CHATHAM – The Village Board last week approved $88,000 for the purchase of a new truck and outfitted for use by the Department of Works. The board plans to use funds from the state Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program, known as “CHIPS” money, to pay for the truck.
The village has $77,000 in CHIPS money that DPW Foreman Mike Losa told the board at the July 10 meeting, which said had been sitting in the account for a few years. He advised the board that the village should use those funds first and “then use your own money.”
Following that advice, the board also budgeted about $15,000 for the new truck. The vehicle must still be assembled and plows and other equipment must be installed. Officials hope to have the truck in service by October.
The board also heard a report from Police Chief Peter Volkmann about removing a dozen officers from the village’s roster. The officers currently don’t work for the village and Chief Volkmann said he has reached out to the ones he has addresses for to ask for resignation letters.
“Some of them are just old timers that have been on for years and years,” he told the board. The board approved the resignation of one officer at the meeting and passed a motion removing the names that Chief Volkmann suggested.
Comprehensive Plan Committee Chair Lael Locke attended the meeting to ask the board to enact a moratorium on commercial construction in the village while the committee works on the comprehensive plan. The moratorium put in place in June 2013 expired last month.
Before enacting a new moratorium the board must hold a public hearing on the measure, though they plan to propose the same language used in the one that recently expired.
Mayor Tom Curran stressed that moratorium does not affect construction involving homes and existing commercial building in the village. The public hearing on the moratorium will be held at the board’s next regular meeting, Thursday, August 14 at 7 p.m.
In other business the board:
•Approved closing Jones Avenue for a block party July 26. The party, hosted by neighbors on the block, is open to all in the village. The board approved closing the street from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., though organizers of the block said they assume the party will end around 6 p.m.
•Created a Building Committee for the Tracy Memorial. The board received proposals for a building study on the village hall, which also houses the Police Department and the village and town courts. The board plans to have the committee review the proposals before moving ahead with any plans for the building
•Received proposals from three companies about doing a review of the village water system. Board members plan to review those proposals
•Following an executive session the board promoted Philip Genovese to the position of chief wastewater operator and voted to conditionally hire Douglas Storey as part-time assistant wastewater operator.
The next regular meeting will be Thursday, August 14 following the public meeting at the Tracy Memorial.
To contact reporter Emilia Teasdale email eteasdale@columbiapaper.com.
