OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Village Trustee Drew Ransom sent a message to residents regarding the on-street parking restriction in the village this past fall. This winter, the issues have improved.

BROCTON — With a rough winter this year, on-street parking restrictions in the Village of Brocton are even more necessary than in recent years. So far this year, the residents have generally complied with the rules in place.

Village Clerk Scott Jagoda stated the Village’s Highway Department has not had many issues with noncompliance. “It sounds like it has been better,” Jagoda said. “People are actually abiding by it.”

The Village created a local law to restrict on-street parking during the winter months to allow for room to clear the roads of snow. The Highway Department struggled in recent years to maneuver around vehicles parked on Village streets during storms.

Village Trustee Drew Ransom made it known that the law applies to everyone with his statement at a previous meeting prior to the seasonal restrictions taking effect.

“November 1, if my car is parked out there, tow mine first,” Ransom said. “… If it’s still there, come and tow it.”

The Village reserves the right to tow vehicles under its local law restricting on-street parking. Warning notices have been issued in the past, but more than a year after putting a law in place and a whole year of discussion that followed led the Village to become less patient with continuous offenders. It appears now that the warnings have served their purpose.

Another topic of discussion at recent meetings was former Trustee Ed Bellando’s insistence that Fire Department members on the Village Board not rule on matters pertaining to the Fire Department unless it is deemed necessary to do so. Village Attorney Peter Clark is in the process of drafting a local law that would cover members of the Board in such instances. Brocton Mayor Craig Miller and Deputy Mayor Bryan Woleben are both active members of the Brocton Fire Department. The Village does not want to discourage participation in its volunteer Fire Department.

Also of note, the Village is moving forward with purchasing a new rescue truck for the Fire Department. The truck is not a traditional Fire Truck, rather a heavy duty vehicle for rescue purposes. The Village is seeking bids and researching purchases through Sourcewell.

The recent meeting was the first for Brandy Smith, who was recently elected to the Village Board. She replaces Bellando, who was appointed to the vacancy created by the departure of Mark Belcher, who moved out of the Village. Smith was elected as Trustee this past fall, as Ransom was also re-elected as Trustee, and Miller was re-elected as Mayor.

The next meeting of the Village Board is Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 6 p.m.