Just seven months ago, the Village of Springville was facing a nagging problem here at the South Buffalo Street drop structure-culvert.  There was a threat to public safety and to our Village streets with the detour of the north-south traffic. There was a significant threat to the Village water, sewer, and electric infrastructure.  And with budgetary constrains, there seemed to be little hope that for a long term repair by the County.  It was a frustrating problem.  But some creative cooperation and thinking among three levels of government solved the problem no one level of government could solve itself.

Today, we celebrate an intermunicipal agreements and contracts among three level of governments: The Village of  Springville, Erie County, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.  Through these agreements, Cold Springs Construction Company completed emergency repairs of the South Buffalo Street drop structure-culvert assembly which allowed Erie Country to reopen South Buffalo Street, a main north south thoroughfare in our Village.

Many thanks to everyone involved.  First and foremost is Erie County Legislature John Mills. John interceded for the Village in the County Government during negotiations which resulted in the agreements which secured the county’s share of the matching funds for the NCRS grant, and permitted the Village to contract for repairs of this county road.

Secondly Mr. John Whitney of the NCRS who worked very closely with the Village on the three phase comprehensive stream bank stabilization project along Spring Brook in the Village of Springville.  The total NCRS grant for this work in the Village is $3,000,000.  The drop-structure-culvert assembly phase was $1,300,000, the stream bank stabilization through the SYI grounds was $600,000, and the stream bank stabilization at the Waste Water Treatment Plant was $1,100,000.

Also I must give a tremendous thanks to our management team of Tim Horner, Karl Lux, and Audrey Seeley, whose accounting, engineering, and legal expertise successfully negotiated these much needed infrastructure improvements in our Village.  There is no better example of the efficiency and effectiveness of the administrative form of Village government than how the Village of Springville mobilized itself with this professional team to secure these intermunicipal agreements and contract, and complete these improvements in a period of just six months.

And finally, a special thanks to the Cold Springs Construction Company.  They provided a much need service to our Village as it was completing the 219 extension project at the west end of our Village.  The crew was attentive to our needs, making sure the SYI summer recreation program went ahead as scheduled.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this unique intermunicipal natural resource and infrastructure project.

Click the link below to see the power point presentation I used to explain to Seventh Graders at the GI Middle School what I do as Mayor.

Village Government in Springville NY

As mayor I thank you for this invitation to speak on Veteran’s Day.  I welcome the invitation to this ceremony and the Memorial Day ceremony because on these days I am asked to speak about character and virtue, and not about financial, legal, or political matters facing the Village.

Today I am here to thank you and all Veterans for your noble service and to remind us all that our Village, our Town, our Country is a far better place because of you.

This morning, as we look around at these monuments to Veterans here in Shuttleworth Park, we are reminded of how your service has guaranteed our country’s freedom and well being in our lifetime.  The recent history of our country is told here in Shuttleworth Park. It is a history of service by Springville and Concord men and women.  It is a history of moral courage by Town and Village residents.

You have made a difference in the world because of your moral courage and service to our country, and that is no small matter.  General George Patton, who became famous for expecting his soldiers to have moral courage, knew this when he said “Moral courage is the most valuable and usually the most absent characteristic in men.”

And so we celebrate your moral courage precisely because it is not a virtue we witness every day. In our day to day affairs we sometimes forget that the heroism and the sense of duty which motivated you and all Veterans in their military service is absolutely necessary for the sustainability of our Country, of our Town, and of our Village.  And I would even say of our own personal happiness.

Abraham Lincoln, who I believe demonstrated the greatest moral courage and leadership as President, and who by the way was elected 150 years ago this month, said “And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” And it is the service to others, the service to our country, that counts the most in our lives, in our years on earth.

And so, I want to thank you all not only for your selfless service in the military, but for inspiring us all to live better lives in service to our community.  I believe that we should celebrate Veterans Day every day is by following your example.

Thank you for your courage, your service, and your example.

