According to Hanover Supervisor Lou Pelletter, representatives on behalf of the Hanover Center department visited the Town Hall earlier this week looking to further explore the potential of a merger.

The topic resulted in nearly 15 minutes of discussion at the latest Town Board meeting last week. However, it was Mark Woolley of Forestville initiating the discussion with the Board, not a member from Hanover Center.

Woolley asked where the Forestville Fire Department stood with its initial request to expand its coverage area. Pelletter voiced his frustration in responding, “What would probably be the easiest thing to do is just join the district that we all agreed on.”

The Town had hoped to combine all five departments — Sunset Bay, Silver Creek, Forestville, Hanover Center, and Irving — into one fire district, but at a public meeting, Forestville, Hanover Center, and Irving expressed that they all had other plans.

Hanover Town Supervisor Lou Pelletter voiced his frustration with fire merger discussions at a recent Town Board meeting.

Since that point, the Town has pledged $15,000 to cover the legal costs to initiate a merger of the Sunset Bay and Silver Creek fire departments. Brad Pinsky, an attorney focused on Fire and Emergency Service agencies, is facilitating the formation of one fire district to cover the territory of both departments.

“Hanover Center, Irving, and you are welcome to join it,” Pelletter said to Woolley. “That’s where we’re at right now. I’m not discussing it anymore. I have discussed this thing for a year and a half. I’m done.”

Woolley asked for more clarification to present to the members of the Forestville board. Forestville wishes to include the Town of Arkwright in its coverage area, as it currently contracts with Arkwright for fire protection. Pelletter said a decision on how that would be determined would be up to the commissioners chosen to lead the new district.

Regarding any departments having a change of heart — whether Hanover Center, Irving, or Forestville — Pelletter said he would be in favor of it. However, now that the process is underway, it would also be up to the two departments already in the process of merging.

“Our concern right now is to get this district up and running, then see where everything else falls into place,” Deputy Supervisor Bernie Feldmann said. He later added, “It’s finally going forward. We’ve got companies that want to merge. We’re going to go ahead and do the merger. Then, everything else can fall into place after that.”

Pelletter is unsure, however, if the entire Hanover Center department is fully on board with merging with Sunset Bay and Silver Creek, or if it was just a few members of the department trying to further evaluate the option. Woolley later asked if Forestville and Hanover Center would be allowed to merge.

“You can do whatever you want to do. I’m forming a taxing district,” Pelletter said.

Feldmann also assured that all of the departments would be receiving payment shortly, as per the approved contracts. He shot down a rumor of contracts being pulled as a result of the fire district discussions.

“Right from the start, our comment was we don’t want to hurt anybody financially. Everybody is getting the money that we promised to start in 2025. That’s the money the Town is going to pay each department. There is no pullback of money,” Feldmann said.

The Board entered into executive session at the end of the meeting to discuss contract negotiations. Silver Creek Mayor Jeff Hornburg was also invited to join the discussion.