A south county leader is looking to bring back two dormant organizations that may help promote cooperation among local municipalities.

In December, Bemus Point Mayor Jeff Molnar hosted a meeting with about 20 representatives in hopes of combining the mayors and supervisors associations in Chautauqua County.

Molnar said former Bemus Point Mayor Bryan Dahlberg had previously been involved in one of the association; the village’s current mayor is now looking to bring local elected leaders back together on a semi-regular basis under one umbrella.

“The benefit is we get everyone to share ideas and experiences,” Molnar said. “With supervisors and mayors, there’s a lot of people with maybe not a lot of experience. This affords us a chance to get together and share some ideas with one another.”

Molnar said the previous iteration of the mayors and supervisors associations largely went dormant around the COVID-19 pandemic.

Falconer Mayor James Jaroszynski was among several local officials who attended December’s meeting. He expressed optimism the revamped group will benefit municipalities.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Jaroszynski, who has been spearheading efforts in Falconer to revive its downtown corridor with new business and other development.

Jaroszynski also has been attempting to revive the dormant Falconer Business Association to coincide with the downtown efforts.

Meanwhile, Molnar noted that Bemus Point recently had been awarded three different grants. He said he’s open to sharing tips with other mayors and supervisors about applying for grants, the majority of which are highly competitive.

“Some of the towns and villages have had success on certain things, and this is something they can share with others,” the Bemus Point mayor said.