OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Pictured is Jeff Feinen who will continue to serve as Highway Superintendent for both the Town of Sheridan and the Town of Dunkirk after a renewal of a shared services contract at a recent meeting.

The Town of Dunkirk has yet to come to an agreement with the City of Dunkirk for police protection in 2026, but the Town has, however, reached agreements with other neighboring municipalities for other services to its residents.

The Town Board approved an agreement with the Town of Sheridan to renew its shared services agreement pertaining to Highway Superintendent Jeff Feinen and the Highway Department. The agreement is a one-year extension to the existing agreement, in the amount of $2,070 per month, an increase of 3.5% from the previous agreement.

The Town Board also approved a shared services agreement with the Town of Pomfret Assessor’s Office for the appointment of Jeanne Ebersole as Town Assessor. Ebersole’s role is shared with multiple municipalities, but the Town of Dunkirk pays slightly more for her services in the contract due to the volume of commercial businesses in the Town of Dunkirk, especially along Vineyard Drive.

In the month of November, the Town of Dunkirk Justice Court handled 212 total cases, including 182 vehicle and traffic law cases and 14 penal law cases, for a total of $18,685 collected and turned over to the Town for distribution. The Town Clerk’s Office collected $3,688 in the month of November, including $3,310 in zoning fees.

Town Clerk Rebecca Yacklon was appointed by the Board as Tax Collector and Registrar of Vital Statistics. Deputy Clerk Jennifer Jakubowski was appointed as Deputy Tax Collector and Deputy Registrar of Vital Statistics. The 2026 holiday schedule was approved by the Board, as well.

There is no update to the eminent domain proceedings in the Town, pertaining to the Shorewood Water Project. Most recent communication between counsel and the landowner of the final outstanding easement was deemed by Town Attorney Jeff Passafaro as “a meeting of the minds.” The easement process is further complicated due to the fact that the roads are privately owned by the residents of the Town. More information will be made available as the legal matters proceed.

The annual Organizational Meeting of the Town Board, led by Supervisor-elect Shari Miller, will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 5:30 p.m. at the Town Hall. The regular meeting of the Board will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 5:30 p.m., and a Town Board workshop to further discuss a law regulating battery energy storage systems will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 5:30 p.m., with no action to be taken at the workshop.