OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Village of Cassadaga Trustee Cathy Cruver was critical of the village’s inaction regarding equipment needs and its purchasing procedures at a recent meeting.

CASSADAGA — Cathy Cruver is far from the first to speak out against the village of Cassadaga. She did so as a resident in the audience during public hearings regarding vacation rental properties, and she has done so often as a member of the Village Board.

Cruver shared her frustration again at a recent meeting, and it was directed at Department of Public Works Supervisor Sam Alaimo and the lack of action on a simple request dating back nearly a year. Cruver and fellow Trustee Danna DuBois requested a list of equipment that the village owns with its age and condition, with the focus on equipment operated by the Department of Public Works.

“We can’t even get a list of equipment after 10 months of asking. I’m at my wits’ end with this,” Cruver said.

Shortly after the initial request, DuBois, a member of the Fire Department, submitted a chart to the Village Board detailing every vehicle the Cassadaga Fire Department owns, including the year, make and model; whether the vehicle is in service or not and its condition; when it is expected to be replaced; and the expected cost to replace each vehicle. She stated the process took roughly 15 minutes to complete with the help of the Fire Chief.

Cruver commended the Cassadaga Fire Department for the detailed proposal they submitted after months of effort researching a new ambulance. The Department received several quotes, evaluated new and used options, and broke down avenues to pay for the vehicle. Cruver believes that is how all significant purchases should be handled in the village.

The request for a village inventory has remained on the Village Board’s agenda for several months with no action taken. The need for an inventory of equipment stemmed from the village’s snowblower breaking down, leaving the sidewalks uncleared during winter months, while the village looked for alternatives once it became a problem, rather than planning ahead. Now, as winter approaches, the village has yet to act on a new snowblower, and one could ask, who knows what’s next?

Cruver said she did not understand why the ask of a village equipment list was “such an aggressive question.” She added, “This is not rocket science. This is basic.”

The issue is more than just wanting a list of equipment or buying a new snowblower. Cruver took issue with the fact that only one proposal to purchase a new snowblower has been submitted to the Board since the need became clear. Cruver criticized the Village’s purchasing process overall and asked for more of an effort to research alternatives before settling on a decision.

“This is ridiculous. This is not how this should function,” Cruver said. “… The people who know about this should be the ones doing the research.”

Rather than addressing the ongoing pattern of inaction, much of the discussion at the meeting centered around whether or not Cruver said she would handle the issue of researching a new snowblower herself for the Village Board to act. Cruver said previously that she was willing to do so, but that she shouldn’t have to, because it is Alaimo’s job to do so, not that of the Village Board.

At the recent meeting, Cruver asked, “How is that my responsibility? When did I become the DPW Superintendent?”

Trustee Bill Astry responded that Cruver said she would take on the search for more information.

Cruver later responded, definitively, “No, I’m sorry, you’re not going to put the responsibility of choosing the snowblower that’s going to take care of our village sidewalks on me. It is not my responsibility. It is Sam’s responsibility.”

Criticism of the Department of Public Works is common in Cassadaga over the past year. Earlier in the recent meeting, the topic of leaf and brush pick-up was raised by members of the audience, which comes up often at Village Board meetings as residents are frequently irked by lack of action by the Department of Public Works, led by Alaimo. Residents have also voiced complaints throughout the past year on social media.

Most notably, however, is the Village Board’s inaction following an incident that led to charges for Alaimo, the head of a taxpayer-funded department.

Alaimo was charged by the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office with Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree, Criminal Tampering, and Trespass over an incident at Valley Outdoors, one of the largest businesses in the village. Alaimo and owner Adam Diate had an ongoing feud leading up to the incident that resulted in charges.

However, Alaimo kept his job as the head of the Department of Public Works, as Deputy Mayor Bill Astry said following the charges being filed, “At this point, there’s nothing we can do. He’s innocent until proven guilty.”

After nearly 20 minutes of discussion, no purchase was made on a snowblower. Village Clerk Annette McChesney offered to help put together a list of equipment using the information the Clerk’s Office has for insurance purposes. Alaimo was not present for the meeting.