West Seneca Town Board Meeting Minutes 04/14/2008
Supervisor Wallace C. Piotrowski called the meeting to order at 7:30 P.M. with 30 seconds of silent prayer followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Highway Supt. Patrick Finnegan. ROLL CALL: Present -
Absent - None Supervisor Piotrowski read the Fire Prevention Code instructing the public where to exit in case of a fire or an emergency. 7-A MINUTES TO BE APPROVED Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to approve Minutes #2008-06 of March 31, 2008.
7-B LEGAL NOTICES 1. Proofs of publication and posting of legal notice: “OF THE GRANTING OF A HOME OCCUPANCY PERMIT FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 68 SCHOOL STREET FOR A VINYL GRAPHICS BUSINESS” in the Town of West Seneca, received and filed. (Edward Santoro) 2. Proofs of publication and posting of legal notice: “OF THE ADOPTED CHANGE IN THE ZONING ORDINANCE FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 64 OLD FRENCH ROAD, BEING PART OF LOT NO. 6, CHANGING ITS CLASSIFICATION FROM R-100A TO R-100A(S), FOR A CEMETERY” in the Town of West Seneca, received and filed. (St. Matthew’s Cemetery) 3. Proofs of publication and posting of legal notice: “OF THE ADOPTED LOCAL LAW NO. 1 OF THE YEAR 2008 ENTITLED ‘COLD WAR VETERANS EXEMPTION’, WHICH PROVIDES FOR A VETERANS EXEMPTION FOR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OF VETERANS WHO SERVED DURING THE COLD WAR” in the Town of West Seneca, received and filed. 7-C TABLED ITEMS 1. Computer upgrades in Code Enforcement Office Motion by Councilwoman Bove, seconded by Councilman Graber, to remove this item from the table and receive and file the item.
2. Addition of shelf in courtroom Remained on the table. 3. Retirement of Mike Farrell Remained on the table.
7-D COMMUNICATIONS 1. Supervisor Piotrowski re Appointment of Director of Senior Services Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to appoint Mary Josefiak as Director of Senior Services, Provisional, Group 8, Step 5, effective April 15, 2008 and authorize the Supervisor to complete and sign the necessary forms for Erie County Personnel. On the question, Councilwoman Bove stated that for future positions, especially Civil Service positions, she would like to have the position advertised in the West Seneca Bee and the Buffalo News. She understood that Councilwoman Meegan checked with Erie County Personnel and both candidates interviewed were well qualified for the position, and based on that recommendation, Councilwoman Bove stated that she would support Mary Josefiak for the position. Councilwoman Meegan stated that she had worked with Mary Josefiak on several committees over the last 20 years including the Queen of Heaven Carnival, Relay for Life and the Leukemia Society, and she was a very enthusiastic person. Mrs. Josefiak had approached the board members with an interest in the position after speaking with former Senior Citizens Director, Jim Duffy, about the qualifications for the job. Mr. Duffy thought Mrs. Josefiak would be a good candidate for the position. During the interview for the job, Mrs. Josefiak stated that this was something she had always wanted to do and had often gone to the Senior Citizens Center with clients from the West Seneca Developmental Center where she was currently employed. Councilwoman Meegan noted that Mrs. Josefiak had worked with senior citizens since 1982 and she was willing and able to lead the way for them to enjoy the quality of life they deserved. Councilman Graber commented that making a choice for this position was very difficult because both persons interviewed were good candidates. The other candidate had a Master’s Degree and administrative experience while Mrs. Josefiak had a Bachelor’s Degree and more hands on experience at running activities and encouraging people to get involved in activities to better their life. Councilman Graber thought that Mrs. Josefiak’s qualifications were a better fit for the position and that the seniors would be pleased with her.
2. Supervisor Piotrowski re Retirement of Michael DeMarzio Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to accept the retirement of Michael G. DeMarzio and terminate him as Motor Equipment Operator in the Sewer Maintenance Department effective April 26, 2008 and authorize the Supervisor to complete and sign the necessary forms for Erie County Personnel, noting that Mr. DeMarzio served the Town of West Seneca for over 34 years.
