At the Sept. 22 meeting of the village trustees, two local laws were passed, new appointments were made, and a Halloween race approved.
The village board of trustees approved Local Law No. 1 of 2011 to amend the village zoning code. The change splits the code enforcement officer position into two separate part-time jobs – one CEO and one Clerk of the Boards – and states that the CEO not be required to be a member of the Skaneateles Volunteer Fire Department.
Retired CEO George Batlle, who performed both jobs for 27 years, said when the law was written in 1989 it was though that having the CEO be an active firefighter would be a benefit. Now, however, firefighters require so many more hours of training than in 1989 it would probably be more of a hindrance to the position, Batlle said.
After passing the law, the board voted to accept the resignation of current CEO Elaine DuBois, who cited personal and family reasons for leaving. DuBois held the job for only seven weeks, replacing Batlle after his retirement.
The board then voted to appoint Batlle as the interim CEO, and then to appoint Fire Chief Eric Sell as the permanent CEO.
The board also announced that it is now seeking someone to fill the newly created part-time job of Clerk of the Boards, which is a position to serve as clerk of the village planning, zoning and historical landmarks boards.
The board will be accepting applications until Oct. 26 and make its hiring decision in early November.
The trustees also took the opportunity on Sept. 22 to recognize George Batlle for “his dedication to protecting the citizens of the village as well as protecting the village” for his more than two decades of service to the village, by presenting him with a Francis McCarthy photographic print and by donating $450 in Batlle’s name to SAVES.
New stop signs
A public hearing also was held on Local Law No. 2 of 2011, to approve new stop signs within the Parkside subdivision and at the intersection of Leitch Avenue and Academy Street.
Academy Street resident Alan Dolmach presented a petition sign by 43 neighbors — Dolmach said it represented 87 percent of all the people he and his wife could contact in the neighborhood — in favor of putting a three-way stop at the intersection.
“Primarily this is an issue of safety for lots of kids that live in the neighborhood,” Dolmach said, adding that at least 37 children live in the area. “Hopefully a little more sense will be conveyed to drivers there [with new signs].”
Leitch Avenue resident Theresa McSwain, who has four children under age 9, also voiced concern that stops signs needed to be placed in her neighborhood. “This will really help heighten the awareness,” she said.
The board voted unanimously to approve the law.
Village Attorney Michael J. Byrne said it would be probably about 10 days before the signs can be erected, since the paperwork must be filed and approved in Albany.
Halloween run approved
The trustees also agreed at their meeting to allow retail sports store Endurance Monster to hold its first annual Halloween run on Oct. 29, but only after the business agreed to move its Fennell Street staging/start area from the old firehouse parking lot nearly a mile down to the old municipal garage lot between Town Square and SAVES.
The trustees and Police Chief Lloyd Perkins all felt the traffic and parking issues that would be created by about 200 runners starting a race at 11 a.m. on a Saturday next to the post office would not be practical.
By agreeing to move the staging/start location, Endurance Monster changed its race from four miles to 3.2 miles.
Jason Emerson is editor of the Skaneateles Press. He can be reached at [email protected].
