PROBLEMS OF THE PUBLIC

LANDSCAPING ON KIRKWOOD DRIVE

Bruce White, 45 Kirkwood Drive, thanked Mike Shea, the Town Board, and the town employees who completed the landscaping work on his street.

AMERICORPS TUTORING PROGRAM

Frank Russo, 38 Parkside Drive, stated that he was not against the AmeriCorps, but thought the program was getting out of hand. He commented on the tutoring program and did not believe that the AmeriCorps members were qualified to be tutoring school children. At their last meeting, the West Seneca School District approved a $24,450 payment to the AmeriCorps along with another $12,400 payment. Mr. Russo understood that the Town of West Seneca paid 15 percent of the AmeriCorps budget to have them based in West Seneca. With a $2.5 million budget, that amounted to $375,000. He was not happy with this when the volunteer members of the AmeriCorps received a bi-weekly stipend, health insurance and a $4000 voucher for college from tax dollars and then charged the school district for tutoring.

Supervisor Clark responded that the town did not pay 15 percent of the AmeriCorps budget. He was not familiar with what was worked out between the AmeriCorps program and the school district, but thought that they must have felt there was merit to the services they provided.

Councilman Graber commented that the AmeriCorps received funding from the Buffalo school system and many different areas who committed to funding, not just the federal government. After their budget was approved each year, they hired people for the AmeriCorps who went out and worked. He noted that AmeriCorps members were not volunteers; they got paid for their work.

Councilman Osmanski stated that the school system was not billed for the total services. They were only billed for about 15 percent of the actual cost of the tutors.

CHARGE FOR USE OF SOCCER COMPLEX

Frank Russo, 38 Parkside Drive, questioned if the soccer complex was a town park or private park.

Supervisor Clark stated that the soccer complex had town resident features such as the walking paths and basketball courts. However, the soccer fields were leased under a lease agreement with the Soccer Association.

Mr. Russo stated that the schools were charged to play on the soccer fields and he did not believe this was right since it was a public park that was paid for by the taxpayers.

Supervisor Clark responded that the soccer fields were sub-leased by the Soccer Association and they had made payments to the town over the past three years.

Mr. Russo requested verification of the payments made by the Soccer Association to the town.

Town Attorney Tim Greenan advised that according to the lease agreement, whatever the Soccer Association charged for use of the soccer fields came back to the town.

Mr. Russo noted that last year the Soccer Association charged the school district $4000 to use the soccer fields. He questioned if the town had received this money.

PROBLEMS OF THE PUBLIC

CHARGE FOR USE OF SOCCER COMPLEX    (continued)

Supervisor Clark stated that the town received more than $4000 and he assumed that the amount paid by the school district was included in the amount they had received.

Councilman Graber stated that the Soccer Association's charge was to cover the cost of lawn care and striping. Everyone paid a fee to play at the soccer complex.

Mr. Russo questioned if the town paid for the lawn mowing last year.

Councilman Graber responded that the town did not pay anything for the lawn mowing at the soccer complex.

Mr. Russo stated that before the soccer complex was built, the Soccer Association played on school fields and were never charged. With the new soccer complex, the town billed the Soccer Association and they in turn charged the school district for playing there.

Supervisor Clark stated that in order to extend the season the Soccer Association had to maintain the grass at a degree that the kids could play on it along with striping it. He did not believe that they were even breaking even under the current contract of $3500.

Mr. Russo did not believe that they should charge the school district at all, especially since the Soccer Association was not charged when they played on school property. He thought that since the soccer complex was a public park paid for by the taxpayers through a bond issue, they should not be charging the school district.

Councilman Graber commented that the town used to maintain and stripe the property where the soccer games used to be played. Even though there was no charge to use the fields, town labor was used to maintain them.

Supervisor Clark stated that usage of the soccer fields was not public status. An organization could not just show up and start playing soccer on one of the fields. The Soccer Association controlled this and it was their right to do so.

Councilman Osmanski stated that the Soccer Association did not want the school district children practicing on the soccer fields because they did not want them ruined. They were charged $100 if the Soccer Association caught them practicing on the fields. The Soccer Association was supposed to be self-funding and the only way for them to do that was to charge whatever group used the soccer fields.

