Legislator raises Jamestown representation concerns on Land Bank appointments

Legislator Larson objected to the slate of reappointments for the Chautauqua County Land Bank Board of Directors (resolution 171-25), saying the eleven appointees included only one with a Jamestown 14701 address and that Jamestown, which has substantial housing distress, should be better represented.

"The Land Bank’s purpose is to deal with serious housing issues in the county," Larson said, arguing that the city of Jamestown — which comprises a significant share of the county’s housing problems — should likely have two or three representatives on an 11-member board. He clarified the objection was not to the qualifications of the nominees but to geographic representation.

Legislator Scudder and other speakers responded with program data. Scudder said the Land Bank had touched 273 properties in Jamestown, representing 54.5% of the inventory the Land Bank has worked on, and estimated more than 200 demolitions in Jamestown — about $30,000 per demolition on average, which he said equates to more than $6 million invested in demolitions there. "Jamestown has seen the bulk of the action from the Land Bank," Scudder said, noting those figures were a conservative estimate.

Outcome: Resolution 171-25 was adopted unanimously. The discussion leaves open questions about appointment outreach and whether the County Executive or committees will solicit more Jamestown applicants in the future.