One of the pros of living in a quaint, country village is the relaxed pace of life, the slow crawl towards tomorrow that makes time appear to almost stand still. Unfortunately, as removed from life as it can sometimes feel, a brief car ride down 28 or 20 proves that tomorrow is today, and the old-fashioned village of yesterday is just that, a thing of yesterday. As time propels the rest of the county, state and nation forward, villages like Richfield Springs, Cherry Valley and West Winfield meander along, keeping their own pace and usually doing just fine. Until something like a state mandate crashes into their reality reminding them it’s time to wake up. The current dilemmas facing the village of Richfield Springs, namely regarding open burning and hiring an additional village employee for the clerk’s office, serve as two reminders that times are changing. As the village grows and adapts, as more and more paperwork, reports and actions are required, so will the payroll and the budget. Additionally, state regulations, like the one prohibiting burning brush, will invariably cost the village a nice chunk of change as they attempt to fund a new way to deal with brush pickups. Whether it’s with a grinder or chipper, shipping the waste products off to someone else to deal with altogether, the village will now have to fund something other than a transfer site where burning takes place. If small town villages and municipalities are required to adhere to state policies, then they should be considered for aid and support from the state as the requirements are met. Grants, policies and procedures, networking and support groups should be provided so that the transition goes smoothly.
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