Montour Falls ends highway agreement

Jan 27, 2010 at 04:14 pm by Observer-Review


MONTOUR FALLS   ADVERTISEMENT

Montour Falls ends highway agreement  

MONTOUR FALLS—The Montour Falls village board voted Monday, Jan. 4, to terminate the agreement with Schuyler County for highway department supervision.
Mayor Donna Kelley and board members Sharon Wiedemer and Phil Gillemot voted to send the  termination letter.  Board members Phil Smith and Jim Howell voted against it.  The village had just gotten the letter back from the village attorney’s office.
Both Smith and Howell said the village should hold off on sending it.  Previously in the meeting, Kelley reported that the person the village and Odessa were interviewing was hired elsewhere.  Now  they have no applicant for a shared highway superintendent between the two villages.  She said Montour Falls was supposed to interview him at Monday’s meeting.
“We’re back to square one,” said Kelley.  Which was why Howell said the village should wait on sending the letter terminating the agreement between the county and Montour Falls.
The board also discussed wanting to talk with Odessa to clarify the use of Montour Falls public works manpower/equipment by Odessa if the two villages share a superintendent.
Kelley said the next step is to go back and meet with Odessa on what to do next.  She also reported she had been approached by someone who is willing to do a part-time highway superintendent position covering only Montour Falls.
Kelley also brought up that some sewer lines at the Village Marina are at too low of an angle for good flow.  She said the engineer group that created the plans has provided costs on how to fix it.  The plans include digging up and lifting the end of one pipe, and putting in a completely new 200 foot pipe to connect two points.
In other business:
• The board held a public hearing to move parking on Montour Street from one side to the other and add a handicapped parking spot.  The hearing was also to reinstate parking on the west side of North Genesee Street, from Steuben Street to the T-intersection with Main Street.  Both changes were approved.  Developer Bruce Nelson had asked the village to designate a handicapped parking spot on Montour Street for the doctor’s office moving into the Montour House.  In discussing it, the board decided to also move parking from the east side to the west side of Montour Street, because that is the side the Montour House is on.  While the parking was returned to that portion of North Genesee Street, Wiedemer still had some concerns that the 335 feet listed in the original highway law allowed parking too close to the stop signs at both intersections.
• The board approved the annual agreement with Glen Industrial for cleaning services in the village hall.  The board also approved the renewal agreement with Larson Design Group for general engineering services.
The next board meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 20 at 7 p.m.  Kelley said Larson Design Group would be there to talk to the board at 6 p.m.  However, if Larson was unavailable for Jan. 20, the regular board meeting would be held, Tuesday, Jan, 19 at 7 p.m.  
  $element(adman,groupads,SchuylerRight1)$
Sections: Additional News