March 13, 2018 at 3:58 a.m.
New procedure approved
Dunkirk City Council
New procedure approved
DUNKIRK — Repair, document, verify.
That is the process that will be required in order to be eligible for a water bill adjustment as the result of a leak.
Dunkirk City Council on Monday approved an ordinance outlining the new procedure.
It also decided to set up a meeting to discuss the progress being made on the Todd Building project and approved a variety of donations.
Council members had discussed the potential changes to the procedure for water bill adjustments at their Feb. 26 meeting, and city attorney Wes Schemenaur had the final version of the ordinance ready to be voted on Monday.
That ordinance requires the following:
•The resident pay for the necessary repair to be made.
•Photo evidence of the leak be provided to the city.
•A water department employee verify that the repair has been completed correctly.
Residents who meet those requirements can request a bill adjustment, but those decisions are still up to council’s discretion. If an adjustment is granted, it will be based on the property owner’s average bill over the course of the previous three months. A property owner will be limited to one such adjustment per 12-month period.
Council members Jesse Bivens, Tom Johnson, Bryan Jessup and Jack Robbins, absent Lisa Street, approved the ordinance.
Also Monday, Robbins requested that a meeting be set up between council, Dunkirk Industrial Development Corporation (DIDC) and the developers involved in the Todd Building project. He expressed concern about the amount of progress that has been made, also noting that state building permits are still not posted at the property.
Developer Ray Willey told The Commercial Review in November that he expected to have Firehouse BBQ, the first of two restaurants planned for the space, open this spring. Robbins expressed doubt that it would open at all this year.
Clerk-treasurer Tina Elliott pointed out that contractually — the developers agreed to certain stipulations in exchange for $75,000 each from the city and DIDC — it is not required to be open until 2019. (She also noted that about $90,000 of the $150,000 in local funds have been spent so far.)
Jessup and Mayor Gene Ritter expressed agreement that an informational session between the three parties would be a good idea, and Ritter said he would work to set it up.
“I just think we need to go by the contract. They don’t have to have that place open within the next few months,” said Jessup. “But I would like to know where it’s at, and a timetable, because I get asked this constantly.”
Council also approved a series of expenditures and donations, including: $500 for a banner at the Dunkirk Junior League fields; $300 for the Easter egg hunt scheduled for 2 p.m. March 31 at Dunkirk City Park; $250 for advertising during the Jay County 5K Circuit; $250 for Crown City Cruisers; $175 for West Jay Community Center’s summer soccer league and $100 for the Dunkirk Public Library summer reading program.
In other business, council:
•Heard from Elliott that she is looking into having a “panic button” in the city building for direct contact with police. The issue arose after there was an issue regarding a disgruntled customer.
•Discussed moving several line items that had inadvertently been shifted out of the park fund. Those changes will be made in the form of an ordinance at a future meeting. Council members also tabled a decision after talking about what money should be directed to a non-reverting fund for the pool.
•Learned from Robbins that all truck route signs have been put up. Several council members noted that truck traffic is still a problem on city streets but that they have seen police writing tickets in an effort to help rectify the issue.
•Approved spending up to $1,500 with Gabbard Fencing of Winchester for a fence around a new tank at the city pool.
•OK’d $25,000 in funding for payment of volunteer firefighters.
•Tabled a request for a water bill adjustment from Julie Adkins pending inspection by the water department.
•Was reminded that Dunkirk Neighborhood Crime Watch will host a chili cook-off at 6 p.m. Wednesday at West Jay Community Center.
•Heard fireworks are scheduled for June 30 this year with a backup date of July 7.
•Paid $152,478.29 in claims.
That is the process that will be required in order to be eligible for a water bill adjustment as the result of a leak.
Dunkirk City Council on Monday approved an ordinance outlining the new procedure.
It also decided to set up a meeting to discuss the progress being made on the Todd Building project and approved a variety of donations.
Council members had discussed the potential changes to the procedure for water bill adjustments at their Feb. 26 meeting, and city attorney Wes Schemenaur had the final version of the ordinance ready to be voted on Monday.
That ordinance requires the following:
•The resident pay for the necessary repair to be made.
•Photo evidence of the leak be provided to the city.
•A water department employee verify that the repair has been completed correctly.
Residents who meet those requirements can request a bill adjustment, but those decisions are still up to council’s discretion. If an adjustment is granted, it will be based on the property owner’s average bill over the course of the previous three months. A property owner will be limited to one such adjustment per 12-month period.
Council members Jesse Bivens, Tom Johnson, Bryan Jessup and Jack Robbins, absent Lisa Street, approved the ordinance.
Also Monday, Robbins requested that a meeting be set up between council, Dunkirk Industrial Development Corporation (DIDC) and the developers involved in the Todd Building project. He expressed concern about the amount of progress that has been made, also noting that state building permits are still not posted at the property.
Developer Ray Willey told The Commercial Review in November that he expected to have Firehouse BBQ, the first of two restaurants planned for the space, open this spring. Robbins expressed doubt that it would open at all this year.
Clerk-treasurer Tina Elliott pointed out that contractually — the developers agreed to certain stipulations in exchange for $75,000 each from the city and DIDC — it is not required to be open until 2019. (She also noted that about $90,000 of the $150,000 in local funds have been spent so far.)
Jessup and Mayor Gene Ritter expressed agreement that an informational session between the three parties would be a good idea, and Ritter said he would work to set it up.
“I just think we need to go by the contract. They don’t have to have that place open within the next few months,” said Jessup. “But I would like to know where it’s at, and a timetable, because I get asked this constantly.”
Council also approved a series of expenditures and donations, including: $500 for a banner at the Dunkirk Junior League fields; $300 for the Easter egg hunt scheduled for 2 p.m. March 31 at Dunkirk City Park; $250 for advertising during the Jay County 5K Circuit; $250 for Crown City Cruisers; $175 for West Jay Community Center’s summer soccer league and $100 for the Dunkirk Public Library summer reading program.
In other business, council:
•Heard from Elliott that she is looking into having a “panic button” in the city building for direct contact with police. The issue arose after there was an issue regarding a disgruntled customer.
•Discussed moving several line items that had inadvertently been shifted out of the park fund. Those changes will be made in the form of an ordinance at a future meeting. Council members also tabled a decision after talking about what money should be directed to a non-reverting fund for the pool.
•Learned from Robbins that all truck route signs have been put up. Several council members noted that truck traffic is still a problem on city streets but that they have seen police writing tickets in an effort to help rectify the issue.
•Approved spending up to $1,500 with Gabbard Fencing of Winchester for a fence around a new tank at the city pool.
•OK’d $25,000 in funding for payment of volunteer firefighters.
•Tabled a request for a water bill adjustment from Julie Adkins pending inspection by the water department.
•Was reminded that Dunkirk Neighborhood Crime Watch will host a chili cook-off at 6 p.m. Wednesday at West Jay Community Center.
•Heard fireworks are scheduled for June 30 this year with a backup date of July 7.
•Paid $152,478.29 in claims.
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