Village adopts comprehensive plan

    WATKINS GLEN—The village board of trustees approved a comprehensive plan for Watkins Glen and approved joining the effort to produce a county-wide comprehensive plan at their regular meeting held Monday, Dec. 3.  The vote approving the village’s comprehensive plan followed a public hearing during which no members of the public spoke concerning the plan.
    The board then heard from Rocky Kambo of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schuyler about preparing a comprehensive plan for Schuyler County.  Kambo said most of the municipalities had joined the effort and the cost to the village would remain at $3,800.  
    Some work toward creating the plan had already been done, said Kambo.  He said he had gathered a group of Cornell students to review the Route 14 corridor between Watkins Glen and Montour Falls.  This area, in his opinion, is not promoted as well as it could be, especially considering the marsh is a natural resource.  “There is lots of planning in Watkins Glen, and lots of planning in Montour Falls, but no planning in between,” said Kambo.  
    In other business:
    •  The board approved the renegotiated Teamsters contract between the village and the village’s Teamster employees.  Trustee Scott Gibson said negotiations had been ongoing for the past six months.  Trustee Paul Clifford said, “both sides compromised,” in reaching a final four year deal.  The employees will receive annual raises starting in 2013 of either three percent or two percent depending on the year.  They also agreed to modify the employees’ health care package in an effort to save the village some money in premium expenses.  The agreement runs from June 1, 2012 to May 31, 2016.
    •  The board voted to hire the Center for Governmental Research, Inc. out of Rochester to complete the consolidation and restructuring study for the village police department.  Trustee Tony Fraboni, who was a member of the steering committee that made the recommendation to the board, said the decision was “pretty unanimous.” Fraboni explained that CGR was selected because of the process involved, their experience level and the fact that they are based in New York.  The Mayor asked  clerk Donna Beardsley to schedule a “kick off” meeting to get the project underway.
    • The village will be reworking its website in the coming months.  The board voted to hire inCommand technologies in Corning to revamp and host the village’s website at a cost of $4,100 and a monthly hosting fee around $40.  
    The next village board meeting is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. in the municipal building.