New Year, New Village of Esperance Website

By Heather Skinner

ESPERANCE — During the regular Esperance Village meeting on January 12th, Clerk/Treasurer Michelle Parks shared that hopefully within the next week or two the new Village of Esperance website will be up and running. Deputy Clerk, Leslie Price, has been working on getting the County website up-to-date. Residents will be able to sign up for TextMyGov messaging app notifications about important information like upcoming public meetings and events, meeting minutes and agendas, as well as updates on weather related events, fires, road closures, holiday office closures, water disruptions, and there will be updated Village photos added. To sign up you will need to visit the Village of Esperance website page through Schohariecounty-ny.gov to get a code. Signing up for these text notifications will be free to Village residents.

CHIPS from work done to the sidewalks was received, which Mayor Royce Gage said will help them be able to start another project in the Spring. Residents in attendance were curious about how CHIPS works and what it stands for. Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) is state funding that reimburses for road maintenance after it has been completed, initially paid for by a town or village, then submitted for reimbursement.

The Village representatives mentioned they are still working on grants for the playground that they hope to have figured out by Spring for rebuilds, refurbishes, or whatever it requires. Gage said they will maybe have to go, “Out with the old and in with the New.”

Parks mentioned there have been a lot of complaints coming in about 120 Charleston Street obstructions. The amount of cars there are making it difficult for school buses, ongoing traffic, parking, and neighbors. Parks planned to address the issue with Code Enforcement Officer, Cliff Dorrough, the day after the meeting. Gage reminded that parking on the sidewalk isn’t permitted currently and those who do will face tickets and towing at the vehicle owner’s expense. As stated on signs and during last month’s meeting, November 1st - April 1st there is no parking permitted on State Route 20 and on the Village streets to provide firefighter and snowplow accessibility throughout the winter months.

Meeting resolutions started with # 1 that Parks said is standard at the beginning of the year and listed official appointments. Parks, Price, and Dorrough all have terms due to end in late December of this year. Times Journal and The Mountain Eagle will be established as official papers for public notices and NBT is their official bank. Paul Roberts was appointed Deputy-Mayor, Venus Louise is Registrar, and Angela Burman is Deputy Registrar. Cathleen Houlihan is chairperson of the Planning Board, Matt Deffer is chairperson for the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), and Kenneth Jones is Village Historian. Parks said as of right now Michael West is still their Village Attorney.

Resolution #2 that will be signed is an agreement between the Village of Esperance and the Town of Esperance. Parks summed it up by stating that the Town of Esperance is in control of the one dog warden who handles dog control for both the Village and the Town. Gage added a reminder that for dog licences residents also have to go to the Town.

Resolution #3 was from the County, “Extending volunteer fireman’s benefit law insurance to members of the Esperance Fire Department who participate on any duly authorized and constituted specialized team for the year of 2026.” Gage read Deffer’s Fire Chief Authorization Forms for Deffer and Brian Largeteau to participate on the County Specialized Team of Fives and for Jason Castle to participate on the County Specialized Team of Search & Rescue. The resolution was unanimously approved.

The Fire Department will be hosting a by-donations-only fundraiser on Sunday, February 8th where a buffet breakfast will be available from 7 AM-11 AM. Your support will be appreciated, “Come eat,” declared Parks!

Esperance Village meetings will continue running on every second Monday of the month, 7 PM in the Village Hall Meeting Room (115 Church Street). February’s meeting date will be on the 9th.

Esperance Town Board meetings are every third Thursday of the month; their January meeting will take place on the 15th, 7 PM at Town Hall (104 Charleston Street).

The Mountain Eagle would like to add how heartwarming it was during this meeting to hear from Gage that he recently spoke to a couple who can’t make it to the monthly meetings and appreciate being able to read about them in this paper. Thanks for the kind words from everyone at the meeting, to all the readers who follow these meeting updates, and shoutout to that specific couple reading. We appreciate you, extend a sincere thank you, and want you to know we value being able to share these events with you.