One of the key issues on the list is Not Fred Fest.

“That’s a major deal,” Ferguson said.

What was once a music festival on campus that was canceled in 2015 because of misbehavior has evolved into something much more disruptive, and even dangerous to the community.

This past year, on the Not Fred Fest weekend of May 3 to 5, the event was marred with illegal activity and violent acts that put the village and its residents in harm’s way. The weekend included a structure fire, broken windows, multiple fights and assaults, a stabbing, and a shooting.

Fredonia Mayor Mike Ferguson remains committed to finding a solution to keep “Not Fred Fest” under control moving forward.

“We don’t need people bringing their kids to town and hearing that the number one college party has stabbings and beatings and shootings,” Ferguson said. “Once it starts, more are on the way if we’re not careful.”

This past May, Fredonia Police Chief David Price reported 265 documented incidents and 46 arrests as of the following Wednesday, with several additional investigations still ongoing at the time. Just that weekend resulted in over 500 man hours from the Fredonia Police Department and cost approximately $12,000 in overtime.

Looking back on the weekend and the aftermath in the days following that weekend, Ferguson estimates that the Fredonia Police Department and the Fredonia Fire Department each racked up approximately $15,000-$17,000 in overtime and other costs.

“That one event impacts our budget a lot,” Ferguson said.

Those figures also do not reflect the additional burden also placed on University Police, New York State Police, the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, and the assistance provided by the neighboring Dunkirk Police Department.

Ferguson knows plenty of other issues are also at the forefront of Village concerns, including the water system, potential school tax increases, and other matters regarding the police and fire departments. But just because there is a lot going on does not mean Ferguson is letting Not Fred Fest go unnoticed.

Ferguson thinks that bringing more entertainment for students to the campus could improve the situation. He also suggested rules and regulations for fraternities and sororities at SUNY Fredonia. However, that can be a slippery slope, as Not Fred Fest began as a reaction to the efforts to limit the experiences for students.

Taking a different tone than previous leadership in the Village and SUNY Fredonia, Ferguson said, “We’re not looking to end Fred Fest. We’re looking to end Not Fred Fest.”

Ferguson believes the “best-case scenario” is to sit down with SUNY Fredonia and work together to “lighten the burden” that the annual event puts on both sides. His “worst-case scenario” includes a village curfew and a request for assistance from the National Guard.

Ferguson does not believe SUNY Fredonia students are responsible for the majority of the dangerous and destructive acts in recent years. Instead, Ferguson put the blame on out-of-town guests who travel to Fredonia from the event, many of whom Ferguson believes come from the Buffalo or Jamestown regions.

“It’s people coming in from Buffalo and Jamestown, and obviously, seeing an opportunity,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson also pushed back against the notion that the event is a positive thing for businesses who could gain from the increased traffic that weekend.

“It’s not about the downtown nightlife promoting it. Many of our downtown businesses are closing on that weekend, and I imagine there’s going to be more this year that say they will close,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson said the village and SUNY Fredonia have a good relationship, and credits both sides for collaborating to strengthen those bonds in recent months. Ferguson hopes now the village and SUNY Fredonia can work together to shift the annual event away from the wild, disruptive, and dangerous event it has evolved into.

Rather than meeting shortly after last year’s event, Ferguson elected to wait until classes were in session in hopes of setting a meeting with SUNY Fredonia officials regarding the event. He wants student representation present, along with University and Village leadership. Ferguson believes the University Police is in support of a collaborative meeting to address the matter, as is SUNY Fredonia leadership.

Ferguson hopes to have Fredonia Police and Fire Department representation involved in the discussion, as well as the New York State Police and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office.

“We have to bring them all to the table so that there is a discussion about what we can do to not put ourselves in this situation,” Ferguson said.