3. Supervisor Piotrowski re Resignation of James Rathmann as part-time Recreation Attendant Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to accept the resignation of James F. Rathmann and terminate him as part-time Recreation Attendant effective March 3, 2008 and authorize the Supervisor to complete and sign the necessary forms for Erie County Personnel.
7-D COMMUNICATIONS 4. Supervisor Piotrowski re Termination of C. Serchia & R. Reczek as part-time Recreation Attendants Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to terminate Christine Serchia and Robin Reczek as part-time Recreation Attendants effective April 11, 2008 and authorize the Supervisor to complete and sign the necessary forms for Erie County Personnel. On the question, Motion by Councilwoman Bove, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to table this item. On the question, Councilwoman Bove thought that the board members should take more time to analyze the situation at the Burchfield Center and speak with the board members of the Burchfield Foundation. Supervisor Piotrowski stated that the Town Board had been reviewing the Youth Bureau, AmeriCorps, Recreation Department, and the Burchfield Center since February. He thought they had plenty of time to do any investigations and they should move forward. Supervisor Piotrowski stated that the five board members had all agreed previously to the decisions that will save the town almost $100,000 in salaries while still staffing the Burchfield Center and running all the functions so no services were cut. Councilman Graber did not see any problem with tabling this item to allow Councilwoman Bove to meet with the Burchfield Foundation.
5. Supervisor Piotrowski re March of Dimes walk Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to approve the request of the March of Dimes to hold their annual March for Babies Walk on designated streets in the town, April 26, 2008 beginning at 9:00 A.M. and ending no later than 2:00 P.M.
6. Town Engineer re Bid date for Barnsdale Avenue Reconstruction project Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to set a bid date of May 12, 2008 at 10:00 A.M. for receipt of bids on the Barnsdale Avenue Reconstruction Project, Job No. B-0804.
7. Town Engineer re Bid date for Liberty Lane Lift Station Replacement project Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to set a bid date of May 13, 2008 at 10:00 A.M. for receipt of bids on the Liberty Lane Lift Station Replacement Project, Job No. L-0802.
7-D COMMUNICATIONS 8. Town Engineer re Purchases requiring Town Board approval Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to authorize payment of the following vouchers for the Engineering Department: Buff-Com Communications (sound system
at Senior Citizens Center) $5334.00
9. Highway Supt. re Safety and Health Program Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to approve and adopt the Town of West Seneca Safety and Health Program set forth by our insurance carrier HRH – Hilb, Rogal & Hobbs and the West Seneca Blue Collar Safety Committee.
10. Highway Supt. re Budgetary transfer request Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to authorize Highway Supt. Patrick Finnegan to proceed with the buyout of a lease for a 2004 Chevy Trailblazer from Gillogly Chevrolet at the negotiated price of $11,700. p>
Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to approve a budgetary transfer request in the amount of $6800 from Equipment Rental Acct. #02.5110.0496 to Equipment Acct. #02.5110.0200 for buyout of the lease for a 2004 Chevy Blazer.
11. Highway Supt. re Military leave of absence for Joseph Steen Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to approve a military leave of absence for Joseph Steen effective April 5 – 20, 2008 and authorize the Supervisor to complete and sign the necessary forms for Erie County Personnel.
12. Highway Supt. re Military leave of absence for William Geary Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to approve a military leave of absence for William Geary effective April 13 – May 4, 2008 and authorize the Supervisor to complete and sign the necessary forms for Erie County Personnel.
7-D COMMUNICATIONS 13. Highway Supt. re Title change for Michael Breen to Working Crew Chief Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to terminate Michael Breen as Highway MEO and appoint Michael Breen as Working Crew Chief, Group 6, Step 5, at a rate of $24.67 per hour effective April 14, 2008 and authorize the Supervisor to complete and sign the necessary forms for Erie County Personnel.
