Jamestown officials are looking into applying with the state to receive free syringe disposal kiosk that would be placed in certain parts of the city to curtail the problem of dirty needles. P-J photo by Dennis Phillips

Used needles in city parking garages and parks is an issue that isn’t going away.

So to curtail the problem associated with dirty needles, Jamestown officials are looking to install syringe disposal kiosks in certain areas of the city. During a Jamestown City Council work session meeting Monday, Kari Huels and Kelley Potter of Prevention Works presented the program titled “Syringe Disposal: A Call To Action.”

Huels said there is a state funded program that would purchase the syringe disposal kiosks and one year of medical waste disposal services. She said Advowaste is a regional medical waste disposal company that could perform the service for the city.

Huels toured the city with Dan Stone, city parks manager, to see some of the areas in the city that are problematic when it comes to syringes not being disposed of properly. These areas included city parks like Panzarella and Dow, the Greater Jamestown Riverwalk and city parking garages. She said Chautauqua County is considered a high-intensity drug area, so Jamestown should be approved for the program.

“Our area has a high rate of substance abuse,” she said.

Huels said this a multi-agency effort, and she is also working with the Jamestown Police Department and Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office.

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist said a general box was placed in one of the city’s parking garages and people started to use it for disposing of needles. He added that Jamestown officials will be moving forward with starting a syringe disposal kiosk program in the city.

In other business:

¯ City officials discussed the possibility of doubling fines for the use of illegal fireworks following the council’s discussion earlier this month. Jeff Russell, At-Large councilman, said during a Public Safety Committee meeting June 7 he would like Elliot Raimondo, city corporation counsel, to review the city ordinance that covers the use of illegal fireworks to determine if city officials can increase the fine structure so there is a hardship for those using pyrotechnics.

Russell, a retired police officer, said in the past, police officers could make a custodial arrest for nuisance noise makers. He said, however, since bail reform changes last year, that is no longer the case. He added that increasing the fine structure could be how the city reaches “zero tolerance” when it comes to setting off illegal fireworks.

On Monday, Russell said he met with Raimondo and Tim Jackson, Jamestown Police Department chief and city public safety director, and they discussed possibly doubling the fine structure. He said city officials could also change the language of the statute to include possession of illegal fireworks being a crime.

“The issues is now, officers respond to some of these calls, and often when they get there, the fireworks are over, but the people could still be in possession of them,” Russell said.

Russell said people setting off illegal fireworks could also be charged with endangering the welfare of a child if they are doing it around someone who is 10 years old or younger.

Raimondo said the city’s law deals with illegal fireworks, which are those purchased in other states like Ohio or Pennsylvania.

¯ Sundquist informed the council that Busti will be dropping out of its shared services agreement with the city for assessment services this fall. He said this follows North Harmony and Chautauqua doing the same last year. He added that the city still has a shared services agreeement for assessor services with the town of Carroll, Ellicott, Harmony and Kiantone and with the villages of Celoron, Falconer and Lakewood.

“So that is a 17-year shared assessor agreement that they’ve decided they will not be continuing come September,” he said.

Sundquist was asked why Busti is dropping the city’s assessment services agreement.

“I think there has been some concern that they can get a cheaper service,” he said.

¯ Tom Nelson, Ward 6 councilman and Public Works Commitee chairman, announced that city officials have assessed the section of property along West Second Street Kurt Johnson, Shawbucks owner, wants to purchase at $1,000.

Earlier this month, city officials discussed Johnson’s proposal to purchase city property to construct a three-story deck for outdoor seating at his restaurant, located at 212 W. Second St., Jamestown.

According to a letter from Johnson to city officials, he would like to purchase 16 feet by 61 feet of city property along West Second Street for the proposed three-story deck. He said the deck would be used for additional outdoor seating for the restaurant and for when downtown events are being held. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, several block parties happened along West Second Street near the restaurant, like during the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival.

Nelson said Monday that the city Planning Commission will now discuss the proposal. If the commission approves the proposal, the council would then have to approve the sale before it’s finalized.