OBSERVER Photo by Gregory Bacon Dan Smith of Bemus Point was one of the residents who opposed the county’s spending $1 million for research with the Jefferson Project on Chautauqua Lake.

MAYVILLE — Despite some concerns with costs, county officials agreed to spend $1 million on a study on the weeds and harmful algal blooms in Chautauqua Lake, as well as another $1 million in equipment to deal with lake weeds.

During a county Legislature meeting this week, lawmakers passed two resolutions regarding lake issues. Both require the county to use American Rescue Plan Act funds and both received plenty of debate and scrutiny.

During the public portion of the meeting, six residents spoke out against the study, which funds the Jefferson Project.

One person said the funding request is simply a donation to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. “Please vote no and redesign this resolution to be a contract that requires RPI Jefferson Project to commit when the funding would be used, what the funding would be specifically used for, who would do the research … and mandate county ownership of the results,” he said.

Another woman with the Chautauqua Conewango Consortium said no more studies are needed. “Why would we pay for research when we are searching for money sources for what we already know needs to be done? … When will leadership take up the political will to do the hard task of making the long -term commitment to stopping the nutrient sources? They are what are fueling the algal blooms,” she said.

During the debate among county lawmakers, Legislator Tom Nelson, D-Jamestown, proposed tabling the resolution for the study, but there was not enough support, with five legislators voting in favor and 14 opposed. Along with Nelson, other legislators who voted in favor of tabling the resolution include Bob Bankoski, D-Dunkirk; John Hemmer, R-Westfield; Susan Parker, D-Fredonia; and Billy Torres, D-Jamestown.

Even though Bankoski voted to table the resolution, he said he still supports it. “Do I believe that this Jefferson Project is the answer? I do. I truly believe in my heart that we need an answer. None of us in this room are experts on lakes,” he said.

Hemmer disagreed that the study will be any different from the ones in the past. “I think another study is not going to lead us anywhere,” he said.

Parker said spending this amount of money requires more examination. “I’m not against spending money on Chautauqua Lake but what I really do feel … (is) that we take more time. There are many questions that have come up,” she said.

Legislator Lisa Vanstrom, R-West Ellicott, said more time isn’t necessary. “I think we have enough information to proceed,” she said.

When the time came to vote, Hemmer and Parker voted against the Jefferson Project spending.

LAKE EQUIPMENT

The resolution to spend $1,004,300 on lake equipment brought concerns by some legislators as well.

Parker wanted to table the resolution, saying county lawmakers need more time to make sure everyone understands the plans and the objectives of how the money will be spent. “I see no harm in taking additional time to weigh the expenditures,” she said.

Her motion to table the resolution failed. Along with Parker, voting in favor to table the resolution were Bankoski, Nelson, Torres and Legislator Terry Niebel, R-Sheridan.

Bankoski said it’s important to note that the equipment being purchased can be used in other lakes if necessary. The resolution did not specify Chautauqua Lake. “In case equipment breaks down, or weed problems persist and they (other lakes) need help, all they have to do is reach out to the county,” he said.

Niebel said too much ARPA money, which originated from the federal government in response to COVID-19, is being spent on the lake and the southern end of the county. He proposed cutting the resolution to $500,000 and use the remaining $500,000 on the North County Water District or some other project in the northern end of the county. That proposal failed as well. The same five legislators that voted to table the resolution also backed cutting the lake equipment spending.

Legislator Kevin Muldowney, R-Dunkirk, said because the equipment can be used on all county lakes, he did not feel the resolution needed to be cut to direct more money to the northern end of the county. “If there’s need in the Dunkirk harbor or the Westfield harbor, this equipment would be able to be used in those areas,” he said.

The resolution to spend $1 million on equipment passed 17-2. Voting against it were legislators Parker and Niebel.

The resolution did not detail what equipment would be purchased. During committee discussions last week it was stated that the money would be used to buy a 5-ton aquatic plant harvester, a 15-ton transport vessel and a research boat for the Jefferson Project and the Chautauqua Lake Watershed Management Alliance to share.