14. Highway Supt. re Title change for Joseph Steen to Highway Heavy Motor Equipment Operator Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to terminate Joseph Steen as Highway Motor Equipment Operator and appoint Joseph Steen as Highway Heavy Motor Equipment Operator, Group 5, Step 5, at a rate of $23.54 per hour effective April 14, 2008 and authorize the Supervisor to complete and sign the necessary forms for Erie County Personnel.
15. Highway Supt. re Title change for K. McCartan & D. Seibert to Highway Motor Equipment Operator Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to terminate Kevin McCartan and Daryl Seibert as Highway Laborers and appoint Kevin McCartan and Daryl Seibert as Highway Motor Equipment Operators, Group 2, Step 5, at a rate of $22.72 per hour effective April 14, 2008 and authorize the Supervisor to complete and sign the necessary forms for Erie County Personnel.
16. Highway Supt. re Title change for T. Cummins & S. Cuddihy to Highway Laborer Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to terminate Todd Cummins and Sean Cuddihy as Sanitation Laborers and appoint Todd Cummins and Sean Cuddihy as Highway Laborers, Group 1, Step 1, at a rate of $21.24 per hour effective April 14, 2008 and authorize the Supervisor to complete and sign the necessary forms for Erie County Personnel.
17. Highway Supt. re Termination of Randall Larivey as Sanitation Laborer Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to terminate Randall Larivey as Sanitation Laborer effective April 14, 2008 and authorize the Supervisor to complete and sign the necessary forms for Erie County Personnel.
18. Highway Supt. re Termination of part-time Sanitation Laborers Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to receive and file this item.
7-D COMMUNICATIONS 19. Highway Supt. re Appointment of part-time seasonal Sanitation Laborers Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to appoint Timothy Weixlmann and Joseph Swiderski as part-time seasonal laborers in the Sanitation Department at a rate of $7.15 per hour effective April 14, 2008 and terminate Jeffrey Lempko as part-time laborer in the Highway Department and appoint Jeffrey Lempko as part-time seasonal laborer in the Sanitation Department at a rate of $7.15 per hour effective April 14, 2008 and authorize the Supervisor to complete and sign the necessary forms for Erie County Personnel.
20. Highway Supt. re Status change for part-time Sanitation Laborers to part-time seasonal Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to change the status of the following part-time laborers in the Sanitation Department to part-time seasonal effective April 25 – September 25, 2008: Jeremy Klubek and authorize the Supervisor to complete and sign the necessary forms for Erie County Personnel.
21. Highway Supt. re Status change for Thomas Ignatowski to part-time laborer Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to change the status of part-time seasonal laborer Thomas Ignatowski to part-time effective April 20 – September 20, 2008 and authorize the Supervisor to complete and sign the necessary forms for Erie County Personnel.
7-D COMMUNICATIONS 22. Highway Supt. re Status change for part-time seasonal laborers in Bldgs. & Grounds to part-time Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to change the status of the following part-time seasonal laborers in Bldgs. & Grounds to part-time effective April 25 – September 25, 2008:
and authorize the Supervisor to complete and sign the necessary forms for Erie County Personnel.
23. Chief Gehen re Purchase of Level II Mid-Ride holsters Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to authorize the purchase of twenty-seven (27) Level II Mid-Ride holsters from ADS Inc., 477 Viking Drive, Suite 350, Virginia Beach, VA 23452, at a cost of $77.85 each, for a total cost of $2101.95, noting that the total cost of this purchase will be reimbursed by the officers who will carry this equipment.
24. Chief Gehen re Purchase of Streamlight tactical flashlights Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to authorize the purchase of twenty-three (23) Streamlight TRL1 tactical flashlights from the Buffalo Gun Center, 3385 Harlem Road, Cheektowaga, New York, at a cost of $95 each, for a total cost of $2185.00, noting that the total cost of this purchase will be reimbursed by the officers who will carry this equipment.
25. Chief Gehen re Status change for part-time Public Safety Dispatcher R. Galli to part-time seasonal Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to change the status of part-time Public Safety Dispatcher Richard Galli to part-time seasonal effective April 1 – 30, 2008 and authorize the Supervisor to complete and sign the necessary forms for Erie County Personnel.
