Strategic Planning

STRATEGIC PLANNING Tuesday, October 21, 2025 – 6:00 p.m. Council Chambers – Olean Municipal Building Present: Members: Chairman Crawford, Vice Chairman Forney, Alderman Bennion, Alderman McCall and Alderman Robinson. Others: Alderman Keary; Alderman Anastasia; Mayor William Aiello; Lens Martial, City Clerk; James Sprague, Director of Public Works, and Tiffany Taylor, Managerial Confidential Administrative Secretary. 1. Roll Call Alderman Crawford called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. and asked that the record show that all committee members were present. 2. Approval of Minutes of the Previous Committee Meeting (Tuesday, October 7, 2025) A motion to approve the minutes of the October 7, 2025 committee meeting was made by Alderman Crawford, seconded by Alderman Bennion. Voice vote, ayes all. Motion carried. 3. Unfinished Business a. EV Charging Station Grant Alderman Crawford explained a number of weeks ago he requested Director Sprague provide the City and Council an update on the EV Charging Station grant. He explained the Council was provided nan update on that. Director Sprague explained the City received a notification that the current grant contracts had expired; however, it did come with detailed information on how to get an extension on the contracts. He explained he met with Ms. Kerper, who has more experience dealing with these types of grants than he does, and she is quite confident we will be able to get the extension without an issue. He explained he will get the contracts formally extended, and then the next step is to file the work plan with the State to lay out how we are going to proceed next. He explained he has looked at the work plan and there is a timetable, so we will need to settle on a timetable to get this project completed. He explained in the past proposals were taken from consultants for the design of the project, but there were issues because proper procurement was not followed and we need to do a Request for Proposals in o5rder to be in compliance with the City’s Procurement Policy. He explained when we get the greenlight from the State on the contract extension and work plan, we will move forward with the RFP for a consultant. Alderman Robinson asked about the rescinding of the award, and Director Sprague explained the Council had awarded the design, but it was identified that the consultant was not properly procured and the award was rescinded. Alderman Crawford explained he worked on this grant some time ago with a prior DPW Director, and he understands things can get lost in the shuffle as we change DPW Directors. He explained this is an opportunity to take advantage of the funding to install EV Charging Stations in our downtown that can generate revenue for the City. He explained there are a lot of places we need to spend money, but not as many opportunities to create new streams of revenue. He explained there is also a grant program through National Grid that would help pay for the supply line to the sites, while this grant covers the installation and units themselves. He explained this might not be the most popular demand in our downtown currently but given its proximity to I86 this is a new stream of revenue we can create. He explained he will be coming forward with a PL to put a timeline on getting this paperwork done for the extension of the grant, the work plan, and an updated budget. Alderman McCall explained there is an app that tells where EV stations are, and right now there is no reason for people to get off of I86 in Olean. She explained this would give us EV Charging Stations that would appear on the app, and people would get off I86 to come into Olean to use them, She explained this is a way to market the City and downtown, and asked where the stations would be located. Mayor Aiello explained there are ten proposed locations on North Union Street in front of the mall and ten in lot 10, which was formerly the Olean Business Institute lot. Alderman Crawford explained the units at Tops are level 3 units, and you pay a premium for the speed they generate. He explained they cost almost 50 cents per kWh. He explained these re level two units which are a bit more affordable. He explained they are good for someone who has a few hours to leave their car there, possibly longer, and allows someone to charge their vehicle while they walk around the downtown and eat in our restaurants. He explained we do not have to do any marketing as they will show up in the app, and would be an opportunity to pull people from outside our community into Olean who will pay for the electricity. Alderman Robinson explained there are numerous EVs in the area and this is something we should get going on. He explained he agrees with putting in a PL for a timeline to get this going, and get the work plan turned in. Alderman Crawford explained the people in our community often rely on installations in their own home when it is cheapest to charge in off-peak hours, but it will get the attention of those in I86 who will come to Olean to charge their vehicles. He explained this is something to prioritize. 4. New Referrals for Consideration None 5. Committee Reports None  6. Adjournment A motion to adjourn was made by Alderman Crawford, seconded by Alderman Forney. Voice vote, ayes all. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at approximately 6:15 p.m.