Jamestown BPU General Manager Dave Leathers speaks with Jamestown City Council (May 15, 2023)

Jamestown Board of Public Utilities‘ General Manager doesn’t see a proposal to register Jamestown as a Climate Smart Community as negatively impacting the utility’s operations.

Dave Leathers met with Jamestown City Council Monday to give his thoughts on a resolution that would register the city as a Climate Smart Community in New York State.

Leathers said the BPU is very focused on clean energy standards and the Climate Leadership and Protection Act, “Those are state mandates, state laws that are focused on significant changes in the New York State economy related to greenhouse gas emissions and green energy as well as transportation, and buildings, and agriculture, and waste, and industry. So, that’s really where all of our efforts and all of of our focus are.”

Leathers said he sees the Climate pledge as a municipal effort and that it’s up to the City administration and Council to decide what they want to pursue, “Approving a resolution to take the pledge, I don’t see it as some huge, significant step. And I definitely don’t see it as anything that’s going to impact the BPU operations.”

Under the Climate Smart Community certification, local governments accumulate points for planning and implementation actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve community resilience to the worsening impacts of climate change.

Certified communities can take part in the Climate Smart Communities Grant Program, which is a competitive 50/50 matching grant program for municipalities to implement projects focused on climate change adaptation and greenhouse gas mitigation.

Leathers said the pledge doesn’t commit the city to anything hard, “If in a year from now, you’ve gone into this and you decide you want to rescind that resolution for some reason, you could do that. There are items in the list of potential tasks that the BPU staff would be involved in and would be supportive.”

He said if the city has been certified as a Climate Smart community it could gain the city extra points when applying for grants.

Climate Smart Guidelines include:

1)    Build a climate-smart community.
2)    Inventory emissions, set goals, and plan for climate action.
3)    Decrease energy use.
4)    Shift to clean, renewable energy.
5)    Use climate-smart materials management.
6)    Implement climate-smart land use.
7)    Enhance community resilience to climate change.
8)    Support a green innovation economy.
9)    Inform and inspire the public.
10)    Engage in an evolving process of climate action.

Director of Development Crystal Surdyk said if the pledge was adopted that she could see the city’s Principal Planner acting as the required Coordinator for the program with the Planning Commission serving as the Task Force.

Council member at large Kim Ecklund asked for information on any upfront costs that might be involved with the city taking the pledge.

The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities will focus on workforce development in a conference this summer.

The conference, “Going Green: Growing Our Workforce, Our Community & Our Economy,” will take place Wednesday, July 26 at Chautauqua Institution during Infrastructure Week.

The 10:45 a.m. lecture will feature Nuclear Engineer and Environmentalist Leslie Dewan discussing her work in improving nuclear reactor designs and the potential of nuclear energy infrastructure to help power our energy-dependent world.

BPU Business Development Coordinator Ellen Ditonto said a private lunch for conference attendees at the Athenaeum would take place after the morning lecture, which would then be followed by a panel discussion, “Where we will have again both employers, workforce development experts, talking about how things are different in terms of how we recruit, retain, and train our workforce in the coming years.”

Ditonto said some of the panelists will include Green Force Training Executive Director Jeffrey Conrad, Wendel Companies Environmental Engineer Scott Rybarczyk, Sr., and Goodwill Goodskills Career Builder Program Liaison Bryan Boleratz.

Tickets for the conference are $30, which also includes parking.

For more information or to register for the conference, visit https://retoolwny.jamestownbpu.com/

“Cents for St. Susan’s” Campaign Kick Off Held (May 2, 2023)

The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities 24th annual “₵ents for St. Susan’s” campaign is now underway.

The campaign supports operating costs at the soup kitchen located at 31 Water Street.

St. Susan Center executive director Cherie Rowland said, “Only a few short months ago, we were averaging 120 meals served per day. Today we are averaging 180 meals served each day.”

BPU General Manager Dave Leathers said that the BPU “₵ents for St. Susan’s” drives have raised $307,611.54 over the past 23 years.

In addition to generous sponsors, the campaign is assisted by community members who drop coins, cash and checks into bright yellow “₵ents for St. Susan’s” coin canisters placed around the area to collect money to help the soup kitchen feed hungry people.

Residents also may donate redeemable cans and bottles at the BPU Customer Service Office, at Don’s Car Wash and at the Southside Redemption Center for St. Susan Center.

Gifts may be mailed to “₵ents for St. Susan’s,” c/o Jamestown BPU, P.O. Box 700, Jamestown, NY 14702-0700.

BPU customers who pay their bills online also may contribute online at www.jamestownbpu.com.

A hot dog sale for the cause will take place outside the BPU Customer Service Office from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Friday, June 2.

All gifts to the drive go directly to St. Susan Center.

For more information, contact Becky Robbins at (716) 661-1680 or brobbins@jamestownbpu.com.

Pre-flushing in Falconer will start at 1 p.m. Friday, April 28, in the areas of Aldren, Mapleshade, Ralph and Valmeere. The entire Village of Falconer will be flushed from 8:00 p.m. Saturday, April 29, overnight into Sunday, April 30, until Falconer flushing is completed.

During the Falconer flushing of mains, water is expected to discolor in the Village and on the north side of Jamestown.

Flushing of the remainder of the BPU Water Division system will take place from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, May 1-5; and Monday-Wednesday, May 8-10.

The exception will be on Wednesday, May 3, when flushing will begin at 4:30 a.m. to accommodate downtown and Fairmount Avenue businesses and restaurants.

Residents on streets and neighborhoods located near West Third Street, Harding and Fairmount Avenue (Rte. 394) that day could experience discolored water, even though their own streets are not flushed that day.

