By A.J. Arias
The Village of Florida Board of Trustees welcomed Alyssa Werner-Jahrling as the newest member to the Village Board at their regular meeting on Wed., Oct. 7. Village Mayor Daniel Harter Jr. appointed Trustee Werner-Jahrling to the board following the resignation of Trustee Brian Slattery.
Brian Slattery’s resignation was met with a bittersweet response by his former board members. Trustee Craig Olejniczak mentioned Slattery’s many accomplishments over his 12-year tenure on the Village Board, which included efforts to improve the Village’s Department of Public Works. According to the Board, Slattery has been spending more time with his family in the State of Florida and felt he couldn’t give as much time as the Village needed while splitting his time in the different locations.
Slattery’s resignation was effective as of Wed., Sept. 30. Trustee Werner-Jahrling’s term will expire on March 31, 2021. A lifelong resident of the Village, Werner-Jahrling said she is “honored to have the position” and will “work to preserve the heritage of the Village of Florida.”
Formal elections for Trustee Slattery’s replacement will take place in March with Trustee Olejniczak advising those seeking the position, “Don’t run on one issue…run on making [the village] a better place.”
Water & Sewer Plant Studies
The Village Board approved two studies priced at $24,500 and $30,000 to look into potential improvements that can be made to reduce the Village’s reliance on the water in Glenmere Lake.
The first study will look into the Village’s ground water around the lake that could possibly lead to developing a well for the community’s water.
The second study will look into installing piping that would help alleviate the sewer and water plants’ sludge discharge.
The Village is currently using 1.5 million gallons per day and the goal is to get it down to 750,000 gallons per day as recommended by engineers and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NY DEC). The NY DEC would prefer that the Village not rely at all on Glenmere Lake for water but, according to Mayor Harter, that is not a viable economic option right now for the village.
Mayor Harter said these studies and efforts are a way of moving towards a hybrid system with water usage from the lake and from ground water sources.
Next Meeting
The Next Meeting of the Village of Florida Board of Trustees will be on Wed., Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall, located at 33 S. Main St. in Florida as well as on Zoom. Meetings are now taking place on the first Wednesday of the month instead of the second Wednesday as they were in the past. See the Village’s Facebook page for information about the meeting.
Village of Florida Trustee Alyssa Werner-Jahrling is sworn in by Village Clerk Colleen Wierzbicki. Werner-Jahrling was appointed by Mayor Daniel Harter to fill a vacancy left by Brian Slattery who resigned his position at the end of September.
