May 13, 2026 Regular Town Board Meeting
REGULAR MEETING of the Town Board of the Town of Pomfret held at
6:30 P.M. May 13, 2026, at the Pomfret Town Hall, 9 Day Street, Fredonia, N.Y.
PRESENT:
Supervisor Daniel Pacos
Town Clerk Samantha Kellogg
Highway Superintendent Jude Gardner
Town Counsel Jeffrey Passafaro
COUNCILPERSONS:
Adam Rak
Kathleen Dennison
Michael Lee
EvaDawn Bashaw
ABSENT:
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited and led by Supervisor Pacos to open the Regular Town Board Meeting.
DULY MOVED by Councilman Lee to accept the minutes of the April 15, 2026, Public Hearing Minutes Sewer District No 6. The motion was seconded by Councilman Dennison and carried unanimously.
DULY MOVED by Councilwoman Dennison to accept the minutes of the April 15, 2026, Regular Town Board Meeting. The motion was seconded by Councilman Lee carried unanimously with the correction under Historian report correcting undertake with undertaker and correction under Attorney report bullet point #3 except changed to exempt.
DULY MOVED by Supervisor Pacos to approve the payment of bills on abstract #5 of 2026. The motion was seconded by Councilwoman Bashaw and carried by a roll call vote.
Roll Call:
Councilman Rak-AYE
Councilwoman Dennison-AYE
Councilman Lee-AYE
Councilwoman Bashaw-AYE
Supervisor Pacos-AYE
General Fund Town Wide $27,375.62
General Fund Part Town $279.87
Highway Fund Part Town $32,311.29
Berry Water District $27.83
North End Water District $1,678.44
Lily Dale Water District $833.27
Lily Dale Sewer District $6,214.85
VanBuren Water District $70.00
Capital Projects $194,132.67
CBI $81,773.78
TOWN CLERK REPORTS
Total Fine & Surcharges: $9,889.00
Cases dismissed: 44
Pomfret Town Justice Report for April 2026 is as follows:
Justice Dietzen Total Cases: 168
Total Fines & Surcharges: $10,612.00
Cases dismissed: 49
AUDIENCE CONCERNS
-NONE
HIGHWAY SUPERINTENDENT JUDE GARDNER
SUPERVISOR PACOS
Supervisor Dan Pacos gives an updated report of all Meetings he’s attended since the last meeting on May 13, 2026.
COUNCILMAN RAK
COUNCILWOMAN DENNISON
COUNCILMAN LEE
COUNCILWOMAN BASHAW
TOWN ATTORNEY PASSAFARO
-NONE
DULY MOVED by Supervisor Pacos to adjourn the Regular Town Board Meeting at 8:50P.M., seconded by Councilman Rak and carried unanimously.
Respectfully Submitted,
Samantha Kellogg
Town Clerk
6:30 P.M. May 13, 2026, at the Pomfret Town Hall, 9 Day Street, Fredonia, N.Y.
PRESENT:
Supervisor Daniel Pacos
Town Clerk Samantha Kellogg
Highway Superintendent Jude Gardner
Town Counsel Jeffrey Passafaro
COUNCILPERSONS:
Adam Rak
Kathleen Dennison
Michael Lee
EvaDawn Bashaw
ABSENT:
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited and led by Supervisor Pacos to open the Regular Town Board Meeting.
DULY MOVED by Councilman Lee to accept the minutes of the April 15, 2026, Public Hearing Minutes Sewer District No 6. The motion was seconded by Councilman Dennison and carried unanimously.
DULY MOVED by Councilwoman Dennison to accept the minutes of the April 15, 2026, Regular Town Board Meeting. The motion was seconded by Councilman Lee carried unanimously with the correction under Historian report correcting undertake with undertaker and correction under Attorney report bullet point #3 except changed to exempt.
DULY MOVED by Supervisor Pacos to approve the payment of bills on abstract #5 of 2026. The motion was seconded by Councilwoman Bashaw and carried by a roll call vote.
Roll Call:
Councilman Rak-AYE
Councilwoman Dennison-AYE
Councilman Lee-AYE
Councilwoman Bashaw-AYE
Supervisor Pacos-AYE
General Fund Town Wide $27,375.62
General Fund Part Town $279.87
Highway Fund Part Town $32,311.29
Berry Water District $27.83
North End Water District $1,678.44
Lily Dale Water District $833.27
Lily Dale Sewer District $6,214.85
VanBuren Water District $70.00
Capital Projects $194,132.67
CBI $81,773.78
TOWN CLERK REPORTS
- Town Clerk Kellogg provided to the Pomfret Board the April 2026 report of monies collected. A total of $8,902.20 was collected. The report is on file with the Clerk’s Office.
