SHERIDAN - At the August meeting of the Sheridan town council, the council agreed to spend $87 to pay for a 2 inch by 3 inch ad in the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce tabloid to congratulate four of the five local wineries which won the chamber's economic development award. The banquet will be held Oct. 11 at the Williams Center at SUNY Fredonia.
Renovations to the church for its conversion to a new courtroom were discussed. A rough drawing from Iain Ramage of Nussbaum & Clark was received by the council and includes seating for 80 people. Building Inspector James Crowell explained to the council the occupant capacity of the courtroom must remain under 100 people or a sprinkler system would need to be installed.
Town Clerk Julie Szumigala said she spoke with a member of the court staff and the court had around 100 attendants or more on the docket for the evening.
During the meeting, the Court Clerk was authorized to apply for a grant through the 2012-2013 Justice Court Assistance Program. Grants are available for up to $30,000 which may be used for security equipment, renovations, furniture, equipment and other purposes. Several council members present noted the court has been successful in obtaining grants in the past.
Highway Supervisor Jeffrey Feinen presented a report to the board on activity in his department, which included an announcement regarding upcoming tire amnesty in the town. Tires would be accepted from town residents only through Aug. 31 by calling 673-1806 to schedule an appointment to bring in old tires for disposal. Feinen also said two dozen candidates had applied for the vacancy left by worker Jim Strawser, who retired last month. Feinen said he is "confident about quality" of the applicants. "We'll end up with someone very good," he told the council.
Feinen also reported 573.5 hours of general road repair were conducted, as well as 64 hours of mowing and brush chopping. He reported the town received 48 hours in shared services and supplied 144 hours.
Weed spraying was conducted town-wide along with highway shoulder repair and ditch work in several locations. He also asked for approval to attend an educational conference in Chautauqua, which the board approved, not to exceed $250.
In the clerk's report, Szumigala announced "some good news."
The town insurance agent told the clerk a savings of $5,000 in annual insurance premiums could be saved by switching to the Trident company from Selective, which the town had used in the past.
It was explained Trident had previously not offered insurance to smaller municipalities, but now can match coverage line-by-line for a lower rate. Passafaro said the council could accept the offer without opening insurance quotes for bids because too many variables are involved with insurance policies so the bidding process is not required. The policy is expected to cost about $21,400 for the year.
The clerk also told the council Time Warner Cable would be assigning new account numbers. She said residents who use automatic billing will need to sign up again with the new number. The change affects both residential and commercial customers.
Szumigala also read the Court report, which stated $29,973 and $28,840 turned over to the clerk's office for month of July, proceeds from 247 vehicle and traffic las cases, nine state fees, one transportation law case, one small claims case, six penal law cases, and one summary proceeding.
Szumigala said the office collected $1,013 in revenues and 907 was turned over to the general fund, with the remainder to other agencies. She also reported hunting licenses are now on sale for the 2012-13 season, and the town clerk's office will be closed the week of September 17 through 21 for vacation.
Crowell reported the building inspector's officer issued nine building application permits, along with one certificate of occupancy, two notices of violation, and one address was issued during July.
Fourteen inspections on construction were conducted and two complaints were investigated in the month. The total revenues collected were $350 with a total of 55.5 hours worked.
While a fire department report was not officially filed, Crowell reported the fire department is working on its budget for the coming year.
He noted some items would need to be replaced due to expiration dates on equipment like breathing apparatus, but did not expect any surprises in the budget or an unusual need for expensive equipment.
Supervisor Lou Delmonte announced the New York State Association of Towns annual dues were upcoming, but the amount remains the same at $700 for 2013.
The next meeting of the town board will be Sept. 20 at 7:30 p.m., immediately following a public hearing at 7:15 p.m. regarding intent by the board to override the state 2 percent tax cap.
