OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Town of Dunkirk Supervisor Priscilla Penfold recently spoke to a building inspector and to an engineer regarding potential upgrades to the Town Hall and Court.

The Town of Dunkirk is seeking to make upgrades to its Town Hall and Court.

After Town Supervisor Priscilla Penfold and Town Board member Phil Leone met with Phil Wright, a building inspector, the Town is planning to pursue grant funding to make long overdue improvements to the building.

Wright stated the building is structurally sound, but noted that several maintenance items have not been addressed for many years. He prioritized electrical issues that made the building very dangerous to attach a generator to. The Town also needs to address its boiler and upgrade its heating and cooling system. Wright stated New York State often provides substantial assistance for such upgrades.

Penfold and Leone also recently met with an architect to discuss potential grant funding options to address the building’s needs. “We have plans from 2014, we have plans from 2009, and nothing has ever been done,” Leone said. “I think that’s something that we need to address.”

In the month of March, the Town Court collected $30,992 in fees. The Town Hall and Court will be closed June 6 to allow for Town employees to attend training at Houghton University.

Also of note, Town Board member Shari Miller reported that the East Dunkirk Fire Department had no incidents during the April 8 solar eclipse. “It’s better to be over-prepared than not prepared enough,” Miller said. Miller also noted approximately 1,500 additional visitors on the SUNY Fredonia campus for the eclipse.

The Dunkirk Town Board also unanimously passed a resolution opposing the placement of wind turbines in Lake Erie. A similar resolution was passed by the Town of Sheridan and the Village of Silver Creek, among others across western New York.

The Town Board expects to take action regarding updates to the Town Employee Handbook at the next regular meeting of the Town Board, as well as adopting a fee schedule and an application pertaining to short-term rental properties that are permitted to operate within the Town. The Town is also pursuing a contract with the City of Dunkirk regarding animal control needs.

The Town also expressed its gratitude to longtime employee Ron Raczka for 43 years of service to the Town.

The next regular meeting of the Town Board is set for May 21 at 5:30 p.m. at the Dunkirk Town Hall and Court.