Village Board Meeting
Village Board Meeting
Short-term rental permit moratorium could run through February
Ellicottville Village Trustees hope to extend a temporary moratorium on new accessory apartments through February to allow time to finalize zoning amendments.
The moratorium has been in effect for five months, freezing new permits for accessory apartments.
Board members, meeting Tuesday, Oct. 19th, voted in unison to hold a public hearing at 6:00pm on Nov. 16th to air a law extending the moratorium for three months.
"This is our first moratorium in many years," said Mayor John Burrell, adding that the process is necessary to prevent legal problems.
Village Planner Gary Palumbo provided a 10-page set of proposed changes to the Board. The proposal would affect open space and lot size provisions, limit short-term rentals in certain areas and restrict accessory apartments in secondary buildings or guest houses in certain zoning districts, among a list of other changes. The amendments were drafted by a Moratorium Committee formed in June. Committee members are representatives of the Village Board and Planning Board; they last met to review the draft in a meeting on Monday, October 18th.
"We've got the guts done, now we have to go through the review," Palumbo said.
The Village Planning Board, according to Palumbo, will review the amendments in November and the final wording should be completed in December at the latest - to begin the Village Board’s review and adoption process.
The Village Board will need to accept the proposal and authorize public hearings before a vote.
In other matters, work continues on planning for several major projects.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT: Board members agreed to schedule a familiarization tour of the wastewater treatment plant in anticipation of potential budgetary needs in 2022 to address some challenges. Problems were identified in a report from Reliant Water Technologies summarizing results of a recent survey of the facility's two lagoons. Some issues were identified with aeration equipment, sludge buildup and past maintenance decisions.
"It's an amazing facility," said Burrell, pointing to a major upgrade costing $5.1 million six or seven years ago, which did not include sludge removal.
He said a recent project that was aimed at removing sludge may need to be revisited, adding that more money has been spent on the plant than any other infrastructure item, and he hopes to be proactive in addressing future problems.
Village Engineer Ben Slotman outlined plans to begin looking into the problem and will perform die tests and air monitoring now that some portions of the plant have been taken off-line for the summer. He also suggested enlisting BOCES students to do some small projects at the plant with the goal of encouraging them to seek training in public works jobs.
EVGV TRAIL: Burrell reported he wrote a letter in support of the Town of Ellicottville's application for Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) funding for development of the Ellicottville/Great Valley Trail (EVGV) as part of the Southern Tier Trail, linking other regional trail initiatives.
SKATEPARK: Palumbo and Slotman are expected to issue a request for proposals, to begin seeking bidders in a full-service design/build contract for the proposed Skatepark. Groundbreaking is expected in April with construction to be completed by November 2022. Burrell asked Trustees Sean Lowes and Caitlin Croft to serve on a bid selection committee, along with representatives of the Skatepark Committee.
TENNIS COURTS: Burrell and Slotman urged a pause on reconstruction plans at the tennis court until a more detailed plan involving the trail project and other recreation facilities is completed. Costs are unknown and funding would be determined during the 2022 budget process.
SPECTRUM CONTRACT: The Board unanimously voted to approve a renewed 15-year cable franchise agreement with Spectrum, a subsidiary of Charter Communications. Burrell said the arrangement consistently brings about $17,000 in income to the village, an amount that represents 5% of Spectrum's gross annual revenue.
DRI GRANT: The Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant application was submitted in early October and Burrell shared his letter to the New York Regional Economic Development Council, expressing thanks for the opportunity to seek the $10 million funding package. He told the EDC the effort united part- and full-time residents, elected leaders, prominent organizations, while attracting developers to work on a "transformative" plan for projects to bridge the resorts and business district. The letter was signed by DRI Committee members Burrell, Town Supervisor Matt McAndrew and Chairman Barry Goodin.
FALL FEST: Several Board members commented that the 2021 Fall Festival was visibly scaled down and a success, and there was general discussion about getting more involved in planning portions of the event that cost the village money.
"There is a significant cost. I want us to be good with it so there's an answer if people complain," said Burrell, suggesting the Board get more involved early to be prepared when Village resources are required. "We want to be sure the law and our insurance are okay with the exposure if someone gets hurt," he added.
WEBSITE: Officials reported that the longstanding official Town and Village website, at ellicottvillegov.com, will absorb the Engineering Department's website (evlengineering.com). An official announcement is anticipated when the change occurs.
The Board will next meet in regular session at 6:00pm on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021 in the Village/Town Hall, 1 W. Washington Street. Contact Village Clerk Mary Klahn at 716-699-4636 for more information.