School Resource Officer Appointed
School Resource Officer Appointed
Amber Graham selected as the Resource Officer for the upcoming school year
At the Ellicottville Town Board’s monthly meeting, board members voted to accept a Cooperative Intermunicipal Agreement to supply a school resource officer to the Ellicottville Central School District for the next two years.
The legal details were finalized over several months and Town Attorney Seth Pullen and Councilman Zerfas assured the Board that the town is protected and indemnified by the agreement, while the costs will be borne by the school district.
Ellicottville Town Police Officer-In-Charge Don Auge said Officer Amber Graham has been chosen to undergo SRO training and has an estimated 9-10 years’ experience working in the Department. She will continue to be a Town employee during the school year. He said there are currently 4 full-time officers in the Department and the search is underway to find a fifth officer to replace her.
The school district will be billed monthly by the Town to pay the SRO’s annual wages and benefits. The school district will reimburse the town for any additional costs incurred in the arrangement. According to the agreement, in the first year the school district will cooperate with the town to provide the SRO a vehicle when needed.
The goal is to maintain order on school property. The SRO will provide law enforcement, education and first responder services, as well as advice and counsel to students from Sept. 1st through June 30, 2024 during the hours of 7:30am-3:30pm on school days. The SRO is expected to attend meetings and extracurricular activities and sporting events, and if the time exceeds the specified duty hours, flex time or overtime pay rate will be compensated. The agreement may be extended for an additional term to cover the period from Sept. 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026. The Great Valley Town Board has also agreed to be a party in the agreement because the school is located in the town of Great Valley.
The board also announced that a search committee was organized to interview six applicants to fill the Town of Ellicott-ville highway superintendent’s post. The Committee includes Town Supervisor Matthew J. McAndrew, Councilmen Gregory J. Fitzpatrick and John R. Zerfas, Steve Crowely annd Town and Village Engineer Ben Slotman.
Kevin Woodin moved up from a truck driver position in April upon the resignation of former Superintendent Thomas Scharf, but in June Woodin submitted his resignation, effective July 8th, to make a career change to accept a Civil Service job offer from another municipality.
When qualified resident candidates could not be found to fill the Superintendent’s post, and laborer vacancies followed, past workers volunteered to fill the laborer slots temporarily and Woodin was rehired as a part-time Superintendent. The Board also eliminated town residency requirements to advertise the position to a wider range of candidates living within a 15-mile radius of the Town barn. That move yielded applications for the six candidates now scheduled for interviews.
In another Highway Department matter, the Board agreed to adjust specifications and take delivery of an 18-foot 2023 equipment trailer because the 2022 16-foot trailer requested by the Town was unavailable and the equipment is needed by the Department.
In other matters, the Board received an update on the water project from Slotman, who said property transfers need to be filed, but are otherwise final to allow contractors to work on two of the water tanks. McAndrew pointed out that all other property owners have received an initial contact regarding the needed easements to reconnect water customers. They will be asked to come to the Town Clerk’s office to finalize documents.
Slotman said a bond resolution for the water project’s electrical component is on hold. He and Pullen then reported on continuing preparations for work in Elk Creek Subdivision and the dedication of a sidewalk on Maples Road.
Work on the construction punch-list at the Town Center was expected to be completed by the end of the week and cleaning will allow offices to reopen, he said. Beginning in September, Planning and Zoning Boards for both the Town and Village will again hold open meetings there.
Slotman warned the Board that there may be additional “incidental expenses” as offices are getting set up again in the Town Center. Some details remain to complete construction, including some work that may be needed on the floor in the Cornell Cooperative Extension portion of the building. He estimated a $1,200 tax-free cost for blinds in the common area windows that will match the Extension window coverings. He said these would be purchased at Lowe’s and can be installed in-house. Slotman said he plans to continue to contract out rug cleaning for the building. A cleaner will be assigned to the building one day a week and continue cleaning the Town Hall one day a week.
The Board received a $10,000 funding request from the Nannen Arboretum Board of Directors and will consider it during budget talks which are soon to begin. McAndrew said he met with the Arboretum representatives, who asked for a professional landscaping service in mulching under trees, weeding and upkeep on the garden equipment storage building located on the grounds and used by volunteers.
In other matters, the Board has received bids for an updated phone system and may consider a third bid. Slotman also updated the Board on the Village Board’s plans for further improvements around the Village Park to focus on the alignment of the EVGV Trail and the GoBike Trail location. Walkability, sidewalks, and traffic flow are topics of future planning. Officials are participating in the new round of Downtown Revitalization Initiative funding applications.
The Board will next meet at 6 :00pm on Sept. 21, 2022 in the second-floor conference room of the Village Hall, 1 W. Washington Street.