Residents raise concerns at Ogden town meeting

Residents raise concerns at Ogden town meeting

Residents from the Town of Ogden addressed a variety of concerns to Town Supervisor Gay Lenhard, State Senator George Maziarz and State Assemblyman Bill Reilich in a meeting held on Saturday, October 11.

Approximately fifty residents showed up to discuss subjects ranging from the New York State Smoking Ban to bridge repairs in Adams Basin.

Several local bar owners complained to the Senator and Assemblyman about how the New York State Smoking Ban has adversely affected their businesses. Their revenues have dropped almost 40 percent, and they said they are being forced to take out loans to cover payroll and other expenses. Most fear that they will not make it through the winter. Their customers are forced to go outside to smoke and this has caused neighborhood issues as the patrons occasionally get loud and the police are called in.

Both Senator Maziarz and Assemblyman Reilich expressed their sympathies with the bar owners but insisted that the law, which both voted for, was put into place to protect the employees of bars and restaurants from secondhand smoke. This drew a loud outcry from these employees as they said that most of them smoke anyway. One woman told the Senator if they were that concerned about employees' health they should pay for healthcare and let them decide if they are willing to risk the dangers of secondhand smoke.

Senator Maziaraz and Assemblyman Reilich both informed the audience they have received numerous letters from employees who are grateful for the ban. Senator Maziarz explained it is one of those topics that truly divides a room, there will be many fully supporting it and just as many against it.

Smoking related illnesses costs taxpayers $6.4 billion a year, Maziarz said. A local bar owner replied that if they end up going out of business, all their employees will lose their jobs and it will cost taxpayers even more if they end up having to support them.

Drinking water was the concern for several Canal Road and Ogden Parma Town Line Road residents. For the past few years, they have been unable to drink their well water without spending a large amount of money every year on the systems. Several residents angrily attacked Lenhard, claiming she has not done enough to help them.

Senator Maziarz defended the town supervisor, claiming there is not a conversation they have that she doesn't bring up the subject of these residents and a few others that have issues with drinking water. After a long and loud discussion, it was agreed that Senator Maziarz would put together a meeting between himself, Lenhard, the residents of Canal Road and Ogden Parma Town Line Road, the Monroe County Water Authority and the Canal Authority, to try and put some resolution to the problem. The meeting is to take place within six weeks.

The Adams Basin bridge situation was also brought up. The audience was updated as to the current plans. Senator Maziarz reported that he has been trying to find funding to get this bridge repaired as quickly as possible but it still looks as if it will be late 2005 before the repairs are started. Addressing the issue of the lift bridge in Albion and how it is currently being raised and lowered several times a day by crane, Senator Maziarz told the audience that he tried to have that same situation for Adams Basin but it wasn't possible due to the locale.

Residents on Lyell Street are concerned that with the closing of Trimmer Road bridge in early November for six months and the continued closing of Adams Basin bridge every summer, this situation puts them at high risk in the event of a fire or other life threatening emergency. They are already cut off due to railroad underpasses on Trimmer Road and Washington Street and fire trucks have difficulty getting to them. With the bridge situation it makes it impossible for emergency vehicles to reach them from all directions. There is only one road that an emergency vehicle could use to get to them; a village maintenance road which leads from the end of West Avenue to Lyell Street. The Spencerport highway facility is located on the road and a gate across the entrance is sometimes locked.

Currently there is a request in to Senator Charles Schumer's office asking for federal funds to speed up the repair of the Adams Basin lift bridge. Everything hinges on funding.

Emergency service providers have plan for access to Lyell Street
In response to Lyell Street residents' concerns for emergency response:

The Spencerport Fire District maintains alternate response routes and plans for most areas within our district, Lyell Street being one of them. Most fire equipment can access Lyell Street from the south by going down Trimmer Road to Lyell Street. Our ladder truck (2911) is the only truck unable to gain access from this direction due to the height restrictions of the old railroad bridge. The closing of the Trimmer Road bridge over the canal doesn't affect the response of this truck because the ladder truck has never met the weight restrictions and even without a weight restriction, although never attempted, wouldn't be able to make the turn from Canal Road entrance ramp onto the bridge. The ladder truck has always used the Spencerport D.P.W. access road off West Avenue to gain access to Lyell Street. Due to the fact that Lyell Street has no hydrants, plans are in place to call additional units (called tankers) to the scene. Due to the size and weight of these units, they would use either West Avenue or Washington Street for access. If additional units are needed from the south or west, access is available from Washington Street or Trimmer Road. Just to clarify: The initial fire response to this street is not affected due to the closing of the Trimmer Road bridge over the canal, and routes that additional resources would take are not drastically affected either. This closing limits our options, but doesn't adversely affect our response.