BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

Story updated May 22 at 11:21 a.m. with Town Supervisor Sue Bellor's comments

MASSENA -- Village of Massena Department of Public Works Superintendent and Potsdam Town Supervisor Marty Miller was physically assaulted by a Massena resident yesterday, May 20, according to village officials.

Mayor Greg Paquin broke the news during the village board meeting.

“Marty was assaulted at the DPW today by a town resident upset over their water being shut off. So the individual refused to pay the bill, but then finally paid him,” Paquin said.

He confirmed Miller was sent to the emergency room for a check up and was fine.

“I talked with him. He went home. So he’s excused. That’s all the information I have right now, but I do know the individual was arrested,” Paquin continued.

“That’s just unacceptable,” Trustee Ken McGowan said.

Paquin said trustees would discuss the issue further at a later time.

Massena Chief of Police Cody Wilson confirmed the incident was handled by the Massena Police Department, resulting in one arrest.

Scott O. Kimble, 32, was charged with assault 3rd degree and obstructing governmental administration 2nd degree.

Both charges are A misdemeanors. Kimble was arraigned in Massena Town Court and released on his own recognizance.

Water billing has been a topic of discussion with the village for several months now, due in large part to town residents that receive water service but are not within a water district.

Village officials previously said that a number of property owners owe “thousands of dollars dating way back” but enforcement options are limited due to those residents being outside the village limits.

According to village officials, a total of 70 water users in the town are currently not in a district.

That means the village has no recourse to recover funds for the service provided other than disconnecting water service, they continued.

In the case of users who are delinquent in payment, the town does not reimburse the village for lost revenue and the past-due bill can not be re-levied onto a town tax bill unless users are in a district.

As of March 24, 10 property owners were notified they had until May 19 to pay water bills or risk having their water turned off, village officials continued.

Those properties collectively owed approximately $12,300.

Seven properties had water service shut off on May 20.

Village officials said they did the same procedure last August, at which time the village was owed over $41,000 from nine users.

“We will continue to do this semi-annually until those users are put into a district,” village officials said.

Miller raised the subject at a recent village board meeting, asking board members how they wished to proceed.

He commented that he had gone through the process of notifying residents they were past due and at risk of having their water shut off if bills continued to go unpaid.

“The last thing we want to do is shut their water off. What we are hoping is they will at least come talk to us and maybe set up a payment plan to get caught up if they can’t afford the entire bill,” Miller previously said.

In one instance, Miller said DPW workers had shut off water service at the curb for one town resident, who in turn went to the curb and turned it back on.

“There’s only so much we can do when they’re not in a water district,” he said.

Trustee David Broadbent also touched on the subject during the village board’s March meeting, noting he had taken part in a meeting with town officials to discuss the matter.

Due to the residents living outside village limits, placing the homes in a water district would fall to the town board, village officials have said.

Broadbent said he had raised the village board’s concerns to Town Supervisor Sue Bellor and Deputy Supervisor Pat Facteau, whom he said were receptive.

“They said they would discuss the situation with the board in the future. I will follow up with them when they do,” Broadbent previously said.

When asked if town officials were planning to place residents outside village limits in water districts, Town Supervisor Sue Bellor said "All of this is under discussion. There is no funding to add to current water district planning."

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