Fire Service Award Comments + Community Meeting Results

Some interesting sentiments in the Fire Service Award Poll comments. I agree with a lot of them. With a $3.2 million surplus, the Town is ably prepared to weather the financial poo-storm that continues to gather strength on a global level. The results of the community meeting in November, where dozens of good ideas were tossed around, were never publicized or given to the Board to my knowledge.

I will post the report here. Denise Scheiner emailed it to me as a powerpoint, which is not a web-friendly form of posting information, so I've copied and pasted the text. Many of these ideas have just as much, if not more, merit than the Fire Service Award program, and I wonder why in the name of grilled cheese this document has not been publicized or discussed? Discuss it here. (any typos are mine)

Town of Sardinia

Citizens Committee Report

Short & Long list of suggestions for use

of excess funds

Meeting 11/6/08, 25 people present

Categories

• Future

• For the good of the whole town

• Town buildings

• Seniors

• Wild ideas

• Residential

• Youth & Families

• Town Parks

• Various & Sundry Ideas

Short List/Priority

• Taxes, Fire and School

• Water for Chaffee

• Water for the Rt 16 & Rt 39 business corridor

• Town owned van service

• Web site – filled with pertinent info about the town, events, documents, also to promote the town

• Study, Plan & Act

Long Lists

Future

• 5/10/20/30 year financial plan

• Green energy for all new construction

• Solid long-term fiscal plan

• Invest

• Comprehensive plan

• Replace community center

• Look over old ideas

For the good of the town

• Pay fire taxes for residents

• Pay school taxes for residents

• Comprehensive on-going water and air testing program

• Sponsor health insurance plan for residents, under $100 per person per month

• Free Wi-Fi access

• Positive promotion of our town

• Town web site

• More open to working in partnership with corporations

• Town wide cable access

• Engineering study for water

• Large well in each of the town parks to supply the hamlets

• Disaster Facility

• Encourage new businesses

• Survey public on more ideas within the town

Town Buildings

• Replace community center with an energy efficient building

• Supply a new multicenter purpose state of the art meeting area

• Working elevator for handicapped access

• Sell the Old Town Hall for $1 to the Historical Society and subsidize with an annual stipend

• Spruce up highway building, landscaping

Seniors

• Exercise room

• Bingo

• Senior housing/apt.

• Donate 1 or 2 new vans for Rural Transit and expand on hours and distance

• Senior assistance center/help line

Wild Ideas

• Sport center on the main road

• Small business and residential loans

• Indoor heated pool

• Community banquet facility

• Partnership with Chaffee water works

Residential

• Sidewalks

•Sponsor education on reducing energy needs, recycling etc.

Youth & Families

• Separate the sports fields from the town parks

• Offer entertainment i.e. movies, bowling

• Affordable housing

• Area for skateboarding and ice skating

Town Parks

• Sponsor a study for better use of park

• Path from Chaffee to Veterans Park space

• Trails

• Cabin/Building for use or rent year-round

• Road or path connecting Meyers Rd to the Veterans Park

Various & Sundry Ideas

• Water

• Investigating use or purchase of Erie County  buildings in our town (Warner Gulf & Genesee)

• Education Center/programs

• Tapping back into the Erie County Library system

• New Post Office for Chaffee

• Fire Hall on west end of town

• Scholarships for volunteer fire fighters

• Scholarships for town residents to complete education and remain in town