Holley, Murray collaborate on municipal building
Voters have proposition on November 2 ballot

On the November 2 ballot for voters in both the Village of Holley and the Town of Murray will be the option for the entities to collaborate on the construction of a joint municipal building.

Town of Murray Supervisor Henry Lehning said if the voters approve the measure, it will be the first step authorizing the town to borrow money from Rural Development for which the town has already been approved.

"We have $100,000 approved for the construction through Rural Development but we won't have an exact figure for the total construction amount until the bid specs are worked up for bids on the project," Lehning said. "I want to reassure the townspeople that we won't spend any more money than we have to."

Village of Holley Mayor Skip Carpenter said it makes sense for the village and the town to collaborate on the construction of a new municipal building.

"The village hall is not up to ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards. Our meeting room is on the second floor and our restrooms aren't handicapped accessible," Carpenter said. 'The Supreme Court has set forth rules that municipalities and public buildings must be able to accommodate those with disabilities. Right now our building doesn't and the ability to move into a new building with Murray would alleviate that problem."

While Holley may own its own building, Carpenter said it is just not good space any longer. "We need a village hall that is friendly to all our residents."

Murray has struggled for many years with the lack of space at its building which occupies a portion of the town's highway department. While the meeting area is able to accommodate individuals in wheelchairs because it is on the first floor, the restrooms are not handicapped accessible and access to the assessor is non-existent as the office is on the second floor. The need for larger space to accommodate court nights has long been an issue with the town, Lehning said. "The attorneys also don't have any private space where they can confer with their clients - they have to go outside in order to speak in private," he said.

The village, if it remains in its present location, would need to construct handicapped bathroom facilities and install an elevator. "No one wants to spend tax money to do this type of construction, but the building has to be brought up to code," Carpenter said.

Holley has more than $100,000 in a contingency fund which could be used toward the construction of a joint municipal building with Murray, Carpenter said. Many in the village have inferred that the money in the contingency fund should have been used for a fire truck purchase. "The money was never earmarked for a fire truck," Carpenter said. "We actually had a group of people band together and petition the board not to spend the money on the fire truck."

The only way the construction of a joint municipal building will come about is if the referendum garners enough "yes" votes on the November 2 ballot, both officials said.

"It will be on the ballot for the voters to decide on," Carpenter said.

Lehning said if the referendum is ratified, various options will be looked at for the construction. One option would be to construct the building on a slab, which would be the least expensive option but would offer no storage area for the municipalities. Another option would be to construct a cellar under the main part of the building in order to have storage space. It is proposed that the building would go up behind the Christopher Mitchell Funeral Home on Route 31 in Holley, off Maziarz Drive near the Industrial Park.

"The land is being donated to the village by the Piedimonte family," Lehning said.

"We've been discussing this move with Holley since last summer," Lehning said. "We are both in the same boat and it just doesn't make sense to have the municipal buildings in two separate locations. It's more convenient for the community we serve if we are in a joint building."

Murray would undertake the construction and would offer Holley a 30 year lease with the price being based on the square footage they would take up in the proposed building. At the end of the 30 years, Holley would have a rent free building. The only costs they would incur would be for maintenance, Lehning said.