The Fredonia Village Board of Trustees met for a workshop meeting Monday night to continue reducing the proposed budget before the regular board meeting in Village Hall with Mayor Stephen Keefe.
At the workshop, the trustees also worked at whittling the budget. Trustee Joseph Cerrie said the board is attempting to reduce the budget to the point that a tax increase is no longer necessary.
"We're going to go over the budget (today at 6 p.m.) and see if we can go over any other lines and reduce. We're going to close that gap," Cerrie said.
Following a public hearing, the Commercial Electronic Variable Messaging Signage zoning law was passed. The sole dissenting vote came from Trustee Janel Subjack, who said she was concerned about the type of signs as a distraction to drivers.
"On one hand, we have the government actively campaigning to stop texting and driving, yet tonight, we are permitting the placement of what, to me, is nothing more than a giant text message across from Fredonia Central School," Subjack said. "Not only is the area around the school extremely congested and a high traffic area, but the service road has a turning lane, and there is also a pedestrian crosswalk in the area. I think electronic signage of any kind is a distraction."
Cerrie agreed with Subjack's statement, but cast his vote in favor of the proposal.
"I agree with her. ... She had a legitimate issue. ... We already have this issue where the area is 40 miles an hour, and people are crossing the street. ... but I supported the resolution on the fact that the planning board that did all this work reassured us that there is a four-step acid test for any business that would want a sign would have to go through," Cerrie concluded.
Two bond resolutions were approved regarding water projects in the village:
A bond resolution authorizing the issuance of $895,000 bonds of the Village of Fredonia to pay the cost of the water mains and sewer improvements project for Holmes Place, Newton and W. Main streets and is subject to permissive referendum.
Cerrie said of the project and the reduction to the sewer rate but not water, "We have no choice with the water fund because we have this big project on Holmes. That's a project that has to be done, no questions asked, and unfortunately, that's something that everyone has to absorb."
A bond resolution authorizing the issuance of $120,000 bonds of the village of Fredonia, Chautauqua County, New York to pay the cost of the Fredonia Reservoir Spillway Crossing Project Phase I was approved.
These additional resolutions and appointments were approved:
A request from Marsha Finley, Business Manager of the 1891 Fredonia Opera House Inc., to use Barker Common for a tent sale fundraiser to support the presentation of the Bach and Beyond Baroque Music Festival on June 4 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. was approved with the stipulation that the group will be responsible for clean up and is subject to the direction of the police department.
The Fredonia Volunteer Fire Department was granted permission to conduct a fund drive in the village the week of May 2 and the week of June 10 and the week was declared "Annual Firemen's Fund Drive Weeks" by Mayor Keefe.
Church Street between Day Street and Temple Street was approved to be closed for use by the Fredonia Farmers' Market from May 5 to Oct. 27 during the hours of 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
After the Village of Fredonia received a license agreement from National Grid to allow the village to use the DAV Railroad Right of Way from Glasgow Road to the Fredonia Water Filtration plant and which will permit, among other things, the harvesting and hauling of Village timber from the Village water shed, the license agreement and the payment of $250.00 to National Grid to pay for the preparation fee of the license agreement were approved.
The Village Street Department was authorized to remove the blacktop surface of the driveway at the Fredonia Presbyterian Church and the mayor was authorized to send a letter thanking the Church for allowing the village the use of the driveway over the past years.
