Common Council - Regular Meeting

Sounds good. Do you have anything to talk about? So cold. one like to call this public hearing to order. Purpose of this hearing is to receive public input on local law number one 2026 titled a local law providing for the discontinuence and abandonment of a portion of deer street extension at the Savalot Plaza on East 4th Street. I'd like to remind everyone that comments during this hearing should pertain specifically to this local law and its contents. If you have any questions or concerns about other matters, please reserve those for the privilege of the floor portion of tonight's common

council meeting. If you wish to speak, please approach the podium, state your name, the address for the record, and keep your remarks concise and relevant to the subject at hand. We will now open the floor for public comment. My name is uh Tom Hagner. I reside at 10 Creek View Court in East, New York. We're the owners of the Save A Lot Shopping Center in Dunkerk. And uh we're here to speak in favor of the abandonment of Deer Street so that we can improve our parking and answer any questions that the council members may have.

Does council have any questions for Mr. Hagner at this time? I guess I I understand this is going to help in the parking situation,

right? The parking and and the plowing. And right now there's two like curbs and sort of divides the parking. And we have parking rights on the um what I call the old family dollar space. uh we're where Reagan's going to build the apartment project and we need adequate parking for their tenants and um the apartment tenants and our shopping tenants. So that's what we've end up improving converting that deer street into parking for to be shared between the two facilities. I see. Thank you. Now I I've seen the site plans. Yes.

As I was when I was a member of the planning board, I saw the site plans. It looks like it's going to be an improvement as far as the uh aesthetics of aesthetics. Going to improve it. Uh not only will we add parking, but we're also uh it's going to improve because we're going to be doing certain things to make that look better. So, um I'm looking looking forward to seeing what that's going to look like. This the old family dollar has fallen into disrepair in the parking lots. Yeah, it's moon craters in it. But hopefully those will all get those will get fixed. So, any further questions, council? Anything further, Mr. Hagman? No, we're all set. Thank you. Thank you. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak this evening?

Okay. In that case, this concludes the public hearing on local law number one of 2026. Durbeck, please record that the public hearing has been completed. I'll now adjourn the hearing and we will move forward with tonight's common council meeting. Okay. We'll now call this common council meeting of the city of Dunkerk to order on this 13th day of January 2026 at 5:33 p.m. Clerk, please conduct the roll call. Council member Lascoak here. Council member Terrain here. Council member Frederickson here. Council member Cileto here. Council member at largeer

here. Thank you. Clerk, please rise for the pledge of allegiance. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [clears throat and cough]

Thank you for joining us this evening. Next, we have the certification of prior meetings. This is to certify that an official copy of the minutes of the regular common council meeting of Thursday, January 1st, 2026 was presented to the mayor on February or I'm sorry, on Friday, January 9th, 2026. Pursuant to section 3.03 of the Dunkerk City Charter, all items presented to the mayor are now in full force in effect. and witness whereof, I have here to set my hand and seal of the city of Dunkirk, New York, this 13th day of January, 2026. Is there a motion to dispense with the reading of the minutes and approve them as presented? Moved by Council Member Frederickson, seconded by Council Member Terrain. Clerk, please call the role.

Council member Lascoak. I. Council member Terrain. I. Council member Frederickson. I. Council member CivilTo. I. Council member at largeer.

I. The minutes are approved as presented. We now move to privilege of the floor. The privilege of the floor shall be extended to any person appearing for themselves in which case each individual appearing shall be limited to three minutes and to any person representing any group who shall be limited to a maximum time of 5 minutes. The privilege of the floor is reserved for members of the public to speak on any subject pertinent to the affairs of city government. The city clerk shall have the duty of maintaining such time limits. The chair may determine in their discretion whether individuals are speaking for themselves or representing groups. The chair shall maintain good order and may require any speaker to cease speaking if remarks are made and bad taste or slanderous are not gerine. The time limit specified shall be adhered to except that the chair may allow any person speaking to complete a statement or a thought started before such time expires and a longer time may be allowed by the chair with the approval of the majority of the council.