7-D COMMUNICATIONS 26. Chief Gehen re Appointment of Betty Furnari as part-time Crossing Guard Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to appoint Betty Furnari as a part-time Crossing Guard, at a rate of $7.15 per hour effective April 15, 2008 and authorize the Supervisor to complete and sign the necessary forms for Erie County Personnel.
27. Fire Inspector re Removal of unsafe conditions at 53 Wichita Road Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to table this item.
28. Fire Inspector re Removal of unsafe conditions at 146 Aurora Avenue Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to table this item.
29. Code Enforcement Officer re Purchase requiring Town Board approval Motion by Councilman Graber, seconded by Councilwoman Meegan, to authorize payment of $2276.17 to Biel’s Microfilm for microfilming records.
7-E REPORTS Patricia C. DePasquale, Town Clerk’s report for March 2008, received and filed. William P. Czuprynski, Code Enforcement Officer’s report for March 2008 received and filed. Ruth E. Breidenstein, Receiver of Taxes’ report for March 2008 received and filed. ISSUES OF THE PUBLIC NEIGHBORHOOD PROBLEM ON WESTMINSTER ROAD Brian Wirth, 42 Westminster Road, submitted information to each of the Town Board members concerning a problem house on his street. He noted that Westminster Road was a small, dead end street that was split in half by Route 400. There were 25 homes on the first half of the street and that was where the problem house, No. 84, was located. Mr. Wirth listed the problems as follows: parties on a daily and nightly basis; cars racing up and down the street; young girls throwing up in bags and throwing them in the neighbors’ lawns; beer bottles being thrown on the neighbors’ lawns; numerous near physical confrontations between the neighbors and the kids that are partying; blatant lack of respect toward all the neighbors; noise from young girls screaming at all hours of the night and noisy vehicles; illegal parking; underage drinking and the smell of marijuana. Many neighbors had also witnessed the mother supplying the alcohol and partying along with the teens. Mr. Wirth stated that Councilwoman Bove was made aware of this problem in the past and looked into it but was told to back off. Supervisor Piotrowski stated that he would furnish Chief Gehen and Code Enforcement Officer William Czuprynski with the information Mr. Wirth provided.
ISSUES OF THE PUBLIC NEIGHBORHOOD PROBLEM ON WESTMINSTER ROAD (continued) Denise Allen, Westminster Road, stated that she lives across the street from this house and she and Councilwoman Bove met with Chief Gehen last year about this problem. Chief Gehen thought that the problem would calm down over the winter. Also, when Mrs. Allen called the police to complain about the swearing and harassment of little kids on the street, a police officer came to her door and asked her to confess to making the phone call. Mrs. Allen stated that she was sometimes afraid to live in her house and she was not happy with the response she had received from the Police Department. She understood that one of the people involved was a police officer’s son and thought that was why nothing was being done about the situation. Supervisor Piotrowski stated that this was the first he was hearing about the situation and he assured Mrs. Allen that this issue would be resolved. Councilwoman Bove stated that she was aware of this problem and had met with Mrs. Allen and Chief Gehen. After their meeting, Mrs. Allen was going to get back to her if there was any further problem but she had not heard from her. Chief Gehen thought that they had devised a strategy to address the issues on Westminster Road. He guaranteed that if a police officer’s son was involved in the situation, it did not give him any rights above anyone else. Chief Gehen stated that this was the first he heard about these problems again since the last Town Board meeting when Mr. Wirth approached him after the meeting. He had asked Mr. Wirth to call him at his office the next day, but he did not hear from him. Chief Gehen stated that he would work toward bringing a resolution to this problem, but they must contact the Police Department when there is a problem in the neighborhood. Mrs. Allen stated that she had called frequently and the last time she called was told, “We’ll see if we can send someone over, if someone is available.” Mr. Allen further commented on the garbage in the neighborhood coming from the problem house and noted that the other neighbors were repeatedly picking up after them. Cynthia Hunt, 109 Westminster Road, stated that the Police Department had been called numerous times concerning this problem and had done absolutely nothing about it. They show up at the house, but they just walk in and then leave. Mrs. Hunt commented that the mother was on the premises and there was alcohol and drugs there. The speeding on the street was also a problem. Gina Held, Westminster Road, commented on the situation at 84 Westminster Road and stated that the activities occurred on a nightly basis and got worse on the weekend. She referred to the beer cans in the driveway and illegal vehicle behind the garage with car parts thrown on the Center Road Baptist Church property. Mrs. Held further commented on the foul language, the furnishing of drugs and alcohol to minors, and the vehicles in and out of the driveway all night. She did not believe the police were doing anything to resolve the situation and thought it would only get worse as the weather got warmer and the school year ended. Paul Muir, 43 Kelsey Drive, stated that he hung around at another house on Westminster Road and they had football or hockey parties every weekend, but they did not make a mess on the street or cause problems like the situation at 84 Westminster Road. Mr. Muir further commented on the re-striping of Center Road and Seneca Street and noted that the lines were done incorrectly.
