OBSERVER Photo by Gregory Bacon The Budget Inn is located on East Main Street, Falconer, in the heart of the village.

The mayor of Falconer is continuing to express his concerns about the clientele at a motel in the village.

Mayor Jim Jaroszynski appeared at both the county Legislature’s Public Safety and Human Services committee meetings last week where he noted how the county’s Department of Social Services has continued to place residents in the Budget Inn for temporary housing.

“It has just gotten outrageous within the last four or five years, especially this past year of the homelessness and what the residents of the village of Falconer have seen and sometimes been the victim of,” he said.

Jaroszynski and two other village residents spoke at the July county Legislature meeting. At that meeting, they have seen people walking the streets with swords or knives, cutting themselves, or under the influence of drugs or alcohol, wandering the streets.

At last week’s committee meetings, Jaroszynski said while they have compassion for those who are experiencing homelessness, he believes there should be other locations than just the Budget Inn. “Is there another location than the village of Falconer and the motel?” he asked.

According to Jaroszynski, the Ellicott Police Department has responded to 146 calls to the motel since Jan. 1, while the fire department has been there 35 times.

He feels the motel is not a good place for families to live with their children.

“I know in past years I’ve seen school buses from various districts — Falconer, Southwestern, Jamestown, Frewsburg — pulling into that lot and picking up a child. What is a family doing, living in a motel, for that amount of time? Is a motel really a place for a family to live?” he asked.

Legislator Marty Proctor, R-Mina, said he spoke with Diane Anderson with the Department of Social Services and she told him there are other hotels and motels that they use, but those are primarily for singles. When families need a place to stay, that is when they use the motel in Falconer.

“They are obligated by the state to place people when those people come and seek assistance in housing that’s temporary,” he said.

The other hotels noted by Proctor include the Clarion Pointe and the Colony, both in the town of Ellicott, as well as the Dunkirk Motel.

Jaroszynski complained that all of the motels in the south county are in Ellicott. “Where is the city of Jamestown?” he asked.

Proctor responded by saying the motels are probably chosen by bids.

In a separate matter, Jaroszynski said there needs to be follow up for those placed in the village motel that may have mental issues. He noted that last week a homeless man was arrested for exposing himself in Falconer to a woman. That same individual was arrested the week prior for exposing himself to a female business owner.

“I just wonder if this person is being given the proper avenues,” he said.

Proctor said neighboring counties may place homeless people in Chautauqua County if they don’t have room in their own county. If that was to occur, that county would be responsible for paying the bills for that person or family.

He asked Jaroszynski if the person arrested had been placed in the hotel by Chautauqua County or a neighboring county.

Jaroszynski said because this person has been arrested by both Jamestown and Ellicott police departments, he said he suspects he was placed there by Chautauqua County’s DSS, but couldn’t be certain.

Regardless, Proctor did agree that something needs to be done and vowed to continue to investigate the situation to see what other options there are.