News
Highlights from the June Town Board meeting:
Dairy Month - June is officially declared Dairy Month in the Town of Homer
Legislator Reed Cleland - Reed provided an update during Privilege of the Floor. Reed will be spending July doing a “listening tour”, walking every street in his district and hearing out his constituents. Way to go Reed! What a great model of what engaged representation looks like.
Village Mayor Pat Clune – Comprehensive Plan - Pat provided an update about the Village’s Comprehensive Plan update (which is often confused with the Town’s, but the Town’s is separate and seemingly at a standstill). There will be a public engagement workshop Monday, June 15th at 6:00pm at Center for the Arts where residents can learn more about the Village Comprehensive Plan and share ideas for the future of the Village. The Village also has an excellent website dedicated to this update, https://www.villageofhomerny.gov/comprehensive-plan, and a steering committee made up of residents from different backgrounds. Hopefully we will see the Town follow the Village’s model whenever this process gets moving.
Roundabouts - Mayor Clune also talked about the NYSDOT’s plans for two roundabouts where Rt 90 and Rt 41 intersect Rt 281. Many concerns have been expressed, particularly by Town Board member Sarah Head, about the impacts of the multi-year construction project on farm equipment which must go through these intersections during the construction phase. However, neither the Town or the Village can stop the DOT from installing roundabouts, they can only provide feedback and hope the DOT acts on the concerns.
Speed camera - The town will be purchasing a speed camera to mount to a trailer and locate in problematic areas. However, Sheriff Helms attended the meeting and explained that he recently stationed officers at some locations in the Town of Homer with frequent complaints about speed and found virtually no cars exceeding the 55mph speed limit in those areas.
Highway superintendent Kyle Bean – Kyle says the department is thrilled with the new ditch mowing tractor (we believe this cost around $160,000, so we’re glad it’s working well). Many maintenance and upkeep projects are happening at the highway garage, along with road maintenance, of course.
Zoning Board of Appeals - No names have been brought forward to nominate for the vacancy on the ZBA, but board members were encouraged to pass along any possible nominations to Town Board Member Kevin Williams. Mr. Williams, as we know, was the driving force behind the most controversial proposed zoning law change in recent memory (the billboard proposal), so this is something to watch.
New Conference Room - New tables and chairs were approved for the new lower level conference room.
A 75” TV and Meeting Owl will also be purchased for the new lower level conference room. It still isn’t clear what the Town’s plans for the Meeting Owl or the TV are, there were vague references to recording meetings and possibly holding them on Zoom, and references to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on the TV. We will see. In the meantime, OpenGov Homer will continue independently recording meetings, summarizing them here, and posting them, unedited, to YouTube, as quickly as possible, as has been done since July 2024.
Sweeney Road speed limit - The request to reduce the speed limit on Sweeney Road was tabled until next month.
Highlights from the April Town Board Meeting:
Budget Adjustments
The budget adjustments formerly noted on the agenda were explained to be aimed at reallocating funds between accounts to balance the 2025 budget. A detailed breakdown was posted to the town website today — however, all document links on the town website are currently broken (the “preview” function does appear to work). Hopefully this gets resolved soon. In the meantime, you can access the full document in OpenGov Homer’s google drive here.
Highway Garage Updates
A proposed new furnace for the highway garage was discussed but ultimately tabled until next month. This comes shortly after major renovations to the building, which had previously been described as setting the facility up well for the foreseeable future. Last month, there was also discussion about modifying the building entrance, so this is something to keep an eye on.
Energy Resolution
The board approved a resolution calling on the governor to declare an “Energy State of Emergency.”
You can read the full resolution here.
Town Hall Renovation Open House
An open house for the renovated lower level of Town Hall will be held on April 18th from 10-2. The total project cost is now expected to be around $1.3 million. This is a good opportunity for residents to see the completed work firsthand. The highway garage will also be open as part of the event.
Additional Change Order
There was another change order for the Town Hall project — this one for cabinets and countertops in the police department area, totaling $12,716. The previously approved contingency increase will cover this amount.
Sweeney Road Speed Limit Discussion
There was initial discussion about potentially lowering the speed limit on Sweeney Road. This would require a multi-step process involving the NYS DOT. No decision was made on whether to move forward at this time.
Official minutes here
Mostly procedural items at the March Town Board meeting.
No updates on the Comprehensive Plan, the town is awaiting information from the state.
The budget adjustments on the preliminary agenda were removed from the agenda.
The board tabled a resolution urging state review of electric delivery charges and rate structures and authorizing communication with the New York State Public Service Commission regarding electric costs. Full text of the resolution here.
The Town Hall lower level renovation is nearing completion and there will be an open house planned.
Town Department Plan and Town Infrastructure Plan were reviewed.
Recent Board Meeting Info
