By Russ Tarby
Contributing Writer
The Liverpool Village Board of Trustees will conduct four separate public hearings on four separate topics at its next meeting, which takes place at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 11,
First, residents and business owners can comment on a newly proposed local ordinance titled “Filming Permits.” At the trustees’ March 18 meeting, Mayor Gary White praised village Codes Enforcement Officer Bill Reagan for writing “a really great document” after researching the issue. Reagan assessed the way other municipalities regulate filming within their borders.
Last year director Jeremy Garelick’s production company, American High, produced four movies here, after he bought the Zogg Building at 800 Fourth St. The first two movies were “Holly Slept Over” and “Banana Split,” then they transformed the old high-school building into “Goody Proctor High,” the setting of the comedy-horror film “Looks Can Kill.” Later in 2018, “Saturday Night Live” comedian Pete Davidson rolled into the village to shoot another teen-oriented laugher called “Big Time Adolescence.”
While American High executives apparently remain out of town this month, their building manager, Paul Stacey, attended the March 18 trustees’ meeting.
Three other public hearings will be convened on April 11 at the Village Hall on Sycamore Street. Another proposed ordinance aimed at regulating the management and maintenance of village-owned trees will also be conducted, along with hearings on amendments to the village code designed to aid applicants regarding zoning issues and site-plan reviews and another hearing on the proposed 2019-2020 village budget.
The proposed $2.7 million budget calls for spending $247,000 in capital projects, but Village Clerk Mary Ellen Sims recommends tapping the village’s fund balance to pay for those projects, so that there would be no increase in the current village tax rate of $12.45 per $1,000 in assessed property value.
The proposed capital projects include roof and air-conditioning and heating repairs for the Village Hall for $100,000, repairing the roof at the DPW building for $40,000 and purchasing a new police cruiser for $35,000.
LPD stats for February
At the trustees’ March 18 meeting, Liverpool Police Chief Donald Morris reported his department’s activity during the previous month.
In February, LPD officers made 337 traffic stops and issued 215 citations for violations of the state’s vehicle and traffic laws and wrote nine parking tickets. They also made three arrests for driving while intoxicated and investigated five accidents.
Officers made 182 residential property checks in February while responding a total of 538 incidents and calls for service.
The department made 35 arrests in February on a total of 51 criminal charges.
