By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- The village is looking at possibly relocating the DPW, or at least some of their materials, to a lot on Pontoon Bridge Road.

Trustee Tim Ahlfeld at Tuesday’s village board meeting said he has been in discussions with the Town Council about a possible shared facility, but the village needs something before the town will be ready to move.

“The town has been kicking around the idea of upgrading their facility. I guess the horizon for that to happen would be 2018-2019 and we have to do something this fall,” Ahlfeld said.

DPW Superintendent Hassan Fayad said he thinks the most ideal spot would be at Bushnell Field behind the current DPW. That lot has raised concerns from members of the public, and some of the trustees are not keen on using it.

“I look at efficiencies a lot. My first option would be to locate at Bushnell Field. There’s 500 feet of treeline between the ballfields and the treeline. My intent is to relocate the debris and sand and salt … to that ballfield,” Fayad said. “Up until it was mentioned we were going to bring the organics over … I have not received a complaint from anyone over there until the issue of that came up.”

He said in addition to objecting to the Pontoon Bridge spot, Fayad said he also opposes locating at a parcel on Horton Road, which has come up in past Town Council discussions as a potential new Highway Department lot.

“I’m not in favor of it (Pontoon Bridge Road). I’m not in favor of Horton Road. Outside the area it’s going to take more time to get a load of sand or salt and take it over,” Fayad said. “It’s going to cost the taxpayers money.”

The Bushnell lot is state Greenbelt land. That means the village needs state approval before they can do anything with it.

Ryne Martin, a spokesman for Assemblywoman Addie Jenne, was at the meeting and said Albany may push a vote back to June.

Ahlfeld suggested they could possibly do something temporary so they are prepared for next winter, but the mayor said he thinks that’s too uncertain.

My concern is the word temporary. We have to do this … I don’t know if the town will ever do anything, they may just repair their facility where it is,” Mayor Tim Currier said.

Trustee Francis Carvel said he was concerned with a DPW spot in the village disturbing neighbors.

“The best location would be a centralized location in the village … but would it be the right thing to do? No, it’s not the right thing to do,” he said. “Is it alright to put it in this neighborhood and not that one? I don’t think it’s right to pick and choose which neighbors we want to inconvenience.”

Trustee Albert Deshaies suggested they may be able to rent to old Walmart location across from the St. Lawrence Centre.

“It’s got a slab, land, it’s beautiful,” Deshaies said. “The only thing about being down there … you’re coming up on a four-lane highway.

“I think it would be a perfect spot, personally.”

He said he wasn’t afraid of locating within the village.

“If we’ve got to step on somebody’s toes, so be it,” he said.

“You don’t want to step on somebody’s toes,” Deputy Mayor Matt Lebire said.

Ahlfeld said they should aim for a place they can rent for little to nothing.

“We were looking for a facility where we could lease it for $1 or some small amount,” Ahlfeld said.

“As we start to do more with less, we’ve got to keep in mind where things are located,” Lebire said.