Fredonia Mayor Michael Ferguson poses for a photo Friday. He officially took over the mayor’s office Monday. P-J photo by M.J. Stafford

FREDONIA — Planning and cooperation topped a long list of things on the mind of new Fredonia Mayor Michael Ferguson during an interview at a downtown restaurant Friday.

The wide-ranging chat with the talkative Ferguson spent much time on the top issue in the village for years: its water system. Trustees voted Dec. 26 to decommission the water plant, draw down the reservoir and buy water from the city of Dunkirk.

“For many, it will never be the right answer, no matter which way we go,” he said. “I don’t feel that there was undue pressure by the county in any way. They set a deadline that, frankly, probably should have been discussed 30 years ago. It was something where the time had come to decide what our future was with regards to water. I think it was a very difficult decision for the trustees to make. You’re darned if you do and darned if you don’t.”

He has toured the Fredonia reservoir and water filtration plant. “The reservoir is absolutely beautiful,” he said. “The system is 100-odd years old. Originally, my question was, ‘if you had a car with 120,000 miles on it, and you couldn’t inspect it, and you couldn’t get it insured any more, do you continue to put money into that car, or say it’s time to look at other options?””

Ferguson continued that decommissioning the reservoir may not end its benefit to Fredonia. It could be used for recreational or development uses, he said.

Opponents of using Dunkirk water have claimed there are dangerous pharmaceuticals in Lake Erie, the city’s source. Ferguson said: “Right now, there’s no evidence in reports going to the county that Dunkirk has that in it. That doesn’t mean that it’s not in it — maybe the amounts are untraceable or not levels that can be traced. Certainly, we’ll keep an eye on it.”

Ferguson noted that the village must also address its meter and main problems.

The recent water decision plays into a concern Ferguson has.

“The reason I decided to run for this particular position is I think, not just Fredonia, our community as a whole, has been more reactive than proactive,” he said. “Proactivity could be preventative maintenance on properties we run and operate. It could be seeking out funding before it comes and goes. (It could be) keeping a list of projects and a priority on those projects, so that we’re constantly seeking opportunities that benefit our community as a whole.”

Ferguson wants an atmosphere at Village Hall with “a sense of respect (that) everybody does their job. It’s easy to point fingers… When we’re at home with a cup of hot chocolate in the middle of a snowstorm, watching the Bills, and a water main breaks, there’s men and women down in those holes with 20 below zero wind chill factors that are doing that job that you and I probably don’t want to be doing.”

Fredonia’s new mayor called for a long term “road map” for the village. “You and I don’t go on vacation not knowing where we’re going to go and how we’re going to get there. I think sometimes the agendas are so packed and the need is so great, that when you’re working what is called a ‘part-time government’ — there’s no such thing, we know that — the ability to stay on the map, see where we’re going to be after the first year and the next four years, is critical to the decision making.

“That’s my goal, using my management and leadership background, to develop that vision.”

He later added: “We need to be making decisions based on our children, our grandchildren, our great-grandchildren.”