Village Park A Big Topic at Village Board Meeting
Village Park A Big Topic at Village Board Meeting
Skatepark construction, splashpad/pool discussed
Construction fencing recently went up in the Village Park around the area where the skatepark will be located. Several old, declining trees are currently being removed and will be replaced with new ones.
The busy Village Park was a key topic during the July 26th meeting of the Ellicottville Village Board.
Village Board members discussed a recent successful groundbreaking ceremony for the $550,000 skatepark construction project, but officials noted numerous events have brought crowds, and along with them traffic problems and bottlenecks as recreationists park their vehicles on both sides of Parkside Drive.
After some discussion it was agreed to place signs prohibiting parking on the south side of Parkside Drive, from the park entrance to Fillmore Drive, to prevent traffic jams. Also, the perimeter fence will be moved back from Parkside Drive to make room for diagonal parking.
Possibilities for a pool or a splash pad on the site of the former ice rink were raised by Village Clerk Mary Klahn, who has fielded requests from residents. The idea of an expansion of park facilities and athletic fields nearby was brought up by Village Engineer Ben Slotman, to accommodate more participants. He suggested requesting proposals from design firms to have something in the works for future development.
Mayor John Burrell pointed out that support for a pool should come from the surrounding communities, whose residents use the park facilities and who must pay a $10 fee for children to swim three hours at Holiday Valley. He asked the Board members to think about the pool concept for a month and in August a committee could be formed to study the issue.
The Board also discussed skatepark construction that is set to begin soon, anticipating the possibility of a "strong public response" when five large trees will be taken down. Village Engineer Ben Slotman said he is holding a pre-construction meeting with the contractors. He assured Board members that the trees are in poor condition and the removal cost is contained within the contractor's fee.
The Taste of Ellicottville and the Jazz and Blues Festival special event applications were approved, but the Board refused to waive its open container law to allow two distilleries, a winery and a brewery - all holding farm licenses and partnering with food vendors - to offer tastings during afternoon hours of the Taste of Ellicottville, Aug. 13-14th. Officials said they were told the request was made because this had been done in the past.
Special Events Committee Chairman Doug Bush said Ellicottville is often compared with East Aurora, where there is no open container law. However, after researching the legalities, he said it is clear that the Village can't contradict its own open container law without an amendment procedure and permission from the State Liquor Authority. There isn't enough time before the scheduled event.
"If we did it before, we did it wrong," Burrell said, adding that the Town is currently the enforcement agency and would have to agree to send any amendments to the State.
Bush also updated the Board on funding options for the Mill Street parking lot property. He said the Cattaraugus County Legislature has found no grants to pay for construction of the parking lot, but the County may be able to fund it, along with reimbursing the Village for costs of preliminary drawings.
On another front, the Village has more than two years to provide the Cattaraugus County Health Department with an inventory of all water service lines containing lead, copper or galvanized pipes under new EPA regulations for community water systems. In announcing the new directive, Burrell expressed doubt that there are many lead, copper or galvanized pipes because most of the older homes in the village have been remodeled and those materials aren't used in new construction.
Village Engineer Ben Slotman said some of the needed information is already recorded because his department has started taking notes while servicing the water lines. He suggested taking the inventory in winter when property owners are more likely to be in town, and doing needed inspections of aging meters at the same time. He added that the Town of Ellicottville's $7 million water system upgrade will soon be getting underway and is another opportunity to identify and remove service lines that are out of compliance with the new rules.
Burrell said at this stage he will not approve digging to find lead pipes, and the Health Department isn't asking for a replacement plan yet. The inventory must be sent to the Health Department by Oct. 16, 2024.
The Board briefly discussed potholes and ongoing problems with the Mill Street railroad bridge underpass. On Aug. 22nd a contractor will be on-site with an excavator and will be placing new material beneath the underpass and on Mill Street. The County Public Works crews will follow up with binder.
Slotman told the Board work is being done to try to address drainage problems in the underpass and on the adjacent hill. He said it was discovered that a culvert and a railroad ditch had been filled in long ago. Also, an outlet to an "underdrain" can't be located. Mayor Burrell commented that the railroad is not doing a good job maintaining its drainage.
In a related matter, Burrell said the Village Clerk received a complaint from Brent Martin, who asked for reimbursement in repairing a leaf spring he claimed was broken on July 24th when he drove through a pothole in the area of the Mill Street underpass. In an email dated July 26th, Martin said the Village should be responsible because Mill Street's conditions have remained poor and in need of permanent repair for a length of time. Burrell stated Martin then must have known of the road condition, adding the Village attorney advised the Village that they don't make these kinds of reparations.
In financial matters, the village has received a check for its second half of ARPA, or the state COVID relief funds, $19,589.68, as well as the Cattaraugus County's $13,962.50 distribution of the Village's share of mortgage tax collections. Burrell said he has added two new capital funds to 2022-2023 fiscal year accounts, covering the skatepark and the Mill Street parking area.
Village Trustee Ed Imhoff attended his final meeting. He has resigned his post because he is moving out of the Village and is no longer eligible to serve. "I'm leaving reluctantly," said Imhoff as the meeting was adjourned and Board members thanked him for his service. "It's been a pleasure," he added.
Mayor Burrell introduced Imhoff's appointed successor, Jolie Newpher, who was in attendance.
In other business:
Burrell said he attended the Village Ambulance Board of Directors meeting July 6th, where he learned that a new ambulance will be delivered before winter, but there is still a need for volunteers.
The village will prepare an application for a NY Forward public/private program grant, with preliminary applications due Aug. 10th.
A single auto dealer, West Herr, submitted bids July 1st for 2022 trucks, with the half-ton extended cab in stock and the 3500 regular cab dump truck and plow which would have to be ordered.
The Board will next meet at 6:00pm on Tuesday, September 6, 2022. For more information, please contact Village Clerk Mary Klahn at 716-699-4636 or go to ellicottvillegov.com.