The Peru Gazette

By John T. Ryan

If the cost to repair a sinkhole isn’t prohibitive, Peru residents may be enjoying pickle ball, tennis and even half-court basketball on the dilapidated/closed Jenkins Street tennis courts sometime next year. Town Supervisor Peter Glushko informed the Board at its Monday, October 26, 2015 meeting that Clinton County was recently awarded a $200,000 “NYS Building Healthy Communities” grant. Peru had submitted a plan to the county and will be receiving approximately $32,000 to repair and resurface the Jenkins Street courts for tennis, pickle ball and possibly basketball. The Board will ascertain the cost of repairing the sinkhole that appeared last summer. If the repair cost isn’t too high, the project should proceed. The Board also plans to use approximately $500 of the grant monies to develop soccer or disk golf at Heyworth/Mason Park.

There’s a good chance that the Town will be installing solar powered flashing stop and/or warning signs at the Brand Hollow Road – Military Turnpike intersection. Contract engineer Peter Gibbs told the Board that if they commissioned him to do a detailed study he would almost certainly recommend larger, flashing stop signs, a pavement stop bar and clearing of the Military Turnpike right-a-away. The Board has requested vendor prices and expects to make a decision in the near future.

The Board approved Town Historian Ron Allen’s request to repair the roof and entrance steps at the Town’s historic Lyons Street Schoolhouse. Jerry Watkins will perform the roof repairs at a cost if $3,230. Robbie Timmons will perform the step repairs at a cost of $1,556. The funds will come from Allen’s 2015 and 2016 regular budget. Allen hopes improve the schoolhouse so that local schools can schedule class trips to learn about education in a one-room schoolhouse.  If anyone has a large blackboard and potbelly stove that they would like to donate to the schoolhouse restoration please notify Ron Allen.

Verizon will be replacing Sprint as the Town’s cell phone provider. Verizon will provide the service at $35 per month per phone, which is less than half the previous provider’s charge. Department heads use cell phones for town business.

The Board hired retired Water/Sewer Superintendent Greg Timmons as a 2-hour per week consultant at a $4,500 annual rate. The Board values Timmons’ 40+ years of experience, as well as his industry and government contacts.

If no changes are made town and employee health insurance costs could increase by 12.8% in 2016. The Board will meet with its insurance broker on Thursday evening at 6 p.m. to discuss modifying present coverage so as to reduce any premium increases.