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Brockport residents discuss dock fees,
public comment sessions In a village facing an almost 10 percent tax rate increase, residents question the need and costs of a proposed visitor's center. Residents in the village of Brockport spoke up during the April 19 board meeting against the feasibility of the visitor center and museum. Richard Ling said he was concerned with what will happen to the village's infrastructure if the already understaffed department of public works employees take a hand in its construction. "If they are working on the center, what's going to happen to the roads?" he wanted to know. "We need the pot holes filled and we need the pedestrian crossings lined and the sidewalks fixed." Also questioned by Ling was the amount of anticipated dock fees and how much would be spent by the village to have an employee staff the visitor center to collect those fees. "Are we going to have to hire someone and have there been any feasibility studies done on this center?" Historian Emeritus Bill Andrews said that the village was looking for volunteers to run the visitor center and museum, therefore the village would incur no costs. Sweden resident and Brockport village property owner Tony Perry said that the spending on the visitor center had so far exceeded the grant the village obtained. "I would like to know why we are putting a laundry facility in the visitor center when we have two laundromats on Main Street." Mayor Josephine Matela said one of the owners of the laundromats had offered to supply them with the washing machine and dryer for the visitor center. During the public comment session residents also urged village officials to consider a public comment session at the end of the meeting as well as at the beginning. This issue has been raised by several residents. In other matters, the board:
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