COVERED WALKWAY AT BURCHFIELD CENTER

Frank Russo, 38 Parkside Drive, commented on the grant application for a covered walkway for the Burchfield Center. He thought that $225,000 was a ridiculous amount for this and a waste of taxpayer's money, even if it was grant money. Mr. Russo agreed with Councilman Graber that this was frivolous spending, especially with the current economic state. He commented that Supervisor Clark had mentioned that the covered walkway was a "quality of life" issue, yet there was no consideration given to quality of life when the soccer complex was built three years ago on a flood plain behind the Parkside Drive residents' homes.

Supervisor Clark responded that the soccer complex was a good project and was widely used by a number of families in town. He noted that the flooding the Parkside Drive residents experienced had absolutely nothing to do with the project, and engineering experts reported that the flooding could have been much worse if the project were not there. Supervisor Clark stated that if the covered walkway project proceeded it would be financed with donations and private money and not involve any money from the General Fund. The NYS Parks & Recreation grant money would be used for early engineering work to see if the project was feasible. Supervisor Clark thought that the cultural aspect of Burchfield was being enjoyed and appreciated by a number of residents and the covered walkway project was worth looking into.

PROBLEMS OF THE PUBLIC

COVERED WALKWAY AT BURCHFIELD CENTER    (continued)

Mr. Russo also stated that he was opposed to spending $40,000 for the walkway at Knox field. There was a walkway around the corner from there on Indian Church Road and another one at the Harlem Road Park. He questioned if the residents of Knox Avenue had requested the walkway.

Councilman Graber stated that the residents of Knox Avenue had requested the walkway. He commented that the walking paths were more important to the residents than athletic fields because they did not want to walk on the street anymore.

Mr. Russo further commented on the $35,000 outdoor ice skating rink at the soccer complex. He did not believe that anyone would use the rink and questioned if a survey had been taken or if anyone had approached the board and requested this.

Councilman Graber stated that there was inadequate ice time available for open skating at the indoor rink, and if the weather had complied they would have been skating outside last year. Councilman Graber noted that he was hesitant on some of the things that came before the Town Board, and one of those was the Burchfield Center. However, the response and the number of people who utilized the Burchfield Center on a daily basis overwhelmed him.

Mr. Russo questioned how much the Burchfield Center cost the taxpayers and if the AmeriCorps was charged rent for the building.

Supervisor Clark responded that they charged AmeriCorps a little less than $50,000 per year to use the building and the Burchfield Center cost the taxpayers between $45,000 and $60,000. He further commented that the Town of West Seneca did not have a large county park facility located within the town like Lancaster and Orchard Park did. They were trying to offer to the residents what they thought a town the size of West Seneca should offer. There were a lot of lower and middle class individuals who could not afford private ice rinks, and he thought that the residents wanted this type of activity.

Jim Bove, 11 Willowdale Drive, responded to some of Mr. Russo's comments and stated that any program in town that would help kids graduate from high school would save the taxpayers' money. If a kid had to come back for a fifth year in high school, it would cost the taxpayers $9000. If the program graduated five or six kids that maybe wouldn't have graduated without it, the town would save a lot of money. Mr. Bove stated that they needed to have good facilities so that no one would get hurt, and if the soccer field was being maintained it would prevent injuries and save money for the town.

PRESENTATION OF COMMUNICATIONS BY BOARD MEMBERS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS

APPOINTMENT OF PADRIAC ALLMAN AS PART-TIME LABORER

Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilman Hicks, to appoint Padriac Allman as part-time laborer in the Ice Rink effective October 14, 2002 at a rate of $6.50 per hour and authorize the Supervisor to complete and sign the necessary forms for Erie County Personnel.

TRUCKS AND DRIVERS FOR HAUNTED HAY RIDE

Motion by Supervisor Clark, seconded by Councilman Hicks, to provide two (2) Highway Department trucks and two (2) drivers for the Third Annual Haunted Hay Ride sponsored by Tremendous Teens of WNY, Inc. on October 19, 2002 from 5:00 P.M. until 10:00 P.M. at the West Seneca Soccer Complex.

PRESENTATION OF COMMUNICATIONS BY BOARD MEMBERS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS

PAYMENT FOR ENGINEERING WORK AT BURCHFIELD CENTER

Motion by Councilman Osmanski, seconded by Supervisor Clark, to authorize payment of $6245 to SJD Services Inc. for geo-technical services for the canopy walkway at the Burchfield Center.

ADJOURNMENT

Motion by Supervisor Clark, seconded by Councilman Osmanski, to adjourn the meeting at 9:10 P.M.

PATRICIA C. WISNIEWSKI, RMC/CMC
TOWN CLERK