KENNEDY — The cost of providing smart phones for members of the Poland Town Highway Department was discussed by the Town Board recently.

A resident who attended the meeting said she had checked with the neighboring towns, and their departments do not provide the same services. One town provides cellphones with limited talk and text.

Another only provides a phone for their highway superintendent, and he gets the numbers for his individual workers for their own self-provided phones.

Two other towns only provide a phone for the highway superintendent.

Town Supervisor Kelly Snow said there is nothing in the highway department contract about the employees paying for their own phones. They are currently in the second year of a three-year contract.

When board representatives talked with workers, they said that they would be willing to pay part of the cost — the difference between a flip phone and a smart phone.

When the resident asked if they had started to do so, she was told that they had not.

One board member wondered if the town would incur extra costs if they were to remove the cellphones for department workers from their contract with the provider.

The resident still felt it was not right that the taxpayers paid for the phones.

County Legislator John Davis told the board there was a roll call vote in opposition of a wind turbine farm in Lake Erie, which he supported.

He noted that Chautauqua County was taking part in early voting this year. Sites will be the Board of Elections Hall R. Clothier Building in Mayville; the Chautauqua County Fairgrounds 4-H building in Dunkirk; and the Chautauqua Mall in Lakewood.

From Saturday, Oct. 26, through Sunday, Nov. 3, limited hours will be available at these sites for registered voters.

The Town Board next meets Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m.