Hicksville residents Karl Schweitzer and Robert Dwyer are seeking to be elected to a three-year term as Hicksville Water District Commissioner. Both men, with strong ties to the Hicksville community, are vying for the seat being vacated later this month by Gil Cusick, who, after serving as commissioner for the past 27 years, is retiring.

Voting for water commissioner will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 2 at the Hicksville Fire Department, located on East Marie Street, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. All registered voters of the Hicksville Water District are eligible to vote.

Dwyer, a lifelong Hicksville resident, has served as a volunteer coach for the Hicksville Baseball Association and the Hicksville Police Athletic League, and was a member of both the Hicksville Athletic Booster Club and the Hicksville PTA. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus Joseph Barry Council, the NorthWest Civic Association and the Knights of Blue. Dwyer has also served as a member of the United States Selective Services Board.

For the past 32 years, Dwyer has been a volunteer in the Hicksville Fire Department and has served as commissioner of the Hicksville Fire District for 18 years. He currently holds membership in the New York State and International Fire Chiefs, Fire Department Safety Officers and the National Fire Protection Associations, and is past president of the Exempt Firemen Association and the chairman of the Hicksville-Jericho Rotary Club's Tree Lighting Ceremony.

Dwyer, a 1972 graduate of Hicksville HS, has been employed by the Town of Oyster Bay for 32 years and currently serves as a supervisor with the Parks Department. "I have experience with getting jobs done efficiently and on time," said Dwyer. "The water district will be another challenge for me and I am qualified to take on this responsibility."

If elected water commissioner, Dwyer stated he would maintain an aggressive stance toward water quality. "The current board has been in the forefront of providing state-of-the-art treatment technology to keep our water quality excellent," said Dwyer. "The district must continue its long-standing policy of keeping health-related contaminants out of our water. We must continue to fund treatment when and where needed."

Dwyer said he would like to initiate a long-term capital improvement plan for the water district and pressure the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) "to better communicate with the district when they know of problems that may come our way." He would also support a forward looking maintenance program. "Preventive maintenance is the key to having facilities that are reliable," Dwyer said. "It always makes better fiscal sense to get to a problem before it gets to you." He added that control of the water district itself must also be insured. "We must be vigilant to ensure that we keep the district independent."

As water commissioner, Dwyer said he would maintain tight fiscal control through a tightly managed budget process. "Tax rates and water rates must continue to be kept in check," he said, adding that the water district's bonded indebtedness must also be kept under control. "The water district has been run on a sound financial basis and has very little bonded indebtedness for a district of its size," he said. "Bonded indebtedness [must be kept] under control [so that] the district can stay ahead of the curve through planning and thereby minimizing long-term debt."

In addition, Dwyer said he would work with the district to initiate a program to recover costs from polluters so that the district can identify the responsible party. "The district and its residents have spent millions of dollars installing treatment equipment to fight problems caused by others," he said. "It is now time to get some of this money back."

If elected, Dwyer promises to communicate with the residents of Hicksville through public outreach. "I have enjoyed the communication that we get as residents through [the water district's] published newsletters," said Dwyer. "Meeting with the community to inform everyone concerning the district is essential, as is a well-developed newsletter." He also stated that he would support the "fine staff of water supply professionals who work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, providing our community with excellent water."

He added, "I am honored to be running for this position. The water district provides a vital service to our community and I fully intend to see that we continue to provide a highly reliable supply of excellent quality water to residents."

Lifelong Hicksville resident Karl Schweitzer has family ties in the community dating back to 1928. He has served on various committees, including the restoration efforts of the Gregory Museum, the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the old Hicksville Courthouse and most recently as the co-chairman of the 350th anniversary celebrating the Robert Williams Purchase in 1998. Schweitzer, who was co-named "Citizen of the Year" by the Chamber of Commerce in 1998, is a parishioner and Eucharist Minister with St. Ignatius Loyola R.C. Church.

In addition, Schweitzer has been an active volunteer firefighter for 22 years, holding all ranks of office before serving as chief of department from 1996 to 1997. Throughout his tenure, he served on various committees, including department training, emergency medical response and the hazardous materials team. Schweitzer also was a leader on the Hicksville Fire Department's 100th anniversary celebration.

Professionally, Schweitzer, a 1981 graduate of Hicksville HS, has been involved in the area of environmental, health and safety (EH&S) issues for over 20 years and is a certified utility safety administrator. He has worked as a safety supervisor for KeySpan Energy and in corporate safety for the Grumman Aerospace Corporation in Bethpage. Currently, Schweitzer is employed as a member of the EH&S with Con Edison of New York. He specializes in the area of worker safety and monitors environmental activities such as PCBs, lead, asbestos and hazardous waste issues.

As water commissioner, Schweitzer said he would focus on the Hicksville Water District's current chlorination efforts. "After routine monitoring revealed bacteria in the system it was mandated by the board of health to chlorinate the water. Although this is a precautionary measure and the chlorine may give the water an unfavorable taste and smell, there are no known health effects from the process," he said. "However, the district needs to continue their efforts to monitor and strive to return as only one of the handful of local water districts that does not chlorinate on a regular basis."

Schweitzer said that protection of the water supply is also essential. "In this era of terrorism and times of uncertainty there is a responsibility to protect the water supply and look for ways to ensure that it cannot be tampered with," he said, adding that keeping the water rates at their current levels is also important. "There is a need to continue to keep the rates at existing levels without compromising the quality of the water, while looking for ways to improve upon the deliverables of the current service," said Schweitzer. "Even though water rates are nominal, the district should also explore the possibility of assisting our senior citizens by enacting a discount in water rates."

As commissioner, Schweitzer said he would look toward using new technology to improve the way the district operates and continue the implementation of the district's Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, computer technology that allows important data to be transmitted between the main office and its well sites. "This cost effective approach will enable the district to monitor well activity 24 hours a day and dispatch employees when needed," he said.

Schweitzer stated that he would work to see that the district's air stripping system, which extracts volatile organic compounds or contaminants (also known as VOC's) from the water and purifies it, is continued. In addition, he would work to see that anyone who potentially taints the water supply is held accountable and aggressively pursued under federal, state and local regulations. "The days of dumping or discharging radioactive material, solvents and other VOC's into the environment are long gone and we should be making the community today, safe for tomorrow," he said.

If elected water commissioner, Schweitzer promises to "work alongside the current members of the board to lead this district in environmental excellence. By keeping on track with the current projects and new initiatives, this district will continue to be viable for our future generations."