Town Board Meeting
Town Board Meeting
Charter Communications queried about extending services on Townline, Somerville Valley, and Poverty Hill Roads
The Ellicottville Town Board, meeting for its monthly session December 15th by telephone hookup, has scheduled a public hearing on a proposed agreement for cable services from Spectrum Northeast LLC.
Mark Meyerhofer of Charter Communications, manager of Spectrum, discussed the service area and terms of the pact with the Board and will return January 19th for the public hearing with answers to some questions.
The new contract reduces the former 15-year term to 10 years and will pay the town 5% of Spectrum's gross revenues each year. The 2022 town budget projects $40,000 in cable revenues.
Board members queried Meyerhofer about extending services on Townline, Somerville Valley and Poverty Hill Roads, and making direct connections to homes in the rural area. He said that in some rural areas only internet service but not cable television can be offered.
Meyerhofer said he will bring answers in January to the Board's questions and in a Dec. 7th letter he noted that Spectrum spent $800 million to connect 145,000 addresses in upstate New York, but future extensions "will most likely only occur when there is public funding or a grant." Broadband provider Armstrong is completing work this winter in Cattaraugus County. He said that company was given a $600,000 state grant to reach 213 homes in Ellicottville, while Spectrum connected 338 homes here without using grant funds, the letter continued.
Meyerhofer told Town Supervisor Matt McAndrew that the proposed agreement connects a minimum 25 homes per mile. He pointed out that requested connections to twenty-nine Poverty Hill homes, located between 6604 to 7044 Poverty Hill Road, cover more than a mile and would cost Spectrum $126,000.
McAndrew reported on the recent Town Supervisors' meeting where an Armstrong official said completion of broadband installations is anticipated in April, while construction hasn't yet begun in the southwest section of Cattaraugus County.
In another matter, McAndrew said a committee continues to search for a new land use planner to fill a vacancy and has recommended naming Village Attorney Richard Stanton as interim planner. The Board voted to make the temporary appointment, with one unidentified councilman stating, "It seems like a good choice for us. It's the only choice we've got going."
The Board also voted on other personnel matters, setting $18.36 for the seasonal wage rate to incorporate a 2% wage hike in the Highway Department. They voted to accept the resignation of Patrolman-trainee Nick Buczkowski, who had worked as a field trainee in the Department for a couple of months and had begun Police Academy training.
They also agreed to hire Tim Raab as a seasonal Highway worker and accepted resignations of Shawn Lafferty, who will work at the West Valley Demonstration Project, and Casimir Kent, who is taking a job at the Springville-Griffith Institute Central School. Both Highway Department resignations take effect this month. A committee is working with Highway Superintendent Tom Scharf to fill vacancies. Scharf said a bid opening was to be held Friday, December 17th, for a Highway Department truck.
Police Officer-in-Charge Don Auge reported that a new patrol car will be ready after January 1st. The vehicle was purchased on a trade-in from DeLacey Ford. The Town received $5,500 in trade for the Town's 2017 patrol car, which will be used to pay for outfitting the patrol car.
Auge and the Board discussed a County Health Department review of local data, conditions, and enforcement regarding underage drinking, along with various aspects of cannabis legalization, regulation, use and revenue.
McAndrew said 25% of New York's cannabis revenue will go to the state Education Department, 25% will be devoted to drug treatment and public education, and 50% will be used for a community reinvestment fund, with state regulations still six months behind. The group concluded the local governments may receive sales tax revenues. Auge said police will be gathering information about issues relating to cannabis, but predicted problems including driving under the influence.
"It will get out of hand," Auge said, noting there are now numerous cannabis shops on the reservation lands in Salamanca and Irving. He also expressed fears that his budget can't pay for all his officers to attend a 6-8 week course to beef up enforcement.
One unidentified Board member stated that retail cannabis outlets are not needed in Ellicottville because there are shops nearby in Salamanca. Another Board member said Ellicottville's zoning ordinance could help control local cannabis sales and possession. Town Attorney Seth Pullen advised that municipalities are amending or adopting local laws affecting cannabis use on village and town property and regulating retail locations.
On the topic of town enforcement of the burglar alarm law, Councilman Greg Fitzpatrick said he will be working on a review with Code Enforcement Officer Kelly Fredrickson, the Town Attorney and at least one other Board member. Board members noted that high winds set off the alarms and nonresident property owners are hard to locate when the alarms are triggered.
Engineer Ben Slotman reported that he has been working on design and specifications for the renovation bids at the Town Center while asbestos abatement is underway there, for completion prior to Christmas.
He also said a grant is being sought by the Soil and Water Conservation District for ditching, culverts and water quality improvements in the Cattaraugus Creek Watershed, which would be limited to Ellicottville's Jackman Hill and Poverty Hill areas. January will see requests for mowing proposals for awards in February. Plans for the water system improvements were to be discussed in a meeting Thursday, Dec. 16th with the Cattaraugus County Health Department.
Slotman reported generally on an agreement related to the town's request for reimbursement for engineering design of the Valley Village drainage system and a meeting planned for Friday, Dec. 17th. The Board then approved a resolution conveying of Valley Village Road to Valley Village Home Owners Association.
Town Clerk Robyn George reported that the town’s records will be scanned by Southern Tier West Regional Planning and Development Agency and then posted on the town's website, ellicottvillegov.com. The records will then be available to the public and staff will be trained on future maintenance of the website.
McAndrew announced the community's third and "best" Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant application was not accepted and funding was awarded to the City of Buffalo and Tonawanda. But he reported progress by MDA Engineering on a design for the EVGV Trail's route through the Nannen Arboretum and the park, down Elizabeth Street to Elk Creek. A SEQR environmental review of the floodplain may be conducted by Slotman.
Talks with the Village will begin after Christmas for consistency in the town and village noise laws and more information regarding repairs to the Town Hall will be requested from contractors.
The Board agreed to seek out further information on security provisions and tabled action on a Holiday Valley Snowpine overflow parking lot concert planned for March.
The public should check ellicottvillegov.com to obtain links for future Zoom or phone attendance at meetings, where in-person sessions were curtailed in November and December due to Covid-19. The Board will next meet at 4:00pm on January 5th for the 2022 reorganizational meeting. The next regular session will be at 6:00pm January 19th.