OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen As Hanover Town Supervisor, Lou Pelletter hopes to prove he has “the best intentions for the entire town.”

HANOVER — After serving the community in one way or another for the majority of his adult life, Lou Pelletter stepped up to take his oath of office as the newly elected Town Supervisor of Hanover shortly after the new year commenced. In his new role, Pelletter hopes to make a difference in the way the Town of Hanover is run.

“I feel we need to change the focus on how we do business,” Pelletter said during a prepared speech at the reorganizational meeting of the Town Board, following the inauguration ceremony. “Certainly, I think we need to work together wherever we can, but we need to make sure it is fair, and most importantly, economical to all parties.”

Pelletter was elected in November of 2015 to serve on the Town Board, where he has served for the past eight years. With 33 years of experience in the Police Departments of Hanover and Silver Creek, Pelletter hopes to prove that as Supervisor, he has “the best intentions for the entire town.”

Since he first joined the Town Board, Pelletter has shown a concern for the loss of population in the region. He stated the decline of the community is highlighted by “no real economic growth,” with the loss of many long-term businesses in the area, including the Petri bakery and Lake Shore Hospital. Pelletter stated his priorities as Town Supervisor will be public safety, economic development, historic preservation, shared services with other entities, and quality of life in the community.

Among a list of over a dozen points of emphasis, Pelletter stated he intends to be more visible in the Town Hall and more accessible to the public than his role has seen in recent years. Pelletter also stated he will be asking for reports from each Board member of their activities related to Town business at each meeting. He expects new Town Clerk Elizabeth VanCheri to note the reports in the meeting minutes made available publicly online at the Town’s official website. Pelletter also will be asking department heads to attend Town Board meetings.

One of the changes Pelletter implemented immediately upon taking over as Supervisor is the Town Board meeting schedule. Rather than varying between one and two meetings each month throughout the year, Pelletter committed to two meetings each month, on the second and fourth Monday of each month, at 7:30 p.m. at the Hanover Town Hall and Court. Preceding each meeting will be a workshop, beginning at 6:30 p.m., which allows for increased discussion on items of note to the Town Board.

Self-described as a fiscal conservative, Pelletter plans to put a greater emphasis on the spending procedures of the town.

“I am concerned about the increasing cost of doing business, so I will be asking the Board and department heads to follow a new procedure on how we do business. I would like to have our bookkeepers, Elmar Kiefer and Vito Flitt, approve any major or emergency purchase first, then to the department liaison, and then to the full Board. With inflation significantly higher than the 2% tax cap, I feel we need the extra overview, and hopefully this will help us to stay within budget,” Pelletter said.

As the Historian for the Village of Silver Creek, Pelletter has a strong working relationship with the Village, dating back to his days with the police department. In working closely with the Village, Pelletter hopes to eliminate duplicate equipment and services, “where it makes sense to do so.”

Pelletter also stated the Town needs to support the Village in major projects, such as ongoing projects in Hideaway Bay and the Main Street School redevelopment to create senior housing. Pelletter consistently voiced his support of the senior living project in recent months.

Another key point Pelletter stressed related to economic development centered around a hotel to serve as “an anchor” for the business corridor of Routes 5 and 20. Pelletter referenced an economic development meeting with government officials a few years ago, which eventually led to a grant to evaluate the area’s water and sewer capabilities.

Pelletter hopes to hold a meeting with businesses and community members to receive input on the direction they hope the Town Board takes. Pelletter was openly critical of the Department of Transportation’s handling of a proposed lane reduction of Routes 5 and 20, stating his belief that the concerns of the Board and of the public as a whole were not being heard.

Additionally, with a tip of the cap to one of Pelletter’s new Town Board members, Aimee Rogers, of Imagine Forestville, Pelletter hopes the Board will “continue the progress that Imagine Forestville has made in their quest for a Historic District, their Farmers’ Market, Hiking Trail, their Beautification Project and Economic Development.”

A point of contention in recent months in the Town was the negotiation for Enhanced Police Protection with the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office. Pelletter stated he is in the process of finalizing a two-year Enhanced Police Protection contract for $587,579 for 2024 and a 2.5% increase for 2025. If ratified, the new contract – which has been approved by the County Legislature – would replace the previously approved one-year contract of $626,513 for 2024. Pelletter also stated a desire to consider supplementing police coverage in the Town of Hanover.

Other items Pelletter highlighted in his speech were building security and upgrades to the Town Hall, improvements to town parks, beaches and boat launches, and flooding along the shoreline. He called his long list of items to address “not all inclusive” and welcomed community input.

“I am hoping for community and Board support as we move forward,” Pelletter said.