ISSUES OF THE PUBLIC NEIGHBORHOOD PROBLEM ON WESTMINSTER ROAD (continued) Highway Supt. Patrick Finnegan agreed that the lines were not correct, but stated that the Erie County Highway Department did the work and he was dealing with them on this issue. Lynn Suarez, 73 Westminster Road, stated that she has a handicapped child and there is another handicapped child on the street along with numerous elementary school children, and the parents would not allow the children to ride their bikes because of the speeding on the street. Sandra Kay Wirth, 404 Center Road, asked if the board members could take some time after the meeting to talk with the residents of Westminster Road. Supervisor Piotrowski stated that he and the other board members were always available for the residents and they would be happy to talk with them after the meeting. SENIOR CITIZENS CENTER PROJECT Brownie Michalczak, Warren Avenue, President of the Board of Director’s for the West Seneca Senior Citizens Center, questioned if approval of the project at the Senior Citizens Center was final. Councilwoman Bove stated that there were a few more things that would probably be approved at the next Town Board meeting, and after that the outside work, such as paving, would follow. Mr. Michalczak thanked Chief Gehen for setting up radar on Seneca Street near the Senior Citizens Center and noted that it helped to slow the traffic down. STATUS OF UPDATES TO NOISE ORDINANCE Ruck Marino, 4713 Clinton Street, stated that he had been coming to the Town Board meetings since August 2005 with concerns about the Nickel Creek Café and the loud music, speeding, parking lot events, and numerous calls to the police. He questioned the status of amendments to the Noise Ordinance. Councilwoman Meegan stated that she had met with Code Enforcement Officer William Czuprynski, Chief Gehen, and Deputy Town Attorney Paul Notaro concerning updates to the Noise Ordinance and had forwarded something to Albany. She was waiting for this to be returned with the proper language and would then forward it to Mr. Notaro for scheduling a public hearing. Councilwoman Meegan hoped that this would be addressed at the next Town Board meeting or the meeting after that and she would let Mr. Marino know when the public hearing was scheduled. REVIEW OF COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SUGGESTED Paula Minklei, Orchard Park Road, stated that the Comprehensive Plan was adopted November 6, 2006 after three years of committee meetings and public meetings and another year of Town Board consideration. The first year priorities included establishing a Town Center Committee, implementing Zoning Code revisions for the Town Center area, utilizing and updating the vision map for the area, implementing Phase I of the streetscape plan, and meeting with DOT reps to discuss traffic calming and access management for the Union Road corridor. Mrs. Minklei stated that if these items were being addressed, she and other residents would like to know about it and would like to attend committee meetings and be allowed input. Also, if nothing was being done, they were almost 1½ years behind schedule. Mrs. Minklei suggested that a public meeting with a comprehensive review of the plan’s contents and priorities might be beneficial for the Town Board and the public. She noted that
ISSUES OF THE PUBLIC REVIEW OF COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SUGGESTED (continued) there never was a public meeting that provided power point projections of vision maps or the zoning map that everyone could view when discussing individual areas of the town. Mrs. Minklei asked if the board members would be willing to arrange this type of review. Supervisor Piotrowski stated that this was new to him and he would look into the suggestions made by Mrs. Minklei. NOTIFICATION OF TOWN BOARD WORK SESSIONS Paula Minklei, Orchard Park Road stated she was not aware of any previous work sessions until she read about the March 31st session in the West Seneca Bee and then heard about this evening’s work session from a friend. In the interest of open government and adherence to the law, Mrs. Minklei suggested that advance notice of the work sessions be published in the paper and an e-mail be sent to