SILVER CREEK - The Village of Silver Creek sought to set the record straight at its board meeting Monday.
Village Treasurer Janet St. George refuted multiple claims published in a letter by Silver Creek resident Dennis Palmer in Sunday's OBSERVER.
The letter "'Ineptitude' begins with the mayor" gave an update on the situation with the Department of Public Works building and charged the village with holding a phone conference to reinstate the original project to locate the DPW at the George Bentges site.
"I would like to address some of the misleading statements that were printed in the OBSERVER (Sunday)," St. George said. "It was written that there was a telephone conference call between Mayor Lindstrom, Ralph's (Crawford) office, FEMA, SEMO and myself. That's true, but the purpose of the call was not to reinstate the original DPW project, but to change the scope of the work."
She went on to refute the claim that the land has significant environmental concerns which will take a lot of the village's time and money to correct.
"FEMA did have a list of requirements, one of which was proof of an environmental site assessment, which was done by Urban Engineers in March 2011 and the cost to the village was $1,995. The fuel storage tanks have already been removed and disposed of and it isn't going to take years or cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to be in compliance," she said.
She added an end is in sight to this lengthy process.
"The final draft of the changes has been sent to FEMA for review, so there is an end in sight," she said.
In addition, she also explained the village's tax rate was inaccurately listed and is due to increased costs to the village.
"Also there isn't a 24-cent increase in the village's tax rate this year. It is a 16-cent increase per thousand and it isn't because of our mayor's ineptitude in handling the FEMA situation. The increase is because the cost of everything is going up," she added.
Village Trustee Nick Piccolo also addressed a previous letter in the OBSERVER, which cited an opinion by Hanover Planning Board member Ron Brennan, which he said may not be an opinion he still holds on the subject of the village's DPW location.
In other business:
The village opened bids for phase II of the water project. The village received eight bids, which were tabled for consideration. A bid will be accepted at a special meeting tonight at 5 p.m. in the village hall.
The village received no bids for the sewer department's truck box.
The village held a public forum on a new gutter law. Village Attorney Daniel Gard explained the law would give the code enforcement officer to cite residents who directly run gutter water onto neighboring property. The matter was tabled for further consideration.
The board approved a resolution to go out to bid on a police vehicle.
The village commended the garden club on the success of the Garden Faire. The board approved a motion to move $200 from the contingency fund to the garden club.
The village approved the renewal of an annual contract with National Fuel Resources Inc. which came in at a savings to the village.
The board accepted a quote from O'Connell Electric for a new new pump station control system for $16,720.
The board approved the fire department's annual fund drive June 1-31 and boot drive May 27.
The next board meeting will be held June 4.