Privilege of the floor is now open. There any members of the public who wish to speak? Please step forward, state your name and address for the record and address the council. Good evening. I'm Reva Baisinski, 616 Brigham Road, Dunkerk, New York. I just have a question. Uh, the voters voted down the the elected treasurer's position. Is the count is the city going to hire another treasurer? If so, is it going to be a civil service job?

So, Miss Bazinski, um, at the January 1 meeting, Miss Dbeck was appointed as the interimm clerk treasurer, which has been the standard normal through New York State. Okay. Uh that will be part of my opening remarks when I get to address the council and the public um how we're going to move forward with that. But uh Miss Dobec has the qualifications to currently run both of those departments and we're looking forward to working with her. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Bisinski. Anyone else wishing to speak this evening?

Okay. Going once, twice. Privilege of the floor is now closed. Next, we move to communications from the mayor, including disapproval messages. Mayor Dovas.

Thank you, Councilman. Um, happy new year, everyone, and I am looking forward to working through this next year, uh, next two years with this council. So, welcome new council. This is going to be an adventure as everybody has seen from the last two years, and I'm hoping that this transition is smooth for all of you. Uh we are again hopefully in this next year going to be working diligently together to strengthen and improve the city's finances to make sure that our house is in order so that our residents have the opportunity to understand more fully what is happening inside city hall. Um, I know last year and the year before the city employees have been working towards finding a new software and once council approved, we did start the implementation of GovSense. GovSense representatives have been on site training our staff to learn how to utilize the software. So, we're looking forward to that because it will give the public and the council members better access to all of our records. So, you will be able to see in real time our account balances, um, what the city is anticipating in revenues, what our expenses are to date, and we can certainly work through a lot of this. I'm also, as I just addressed, Miss Bisensky, looking forward to working with the new council in the restructuring of the city's financial departments. Um, Miss Dobeck has been appointed uh at at and I thank you for that as the city clerk treasurer and has been working very hard the last two weeks to make sure that both offices are running as smoothly and efficiently as possible. That being said, I'm looking also looking forward to meeting with the finance committee and the personnel

committee so we can discuss in depth what the future of those offices will look like. So there is no confusion and there is no issues with how it is established for uh the the the future of this city. Um, last on my list, I would just like to say that there it has been brought to my attention that there have been issues recently with donations for the city animal shelter, dog shelter. So, I would request that any residents who are interested in donating any supplies or items for the dog shelter, I've just asked our DPW director to set up an area so that toys, bedding, whatever you think the dogs will would like or might need or whatever our DCO has on her wish list, we can get that brought here and make sure that it's safely and effectively transferred to the dog shelter. I would also ask our residents to donate if they're going to donate funds to the city animal shelter to please bring those funds or mail those funds to the city of Dunkerk so that we can properly account for every donation that is made to the dog shelter. And really that's all I have. Thank you.

Thank you, mayor. Next we'll address address communications from the public and petitions. requests from the Junth Celebration Committee to host their 30th annual Junth celebration at Memorial Park on June 20th, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. until June 21st, 2026 at 6 p.m. Any questions or comments from the council? Okay, hearing none, do I have a motion to refer to the appropriate departments as well as approve subject to appropriate insuranceances and usual conditions? Um motion by council member Loviaak, seconded by Councilman Frederickson. Good clerk, please call the role. Council member Lgoiaak

I. Council member Terrain, I. Council member Frederickson, I. Council member CileTo, I. Council member at largeer. I. Motion carried. requests from the Lakeshore Street Rod Association to use all of the pavilions at Point Gratchet Park and main parking lot on Sunday, July 12th, 2026 for their 24th annual harbor cruise. Also requesting extra trash barrels and trash pickup. Any discussion, council?

