OBSERVER Photos by Braden Carmen
Sheridan Town Supervisor Tom Wik, left, and Town Board member Joe White, right, listen to comments from Sheridan Firefighter Joel Szymczak at a recent meeting.
The Town Board approved an agreement with Professional Contractors, owned and operated by Sheridan resident Norm Struzynski, for indoor and outdoor improvements to the Community Center. The interior renovations will cost $16,128, while the exterior renovations will cost $21,624.
The Town requested quotes for the work, which was split into two separate projects, and Struzynski was the only one to respond. The Board approved both projects unanimously. American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding will be utilized for each project.
The Town Board is also planning to renovate the restrooms at the Community Center. The current facilities are not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Town has received a rendering for the updated facilities, but is still waiting for specifications. The work is not anticipated to begin until after the elections this fall.
ARPA funds will also be utilized for the restroom renovations, as long as the funds have not yet expired.
Sheridan Firefighter Joel Szymczak requested ARPA funding from the Town Board at a recent meeting to purchase a piece of equipment for the Fire Department.
However, there are more needs in the Town than just the Community Center. The Town Board also heard from Joel Szymczak of the Sheridan Fire Department, who requested ARPA funding to assist with the purchase of a powered cot to load patients into the ambulance.
The Sheridan Fire Department previously requested funding to purchase a battery operated rescue tool for auto extraction on two separate occasions in the fall of 2022, but the Department was told the Town was unsure of how much ARPA funding would be made available.
Since that time, the Department purchased the piece of equipment, as well as a new ambulance to transport patients and a stretcher, purchased through grants and fundraisers. The Department is hoping to receive assistance to purchase its latest equipment request, which Szymczak said would reduce the risk of injury to both the patient and the emergency service personnel required to load the patient in the ambulance. The cost is $30,000, and the Department does not have the funds available to cover the cost itself.
Town Supervisor Tom Wik responded that the Town is still unsure of how much ARPA money it will have left over once the funds necessary for the renovations to the Community Center have been allocated. Town Board member Colleen Yerico stated the Town had approximately $95,000 remaining prior to the approval of the interior and exterior work, as well as the restroom renovations. The two contracts approved that night for the indoor and exterior work totaled $37,752.
“We’re not opposed to it at all, definitely, if there is anything left,” Yerico said.
Town Board member Joe White later commended the Sheridan Fire Department for its efforts with the “tornadic activity” last month.
The Town is also proceeding with Phase II of Sheridan Bay Park renovations, featuring a new bathhouse. The Town will soon put the project out to bid with a total project cost estimated to be $562,300, with grant funding covering the cost of the project. The Town’s Highway Department will be providing the labor for the project. Work will likely begin after the camping season concludes this fall, with bids to be sought in the coming months.
The Town Board also approved a bid from Kravitz Tree Service for the removal of a tree on a Town cemetery that is posing a risk to a neighbor’s home at a cost of $900.
In the month of June, the Town Court collected $25,004; Code Enforcement collected $488; and the Town Clerk’s office collected $123.25.
The Chautauqua County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan updates were also approved by the Town Board.
The next regular Town Board meeting is Aug. 14 at 7 p.m.