Brockport mayor presents state of the village update

Brockport's Mayor Josephine Matela delivered her state of the village address at the May 2 meeting. She said it was a time to reflect on the village's accomplishments and look toward future plans.

"Together we have accomplished marvelous things, maximizing our resources, leveraging our people, time and money in order to achieve the best possible outcomes," she read from her statement.

The address acknowledged there were bumps in the roads but that the village's accomplishments and business results speak for themselves.

"This is not to say we do not have challenges to face in the future, but today I can say the state of the village is good indeed," she said.

Matela said when she came into office four years ago the village faced one of its greatest challenges - the restoration of neighborhoods that were environmentally impacted by the village's industrial heritage.

"In total, more than 17,000 tons of soil were removed and I am pleased to say that today the restoration is virtually complete," she read. "Because of this restoration we can be assured that our friends and neighbors will have a cleaner environment in which to live."

Matela lauded the department of public works for projects completed including the Erie Street project, the welcome center at Harvester Park, sewer replacement on Carolin Drive among others.

She also commended the code enforcement office for the strides it had made in safety inspections and code enforcement.

"Our total inspections for 2003 were 965 and in 2004 it was 1,314," she said. "Since 2001 this department has completed more than 593 multi family inspections and issued more than 175 certificates of occupancy."

The safety of citizens, Matela said, will continue to be a number one priority of the village.

The office of economic development and marketing, a position created by Matela's administration, has proven to be invaluable to the village's economic recovery, she said. "We're experiencing recovery not only in a commercial sense but from a marketing perspective," she said. "In 2004 the department was involved in securing $244,000 in grants for the community."

Another important boost to the village's tax base, she said, is through the construction of new homes.

"We will also continue to leverage our designations from the State and National Registers of Historic Places to increase our ability to market Brockport as a play to live work and play," she said.

She also touched on accomplishments brought about in the fire, police, ambulance and dispatch departments.

"The village also would not run smoothly if not for the professional staff at the village office," she said.

Matela also thanked board members for their support and hard work and spoke to the spirit of volunteerism that exists throughout the village.

"In the coming years we will continue to focus on public safety, economic development and quality of life," she said. "I will be looking to each department to participate in pulling together a strategic plan that will have short- and long-term goals in order for us to better plan how we will utilize our resources."