DPW Director Woodbury, is this something we can accommodate? Thank you. Okay. In that case, do I have a motion to refer to the appropriate departments as well as approved subject to appropriate insuranceances and usual conditions? Moved by Councilman Terrain. Seconded by Councilman CileTo. Clerk, please call the role. Council member Lgoyak. I. Council member Terrain. I. Council member Frederickson. I. Council member Cileto. I. Council member at largeer. I. Motion carried. Notice of claim from Rebecca Zeppela for alleged damages caused to her vehicle by a city plow truck. Any discussion? Council. Okay. I need a motion to refer this to the law department and Department of Public Works.

Moved by Council Member Frederickson, seconded by Council Member Lusco. Clerk, please call the role. Council member Loiaak. I. Council member Terrain. Hi. Council member Frederickson. I. Council member Ciletto. Hi. Council member at largeer. I. Motion carried. Notice of claim from Cassie Leon for alleged alleged physical injuries that occurred at a city park. Any discussion, council? Okay. Again, I'll need a motion to refer this to the law department. Go ahead. Um are we going to be making u um some improvements in in the park? Uh where where that especially where that incident happened and around the swings in the park?

Uh yeah, I think that This is litigation. Probably should discuss that with the city attorney confidentially afterward. Okay. But uh in general all those things bring it to our attention when you see them and we want to be safe. This is a particular one where there probably will be some arguments. So uh but in terms of there will never be any argument and trying to make things safer. Okay. So just bring it. Yeah. It but this probably isn't the forum to talk in detail about it. Thanks. And I will add, Randy, this has been submitted to the city's insurance carrier um who has sent an appra an adjuster as well as an attorney.

Thank you. Anything further, council? Okay. Again, we'll need a motion to refer this to the law department and Department of Public Works. Moved by Councilman Frederickson, seconded by Council Member Lusco. Clerk, please call the role. Council member Lgoiaak. I. Council member Terrain. Hi. Council member Frederickson. I council member CileTo I. Council member at largeiser. I motion carried. We'll now move to reports of standing committees, boards, and commissions. Council member Luscoad.

Yes. Um please know uh note that there will be a department of public works meeting this Thursday, January 5th, at 1 p.m. in the mayor's conference room, which is now in the Sterns building, first floor. Pardon the interruption. Uh this Thursday is January 15th. I Oh, I didn't say that. That's all right.

January 15th. Um at 1 p.m. in the mayor's conference room. Thank you. Which is now on, you know, in the Sterns building um first floor. Everyone welcome. Most important order of business is a plan and timeline to reopen the brush and shrubbery drop off access on Lucinets Avenue, which I know everyone is [snorts] in agreement on. Um, Vince, I have a question. Um, now that the council has had a hearing approving the local law to discontinue and abandon the deer street extension in front of the Savala Plaza, what are the next steps before the developers can finally move forward on building the apartment development? I know um uh you know the developers need room to build and there needs to be more proper parking. So finally that issue is

sure thank you very much for that question. Um the next steps are after passing of the local law um there they're likely would be the need for one more public hearing from the mayor once it's presented to her within 30 days. From there um we submit to the secretary of state the local law and uh once we have done that we can convey the property in a negotiated sale um to this development um that will be basically paying fair market value as determined by our assessor here um Erica and uh it's a fantastic project that will hopefully begin sometime this spring with demolition of uh the existing endcap on on the plaza. Um, and once that begins, some site work will begin and uh they will uh be rerouting some sewer and sanitary lines uh through some county infrastructure grants and then proceeding with the project to be built uh which and on that space will have approximately 35 one and two-bedroom apartments and daycare center. It's a scattered site with a second site on Washington Avenue uh site that the uh property where the Paradis uh fence company was. Uh so it's multi-sight and uh just want to again let the public know that this is a private development. It's not public housing type project. It's affordable housing. It's for working people, working uh class type people. and 10% of it is uh reserved for veterans in this area. And again, we're going to have some daycare there. What this project is receiving is uh housing tax credits,

