The story that caused the biggest outcry was elected officials’ scrutiny of a Dunkirk homeless man. It touched a nerve, perhaps because many realize how close they or someone they love could be to experiencing his situation.

COMMENTS ON HOMELESS MAN OUTRAGE RESIDENTS

Dunkirk Councilwoman Natalie Luczkowiak brought a lot of hassle on herself in May, when she decided to open her regular Common Council report with comments about a homeless man who was hanging out near City Hall.

“The only one that can save him is himself. He is a young, healthy, Caucasian male who has every opportunity out there. There is no excuse for him and it’s unfortunate we have to deal with this. I propose we daily (get) rid of his belongings until he moves to another city,” Luczkowiak said.

The Robin Street pedestrian tunnel in the city of Dunkirk is trashed, and officials want it closed off.

Luczkowiak asked Police Chief Chris Witkowski to confirm that he is dealing with the situation. “It’s kind of a delicate situation, due to the nature of it I can’t really go into detail,” he said.

“We have been working with the mayor’s office, the city attorney, the council and DPW to try to address that situation. We’re trying to give him any resources we possibly can and hopefully he’ll get the resources he needs.”

Councilpersons James Stoyle and Nancy Nichols also made questionable comments during the subsequent discussion, and along with Luczkowiak took heavy criticism. Luczkowiak soon resigned her position on the Chautauqua Opportunities Inc. board.

The positive result of the community disgust was that several people and organizations reportedly moved to assist the man.

WATER, FINANCES VEX FREDONIA

Fredonians faced numerous boil water orders and main breaks, controversy over the future of the village water system, and a tax increase around 54%.

The tension in Village Hall was worsened by tragedy, as popular Village Clerk Annemarie Johnston passed away.

A week in early February hinted at the troubles to come in 2025. Mayor Michael Ferguson had to have a heart procedure, and was briefly out of commission. A boil water order was enacted and lifted, and crews had to fix a water main break. Several department heads asked for more employees, even though Trustee Jon Espersen also sought a special meeting to discuss cuts.

The Board of Trustees, backed by Ferguson, later attempted to make a decision on Fredonia’s water future. It voted in September to decommission the village reservoir and acquire water from the North County Water District.

However, a group of residents known as “Save Our Reservoir” is bitterly opposed to that course of action. Three members of the group sued Fredonia in state Supreme Court to halt the plan passed in September. That court case is ongoing.

CITY TREASURER INVESTIGATED

The city of Dunkirk faced its own continuing financial problems. In that municipality, there was a focus on alleged mismanagement by city officials.

The state Comptroller’s and auditors repeatedly blasted the city for its sloppy record keeping. The city Treasurer’s Office was briefly under police investigation in March, shut down and taped off. Not a peep has been heard about the investigation from any official ever since.

The Common Council moved to abolish the position of an elected treasurer, which city voters backed in November. The treasurer’s duties are supposed to be taken by a new Chief Fiscal Officer.

In a key move in mid-December, the city was able to start the bonding process for deficit financing approved by the state in its 2024 Fiscal Recovery Act.

ROBIN STREET TUNNEL FACES CLOSURE

Dunkirk’s Robin Street pedestrian tunnel under railroad tracks is locally infamous for its filth. The city and CSX railroad came together in 2025 to start a plan for a closure of the tunnel.

Dunkirk Department of Public Works Director Randy Woodbury offered the initial report about the plan in August. Woodbury said in September the plan was moving ahead, after he spent “many hours on the phone and emails with CSX railroad and also with the Federal Railroad Administration and also with the New York State Department of Transportation. They’re setting up a public hearing, we’ll have to conduct that.”

There are a few who spoke up against closing off the tunnel, though most in Dunkirk seem supportive or indifferent. Woodbury cracked, “Some people have a romantic attachment to that tunnel — Maybe I shouldn’t have used that word, because I don’t know what happens in there!”

BUSINESS BANNED FROM TOBACCO SALES

New York State permanently banned the owner of a long-running downtown Fredonia store from selling tobacco products.

The ban for Fredonia Food Mart and Deli on Temple Street

was announced at a Chautauqua County Board of Health meeting in April.

The business had previously sold tobacco products to people under 21 in January 2023 and February 2024. Because of that, they were banned from selling tobacco products for a year.

In August 2024, the county Health Department discovered the store was selling flavored vapes and smokeless chewing tobacco. The county contacted the state about the violation, leading to the permanent ban.