OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen The new Arkwright Town Hall will be located at the same site as the current building. It will replace the existing structure.

ARKWRIGHT — The Town of Arkwright has taken its next big step toward a new Town Hall building.

At a recent Town Board meeting, the Board approved a payment of $25,300 to LaBella Associates to proceed with the first phase of the project for a new Town Hall in Arkwright.

“We’re excited. I think it’s good. It’s going to be a lot of fun,” said Town of Arkwright Supervisor Brian McAvoy. “Nothing should stop us from doing it.”

In the first phase, LaBella will prepare the designs and documents leading up to the bid process for the building itself. If satisfied, the Town will likely come to an agreement with LaBella to manage the bid process, and another phase will pertain to the work itself.

The Town selected LaBella over CPL: Architecture, Engineering, and Planning for the project after both companies submitted bids for the work. CPL handled the Highway Department building addition project and the initial plans for a Town Hall, but the Board grew frustrated with the process.

McAvoy called the Town’s agreement with LaBella for the project “a fresh start.” McAvoy added that CPL was “very professional” upon learning of the Town’s plans to move forward with LaBella.

The new Town Hall will be constructed at the same site of the existing Town Hall. The footprint will be slightly larger than the current structure — approximately 2,000-2,500 square feet – to allow for office spaces for the Justice Court and other Town officials, as well as room for record storage and handicap-accessible restrooms.

McAvoy also stated the new Town Hall will be equipped to serve as an emergency shelter in light of recent severe weather events in the town. A generator will be included in the designs, although whether that will be initially or at a later phase is yet to be determined.

Town Board member Larry Ball made the motion to authorize McAvoy to sign the agreement with LaBella for the work to proceed. As the longest tenured member of the Board, Ball made a point to be the one to make the motion because he knows better than anyone how long the process has been drawn out over the years.

“I wanted to be the one that made that motion because I have been involved with this since 2008. I really want it to move (forward),” Ball said.

Once the construction is underway, the Town Board and Justice Court will both be displaced. Court officials have already been in discussions with the Town of Villenova about utilizing its courthouse during the construction, which the Board was pleased with.

The Town has plenty of money saved in its reserve funds to cover building projects such as the recently completed Highway Department building addition and the plans for a new Town Hall.

“I’ve been lucky in this job that we’ve never had a cash problem at all, not even close,” McAvoy said.

McAvoy explained the Town’s expenses exceeded its revenue this past year by approximately $634,000, but that was because of the cost of the Highway Department building project. The operations of the Town remained within the revenue generated by the Town, with more than $700,000 of reserve funds covering the cost of the building project. The Town’s reserves are also expected to cover the Town Hall project.

“We have the wherewithal to do it. I think we’ll just get it done,” McAvoy said. “… From Day 1, what I’ve said here is the three things we’re going to focus on are roads, equipment, and buildings. We’re going to invest capital to do that, and we’re cash-healthy.”

The Town Board and Highway Superintendent Lisa Waldron also had a lengthy discussion regarding the cladding of the Town’s masonry building. Waldron has been in contact with contractors regarding the materials and insulation for the building. The Board discussed whether to address the roof — with differing opinions — but no action has been taken regarding the roof at this time.

The Town is still awaiting its CHIPS payment and a $50,000 grant for improvements made to Christy Road from the State. McAvoy commended the Highway Department for its work during what he called a “relentless” winter.

The Town has already collected enough in taxes to cover its portion for the Town Budget and fire protection costs for this coming year. The remaining tax payments that have yet to be paid will cover the County’s portion.

Also of note, Town Board member Chris Jackson suggested the Town look into offering a property tax exemption to military veterans. Town Board member Larry Ball, a veteran, spoke in favor of the idea. The Town Board will look into the matter more in the coming months.

Two building permits were approved, two dog licenses were issued, a marriage certificate was issued, and a cemetery plot was sold in the month of January for a total of $572 collected by the Town Clerk.

The Town is also in the early stages of implementing a text message notification system through SlickText. The same program is utilized by the Village of Cassadaga to alert residents of pertinent information. More information will be made available at a later date.

The next meeting of the Arkwright Town Board is Monday, March 10 at 6:30 p.m.