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North Harmony is going to contract with the town of Chautauqua for additional help with code enforcement.
Rick Walzak will be paid $37.50 an hour for the roughly 12 hours a week he is expected to help handle inspections in North Harmony, with part of that payment to pay for Walczak’s benefits that the town of Chautauqua pays into. Walczak will also be paid mileage by North Harmony.
Dick Sena, Town Board member, asked why the town didn’t explore a shared services contract with the town of Busti for $25 an hour. According to minutes from the meeting, North Harmony had been looking for help forsix months, with Walzak one of five to respond to the town’s advertisement. Board member Larry Pfiel said Walzak will work as needed while the town pursues other options that may come at a lower rate. Sena was still concerned that North Harmony had only reached out to one other town, with board members asking Sena if he would reach out to Busti officials to see if a contract was possible.
There was a question asked about why Walzak wasn’t offered a position on the town’s payroll since there is a vacancy. Pfeil said it was easier to contract with an inspector while helping the town of Chautauqua as well.
The board unanimously approved the contract with Walzak.
Board members also discussed a 2027 project to replace a pipe on Carpenter Pringle Road. Preliminary project design is complete, though adjustments can still be made. Work should take place next year, taking between one and three months at a cost of $225,000 that is reimbursable by the state. Louise Ortman, acting town supervisor, said the town is going to match any in-kind contributions with the town’s highway department. Benjamin Karlson, town highway superintendent, said cash flow could become an issue with the project and said the town should consider a Bond Anticipation Note before work begins. It was decided there was no need to take out a BAN now and begin accruing interest until the town knows of upcoming purchases.
Karlson also discussed with board members a proposal to clear 1.64 acres of land at the town Highway Department for a central plant to make blacktop. Karlson said the department needs more space for dense-grade products that the Highway Department could pursue. It is mixed on-site and there isn’t enough room right now. Karlson suggested a survey to see if there is any timber worth anything.
Board members expressed concerns about neighboring homes, with Karlson saying the town can include mitigation measures in a final proposal to make the plan more appealing to neighbors as well as the equipment being able to be moved so it wouldn’t be in one spot permanently. Sena said he would like to see a plan to see what the area would look like. Board members unanimously approved the survey.
In other business, Bemus Point Mayor Jeff Molnar, Jay Kuntz of the Bemus Point-Stow Ferry and John Ford and Heather Nolan-Caskey of the Chautauqua Lake Association thanked Robert Yates, who retired as North Harmony’s town supervisor, for his work over the years.