In 2017, then-County Executive Horrigan and Legislator Pierre Chagnon sought and received County Legislature approval to form the Chautauqua Lake Protection and Rehabilitation Agency (CLPRA) to study formation of a special taxation district for the lake.

They recognized that the County Legislature, with an overwhelming majority of legislators representing districts not bordering the lake, might not be depended upon to vote sufficient annual funding to protect and rehabilitate the lake. After five years and two consultants, the CLPRA voted against the formation of the new district and disbanded January 19.

The town of Ellery had been actively seeking to understand CLPRA plans and educate near-lake property owners since shortly after the CLPRA was formed. Ellery representatives attended CLPRA meetings over the years and, as early as 2021, communicated issues with the CLPRA’s first consultant’s survey and initial plans seeking to increase agency representation to include all, not just a handful, of lakeside municipalities.

The town watched as a second consultant was contracted in early 2022. As that consultant began to share their work in the summer of 2022, the town conducted a CLPRA public meeting to educate the public in late August. In late December, the consultant recommended their preferred district funding approach, to tax watershed property owners based on the amount of a property’s “impervious surface”. The town’s second CLPRA public meeting was held in mid-January 2023 just prior to a CLPRA vote to select a preferred funding approach on January 19, 2023.

In that mid-January meeting, the town suggested “The (CLPRA) Cart Was Before the Horse,” that it was too soon for the vote since supporting work was incomplete and key questions remained unanswered.

CLPRA members voted against further work on the district in its January 19 meeting, the CLPRA was disbanded, and the “no CLPRA District” result was communicated to the County Legislature.

The obvious question is “want’s next”. “I don’t know”, “trust me”, and “more of the same” are unacceptable answers. We appreciate Chautauqua County’s efforts on behalf of the lake but suggest it is time for increased lakeside municipality leadership to put “the horse back before the cart.”

The town recommends a six-step plan. It includes:

¯ Reach agreement on an overarching goal for Chautauqua Lake management among lakeside municipality, Chautauqua County, and New York state leaders using a slightly modified New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Mission Statement/Goal as follows: “To conserve, improve and protect Chautauqua Lake natural resources and environment and to prevent, abate and control water, land, and air pollution, to enhance the health, safety, and welfare of the people of Chautauqua County and their overall economic and social well-being. The goal is to achieve this mission through the simultaneous pursuit of environmental quality, public health, economic prosperity, and social well-being, including environmental justice and the empowerment of individuals to participate in environmental decisions that affect their lives.”

¯ Contract with a major university-led consortium of scientists, engineers, project managers, and other key disciplines to develop a multi-year Chautauqua Lake Management Plan with near- and long-term implementation plans, capital and operating expense estimates, quantitative progress measurements, and potential funding sources.

¯ Request the County Legislature allocate a significant portion of the now excess $7,000,000 of the $7,700,000 designated for “Clean Water” in the county’s American Recovery Act Plan budget which is no longer needed for Phase 2 of the Westside sewer extension. This would be used for development and initial implementation of the Chautauqua Lake Management Plan.

¯ Revisit county-wide funding instead of special district taxation, for Chautauqua Lake protection and rehabilitation. Consider the use of existing property, sales, and occupancy tax revenue with the potential for increases in such tax rates including review of occupancy tax exemptions and enhanced collection of current occupancy tax levies.

¯ Form an organization of lakeside municipality mayors and supervisors, supported by Chautauqua County and New York state, unaffiliated with lake organizations, to oversee development and implementation of the new Chautauqua Lake Management Plan and manage lake and watershed activities consistent with the goal established at the outset.

¯ Encourage State Senator Borrello and Assemblyman Goodell to further develop and use their influence to garner additional state funding for the New York state-owned Chautauqua Lake and assist the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in fulfilling all their Mission/Goal requirements, with increased focus on improvement of the lake and enhancement of health, safety, welfare, economic prosperity, and social well-being of people.

The town of Ellery will hold its third public meeting with focus on “What’s Next” and this six-point plan from 9 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, February 18, at The Lawson Center in Bemus Point. Please hold the date and plan to attend.

Larry Anderson is the Ellery town supervisor. Jim Wehrfritz is a consultant on lake issues for the town of Ellery.