Whereas,  WEDG-FM 103.3 entertains Western New York with popular radio programming, and

Whereas, the Shredd and Ragan Show provides information about recent news, sporting, and cultural events in Western New York, and

Whereas, the Shredd and Ragan Show serves as a public forum for expression and opinion for Western New York residents, and

Whereas, the Shredd and Ragan Show has been broadcast since 1994, and

Whereas, The Shredd and Ragan Show provides comic relief to stresses in everyday affairs, and

Whereas, the Shredd and Ragan Ten Town Tour, introduces the Western New York audience to the cultural, commercial, and historical aspects of Western New York towns and villages, and

Whereas, the Shredd and Ragan Ten Town Tour is broadcasting in Springville on Thursday October 21, 2010, and

Whereas, The Village government, Village businesses and Village cultural organizations welcome the larger Western New York audience, now therefore be it

Resolved that the week of October 17, 2010 is WEDG-FM 103.3 week in the Village of Springville, and be it further

Resolved that the Shredd and Ragan Ten Town Tour be welcomed to the Village of Springville with the same sincerity and comedic spirit shown by Ted Shredd, Tom Ragan, Jim Jacka, Josh Potter, and  James

Another Voice / Local government

Down Sizing fan – Wrong Medicine

The passage of New York State’s Government Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment Act this past June, and the recent referendums on downsizing town governments, are signs that some people think that representative democracy does not work. As the Village of Springville mayor, my question is how will downsizing, consolidation and dissolution effect meaningful improvement in the quality of life for me and my neighbors. My guess is that they will not.

There is great irony that the movement in Erie County to downsize town boards to three councilmen is happening at the same time Western New Yorkers fault the Albany decision-making process involving the governor and legislative leaders, dubbed “Three Men in a Room.” History lessons taught me that the Triumvirates of Rome served a political purpose, but I don’t think it included putting money into the togas of ordinary citizens. When political power has been concentrated into the hands of few, the actual result has rarely been immediate improvement of the citizenry.

Kevin Gaughan jumped on this bandwagon a few years ago. I’ve heard him say he wants to stop the “hemorrhage” of money, jobs and population from Western New York. His plan was to downsize town representation. Now, he wants to dissolve 16 villages. His bandwagon appeal is popular. The quick fix is on.

Too bad we’ve lost sight of the problem. Too bad more taxpayer money is spent funding government at the county, state and federal levels than at the local level. Too bad the state has shifted political reform away from itself and onto local governments. Too bad we have forgotten that historical and economic forces caused the loss of money, jobs and people from Erie County. Too bad that downsizing, consolidation and dissolution will not fix the ills caused by economic forces and poor state leadership.

Shifting the blame onto local governments was certainly easy to do. In a similar way, local town residents who have successfully petitioned to shrink their representation can boast that they did something to shrink the cost of government.

Meanwhile, the real problems have not been addressed, and representation at the most efficient level of government is threatened. The goal of village elected officials is simple and altruistic: to ensure services to our village. Our greatest frustrations come from problems we have no control over — not only the economic and historical trends, but the actions of the layers of government far removed from our streets.

Downsizing, consolidation and dissolution have become emotional slogans rather than effective solutions to governance problems. I think my neighbors and I should continue to keep watch over our own public services with the representation our village affords us.

Bill Krebs is mayor of the Village of Springville.

Village of Springville, NY

Resolution in Support of the Conversion of the Buffalo-Pittsburg Railway

to a Pedestrian Trail

WHEREAS, a goal of the Village of Springville is to support existing businesses and encourage positive economic revitalization and expansion, and

WHEREAS, a goal of the Village of Springville is to encourage beneficial employment opportunities and residential growth, and

WHEREAS, a goal of the Village of Springville is to provide healthy activities for youth and positive recreational opportunities for all age groups, and

WHEREAS, a goal of the Village of Springville is to encourage and support cultural opportunities and civic involvement, and

WHEREAS, a goal of the Village of Springville is to preserve and enhance its historic characteristics, and

WHEREAS, a goal of the Village of Springville is to expand opportunities for visitors through tourism, and

WHEREAS, a goal of the Village of Springville is promote its quality education and health care opportunities to its residents and businesses, and

WHEREAS, a goal of the Village of Springville is to link community assets to regional skiing, fishing, and other recreational opportunities in Erie and Cattaraugus counties, and

WHEREAS, the West End Business District is an Historic Preservation District through which the Buffalo-Pittsburg Railway right-of-way passes, and

