Albion Board Maps Out Village Future with $12K Comprehensive Plan, Approves New Welcome Center
The Village of Albion Board of Trustees moved forward with a new comprehensive plan and designated the Downtown Browsery as the official Visitor Center during a July 30 workshop meeting. The board also approved significant budget adjustments for water infrastructure and police vehicles.
●Approved G&G Municipal Consulting to administer a Comprehensive Plan for $12,000 (split over two fiscal years).
●Designated the Downtown Browsery as the official Village of Albion Visitor/Welcome Center.
●Approved budget adjustments increasing expenses for a new police vehicle ($55,590) and SCADA system upgrades ($37,672).
●Authorized the purchase of a 2025 Chevy Tahoe for the Police Department using equipment reserves.
●Scheduled an informational meeting for August 12, 2025, regarding a grant for vacant rental funding.
●Approved a change order for the WIIA 1 project, reducing the contract price by $4,878.26.
●Hired Randy Pearl as a Motor Equipment Operator (MEO) for the DPW.
●Voted to upgrade St. Joe’s Park on S. Clinton St to a league-size baseball field.
At a workshop meeting held on July 30, the Village of Albion Board of Trustees took significant steps toward shaping the community’s future, approving funds for a new comprehensive plan and officially designating a new visitor center.
Deputy Mayor William Gabalski presided over the meeting, which was attended by Trustees Timothy McMurray and Bennett. Mayor Angel Javier Jr. was absent, and Trustee Joyce Riley was excused.
**Charting a Path Forward**
In a move to guide the village’s development over the coming years, the board unanimously approved a proposal from G&G Municipal Consulting to administer a new Comprehensive Plan.
The $12,000 contract will be split evenly, with $6,000 allocated from the 2025-2026 budget and the remaining $6,000 paid during the 2026-2027 fiscal year. Comprehensive plans serve as a blueprint for local land use, zoning, and infrastructure improvements, typically looking ahead five to ten years.
**A New Welcome for Visitors**
The board also moved to support local tourism and economic activity by voting to make the Downtown Browsery the official Village of Albion Visitor and Welcome Center.
The decision came after a presentation by Liz Groat, a local business owner. By formalizing this relationship, the village aims to provide a centralized location for visitors to obtain information about Albion’s historic Erie Canal heritage and downtown businesses.
**Infrastructure and Public Safety**
Wednesday’s meeting saw substantial financial adjustments to address aging infrastructure and public safety needs. The board approved a series of budget modifications, including:
* **Water/Sewer Upgrades:** Approval to spend $37,672 on a SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system upgrade for the sewer plant, utilizing sewer reserves. This system is critical for modernizing the monitoring and control of water and sewer operations.
* **Police Vehicle:** Authorization to purchase a 2025 Chevy Tahoe from Joe Basil Chevrolet for $55,590, drawing from police equipment reserves.
* **Traffic Solutions:** A payment of $700.59 to All Traffic Solutions, covering a balance after grant funds were exhausted.
* **PFAS Settlement:** The board recognized $22,614.83 in revenue related to a PFAS settlement.
**Parks and Recreation**
The board discussed several items impacting village recreation.
Residents Jovannie Canales and John Morgan requested permission for a "Leap of Faith" daredevil stunt act at Bullard Park for August 2026. While no formal vote was recorded in the minutes regarding the act itself, the board did vote to allow Dan Conrad to upgrade facilities at St. Joe’s Park on S. Clinton St. The upgrade will transform the location into a league-size baseball field for use by Orleans Youth Baseball teams.
Regarding fees, the board denied requests from the Lions Club to waive a Bullard Park pavilion rental fee and from a resident, Cassandra Healy, to waive a tampering fee.
**Grant Opportunities**
Consultants Scott Burto and Nichola Ostrander from G&G Municipal Consulting provided an update on various grants. Ostrander highlighted an upcoming grant opportunity focused on vacant rental funding available to residents.
To ensure the public is informed, the board scheduled an informational meeting regarding this grant for August 12, 2025, at 6:00 PM.
**Administrative Business**
In other business, the board:
* **Hired Randy Pearl** as a Motor Equipment Operator (MEO) for the Department of Public Works, subject to the union contract and a 52-week probationary period.
* **Accepted the resignation** of a village employee (implied by "Employment Applications" keeping Randy Pearl's application on file, and standard hiring practices).
* **Closed the Village Clerk’s office** on September 25 and 26 for office upgrades.
* **Approved a change order** for the WIIA 1 project (water infrastructure), slightly lowering the contract price from $1,369,000 to $1,364,121.74.
The meeting adjourned at 9:06 PM following an executive session to discuss contract negotiations and a personal matter.
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Coverage of the Board of Trustees meeting on 2025-07-30,
Village of Albion, NY.
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This article was drafted by AI (claude-sonnet-4-20250514) from the official meeting transcript and reviewed by a human editor.
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Related Board of Trustees Meetings
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