SILVER CREEK - Nicole Neubauer of Hanover Street came to the Silver Creek Village Board meeting for the first time in January and has attended every meeting since for the same reason - water drainage on her property.
At Monday's meeting Neubauer's husband, John Neubauer, attended the meeting with her to ask why the project to address the issue on Lafayette Street has not started.
Trustee Nick Piccolo, the liaison to the highway department, responded, saying after phase I of the water project there have been unforeseen delays to getting the project under way.
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OBSERVER Photo by Nicole Gugino
Silver Creek Trustee Nick Piccolo expresses his opinion during Monday’s board meeting.
"We finished Bayview, we finally got that done, we had some legal issues with one of the home owners (on Lafayette Street) we had to take care of before we started. Right now we have a backhoe problem, which is going to have to be repaired ... It is on the next schedule for us to do and it will be completed as soon as we have everything in place," he said.
He explained the village must make sure the area is safe to dig and has to have a backhoe to dig the storm water line, which it will rent until the village backhoe is repaired.
"It just seems like it's one excuse after another what's the next excuse going to be? We've been here for six months, nothing has been done," Neubauer said.
"It's not an excuse, it's an answer," Piccolo responded.
Neubauer said he wanted a firm date, which the village refused to commit to, saying it will be done as soon as possible.
Neubauer said this amount of time to start a project is unacceptable.
"We are going to keep coming until it's done ... Six months to me is unacceptable, I don't care what project it is. you should have a start date or something ... It's a health hazard. I've got two boys that can't even play in the back yard because it's a cesspool. That is unacceptable," he added.
Piccolo apologized for the delay but reaffirmed the project will be done.
"I want to apologize for not getting to your project any faster than we can, but we are going to do the best we can," Piccolo said.
In other business:
The board passed a resolution to abolish the full-time clerk to the justice position and create a part-time position. Resident and former village trustee Anna Frederickson asked why the village did not consider consolidation with the town of Hanover and was told that should have been considered before the election and the court breaks even or makes revenue for the village.
The board created a resurfacing reserve account and moved $7,500 left over in the resurfacing materials account from last year to this new reserve. Piccolo explained this is to cover road materials not covered by CHIPS.
The board authorized Police Chief Timothy Roche to hire a part-time officer to fill a vacancy.
The village also hired Mary Beth Eckley as the recreation coordinator at a rate of $10 an hour and Cashel Gallivan, Dylan Delong, Alexander Fenske and Steven Mills as attendants at a rate of $7.50 per hour. John Quinn was also hired as summer help for the sewer/water department at a rate of $7.50 per hour.
The next meeting will be held July 2.
