MAYVILLE – Chautauqua County Executive Greg Edwards is continuing to respond to a group of residents who are concerned about the future of a county garage in Sherman. So far the executive has received over 100 Emails from residents, and Edwards is once again reiterating his statement from last week that the Sherman shop will not be closed year-round.
In a media statement issued last Friday, Edwards said that over the years, he has made consolidation and cost reduction a theme of his administration and the changes to the Sherman Shop are part of these efforts.
The petition found on the Save the Sherman County Shop Facebook page allows residents to show their support for keeping the Sherman Shop open year-round. Edwards says it was fueled by an announcement notifying employees that the shop will be closed for the construction season.
Edwards said that the seven main concerns they have seen in the emails are:
- Current Sherman Shop employees losing their jobs
- Longer response time during a storm
- More mileage on county vehicles
- Longer travel time to worksite and less work being performed
- Increased funding for higher fuel usage
- Lower employee morale
- A concentration of efforts in Sheridan and Falconer will lead other areas to become neglected.
The County executive says he has reviewed the emails along with Public Facilities Director George Spanos and said that while he appreciates the interest and concern from residents, he also believes they are continuing to be misinformed.
Edwards is saying that the shop will not be closed year-round, and will continue to be used as a base of operation during the winter months. He also said that the current jobs at the Sherman Shop are not in danger.
Spanos also addressed the concerns regarding increased travel time and fuel costs associated with workers having to report in Sheridan or Falconer, saying that Over the past few years, the crews working out of Sherman have always had to travel to perform work throughout the County and being dispatched from another location will result in some of the distances to job sites being shorter and some longer.
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