WHEREAS, the conversion of the Buffalo-Pittsburg Railway right-of-way to a pedestrian trail in Springville will promote the growth of regional tourism by making Springville a tourist destination point as a trailhead along the pedestrian trail, and

WHEREAS, the conversion of the Buffalo-Pittsburg Railway right-of-way to a pedestrian trail in Springville will connect Village tourists to other points of recreation including parks, schools, and historic places within and outside the Village limits, and

WHEREAS, the conversion of the Buffalo-Pittsburg Railway right-of-way to a pedestrian trail in Springville will transform an abandoned industrial transportation corridor to a landscaped, patrolled recreational green space within the Village, and

WHEREAS, the Village of Springville Erie-Cattaraugus Rails to Trails Investigating Committee, after examination of documents supporting and opposing the conversion of the Buffalo-Pittsburg Railway right-of-way to a pedestrian trail in Springville, concluded that the economic benefits of the conversion within the Village surpass the financial burden to the Village, and

WHEREAS, the large number of road crossings and the available access through commercial and residential properties within the Village of Springville allow for easy access to the right-of-way and mitigate public safety risk along the proposed trail, and

WHEREAS, New York State Department of Parks and Recreation is considering a proposal to land bank and take title to the 27 mile Buffalo-Pittsburg Railway right of way from Orchard Park to West Valley, and

WHEREAS, Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail Inc. with New York State will provide the planning and financing to construct the trail within the Village of Springville and include a review process with the Village of Springville Board of Trustees, the Village of Springville Planning Board, and the Village of Springville Historic Preservation Commission, and

WHEREAS, Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail Inc. will communicate with owners of properties within the Village of Springville contiguous to the Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railway right-of-way and mitigate privacy, safety, and nuisance problems, and

WHEREAS, Erie-Cattaraugus Rail Trail Inc. will provide for maintenance and patrol during the operation of the trail within the Village of Springville, and

WHEREAS, Erie County and New York State will cooperatively establish and maintain safe county road and state highway cross walks on the trail within the Village of Springville, and

WHEREAS, recreational motor vehicles and snowmobiles may be prohibited from operation or otherwise restricted on the trail within the Village of Springville as approved by the Village of Springville Board of Trustees, and

NOW BE IT RESOLVED:  The Village of Springville Board of Trustees supports the Village’s participation in the conversion of the Buffalo-Pittsburg Railway to a pedestrian trail.

Adopted this _________day of ___________ 2009 by:

The Village of Springville Board of Trustees.

___________________________________              ____________

William J.  Krebs, Mayor                                              Date

N.Y. Government Reorganization and Citizen Enpowerment Act,

signed by Gov Paterson on June 24, 2009

and effective March 21, 2010.

The act repeals Village Law 19 which outlines the procedures whereby a Village may be dissolved and replaces it with a new process and new criteria for referendum.  This NY State Law had wide support in Albany as reform measure to encourage reduction in government services and increase fiscal accountability.

We are informing the Town of this tonight because the popular belief that abolishing a Village will save taxpayer money is not universally applicable.  The Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment act seems to imply that abolishing Village government will put money in the taxpayers  pocket.  The act empowers Village residents, as Village Law 19 did, the right to initiate Village dissolution.  It does not empower a town to refuse to accept the village area or residents into the town, since Village residents are residents of a Town and pay town taxes.

To become better knowledgeable about how this new law might affect Springville, the Village is the process of listing the services and the cost of the services  provided to the residents of Springville.

An initial consideration of the issue of taxpayer savings resulting from the dissolution of the Village of Springville and consolidation with the Town of Concord shows little promise of true savings.

In short, the Village has an $8,000,000 budget.  This includes a $2.5 million general fund supported by taxes and revenue sharing and fees, and about $5.5 million in service supported by fees alone.

The total Town of Concord budget with all its special districts is about $3.5 million.  If Springville were to be abolished, the Town budget would have to triple in order to continue the level of service, and most of this increase would be by adding special districts to the Town such as sewer, water, fire etc.  The biggest hurdle is our municipal electric franchise we operate, which we have been informed is nontransferable.

We have cooperated with the Town and County in many money saving regional initiatives involving shared services and intermunicipal contracts.  We will continue to investigate ways to deliver services efficiently to the residents of Springville.

