Watkins Glen board hears dispensary plans

At the Tuesday, Sept. 20 Watkins Glen village board meeting, trustees heard from village department heads and discussed several issues that needed resolution.
The current contract with Seneca Lake Kayak ends in September. Owner Paul Deiseroth proposed amending the current contract, revising the payment terms, and renewing for an additional three years. Village trustees resolved to develop a one-year agreement with Seneca Lake Kayak that sets payment at $5,000 for the summer of 2023. The agreement can be re-evaluated for future years.
Village Treasurer Angela Ventra has requested training on the MicroFund system, which is connected to the village's financial systems. Training is available, and the trustees approved it, with the understanding that Village Clerk Fred Warrick requests more details regarding how the cost -- $4,200 - is allocated.
During new business, community member Dominic Spaccio notified the village of Watkins Glen of his plans to apply to become a fully licensed recreational marijuana dispensary in Schuyler County. His understanding is that the state will issue three licenses for the Southern Tier in the first round of awards. New York state hopes to "promote social and economic equity with these licenses and will award 50 percent of licenses to social and economic equity applicants." (https://cannabis.ny.gov/licensing)
While Spaccio does not expect to be granted a license during the first round, he is hopeful that a second round will be conducted with an eye for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses. Spaccio hopes to be considered in this round. Currently, he owns and operates Hanalei's Dispensing, in Montour Falls.
Looking forward, the board expects to decide how to spend COVID relief resources, all of which have been received by the village. At the meeting, trustees requested a list from the managers. Although some of the funds may have been earmarked for paving, the trustees hope to review and prioritize the items submitted by managers to determine how to allocate the relief funds. In addition, a local law needs to be passed to keep Third Street a two-way street. Trustee Nan Woodworth indicated that several traffic laws need to be changed, and it would make sense to do them all at once. Warrick was asked to determine the status of laws that need consideration. Woodworth also reminded the board that code violations with a number of short-term rentals were raised in 2021 and still need to be addressed. Village Code Enforcer Scot Cole believes the issues are with the attorney. Trustees asked Warrick to determine which, if any, of the violations have been resolved.