Village Board Notes
Village Board Notes
New Local Law Will Cover Village Sidewalk Cafes; Special session at 4:00 July 28th in Village Hall
The open-air dining trend is filling tummies and sidewalks in downtown Ellicottville.
A proposed local law to update regulations for outdoor eateries in the village of Ellicottville could receive the thumb's-up at a special meeting of the Village Board of Trustees on July 28th at 4:00pm in the Village Hall.
There were no comments in support or opposition to the law during a public hearing at the Board's Tuesday, July 20th monthly meeting. The public hearing had been extended from June 15th, which also yielded no comments.
The Village suspended a three-year-old permitting fee, but not permits, during the pandemic to help restaurants stay open and serve the public, said Building Inspector Kelly Fredrickson after the meeting.
The new system was applied to many establishments expanding to the sidewalks during the pandemic, but needed a revamp after state emergency orders were recently lifted and the proposed Sidewalk Cafe law was drafted in May.
Once adopted Wednesday, applicants will pay a $150 fee. Restaurants can obtain a permit to operate on a village sidewalk adjacent to the establishment between April 1st through Oct. 31st, except Fall Festival Weekend, or with permission of building owners in other locations where restaurants are allowed in the Village. In general, sales of alcohol are limited to the hours between 8:00am and 11:00pm and music must end by 10:00pm or not interfere with Chamber of Commerce events. Other provisions also apply, such as compliance with health laws and regulations, state liquor licensing, insurance, sidewalk passageway, and rules against damage to the walkway. Violators can be fined up to $200 for a first offense.
Another prominent outdoor fixture - the 10-foot bronze Cheryl Strayed sculpture representing the Statues for Equality initiative - will remain in place through Fall Festival at its Washington-Jefferson intersection. The sculpture has been on a 30-day loan from Griffis Sculpture Park, and has received a favorable reaction from passers-by, prompting the Board members to extend the loan and plan future installations near the gazebo.
Town Engineer Ben Slotman reported Village Water Department personnel took quick action to safeguard the main water reservoir after a break-in that occurred sometime between Thursday and Monday morning. He said workers on Monday noticed items had been moved and then discovered intruders somehow got inside a locked chain-link fence that is topped with razor wire. They entered the covered facility and broke a lock on the reservoir access hatch. Police are investigating.
"The workers immediately took the tank offline and contacted the Town and Village Police Department and are working with the (Cattaraugus County) Health Department to get it back up and running," said Slotman.
The facility was scheduled for a cleaning, so the tank was drained and cleaned and will be refilled to its 360,000 gallon capacity and treated, for final clearance by the Health Department. As part of a Water District improvement project, the reservoir will soon be replaced by a new glass tank, which will be more secure.
"There's lots of redundancy in the system,” Slotman said of the village's three reservoirs served by area wells and supplying village and some town consumers.
In another matter, Mayor John Burrell announced several awards which will boost some projects underway around the community. The Village received $86,354.14 as a share of the Town of Ellicottville's partial reimbursement under the New York State Engineering Grant. And roughly $40,000 - or $100 per resident - is expected this month from the federal American Recovery Plan, to be used to help pay for the joint Village/Town water district project totaling $5.3 million. A $100,000 grant from the Niagara Frontier Auto Dealers Association will assist the Skatepark fundraising effort, which has scheduled three more fundraisers to meet its target for construction costs.
In other business, Special Events Committee representative Doug Bush said applications for events are picking up and some adjustments are being made to streamline the process for permits. Trustees authorized two events on the Committee's recommendation. The Ellicottville Jazz Festival, from July 23rd-25th, will require closure of Jefferson Street between Hughey Alley and Washington Street to accommodate a stage. The Taste of Ellicottville, Aug. 14th-15th, will necessitate overnight closure of Washington and Monroe Streets between Hughey Alley to Martha Street.
Public Works Director Mark Chudy said the concrete pour was to begin Wednesday, July 21st in the Mill Street sidewalk project. Also, an electrical option possible due to unsuccessful attempts to repair a solar-powered flashing traffic light at the Mill Street underpass.
In other matters, barricades will be set up on Madison Street for a block party from noon-7:00pm Aug. 2nd and three parking spaces in front of the 1887 building will be reserved from 2:00pm each Friday for Farmers Market vendor safety in unloading. The market runs from 4:00-7:00pm in conjunction with Stroll the Streets.
Mayor Burrell commented on his opposition to siting industrial-scale windmills in Lake Erie due to the possibility of oil spills there. A proclamation stating Board opposition may be proposed.
The Board also scheduled A review of the June and year-end financial reports for filing with the State of New York. This will be part of the July 28th special meeting agenda. Mayor Burrell asked trustees to set a time the week of July 26th to walk Elk Creek to determine the flood hazard and the need for dredging. He will be accompanied by Trustees Sean Lowes, Doug Bush, Engineer Ben Slotman, and a representative from the Cattaraugus County Soil and Water Conservation District.
Trustees congratulated Village Planner Gary Palumbo on completing code enforcement officer training.
The Board then held an executive session over a phone connection with Village Attorney Richard Stanton on the topic of enforcement of laws.
The Village Board will next meet at 6:00pm on Aug. 17th in the Town Hall. For additional information, contact Mary Klahn, Village Clerk, at 716-699-4636 or maryklahn699@gmail.com.