Ellicottville Village Board Meeting Zoom Link Goes Live
Ellicottville Village Board Meeting Zoom Link Goes Live
Officials invite participants to take advantage of a "virtual" connection via Zoom to Village of Ellicottville Board meetings. The connection went live this past Tuesday night and allowed one Village Trustee to attend from Albany, as well as one local spectator, to participate in the Village Board meeting that took place in the Town Hall.
"In the future, all of our Village (local government) meetings will be on this format," said Mayor John Burrell during Tuesday night's Board meeting.
To connect, he said, viewers should go to the Village's website, ellicottvillegov.com and click on a Zoom link and follow the prompts. A meeting identification number and passcode are visible. A dial-in phone option is also available, with a phone number listed on the website. Village Clerk Mary Klahn will admit viewers to the meeting, which is captured in four frames by cameras and microphones positioned to capture action in the entire room. The scene is projected on a large screen in the meeting hall and can include viewers as they interact with village officials.
Ellicottville Town Supervisor Matthew McAndrew, who was passing by in the hall, was invited in to view the scene briefly. He has been a part of other discussions among town officials seekinig a similar virtual method of attendance in the future. Burrell later said he hopes the Town of Ellicottville government will join in utilizing the Village's Zoom service. The Town and Village in pre-pandemic times had enjoyed a healthy number of public participants and spectators at meetings. Both conducted virtual or phone-in meetings during the pandemic shut-down for the ease and safety of residents who wanted to stay abreast of local government actions.
As the meeting got underway, Mayor Burrell recognized two speakers who were each given five minutes to address the Board from the floor.
Town of Ellicottville resident Vicky Conner outlined efforts of the Divide NY organization seeking a division of New York state into three autonomous regions to separate from a "dominant" New York City because "It is not working for upstate New York."
"We would have one state but we would make our own rules," she said, describing herself as anti-mandates but pro-freedom.
She asked the Village Board to adopt a resolution supporting proposed legislation at the state level to divide the state.
Dean Morakis of Grand Island, who has worked with 62nd District Senator Robert G. Ortt (D-Lockport), as well as 147th District Assemblyman David Dipietro (R-East Aurora), authored a bill several years ago calling for the division. Morakis said he has been visiting local governments "far and wide to help out in this" and also asked the Board to adopt the resolution offered by Conner.
He said a clause in the state constitution was discovered enabling local efforts to change state government. It obligates Assembly members and Senators to support such legislation when local governments adopt resolutions in support of it, he said.
Mayor Burrell said he distributed the group's written materials to the Trustees and invited residents to also provide information.
In other matters, Burrell outlined the possibility for adding an employee in the Public Works Department to focus on maintenance of the Village's parks and other tasks in Engineering and Public Works.
"There should be more maintenance on the tennis court if we put $50,000 into rebuilding it," he said, referring to the resurfacing plan now taking shape, adding, "and next year we will have a skatepark and there are lawns, garbage removal, plumbing repairs."
He congratulated Village employees Tony Ferdorowicz and Zach Golley for earning wage rate increases after receiving additional training in sewer and water operations. The wage increases will be retroactive to the dates of the license activations.
"Not many young people are getting these license," said Mayor Burrell.
Some discussion was led by Village Engineer Ben Slotman who congratulated the Board in planning for the operator training incentives put in place five years ago. He said the Town of Concord has been unable to fill a similar position and brought up new hire possibilities in light of the two-year contract, approved in January to manage the Town of Concord's water and waste treatment plants. The Concord employee now operating those plants will retire, possibly in May. Trustee Doug Bush asked for assurances that salaries for such positions are comparable to those recommended by the New York Conference of Mayors.
Slotman also reported on joint efforts with the Soil and Water Conservation District to seek a dredging permit from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Army Corps of Engineers to open the waterway on Elk Creek. Officials said they will reach out to the public to do their own clearing on private property to help remove trees and branches that are contributing to flow obstructions.
Mayor Burrell reported that a $10 million grant application for the community's Downtown Revitalization Initiative has been filed, while a separate effort is underway to set up an informational sign somewhere along the Scenic Byway near Springville. The sign will tell about the history of skiing in Ellicottville which he said was pivotal in early efforts around the nation to develop the sport of skiing.
Some fundraising will be needed to pay $2,000 remaining of the $5,000 cost of the sign, he said, but noted Scenic Byway Commission has promised $1,000, and the Town Board and Village Boards will each earmark $1,000 in next year's budgets.
It was reported that an effort to find a way to improve handicap access on sidewalks is taking shape after a sidewalk cut demonstration on Jefferson Street removed a 10 inch curb height.
Sean Lowes reported from the Beautification Committee that some residents have complained about the recent removal of trees in the business district, but noted there are some plans taking shape to put up something for decorative purposes.
Trustee Caitlin Croft said the building architecture is now interesting and visible, adding there is no timeline but methods for different vegetative buffers are being researched and there is a plan taking shape that avoids having to cut overgrown trees.
"It's all right once you get used to it," said Lowes about what he described as the initial "shock" when the trees were cut down.
The Village Attorney Richard Stanton will report back on whether the Board should make piecemeal amendments by resolution regarding standards for sign regulations in response to a business owner's request to change a provision in the code. Village Planner Gary Palumbo said the usual process is to make amendments by passing an ordinance and he is planning to begin zoning updates after completing work on the moratorium now in place for accessory apartments. He said the moratorium update will be delivered in October.
In other matters, Palumbo also reported there is an effort underway to move the Department of Engineering's website content to the combined town and village website. And the Board approved the appointment of Joint Fire Commission candidate Mark Marino to replace former Commissioner Sean Lowes.