Car club looking at fire station

DUNKIRK — Converting the former fire station here into a new headquarters for the Crown City Cruisers classic car club is under consideration.
City council members listened to a presentation Monday from Max Weaver, president of the car club.
The former fire station at the southeast corner of Commerce and Indiana Streets, has been vacant for the past two years since the fire department moved into its new building in the Dunkirk Industrial Park.
The old structure is currently only being used for storage and needs repairs, Mayor Ron Hunt said Monday.
Weaver said the Crown City Cruisers are interested in entering into a lease agreement similar to one with Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7081 on the former EMS building at the southeast corner of Main and Washington streets.
“We’d like to see what the cost would be,” Weaver said, adding that the proposal will be on the agenda for discussion at the club’s next meeting Thursday in Dunkirk Union Hall.
Hunt said he would be willing to let car club members tour the structure prior to their 6:30 p.m. meeting and would allow city attorney Bill Hinkle work with the club on a lease.
Weaver said the club is interested in setting up a headquarters building — preferably within the city limits — and the old fire station was being considered because it had garage facilities as well as a meeting room area.
“I think we’d all be better off if that building was occupied,” councilman Chuck Rife pointed out.
In other business Monday night, city council members:
•Heard city resident Renee Blumenhorst complain about motorists driving too fast on West Jay Street and other sections of the neighborhood around Westlawn Elementary School. She asked if some “Children at play” signs could be located in that vicinity, noting that there were several families with small youngsters living in that area.
Blumenhorst said she also felt more police patrolling would be helpful in that part of town.
Hunt agreed with both points, saying that he would arrange to have signs put up.
•Listened to a request from Dunkirk Librarian Ailesia Franklin to have a sign erected near the library, warning drivers about numerous children crossing Washington Street in that area.
Franklin said she was also dissatisfied with how she was treated by one of the city police dispatchers when she tried to report an incident to the police department recently. Hunt said he would talk to Police Chief Dane Mumbower about both issues.
•Heard Delaware County Regional Wastewater District representative Max Able ask if the city would consider allowing several rural Delaware County homes to tie into the Dunkirk sewer system. He said that some of the homes had failing septic fields. Able said about 25 homes could hook into the Dunkirk plant with a total flow of 6,000 to 8,000 gallons of wastewater a day. City officials said they would review the request further and try to determine how to charge for this service.
•Took a second look at a water bill issue from the previous meeting relating to Shirley Davis, 831 S. Franklin St. She had complained that her water meter had been misread by a city employee, resulting in a higher water bill. At the previous meeting, the late fee penalty was waived but no adjustment in the bill was granted. Council member Judy Garr recommended Monday that after further review, she thought a billing correction was justified. She recommended giving Davis a $7.69 credit in addition to waiving the $1.95 late fee. Garr’s proposal was approved unanimously.
•Approved a request from councilman Eric Bowler to hire a part-time, temporary employee for the street department with wages for the remainder of the year not to exceed $4,000.
•Listened to a request that shelter be provided to protect students from bad weather conditions while waiting for buses at West Jay Middle School. City officials said that such a proposal should be made to the Jay School Corporation since the shelter would be located on school property.
•Set a special budget review and council work session for 10 a.m. Friday in city hall. This will be an open meeting. Also an executive session of the council was set for 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 31, at the request of the mayor to discuss an employee’s job performance.
•Rescheduled the next Dunkirk Board of Public Works and Safety meeting from Labor Day to the following Tuesday, Sept. 7, at 5 p.m. in city hall.[[In-content Ad]]