Wheatfield Town Board approves $4.8 million in bonding

by Ralph Schwarz
Niagara Wheatfield Tribune, December 15, 2005

The Wheatfield Town Board unanimously approved the issuance of nearly $4.8 million in bonds last Monday to finance a number of projects, including the construction of a town-owned youth center and the acquisition of radio-monitored water meters for town residences.

The town will borrow the money at a 3.5 percent interest rate over a 20-year period.

“The interest rates are at such a level where we would be foolish not to do it,” said Town Supervisor Timothy Demler.

Despite the new bonds, the town’s outstanding debt will amount to $11.7 million as of Jan. 1, 2006, according to a report by Allardice & Associates, a financial consulting firm. Demler said he plans to have the town’s debt reduced to $9 million by the end of next year.

“That would be that lowest bond debt in 26 years,” he said, noting that the town’s debt amounted more than $12 million when he took office in 1996.

New Youth Center

About $1.4 million of the $4.8 million is slated for construction of a new town-owned youth center. The town currently rents out a facility at 2587 Niagara Falls Boulevard at a cost of $50,000 per year. Although the building allows the Recreation Department to conduct various programs, it lacks any amenities for youth-oriented sports activities.

“The current one is well utilized; a lot of people go there every week,” Demler said. “But our rent is now in excess of $50,000 with utilities, so we thought it would be better to invest in our own youth center with gyms to add new programming.”

Recreation Director Ed Sturgeon said that a new center is necessary to provide physical activities for Wheatfield youths.

“This would give us the chance to host events like basketball, volleyball, tennis, badminton – different things that will finally will get the youths to attend the youth center and participate in physical activities,” he said. “We still want to encourage them to have access to the school activities like books and computer programs, but we also like to enhance the physical aspect.”

The new youth center would include two gymnasiums, a kitchen, television and computer rooms, and a library.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for us to save the taxpayer money, while we provide a facility that includes gymnasiums,” Demler said after the meeting. “Since we have no gyms in all of Wheatfield, it’s going to be a win-win situation for the youths of the entire town with this major program we want to put together.”

Two Possible Locations

According to Sturgeon, the town is currently looking into several locations to house the new youth center. Possible sites include the area behind the Wheatfield Town Hall or at Fairmount Park on Nash Road.

“My choice would be Fairmount Park,” Sturgeon said. “I feel that would provide us with in-house programs, and, weather-permitting, we would still have all the access to all the current facilities (at the park), like the tennis courts and other recreational facilities.”

Since the Recreation Department is already stationed at Fairmount Park, it maintaining the youth center would be easier and less costly, Sturgeon added.

The Town Board is expected to decide on the location of the new youth center by early spring. The lease for the current center will expire by September 2006.

“That contract would probably be extended for at least one year to give us time to do a site selection and build a new building,” Sturgeon said.

Other Projects

Other projects include the construction of a $900,000 storage facility for the Water/Sewer Department on Niagara Falls Boulevard; the renovation of the pump stations on Klemer and Witmer roads and town-wide drainage improvements in the amount of $1.76 million; and roof replacements at the Town Hall and Highway Department for $218,000.

The town will use the remaining $500,000 of the bond money for the purchase of approximately 3,000 radio-monitored water meters. These new state-of-the-art meters will replace the current manually-read meters, Demler said.

“We have to replace a certain number of water meters every year,” he said. “We are gradually replacing the old water meters with radio control, so that way there is no intrusion, no knock on your door. (The Water Department workers) are zapping it from the street, and you get the actual water reading right from the truck at the radio control apparatus.”

Demler added that the Town Board decided to purchase the new meters right away.

“Rather than doing 100 or 200 a year, we figured we would bond it and buy a good portion of them right now,” he said. “We are currently spending more money on the current ones and we are replacing those every year. We won’t see those savings for the next six to eight years, but there will be savings and they will be more accurate for the residents.”

‘Oz’ Scoping Session

In a brief update on the upcoming scoping session for public input on the proposed “Magical Land of Oz” theme park, Demler informed the audience that the meeting will not take place until early January.

“We’ve been advised by the engineering firm that they are looking for the second or third week of January,” he said. The initial target date for the scoping session was set for the week of Dec. 19.

The supervisor added that the engineering firm overseeing the proposed $720 million project still needed time in order to address certain issues related to the proposed theme park.

