A public hearing regarding a 2010 NYS Parks and Recreational Trails Grant application for the Erie Canal will be held at 8:10 p.m. Wednesday Nov. 3 at the Van Buren Town Hall, corner of Van Buren and Ellsworth roads. Public input is needed for the application, which is due Nov. 5.
“It’d be nice if we can get a big chunk of change,” said Councilor Ronald Dudzinski.
If awarded the funds, the town plans to make the canal navigable for canoes from the Elbridge town line to the Camillus town line. This would include removing downed trees submerged in water, brush along the canal and sand bars in the canal, as well as creating a restroom structure somewhere along Van Buren’s portion of the trail. The grant is an 80/20 disbursement, of which the town is responsible for 20 percent of the total project cost, which can be paid for with in-kind services.
Two other public hearings will be held the same evening including the Van Buren preliminary budget hearing (7:30 p.m.) and a hearing regarding an amended PUD zone for Marion Meadows, a development planned along Van Buren Road (8 p.m.).
Bid awarded
The Town of Van Buren has awarded a contract to repair buildings at Van Buren Park to JM Phillips, who submitted the lowest bid at $6,126.52.
“[JM Phillips] is the same guy who did the work last year,” said Supervisor Claude Sykes.
With buildings more than 35 years old, the town has had to make numerous repairs, spreading the cost over a couple years.
Bids received
Village officials voted to receive bids for the Village Square project. The village received 12 bids with the lowest coming in at $397,000 and the highest at $577,000. Officials are happy with the bids, and the village engineer plans to meet with the lowest bidder to ensure there are no inconsistencies in expectations before awarding the bid.
Resourceful judge
Town of Van Buren Justice Ed Van Der Water has applied for approximately $2,500 in funds through the 2010 Court Assistance Grant Program to make repairs to the floor underneath the court bench and to replace two chairs.
“I applaud Ed – he’s gone after a lot of grants in the past and gotten them,” said Councilor Pat Dickman. “He’s saved the town a lot of money.”
