Village of Sherman Mayor Colleen Meeder addresses Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency (May 23, 2023)

A solar project that’s a public-private partnership is moving forward in the village of Sherman.

The Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency board approved a 9.62 megawatt project by Solar Liberty Sherman LLC and Solar Liberty Sherman II LLC.

The $13 million project would be constructed on 34 acres in the town and village of Sherman.

Village Mayor Colleen Meeder said the village’s wastewater treatment plant, which is near the proposed solar array, already has solar panels on it through Solar Liberty and was looking to add more under a $7 million upgrade to the plant. She said electricity is a major cost of running the plant and now there will be two community solar arrays.

Meeder said another concern is that the property where the arrays were being proposed is agricultural, “Solar Liberty has been great. Our operation and maintenance agreement involves keeping it agricultural. So, we’re going to continue to enrich the property. There’s seed mixture plans in the OMN, there is plans for grazing, so they’ll be then contracting with farmers, and also, I believe it’s called apiculture, where involves bee keeping, and that is well on the property.”

Meeder said less than 300 households in the village have sewer and water infrastructure, “So the fact that this lease money is going to help support that type of infrastructure for our community as well as the PILOT you’re working on today, the host community agreement, and then once the inter-connection happens we can, as we get closer to that, we’re going to start negotiating for a discount on resident and commercial electric bills.”

The IDA board approved a Payment-In-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILOT), sales tax abatement, and mortgage tax abatement for the project.

CCIDA CEO, Deputy County Executive Mark Geise and Chautauqua County Partnership Economic Development Specialist Kristy Kathman Show Proposed Upgrades to Chadakoin River Basin (October 5, 2021)

An initiative to increase public access and encourage economic activity around the Chadakoin River has received $361,00 in state funding.

The City of Jamestown received the funding from Empire State Development for the Chadakoin River Basin Activation Initiative. The City had initially only requested $301,000.

The monies will be used to make enhancements to the north shore of the Basin including a signature garden, mural, tiered seating space, and place-making items. The south shore will see the addition of a kayak launch, dock, and welcome center for visitors.

The city had two consolidated funding applications that did not recieve funding in this eleventh round of ESD grants. Those included a $361,473 request for the Chadakoin River West Brownfield Opportunity Area project and a request for $20,000 so the City can enter into the New York Main Street Program.

The Village of Sherman also was approved funding by ESD, receiving $358,283 to assist in the renovation of commercial and mixed-use buildings in the historic downtown commercial core on East & West Main Street.

Governor Kathy Hochul announced funding for the program totals $10 million that was made available through the Clean Water Infrastructure Act.

The program will help municipalities develop asset management programs to evaluate, monitor, protect, and responsibly plan upgrades for wastewater infrastructure facilities. The program supports ongoing efforts to ensure the responsible stewardship of New York’s nation-leading investments in clean water infrastructure to protect public health and the environment and support local economies.

The audit found that between July 1, 2012 and August 3, 2016, the Village Clerk did not deposit $20,000 in real property taxes, water, sewer, and general fund receipts.

According to the report, the Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office is pursuing an investigation of criminal charges. The Village also is making an inquiry into the missing water and sewer fund deposits. The report further states that bringing charges against the clerk/treasurer involved has been difficult due delays caused by the COVID pandemic in addition to the out-of-state residency of the former clerk/treasurer.

The Comptroller’s Office recommended that the village take appropriate action to recover the missing funds, develop written policies and establish procedures over the cash receipt collection process; and provide adequate oversight and annually audit the Treasurer’s reports and records.

Local resident Brad Gains told the paper that a petition containing 95 signatures has been filed by a local tax payers group calling for the village government to dissolve.

The group believes that dissolving the village will result in tax savings, although a study would have to be completed to show just how much money could be saved. The matter would also have to go up for a public referendum where all registered voters could choose whether or not to dissolve the local government.

Gains has said the members of the Sinclairville Village Board are opposed to the idea.

Dissolution isn’t new in Chautauqua County. Recently both Forestville and Cherry Creek residents voted to dissolve their village governments. Meanwhile, an effort to dissolve the village of Sherman Government failed by just two votes in December 2016.

That’s according to the Jamestown Post-Journal, which is reporting that 226 people voted in Tuesday’s dissolution vote, with 112 village residents voting in favor of the dissolution, while 114 voted against it.

According to the Chautauqua County Board of Elections, of the nine absentee ballots issued for the much-debated proposition, six have already been returned and will count toward the final results.

Also issued were two affidavit ballots, which occurs when a voter shows up at the polls but is not on the active voter registration list.

The remaining ballots will be opened Tuesday, Dec. 27.

According to Chautauqua County Board of Election officials, some of the local caucuses scheduled include:

Bemus Point:  Democrats caucus Tue. Jan. 21, 5:15 p.m., See-Zurh House, 14 Main St., and Republicans caucus Sat. Jan. 25, 10 a.m., Bemus Point Village Hall, 13 Alburtus Ave.  There will be elections for two expiring village trustee terms.

Brocton: Portland Town Hall, 87 West Main St. is the site for both major party caucuses on Sat. Jan. 25, with the Republicans at 9 a.m. and the Democrats at 10 a.m.  There will be an election for one village trustee vacancy.

Cherry Creek: Cherry Creek Village Hall, 6763 Main St. is the site for both major party caucuses on Sat. Jan 25, for the Democrats at 9:30 a.m. and Thurs. Jan. 23, for the Republicans at 7 p.m.  There will be an election for the expiring terms of the mayor and two village trustees.

Forestville:  Forestville Village Hall Municipal Building, 18 Chestnut St., is the site for both major political party caucuses on Thurs. Jan. 23, for the Democrats at 7 p.m. and Tue. Jan. 28, for the Republicans at 6 p.m.  There will be an election for the expiring terms of the mayor and two village trustees.

Mayville:  Mayville American Legion, 144 South Erie St., is the site for both major party caucuses on  Wed. Jan. 22, for the Democrats at 6 p.m. and Sat. Jan. 25 for the Republicans at 1 p.m. There will be an election for the expiring terms of the mayor and two village trustees.

Panama: Did not file for major party caucuses, but will have a March village election conducted by the Board of Elections.  There will be an election for the expiring terms of the mayor and one village trustee.

Sherman: Did not file for major party caucuses, but will have a March village election conducted by the Board of Elections.  There will be an election for two expiring village trustee terms and one village trustee vacancy.

Sinclairville:  Did not file for major party caucuses, but will have a March village election conducted by the Sinclairville Village Clerk.   There will be an election for two expiring village trustee terms and one village trustee vacancy.

Westfield: Eason Hall, 23 Elm St., is the site for both major political party caucuses Tue. Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. for the Democrats and Wed. Jan. 22, at 7 p.m. for the Republicans.

Celoron, Falconer, Fredonia, Lakewood and Silver Creek elections are conducted in concert with the November General Elections.   Cassadaga does not have any offices to be filled at an election in 2014.

For more information, contact the Board of Elections at 753-4580.