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LAKEWOOD – The Lakewood Village Board is asking Chautauqua County to expand staffing on a county EMS ambulance to better serve the village.
During its most recent meeting, the board unanimously approved a resolution asking the county to expand staffing so that Ambulance A-73 could be used 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The village's resolution states EMS responses have grown over the years, which is increasing the strain under the 911 mutual aid system.
"Chautuqua County Emergency Services provides invaluable support and assistance to the village and all Chautauqua County fire departments," the resolution states. "CCEMS staff as part of their response an ambulance currently located in Ashville, N.Y., assigned as A-73 during the day hours, and whereas the need for this ambulance has drastically increased, especially during the nighttime when the apparatus is not currently staffed to respond to 911 calls through the region."
Trustee Ben Troche proposed the resolution and said the village's resolution was approved in July in advance of County Executive PJ Wendel's 2027 budget proposal to the Chautauqua County Legislature so that the increased EMS staffing can possibly be included in Wendel's proposal. Ellen Barnes seconded the motion.
In other business:
– Tom Marlinski asked the board to stop Group Ther-Happy from having live music on Sundays when the Lakewood Community Development Corporation has concerts at Richard O. Hartley Park. Marlinski said the music at the Chautauqua Avenue establishment is too loud on Sundays, with the Lakewood resident saying he has stopped calling the police over the issue. Board members said they would ask Matthew Bentley, Lakewood-Busti police chief, to speak with the bar's owners to tell them the board is contemplating pulling the bar's special use permit because of how loudly the music is being played.
– Board members also approved authorizing Mayor Randy Holcomb to apply for a state Department of State Local Waterfront Revitalization Program grant for the Hartley Park Waterfront Revitalization and Shoreline Improvement Project. Board members supported the master plan for the project in December before hiring EcoStrategies Engineering and Surveying as a consultant to refine the project.
– Contracts with the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy, now renamed the Everwild Land Trust, and the Chautauqua Lake Watershed and Management Alliance for the Fairmount Avenue Constructed Wetland Water Quality Improvement Project were unanimously approved. The project area is close to the Fairmount Avenue viaduct near Fifties Restaurant and the Save-A-Lot plaza. Water comes down and funnels through the basin before it goes under the train tracks. The basin has filled in with a lot of sediment over the years, and it’s overgrown with vegetation. Sediment will be excavated, overgrown vegetation removed and the area beautified. New trees will be planted for a neighboring house. The work will better treat pollutants moving toward Chautauqua Lake and improve floor control.
Funding has been provided from a 2023 Water Quality Improvement Project grant from New York state as well as money from the state DEC’s Environmental Protection Fund. Matching funds have been provided from county bed tax money and the Chautauqua Lake Watershed and Management Alliance match fund. Construction is expected to begin this year.