We are all reminded every day on the evening news of the extent of your service to us all.  The recent shooting at Fort Hood in Texas, the horrific killing of US Army Personnel at their home base in Texas by a deranged man, is perhaps the most shocking example of how you put your lives on the line when you serve your country, when you serve us.

General Patton said, “Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of the men who follow and of the man who leads that gains that victory.”

General Patton earned the moniker Bood and Guts in World War II.  As a warrior he was feared, as a political figure he was controversial.  But I think he might have truly understood that the spirit of courage and leadership is inherent in the service of Veterans.

You are examples of how courage and leadership leads to service.

Our country has a proud history of military service.  Thirty years before Christopher Stone would settle our village, more battles in the Revolutionary War were fought in New York than in any Colony.

When the deep divide over slavery challenged our country and its constitution in 1860, the Civil War secured our Union, and this time with the ultimate sacrifice of more than 30  young men from Springville and Concord.

The monuments we have built around us here in Shuttleworth Park, remind of us of Springville and Concord soldiers who fought and died in the World Wars, the Cold Wars and War against Terrorism in the 20^th Century, and who are fighting today.  But on this day, your presence here at this ceremony is a more vivid reminder.  Your lives, your courage, your leadership, your service to our national security,as well as the sacrifice of your fallen comrades,  is what we honor today.

And we owe another debt of gratitude to you.  You continue to serve your community as members of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.  The recent annual Halloween parade is just one example.  You sponsor boy scout troops, you organize this ceremony and the Memorial Day parade to build civic character in our community.  You help the needy in our community.  And most recently, it was your vision and tenacity, which brought the Veteran’s Administration Health Clinic to Springville.  Bringing that level of medical service to our community was no small feat, and our Village and Town will benefit by this particular initiative for years.

So Thank You Veterans for your spirit of courage, leadership, and service that you have shown in your lives.  You make our Village the fine community it is

Sentz estimates that the reconstruction cost will be about $2,500,000. and take three to five years to complete.  Most of this time will be spent securing financing and conducting engineering studies.  The extensive project will include NYS Department of Environment, and Army Corp of Engineers.  County Legislator John Mills is contacting Congressman Brian Higgins to secure support for the project.

A previous plan to repair the culvert, open the street to traffic by next spring, and seek a long term solution in the next ten years was abandoned by Erie County after a closer examination of the damaged culvert. Examination of soil samples and the stream bank showed that the stream bed of Spring Creek dropped causing the west end of the culvert to crack.  The break in the culvert caused the erosion of the road bed.  And the drop in creek bed has caused the erosion of the surrounding stream bank.

According the Sentz, the damage to the culvert and the condition of the stream banks immediately down stream make any immediate and short term repair of the existing culvert impossible.   “From an engineering stand point, a temporary fix is impossible,” said Sentz.

To rebuild the culvert, the County proposes to eliminate the existing spillway upstream and replace it with a culvert that angles down from the east side of the street before it levels offs on the west side of the street.  This design would channel the flow of water through the elevation drop from the east side to the west side of the road, and slow the flow of water down stream.

As the engineering and financing of the project begins, the County plans immediate steps to mitigate the erosion at the sinkhole, and to secure the safety of the site.  Karl Lux , Springville DPW Superintendent noted that water runoff from both the north and south sides of the street are causing the continual erosion.  Sentz is planning sandbag check dams to divert the water runoff to the sides of South Buffalo St.  Village Administrator Tim Horner explained that the culvert’s proximity to the Springville Youth Inc.grounds causes a safety issue.  Sentz is planning to extend the fence to the creek bed to further deter children from entering the culvert site.

Mayor Bill Krebs asked Sentz to plan for snow removal during the winter months.  The street was closed last winter from Woodward south, preventing access to SYI.  After a brief discussion, Sentz said he would instruction local County crews to plow the snow to the east side of the street and keep access open to SYI.

Krebs said “I’m encouraged about the Erie County plan to fix the problem on this street.  I am not satisfied with the projected five years, but the County’s latest plan will eventually address all our concerns.”

