By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
LITTLE VALLEY — More than $1.5 million in
state-of-the-art enhancements to Cattaraugus County’s E-911 system are a step closer after approval Wednesday by Cattaraugus County Legislature committees.
The Emergency Communications Center operated by the Sheriff’s Office will receive $1,514,197 to be spent on Next Generation 911 call handling equipment as the system’s analog equipment is replaced by digital infrastructure.
The county’s $1.5 million is part of $85 million in grants announced last month by Gov. Kathy Hochul to enhance 911 services in the counties outside New York City.
Sheriff Eric Butler urged the County Operations/Public Safety Committee to approve the resolution
By modernizing the emergency equipment, the E911 Center will increase its reliability, accuracy and speed.
The resolution to accept the Next Generation 911 grant and to have County Legislature Chairman Andrew Burr, R-Gowanda, sign the contract, will be on the legislature’s agenda for next Wednesday.
The County Operations/Public Safety Committee also approved a resolution to contract with West Valley Cleanup Alliance for on-site law enforcement services.
The contract calls for a round the clock presence of a sheriff’s deputy for an estimated $275,000 from Oct. 1, to Sept. 30, 2026.
Also approved by the County Operations/Public Safety Committee was a revision of the Probation Department’s firearms policy establ;ished in 2016
Probation Director Tonya Kilby said the existing policy calls for the concealed carry of firearms by probation officers. That has been found to “slow down reaction time” by probation officers forced to draw their weapons from under clothing, she said.
The new policy, which Kilby described to committee members, gives probation officers the choice of carrying their weapon either concealed or unconcealed.
The resolution was also approved by the Finance Committee and will be on the agenda for next Wednesday’s meeting of the full county legislature.
Crystal Abers, director of the Department of Economic Development, Planning and Tourism, asked members of the Development and Agriculture Committee to approve a resolution to hire a Buffalo engineering firm, C&S Engineers, to complete the identification, concentration of vacant and abandoned brownfield properties for local future planning purposes.
If approved by the full legislature next week, C&S Engineers Inc., will receive up to $200,000 for their work. It was made possible by a grant from the New York State Department of State Office of Planning, Development and Community Infrastructure and will fund a county-wide brownfield study.
Another resolution approved by the Development and Agriculture Committee would authorize a public hearing on a five-year review of Agriculture District No. 5. Once every eight years, an opportunity arises to remove a parcel from an agriculture district.
The public hearing will be held Nov. 12 at 5 p.m. in the James J. Snyder Legislative Chamber at the County Center.
The Development and Agriculture Committee also approved a resolution to buy $15,000 worth of advertising from WGRZ Channel 2 in Buffalo to promote tourism.
