Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories

Town of Lewiston reorganizes for 2017

Sat, Jan 14th 2017 07:00 am

Sentinel designated an official town newspaper

By Terry Duffy

Editor-in-Chief

Without much fanfare, the Town of Lewiston officially set 2017 in motion with its annual reorganization meeting on Monday.

Unlike last year, where discussions came into play over selection of a town attorney, the town's auditor and other procedural matters, this time it was a bit lower key.

One notable was a change in tone for 2017 by the Lewiston Town Board regarding the official town newspaper.

Last month, in the "Statements by Residents" segment, resident Paulette Glasgow made her thoughts known to the board on its choice of an official newspaper - which in past years has been primarily the Niagara Gazette, due to requirements for placing a legal notice in a daily newspaper.

"For the past six months, this newspaper hasn't attended or reported on Town of Lewiston news," Glasgow told Supervisor Steve Broderick and the Town Board on Dec. 29. "I know why the Niagara Gazette hasn't been here, and it has nothing to do with the reporters who all want to be here. ... The decision was made by two individuals with little or no knowledge of newspaper reporting. ..."

"I would hope ... you look long and hard when you designate the town's official paper," she continued. "If the Niagara Gazette continues to not report ... your only choice is the Lewiston-Porter Sentinel, because it is published regularly and its reporters attend all Lewiston public meetings."

On Monday, following a fair amount of discussion among Supervisor Steve Broderick, board members and former Town of Lewiston Attorney Brian Seaman, the town did an about-face.

Broderick proceeded to name the Niagara Gazette as the official town newspaper, but went on to state, "I would like to name the Sentinel as another official town newspaper. It will be a secondary town newspaper."

With that, the Sentinel was designated as the official paper for all Town of Lewiston display advertising, while the Gazette will continue to handle all town legal ads due to its six-day a week publishing schedule.

"All legal announcements will continue to be in the Gazette," said Councilman Bill Geiben, offering some clarification. "All advertisements or display ads will be in the Sentinel."

The Gazette did have a reporter in attendance for the town's reorganization session.

Town Board Actions

•The Town Board approved its regular meeting and work session schedules.

√ Regular meetings will be held at 6 p.m. Mondays on the following dates: Jan. 23, Feb. 27, March 27, April 24, May 22, June 26, July 24, Aug. 28, Sept. 25, Oct. 23 and Nov. 27. The December regular meeting, which is typically the final audit meeting, will be determined later.

√ Town Board work sessions will take place, also at 6 p.m., on the following Mondays: Jan. 9, Feb. 13, March 13, April 10, May 8, June 12, July 10, Aug. 14, Sept. 11, Nov. 13 and Dec. 11. The October work session will be on Thursday, Oct. 12, due to the Columbus Day holiday.

•The town's 2017 holiday schedule was approved as follows: New Year's Day, Monday, Jan. 2; Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Monday, Jan. 16; Presidents Day, Monday, Feb. 20; Good Friday, Friday, April 14; Memorial Day, Monday, May 29; Independence Day, Tuesday, July 4; Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4; Columbus Day, Monday, Oct. 9; Veterans Day, Friday, Nov. 10; Thanksgiving holidays, Thursday and Friday, Nov. 23 and 24; and Christmas holidays, Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 25 and 26.

The schedule of joint Town of Lewiston/Village of Lewiston meeting dates was not finalized on Monday and was tabled.

•The town approved contracts to reappoint A. Joseph Catalano as town attorney, and retain Ryan Parisi of Seaman Norris LLP as the second town attorney for 2017.

•The town approved retaining GHD Consulting Services (formerly CRA Engineers) to handle Town of Lewiston engineering services for 2017.

•KeyBank and M&T Bank were named as official town depositories for 2017, with Broderick, Deputy Supervisor William Conrad and Finance Director Martha Blazick approved as signatories, as well as for the town's Host Standing Committee account (New York Power Authority).

•Town supervisor's liaison appointments for 2017 are as follows:

√ Board of Ethics ex-officio - Parisi; building inspector - Councilman Bill Geiben; Cable Commission - Geiben; CWM Siting Advisory Committee - Councilman Al Bax; engineer - Geiben; Environmental Commission - Bax; Fire Bureau - Broderick; Highway/Drainage - Bax; Historic Preservation - Councilman Rob Morreale; Justice Court office - Broderick; Lewiston Council on the Arts - Councilwoman Beth Ceretto; Library - Geiben; Lighting Advisory Board - Morreale; Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce - Geiben/Broderick; Modern CAC (currently on hold); Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee - Ceretto; Personnel Committee - Ceretto; Police - Bax; Town/Village Police Liaisons - Broderick and Bax; Planning Board - Morreale; Recreation - Bax; Risk Management - Broderick; Sanborn Business Professional Association - Geiben and Conrad; Senior Citizens - Ceretto; Signage Committee - Morreale; Tower/Wind Energy Research Committee - Ceretto; Water - Broderick; WPCC - Bax; and Zoning Board of Appeals - Geiben.

•Town of Lewiston appointment and confirmations for 2017 are as follows:

√ Town Assessor Linda Johnson, Real Property Appraisal Tech Heidi Seguin, Building Inspector/SEQR Compliance Officer Tim Masters, Clerk/Typist Sandy VanUden, Ordinance Enforcement Officer Chris McAuliffe, Engineer Clerk John Sharpe, Fire inspectors P/T Pat Martin and Don Cosentino, typist P/T Kathy Kifer, Fire Prevention Chairman Les Myers, Deputy Highway Superintendent Brian Christman and Typist/Clerical 1 Darlene Norwich.

Also, Historian John Sharpe, justice clerks Maria Sicurella and Felicia Kinney, Town Prosecutor George Adamson, Typist Patty Yacus, Parks Superintendent Mike Dashineau, laborers Kevin Carpenter, Jeffery Lester and Joseph Kostyrka, Lewiston Police Department Chief Frank Previte and LPD Account Clerk Katelyn Allan.

√ Also, Recreation Director/Parks Superintendent Mike Dashineau, typist P/T Aurora Campbell, Registrar, Records Access Officer, RMC and Recycling Officer Donna Garfinkel, Senior Center Director Jeanette Collesano, senior aides P/T, Carol Jacobs and Mary Ann Wittlop, van drivers P/T Donald Butkuss, John Cich and Michael Cuddahee (who will be appointed on Jan. 23), laborer Don Clark and Senior Citizens Leader P/T Susan Letourneau.

•Supervisor's confirmations approved for 2017 include: Budget Officer/Finance Director Blazick, Jr. Accountant/Bookkeeper Tara Johnson, confidential secretary/senior typist/risk manager Amy Smith, Deputy Supervisor Bill Conrad and auditor Drescher & Malecki LLP.

A request for proposals for the town grant writer is anticipated by the town on Jan. 26.

•Town clerk/tax collector appointments/confirmations include: First Deputy Town Clerk/Deputy Registrar Carole Schroeder, Deputy Town Clerk/Sub Registrar Linda Kreps, Deputy Town Clerk Tamara Meogrossi, Assistant Tax Collector Darlene Norwich, typist, Barbara Joseph; Dog Control Officer/deputy laborer David Sherriff, laborer/department DCO George Danielewicz, Water Administrator Broderick, WPCC Chief Operator Jeff Ritter and typist Cheryl Milicia.

Additional town reorganizational appointments for 2017 can be found on the town's website, www.townoflewiston.us.

Hometown News

View All News