Town Board - Regular Meeting

Uh, we have a proclamation tonight for older Americans month. Good. So, um whereas Grand Island includes a growing number of older Americans who contribute their time, wisdom, and experience to our community. And the population of Grand Island, New York, includes 9,246 citizens uh, age 50 or older, now representing 43% of our population based on the 2020 census. And whereas an act of the United States Congress has designated the month of May as Older Americans Month with this year's theme of Champion Your Health. And whereas our community provides opportunities to enrich the lives of individuals young and old, especially by the Golden Age Club of Grand Island, established in 1959 for any resident age 50 or older, which since that time has continuously provided necessary services and stimulating opportunities helping older adults take control for their safety and well-being. Recognizing the value of providing connection and engagement to help the older adults remain healthy, active, and giving to others. And providing a friendly environment for this community's older Americans at Grand Island Golden Age Center. And whereas the older adults on Grand Island have made countless contributions and sacrifices to ensure a better life for future generations and recognizes the need to create a community that offers the service and supports older adults may need to make choices about how they age. Now, therefore, be it resolved that on May 4th Um, I'm sorry. The 4th day of May, 2026, the Town Board of the Town of Grand

Island is committed to working and building an even better community for our older residents by And it's going to be a list of things uh, by limiting our thinking about aging through their wealth of life experiences and wisdom. Ensuring older Americans have the resources and needs to stay within their communities. Exploring and combating stereotypes. Emphasizing the many positive aspects of aging. Inspiring older adults to push past traditional boundaries and embracing our community's diversity. And does hereby designate the month of May as Older Americans Month in the Town of Grand Island. Be it further resolved that the same that the same Town Board extends its congratulations and thanks to the Grand Island Golden Age Club for its many years of service to Grand Island's older Americans and urges every resident to take time this month to recognize older adults and the people who serve and celebrate them as strong, inspirational individuals who contribute greatly to our community. With that, we have a uh, proclamation which is on official letterhead and has been signed by the Town Board. Um, if you guys would like to come up and receive this. Town Board, please join me. Hey.

Next up is public public comments and that would be on the agenda items only excluding the public hearing. So, if you have something on the agenda that you'd like to speak on, just come to the mic, give your name. You have a couple minutes. Um, public hearing again has its own time frame. Hey. Hearing nothing, we'll go into the public hearing. Uh, I will ask the clerk to read the pertinent part of that rule. Notice is hereby given that a public hearing regarding local law intro number one of 2026 will be held by the Town Board on Monday, the 4th May, for a change to the zoning classification for a portion of the property at SPL 23.00-3-6. 11 at 410 Lang Boulevard from M1 to NBD. All interested persons may attend at said time and place and be heard thereon. If anybody would like to come to the mic and speak on this matter, please give your name and you have a couple minutes to speak your mind. For a second time. Would anybody like to speak on this matter? Okay. I declare that public hearing closed. Town Board, what's your pleasure? Where is it at? Has it been gone through Planning Board yet? Oh, okay. There's no note. I guess I would make a motion motion without any objection from from the Planning Board we pass it. Um May I just hold off to the next meeting? Can't do it? They didn't talk about it Monday. It was

sent to the Planning Board.

it two weeks ago. Just this last meeting. So So, along with Along the lines of what Dan says, I would make a motion to accept this uh, zoning change contingent on the Planning Board's approval. Does that make sense? Can we do that? It's going to put It has been referred, but it hasn't gone yet. So, we better wait on it. Yeah. Okay. So, you don't It'll be on on what? It should be on Monday. Okay. So, why don't we why don't we table this public hearing open on next meeting? Yeah. Okay. Motion to table. So moved. That'll work. Second. Motion second. Any discussion? Roll call. Tegati. Aye. Garcia. Aye. Kilmer. Aye. Steel. Aye. Marston. Aye. Uh next is the minutes. Approve minutes of workshop meeting number nine, April 20th, 2026. And approve minutes of regular meeting number seven, April 20th, 2026. So move. Second. Second. Peter would now be in the public state issue. The table of the The good discussion is to Ask you to last meeting that it's not been It's been referred to the town board. Yeah. Are you trying to amend the minutes? The meeting last month had a special use permit renewal approval from planning board before the public hearing that's going to be held on Monday, May 18th. I think both It's a different matter. Yeah. So if you put that in the minutes that are here or if you're referring to that We put a motion to approve the special use permit, it is. Yeah, I mean if you want to revise that at this point, you can do a motion to amend uh that that item.

And uh refer back to the town board pending uh meeting. So it's before planning. So it's just before Is that before planning next uh It's been It's already been approved but that's what last public hearing Oh, it's the first It's a first night of renewal. It's a first. Okay. Yeah, so then I guess it would uh So you Yeah, there's a motion that's already been approved, so you would have to modify that motion. Um so you just make a motion to withdraw my motion if it makes it easier but it will not.

