OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Mayor Jeff Hornburg and the Village Board conducted a public hearing regarding water rate increases in the village of Silver Creek, with very little input received from the public.

SILVER CREEK — Mayor Jeff Hornburg followed through when he said he would hold a public hearing to give anyone who wanted to address the water rate increases in the village a chance to be heard. The room was filled with chairs in anticipation of a crowd.

Instead, only the same five guests who attended the previous meeting attended. Considering that the hearing and the regular meeting were both opened in customary fashion, the pledge of allegiance was recited more times than the public spoke on the water rate increases.

The Village Board officially approved the new water rates of $6.10 per 1,000 gallons for residents of the village and $10.60 per thousand gallons for customers outside of the village. The increases amount to $1.02 per thousand for village residents and $1.66 for out of village customers. An additional water debt service line will be added to each bill, amounting to $19.29 per quarter. The increases take effect Nov. 1.

Anna Frederickson was the only public speaker, and she said, “I’m not against this.” Instead, she spoke of having a new neighbor and urged the village to send letters to new residents to inform them of village codes and other pertinent information.

Frederickson later spoke again during the public comment portion of the regular meeting. She commended Town of Hanover Deputy Supervisor Bernie Feldmann for getting the ball rolling on a residence in the area with code violations, and urged the village and the town to continue putting pressure on residents who are not in compliance of the code.

The Village Board later approved a transfer of $1,258.63 to cover training and lodging costs related to Labor Supervisor Brianna Griewisch attending a training seminar at Lake George. A transfer of $35,000 from the Fire Equipment Reserve was approved to cover the cost of a 2003 Ford F-550 rescue truck. The village also enrolled in an Amazon Business Prime account, free of charge through the New York Conference of Mayors.

The Village Board also recently passed a resolution to allow the Silver Creek Kiwanis Club to hold its annual Trunk-or-Treat event on Oct. 31, from 5:30-8 p.m., at the Village Square.

“The Kiwanis does a fantastic job,” Hornburg said. “… It’s pretty well attended every year, depending on the weather.”

The Village Board set village-wide trick-or-treating hours of 5-8 p.m. on Halloween. A $400 grant from the Silver Creek Irving Heritage Fund was also accepted to be used for Halloween candy and other related costs to open the Ward-Dickinson Dining Car to the public on Halloween.

Also of note, the next Mobile Food Pantry event, sponsored by the Silver Creek Food Pantry, the Village of Silver Creek, and Feedmore WNY, will be on Tuesday from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., at the village municipal parking lot. The event is free of charge to residents of Silver Creek and other nearby communities. The Village appreciates and welcomes all volunteers.

The next meeting of the Silver Creek Village Board is Monday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m.