The Skaneateles Village Board of Trustees continues to move forward with approving plans and work to renovate the old Fennell Street fire station and create the new village hall.

At its June 14 meeting, the board approved two new actions for the village hall project. The trustees authorized the advertisement of bids for asbestos abatement work in the building, saying all the specs have been prepared and the information packets for prospective bidders are ready and can be picked up at the village offices.

The board agreed to hold a pre-bid walk-through of the old fire station at 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 26, with the bid opening scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday, July 12.

The board also agreed to spend $2,800 to have TCT Tower Services remove the existing antenna from the old fire station. The antenna has been on the building since about 1963, is rusty and disintegrating, and its removal will be “very dangerous work,” said Trustee Jim Lanning, who solicited bids from contractors for the work.

Bob Lotkowictz, director of village municipal operations, gave the village board a list of summer projects the DPW will be working on in the village:

—Before the end of June, DPW crews will begin work on restoring the pedestrian path that runs from Prentiss Drive to West Lake Street.

—Paving West Elizabeth Street from Fennell Street to the village line.

—Continue work on West Lake Street, including installing a water line from West Lake Street to Talcott Lane, purchasing the storm water system materials for West Lake Street and final paving of the street from West Genesee Street to the end of the curbing (about 2,500 feet). DPW crews recently finished “dressing up” the shoulders on West Lake Street and hydroseeding grass.

—Pavement maintenance on Goodspeed Place.

DPW Director Bob Lotkowictz said the work is too dangerous to have DPW crews attempt it, and agreed the work should be contracted out by professionals. The board unanimously agreed to authorize the work, contingent upon Village Attorney Michael J. Byrne’s approval of the TCT Tower Services liability insurance.

Previously, at a May 21 operations meeting, the village board officially hired QPK Design as the architectural firm for the new village hall project, with Connie Brace, who is also a village resident, to be the lead architect.

The board previously was working with local architect Andrew Ramsgard on preliminary plans for the building renovation, but when the board sought competitive bidding for the project the trustees went with QPK because of its proposed cost, the size of the firm and its experience in municipal projects, according to operations meeting notes.

Trustee Jim Lanning, who is also on the board’s village hall renovation committee, said the project is moving forward and “We’re thrilled about the progress we’re making.”

Recently, at the June 14 chamber of commerce monthly luncheon meeting, Mayor Marty Hubbard gave a brief overview of the new village hall project and said the village board hopes that bids for general construction work will open in mid-September and the village offices will move into the renovated building by March.

The village board expects to be “well within” its budget for the project and hopes the entire project will be done long before the May deadline.

Also at the meeting, the village board:

—Approved the request of an independent film company to film a scene from its upcoming movie, “Impossible Choice,” at the Clift Park gazebo during the entire day of Tuesday, July 10. The scene involves two hip hop dancers arriving at the park in a limousine and then doing a dance audition in the gazebo. The filming will not impede road or park traffic, will include nothing racy or inappropriate, will be conducted rain or shine and will welcome any and all spectators, said film representative Ron Marquisee.

—Discussed its currently ongoing review of how and why it will allow downtown metered parking spaces to be “bagged” for day-long use by contractors or other construction vehicles. Currently, contractors can purchase a bag for $5 from the village offices, which is put on the meter(s) by village police, that will allow them to use one or more spaces for an entire day. The board is discussing tasking the village codes officer with reviewing each request for a parking meter bag, since he knows what construction projects are underway in the village. The board also discussed possibly increasing the bag fee to $10, and removing bags from meters at night so parking spaces are available after construction ends for the day.

—Approved the purchase of a hydraulic excavator from Bobcat of CNY for $36,637, with attachments for $7,533. Bobcat of CNY made the lowest bid of the seven bids received for the advertised excavator purchase.

—Approved the request of musician Nick Smolenski to hold a free concert from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 18, at the Clift Park gazebo.

Jason Emerson is editor of the Skaneateles Press. He can be reached at [email protected].