On a night where Fredonia’s trustees authorized him to sign contracts worth about $1.9 million for a water treatment improvement project, Mayor Doug Essek blew another kiss in the village’s years-long flirtation with the North County Water District.

Essek said at this week’s Board of Trustees meeting that he and Trustee Roger Pacos attended a North County Water District meeting recently and “The subject of our connections was brought up again. … They were going to start amending their contract with the city of Dunkirk to allow for emergency water, either supply or sale, either way, they’re working on that.

“Once they have an amendment, we can make a better decision on what we’re going to do,” he added.

The North County Water District, which went online in September 2018, joined the towns of Dunkirk, Pomfret, Portland and Sheridan and the village of Brocton in an entity that gets its water from the city of Dunkirk. The village of Fredonia is not part of the district, and its officials have had a varying interest level in joining up.

The city of Dunkirk currently has a 40-year agreement with the district to be its exclusive water supplier.

Monday, Fredonia’s board authorized Essek to sign pacts with an electrical contractor and a general contractor for the village’s upcoming water system improvement project. Extensive improvements and updating are planned for the water treatment plant. Also, connections with the city of Dunkirk water system — intended for the emergency usage Essek alluded to — will be added and improved.

Kandey Co., Inc. of West Seneca will be the general contractor, with a price tag of $1,546,302. The electrical contract is with Ahlstrom Schaeffer Electric of Jamestown for $354,700.

The trustees actually authorized the contracts at a Jan. 13 meeting, but the resolutions they passed did not explicitly authorize Essek to sign the agreements.