By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
OLEAN — At the last Common Council meeting of his tenure Tuesday night, Olean Mayor Bill Aiello thanked city residents “for giving me the honor and privilege to serve as mayor for the past 12 years.”
Aiello, a retired juvenile officer with the Olean Police Department and former Cattaraugus County legislator representing Olean, will end his third four-year term as mayor on Dec. 31.
Olean businesswoman Amy Sherburne, who beat Aiello in the Republican primary and in the November election, takes office on Jan. 1. She was in the audience as Aiello spoke.
In his remarks, Aiello said, “It has been a very rewarding experience and I have enjoyed every minute of it.”
The outgoing mayor thanked the half dozen Common Council presidents he served with, including the current president, Vernon Robinson Jr., D-Ward 6, who he appointed to the council, and John Crawford, D-Ward 5.
“We reimagined and rebuilt our beautiful city, starting with former Mayor Linda Witte’s bold action to apply for the TIGER grant,” Aiello said. “We have refurbished North and South Union streets, East State Street, the William O. Smith Recreation Center, Lincoln Park, Bradner Stadium, Oak Hill Park. Our brownfields off Buffalo Street sat idle for generations. Today they are active and generating income and power for our city. The First National Bank also spent a generation vacant. It has been renovated and shines brightly.”
Next spring, two new projects, the inclusive playground at the updated Marcus Park and the city splash park are due to open.
Aiello recalled that he was elected to clean up blight in the city. He created a task force that included city department heads. They worked together to find ways to contend with blighted homes, he said. He thanked city departments and employees “for their hard work during my tenure.”
He thanked volunteers for maintaining the gardens along North Union Street and East State Street.
Also, Aiello thanked the many people who serve on the boards in city government. “All these boards have an important role in our community. I want to thank the staff that I work with in the city building, including his secretary Michiko McElfresh.
Aiello also thanked his wife, Patty, and his family and friends, the people of Olean and surrounding communities. I have truly led a blessed life.
The mayor also wished Sherburne well “as she takes on the position of mayor.”
Robinson, the council president, praised Aiello and thanked the mayor for appointing him to the council in July 2020. “He didn’t mention this part: He made history by appointing the first African American councilman. I’m sure when he made his decision he didn’[t think he’d selected a future council president.”
“On behalf of the African American community, we like to thank you for having the fortitude to make history at a time when race relations and the Me Too movement were in the forefront.”
He thanked Aiello for the advice he gave him soon after his appointment. “He said most of the time constituents want to call and talk to someone. They just want to be heard.”
Robinson thanked Aiello on behalf of the city, the common council, city employees and residents “for your immeasurable and thankless service to the city.”
THE COMMON COUNCIL approved only one resolution besides the one to pay the bills in their last meeting of the year.
It was actually part of a resolution that passed. It amended the order of the council’s meeting agenda to move the public comment section from last to a spot ahead of the vote by aldermen.
The council had moved the public comment section to the end of the meeting earlier this year when Alderman John Crawford, D-Ward 5, was council president.
The second part of the resolution dealt with public participation during the public comment. That was probably due to an incident earlier this year when a speaker attempted to give some coins to the city to help pay to keep sewage from getting into the Allegheny River.
Then Council President Crawford had police remove the man, who was charged with disorderly conduct and released. He was later arrested at his workplace in Salamanca by ICE.
The council almost tabled the resolution after City Attorney Bridgit Marshall told Crawford that she had not reviewed the resolution. She had submitted her resignation to Aiello effective Dec. 31.
Ward 1 Republican Lawrence Bennion Jr., suggested carving out the agenda portion of the resolution and voting on that. Aldermen voted 5-2 to incorporate the change in the agenda, with Crawford and Jennifer Forney, R-Ward 3, voting no.
In the earlier Public Safety Committee meeting, aldermen put off a decision on clearing snow from sidewalks on much of the downtown area.
Ward 4 Alderwoman Sonya McCall sought to include plowing sidewalks in the downtown area because sidewalks in front of vacant or unoccupied stores often go unshoveled.
There was concern from some on the council that the city could open itself to liability if it cleared the sidewalks and someone was injured in a fall.
Public Works Director James Sprague said he would come up with cost estimates for equipment and manpower to clear the downtown sidewalks. The council will address the issue again next year.
Sprague also said with the hiring of a new tree service, dead trees and limbs in Oak Hill Park would begin to be removed soon.
