Town of Lewiston reorganizes

Number of approvals, confirmations and appointments OK'd

by Terry Duffy

The Town of Lewiston Town Board got down to business for 2015 with the setting of a number of approvals, confirmations and appointments for the coming year at its Jan. 5 reorganization meeting.

According to still unofficial minutes of that session from the town clerk's office, the Lewiston Town Board addressed the following:

•Approved its work session and regular meeting schedules for 2015. Work sessions will take place Mondays on Feb. 9, March 9, April 13, May 11, June 8, July 13, Aug. 10, Sept. 14, Oct. 8, Nov. 9, and Dec. 14.

Town Board regular meetings will be held Mondays on Jan. 26, Feb. 23, March 23, April 27, May 28, June 22, July 27, Aug. 24, Sept. 28, Oct. 26 and Nov. 23. The December final audit meeting has yet to be determined.

•Approved the 2015 holiday schedule. For the balance of the year, it includes: Jan. 19, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day; Feb. 16, Presidents Day; April 3, Good Friday; May 25, Memorial Day; July 3, in observance of Independence Day; Sept. 7, Labor Day; Oct. 12, Columbus Day; Nov. 11, Veterans Day; Nov. 26 and 27, Thanksgiving; and Dec. 24 and 25, Christmas.

•Designated the Lewiston-Porter Sentinel and the Niagara Gazette as official town newspapers.

•Approved setting the 2015 fee for non-certified copies at 25 cents per page.

•Appointed KeyBank as official town depository and appointed Dr. Jeremy Ulatowski as town physician.

•Accepted Roberts Rules of Order for all official town meetings.

•Confirmed the appointment of Linda Johnson as town assessor and Heidi Seguin as real property appraisal technician.

•Moved to retain Mark Davis and Brian Seaman as town attorneys.

The approval process included discussion where Supervisor Dennis Brochey pointed out that neither attorney is a Lewiston resident, and also questioned language in a 2010 town law covering interpretations regarding town attorney and attorney for the town. The matter was resolved with Councilman Al Bax amending his motion to reflect retaining Davis and Seaman as two attorneys for the town.

Among the host of other appointments the Town Board approved: Tim Masters as building inspector; CRA Engineering Inc. as town engineer; John Sharpe for in-house engineering services; Patrick Martin and Donald Consentino as part-time fire inspectors; Les Myers as fire prevention chair; Kevin Payne as deputy highway superintendent; Robert Martinez as town historian; Mike Dashineau as superintendent of parks and recreation director; Chris Salada as Lewiston police chief; Donna Garfinkel as registrar, records access officer and RMO and recycling officer; Jeanette Collesano as senior services director; Paul Kloosterman as finance director; Barbra Cich as confidential secretary/senior typist; Sean Edwards, deputy supervisor; Brown and Company, town auditor; Bernie Rotella, town grant writer; Carole Schroeder, first deputy town clerk and deputy registrar; and David Sheriff, dog control officer/deputy laborer.

In Town Board liaison appointments, the following were approved: Al Bax - CWM Siting Advisory Committee, Lewiston Environmental Commission, town highway/drainage, Modern CAC, Lewiston Recreation, seniors, Water Pollution Control Center and Lewiston Zoning Board of Appeals; Bill Conrad - building inspector, Lewiston Cable Commission, Lighting Advisory Board and Lewiston Planning Board; Dennis Brochey - Lewiston Historic Preservation, Niagara River Region Chamber, Town/Village Police Commission and town water; Beth Ceretto - Lewiston Council on the Arts, Lewiston Library, Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee, Personnel Committee and Tower/Wind Energy Research Committee; Ron Winkley - Lewiston Fire Bureau, Lewiston Haz-Mat, risk manager, Sanborn Business and Professional Association and Town Village Police Commission.

Wrapping up, the Town Board appointed Jeffery Ritter as storm water management officer; Garfinkel as minority business officer and women's business officer; Atlantic Inland Inc. as town electrical inspector; and Davis as records appeals officer - FOIL.

For more on a number of other Town Board appointments, including the naming of members for: CWM Siting Board CAC, the town's cable commission, environmental commission, board of ethics, historic preservation, library board of trustees, lighting advisory board, Modern CAC, parks and recreation advisory committee, personnel committee, planning board, senior advisory board, signage committee, tower/wind advisory committee and zoning board of appeals, visit www.townoflewiston.us.