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Town of Niagara gets $154,000 'windfall'

by jmaloni
Fri, Mar 21st 2014 03:45 pm

by Susan Mikula Campbell

The Town of Niagara got a pot of gold at the end of its St. Patrick's Day rainbow with the announcement at Tuesday's Town Board meeting of an unexpected $154,000 coming to the town.

Supervisor Steve Richards said he had received a letter from Republic Services, the non-hazardous landfill in the town, indicating an audit at the business had found that fees to the town had been underestimated.

Richards said that Highway Superintendent Bob Herman already has a request in for a long wanted hot box for patching roads and a leaf blower. Richards said he personally would also like to see remaining funds directed to the Belden Center neighborhood for sewer reconstruction.

"I want to thank David Grenier of Republic Services for being a good neighbor and always thinking of the residents of the town," Richards said.

In other matters:

•In addition to getting "found" money from Republic, the town will be saving money by entering an agreement with the Town of West Seneca. Richards said he was watching television coverage of flooding prevention in West Seneca using emergency mobile flood protection bags and called Herman, who also was watching the program. Both agreed the bags would be a good idea, especially for the persistent flooding in the Cayuga Creek area. Richards said West Seneca is willing to sell the Town of Niagara the product at their cost, if available, which will be less than if the town went out for a separate bid.

The board approved the plan as an emergency purchase, not to exceed $6,000.

•The board approved a $1,000-a-month raise to building inspector Charles Haseley's $57,504 salary to act as the town's storm water officer. Richards said a check with other towns revealed they were paying $20,000 to $80,000 for this position. "This is another unfunded state mandate," Richards said.

•The board-appointed members of the new town Recreation Committee were approved: Stephanie Tierney Toby, Tom Tierney, Richard Sirianni, Joseph Proietti and Donna Lynn Todino. Two at large members have yet to be named.

•The board approved supporting two Niagara County Legislature resolutions, one calling on the Gov. Andrew Cuomo to withdraw his plan to pay for college education for prison inmates, and the other calling for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers closure of the Lake Ontario Ordnance Works storage site.

•The board approved use of Veterans Park on Lockport Road for the 17th annual Kidz and Kites event scheduled for Sept. 13 (rain date Sept. 14).

•The board accepted the resignation of fire inspector John P. Schultz with thanks for his services to the town.

•Richards also thanked the Highway Department, Police Department and all town workers involved "for the fine work they did during the big storm" last week.

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