subscribers of the town’s electronic newsletter. Supervisor Piotrowski responded that they could try an e-mail notice to subscribers of the town’s electronic newsletter, but advertisement in the newspaper would be difficult at times since often the work sessions were scheduled after the paper went to print. DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES SATELLITE OFFICE AT KIWANIS CENTER Paula Minklei, Orchard Park Road, referred to the satellite office of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) at the Kiwanis Center and noted that with summer approaching the traffic would be increasing and parking would be getting more difficult at Town Hall. She questioned if the DMV would be moving out of the Kiwanis Center before the summer surge of children to Centennial Park. Supervisor Piotrowski advised that the DMV had been served with a notice to vacate the Kiwanis Center, and he hoped they would be out before summer. PROPERTY MAINTENANCE ON UNION ROAD Karen Lucachick, 61 Greenmeadow Drive, submitted pictures of some poorly maintained business properties along Union Road and suggested that someone start enforcing code regulations. Mrs. Lucachick questioned how many employees were in the Code Enforcement Office and if they were out every day looking for violations. Code Enforcement Officer William Czuprynski responded that there were three full-time employees in his office, including himself, who were out every day. There was also a part-time person during the summer to help with the workload. Mr. Czuprynski stated that they did investigate all complaints and any pictures of violations submitted to them. Councilwoman Meegan advised that letters were recently sent to each of the business proprietors in the pictures submitted by Mrs. Lucachick. Mrs. Lucachick did not believe that the public was aware that it was illegal to park boats and snowmobiles on the grass in front yards and commented on what the town would look like if every house had a boat or snowmobile parked in front of it. LEGAL GUIDANCE NEEDED AT PLANNING BOARD MEETINGS Karen Lucachick, 61 Greenmeadow Drive, noted that there was no attorney at the Planning Board meeting held on April 10th and she thought that some legal guidance was needed. Mrs. Lucachick further commented on the poor sound system in the Court Room and the need for some type of video presentation equipment.
ISSUES OF THE PUBLIC LEGAL GUIDANCE NEEDED AT PLANNING BOARD MEETINGS (continued) Town Attorney Edwin Hunter stated that he had received a message at his office at 3:30 PM the day of the Planning Board meeting stating that Deputy Town Attorney Paul Notaro was ill. Mr. Hunter had a prior commitment that day and was unable to attend the Planning Board meeting in Mr. Notaro’s absence. However, he had reviewed the Planning Consultant’s assessment of the agenda and before the meeting he spoke with Planning Board Chairman Joseph Ciancio and Planning Consultant Wendy Salvati about the two items on the agenda. MAINTENANCE AT BURCHFIELD NATURE & ART CENTER Carol Yetter, 58 Inter Drive, stated that she spent a lot of time at the Burchfield Nature & Art Center (BNAC), both for personal enjoyment and as a volunteer, and it was important to her that this area be preserved for its natural beauty, art, history, and educational programs. Mrs. Yetter stated that the volunteers had to take a great lead in maintaining the park, especially over the last few months. They spent many hours raking the gardens, but the debris was still piled on the paths, garbage containers were often full, and the props used to decorate for Christmas and Halloween parties were still littering the paths. She further commented on problems the volunteers encountered this date when they ran a children’s program at the BNAC and questioned how the town planned to manage the conflicts with the use of space at the BNAC and the responsibility of maintaining the property. Supervisor Piotrowski stated that he was at the BNAC this morning attempting to resolve some of the issues between the AmeriCorps program and BNAC. They were working on the problem and would hopefully have a resolution shortly. Supervisor Piotrowski noted that they were committed to keeping the BNAC open in name and in usage. Councilman