By MOSES BUSTOS

At the latest Croton Facilities Monitoring Committee (CFMC) on April 20, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced a 3.24 percent water and sewer rate increase for the 2016 fiscal year. The agency, which has oversight on the long-overdue Croton Water Filtration Plant project, has passed the cost to building the water plant, which is four times over budget, by raising water rates.

The news was one of several items that came out of the latest CFMC meetings, the first one in several months.

And, as it’s been the case for years, worries over the environmental impact of the plant, rising budget needs and frequent delays persists among Bronx community members that the plant’s seemingly endless development is draining the borough’s budget. Similar complaints were made against the New York City Parks & Recreation Department over the disappearance of entire forested areas in neighborhoods where the Parks Department capital projects are currently in development. Several months ago, the Parks Department ensured 553 new trees would be replanted in what’s now deemed a sparse forest, with trees now being replanted around the perimeter of the Jerome Park Reservoir, the site where filtered water rests.

A walkway abutting the reservoir’s perimeter remains closed, with DEP officials citing security concerns. Activists have fought for the opening of the reservoir, noting it would be an ideal space for recreational walkers.

The CFMC, a major pipeline of communication between the Bronx public and the various government entities involved in the plant’s development, experienced its own share of delays recently, after its chairman, Fr. Richard Gorman, who doubles as chair of Community Board 12, was unavailable due to personal health problems. Adaline Walker-Santiago, chairwoman of Community Board 7, took the reins to led the committee.

Since their last assembly, construction has continued at the plant, where disinfection of the New Croton Aqueduct and electrical infrastructure work is scheduled to finish by the end of April.

Andrew Penzi, a Parks Department spokesman, assured committee members that the public’s input on construction practices is noted, and their concerns regarding the inefficiencies of capital project development will be relayed to the appropriate authorities.

Although both the DEP’s data and the Parks Department’s development schedule projected a positive future for Bronx neighborhoods, some community members were not convinced. The DEP, which owns the reservoir space, passes maintenance responsibilities to Parks. Activists have long held the relationship between DEP and Parks is questionable given the lack of inter-departmental cooperation and communication.

In light of these concerns, Andrew Sandler, aide to Councilman Andrew Cohen, agreed to circulate DEP Mitigation Plan reports and make them available to the CFMC. He also assured the committee that Cohen has already allocated funding necessary to continue monitoring the wetlands, as well as fund a forest restoration initiative.

A meeting on water rates is slated for April 29^th at Hostos Community College.