ANGOLA — During the April Angola Village Board annual organizational and regular meeting, action was taken authorizing payment of $466,029 to E&R General Construction for the completion of the installation of 2,900 feet of new 8-inch waterline on the lower portion of Lake Street from Old Lake Shore Road easterly toward the village and past the curve near Birch Street.

Total cost of the project, including construction, engineering, supervision, legal, and temporary financing came to just under $560,000. Funding for the project came mainly from two special New York State grants obtained for the village by State Senator Christopher Jacobs. He first provided a $50,000 grant that was originally earmarked for the Nickel Plate Depot renovation but was switched to the water project when additional funding for the Depot project was not available. The Senator then was able to procure a $450,000 grant in connection with State Clean Drinking Water Funding for a total of $500,000.

Some may wonder why the Village of Angola was doing a waterline project outside of the village in the Town of Evans. The new waterline replaced a portion of a 1911, 10-inch line that was originally constructed to bring water from the Village Water Treatment and Pumping Station Plant on the Lake Erie shore at the end Schwert Road adjacent to Bennett Beach. Over the years, town residents along that line were authorized to obtain water from the village and thus the area became known as the Village Retail Water District.

Over the past three years this section of line replaced had developed over 30 breaks that allowed for an excessive amount of water loss and costly overtime repairs of the line. Part of the project saw six new fire hydrants installed. The cost of the hydrants, and their installation, came to $35,400 and was paid for by the Town of Evans in accordance with a 1928 authorization that was granted to the town by the village which allowed for installation of town hydrants on the village waterline and thus, became a charge against the town operated Evans/Angola Fire Protective District.

Village Engineer Donald Gallo and the board extended thanks and appreciation to the Retail District residents who have been most cooperative and understanding in connection with the ongoing inconvenience of the loss of water service over the past several years. There are more sections of the line that need to be replaced, but for some unknown reason the section that has now been replaced was by far the most seriously involved in the continuing breaks in the deteriorated line.

In other business, during the regular portion of the meeting the village budget for the new fiscal year, that will begin on June 1 was adopted. It is extremely close to a hold-the-line budget. There will be a $0.20 per thousand increase in the tax rate with the new rate being $7.18 per thousand of assessed value. The new rate for garbage service will be $214 per unit.

The board decided to go back to ground zero as to the library roof when it was learned that the low bidder could not provide proof of acceptable compensation insurance coverage. Trustee Thomas Whelan and DPW Crew Chief Jack Krajacic along with Trustee John Wilson will review the original library roof specifications and work in connection with new quotations.

In the organization portion of the meeting for the 2020-2021 fiscal year, Mayor Howard “Hub” Frawley made the following appointments: Deputy Mayor: William Houston, Street Commissioner: Trustee Thomas Whelan, who will also serve as Union Negotiator. Mr. Houston was named as Water Commissioner and coordinator with the Park and Gazebo Committee. Trustee John Wilson was named Fire Department liaison. He will also work with the Village Planning Board and represent the village on the Town of Evans Economic Development Committee. Trustee John Omlor will be Library liaison and will represent the village on the Southtowns Planning and Rural Development Group and will continue as a member of the Southtowns Coalition. John Grennell was renamed as Village Attorney. Nicole Milks and Christine Renaldo will continue as Clerk-Treasurer and Deputy Clerk respectively. Mr. Frawley named himself as Police liaison and Budget Director. He also named Robert Catalino Sr. to a two-year term as Fire Commissioner along with Robert Beck. Joan Houston was named to continue as Village Historian. Evans and Key Banks were named as the official depositories. The OBSERVER in Dunkirk was designated as the official newspaper. Paul Ryerse, a Town of Hamburg Building Inspector, was hired to fill in on a per diem basis as a Code Enforcement Officer when part time inspector, Phillippe Tremblay, is away due to sickness or vacation. Dennis Glascott will serve as acting Village Justice when needed during the absence of John Glascott. Elmar Kiefer will continue as Budget Consultant, Chuck Wilson as Energy Advisor, and Keith Young as Disaster Coordinator. William Herold will continue to chair the Planning Board and Jason Renaldo will remain as chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals. Mayor Frawley noted that there was an opening for two members of the Zoning Board of Appeals and any village resident interested should contact him at Village Hall.

Authorization was granted to establish summer hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the Village Office during the months of June, July, and August and regular continuing 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours will be in effect from Sept. 1 through the end of May each year.

In closing the meeting, note was made that the village and all other communities were going to see a drop in sales tax income with the forthcoming payments due to the slowdown in the economy associated with the current pandemic.

The meeting was successfully held online with all board members and officers involved and the meeting was adjourned in recognition of the outstanding service all are putting forth in connection with the current situation involving everybody in connection with COVID-19 pandemic. The next regular meeting of the Village Board at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 11 with a determination as to how the meeting will be held — at the Village Hall or online is to be determined.