Village of Lewiston sets appointments for next fiscal year

Trustees Conde & Fittante sworn into office

By Joshua Maloni

GM/Managing Editor

The Village of Lewiston Board of Trustees held its annual organizational meeting on Monday. Prior to the public session, Nick Conde and Jim Fittante were sworn into office for a four-year term.

Mayor Anne Welch said, “Before we take up any business, I just want to wish you both all the luck in the next four years, and thank you for your service to the Village of Lewiston.”

Conde begins his fourth term, while Fittante – previously a member of the Historic Preservation Commission – is an elected officeholder for the first time.

Once the board meeting began, trustees got to work on the following:

•Reappointed the following positions for a one-year term:

√ Vic Eydt as deputy mayor

√ Joseph Leone as law counsel

√ Nussbaumer & Clarke Inc. as the Village of Lewiston engineering firm

√ Kenneth Candella as building inspector and as zoning officer

√ Treasurer Stephanie Longwell as registrar and Clerk Shannon Fundis as deputy registrar

√ Russ Piper as historian

√ Barry Beebe as fire inspector

√ KeyBank as the official Village of Lewiston depository

√ The Niagara-County Tribune/Sentinel as the official newspaper of the Village of Lewiston

•The following were appointed for a two-year term:

√ Nicholas Schaefer, reappointed to the Planning Commission

√ Joseph Sorce, reappointed to the Planning Commission

√ Richard Haight, appointed to the Planning Commission

√ Michael Hibbard, reappointed to the Parks, Recreation, Conservation Board

√ Denham Wilson, reappointed to the Parks, Recreation, Conservation Board

•The following five-year appointments were set:

√ Michael Swanson, reappointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals

√ Bart Klettke, reappointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals

√ James Spanbauer, reappointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals

√ Jillian Stokes, appointed to the Historic Preservation Commission

The Hon. Hugh Gee administers the oath of office to Village of Lewiston Trustee Nick Conde, as Mayor Anne Welch holds the Bible.

The Hon. Hugh Gee administers the oath of office to Village of Lewiston Trustee Jim Fittante.

••••••••

Trustee Tina Coppins took issue with – and voted against – two of the appointments. The first was Candella’s dual confirmation.

“This is my third year of voting no,” she said after the meeting. “The reason why I voted no against Ken Candela is that I don't believe that the same person should have those two positions. I think they should be two separate people. Our building inspector is a GC (general contractor) and does work in the village, and I see it as a conflict of interest. 

“I don't feel that he can do the proper job for the best interest of the village residents. I see zoning problems in the village that need to be addressed, and this is very time-consuming. As for building inspections – it just doesn't seem like everything is up to snuff. Inspections and zoning issues take time and one person can't do both.”

Candela was not at the meeting. He declined comment afterward.

Coppins also took issue with the new selection to the HPC.

On the agenda, there was a motion to appoint David Giusiana to this board, of which he formally served before being selected for the Planning Commission. Welch said that, with Fittante leaving the HPC, it would be without an architect. Giusiana offered to serve in that capacity for both boards. He was told that’s not possible, as the HPC makes recommendations to the Planning Board (thus creating a potential conflict of interest). As such, Giusiana declined the HPC position.

This meant a full-time HPC slot would be available. The mayor put forth Stokes for this role – originally, Stokes was to be appointed as an alternate.

Peter Coppins, Tina’s husband and HPC co-chair, informed the Village Board that his committee had recommended applicants Zach Collister and Leandra Collesano. He asked why they were not chosen. Welch said it is her decision and appointment to make.

Stokes, Collister and Collesano are members of the Historical Association of Lewiston.

Trustee Coppins said, “I took the recommendation from the HPC board. They all were qualified, but I think the most qualified was Zach Collister. He is currently on the town (Historic) Preservation (Commission). His term’s coming up at the end of this year. I feel that he would have been a perfect fit for our board now that he lives in the village.

“I don't think that Jillian isn't capable, or doesn't have the drive to do it at all. It was nothing against her – nothing. It's all about who I thought was top-rated, and I thought Zach Collister is the top-rated one for our HPC board.

“Then I think it would be Leandra, and then it would be Jillian.

“If they (Zach and Leandra) decide they don't want to do it, I feel she (Jillian) could have fit right in. I think we should have went by what our HPC board's recommended.”

The following liaison positions were set:

√ Administration, Welch (primary)/Eydt (alternate)

√ Personnel, Conde/Eydt

√ Upward Niagara Chamber of Commerce, Welch/Fittante

√ Beautification, Welch/Coppins

√ Artpark, Welch/Coppins

√ Lewiston Council on the Arts, Coppins/Fittante

√ Law enforcement, Coppins/Conde

√ Fire protection, Eydt/Fittante

√ Recreation, parks and environment, Fittante/Conde

√ Planning Commission, Welch/Fittante

√ Zoning Board of Appeals, Conde/Eydt

√ Department of Public Works, Conde/Eydt

√ Community sewer commission, Eydt/Conde

√ American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, Eydt/Coppins

√ Lewiston Public Library, Coppins/Fittante

√ Historic Preservation Commission, Welch/Fittante

•Trustees approved a motion to waive the residency requirements for Beebe, Candella, Haight and Piper, as well as for Robert Crewe, Jeffrey Gruarin, Richard Hess, Anthony Mang, Nathaniel Meigs, Wende MacKellar, Brendan McDermott, Travis Mis and Everett Buck.

•The board also approved the following:

√ A resolution to establish the regular meeting dates of the Village Board of Trustees for fiscal year 2024-25 at 6 p.m. in the Red Brick Municipal Building, 145 N. Fourth St. Official Village Board meetings shall be the first Monday of each month from October through May, except the September 2024 meeting shall be on the first Tuesday; the third Monday of each month from September through August, except the January and February 2025 meetings shall be on the third Tuesday.

The next organizational meeting is slated for 5 p.m. Monday, July 7, 2025.

√ A resolution noting that a special meeting of the Village Board may be called by the mayor or, in the absence of the mayor, the deputy mayor, and that the clerk shall thereupon contact each member of the board by telephone, and shall contact the news media and public as required by the Open Meetings Law. Such special meetings shall be held in the Red Brick Municipal Building.

√ A resolution, pursuant to Section 5-524 of the village law, which authorizes the treasurer or, in the absence of the treasurer, the deputy clerk, to pay claims in advance of an audit; claims for the following recurring charges during fiscal year 2024-25: public utility services, postage, freight, express charges, Ricoh lease, financed vehicle lease payments and health insurance payments.

√ A resolution, pursuant to the Uniform Notice of Claim Act, which became effective June 15, 2013, as an amendment to the New York General Municipal Law, to allow notices of claim against villages to be served on the New York secretary of state as agent for New York’s public corporations. Pursuant to the act, the New York Department of State will forward any notice of claim served on it to the Village of Lewiston designee. The Village Board designates the clerk as the individual to whom the secretary of state shall mail notices of claim.

√ A motion to adopt the rate of 67 cents per mile as set by the New York state comptroller office for the fiscal year 2024-25.