VILLAGE NEWSLETTER
January 2018			VOLUME 13, ISSUE 1

Village of Aurora, 456 Main St. Aurora, NY 13026
www.auroranewyork.us
315-364-7293 (office) 315-364-6857 (fax) 315-364-5239 (DPW)
villageclerk@auroranewyork.us 

VILLAGE HOURS
Monday 
Clerk: 4:00pm – 6:00pm 
Code: Enforcement Officer 4:00pm - 6:00pm (see below for revised January CEO hours)

Tuesday 
Clerk: – 10:00am – 2:00pm

Thursday 
Treasurer: 9:00am – 1:00pm
Clerk: 11:00am – 5:00pm
Code Enforcement Officer: 3:00pm - 5:00pm (see below for revised January CEO hours)
                      
There are no public office hours on Wednesday or Friday

REVISED JANUARY CODE OFFICER HOURS
Monday, January 1: No hours
Thursday, January 4: Regular 3pm-5pm
Monday, January 8: Regular 4pm-6pm
Thursday, January 11: Regular 3pm-5pm
Monday, January 15: No hours
Wednesday, January 17: 3pm-5pm
Thursday, January 18: Regular 3pm-5pm
Monday, January 22: No hours
Thursday, January 25: Regular 3pm-5pm
Monday, January 29: Regular 4pm-6pm

VILLAGE BOARD MEETING SCHEDULE

Community Preservation Panel – First Wednesday
Zoning Board of Appeals – Second Wednesday (as needed)
Village Board of Trustees – Third Wednesday
Planning Board – Fourth Wednesday

Deadline for inclusion on the Village Board of Trustees agenda is 7 days in advance, in writing.  The deadline to file a completed application for CPP and/or Planning Board review is 10 days prior to the meeting.

VILLAGE ELECTIONS

Village elections are March 20, 2018 for mayor and two trustee positions. The polls are open from 12:00 noon-9:00pm in the fire department meeting room. Nominees will be noticed in the Citizen and posted on the village website/bulletin boards. The village consistently has above average voter turn-out so let’s continue to fulfill our civic duty.

FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

Water Meter Readings
Twice a year, the DPW records the water meter readings and twice a year we mail out cards and ask home owners to return them (or email) with their readings.  If cards are not returned, or the DPW cannot access the meter, an estimate will be made until an actual read is obtained.  Landlords, if there is a change in tenants, and they are responsible for the water/sewer bill, please notify the village office in order that we may keep our contact information current.

Leaf Pick-Up

The leaf truck is now stored for the winter and the DPW crew asks that you please bag your leaves for pick-up.  However, the leaf truck will be back this spring for one week only and the dates will be posted on the website and in the bulletin boards.

Winter Maintenance
The DPW does its best in assisting with keeping the sidewalks clear.  However, their priority is the street plowing and it is the home owner’s responsibility to keep sidewalks shoveled adjacent to their property.  Working together we can help maintain safe passage through the village.

Please be aware that if schools are closed due to weather, the village office may be closed as well.  If possible, we will post on the village website if we close the office during public hours but, call first (315-364-7293), in case we are unable to do so.

NEWS FROM THE AURORA-LEDYARD FIRE DISTRICT

Congratulations to Jim Chase for a successful write-in campaign as our newest fire commissioner!

MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR

Dear Fellow Villagers,

I’m happy to be able to report that the Village of Aurora headed into the holiday season with a lot to be thankful for – unexpected generosity, goodwill, hardworking employees and volunteers, and an eye to the future. May the New Year find you with a similar list of good fortunes!

Aurora’s can-do spirit was particularly in evidence as Christmas in Aurora came together at the last minute to result in a very successful day for both Aurora businesses and Aurora non-profits.  The Fire Department sold out of pizzas, Peachtown’s Renaissance Fair was so packed I barely got in the door, and all those who have reported in have said it was a busy day with a surprising number of people from out of town. The tree-lighting was exceptionally well-attended – thanks again to Cathy Mullarney for leading the carol singing – as was the house tour, and the gingerbread house workshop, which sold out.  Our sincere thanks to Linda Schwab, the Village Historian, whose email and organizational skills pulled it off, and to all of you who helped out in so many ways.  The whole event cost the taxpayers $3.99 in heavy paper for posters and one trip down to the ballfield for Mike to pick up the farmers’ market sandwich boards that Marian Brown let us borrow.  Thanks so much to everyone whose hard work made this possible. 

It was just a year ago that Wells announced they no longer wished to run the water treatment facility in Aurora.  I’ve been to so many meetings on this I can’t believe it’s just been a year.  Good, safe drinking water is vital, not only to the village residents, but to the Inns of Aurora and Wells College.  Although usage obviously varies seasonally, the village is most often the smallest user of the three.  In recognition of this joint need, the three large stakeholders have been working together for the past year to find the most reasonable solution to phasing out and replacing the Wells plant. Knowing that this won’t happen overnight, Wells has obtained grants to replace worn parts and keep the plant going until it can be replaced.  The three entities are also in the early stages of figuring out how to protect our drinking water from algal toxins.  Last summer’s blue-green algae blooms are predicted to become the new normal and we need to have a system in place by next summer that will filter out toxins, should they appear in the system (which they haven’t).  I’m truly grateful for the good working relationships we have, and trust that I’ll be able to report some decisions to you before long. 

As we go into the season of so many dark houses in Aurora, it seems particularly relevant to remind you of the Aurora Housing Survey, and ask you to respond to it on the village website (auroranewyork.us) if you haven’t done so already.  The survey was expanded from residents and Wells and Inns employees, to include employees at MacKenzie-Childs. This has allowed us to extend the deadline for village responses until January 6th.  We will definitely share the results with you and begin discussions to see if this inquiry takes us down any productive roads.

One last reminder – please find a way to get your car off the street, if possible, when it threatens snow so that we can plow for parking, and your help in keeping the sidewalks clean is much appreciated by all those who walk the length of the village.  Thanks.
 
Good cheer and warm hearths for a Happy New Year.                    

Bonnie

Tree lighting on December 9, 2017 for Christmas in Aurora.  
Special thanks to Linda Schwab for her time and effort in organizing our annual event!