By John Addyman
waynecountylife.com
NEWARK (Sep 16 10) – Village resident Todd Howard asked the Newark Village Board tonight why it was so willing to give things away. Specifically, he wanted to know how people who boated into the village port could use shower and laundry facilities for free.
“Giving as much away as we are,” he said, “how much do we get back?” He said the boaters were “members of the free lunch club,” getting those showers when a “working man would have to buy 50 gallons of diesel fuel (at a truck stop)” to get the same treatment.
“It’s great that they stop,” he told the board, asking the village to “work with local businesses and make these visitors be consumers.” He said he had taken a poll at 121 boats and found out that 46 crews never left their crafts to visit the village or spend money here. A third of the boaters did spend money in the village. Still, Howard said he found it “difficult to give this stuff away…is it available to others in the community?”
“It is,” said Mayor Peter Blandino.
“If I have a 150-motorcycle rally, is that (shower and laundry area) going to be open to those people? What steps do I have to take?” Howard asked.
“Just ask,” responded Trustee Chris Avery. “We have entertained a variety of organizations. We’ve had guests over the years and afforded what we could to them as guests.”
Howard said he’d like to see a receipt system in place, where boaters could show that they’d spent money in the village to gain entry to the shower/laundry. Avery suggested using coin-operating laundry machines.
Trustee John Zornow told Howard to ask the restaurant owners close to the canal to see what kind of business they get from boaters, believing it was substantial. Trustee Kurt Werts added that the village does receive donations from boaters, and the park itself (and the bathrooms) are used for community events. “We get letters from people who say Newark is their favorite stop,” Werts added.
“I’m willing to bet what Newark takes in at various businesses from boaters far outweighs the cost of the showers and laundry,” said Roger Straub, an advocate for trail and canal projects. “I applaud you for all you do here. Newark is on the map.”
“We’re not Canandaigua – we don’t have a lake,” said Zornow, who is also the executive secretary of the Chamber of Commerce. “We don’t have an amusement park. But Newark is fast becoming a destination because of that park. There’s hardly a merchant in Newark who doesn’t see business from boaters.”
In other business, the board of trustees discussed:
Water Bill – Thomas Costanza complained about a water meter that says he’s using 30,000 gallons of water quarterly. He lives alone. The village will investigate.
Water Problem – Cindy Palmer, Pierson Avenue, complained that Newark has enjoyed two 100-year storms this year, and they wiped out her garage. She blames runoff from the recent high school expansion and new parking lots.
“I think the school is aware they have a problem,” said Village Operations Manager Jim Bridgeman. He said he had just found out the runoff from the school property is directed into underground cisterns and then into the village’s storm water system on Pierson. Palmer will make a visit to the school board.
Resignation – Sewer Plant Operator Doug Alaimo, who is vitally involved in the major upgrade to the wastewater treatment plant, has resigned, effective Nov. 1. His wife, Bonnie, has a new job and has been in Jackson, MS since February of last year. Board members thanked him for his service.
“I wish I could stay to the end (of the project), but that’s not what my family needs now,” he said.
Candy Apple Daycare – Moved out of the Newark-Wayne Hospital to make way for an adult daycare facility, the Candy Apple Daycare will now have a new home next spring on Erie Boulevard in the industrial park. The organization has landed a $750,000 Community Block Grant to build a new, standalone structure that will have 26 employees serving 100 kids.
Retirement Costs – Blandino explained that the village had budgeted $320,913 for retirement costs for police and other village employees for the June 2010 – May 2011 fiscal year. Treasurer Stave Murawski said the state just sent the latest bill out – for $412,000, a $91,500 increase, something that could equate to a three percent tax increase.
Murawski said the 2011 bill will be $474,000, and for 2012, the tab rises to $594,000.
“That’s just for us in the village,” said Blandino. “I bet the school district is looking at $4 million to $5 million.”
“What we’re hearing from the state is that 2013 will be even worse,” warned Murawski. He said the retirement bill from the state in 2002 was $22,000.
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Gil Burgess Said,
The showers and laundry are an investment that, as a taxpayer, I am more than willing to make! You never know what boater might be an entrepreneur who might be persuaded to consider investing in Newark if given this type of welcome. So, it isn't just what local merchants can get back cent for cent from the visitors. The laundry and shower facility can be viewed as "promotion" for who knows what positive results. In other words, the value of the facility may well be something that can't be measured until way down the road ---at very small cost to the individual taxpayer.
Posted on Sun Sep 19, 12:33:00 PM EDT
Anonymous Said,
Check out today's (Sunday) Democrat & Chronicle front page story on the canal by writer Steve Orr. It is a keeper.
"Water attracts. We all want to eat by the water, picnic by the water, walk by it, hike by it" (Tom Grasso- Canal Society of NY)
Unlike the Jackson & Perkins Rose Gardens, and Canandaigua's Roseland, the canal will always be there for us to take advantage of.
An empty lot on Newark's West Union Street is advertised by Nothnagle realty as "waterfront". Who would have thought?
Posted on Sun Sep 19, 01:22:00 PM EDT
Anonymous Said,
Imagine that someone who is from the Canal society of NY saying something positive about the canal. In your argument you say the canal will always be there then that means it was there when the downtown collapsed so how do you explain that. I am willing to bet that those who thinks the canal is the economic savior for Newark is in the monority while all village tax payers pay for these efforts. Just my opionion thanks for reading
Posted on Sun Sep 19, 01:36:00 PM EDT
Anonymous Said,
Jeez- here we go again. Whenever you want to put a damper on something, bring up Urban Renewal. It happened- get over it.
But....guess what communities have blocks and blocks of decaying, empty, unsafe two and three story buildings? Take your pick.
Posted on Sun Sep 19, 01:54:00 PM EDT
Anonymous Said,
Decaying downtowns has involve our gradual sell out to large corparations. Huge chain stores like Walmart that leave a waste land of low paying jobs and empty stores fronts. Read the book Third World America. Few good jobs, few benefits offered by jobs, anti-public education culture, military only good upward mobility for most and a walmart culture.
I say people that can afford to boat can pay for a shower and laundry themselves.
Posted on Sun Sep 19, 02:51:00 PM EDT
Anonymous Said,
I did not even think about urban renewal when I wrote my comment. If you actually read it and not read into it I am only saying that I believe that pumping hard earned tax money into the canal will not result into economic renewal of downtown Newark nor the other surrounding towns that keep saying the same thing (ie Lyons). If there is someone here that cannot get over urban renewal it is you. I actually agreed with it.
Posted on Sun Sep 19, 04:15:00 PM EDT