Common Council - Regular Meeting

I'm just not a fan of being fair about it. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

I call this Common Council meeting to order for the City of Dunkirk this 16th day of June 2026 at 5 30 p.m. Clerk, please call the roll.

Council Member Lascogne. Here. Council Member Terrain. Council Member Fredrickson.

Here.

Council Member Civiletto.

Here.

Council Chair Nick Weiser is excused due to professional obligations out of state. Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance 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.

Thank you. Next, we have the certification of the prior meeting.

Clerk, this is to certify that an official copy of the minutes of the regular Common Council meeting of Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026, was presented to the mayor on Friday, June 12th, 2026. Pursuant to section 3.03 of the Dunkirk City Charter, all items presented to the mayor are now in full force in effect. In witness whereof, I have here to set my hand and seal of the City of Dunkirk, New York, this 16th day of June, 2026.

Is there a motion to dispense with the reading of the minutes and approved as presented? Moved by Council Member Fredrickson and second by Council Member Civiletto. Clerk, please call the roll.

Council Member Leskowiak. Aye. Council Member Fredrickson. Aye. Council Member Civiletto.

Aye.

Aye. Minutes are approved as presented. We now move to the privilege of the floor. Clerk Dobik, kindly read the instructions.

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 five 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 in bad taste or slanderous or not germane. The time limit specified shall be adhered to, except the chair may allow any person speaking to complete a statement or a thought started before such time expires. A longer time may be allowed by the chair with the approval of the majority of the council.

The privilege of the floor is now open. Anyone wishing to speak, please step forward, state your name and address and then address the council.

Good evening, my name is Jim Ensor, 121 Sisson Street, and I'm here representing Revitalize Dunkirk, and I just have. Days ago, we celebrated an extraordinary accomplishment, well over 100 volunteers and thousands of volunteer hours completed brand new elements along the Discovery Way trail at the point. Most of you probably know, but it deserves repeating, that on Thursday, June 4th, Mary Wilson, Ralph Wilson Jr.'s widow, came to see for herself what the Wilson Foundation grant and Kaboom Incorporated were creating. Everyone who met her that day will say the same thing. She was absolutely thrilled. Smiles even outnumbered all of the sore muscles. Tonight, I simply want to thank publicly each and every one who contributed to this project. The list is very long, and I certainly would have exceeded my time limit. If you haven't yet checked it out, please plan to do so. And of course, bring the kids and the grandkids. Oh, and I have it on good authority that a hospice live butterfly release took place the day after our ribbon cutting to open the trail to the public. Thank you.

Thank you, Jim Ensor, Mary Wilson, and the Ralph Wilson Foundation.

Hi, my name is Jim Wallace. I live on Oslot Street. Last year, we held a few moonlight bike rides. And this year, we'd like to do that again. It's open to the public. It's just to get the community out seeing our, uh, our nice waterfront. We started number seven school or the doc and go around the point and return. We do request that we have, um, some police assistance crossing the dock area on central Avenue and also coming back, returning from route five across on Woodrow coming back. And that worked out very well last year. We'd like to make it safe and enjoyable. This is eligible to anybody in the community and all ages that can do a four to six mile bike ride. So we're requesting approval again this year. The dates that we're thinking about are the 29th of this month and then followed by the 29th of July and the 28th of August, coinciding with full moon's weather permitting. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Jim Wallace.

Hello, Wayne Stolinski, 411 Plover Street. I'd like to address a quality of life issue in the city, and that's these portable basketball hoops all over the city. Some are in the road, some are on the curb. And to me, it's a dangerous situation that the city is putting itself in by allowing this. A lot of times, they get blown over, just last week. There was one blowing over blocking one lane of traffic. School bus had to go around it. Other times, the kids don't want to move. They make vehicles come almost to a complete stop, and then they decide to get a little bit out of the way. Now, if the city's allowing this and there's an accident, who's liable? Is there going to be a lawsuit? And what can be done about this? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Stilinski. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak? If not going once going twice privilege of the floor is now closed. Let's now move to communications of the mayor, including disapproval messages. The mayor is not present, so we will move forward on the agenda. We'll now address communications from the public and petitions. Clerk, would you like to present the first petition?

Prior written notice from Lawrence, Granada for three potentially dangerous trees by their property on 24 Taft Place.

Any discussion from the council? Hearing none, do I have a motion to refer to the appropriate departments as well as approved subject to appropriate insurances and conditions? Moved by Councilmember Civiletto, seconded by Councilmember Terrain. And please clerk, please call the role council member.

Let's go. Yeah. I council member terrain council member Fredrickson council member civil letter motion carried loud speaker permit request from Henry Hooten senior to have live band at two 12 Webster street on July 3rd, 2026 from 8 PM to 11 PM.

Any discussion from the council? Hearing none, do I have a motion to refer to the appropriate departments, as well as approved, subject to appropriate insurances and usual conditions? Moved by Councilmember Fredrickson and seconded by Councilmember Civiletto. Clerk, please call the roll.

Councilmember Leskowiak. Aye. Councilmember Terrain.

Aye.

Councilmember Fredrickson. Aye. Councilmember Civiletto.

Aye. Motion carried. We have a walk-in petition. I will now recognize clerk Dobik to present it.

Walk-in request from Jim and Lynn Wallace to have a moonlight bike ride on June 29th, starting at school seven at 7 30 PM and the pier at 7 45 PM. The ride path is attached to the communication and may require police presence at highway crossings. Same as previous years.

Any discussion from the council?

Go ahead. Council member. Are you going to have enough people to be able to help out with this this year? Yeah, absolutely. We'll put the dates out there and we'll have a card. Okay. As long as it's okay with you. Sounds good.

