Daniel Zuckerman is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media residents of the Jefferson Heights sewer district are now applying for permits to hook up to the new system. Catskill Town Supervisor Doreen Davis and representatives of Delaware Engineering presented information on the $12.5 million project and talked about lateral connections, the homeowner's link to the system, during a town board meeting last week. The permit is free for the first year and residents must seek out private contractors to perform the lateral connections. “Legally, the town cannot be involved with that [the connection work], nor would we want to,” Davis said. The yearly sewer rate per household in 2018 will be $87. That fee covers the costs associated with the operation and maintenance of the system. As of Tue., Sep. 26, 69 connection permits had been issued. Twelve residents with permits have already been connected to the system, Davis said. She said the town is assuming lateral connections on the Leeds end of the project will not take place until 2018. There is a six-month window of opportunity for residents to acquire the permit and get connected, and they can apply for a six-month extension if necessary, Davis said. Lateral connections in Jefferson Heights will be interrupted for the winter beginning November 1 and extend through May 1. Audio of the Sep. 20 Catskill Town Board meeting is available at wgxc.org/newsroom. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.