Seneca Falls officials left several significant questions unresolved Tuesday as the Town Board debated how to staff its Highway Department, manage water and sewer operations, pay for road work and protect taxpayers from the long-term liability of a proposed solar project.
The Sept. 1 meeting also brought movement on the search for a town manager, approval of a procedural override of the state tax cap, notice of a Town Justice resignation and warnings about landfill leachate and incorrect school tax bills that were mailed to some Seneca County residents.
Water and sewer management remains unsettled
One of the night’s most consequential debates centered on the town’s continuing reliance on interim management for its water and sewer operations.
The board considered an amendment to its contract for interim water and sewer operations management services, but questions emerged about how long the temporary arrangement could continue and what the town is doing to fill its permanent vacancies.
One board member pushed to table the amendment until additional town officials could participate in the discussion, questioning why the town had not advertised the vacancies more aggressively and saying Seneca Falls has spent roughly five months dealing with the same staffing problem.
The motion to table did not carry, and the contract amendment was ultimately approved over opposition.
A related proposal would have assigned management and supervision of the water and sewer field distribution maintenance team to the Department of Public Works. That resolution failed after drawing opposition, and the board did not move forward with a subsequent related restructuring item.
The discussions illustrated an unresolved organizational question for the town: whether pieces of water and sewer operations should be shifted under DPW or remain under a separate department once permanent leadership is found.
Officials did report progress elsewhere in the town’s administrative search. A board member said several officials recently interviewed a potential town manager candidate and described the meeting positively. Additional discussions with the candidate are expected.
Highway hiring proposal falls short
The board also rejected a proposal authorizing the Highway Department to hire two full-time laborers after an extended debate over staffing, costs and the relationship between Highway and DPW.
One board member argued the elected highway superintendent needs enough employees to demonstrate whether the department can operate effectively, saying residents can’t fairly judge the superintendent’s performance if the town doesn’t provide the staff necessary to do the job.
Another member described hiring two additional employees for that purpose as an expensive test.
Supporters countered that the town is already paying to outsource work because departments don’t have enough employees to complete it internally.
The resolution failed, with multiple board members opposed.
The broader Highway-DPW issue surfaced repeatedly throughout the meeting as officials discussed road work, equipment, staffing and responsibility for projects.
Lake Road work tabled amid questions about CHIPS funding
A separate debate developed over pavement restoration on Lake Road following an emergency culvert replacement.
Board members questioned whether some of the work could be completed while contractors are already performing paving work and whether state CHIPS highway funding could legally cover portions of the project.
The discussion became tense when Town Supervisor Frank Schmitter cautioned against using CHIPS money in a way that might not comply with state requirements. A board member pushed back, saying the question was whether the town could legally take advantage of funding already available rather than circumvent the rules.
Officials also discussed whether the town’s DPW could complete portions of the work if the paving contractor could not.
The board ultimately tabled the resolution until a special meeting scheduled for Sept. 10, giving officials additional time to determine the cost and which portions, if any, are eligible for CHIPS reimbursement.
The board later approved its Highway 284 plan after additional discussion about how projects must be listed before highway funds can be spent.
Fuel-card decision delayed again
A proposal to move town vehicles to WEX fleet fuel cards was tabled for a second time as board members sought a clearer comparison of long-term costs.
Officials said replacing the town’s existing fuel system could cost about $142,000. The WEX system would allow individual vehicles to have assigned cards and would provide mileage and purchase records, creating more detailed tracking of fuel use.
Supporters said the system would improve accountability and reduce the possibility of fuel being used without a record tied to a specific vehicle.
Others questioned whether monthly fees and commercial fuel prices would eliminate potential savings compared with buying fuel in bulk.
There were also logistical questions about heavy equipment. Members questioned how equipment such as backhoes or Bobcats would be fueled if the town eliminated its existing tanks and had to rely on commercial fueling locations.
The board agreed to conduct more financial research before making a decision.
Tax-cap override approved as budget season approaches
The board approved a local law allowing Seneca Falls to exceed New York’s 2% property tax levy limit if necessary while developing the next town budget.