Hearing all concerns and questions, do I have a motion to refer to the appropriate departments as well as approved subject to appropriate assurances and usual conditions? Moved by Council Member Fredrickson and seconded by Council Member Terrain. Clerk, please call the roll. Council Member Leskowiak.

Aye. Council Member Terrain.

Aye.

Council Member Fredrickson. Aye. Council Member Civiletto. Aye.

Motion carried. We now move to reports of standing committees, boards, and commissions. I'll start today with Council Member Torain.

We just want to say that hiring for one more account clerk has been posted. And we're also searching for a mechanic with a CDL. I want to also announce that Kathy Kern, who's been working in the personnel department for years, is going to be retiring on the 30th. And my next personnel committee meeting is going to be tomorrow at 11. And that's all I got.

Okay. Uh, council member Fredrickson.

Um, all I have is there's a public safety committee meeting on June 22nd, one o'clock PM in the Stearns building conference room. That's all I have.

Thank you. Council member Ciboletto.

And I just have that, um, next economic development meeting will be on the 30th of June, um, at 4 PM. which I believe is, yeah, that's the last Tuesday in June. And that's it.

OK. Randy, as for myself, Randy, director of Department of Public Works, I wanted to let everyone know that the street division is out there going through all 200 streets and paving the holes, correct?

We are, yes.

The next department of public works committee meeting is Thursday, June 25th at 1 PM in the mayor's conference room. All residents are welcome. We will discuss my meeting with the director of the transfer station there in Fredonia. Um, we are all trying to move forward with a solution or two for our city's residents brush on behalf of council member, Nick Weiser. The next finance meeting is the 22nd of June at 9 00 AM. And while we have our attorney Raimondo here, I wanted to, I noticed there was an article in today's paper regarding the fiscal recovery act. I knew it expired December 31st and the mayor was seeking an extension, which apparently didn't happen. And, um, Uh, so I, I know they cited that it was because of a bill proposed, but I, I don't think that was the case. Would you have anything you wanted to add or put some light on?

I'm not sure at the moment. I know assembly member models are, did have a bill, um, that he had proposed. I know that there was some communications at the city's committee, but the budget dragged on and on. So I stopped paying attention to it. But I will say, Per the Dunkirk Revenue Anticipated Note Act of 2025, the city still has to go out to bid to attempt to refinance the state loan that we currently have.

Okay, thank you, thank you. Okay, so. All right, just give me a moment, my first time up here. So moving on, is there any unfinished business?

Can I ask, Elliot, do you know when the next negotiation committee is with the family?

It will be in August. I will get you that date shortly. I mean, I can get it right now possibly, but it's going to be in August.

Okay.

Yes.

Thank you. Okay. We will move on to pre-filed resolutions. Clerk, please introduce resolution number 49-2026.

Resolution 49-2026, resolution authorizing budget line modifications for fiscal year 2026.

Any discussion or questions for the administration council? Clerk, please call the roll.

Councilmember, let's go. Yeah. I Councilmember terrain.

All right.

Councilmember Fredrickson.

All right.

Councilmember civil letter.

The resolution is adopted.

Resolution 50 dash 2026 resolution authorizing of a lease agreement for an office copier and the department of public works.

Any discussion or questions for the administration?

Clerk, please call the roll. Council Member Laskoja. Aye. Council Member Terrain.

Aye.

Council Member Fredrickson.

Aye.

Council Member Civiletto. Aye.

The resolution is adopted. Clerk, there are two walk-ins. Kindly introduce walk-in resolution number 51-2026. Walk-in resolution 51-2026.

Resolution authorizing the Common Council of the City of Dunkirk to reschedule its July 7th Council meeting to July 6th.

A motion is needed to add walk-on resolution to the agenda. Council? Okay, it is moved by Council Member Terrain. And seconded by Council Member Civiletto. Clerk, kindly call, do the roll call.

Council Member Leskowiak. Aye. Council Member Terrain. Aye. Council Member Fredrickson. Aye. Council Member Civiletto.

Aye. Okay, now can I have a move with a motion and a vote to accept Resolution 51-20 before? Are there any questions or remarks on that before we do a vote? SO NOW, MAY I MOVE WITH A MOTION AND A VOTE TO ACCEPT RESOLUTION NUMBER 51-2026. MOVED BY COUNCILMEMBER FREDERICKSON. SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER CIVILETTO. CLEAR, KINDLY CALL FORWARD WITH THE ROLL CALL.

COUNCILMEMBER LASGOEAC. AYE. COUNCILMEMBER TERRAIN. AYE. COUNCILMEMBER FREDERICKSON. AYE. COUNCILMEMBER CIVILETTO. AYE.

The resolution is adopted.

Clerk kindly introduced the walk-in resolution 52-2026. Walk-in resolution 52-2026. Enforcement resolution enforcement of the city code local law in accordance with the duties and the powers of the treasurer.

Okay. A motion is needed to add the walk-in resolution 52-2026 to the agenda. May I? Moved by Council Member Terrain. And seconded by Council Member Fredrickson. Clerk forward with the roll call, please. Council Member Leskowiak.

Aye. Council Member Terrain.

Aye.

Council Member Fredrickson. Aye. Council Member Civiletto. Aye.

The resolution is adopted. Now we move on to new business, if none. Any new business? If none, we probably have our record this year. And if there are no further matters, I'll entertain a motion to adjourn. Motion moved by Council Member Fredrickson and seconded by Council Member Cefaletto. And clerk, kindly roll call, please.

Council Member Leskowiak. Aye. Council Member Terrain.

Aye.

Council Member Fredrickson.

Aye.

Council Member Civiletto.

Aye.

The meeting has ended. Thank you, everyone.