That wasn’t the case at a recent Town Hall meeting in Dunkirk.

Town Supervisor Priscilla Penfold invited members of the community to the Town Hall to have what she called a “chat.” More than two-dozen residents took her up on the offer, as the chairs positioned in a circle around the floor of the Town Hall and Court were filled.

“It’s our town, collectively,” Penfold said, gesturing to the circle of residents filling the room.

The discussion lasted more than 80 minutes in entirety, featuring comments from each member of the Town Board, the Planning Board, the Town Justice, the Highway Department, and the Fire Department.

OBSERVER Photos by Braden Carmen More than two-dozen residents of the Town of Dunkirk were present at a recent Town Hall meeting.

Penfold began by informing the public of its needs with the current Town Hall and Court building. She said the Town is “exploring options” for its building, including relocating if a suitable space is available or renovating the current building to create the necessary room.

“We do not have enough room,” Penfold said. Without substantial grant funding, Penfold said renovating the Town Hall is “cost prohibitive.”

The current space is running out of storage in the area behind the Town Justice bench, there is no dedicated space for an attorney to speak privately with a client, and oftentimes, the courtroom is overcrowded, which has led to lines out the door on busy court nights. The Town Hall’s boiler is “on its last legs” according to Town Board member Bob Price, and there are structural issues with the floor of the attic, as well.

“There’s a lot that has to be done,” Price said.

The Town Court is the largest Justice Court in Chautauqua County — not including the City of Dunkirk or the City of Jamestown. The Town of Dunkirk Court handled 3,795 cases in 2023, with a total of $383,213 submitted to the Town of Dunkirk. Although not all of that money is retained by the Town, as of October 2023, the Town had received more than $125,000. A large portion of the criminal cases the Town handles are petit larceny and burglary charges, especially of businesses on Vineyard Drive like TJ Maxx.

Town Board member Phil Leone focused his comments to the group on the difference between consolidation and shared services. He explained the Town is engaged with several other entities for shared services, such as police protection through the City of Dunkirk Police Department, at a cost of approximately $23,000 annually. The Town also pays for fire protection from the East Town and the West Town of Dunkirk Fire Departments. The Highway Department is engaged in a shared services agreement with the Town of Sheridan, and the Town Assessor is also shared with several other municipalities.

Town Board member Shari Miller further detailed the shared service agreement between the Town of Dunkirk and the Town of Sheridan Highway Department. Town Board member Jean Crane spoke to the Town’s water and sewer systems and the needs the Town has, especially surrounding the East Lake Road Sewer District, which is more than a decade beyond its expected life upon installation in 1981. The Town is hopeful to obtain grant funding for water and sewer district needs.

Penfold then opened the floor to the public. One of the first to speak was Edwin Ramos, the former City of Dunkirk Clerk. He inquired about sharing a facility between the Town, the City of Dunkirk, and the Village of Fredonia. Penfold does not believe the other municipalities are considering a move like that at this time, but she did not rule out the possibility of the Town considering it if plans were to progress to that stage.

Another one of the members of the public to speak was John Ramos, a property owner in Dunkirk and the brother of Edwin Ramos. John Ramos spoke to a substantial piece of property he owns in the Town, near the State Police barracks, which he purchased with the intent of welcoming development. He initially hoped the site would be considered for the new Brooks-TLC Hospital, but now hopes it can instead be used for another development in the area.

“What I’m looking for is interested parties in the Town that would push anything towards us,” John Ramos said.

The Town Board offered to discuss the matter with the Chautauqua County IDA and with Senator George Borrello to gauge interest of developers.

Former Town of Dunkirk Supervisor Juan Pagan also spoke at the meeting. He urged the Town Board to continue to focus on infrastructure regarding water and sewer in the Town. He later said, “I thank the Board for having this round table, which is what we need. We need ideas and we need consensus on keeping it moving. … (Sewer development) is a key for us to keep growing and keep developing.”

Penfold also urged residents to get involved in the Town government at any level. That sentiment was echoed later in the evening by Zoning Board of Appeals member Michael Miller, who also stated the importance of remaining its own municipality, rather than dissolving.

“We should keep our identity,” Michael Miller said.

Penfold said after the meeting that she was pleased with the turnout. She considered the event “worthwhile” and appreciated the public input. Another public forum will be scheduled at a later date.