The measure does not itself increase taxes. Municipalities frequently approve tax-cap overrides before budgets are finalized to preserve flexibility and avoid potential legal problems if the final levy exceeds the state calculation.
The vote followed a public hearing where a written statement from resident Cindy Wayne urged the board not to exceed the cap.
Wayne called for a broader review of town staffing and services and suggested Seneca Falls consider consolidation in several areas, including law enforcement.
During the board’s later discussion, one member argued that additional landfill revenue received by the town should allow Seneca Falls to keep taxes flat or potentially reduce them rather than impose another increase.
The budget is expected to receive significant scrutiny after the town’s substantial tax increase for the current year.
Solar developer asks town for flexibility on decommissioning
Representatives of Blue Wave Energy appeared before the board seeking a way through an unusual obstacle involving the already-permitted Van Cleve Lake LLC solar project.
The project has received its discretionary land-use approvals, but Blue Wave and the property owners have not reached agreement on the town’s decommissioning requirements.
Town code requires the landowner to be part of the decommissioning agreement and places financial obligations on parties connected with the project.
Blue Wave proposed an alternative in which the developer would place cash in an account controlled by the town to cover future decommissioning costs rather than requiring the landowner to assume joint financial liability.
The landowners indicated they were unwilling to sign documents that could create broader obligations or encumber the property.
Town officials questioned whether a cash deposit calculated today could adequately protect taxpayers decades from now when the solar facility reaches the end of its useful life.
Schmitter said he was reluctant to place the town at risk when the landowners themselves were unwilling to accept that risk.
No decision was made. Attorneys and project representatives are expected to continue working toward language that could satisfy the developer, property owners and town.
Consultant raises concerns about landfill leachate
Environmental consultant Michael Coia urged the board to take another look at how Seneca Meadows landfill leachate could affect the town’s wastewater treatment system.
Coia, who previously worked as a consultant to an ad hoc town landfill committee, said Seneca Meadows has reported generating roughly 50 million to 55 million gallons of leachate annually.
He warned that municipal wastewater treatment plants are designed primarily to process conventional sewage and aren’t necessarily built to remove the range of contaminants that can be present in landfill leachate.
Coia pointed to newly released research on leachate in New York and ongoing state Department of Environmental Conservation rulemaking, arguing that information now available wasn’t necessarily part of the town’s earlier environmental review.
He urged officials to review the new material before relying on previous assumptions about treatment requirements and the financial benefit the town could receive from accepting leachate.
Coia said revenue from treating the material could be substantial, but warned it could be outweighed if future regulatory requirements force costly upgrades to the town’s wastewater treatment system.
The board took no action on his request Tuesday.
Town justice resigns
Schmitter announced that Town Justice Steve Kelly has resigned, leaving the board to determine how the vacancy will be handled until the next election.
Schmitter said the town has several options, including asking the Seventh Judicial District to appoint someone temporarily, appointing a local replacement itself or having the remaining town justice handle the additional workload.
He said the remaining justice does not want to absorb the entire caseload.
Schmitter expressed concern about the cost of training a locally appointed replacement who might then lose the election next year. He indicated his preference was to request a temporary judicial appointment and allow voters to decide the permanent replacement at the election.
Ambulance contract renewed
The board authorized Schmitter to sign the town’s annual agreement with North Seneca Ambulance.
The town will provide $177,000 for ambulance service, the same amount requested in recent years.
Schmitter said the town can receive money back depending on collections from insurance payments and other revenue generated by the service.
Officials warn of incorrect school tax bills
Residents were also warned that some school tax bills mailed in Seneca County contain errors.
Schmitter read an email from the county clerk stating that the state used an incorrect equalization rate when calculating exemptions.
Officials were working with school districts and legal counsel to determine how the mistake will be corrected.
Schmitter said Seneca Falls was among the communities where bills had already been mailed before the error was caught. Waterloo and other areas were also referenced during the discussion, while some bills elsewhere were apparently stopped before being sent.