some de uh downtown revitalization initiative funds, and the county is very much endorsing this project with our county infrastructure grant. Uh the governor is uh very much in favor of this project. uh and she personally um thanked cities like Dunkerk that were the first in the pro housing which uh mayor Dolby got to sit with the governor at at a conference and be part of that. So this is part of the reason that we have been awarded this project. This is a $40 million development that is going to help bring more vibrancy. It's going to bring more customers to the Save Aot Plaza and all of those businesses, whether it's Jenna's Restaurant or CVS pharmacy or the dollar stores or Family Dollar, it's it's going to create more vibrancy and more activity in that area. And once that happens, I think we will see more organic um improvements um in in that area because it's it's really going to create a a better visual as as was explained earlier. um and uh is is a very positive project for the city of Dunkerk.

Thank you so much. It's that's the perfect project for Dunkerk. Thank you. Anything further, Council Member? Oh, no. That's it. Thank you, Council Member Terrain. I uh I have reached out to the personnel uh Miss Miss uh Yeah. and we are we are going to be having a meeting next week uh the first meeting that we're going to have and uh we'll sit down and go over some things and I look forward to meeting with her and also eventually uh being in on a meeting with the mayor so we can outline initiatives going forward and and what things are going to look like as we as we move forward.

Thank you. Council member Frederickson, the public safety committee should be up and running next week. I'm going to sit down with Chief Wakowski and Chief Barter, see if we can get [clears throat] a meeting next week, get on the same page, and uh get the committee up and running.

Thank you, Council Member Cileto. Um [snorts] my schedule at my work has been kind of flopped around a little bit. So haven't been able to figure out a time to have the um economic development meeting, but I will be getting together with that department to figure out when exactly it's best for both of our schedules. Um, and just as a side note, I'm very much in [snorts] favor of the of economic development that's happening in that in that area that we've just been discussing. Um, and hopefully that spurs some improvements along Main Street, which has now really become our um has become our business district. Um, fourth and Maine is really where most of our businesses lie. Um, and um hoping to see a lot of development and um some unification around that area as I think it's been ignored for a long time. Excellent. Thank you. Our next finance committee meeting will be held this coming Wednesday, January 21 at 9:00 a.m. in the Sterns building first floor conference room. We'll now proceed with unfinished business. Clerk, please introduce local law number one of 2026. Local law number one-2026, a local law providing for the discontinuence and abandonment of a portion of Deer Street Extension at the Savalot Plaza on East 4th Street.

Thank you. Public hearing on this local law was held immediately prior to tonight's meeting and all interested parties had an opportunity to speak at that time. Uh I do want to confirm though before we move uh to discussion and proceed to a vote that we are actually in the clear to vote on that this evening. Is that correct, Attorney Roondo? Yes, you are. Just confirming. I thought I heard uh director de Joy say something that contravened that. So there I just wanted to make sure we were in the clear. There will be another public hearing that the mayor holds on this matter. That's what I thought. Excellent. Any discussion from the council before we proceed to a vote?

Do have one. It's uh it's Germaine, but it's not. It may be um just a small detail. Um there's a a bus uh a bus structure there um right on on that on that deer street. Um I don't know if any buses actually stopped there. Um I don't know when that was built. It's been there for quite a few years. and just wondering if um who's who has uh ownership of that. Is that the county? Is that us? Um and am I thinking of the right place? Can I answer your question, please? Uh yeah, I'd love to.

Is that is that possible? Any objections to Mr. Hagner speaking on the subject? Go ahead, Mr. Hagner. the shopping center developers installed that bus shelter when we took [snorts] over the shopping center probably about 12 years ago

and uh so it wasn't part of it wasn't a cart's um facility and realistically what's hap what happens is the buses pull along in front of the stores and they wait in the vestibule of of save a lot because it's heated or air conditioned or it's not you know it's dry and you really don't get very good utilization of the of the bus shelter. We have a little bit of a problem with people staying there when they shouldn't kind of thing. So it would be preferred that that could be we would knock that down and as I say it works I think that works better for everybody using the vestibule save a lot for [snorts] the wait for the buses and things like that. So and is save a lot okay with that? Yeah fine that's been the practice for for 10 12 years now.

