City Operations

CITY OPERATIONS Tuesday, September 2, 2025 – 6:10 p.m. Council Chambers – Olean Municipal Building Present: Members: Chairman Bennion, Vice Chairman Anastasia, and Alderman McCall. Others: Alderman Forney; Alderman Robinson; Mayor William Aiello; Lens Martial, City Auditor; James Sprague, Director of Public Works; Eric Maurouard, Fire Chief; Tiffany Taylor, Managerial Confidential Administrative Secretary, and Jerry Volz, Information Technology. 1. Roll Call Alderman Bennion called the meeting to order at 6:10 p.m. and asked that the record show that all Aldermen were present except Aldermen Keary and Crawford, who were excused. 2. Approval of Minutes of the Previous Committee Meeting (Tuesday, August 26, 2025) A motion to approve the minutes of the August 26, 2025 committee meeting was made by Alderman Bennion, seconded by Alderman Anastasia. Voice vote, ayes all. Motion carried. 3. Unfinished Business a. Motorized Vehicles on Sidewalks Mayor Aiello explained he will have an update at next Tuesday’s meeting. He explained he knows we have given out 20 warnings after the Council asked this to be looked at more, and there has been one City ordinance ticket although he does not have a number for Vehicle and Traffic Law violations. Alderman Bennion asked what the City ordinance ticket is for and Mayor Aiello explained it is for riding a bike on the sidewalk in the business district. Alderman Robinson explained he has looked at the New York State law about eBikes, and explained helmets are only required for Class 3 bikes; however, class 3 bikes are only allowed in New York City as there are population requirements for them to be allowed in communities. He explained he thinks there are class 3 in the City as they are the ones that go 25 miles per hour or faster. He explained class 1 and 2 bikes require helmets for those 16 and 17 and cannot be ridden for anyone younger than that age. He explained bicycles with electric assist are not to be ridden on the sidewalk, and all need to yield to the right-of-way of pedestrians and shall follow vehicle and traffic law. He explained all electric bikes and scooters manufactured since 2022 must have a label that includes the class, minimum motor speed, and wattage of the vehicle. He explained there are a lot of laws already on New York State’s books, including those regarding not riding while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs. He explained he has brought this up before and what the City needs is enforcement. He explained he would like more information on infractions, and explained the Police Department has enough laws on the books to address this issue. Alderman McCall explained it might be useful for the Police Department to receive some education regarding motor sizes and the differences in classes. She explained there may be a gap in knowledge and they may need additional training. She explained we should also do a publication that class 3 ebikes are not allowed in the City due to New York State law, and Alderman Robinson explained we could have a few bullet points to educate the public. Alderman Bennion asked that numbers be available at the next meeting regarding vehicle and traffic law tickets as well as local ordinances. b. Visibility and Sight Lines for Divided Streets Director Sprague explained there is no specific criteria or guidance for this situation so he is working with the standard stopping sight distance. He explained it is the same used for intersections, stop signs, and other traffic design questions. He explained he toured North Union Street on foot and it became clear when he was walking that the hanging baskets are a big bad actor in being at the right sight distance and they block driver’s windows completely when they are driving down the street. He explained the next step will be to map out sight lines using stopping sight distance and locating all of the hanging baskets to see about pulling some out or moving them someplace else. He explained we will also keep on the list trimming trees in the median, specifically the ones near the crosswalk. He explained we will check some elevations to see how high the rose bushes are, and explained he thinks there will be some that are too high above the payment. He explained as long as the beautification committee can prune them they will not become an issue. He explained the next step is to find time to map where the basket poles are. Alderman Bennion asked if the sight guidelines are the same as what Code Enforcement uses, and Director Sprague explained they are not. He explained the best code is three to eight feet, and one DOT rules only goes to seven feet. He explained there is not an agreement in the number. Alderman Bennion explained he feels it should be consistent and we should have to have the same sight clearance regulations as homeowners. He asked if four weeks is enough time to work on the map, and Director Sprague explained that should be good. He explained there is work to be done aside from the Code issue. 4. New Referrals for Consideration None 5. Committee Reports None 6. Adjournment A motion to adjourn was made by Alderman Bennion, seconded by Alderman McCall. Voice vote, ayes all. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at approximately 6:25 p.m.