An unusually full agenda kept village of Liverpool trustees busy at their monthly meeting on March 18.
The 22 agenda items included the unveiling of the proposed 2013-14 village budget, discussion of Johnson Park and discussion about property concerns. Later, the board entered into an executive session to talk about personnel issues.
Village Clerk Mary Ellen Sims said the total tentative 2013-14 village general fund is set at $2,306,565.32, about $24,000 more than this year’s budget which came in at $2,282,663.10. The 2013-14 village sewer fund budget is $207,313, as compared to this year’s sewer fund budget of $253,305.
That proposed budget would have no effect on village taxes,” Sims said. “The tax rate will stay the same as last year,” she said, “$12.25 per thousand.”
The trustees will host a public hearing on the proposed budget at 7 p.m. Monday, April 15, at the Village Hall, 310 Sycamore St.
In other business:
Liverpool Is The Place Committee Chairwoman Colleen Gunnip appeared to officially request the use of Johnson Park for 24 concerts to be staged June 3 through Aug. 21, which the trustees unanimously approved. Her committee is brainstorming the possibility of securing a roof or awning over the park amphitheater stage, Gunnip said.
Mayor Gary White expressed concern about construction and maintenance costs, but Gunnip said Liverpool Is The Place may raise funds to pay for it. Trustee Nick Kochan suggested the committee consider other options such as improving drainage on the cement stage floor and erecting portable tents to address possible precipitation problems.
The Liverpool Is The Place Summer Concert Series will celebrate its 30th anniversary season in 2015.
Washington Park may be buzzing this summer if plans for a Wednesday-evening farmers’ market bear fruit. Lucretia Hudzinski, director of the Greater Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, told the trustees that her group hopes to set up sidewalk sales in the village business district and organize a farmers’ market in Washington Park on selected Wednesday evenings prior to the 7 p.m. Johnson Park concerts.
Liverpool restaurateur John Gormel voiced his concern about a village plan to divide a jagged strip of property it owns between South Willow and Lower First streets into three separate parcels. The village will seek requests for proposals regarding those properties, Kochan said.
Gormel owns the Barking Gull restaurant at 116 S. Willow St., and the Dips & Dogs ice cream stand around the corner on Lake Drive. (For news about the Barking Gull, see Livin’ in Liverpool, on page 6.)
Before adjourning, the trustees voted unanimously to authorize Mayor White to sign an inter-municipal agreement with the village of East Syracuse to continue sharing chief of police services through Dec. 31. The East Syracuse board approved the agreement on March 14.
Liverpool Police Chief Don Morris informed the village board of trustees at their March 19 meeting that officers issued 97 citations for violations of the state’s vehicle and traffic laws during February. In addition, seven warning tickets were issued for minor motor-vehicle violations.
One arrest was made for driving while intoxicated, eight traffic accidents were investigated and 45 parking tickets were issued.
Officers made 165 residential checks during the month while investigating a total of 247 complaints and calls for service.
During February, LPD officers arrested 25 individuals on a total of 44 criminal charges.
