year. Six (6) Town owned water bodies are listed with costs in case any microbial treatment is needed this year. The 2026 pond and lake maintenance proposal includes $2,000.00 towards possible water treatment options along with 50% cost sharing opportunities from the drainage district. The $2,000.00 could also be applied towards the stocking of 75 grass carp in Green Lake pending spillway modifications and NYSDEC approval/permitting. The 75 grass carp would aid in the aquatic vegetation control in the lake and are offered by Aqua Tech at a cost of $1,725.00; and WHEREAS, the NYSDEC has become more cautious regarding grass carp stocking due to potential ecological impacts. There is concern that grass carp may enter connected waterways and affect regulated wetlands and sensitive species. As a result, permitting for stocking remains uncertain, therefore stocking costs have been developed to account for both scenarios, with and without the use of grass carp; and WHEREAS, the continuation of the Town of Orchard Park Fish Stocking Program recommendations are for 2026. Mr. Adrian recommends continuing the feeder fish stocking (fathead minnows & golden shiners), game fish stocking (large mouth bass) and increasing grass carp stocking to aid in weed control and account for future restrictions of grass carp. The 2026 proposed stocking cost including grass carp is $9,947.00 and $9,426.75 without grass carp, less the $1,000.00 deposit; and WHEREAS, the entire projected cost for Town Pond/Lake maintenance, possible water quality treatment and stocking for calendar year 2026, is not to exceed $18,000.00. There are presently funds ($22,000.00) allocated under Orchard Park Engineering Department “Water Quality Consultants” A01440 50541 for this work; and WHEREAS, the Town Board must be aware, as previously discussed with Aqua Tech, that this natural means of aquatic vegetation control and water quality management is not a perfect science and is heavily influenced by outside factors such as weather, nutrient loading, oxygen levels, etc. Another factor to highlight is that, other than Green Lake, no aeration projects are funded under this agreement, which are also a major component of improving water quality. Lastly, this amount of funding would not cover all microbial treatments in a single year if they were, for some reason, required for all proposed waterbodies, which is highly unlikely. All involved parties must know there will be a learning curve with these natural methods. The true benefit for the environment comes with eliminating pesticides. NOW, THEREFORE be it RESOLVED, that the Town Board does hereby authorize the Supervisor to sign the agreement with Aqua Tech Environmental, Inc., 45 Kent Avenue, Blasdell, New York 14219, for an amount not to exceed $18,000.00 to provide the following: • Professional consultation for yearly environmental services for Town-Owned Ponds & Lake ($1,000.00 fee due in April).