The Lakewood Village Board heard a proposal from the Lakewood Community Development Corp. Monday regarding upgrades to the playground at Hartley Park. P-J photo by Jay Young

LAKEWOOD–Lakewood Community Development Corp. President Bill Evans was granted permission Monday by the village board to move forward with plans to improve the Hartley Park playground.

Building a new playground has been considered for years, with Evans noting that the project offers an appropriate opportunity for a nonprofit organization like LCDC to contribute.

“Like many of you, we have noticed the existing playground at Hartley Park is run down and in need of replacement,” Evans said. “However, new playground equipment is surprisingly expensive. So we feel this is an area where LCDC can step in and help out through fundraising and project management of installing new playground equipment at Hartley Park.”

LCDC has been through early stages of planning on the project, and was granted permission by the board to continue its efforts.

“We have begun initial research on the fundraising and playground construction process. We have looked into new equipment costs, construction and fundraising timelines, and we have met with neighboring communities who have recently built playgrounds to get an idea of what the project will require,” Evans said.

Lakewood’s parks were recently upgraded with signage stating their hours of operation, and will soon be fitted with signs designating them nonsmoking and tobacco-free zones.

Village Attorney John LaMancuso reviewed a form resolution provided for the anti-tobacco legislation, with the board voting unanimously to approve the measure.

Lakewood-Busti Police Chief John Bentley updated the board on his efforts to procure two new patrol cars.

“Dodge has quit making the 2020 Dodge Chargers because of a labor dispute in Canada, and you can no longer order them. This is the plan. In my tentative budget I have budgeted for two cars,” Bentley said. “I would like to take my present investigator’s car and convert it into my (patrol car). Which can be done and can be done much more cheaply than actually buying a new car. I would like to replace that car with a (Dodge) Durango, one of these multi-service Durangos that we have.”

Bentley stated that converting the investigator’s car into a patrol car would be cost effective, while waiting for Dodge to resume production on the Charger.

“So it will be an unmarked Durango that I would like to be able to ask for a bid for now, and have the bids returnable on March 6. Then come August when they start making Chargers again, I would replace the other car that is due to be replaced at that time. Hopefully getting that car in October some time,” he said.

Bentley also added that the department had recently passed inspections by the New York State Department of Corrections for the department’s holding areas.

Kurt Hallberg, Lakewood fire chief, said that the department has responded to 66 alarms in February, including a structure fire 2244 Second Ave. in Cottage Park last week.

“Once we got in there we knocked it down pretty quick. They found a burner on the stove in the on position,” Hallberg said.

Department of Public Works Supervisor Tom Pilling said that he had received an estimate from National Grid of $922 or less for the cost of replacing 396 village street lights with more energy efficient alternatives.

Building Inspector Jeff Swanson gave copies of a resolution to the board regarding a potential fee structure for 5G wireless cellphone technology. Swanson said that the resolution was the result of work done by the town of Busti, which is nearing the point of approval for its resolution.

“It goes along with what New York state is going to say will be appropriate fees,” Swanson said.

In other business, the board accepted the resignation of John Shedd from the planning board, as well as William Chandler’s resignation as chairman. Chandler had expressed his desire to remain on the board, but to step down as chairman.