Ellicottville Town Board Addresses National Grid Rate Increases, Maples Road Safety & STR Cap
Ellicottville Town Board Addresses National Grid Rate Increases, Maples Road Safety & STR Cap
From rising electric bills to road safety and short-term rental limits, Ellicottville officials and residents tackled several pressing community concerns at the March Town Board meeting.
At the March meeting of the Town of Ellicottville, many residents were present representing several items to be discussed. Other highlights from the meeting are as follows…
ELECTRIC SERVICE COST CONTROLS AND TRANSPARENCY URGED
Many residents have expressed serious complaints to the Town Board in regard to affordability of basic electric service. Seth Pullen, Town of Ellicottville Attorney, put together a resolution that was adopted by the Town Board on behalf of residents and small businesses in the Town of Ellicottville that are “experiencing unsustainable, repeated, and compounding increases in electric bills that are placing a growing financial strain on households and the local economy.”
The resolution goes on to express an opposition of “operational, infrastructure, and administrative costs” being shifted to ratepayers in that the increases are less relative to increased energy consumption but by escalated delivery charges and fees without consideration of ratepayer affordability.
Requesting regulatory intervention, immediate transmission of the resolution was directed to the New York State Public Service Commission, NATIONAL GRID, the Governor of the State of New York, and local representatives on the New York State Legislature. Also, to neighboring municipalities served by NATIONAL GRID to “encourage coordinated action among affected municipalities.”
CHANGES ON MAPLES ROAD PROMPT SPEED LIMIT REVIEW
Residents were present to ask for a speed reduction for Maples Road. There are now sidewalks, more houses, pedestrians, and children. There was a speed study performed by New York State DOT and it was explained that the process is somewhat counterintuitive in that if it is tracked that cars are exceeding the speed limit, the State DOT’s philosophy is that it proves the speed limit should not be lowered.
Resident Scotty McGee asked, “Are there any action steps that could be taken in the future, and who is it that we need to talk to in order to get these changes and reduce the speed limit?” The resident also asked about narrowing the lane or considering a buffer in the middle. Ben Gross, Assistant Engineer, requested contact information from residents to set up a conference call with the State DOT. Gross also indicated that the most the Town can do is paint a crosswalk, as the Town of Ellicottville cannot alter County-owned and maintained roads.
Another resident, Rachel Northrup McGee, added, “We don’t need an accident to make it move forward,” and Councilman Greg Fitzpatrick stated, “We’re in total agreement, this is ridiculous.” Residents were then encouraged to show their support, noting that bringing the community together for a conference call with the State DOT could be impactful, as more voices speaking up will help.
SHORT TERM RENTAL APPLICATION DEADLINE PASSES
Several residents were also present to offer explanations of their special circumstances for having missed the STR application deadline. They were encouraged to apply now and because the cap number has yet to be set, there is no way of clearly addressing it at this time, but they will likely be placed on the waitlist. Applications are held in order of receipt, in queue to fill available spaces for licenses as they open up.
The cap was intended to be based on the number applied for and approvable in the introductory year (2026). Next month the STR cap will be implemented.
Realtor Jennifer Courtney was also present to receive clarification in regard to houses that are being built. It was explained that one cannot submit an application until there has been an inspection and a Certificate of Occupancy issued.
SPECIFICS YET UNDETERMINED ON FROZEN PIPES
Resident Steve Frank was also present to speak about a frozen pipe at his residence that was found to be on the “other side of the curb box,” seemingly indicating that the financial responsibility was not on the homeowner. This prompted a broader discussion about the revised 2019 Water District Resolution and the need to clearly define practical protocols and expectations, as well as establish a shared understanding among the Town Board.
The Ellicottville Town Board meets the third Wednesday of each month at the Ellicottville Town Hall, 1 Washington St. Due to scheduling issues, their next meeting has been planned for Wednesday April 8, 2026 at 6:00pm. The public is encouraged to attend. Find upcoming meeting agendas and past meeting minutes at townofellicottvilleny.gov.
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