Deadlines often lead to action during negotiations, and with the pressure on the town of Dunkirk to make a decision regarding a new Town Hall location, the latest meeting proved just how much pressure the board is feeling.

What is usually a lightly attended, pleasant and often playful monthly meeting was anything but that earlier this week. Tempers flared as the topic of a shared Town Hall was discussed by members of the Board. Phil Leone and Shari Miller pushed back against the idea of committing to the shared Town Hall agreement with Pomfret.

More than two dozen residents attended the meeting, with a handful addressing the Board about the rumored move to join the town of Pomfret for a shared site. Among those to speak out against the move included Mike Miller, Virginia Miller, Sue Hazelton, and Gary Hazelton. Resident Jay Warren called the topic “a huge decision” that will impact residents “for years to come.” Warren urged the Board to involve the public in the matter however it can.

“The people of the town want us to stay (in Dunkirk). That was pretty apparent,” Leone told the OBSERVER following the meeting. At the meeting, Leone addressed the audience by stating that he wants to do what the people of the town want done regarding the issue.

When it progressed from public comments to Board member comments, Leone preemptively struck against the topic of the Town Hall listed at the bottom of the agenda for the evening. He made a motion to not hold any vote on the matter until January.

Supervisor Priscilla Penfold sent an email to the Board on Oct. 16, five days prior to the Town Board meeting, urging the Board to be prepared to make a decision on whether to move forward with the agreement with the town of Pomfret at its October meeting. Multiple members of the Town Board entered the meeting on Tuesday expecting to cast a vote on the matter. Penfold later stated that Dunkirk was given more time to consider the proposal shortly before the meeting, and that no vote was going to take place that night.

“I am very happy to see that the email that was sent out to us has been retracted and now we have some additional time to explore our options,” Shari Miller said.

Rather than setting a timeframe on when a vote will be held, Leone’s motion was amended to reflect only that no decision was to be made on the matter at the Oct. 21 meeting. The Board unanimously agreed to pass the motion.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

Initially, Leone said he wanted the Board to hold off on any potential vote for a new Town Hall location until a new Town Board is set in January, as Penfold is not running for re-election as Supervisor. The other four members of the Board — Leone, Bob Price, Jean Crane, and Shari Miller — are expected back, while Miller is running unopposed for the role of Town Supervisor. A fifth member of the Board will likely be appointed early in 2026.

Miller agreed with Leone’s decision to hold off on a vote until the new year. Crane was not as definitive about when the matter should be decided, but she, too, did not want a decision to be made at that moment.

“We just got the lease agreement less than a week ago. We haven’t even discussed it as the Town Board, so I don’t know why everybody is saying we’re making this decision. We haven’t made a decision yet,” Crane said. She asked for more time for the Board to discuss the agreement and evaluate its options.

Holding off on a significant commitment makes sense for the Town Board as it looks to have its fourth Supervisor in four years following the death of Dick Purol. Delaying the process allows the Board to do more research into alternatives, and also provides more time for negotiations regarding the initial lease proposal from the town of Pomfret.

However, the Town Hall decision has been put off by the town of Dunkirk for more than two decades, and at some point, enough is enough. Code Enforcement Officer Ryan Mourer urged the Board to stop “kicking the can” on the issue, regardless of what option the town decides.

A contract was drawn up by Jeff Passafaro, the attorney for both towns, to share the facility, which would be owned by the town of Pomfret. Board members stated the rent for the first year would be $4,000 per month, with costs escalating each year of the agreement. Shari Miller expressed concern about the rising costs year after year, especially considering that the town would be paying for a building it would not even own.

Penfold told the OBSERVER, “I support moving to a shared facility with the town of Pomfret, unless a viable alternative comes along.”

With outdated facilities and inadequate space to conduct town business, the town of Dunkirk desperately needs to do something about the state of its current Town Hall and Court. The Town Board has been pushing to find a solution over the past several years, but the closest it has come to a solution has been the shared space with Pomfret. As not only a Code Enforcement Officer, but also in the construction field for more than two decades, Mourer stated that the employees of the town deserve a better facility, and highlighted concerns with overcrowding and safety regarding the court.

For the town of Pomfret, the urgency regarding a decision is warranted. The new Town Hall site has been selected and plans are in motion. What is missing is a commitment from Dunkirk, whether the facility will be shared between both municipalities through an agreement or whether the town of Pomfret will take on the endeavor on its own.

Speaking about the pressure to make a decision, Penfold told the OBSERVER, “I think we owe it to the town of Pomfret, so they can move on (if needed).”

Speaking to the pressure the town of Pomfret is feeling to finalize an agreement as it looks to bid the project, Warren said, “They don’t control the town of Dunkirk. We’ll tell you when we’re ready.”

ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS

At a recent public input meeting, prior to the latest Board meeting, the idea of sharing space with the West Town of Dunkirk Fire Department was raised. The Department is open to exploring that option further, which members of the Board also stated an interest in exploring. The West Town of Dunkirk Fire Hall is conveniently located next door to the current Town Hall, and the Department stated there is room in the Fire Hall to be repurposed.

Penfold told the OBSERVER that she is “open to everything”, including the idea of sharing space with the Fire Department. She stated that her preference is to keep the town’s offices in the town of Dunkirk. “That’s my first wish,” she said.

In the coming weeks, the Town Board plans to discuss potential alternatives with the Fire Department, while also consulting with Mourer for his estimates on any potential upgrades to the current space, as well as the Fire Hall.

The Town Board will also be reviewing its current operation costs to determine how feasible the current agreement with Pomfret is to the town of Dunkirk. But the clock is ticking, and while the town of Pomfret is waiting for an answer, it will not wait forever.

The next meeting of the Dunkirk Town Board is set for Wednesday, Nov. 5, beginning at 6:30 p.m. with public hearings regarding the Town Budget, Fire Protection Contracts with the East and West Town Fire Departments, and a local law to allow the Town Board to override to the tax cap, if it is deemed necessary.