OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Sheridan Supervisor Tom Wik listens to public comments during a Sheridan Town Board meeting.

SHERIDAN — The floor will be open tonight for discussion on the 2026 Town of Sheridan Budget. A public hearing regarding the plan will be at 7 p.m. at the Sheridan Community Center.

The public hearing will be at the beginning of a special meeting, which will also include a public hearing regarding a contract with the Sheridan Fire Protection District for fire protection in 2026. Following the public hearings, the Town Board can elect to adopt the budget and approve the fire protection contract, if it so chooses.

The hearings were scheduled at the latest regular meeting of the Sheridan Town Board, which also included the approval of the Sheridan II Solar Project.

After a scheduling hiccup delayed the process by another month, the Town Board approved the project’s application for a special use permit and issued a negative declaration under the State Environmental Quality Review Act.

The Sheridan II Solar project is a 3-megawatt solar energy system to be located at 2979 Middle Road. The project was proposed by RIC Energy, and it abides by the Town’s solar energy laws and setback guidelines. The Town Board is acting as Lead Agency for the project, and a decommissioning plan was submitted to the Town.

Also of note, the Town Board rejected all bids for Phase II of the Sheridan Bay Park Campground project, pertaining to a new bathhouse. The scope of the project was amended to include the demolition of the existing structure. The new scope of the project has been put out for bids, which will be opened on Nov. 5 at 11 a.m.

Phase I of the project, which is now complete, pertained to the installation of new electrical lines, water lines and drainage at the park. Storage and other facilities at the park could be included in a future project.

The same morning that the Sheridan Bay Park bids will be opened, at 10 a.m., the Town will open bids on another project, focused on the installation of water services with meter pits to the existing transmission water main along portions of South Roberts Road, Miller Road, and Route 20.

Other improvements in the Town include the front entrance of the Community Center and the gutters of the Courthouse. Contracts for those improvements were approved by the Board at its latest meeting.

In the month of September, Code Enforcement Officer James Crowell issued 12 building permits, four certificates of occupancy, and three address changes. He also conducted 25 inspections on construction and investigated one complaint. A total of $1,298.62 was collected in the month of September.

The Town of Sheridan Justice Court received 112 Vehicle Traffic Law cases, three Penal Law cases, two Environmental Conservation Law cases, and one Civil Law case in the month of September. A total of $12,269 was collected and turned over for distribution.

Following tonight’s special meeting, the next regular meeting of the Sheridan Town Board is Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m.