Special meeting is Saturday to discuss Village Casino roof project
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BEMUS POINT – The Bemus Point Village Board will hold a special meeting at 9 a.m. Saturday to discuss a bond issue to replace the Village Casino roof.
Items on the agenda for Saturday's meeting include:
– Resolution 56 -- Retain Municipal Solutions Inc. for financial advisory management services;
– Resolution 57-- Retain Douglas E. Goodfriend of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP as bond counsel;
– Resolution 58 -- Authorize structural repairs and roof replacement at the Village Casino, 1 Lakeside Drive, and the issuance of Bond Anticipation Notes and Serial Bonds for the project;
– Resolution 59 -- Authorize the mayor to execute a time and materials contract with G.L. Olson Inc. for the Village Casino project.
"I believe we have a clear pathway forward," Bemus Point Mayor Jeff Molnar said, specifically addressing the forthcoming meeting concerning Resolutions 58 and 59. "We've requested a vote because time is of the essence; adverse weather is approaching, and we need to proceed with these repairs."
The responsibility for the project is the village's since the Village Casino restaurant building is both village-owned and privately rented. During September's Bemus Point Village Board meeting, Jeff Molnar, Bemus Point mayor, told Bemus Point Village Board members that the Village Casino needs a major overhaul.
“There are currently four or five layers of shingles deep on the roof,” Molnar said. “Additionally, the engineer we consulted indicated that the building's design is flawed and that the trusses require repair/replacement as well. We cannot postpone this issue any longer - we must address it. You can say we’re fixing the sins of the past."
Molnar reported that he received three bids for shingle roofing and three bids for metal roofing with price variations ranging from $20,000 to $400,000 for the same project using the same materials.
Deputy Mayor Jeff Farnham voiced his support for a more permanent project so that the Village Board isn't kicking the can down the road for others to solve.
“You know how I feel,” he said. “A metal roof is the way to go. Plus, it provides the best value for the money spent. We’ll be long gone before the roof would ever need to be touched again.”
The Casino and the Bemus Point village park’s earliest history dates back to the early 1800s. Native American Tribes in New York state would meet where the Casino building is now located to eat, drink, and dance throughout the evening and into the wee hours of the morning. By the next day, the tribes would have reaffirmed their relationships for years to come, the village’s website states.