DPW chief addresses floodgates
by ELIZABETH TAUFA Reporter

At the board's regular work session on Oct. 9, Department of Public Works crew chief Marc Shuttleworth presented an infrastructure report to the Village Board detailing a need for attention to the village's waterway structures.

"I wanted to present a history of the waterways and any issues regarding flooding and the steps the Army Corps of Engineers took to alleviate flooding problems," Shuttleworth said.

In his report, Shuttleworth noted that the lack of maintenance over the past 75 years has led to erosion and problems for the structures, as can be seen by the recent problem of crumbling walls in Glen Park.

"It's a natural effect," he said. "The bricks are falling as the mortar dries."

While Shuttleworth said that the structures, particularly the floodgates, need to be addressed, there is no immediate threat to the village. But by drawing attention to the structures' deterioration, the board can now plan financially for next year's budget and research grants that relate to the waterways.

"They're not in trouble," he said. "It's just maintenance issues, and if the trustees don't know about it, then I'm not doing my job."

As far as the floodgates go, Shuttleworth hopes to bring an engineer in to do a full inspection of the floodgates in order to know the extent of the wear.

"An inspection hasn't been done in quite a few years," he said. "If everything's fine, then we'll just upgrade. We want to maintain the proper flood control that was designed in the 1930s."

The floodgates were originally built with steel and lumber, so more modern materials, such as concrete, will be used for the upgrade, thus prolonging the life span of the structure.

Addressing the village's waterways may go hand in hand with the efforts of the Mill Restoration Committee and the Glen Park Joint Board as well, Shuttleworth said.

"The area is adjacent to a park, so there may be money available for walkways or some decorative lighting and gradual beautification," he said. "I consider Williamsville an upscale community, and they might want to jazz that area up a bit, and there may be money available because it is adjacent to parks."

As far as monetary figures though, Shuttleworth said that numbers wouldn't be known until a full study is completed.

The Williamsville Village Board's next regular meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 22 at Village Hall, 5565 Main St., Williamsville.

e-mail: etaufa@beenews.com