Officials did not have details Tuesday about how quickly corrected bills would be issued.
Homebound clerk services raise liability concerns
A proposal allowing the Town Clerk’s Office to formally provide in-home services to homebound residents also generated debate.
The clerk explained that the service would be used rarely and could help elderly or mobility-limited residents who need services such as document certification but cannot easily travel to Town Hall.
She said other town clerks provide similar services and that in three years she had encountered only a small number of situations where an off-site visit was necessary.
Schmitter said he had spoken with insurance and workers’ compensation representatives who did not recommend formally approving the practice because of potential liability.
The clerk maintained that she has independent authority to provide the service.
The proposal did not receive clear approval, with board members expressing interest in giving the issue additional consideration.
Unsafe building process advances at 98 Ovid Street
The board moved forward with enforcement action involving a property identified during the meeting as 98 Ovid Street, declaring it an unsafe and dangerous building under town code.
Officials said earlier in the meeting that the property owner had not responded or taken sufficient corrective action and that the town was advancing to the next legal stage.
The town intends to send certified notice as part of that process.
Composting trial moves forward
The board approved the purchase of materials and equipment for a town composting trial program at the Highway Department.
Officials said Seneca Falls currently has a program in which participating residents can have compost collected, but the pilot would begin moving toward a town-operated drop-off model.
Residents would bring compostable material to the Highway Department, where the town would maintain it and potentially make finished compost available to residents later.
Supporters described the project as a first step toward operating the program without relying on a third party.
Dog control communication, sidewalks and road planning
A board member urged the town to improve public communication about its new dog control service, saying residents who don’t use Facebook may not know who to contact if a pet goes missing.
The member suggested including contact information with water bills rather than relying entirely on social media and the town website.
Officials also reported progress on sidewalks being funded through the Safe Routes to School program. Engineering work is moving toward bidding, with bids expected no later than November and construction potentially beginning in the spring.
During privilege of the floor, a resident also questioned whether Seneca Falls has a comprehensive system for rating roads and planning repairs before conditions become critical.
Officials said planning information exists, while the resident said Highway Superintendent Jeremy Clough had discussed obtaining software that could more systematically track road, water and sewer infrastructure conditions.
Residents raise concerns about e-bikes and bicycle safety
Traffic safety involving bicycles, scooters and e-bikes also surfaced during public comment.
A resident said children and adults are increasingly riding through traffic, on sidewalks and through intersections without following basic traffic rules and warned that someone could eventually be seriously injured.
She suggested the town Police Department and local schools consider an educational program explaining rules for bicycles, scooters and e-bikes.
Board members acknowledged the concern and discussed the role of both education and parental responsibility.
Development corporation reports downtown investment
The Seneca Falls Development Corporation also provided an update on economic development work.
Treasurer Doug Avery said the organization is in the final stages of helping administer the town’s $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative, which he said has generated more than $25 million in additional outside investment.
The organization has also administered $600,000 through a building improvement program, provided $210,000 through a microenterprise assistance initiative and worked with the Bonadent Family Foundation on a downtown facade program that resulted in more than $800,000 in improvements.
The SFDC is also working toward another microenterprise program for 2026-27.
Avery said the organization solicited 34 proposals for a consultant to help develop a cohesive townwide marketing strategy and has narrowed the field to two finalists. A recommendation is expected to be presented to the Town Board this fall.
‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ 80th anniversary plans take shape
The board also heard an extensive preview of the 80th anniversary celebration of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” which will span five days in December.
Museum representatives said surviving actors Carolyn Grimes, Jimmy Hawkins and Donald Collins are expected to participate along with members of director Frank Capra’s family and descendants of other people connected with the movie and the story that inspired it.
Programming will explore the evolution of film in the Finger Lakes, the connection between Seneca Falls and Bedford Falls, the legacy of the film and suicide prevention.
A major event is planned in Rochester, where the movie is expected to be screened with live accompaniment by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and choir.
The annual It’s a Wonderful Life Festival is scheduled for Dec. 9-13, with the It’s a Wonderful Run 5K set for Dec. 12.
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