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Hardwick: Libraries safe in county budget

by jmaloni
Fri, Dec 10th 2010 02:00 pm
Erie County Legislator Kevin Hardwick jokingly asked the Grand Island Town Board Monday to pass a resolution to get Councilman Dick Crawford to back off on his efforts to have the legislature restore funding for libraries.

Crawford's efforts worked as the County Legislature added $4 million cut by County Executive Chris Collins. The legislature's budget deliberations finished last Tuesday, but Hardwick said he would be "shocked" if there were no line item vetoes by Collins. Veto override voting is Dec. 14.

"I had more calls on the libraries than anything else" in the budget process, including many from Crawford, Hardwick said. "You win. No mas, Dick! We did it," Hardwick said.

Crawford thanked Hardwick for his behind-the-scenes efforts to open the eyes of fellow legislators keep funding in the county budget. "We look forward to the fight again next year, probably," Crawford said.

  • A letter from Andy Beers, acting commissioner of the NYSOPRHP, informed the town that a matching grant of $166,310 has been reserved from the Environmental Protection Fund for the Grand Island waterfront acquisition in the latest round of grants. Beers noted that his office allocated $13.4 million for municipal parks, historic preservation, and heritage area grants. OPRHP received 259 grant applications.

"The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation recognizes the vital role that this project will play in enhancing the environment, quality of life, and economic vitality of your community, and we are delighted to be able to provide a grant award for the project," Beers wrote.

  • The board set a public hearing for 8 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 20, for anyone wishing to comment on the 2011 sewer rents.
  • The board voted 5-0 to authorize McMahon to sign a 2011 contract with Network Services in the amount of $7,280 per quarter for computer support. The contract is the same rate as in 2010, McMahon said.
  • The board unanimously voted to re-appoint Charles Meyer Jr. of East River Road to the Board of Assessment Review for a five-year term expiring Sept. 30, 2015.
  • At the request of Town Engineer John Whitney, the board authorized the Engineering Department to perform design work necessary to produce bid documents, plans and specifications for an adaptive baseball field for the Miracle League of Grand Island and Western New York. The league has begin efforts to raise approximately $250,000 for a field that is tentatively planned for Veterans Park on Bedell Road.

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