According to Krebs, “The closing of the street for three to five more years is a great disappointment to area residents who use South Buffalo Street daily.  The rerouting of traffic tries the patience of drivers and increases the traffic on Village streets and in the Municipal Parking Lot.  Its continued closure remains a substantial threat to the infrastructure of Village.  The sewer line on the east side of the street remains vulnerable to the erosion, and the rerouting of this sewer line will cost about $300,000.  Also, the erosion at the sinkhole continues to threaten SYI.”

Erie County plans to meet again with Springville concerning the culvert next month.

DRIVING BAN LIFTED 1130 AUG 10

Springville residents have  reacted quickly and cooperatively to clean up after the recent storms.  The Springville DPW, Fire Department, Police Department, and Control Center worked around the clock provide for public safety and get the Village open.  After the intial damage to the electric services, the Electric Division restored power to all Village services within 24 hours.

Residents will remember this storm for years for its damaging winds that toppled tall old maples and torrential rains that flooded our streets and cellars.  A special thanks for the cooperation residents showed in providing for public safety during the crisis.

Below is a brief  description of Village infrastructure and services during and after the storms.

The Storm

A severe thunderstorm with high winds hit Springville at approximately 1400 Aug 9, 2009 damaging and blowing down many trees (especially mature hardwoods) and causing property damage to dwellings, automobiles, accessory use structures.  At approximately 0100 Aug 10, more thunder storms produced torrential rains which caused flooding and many emergency calls to the Control Center.  A State of Emergency was declared at 0215 on Aug 10.  The travel ban was lifted at 1130 Aug 10 after the flooding subsided and the DPW Streets Division cleared the streets of debris.  The Village State of Emergency continues.  Erie County Executive declared Erie County in the State of Emergency at approximately 1700 Aug 10.  Gov Patterson declared Erie, Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua Counties disaster areas on Aug 10.

Flooding

At 0200 on Aug 10, the following streets were flooded: Glenn Street,Chestnut St,Eaton from Winsmith to N Buffalo,Smith St,N Buffalo from the High School to Main St,Maple St,W Main at RiteAid.

Fire Dept : Assisted in numerous calls for flooded basements, downed wires, and fallen trees on Aug 9 & 10.  On Aug 12, the SVFD sent a detail to assist in Gowanda.

Electric Division: Several hundred customers were without electric service after the first storm at 1400 Aug 9.  Electric crews worked around the clock to restore power to Village residents by 1430 Aug 10.. Crews were called out at 2030 on Aug 10 for hanging wires on East Ave.

Waste Water Treatment Plant: The blow downs knocked out power to the plant from 1400 Aug 9 to 1430 Aug 10.  There was major erosion along Spring Brook.  Trees fell on parts of the plant facility.  Excessive flows contributed to plant overflow.

Water and Sewer Division:  Back-up generators were used at pump stations on East Ave and East Main St to keep sanitary sewer levels safe during to power outage on Aug 9 afternoon.  .  Pump and filtration building lost power temporarily during the early morning hours of Aug 10, but back-up generator kept the water flowing to the Village residents.  Crews helped at the Waste Water Treatment Plant.

Streets Division:  All Village Streets were partially or fully blocked by downed branches, trees, or wires from 1400 Aug 9.  Streets Division crews made streets passable for Electric crews by 1800 Aug 9.  The subsequent heavy rains and downed wires resulted in a Travel Ban from 0215 to 1130 Aug 10.  Clean up of debris from the streets and debris from private property placed curbside will continue through August.  Some streets may temporarily or partially be closed to facilitate removal of trees.

Damage to Private Property:  Tree trimmers and contractors continue work on private residences.  Residents urged to report damage to private property to Village Hall.  Streets Division will continue daily brush pickup as needed through August.  BCH sustained damage to a retaining wall and a lightening strike which continues to hamper telephone communications.

Personal Injury:  The Fire Department reported no EMS calls related to storm injuries.

State of Emergency:  The Village State of Emergency will continue through Thursday Aug 13, at which time the Village will reassess the need for a State of Emergency.  The Driving Ban was lifted at 1130 Aug 10.  Mike Willibey, Springville and Town of Concord Disaster Coordinator, has been in contact with the Fire Department, Police Department, Control Center, DPW, Village Administration.  Residents urged to report private damage to homes at the Village Office.