Collins board discusses park project matters

by Holly A. Lawton

     At the July 6 Collins Town Board meeting, a number of business items pertaining to the town park expansion project were discussed, including the transfer of ownership of a section of land and the bids received for the installation of new fences.

     Previously, Collins residents Tracy and Gerry Kelly had approached the town board about the possibility of obtaining a 35-foot by 230-foot piece of land when it was discovered that their driveway is situated on property slated for development in conjunction with the town park expansion. Town officials said that elements contributing to the confusion were a surveying error and the fact that the roadway for Maple Avenue was never extended through to meet Bagdad Road as originally intended.

     The town board decided to transfer the section of property to the Kellys for a sum of $1. In turn, the Kellys will be responsible for paying the costs associated with the closing, survey and revised deed.

     With regard to bids received to install new fencing for the town park property, Supervisor Ken Martin noted that the low bidder was quoting a price for a lower grade of materials than the other bidders. In addition, the original bid specifications had not taken into account 265 feet of fencing that will need to be put in along the property which is being transferred to the Kellys. As a result, the board voted to reject the bids in anticipation of changing the specifications to add the 265 feet and bring all bids to the same specifications.

     Martin told the board that he received word from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation granting permission to move forward with bulldozer work at the town park expansion site. Mary Clark, the town board’s liaison to the Collins Parks and Recreation Commission, said that town resident Dick Agle, of Agle Trenching and Excavating, has been consulted about appropriate specifications for the work. Presently, the highway department is in the process of removing trees from the site.

     In water department business, Dan Stroud reported that only one bid was submitted for the SCADA system, a computerized monitoring system. Due to the lack of competitive response, the board voted not to accept the bidding. Stroud said he will contact two engineering firms asking for quotes to help put together specifications that might allow for a larger response.

     Stroud and Town Attorney Jim Musacchio informed the board that they are involved in discussions about the possibility of the town puchasing property from Howard Gabel to dig a water well that would service the Collins Correctional Facility. They noted that the option to buy is contingent upon the results from a test well.

     Zoning issues included a request from the Village of Gowanda stating that an amendment to the 1999 Master Plan for the Town of Collins and Village of Gowanda was needed to rezone the former Peter Cooper site within the village in order to develop the site. The Collins board passed a resolution to amend the 1999 Master Plan, rezoning the parcel of land between Palmer Street and the Cattaraugus Creek from I-1 to planned unit development. In a separate matter, a variance was approved permitting the Collins Friends Church to build an addition.

     In conjunction with the upcoming townwide dog census, the board reiterated that all dogs should be licensed prior to the dog control officer’s visit to the owner’s property. Owners found with unlicensed dogs will be required to pay a $5 penalty as well as the licensing fee, If the dog is still not licensed within the allotted period of time, additional penalties will be incurred.

     According to the town’s new dog ordinances, people who wish to own four or more dogs must apply for a kennel permit, and a public hearing must be held. The town board agreed with Martin’s suggestion to wait until after the dog census is completed to see how many people have four or more dogs and then hold one large public hearing to handle all of the requests for kennel permits at one time.

     The town board also authorized Martin to sign a dog shelter contract paying Sherwin Allen $150 per month plus reimbursement for reasonable expenses to take care of dogs seized by the town’s dog control officer. Martin explained that this was simply a matter of putting down in writing an arrangement that has already been in effect for sometime. The contract is renewable annually in January.

     In other business, the Collins Town Board:

  •Accepted a five-year contract with a five-year renewal from Adeiphia Cable.
  •Approved the hiring of Nichole Dicus as a summer recreation counselor to take the place of a previous hire who accepted a different job. In addition, Nicholas Todd was appointed as an alternate.
  •Passed a resolution to support the West Valley Demonstration Project Citizen Task Force’s resolution of 2004. Included in the resolution is the task force’s preference that all hazardous waste be safely stored above ground until such time as it can be permanently disposed of. Buttermilk Creek, a tributary of the Cattaraugus Creek, runs through the West Valley Demonstration Project site.
  •Heard that the town clerk conducted 412 transactions during the month of June for a total of $4,356.75, with the town’s portion being $3,786.24.
  •Transferred $650 from the contingency fund in the budget to the Meals on Wheels line item to cover a previously approved increase.
  •Authorized the expenditure of up to $300 to replace three flags at the town hall.
  •Learned that Martin had attended an Erie County government meeting where the geographical information system was presented. Martin noted that anyone can access the Web site, which includes aerial photographs of properties within the county, as well as census and tax figures. For further information, go to www.erie.gov. The Internet Mapping System is listed in the “What We’re Doing” section.