By MARK BELCHER
OBSERVER Correspondent
BROCTON - One thing remained clear at a recent Brocton Village Board meeting - business attraction and retention are key.
The year-end meeting moved swiftly, and with no public comment. Mayor David Hazelton and his trustees hustled through the few resolutions, most of which involved transactions to balance their end-of-the-year budget.
Hazelton also brought to the table several things to think about, one the request to waive the 30-day municipality notification for the liquor license of 2 West Main Street, formerly known as the St. Stephen's Hotel.
As the new business owners attempt to establish the business, there are several hurdles to attain its liquor license.
Along with the aforementioned notification, it must obtain an occupancy permit from John Monaco, Brocton village building and code enforcer, once the building is up to code both inside and out.
Hazelton said the inside still isn't to code yet, and even once it is, they must go through a formal application process to obtain a full license. The temporary license Monaco can issue will only work for six months.
"I don't want to discourage business," Trustee Dale Abram said regarding what the board can do to further their process.
Although Monaco couldn't be reached for comment on the status of the building, the board unanimously decided to pass the waiving of the 30-day municipality notification pending an update and further approval by Monaco.
The board also tabled a request from Jamestown Plastics to include another building under Brocton's village electricity in a recently purchased building just outside of the village's area near the Lakeview Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility.
"Obviously they're a very important taxpayer in this community, and they employ a lot of people," Hazelton said.
The new building is inside National Grid's territory, and even if the territory turned hands, there would be an expense just to expand power lines.
"It'll cost between $10,000 to $15,000, and we don't have that kind of money in our electric budget," Abram said.
The board ultimately decided not to make a formal motion, but did agree to go forward in investigating how the process may work.
"We're dealing with National Grid. We're with an expense that's out there and not in our budget, but on the other side of it, we're trying to keep a major employer happy," Abram said.
The board decided on June 20 as the next meeting date, and they decided push several possible expenditures, like the purchasing of a new storage shed, to that date.