Graber stated that the Buildings & Grounds Department would pick up the debris in the park, but they might be unaware of it. He asked that Mrs. Yetter inform him when there was debris that needed to be picked up. Councilwoman Meegan stated that she was at the BNAC Friday evening for an event and she took a walk through the park at that time and made a list of notations for the Bldgs. & Grounds Department foreman. He would be sending three or four men to the park this week to clean up the 2 x 4’s and do a clean sweep of the walkways. Highway Supt. Patrick Finnegan questioned if the Buildings & Grounds Department was now going to be responsible for the trails at the BNAC. Supervisor Piotrowski responded that they would have to discuss this issue. TOWN BOARD WORK SESSIONS Amy Carpenter, 406 Woodward Crescent, stated that at the last meeting Supervisor Piotrowski informed her that the Town Board had four work sessions since the beginning of the year, but she was only aware of one work session and that was designated for discussion on personnel matters so it was not open to the public. Ms. Carpenter questioned how the work sessions were being advertised and noted that the law states, “Notice of the time and place of all meetings must be given prior to every meeting. If a meeting is scheduled at least a week in advance, notice must be given to the public and the news media not less than 72 hours prior to the meeting. When a meeting is scheduled less than a week in advance, notice must be given to the public and news media to the extent practicable at a reasonable time prior to the meeting. Notice to the public must be accomplished by posting in one or more designated public locations.” Ms. Carpenter asked if the town website could be one of the locations for posting work sessions.
ISSUES OF THE PUBLIC TOWN BOARD WORK SESSIONS (continued) Supervisor Piotrowski responded that work sessions could be posted on the town website and they also send notices to the West Seneca Bee, Buffalo News, and Front Page. Ms. Carpenter further noted that the law stated that minutes of open meetings must be made available within two weeks of the meeting and minutes of executive sessions must be made available within one week of the executive session. It has been suggested that minutes that have not approved be marked as draft or unapproved when they are disclosed. Ms. Carpenter did not believe that anyone was taking minutes at the work session prior to this Town Board meeting. She questioned if there would be minutes in the future for the work sessions. Supervisor Piotrowski responded that there would be minutes for the work sessions and he and Councilwoman Meegan were both taking notes at the work session held before this meeting. COMMENTS ON SEQR PROCESS Amy Carpenter, 406 Woodward Crescent, stated that she attended the Planning Board meeting on April 10th and it became clear to her that the town had not followed Part 617 of the State Environmental Quality Review law (SEQR). SEQR required a minimum of a 30-day public comment period whenever a negative declaration was given for a property that was going to have something done to it. Ms. Carpenter understood there was an upcoming work session on the SEQR process and she hoped the board members would attend so they would be informed on this topic. PRESENTATION OF COMMUNICATIONS BY BOARD MEMBERS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS COST OF DEFIB UNITS AMENDED Motion by Councilman Clarke, seconded by Councilwoman Bove, to amend a previous motion on the purchase of five defib units and change the cost from $6733.10 to $6975.
STATUS OF REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS FOR NATURAL GAS SUPPLIER Councilman Graber stated that he had received information from former Town Attorney Timothy Greenan concerning requests for proposals from natural gas suppliers. He would be working with Town Attorney Edwin Hunter on the bid specifications, and he commented that it was a good time to do so since natural gas was not in demand at this time of year. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Councilwoman Meegan, seconded by Councilwoman Bove, to adjourn the meeting at 8:45 P.M.
_______________________________________ PATRICIA C. DEPASQUALE, RMC/CMC |