OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Town of Dunkirk Councilman Phil Leone suggested a battery storage system law for the Town at a previous meeting.

While his comments are often saved for last when it comes time for Board members to speak, Town of Dunkirk Councilman Phil Leone’s words at a recent meeting did not fall on deaf ears.

The Town of Dunkirk has scheduled a public hearing regarding a six-month moratorium on any applications for battery energy storage systems in the town. The hearing will take place at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 16 at the Town Hall and Court.

Following the hearing, the Town of Dunkirk will continue its public hearing regarding the Eminent Domain process against property owners standing in the way of the Shorewood Water District capital improvement project. The regular Town Board meeting will follow.

Leone suggested the Town Board enact a law restricting standalone battery energy storage systems at the Board’s meeting in July. A battery energy storage system was recently proposed in the town of Hanover, but after several meetings filled with hours of public opposition, the project was rejected by the Hanover Town Board.

If enacted, the moratorium would allow the Town Board to craft a local law to regulate or restrict standalone battery energy storage systems in the town. As of now, there is no law restricting such facilities in the town.

Pertaining to another type of energy in the town of Dunkirk, Leone and Supervisor Priscilla Penfold negotiated terms of the host community agreement regarding the Brigham Road Solar Project. Leone stated that the 5-megawatt project will pay the Town $2,100 per megawatt for each year of the project’s useful life. The Board unanimously authorized Penfold to sign the contract and fee schedule.

The Town of Dunkirk Justice Court handled 241 cases in the month of July, including 207 vehicle and traffic law cases, with $21,973 turned over to the Town for distribution. The Town Clerk’s office collected $3,823.20 in the month of July, including more than $3,100 in zoning fees. The town also received its distribution of sales tax for the third quarter, amounting to $118,809.75 — of which 60% is allocated to the General Fund and 40% to the Highway Fund.

Penfold also offered an update on the town’s Breach of Peace Law, which was enacted earlier this year as a local law. Enacted as an alternative charge for prosecutors to offer when dealing with cases that have been dismissed at a high rate in recent years, the Town of Dunkirk has since collected more than $1,100 in fines from offenders.

“Some money is better than no money,” Penfold said.