Village Board opposes Erie County and New York State’s COVID-19 emergency response
Akron Village Board members adopted a resolution opposing Erie County and New York State’s COVID-19 emergency response during their regular meeting on Monday night.
Board members recognized the Covid-19 Pandemic virus as “a widespread global endemic disease that will likely never be eradicated due to its mutations and that managing it by declaring a State of Emergency and declaring mandates every time a new variant and/or spike in cases arises must not continue, due to negative impacts on mental and societal health, residents’ rights and freedoms, and negative impacts on businesses and schools ability to cope with and manage through what will likely be regular occurrences in the coming months and years.”
As part of everyday life, the Board states “that it must no longer be used to infringe on individual and business owner rights and freedoms as a result of declaring a State of Emergency, vaccine mandates, mask mandates and lockdowns.”
They cite as reasons for decreased capacity in the health care system: job terminations and severely limited ability to hire and fill positions due to unvaccinated hiring restrictions, increasing, rather than mitigating, the virus’s risk to our community.
They call on Erie County and New York State to focus on a long-term management plan which proactive addresses hospital capacity issues that impact the health and well-being of residents instead of suspending certain procedures.
They question why Erie County is one of the only counties in NY that renewed, every thirty days, the Covid-19 State of Emergency since March 15, 2020, and state that further extensions are not justified.
Board members voiced support for proposed legislation in the New York State Senate that would require approval by Town, Village and City Governing Boards any County Executive’s or County Health Board’s extension of a State of Emergency beyond 30 days within their Town, Village or City.
Recognizing that the Covid-19 virus has become a long-term widespread global endemic disease, the Board went on record requesting that Village residents, businesses, and schools have the right to determine for themselves their unique requirements for mitigating risks and respectfully requests that New York State and Erie County not enter the Village of Akron for the purpose of enforcement of their Covid mandates or associated restrictions.
Board members also went on record opposing any further Erie County vaccine mandates, mask mandates and other Covid-19 restrictions and their associated enforcement by outside agencies within the Village of Akron and voiced support for concerns raised by other Village and Town leaders, such as those serving in Williamsville, Marilla, West Seneca, and Grand Island.
The resolution will be shared with Governor Kathy Hochul, Senator Edward A. Rath III, Assemblyman Michael J. Norris, County Executive Mark Poloncarz, the clerk of the Erie County Legislature (for distribution), Legislator Christopher D. Greene and others.
Board members received notice from Modern Disposal of a 2 percent increase resulting from the Consumer Price Index adjustment for 2022.
Building Permits
Building permits were approved for a roof at 15 Monroe St., Addition at 10 Jackson St., windows/Siding at 5 Cummings Ave., Deck at 5 Cummings Ave., Sanitary repair at 188 East Ave, roof at 9 Jackson St.
Plumbers Licenses were approved for Steve Bonn and Leonard Sky.