Town of Wheatfield reorganizes for 2024

Town Board approves numerous appointments, authorizations

By Terry Duffy

Editor-in-Chief

The Town of Wheatfield got down to business for 2024 with its reorganizational meeting on Jan. 2. Town Board members unanimously approved the following actions for 2024:

√ Designated M&T Bank and KeyBank as depositories.

√ Approved the designation of Supervisor Don MacSwan and councilmen Larry Helwig and Gilbert Doucet as authorized signers for payments by check. The town requires two signatures for payments in excess of $2,000.

√ Designated the Niagara County Tribune/Sentinel and the Niagara Gazette as official newspapers for the town.

√ Approved the Town Board’s regular meeting schedule. Meetings will take place at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall auditorium on designated dates.

√ Appointed Helwig as deputy supervisor.

√ Imposed on MacSwan the “powers and duties of administration and supervision of the Town or special improvement district functions to be performed on behalf of the Board for 2024.”

√ Appointed Jerry McCormick as Democratic voting machine custodian.

√ Appointed Arthur Kroening as Republican voting machine custodian.

√ Appointed Patty Weiss and Mary Jane Ziomek as voting machine inspectors.

√ Approved the compensation of 62.5 cents, or the IRS rate per mile, for elected town officials for all itemized official travel using their own personal vehicles.

√ Approved for elected town officials to be reimbursed for stationary, postage and telephone calls and miscellaneous expenses for official purposes.

√ Approved for deductions of town employees’ wages according to Sections 519 and 521 of the judiciary law for those performing jury service. Deductions would not be made for the first three days of jury service, and thereafter a deduction of $15 per day may be made.

√ Approved the liaison appointments of Town Board members to town departments. These include: Randy Retzlaff – Highway Department and Agriculture Focus Group; Gilbert Doucet – Recreation Department, Building Department and Town Safety Committee; Larry Helwig – Recreation Department, salary and wage committee; and environmental issues; and Curt Doktor, Wheatfield Enhancement Volunteers.

√ Approved for the bonding of the town clerk/receiver of taxes for the total tax roll to be set at $250,000.

√ Approved for the required bonding of other elected town officials and employees as deemed necessary.

√ Authorized the supervisor to invest funds as feasible “with the stipulation that a financial report be submitted to each board member after each investment and also a budget status report on a monthly basis. Additionally, Town Board members shall receive monthly financial status reports of all accounts and investments, including itemized monthly statements.”

√ Approved for the appointments of designated individuals to have the power and authority as constables as set forth in town law, with Robert Connery appointed as head constable and Dan Guiher as deputy to the head constable.

√ Appointed Wendel Engineers as the town engineer, as per contract and rate schedule.

√ Appointed Wendel Engineers as consultants to the Planning Board, with the supervisor authorized to sign a contact for the service.

√ Appointed Ed Mongold as budget director at the designated salary.

√ Appointed Justin Higner as town historian at the designated annual salary.

√ Approved the appointment by MacSwan and Helwig for Mike Polek to the Planning Board for a five-year term ending Dec. 31, 2028.

√ Appointed Susan Agnello-Eberwein as chairman of the Planning Board, with the term to expire Dec. 31.

√ Appointed Mike Schaeffer as chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals, with the term to expire Dec. 31.

√ Appointed Art Kroening to the Zoning Board of Appeals to complete the term ending Dec. 31, 2028.

√ Appointed Melissa Germann as Zoning Board secretary at a rate of $25 per hour.

√ Appointed Mark Stevens as bingo inspector at the designated annual salary, with the term to expire Dec. 31.

√ Appointed Councilman Curt Doktor as chairman to the Town of Wheatfield for the Wheatfield Enhancement Volunteers.

√ Approved for the fixed salaries of elected town officials. Included are: MacSwan, supervisor, $49,133; Kathleen Harrington-McDonell, town clerk, $82,800; Angela Stamm-Phillips, town justice, $30,336; Gary Strenkoski, town justice, $30,336; Doktor, councilman, $17,268; Helwig, councilman/deputy, $21,832; Retzlaff, councilman, $17,268; Doucet, councilman, $17,268; and Paul Siegmann, highway superintendent, $88,617.

√ Appointed Cathy Donner and Amy Larrabee as court clerks for Strenkoski and Stamm-Phillips at the designated salary.

√ Adopted the pay schedules for town hourly employees, as per the salary schedule.

√ Appointed Matthew Brooks as town attorney, as per the salary schedule, excluding special district matters.

√ Appointed Brooks and Matthew Mosher as attorneys “for matters brought before the Town Justice Courts which call for the services of a special prosecutor and other matter assigned … by the Town Board” at the designated compensated rate.

√ Appointed MacSwan as minority business officer.

√ Appointed Harrington-McDonell as the fair housing officer for the Town of Wheatfield.

√ Appointed Brooks as the Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator for the Town of Wheatfield.

√ Appointed Greg Lloyd as chairman of the Firearms Committee.

√ Appointed Marc Kasprz as chairman of the Fire Advisory Board. The town’s fire companies will also designate two members to serve on the board.

√ Authorized the town supervisor to prepay utility bills, insurance payments, phone bills and postage as required.

√ Appointed the Niagara County SPCA as the dog control agency for the Town of Wheatfield, as per the contract.

√ Authorized “the occasional services of Wild Kritters of Niagara County for assistance with wild animal control and to make a donation to Wild Kritters.”

√ Authorized “the occasional services of David Muir as a licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Officer.”

For more information, visit www.wheatfield.ny.us/AgendaCenter, and look under the “Town Board” link.