Parking in the Village of Albion will cost more this year following a unanimous vote by the Board of Trustees on Wednesday, Feb. 11. The meeting, held at Village Hall, also saw the passage of a local law aligning the terms of the village’s financial officers with the mayor’s term, as well as significant budget adjustments for infrastructure and equipment. Deputy Mayor William Gabalski presided over the meeting, with Mayor Angel Javier Jr. absent. Trustees Joyce Riley, Greg Bennett, and Tim McMurray were also present. The board opened with a public hearing regarding parking penalties, though no public comments were recorded in the minutes. Following the hearing, the board moved quickly to approve the increased fee structure. Under the new regulations, which took effect immediately, residents caught parking illegally will face a $40 fine if paid within seven days. If paid between eight and thirty days, the fine rises to $50. Any payment made after 30 days will incur a $65 penalty. Trustee Tim McMurray moved for the increase, which was seconded by Trustee Riley. In another significant change to village governance, the board approved Local Law 1-2026 following a separate public hearing. This law mandates that the appointments for the positions of Clerk-Treasurer, Deputy Clerk, and Deputy Treasurer will run concurrently with the Mayor’s term, set at four years. The move aims to stabilize the administration's financial leadership by ensuring the terms of the key fiscal officers do not lapse midway through a mayor's tenure. The law passed with a 5-0 vote. Infrastructure and maintenance were major topics of discussion during the financial portion of the evening. The board approved roughly $127,000 in budget adjustments and use of funds. The largest allocation, totaling $94,923.75, was directed toward CIR Electrical Construction for Water Improvement Index Areas (WIIA) I & II. The board also approved the purchase of a Bobcat snowblower for the Department of Public Works (DPW) at a cost of $6,693.40, to be paid for out of equipment reserves. Other notable expenses included $4,888.13 for banking fees and $2,750 for a shop hanging heater, drawn from Cemetery reserves. Residents seeking relief from their utility bills received mixed results. The board denied a request for a water break from William Wittman of Albion Eagle Harbor Road. According to the minutes, the denial was due to the timing of the request and a lack of evidence showing a fault on the part of the village regarding actual usage. However, the board granted a sewer break request to Aaron Pappalardo of Beechwood Blvd. Trustees agreed that because a broken water pipe prevented water from entering the sewer system, the charge should be waived. The board also addressed several administrative matters. They voted to keep employment applications from seven candidates on file for one year and approved new emergency closing wording for the Non-Union employee handbook, pending final review from Village Attorney Heather Derchert. Discussion also turned to the National Grid emergency staging area, which utilizes the village parking lot on Platt Street. The board was not satisfied with the current agreement and requested that Attorney Gavenda rewrite the document with their recommendations for future approval. Additionally, the board discussed plowing needs for the booster station and Water Treatment Plant. Trustees suggested that Jay Pahura contact the towns regarding in-kind services and explored the cost of adding a plow to a truck operated by Charlie Ricci. The meeting concluded with an executive session regarding personnel. Upon returning to open session, the board took a rare step to rescind a motion made on Feb. 3 regarding the placement of a specific employee on administrative leave with pay. The board determined that the employee would instead use Paid Time Off (PTO) as they are currently unable to work. The minutes state the matter will be readdressed once the individual is available to return. The meeting adjourned at 7:21 p.m. The next regular meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for later this month.