The BPU flushes water lines twice a year to remove naturally-occurring sediment that may gather in pipes. As flushing occurs, employees also check on the condition of the hydrants and fix any problems that they may find.

The BPU said customers should check for discolored water before doing laundry and to avoid pulling discolored water into their hot water tanks. Thye also suggest putting aside water for cooking or drinking a day ahead of their flushing days.

To view a color-coded map showing which areas will be flushed on which days, visit jamestownbpu.com.

Customers with questions about flushing and their flushing dates may call the Flushing Hotline at (716) 661-1613 or BPU Customer Service at (716) 661-1660.

The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities announced traffic will be closed on Buffalo Street between Falconer and Haywood Streets.

Buffalo Street also will be closed to large trucks between Falconer Street and Lakeview Avenue.

Tree on electric wires following storm (photo by Jamestown BPU – April 16, 2023)

Gusty winds and hard rain caused trees and branches to bring down some power lines around the area Sunday night.

The City of Jamestown put out a notice that there were some power outages in the Board of Public Utilities’ area. They cautioned that some discolored water was reported, but that is expected to clear by today.

National Grid had only a couple dozen residences in their area without power in Chautauqua County this morning after news reports said around 1500 lost power last night.

Acting DPW Director Mark Roetzer explains how the professional engineer certificate works within the DPW Director role to City Council (April 10, 2023)

Jamestown City Council members don’t seem in favor of removing a professional engineering certificate requirement for the Public Works Director position.

An ordinance to amend the City Code to do just that came before council at its April 10 work session.

The city has had issues finding a replacement for former Public Works Director Jeff Lehman, who retired March 31, in part because of the engineering requirement.

It came to light that the only residency requirement for the position is that the director must live in Chautauqua County. Mayor Eddie Sundquist said this was a change in state law.

Council Member at Large Jeff Russell asked if removing that requirement would have any effect in the department being able to get work done.

Acting Public Works Director Mark Roetzer said the director doesn’t produce drawings that are then stamped and signed as a professional engineer, “But you’re reviewing drawings and plans and that sort of thing, specifications, so to not have a P.E. would be a detriment. If you hire someone who does not have it, they’d potentially become more of an administrator. The work that the director does now, part of it, would fall back on the other engineering staff that does have a P.E., or people under them that they oversee.”

Council member at Large Kim Ecklund expressed concern that could lead to the union requesting a stipend for extra work or change in job duties.

Roetzer said when the city receives plans, those were historically reviewed by Lehman, who had the P.E. designation. He pointed out that the DPW Director also is a member on the Planning Commission and the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities.

Russell stated he didn’t think the city should “lower its standards” by getting rid of the designation requirement.

Sundquist said only one application received for the DPW Director position had the required P.E. certificate, “And what we’ve heard, especially from Jeff (Lehman), to many folks who are getting P.E.’s are going into consulting firms that almost double the rate that we pay, which has been a concern. So, the county does not have a P.E. requirement for their Director of Public Facilities. Most communities do not. They have more of an administrator role at the top, which is the proposal.”

No action seems likely on the matter any time soon as the ordinance was tabled by the Public Safety committee with council members citing that city does have an acting director while the search continues.

Council also continued discussions on the proposed hiring of an Ombudsman in the Corporation Counsel‘s office. This position is proposed to replace the Associate Corporation Counsel position, which is being vacated by Ben Haskin.

Corporation Counsel Elliot Raimondo cited a need for a Human Resources-type of employee to help with mandatory employee trainings, “Issues with employee complaints and disputes, following up on council concerns, following up on public concerns apart from the police, following up with department heads to ensure that they’re doing what they’re supposed to be doing, handing our EAP program which I’m not the happiest with, and, recently, dealing with our health insurance program which is not functioning the way it should be functioning.”

Raimondo said he thought the position should report both to the Mayor and City Council. He said he understands that the addition of the ombudsman may lead to the Corporation Counsel position being made part-time versus full-time.

Finance Chair Kim Ecklund requested a salary schedule with a projection for future years be provided. The position would be funded through 2023 by funds previously allocated for the Associate Corporation Counsel.

Jamestown Board of Public Utilities Yard Waste Site

The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities Yard Waste Site reopens for the season this Saturday, April 8.

Hours for the Yard Waste Site this year are 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays, April 8, through November 11; and 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays, effective May 3, through September 27.

The Yard Waste Site is located at 1001 Monroe Street at the dead end of Monroe Street, off Eighth Street.

Customers may discard leaves, grass clippings, mulch, plants/shrubs/bushes; tree parts and brush up to eight inches in diameter.

Metals, sod, concrete, rocks, dirt, lumber/wood, tires, drywall and other construction materials are not accepted.

It’s restricted to use by BPU Solid Waste residential customers only.

Solid Waste customers who want to enter the Site must display a blue colored 2023-24 BPU Yard Waste Site sticker on the rear driver-side window of the vehicle. The window stickers are free-of-charge to BPU Solid Waste residential customers; however, only one sticker is provided for each customer account.

Customers may obtain a window sticker through the BPU Customer Service Office during business hours. Contractors are not permitted to use the site.

For more information, BPU customers may call the Garbage Hotline at 716-661-1651.

The award is in recognition for the BPU’s commitments to employee health and well-being as measured in the Association’s 2022 Workforce Well-Being Scorecard.

The Scorecard evaluates factors such as mental health policies, organizational well-being strategies to address burnout, health equity measures, employee financial resources, and more, to provide a comprehensive assessment of an organization’s culture of health.

Approximately 381 organizations completed the Scorecard in 2022 and recognized organizations attained levels of platinum, gold, silver, bronze or completer.

For more information and a full list of recognized organizations, visit heart.org/workforce.