While state law prohibits municipalities from forbidding the use of Orbeez and similar water-pellet guns, Ellenville village trustees have a Plan B in their effort to reduce their use by local youth.

Instead of a ban, the village will work on community outreach. Parents and guardians will be contacted and asked to control the use of water guns and pistols by youngsters.

The issue grew to prominence in the past month with youths aiming water guns at each other in the village and at passers-by. In some cases, it was reported, the water guns were spray-painted black, making them look very much like real guns. In certain situations that can turn deadly, as when police responded to a call that a “real” gun was being waved around outside Arianna’s pizza parlor. When police get to the scene of such a call, as Police Chief Phil Mattracion has pointed out, they have to make split-second decisions about what they are seeing versus what has been reported. Someone holding and aiming a black-painted water gun may well end up being shot.

Village Manager Elliott Auerbach said he was reaching out to the New York Conference of Mayors to see what other municipalities have been able to do in this context.

Trustees at Monday’s village board meeting also talked about some perennial traffic problems. The narrowness of Market Street from above St. John’s Church to the junction with Route 209/Main Street South is a problem when cars are parked along it, especially if they park on both sides of the street. Village Highway Superintendent Mike Jeter said there should be no parking there. A local law and signage regarding the setup will be considered.

That discussion opened out to a request to Jeter that other difficult areas in the village where parking should not be allowed should be identified. Auerbach suggested a “comprehensive review” of the village streets would be a useful thing to undertake.

From that, things moved to the junction of Maiden Lane and Canal Street. Trustee Samantha Ellis said it was notoriously dangerous. Cars emerging from Maiden Lane are often screened by parked trucks and SUVs from the view of oncoming motorists on Canal Street, setting up potential accidents. One possibility might be to reverse the one-way direction on Maiden Lane, turning traffic towards Maple Avenue, instead of Canal Street.

During the sewer report, Auerbach brought up what he called a lack of compliance by the winery on Berme Road. Despite repeated scoldings from the village and the sewer department, the winery continues to pass the “lees” and other detritus from winemaking (stems, seeds, skins) into the sewers. “We are unhappy with the response we’re getting from them,” Auerbach said. If noncompliance continues, the village will shut off the winery’s sewer access.

April Jones-Forbes, who runs a special daycare operation that has spaces for “subsidized” children, will set up a table in Berme Road Park. “I want to reach out to the community and see what services are most needed.” Some discussion ensued as to whether permitting was needed or not. It was decided that it isn’t required and the fee for use of the park will be waived in this case.