Elbridge Supervisor Ken Bush reported Wednesday night that, thanks to ongoing Thruway construction and a no-mercy attitude toward speeding in the work zone, law enforcement have handed out 345 percent more speeding violations since this time last year.
Since January, Elbridge town court has addressed 984 speeding violations — up from just 221 at the same time last year.
The increased revenue, though, will probably not go far, as the additional workload has created a need for a part-time court clerk, Bush said.
The board approved to allocate a maximum of $2,150 toward the part-time clerk.
Ad-hoc fire committee enthusiastic
The ad-hoc committee to study Jordan-Elbridge fire service met in July and would meet again Aug. 12, Councilor George Betts said.
Betts said there are no plans to hire a consultant, and that the committee is made up of representatives of the town, villages and Jordan and Elbridge volunteer fire departments. The committee will review the studies commissioned by other departments and municipalities, and will focus specifically on the possibility of consolidating administrative services.
The committee has a “roll up your sleeves” attitude, Betts said, and wants to find ways to save money.
“But our number one goal is to see better service to the community in terms of fire service, and we will not lose sight of that goal,” he said.
Ralston gifts town
Councilor Bruce Ralston presented fellow board members with a sketch of the Pennsylvania Blue Stone slab that would be placed in the yard of Elbridge Town Hall. The slab will be four inches thick and feature the town name and logo. Ralston, whose term will end in November and has decided not to run for re-election, said the slab would be his “gift on my way out.”
JET gets GPS guidance
Mark Grasmeyer reported that the Jordan-Elbridge Transporation program, JET, was in full swing and growing steadily.
“Every day I’m getting more calls,” Grasmeyer said.
He added that a GPS device will soon be installed on the JET minibus to help volunteer drivers navigate their routes.
The JET system is running two to three routes a week, just a month after the service began.
