Tonight (2020-09-21) was a meeting of the Honeoye Falls Board of Trustees.
The meeting was on the long side, although I can’t point to any one thing as a cause. Just a bunch of stuff that all adds up.
The meeting started off with a presentation on Community Solar. Not the first time I’ve seen a group like this present. On the surface it sounds good, who doesn’t want to spend less for their electricity. But as they couldn’t really explain where the savings came from, it didn’t sit right with me. And from some comments I overheard, it sounds like I wasn’t the only one.
If you can’t explain how you are going to save money, but can guarantee that you will, then it seems like a scam to me. I got the sense that the state was covering the ‘savings’ with subsidies, which means they aren’t actually savings as the tax payers (ie people already paying for electricity) would be paying.
I think the Village has no place here. If/when people find solar worthwhile (by however they choose to measure), they will take actions. Governments legitimate role here is in monitoring, and to some extent regulating. Not subsidizing, as that will inevitably lead to leaving the tax payers footing the bill. See Solyndra.
Was an interesting discussion about the Ambulance in a few ways.
Lift Assist is happening frequently enough that there is concern that the charge is too high. On the other hand, if memory serves, a few years back it was happening too often as the charge was too low. As with everything, need to charge enough to justify the time and effort taken to provide the service, but not so much that the service is prohibitive.
The Lima ambulance service is having issues. While it wasn’t clear to me exactly what they were, it sounds like the Honeoye Falls ambulance will be covering Lima more. Talk about not wanting to lose the ‘Certificate of Need‘ which is the legal justification for providing healthcare. I expect this discussion will continue for the foreseeable future.
Fireman’s Christmas parade will be happening, although it sounds like the route will be lengthened and throwing candy outlawed, in the interests of discouraging people from grouping up. Which I find sadly ironic, as the only reason I go to the parade is to hang out with people. The cookies are nice, and the floats amusing, but it’s the people that bring me out.
Which really is the whole underlying question that this panic highlights. Do we measure life’s value by it’s length? It’s quality? Some combination of the two? And is that measurement made by each individual person? Or some governmental authority? Or put differently, is “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” something innately belonging to you, or something that you are allowed by those who believe they are above you?
Related, local supporters of BLAM (Backing Looting Anarchist Marxists) have an event scheduled for 10/3, noon to 4. Sounds like it will start near the grocery story and end at Harry Allen park. And yes, I did take liberties with the name. I think they were called HFL Change Agents, or something similar. But in the interests of truth in advertising, if you support a group that backs marxists while they loot and promote anarchy… BLAM works.
The Episcopal Church is having a festival of some sort in their parking lot on 10/24. Apart from it being outside and spread out, wasn’t clear what exactly would be offered. But as it’s an excuse to get out of the house and hang out with people, if you’ve got the time, those details almost don’t matter.
Also related to the Episcopal Church, Episcopal Ave is a private road. Which is to say, the Village doesn’t own it. As this would likely surprise those living on it, the Village is working with the Church to arrange easements, in order to prevent potential problems down the road. Likely for the best, even if it will almost certainly confuse people.
The Village is continuing to look into having their website rebuilt. Full disclosure, I do website work professional, so I am clearly biased on this topic.
Having said that, it sounds like they have received a few bids for the project. One of them was apparently for ~$31k, and they seem to be ignoring that one. Which makes sense, although I would like to see what is being offered for that cost. That sort of expense sounds like overkill in this situation. I didn’t hear prices for the other bids, but I got a sense they were in the ~$9k ballpark.
Regardless of who they pick, it sounds like this will be in next years budget. So no significant changes until at least April.
The next meeting will be having three public hearings, all about the Conservation Board. From conversation, I got the impression the group is being reorganized and having their scope broadened. I’ll have to ask for a copy of the proposed changes. Ideally they would go up on the website tomorrow, but considering the above, who knows.
Also on the topic of next meeting, it may be at the Village Office. Or maybe the Ambulance base. Or somewhere else? It will NOT be at the Mendon Community Center, as that location will be in use for something else at the time. My calendar tells me the Town board will be there that night. Downside to sharing locations, and yet another reason we should return to normal operations.
And the fire and ambulance contracts were approved. Due to this involving multiple municipalities, tends to be a bit of a lead time on them. Sounds like the Ambulance one is increasing by a negligible amount. While the Fire contract is going up a decent amount due to the radio purchase. Which is one of those expenses that was essentially forced on them. If memory serves, the County decided to move radio systems, and funding for the mandate did not come along with it.
And those are my Observations From Audience Land for the September 21, 2020 meeting of the Honeoye Falls Board of Trustees.
Agenda was not available anywhere I could find. Perhaps it will be on the Village’s website in the future, perhaps not…