SILVER CREEK - Time is ticking down and the Silver Creek Village Board sought answers to several questions from Silver Creek Police Chief Timothy Roche at Monday's meeting.
The village is looking to apply for a Safe Routes to School Grant through the Department of Transportation, but the deadline is coming up fast in just over two weeks.
The village is hoping to improve sidewalks and conduct an educational bike rodeo with free bike helmets if they get the grant.
The village had asked Roche to get prices for helmets and the cost to conduct a bike rodeo.
"I asked you four meetings ago for this information, that was eight weeks ago," Mayor Kurt Lindstrom said impatiently.
However, Roche came to the board Monday with news the board did not like to hear.
He read from the grant application guidelines on what types of educational programs are supportable and said it is much more in depth than a bike rodeo.
He recommended doing instead what the city of Dunkirk did when they successfully received this grant and focus instead on enhanced enforcement before and after school. He said the application says the village must explain why it is not following the approved DOT curriculum if it submits a different education plan.
After the meeting he said the DOT-approved curriculum would be better taught by a health or physical education teacher than a police officer.
"This curriculum is not bike specific, it is walking and jogging and lots of things. I think it would be better taught by a health teacher or a phys. ed. teacher. We're cops, bike rodeos and helmets we can do but that's not what they are looking for," he said.
He added he believes the village would be successful in getting the grant if it followed outline set out by the city of Dunkirk's application.
"To get a successful grant and see what a successful grant says and get the objectives is paramount to actually getting the grant," he said. "I understand there is a time frame here but I want to give them the best product."
However, the board stood firm and asked again for the same information.
"We just asked you for a quote on bike helmets and the cost of a bike rodeo. Do you think you can get us that information by the deadline?," Trustee Amy Romanik asked.
Roche said he would get the village the information.
However the questions did not end there as the board asked Roche when the cameras would be installed in the village square and ball park.
The village in partnership with Petri's Baking Products has purchased the grid and cameras to watch the heavily vandalized area but have yet to see work done.
The questions came after the village gazebo was recently vandalized over the weekend where the finials were stolen.
Roche said they are on the construction schedule but he would get a more specific date from the vendor.
"I would prefer not to keep replacing things if someone can be held accountable," Romanik added.
