Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the County Government Actions topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Chautauqua County committee approves series of resolutions including push to restore passenger air service to Jamestown
Summary
The Planning & Economic Development Committee confirmed multiple appointments, approved repurposing capital funds for Jamestown Community College and backed a resolution urging restoration of commercial passenger service at Jamestown Airport; several other budget and grant items also passed by voice vote.
The Chautauqua County Legislature Planning & Economic Development Committee on a January evening approved a set of resolutions, including a measure urging aggressive action to restore commercial passenger flights to the Jamestown (Chautauqua County) Airport.
The committee voted to confirm appointments to the Lake Erie Management Commission and to the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) board, approved repurposing capital project funds for Jamestown Community College to cover asbestos abatement and changed the project funding source from bonds to the county reserve, and passed a resolution opposing Lake Erie wind turbines. Members also approved budget items to account for a countywide resiliency planning grant, a Restore New York/White Inn pass-through and a sediment-and-debris management plan.
The air-service resolution, introduced after the committee reviewed a consultant study, drew the most discussion. Fred Larson, Legislator, urged the county to “put a stake in the ground” to seek restored service and noted Jamestown previously had Essential Air Service before it was removed in 2018. Mark Geiss, Deputy County Executive for Economic Development and CEO of the IDA, told the committee the consultant concluded a reinstated commercial link to a hub could capture significant passenger demand and the executive branch would support pursuing it. Legislator Johnson said he would back the measure ‘‘but I’ll do it holding my nose,’’ calling the Essential Air Service program a federal subsidy while acknowledging that competing successfully for it matters.
On the Jamestown Community College item, Kathleen Denison, interim vice president for finance and operations at Jamestown Community College, said the college had already completed asbestos abatement on the former annex building and that State Historic Preservation Office review precludes demolition; the county project therefore will be recharacterized from demolition to asbestos abatement and funded from reserve instead of bonds.
Most resolutions were adopted by voice vote; the meeting record shows ‘‘Aye’’ responses and the chair declared them carried. Individual roll-call tallies were not provided in the transcript.
Votes at a glance: - Resolution to confirm appointments to the Lake Erie Management Commission — approved by voice vote; individual tallies not specified. - Resolution to confirm appointment to the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency board (nominee John Healy) — approved by voice vote; individual tallies not specified. - Resolution to repurpose capital project funds for Jamestown Community College (change project name/purpose to asbestos abatement; change funding from bonds to reserve/fund balance) — approved by voice vote; individual tallies not specified. Denison said the abatement work already has been completed and the college plans to market the property for sale. - Resolution supporting aggressive pursuit of restored commercial air service to Jamestown Airport (encouraging consultant actions and IDA coordination) — approved by voice vote; individual tallies not specified. - Resolution opposing Lake Erie wind turbines and authorizing steps to protect county interests — approved by voice vote; individual tallies not specified. - Budget adjustments to recognize countywide resiliency planning grant, Restore NY/White Inn pass-through, and sediment-and-debris management plan — approved by voice vote; individual tallies not specified.
Why it matters: Restoring passenger air service is a high-profile economic development priority for some legislators and IDA leaders, who said it could support tourism and site visits to new industrial properties. Repurposing college capital funds clarifies county accounting and acknowledges completed asbestos remediation. The flood- and resiliency-related budget items reflect ongoing planning for storm and sediment management across county waterways.
The committee chair closed the meeting after approving a number of procedural and budget items; several discussion items (including Casadaga Lake flooding and development-goals proposals) were discussed separately and will receive follow-up work by staff and consultants.
