The Fredonia Village Board of Trustees was questioned on the remains of a now dry creekbed running through the yards of some residents.
During the regular meeting of the board on the second floor, resident Cathy Steger spoke up during the public portion of the meeting. Steger noted the beauty of the neighborhood as the reason she and her husband selected their home for purchase, but particularly the creek access they once enjoyed. "Since the creek dried up two years ago it is now a dry ditch running through our yard, Steger said and explained that she was appreciative of the reasons for the diversion of the water upstream to address flooding.
"However, we no longer wish to have this scar in our yard. It is dirty, it is unsightly and could create a safety hazard due to the depth. Where it is especially deep, I now have a small pool of stagnant water which is attractive to mosquitoes. ... We've emailed the mayor regarding the situation several times ... and there has been no move to rectify the situation. We would like to have enough water diverted back to the creek so it can be fully enjoyed again. ... we feel our property values have dropped," Steger explained.
Peter Briggs of Birchwood Drive. concurred. "The creek runs through my property, and it's totally dry. It's a ditch," Briggs told the board.
Resident Chuck Civeletto asked about the state of the water contract with the Town of Pomfret. Drayo said the board is waiting for the maps from the engineers which will show where the eight-inch supply lines will be placed. Drayo asked Civiletto if the town had received the necessary supply permit from the DEC to begin the project. Civiletto replied, "I'm no longer on the board so I can't answer that." Drayo replied "That's essential before starting anything."
Cerrie announced the playgrounds will close on any days where the temperature reaches 95 degrees and urged parents to make sure children have water to bring with them when attending area playgrounds.
Cerrie concluded the meeting by responding to criticism of the board made by the editor of the OBSERVER. "The individual we're rehiring will be working quarterly, perhaps one day a week. It's going to total about $328 a year," Cerrie explained. See Wednesday's OBSERVER for full story.
During the workshop meeting held earlier, St. George told the board he was approached by a resident who suggested next year's tax collection day be changed by a few days to accommodate senior citizens. "He said that if the date were changed from the first of the month to the third or fourth, it would greatly help senior citizens because it would come after their Social Security checks had been deposited," St. George told the board.
Village lawyer Sam Drayo was asked if any penalties would be incurred by the village from the county if the date were moved. "Not if it were just a few days," Drayo replied. "If it would accommodate them, what difference would it make to us?" Drayo concluded.
Cerrie asked if it would be possible to waive the fee for seniors, but St. George suggested it might be simpler to move the date forward. Drayo told the board he would confirm the absence of any penalties so the board could move forward with certainty at a later date.
Trustee Thomas Brown III told the board he was approached by a few residents about the appearance of the Department of Public Works building. "There are all the old manhole covers piled up, there is a pile of scrap metal. They've asked if we can clean that up a little, and to mow the weeds down around the fence line," Brown III brought up during other new business.
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