- Pomfret Town Justice report for April 2026 is as follows:
Total Fine & Surcharges: $9,889.00
Cases dismissed: 44
Pomfret Town Justice Report for April 2026 is as follows:
Justice Dietzen Total Cases: 168
Total Fines & Surcharges: $10,612.00
Cases dismissed: 49
- The Code Enforcement monthly report for April is on file in the Clerk’s office.
- Town Historian report for April is on file in the Clerk’s office.
- Pomfrets March report has been distributed to the board and is on file in the Clerk’s Office
- Fredonia Fire Departments March Report has been distributed to the board and is on File in the Clerk's Office.
- Councilman Lee made a motion to approve sewer forgiveness fees in the amount of $328.85 to service address 5 Third Street Lily Dale NY this was not to establish any precedent or policy each application was taken on its own merit. The motion was seconded by Councilwoman Dennison and carried unanimously.
- Councilman Lee made a motion to approve sewer forgiveness fees in the amount of $2,964.59 to service address 3 Cottage Row Lily Dale NY this was not to establish any precedent or policy each application was taken on its own merit. The motion was seconded by Councilman Rak and carried unanimously.
- The Pomfret Offices and Buildings will be closed on Monday, May 25, 2026, in observance of Memorial Day Holiday.
AUDIENCE CONCERNS
-NONE
HIGHWAY SUPERINTENDENT JUDE GARDNER
- The April work report was shared with the board.
- In observance of Arbor Day, National Grid has partnered with our town to Assist with the cleanup and removal of fallen trees in Forest Hill Cemetery.
- Paving has not been scheduled yet as we’re waiting on our state budget on how much we’re getting for CHIPS. Patch work will be completed until then.
- Mowing will begin shortly.
- Cemeteries are getting ready for Memorial Day.
- A lot of Shared services are currently being done. The Town has been helping the Village pave their roads as well as assisting the County Pave Berry Rd, assisting the County we’ll be getting free millings to help with Town projects.
SUPERVISOR PACOS
- Councilman Lee made a motion to approve the CPL grant proposal for the new Town Hall grant application support. The motion was seconded by Councilwoman Dennison and carried unanimously.
- Councilwoman Bashaw made a motion to Approve contract with Chautauqua County for $50,000 grant through the County “Government Reduction initiative” for the shared services/consolidation study and authorize supervisor to sign the contract. The motion was seconded by Councilman Lee and carried unanimously
- Councilman Lee made a motion to Accept the report of the 2025 annual review of the records of the Chief fiscal officer/Town Clerk/ Tax Collector Reports. The motion was seconded by Councilman Rak and Supervisor Pacos abstaining.
- Councilwoman Dennison made a motion to Approve Pay application #5 for S. St George in the amount of $1,130,239.22 for the Van Buren Water project. The motion was seconded by Councilman Rak and carried unanimously
- Councilwoman Bashaw made a motion to Approve Rural Development Project Budget/ Cost Certification for the Van Buren Water project. The motion was seconded by Councilman Lee and carried unanimously.
- Councilwoman Dennison made a motion to Approve S. St. George Change Order #1 for the Van Buren Bay Water District Water Line Replacement Project for an increase of $1,833.82. The motion was seconded by Councilman Rak and carried unanimously.
- Supervisor Shares a letter from Fredonia Animal Hospital that as of the first of the year they will not be taking in our Stray dogs. Councilwoman Dennison and Councilman Lee will reach out to surrounding areas for other options.
- Contract with Three + One cash management services. – Tabled
- Councilman Lee made a motion Resolved that the Supervisor is authorized to submit a grant application to NYS Parks through the Environmental Protection Funds Grant Program for Parks, Preservation and Heritage through the 2026 Consolidated Funding Application for improvement of the Barker Street Playground and further resolved, that all encumbrances, appropriations, matching requirements (minimum of 20%), and expenditures of funds necessary to meet the terms and obligations of the grant are authorized." The motion was seconded by Councilman Rak and carried unanimously.
