Neighbors challenged a proposed aeration system for Kaplan’s Pond at a September 15, 2025 town hall, asking the village to investigate the causes of algae growth and involve residents before choosing a remedy. The discussion centered on a tension familiar to people living around the pond: seasonal weeds and algae had raised concerns, but residents also valued its quiet and wildlife. Several questioned whether a mechanical system was justified without a clearer picture of the pond’s condition and the nutrients entering it. Village Manager Bryan Healy said the village acquired the pond in 1991 and had since undertaken dam, spillway and invasive-species work. He described the pond as part of the stormwater detention system, with its level lowered before major storms to provide storage. Healy presented an aeration proposal with ten locations in the pond, an installation cost of $3,800 and annual maintenance of $7,275. He said the motor would be enclosed and screened with plantings, and that the proposed system would be quieter than the one at Duck Pond. Residents raised questions about noise, bird habitat, water flow and maintenance. Others asked the village to consider dredging, control of nutrient inputs and a study establishing the pond’s condition before intervention. John Tucci, who introduced himself as EverBlue Lakes’ founder and president, said the village had asked him to design the aeration proposal; he had not been commissioned to conduct a scientific study. During a tense exchange, he said he did not want to install a system that nearby residents opposed. Tucci defended aeration as a way to address organic material accumulating at the bottom, while acknowledging that aeration alone would not solve every pond’s problems. He also urged attention to the surrounding watershed and the nutrients reaching the water. The Cornell Cooperative Extension representative suggested that New York Sea Grant might help develop a clearer scientific picture of the pond. She also recommended an integrated approach using more than one management method. Healy described dredging as a possible longer-term option under consideration, while emphasizing its cost and the need to avoid paying for work that would soon have to be repeated. The town hall closed without a formal vote. Healy said the village would post the recording and relevant documents on its project page and offered residents a way to receive updates. This article records the September 2025 discussion. For subsequent coverage, see the July 15, 2026 Board of Trustees report. Watch the September 15 town hall.