Wheatfield to get tentative budget Oct. 6

by Susan Mikula Campbell

Wheatfield Supervisor Bob Cliffe told Town Board members on Monday that they should receive the initial tentative budget for 2015 at their next meeting on Oct. 6.

"For 2015, I will be presenting a budget which will be well within the state's tax cap requirement. Once again, there will be no general tax nor highway tax," he said. "As presented, this will be a good budget, which will address the needs of the community, maintain a vibrant recreational program, while keeping finances of all accounts in good order."

"Virtually every one of our meetings coming up in October and November have something to do with the budget," Cliffe said.

On Oct. 20, the board will meet at 7 p.m. prior to the regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. to review the budget and decide whether to pass a preliminary budget. That budget would go to a public hearing at 7 p.m. Nov. 3 and then could be passed if no further changes are needed based on public input. The final budget must be adopted no later than Nov. 20.

Cliffe and Ed Mongold, town budget director, have gone through the budget requests made by town department heads to develop the tentative budget.

"Ed does all of the work behind the scenes, but I and the Town Board make the decisions to accept the recommendations from our department heads, or to make any needed adjustments," Cliffe said.

In other matters:

•Cliffe reminded residents that an information meeting is planned from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 29, at the town's community center on the remediation project at the old Niagara Sanitary Landfill, which contains Love Canal material. The site is off Niagara Falls Boulevard near the North Tonawanda line, behind the Infant Jesus Shrine site.

•The meeting, which started at 7:30 p.m., didn't get down to business until 9 p.m. as residents once again took advantage of the public comment session with comments on the need to further investigate Quasar and impose remediation requirements (see Julie Otto letter on Page 4) and to oppose the Rosal Homes development off Errick Road because of flooding problems residents already are experiencing.

•The board approved a negative declaration of no significant environmental impact under the State Environmental Quality Review Act for a proposed minor subdivision at 3927 Lockport Road. The owner wants to divide one single family residential lot into three single family residential lots. With the SEQR declaration approved, a public hearing was set for 7:15 p.m. at the board's Oct. 6 meeting.

•Debbie Wozniak of Hunt Drive asked the board to write National Grid a letter requesting that a pole it placed in her driveway easement be moved. "It's been hit four times, twice by the pizza delivery guy in a hurry," she said.