- Councilman Bashaw made a motion to approve resolution to move the draft Local Zoning Law to a public hearing to be held on June 10, 2026, at 6:15 P.M at Town Hall, 9 Day Street. The motion was seconded by Councilman Lee and carried unanimously.
- Grave purchase: We cannot authorize further purchases of graves due to policy.
-
Report on Hearse Mania’26
- Request to the Village for closure of roads on park and west church street for the car show from 12-00 PM– 5:00 PM.
- Request for Trolley’s to transport guests to the Cemetery for a walking tour.
- Talk of doing a Halloween Parade with antique Hearse’s and buggies.
- Councilman Lee made a motion to amend the hourly pay rate for Leigh Laurtio to $18.72/hr. effective as of April 20, 2026. The motion was seconded by Councilman Rak and carried unanimously.
- Letters were sent to the Fredonia Residents on Fredonia Stockton Rd for the Water Project taking place. We’ve gotten offers for the Water tank to be placed. We’re looking into expenses and costs for water tank placement.
Supervisor Dan Pacos gives an updated report of all Meetings he’s attended since the last meeting on May 13, 2026.
-
April 17th – Zoom meeting for Cash Vest intro with Three + One
- USDA Teams Meeting for Berry & Chestnut Rd Water Districts. We have received a loan through USDA Rural Development in the amount of $1,261,000.00 & a Rural Development Grant of $993,000.00 for our Berry Rd Water District project. Total project cost $2,260,000.00. Also awarded money towards the Chestnut Rd Water District project $545,000.00 and a Rural Development grant of $409,000.00. Total project cost $960,000.00.
- April 23rd – Attended a Meeting in Ellicottville with Highway Supervisor Jude “Running your Highway Department”
- April 24th- Intermunicipal Meeting with the Village of Fredonia, Pomfret, North County Water District and CPL.
- April 26th- Attended the Charlie Cinque’s Eagle Scout Ceremony
-
April 27th- Albany Prep for Zoom Meeting
- USDA Team Meeting for North End Water District
- VanBuren Bay Water District meeting
- April 28th – Albany Advocacy
- April 29th - Forest Hill Cemetery endowment committee meeting
- May 1st – CCIDA meeting for Pomfret Employment (Industrial) Zone area
- May 6th – Cash Vest Demo
- May 8th – VanBuren Bay Water District progress meeting
- May 9th – Meeting with Hearse Mania to plan event
-
May 11th – Meeting with grant writer for cemetery grants
- Sent out RFP to the consulting firms’ dissolution/shared services study
- May 12th – Meeting with Fredonia Stockton Road residents
- May 13th –followed up with Chautauqua Home Rehabilitation and Improvement Corp for the MMHR program.
-
April 17th – Zoom meeting for Cash Vest intro with Three + One
COUNCILMAN RAK
- Work on old piping at the Lily Dale Sewer plant has been replaced with PBC.
COUNCILWOMAN DENNISON
- Dennison has been working with Supervisor Pacos on Liquidity management piece.
- Comments on regards to the Future of the North County consolidation group, that she’s pleasantly surprised the recommendation of the group is to look at merging all the municipalities rather than looking at the individual services.
- Thanks to the Fire Department for the invite to their event, it was addressed beautifully.
COUNCILMAN LEE
- Met with Great belt seniors with an update about the new building on April 15th.
- April 20th -Town proclamation support with the flag raising they performed at the sacred grounds. Lily Dale residents expressed a lot of thanks for going out on a limb and supporting them.
- Councilman Lee has been sitting in on a group with Cassadaga looking to make some grant proposals just outside of the Cassadaga Village boarders into the Town of Pomfret – They were approved for funding for an engineering feasibility study to be conducted for recreational pedestrian trail.
COUNCILWOMAN BASHAW
- Councilwoman Bashaw sat in on a zoom meeting with NCCF for discussion on what funding we can apply for, for preservation grants.
- Residents are concerned about the moving of the New Town Hall. Bashaw explained Supervisor Pacos is actively seeking grant money for these projects to try and keep us from having to tax the public to get the funding for these projects.
TOWN ATTORNEY PASSAFARO
-NONE
DULY MOVED by Supervisor Pacos to adjourn the Regular Town Board Meeting at 8:50P.M., seconded by Councilman Rak and carried unanimously.
Respectfully Submitted,
Samantha Kellogg
Town Clerk