Churchville board members
must meet meeting requirements

The Churchville Village Board voted unanimously to pass a new local law establishing requirements for attendance at meetings, training sessions and workshops for members of the village zoning and planning boards, following a public hearing at its regular meeting November 4.

During the first two years, planning and zoning board members must attend a minimum of five sessions of the Monroe County Land Use and Decision Making Training Program. After that, members must attend at least one additional training session each year.

"We want uniformity," said Churchville Mayor Donald R. Ehrmentraut, as to why all members must attend the Monroe County training program. "At others you get different opinions from different speakers. Monroe County is uniform, everybody will learn from the same book."

Planning board members will serve a five-year term, and zoning board members three-year terms.

Members can be removed from either board by the mayor if absent from three consecutive meetings, or from 50 percent of all meetings in a twelve month period -- other than for illness or valid, documented personal reasons. Members can also be removed for failing to meet training requirements.

In other news, the board split 3-2 in accepting an $11,550 to build a pergola at the new village park on Black Creek adjacent to the new municipal building. Ehrmentraut, Trustees Nancy Steedman and Lyle Warren voted to accept. Trustees Dean Arlidge and Scott Cullen voted not to accept the bid.

"I think its pretty expensive for a pergola," Cullen said. Arlidge agreed, adding, "I can't see that we need it now."

Steedman disagreed, saying, "Not many things go down in price. If we wait it is not going to get any cheaper."

The pergola will be 8-feet wide, with a lattice top, and be built over an asphalt walkway to the creek bank, landscaped on either side. This is instead of the planned observation deck, which, it was decided, the creek bank could not support.

The pergola is part of a project which includes the new gazebo and clock tower. Village Superintendent of Public Works David Adams said the work on the projects has been extended due to weather.