From left Diane and John Rogowski air concerns to Busti Town Board members about South Avenue maintenance. P-J photo by Michael Zabrodsky

LAKEWOOD – A South Avenue resident in the town of Busti wants to know what municipality maintains the road.

The road is basically split down the middle where one side of the road is in the City of Jamestown, and the other side is in the town. The section of South Avenue is near the south end of Chautauqua Avenue.

John Rogowski, who resides at 647 South Ave., lives on the town side. He and his wife Diane addressed the Busti Town Board on Monday.

Rogowski said a year ago he went before Busti officials and there was no movement on an agreement with the city.

And he has experienced problems with storm drainage, and snow plowing. Rogowski said he has talked with city officials, and they are willing to come to agreement with town officials about the road.

“I went to a meeting last week in Jamestown with Mark Roetzer. And I talked with several people at that meeting, and they all said that not one of you had contacted one of them. You had a year to contact them. … The funny thing is, they (city officials) are more than open to negotiating with your political entity to figure out how to take care of that road together,” Rogowski said.

Rogowski added that when city snowplow trucks have damaged his mailbox, almost damaged a fire hydrant, and have come “dangerously close” to some parked cars.

Rogowski told town board members that city officials have not had a response from the town.

“They (city officials) should check their email more often,” Town Attorney Joel Seachrist said.

Seachrist added that he had recently sent an e-mail to city officials to start a discussion.

Town Supervisor Jesse Robbins said South Avenue has to be brought up to town standards before any crews can work on it.

Town officials said South Avenue is a “paper street” and it’s not a road that Busti Highway Department workers maintain.

“There are many other paper streets in the town of Busti that the town does not maintain,” Seachrist said.

Rogowski said that a year ago Busti Board members laughed at him for asking what the town does for him.

“I know that sounds silly, but why am I paying this tax money to Busti if I actually am getting nothing,” Rogowski said.

Board Member Todd Hanson said in order for the town to maintain South Avenue, several upgrades would have to take place so it can become a “legal street”.

“Once that road is built to the town standards the highway superintendent looks at it and says, ‘okay,’ and then we accept it as a legal Street, and then from that point on, we are responsible for it. That process never happened in your case,” Hanson noted.

At a December meeting of the City Council’s Public Works Committee, former councilman Randy Daversa said there is also no proper drainage on South Avenue because it is not a certified street with curbs, gutters and drainage.

Town officials now will wait until Seachrist finishes talks with Roetzer.

In other business:

– New Town Justice Sean Uber, New Town Councilman Tyler Nelson, and incumbent Hanson were all sworn-in to office.

– The board approved the New York State Department of Conservation to access Stillwater Creek along Lawson Road to conduct river otter and muskrat surveys.

– County Historian Norman Carlson told the board, the town should look into appointing a town historian.