Village Readies for Summer Music Festival
Village Readies for Summer Music Festival
On Tuesday, June 18, 2024, the Village Board Meeting began as Mayor John Burrell called the evening to order. Various Village topics covered the agenda as the Board Members began their discussions to be had.
To start the evening off strong, the Village of Ellicottville had plenty of good news to share. Multiple conferences recently took place for Village officials with plenty of useful information being shared. Starting with the conferences, the Village of Ellicottville and Mayor John Burrell hosted a Planning and Zoning Seminar on June 5, 2024, with guest speaker Wade Beltramo, General Counsel for NYCOM. Plenty of prominent NYS officials joined the evening’s event, including William Aiello, the Mayor of the City of Olean who was recently named second vice president of NYCOM. Over 35 representatives that expanded from Depew, Dunkirk, East Aurora, Little Valley, Allegheny, Olean, and more, allowed for the opportunity to engage in different practices and learning points. The two-hour seminar allowed for connections to be built between our local communities as well as open channels for collaboration between our area municipalities.
The following day, the Southern Tier 29th Annual Local Government Conference was held at Houghton University on June 6, 2024. Located in Allegany County, the Christian Liberal Arts Institute hosted the event to hundreds of New York State officials. Building off the momentum of the previous evening’s event, Village officials from Ellicottville joined the large attendance to strengthen their knowledge, presence, and understanding in the Southern Tier community.
Another topic to recognize surrounding good news in the Village was that of the media coverage on the EVC & National Grid Partnership. A day surrounding Ellicottville’s initiative to support the presence and future of electric vehicles. On May 31st, National Grid showcased the village’s commitment to four Level 2 EV charging plugs in the new Mill Street parking lot. A collection of officials joined together from including the mayor, Chamber of Commerce, Cattaraugus County Legislators, Board Members, and National Grid project managers to celebrate this welcomed addition to the area. Ellicottville will become the National Grid Electric Vehicle Make Ready Program’s shining example noting the success of the collaboration.
Moving onto Business of the Floor, it was brought to the Board's attention that there have been concerns within the village among property owners. Discussions were made by fifteen full-time village residents who represented a voice for the issues at hand. The problems they have seen arise were among short term rental laws, noise ordinance, and outdoor lighting. It has been noted that an increase in over-capacity in Airbnb and housing rentals. These properties display large crowds seemingly over the maximum rental amount, with cars parked on front lawns and parties being held. This adds to the concern of underage drinking, violation of the Village Noise Ordinance, and disrupting the quality of life among full time community members. The Board recognizes and is sympathetic to these concerns and is looking into ways to best address the matters.
Another point that was made apparent to the Board while Business of the Floor was open, a mother who resides on Mill Street voiced an issue with continued speeding on the street. Many local children live on the street, and it poses a threat to their safety. The Village will be installing “Children at Play” street signage and will increases the presence of law enforcement.
Another topic involving Mill Street, the current state of a property has been brought to the attention of the code enforcement officer. They are aware of the issues being voiced and are continuing to investigate the matter.
The mayor’s report along with the previous meeting minutes for the month of May were addressed and accepted by the Village Board without issue. Within these reports, the Mayor made note that the Village will be partnering with Green County Commercial Bank who have purchased available bonds that benefit three major projects. This funding will go toward the Elizabeth Street Renovation, the Streetlight Project, and costs that accumulated from the Mill Street parking lot. For project updates, especially those of the Elizabeth Street Renovation, you can find the most up to date information posted on the Village of Ellicottville’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/villageofellicottville/.
Other reports that were presented and accepted were those of the Planning Board, Engineering, DPW, Code Enforcement, Clerk, Special Events. The 2024 Summer Music Festival is quickly approaching with the Village Board showing their support. The weekend-long event takes place throughout the Village and Town and is a highlight of the summer season, kicking off on July 5th at the Village Gazebo at 7:00pm. With a full schedule to fill each day, guests can expect fine arts and crafts markets, a pet parade, and headlining musical acts. This year, the Village is proud to offer the additional parking at the newly opened Mill Street lot to assist with traffic and transportation. Tickets are still available, with children ages 12 and under free to attend. For more information check out the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce event page at www.ellicottvilleny.com.
As Board Members finished up their discussions, Mayor John Burrell called the meeting to adjourn. The Village Board of Ellicottville will join again on the third Tuesday of the month with additional information to be found at www.ellicottvillegov.com.