Okay. Yeah. All right. Yeah. Because I' I'd never seen anyone really using it before. So, I just thought thought I'd just bring it up. The buses sort of wait out in that area to get back on schedule. There's like a little delay. Um, but outside of that, the buses drivers stay in their in their vans and everything. So, okay. Thank you very much. Thanks. Thank you, Mr. Hager. Any further discussion? Council. Okay. Seeing none, clerk, please call the role for the vote on local law number one of 2026. Council member Lgoiaak. I. Council member Terrain. Hi. Council member Frederickson. Hi. Council member Calto. Hi. Council member at largeiser.

I. Local law number one of 2026 is hereby adopted. We'll now address the pre-filed resolutions. Clerk, please introduce resolution number 12-2026. Resolution 12-2026. Resolution amending resolution 53-20 2016 regarding pavilion reservations at the Point Grasset Park. Is there any discussion? Council. [snorts] Okay, seeing none, please uh clerk, please call the role. Council member Lecoak, I. Council member Terrain, I. Council member Frederickson, I. Council member Cileto, I. Council member at large, Wiser,

I. The resolution is hereby adopted. Okay, moving on to new business. I believe we have before us a walk-in resolution. Clerk, please introduce the walk-in walk-in resolution 13-2026 resolution authorizing the city of Dunkerk to enter into into a memorandum of understanding with the New York State Department of Homeland Security. Okay, we'll need a motion to accept the walk-in resolution onto the agenda. Moved by Council Member Lusco, seconded by Councilman Terrain. Clerk, please [snorts] call the role. Council member Lascoiaak. I. Council member Terrain. I. Council member Frederickson. I. Council member CivilTo. I. Council member at largeiser.

I. Motion carried. Is there any discussion on walk-in resolution number 13 of 2026? If I'm if I may, council president. Yep.

Uh, specifically, this is a part and parcel resolution. Uh, the city of Dunkirk. We have a fire department. However, firefighters are not trained in the city of Dunkirk. trained at the fire academy in Montour Falls, which is run by the New York State Department of Homeland Security after uh some incences um in the last couple of years. Uh this is the same resolution that the council approved last year whereby uh firefighter training, if you wish to know more about it, I'm sure Chief Barter can share. Uh is very physically strenuous and uh paramilitary in nature and we rely on our fire department to select those candidates. uh those candidates are trained by the state and the state wishes for us to take on workman's comp insurance and other forms of insurance for those candidates when they're engaging in that training in Montour Falls. Thank you.

Any further discussion council? Okay, seeing none, clerk, please call the role for the vote. Council member Lysco, I. Council member Terrain, I. Council member Frederickson, I. Council member CileTo. I. Council member at large Wiser. I. The resolution is hereby adopted. Is there any further new business to be discussed this evening?

Okay. I understand there may be a need for an executive session to discuss matters of pending litigation. Um before we proceed, let's address the logistics. Motion to enter into executive session requires two-thirds vote with the members present. With that, is there a motion to enter into executive session for the purpose of discussing matters of pending litigation? Moved by Council Member uh Frederickson, seconded by Council Member Terrain. Before we vote on this, I'd just like the public to know that we will not be taking any public action after we conclude the executive session. So, there's no need to stay unless you'd like to. With that, clerk, please call the role. Council member Lgoiaak. Hi. Council member Terrain. Hi. Council member Frederickson. Hi.

Council member CileTo. I council member at largeiser. I motion carried. We now enter into executive session. For the record, the time is 5:57 p.m. Uh we kindly ask the public and any non-essential staff to excuse themselves from the meeting room.

Anybody else?