“And in fairness to the public, the week before Christmas is not the best time to get to a meeting,” he said. “So (the engineering firm) thought it would be better to have the scoping meeting moved to a time when more people could attend.”

The town will announce the exact date for the public input meeting as soon as the engineering firm authorizes the day and time, Demler said.

Snow Plowing

Highway Superintendent Arthur Kroening reminded Wheatfield residents who are plowing their driveways that it is illegal to push snow into or across public roadways.

“What they don’t understand is that it is illegal to push snow into roads (the Highway Department) has already plowed,” he said.

The Niagara County Sheriff’s Department will issue $1,000 violations to those people who are caught pushing snow into plowed roadways, Kroening said.

“You are supposed to push off the snow to both sides of your driveway,” he said.

Agenda Items

In other business, the Town Board unanimously voted:

•To enter a one-year contract for the maintenance of the three town-owned traffic lights at a cost of $3,750.

•To approve the curb work on Wilrose and Lakemeet drives at a cost of $1,760.

•To approve the model home permits for Forrest City, as submitted.

•To direct the Building Department and the town engineer to require the developer of a project on Williams Road to move an existing fire hydrant to a location equivalent to 1.5-times the height of the building under construction.

•To set Oct. 1 as the cutoff date for grass cutting in the next contract.

•To approve two muzzleloader discharge permits, as submitted.

•To accept the completed pavement, cubs, waterline, sanitary sewer and storm sewer improvements for Phase 10 of the Spice Creek subdivision under the condition of three contingencies. This phase consists of 27 single-family homes on Northcreek Run.

•To accept the dedication of the right-of-way and drainage easements for Phase 10 of the Spice Creek subdivision.

•To approve the use of shared parking between the proposed PJ’s Restaurant, 3810 Forest Parkway, and 3829 Forest Parkway in the Woodlands Corporate Center expansion, under the condition of one contingency.

•To permit developers the use of 12-gauge aluminized drainage pipes in place of 10-gauge galvanized drainage pipes.

•To schedule a public scoping session on the proposed Berkshire subdivision for Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2006, at 7 p.m. in the Wheatfield Community/Senior Center.

•To schedule a public hearing on the proposed amendment to Local Law 3-2004 concerning the licensing of electricians for Monday, Jan. 23, 2006, at 7 p.m.

•To schedule a public hearing on the proposed amendment to Local Law 4-2002 concerning the creation of a plumbing review board for Monday, Jan. 23, 2006, at 7:15 p.m.

•To determine whether the replacement of the Klemer Road and Witmer Road pump stations, the replacement of water meters, and the repair and replacement for the Town Hall and Highway Garage roofs qualify as Type II actions pursuant to SEQRA and that no further action and review is required.

•To determine, based on the recommendation of Town SEQRA Officer Don MacSwan, that the construction of a proposed building for the Water/Sewer Department and the construction of a proposed Youth Center, as well as the replacement of the roof on the Town Hall and Highway Garage are not likely to have a significant impact upon the environment. The Town Board further approved the issuance of a negative declaration and that no further action is required pursuant to SEQRA.

•To determine, based on the recommendation of Town SEQRA Officer Don McSwan, that the drainage projects for Wheatfield Heights and Bala and Crescent drives and the completion of the Southern Drainage System are not likely to have a significant impact upon the environment, and that no further action is required pursuant to SEQRA.

•To deny the request by Adams Fire Company to form its own fire district.

•To approve the new three-year contracts with the five Wheatfield fire companies. The contracts will become effective on Jan. 1, 2006.

•To approve the removal of three members from the active membership list of Shawnee Fire Company; the removal of one member from the active membership list of the Bergholz Fire Company; and the addition of one new member to the active membership list of the Bergholz Fire Company.

•To pay bills as audited and verified.

Announcements

•The Town of Wheatfield will hold a second information session on the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan tomorrow from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Wheatfield Community/Senior Center.

The session will include a presentation by Dr. Tammie Lee Demler, president of the Pharmacists’ Society of the State of New York. Representatives of various insurance companies and pharmacies will also be on hand to answer questions.

•The annual Christmas Senior Dance will take place this Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Wheatfield Community/Senior Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Next Meetings

The Wheatfield Town Board will hold its 2006 re-organizational meeting on Monday, Jan. 2, 2006, at 7 p.m.

The next Town Board meeting will take place on Monday, Jan. 23, 2006, at 7:30 p.m. Two public hearings starting at 7 p.m. will precede the meeting.