It won't. It's already in the minutes. Yes, it's We just spent those down in the town workshop. Yeah, I mean I think the minutes are consistent with what happened. Exactly. So you have to That's why I asked Peter whether But it's it's on at this point if you want to clarify it now just because it's in those minutes, you could appropriately raise it at this point in this meeting if you wanted to or you could suspend it at those pending, either one's fine. But it sounds like it the ordinary course for a renewal of a special use permit is just to approve it as an initial one. Um and the board may not have realized that without the public hearing, so um you can uh rescind the prior motion for approval pending uh the public hearing scheduled for the uh 18th. If you want to so forth. So that would be done now then, Thomas, exactly You guys No, I I I rescind my motion. Okay. Second. So we're just going to move these minutes to We're just going to move this whole package of minutes to the

Well, so no, you're going to the minutes you can the minutes you can So you can take that You make that change and then accept the minutes with the modification that you just made. That's one possible way to get to where you want to get to. So I think Yeah, sure did. Yeah, so it'd be So motion to rescind the resolution the resolution approving the special use permit pending the outcome of this public hearing scheduled for May 18th. For the 18th. I'm making that Second. That works. That works. Yeah. How long did it last in the meeting? So I won't say anything. Discussion? No. That's fine. All right, you can vote that. Roll call. Garcia. Aye. Kilmer. Aye. Tegati. Aye. Steel. Aye. Marston. Aye. And then you can do a motion to accept the minutes with the modification that was just made. I'll make that motion. I'll second it. That's I note that. We just keep that recorded. This much. He said it was No, we're just going to keep the minutes as recorded. I believe that's the one meeting I believe you said. Yes. Nice job. That's the change that will happen. I believe that I can Leave it that and leave it at that, Tom. Leave it at that. Okay. Motion second, any more discussion? Roll call. Just leave it at that. Yeah, we're we're just going So we're just going to So we're going to be sending our motions, Tom? I rescind my Second. No, no, no, no, my motions. I just screwed up last week, so I was trying to fix it. Okay, moving on. Open the seat here. Um maybe Next, Department of Engineering and Water Resources, Robert H. Westfall. Number one We got it. Sent. Good sense. We got something else here?

Architectural Review. Oh, yeah, yeah. Okay, sorry. I got to have it myself here. I got excited. Um next to consent agenda. Uh Motion is in order to approve the meeting minutes of Architectural Board of Review uh March 17th, 2026 and meeting minutes Conservation Advisory Board, March 26th, 2026. So move. Second. Motion second. Any discussion on that? Let's hold that. Okay. Roll call. Garcia. Aye. Steel. Aye. Tegati. Aye. Kilmer. Aye. Marston. Aye. Okay, next is from Department of Engineering and Water Resources, Robert H. Westfall. Number one, status change. Uh I hereby request the town board approve a status change for engineering aid, Daniel Clayton from part-time to seasonal effective May 18th, 2026. His current rate of pay shall remain unchanged at $22.65 per hour. Motion to accept that seasonal. So move. Second. Motion second. Any discussion? Roll call. Tegati. Aye. Steel. Aye. Kilmer. Aye. Garcia. Aye. Marston. Aye. Um next, award bid, 2026 concrete replacement and repair work. Um this kind of got sidestepped earlier in the year, so engineering knowing the building season's coming got on this and got it out to uh uh the street for bids. We reviewed the quotations and recommended the town use Bull's Concrete Construction at $12 a square foot for flat work concrete and $12.50 a square foot uh flat work concrete with mesh. $95 if for dish curves and $105 if for upright curve.

So move. Second. Motion second. Any discussion? So it's been approved. So I'll talk about the Um roll call. Tegati. Aye. Steel. Aye. Kilmer. Aye. Garcia. Aye. Marston. Aye. Uh next from Recreation Supervisor, Joseph Mentor, part-time hires. Uh I recommend the following people be hired at part-time status effective May 5th, 2026 subject to the completion of the necessary pre-employment paperwork. Uh I would make a motion to it adopted as written. So move. Second. Motion second. Any discussion? Roll call. Kilmer. Aye. Tegati. Aye. Garcia. Aye. Steel. Aye. Marston. Aye. Uh next is seasonal hires. Um I recommend the following people be hired at seasonal status effective May 5th, 2026 subject to the completion of necessary pre-employment paperwork. Uh I would recommend that it be adopted as written. Second. Motion second. Any discussion? Um I have a family member listed on here, so I will be recusing. Anyone else? Roll call. Tegati. Aye. Steel. Aye. Kilmer. Aye. Garcia. Aye. Marston. Recuse. Um next, remove employees from payroll. The following employees is again from Joe Mentor. Um the following employees are no longer working for the recreation department and can be removed from payroll effective May 5th, 2026. Um again, there's a list. So I would I would recommend to adopt as submitted.

So move. Second. Motion second. Any discussion? Roll call. Tegati. Aye. Steel. Aye. Kilmer. Aye. Garcia. Aye. Marston. Aye. Uh next from Code Enforcement special use permit application, Denise Sterns, 241 Colonial Drive, home occupation baker. Set public hearing and referral to planning board. Uh we talked about this and we decided to set the public hearing for 8:00 on May 18th and refer to the planning board. So move. Second. Motion second. Any discussion? Roll call. Garcia. Aye. Steel. Aye. Tegati. Aye. Kilmer. Aye. Marston. Aye. Uh next, Local Law number two of 2026, rezoning SBL number 36.04-1-5 uh {comma} 36.04-1-6 and 36.04 Baseline Road R1D to M2. Set public hearing and refer to the planning board. Again, we picked May 18th at 8:00 for the public hearing. Motion to refer those make those referrals. So Second. Motion second. Any discussions? Roll call. Tegati Aye. Garcia Aye. Kilmer Aye. Deal Aye. Marston Aye. Uh next recreation supervisor senior citizens Jennifer Mentor

request permission to post part-time recreation attendant. Um I'd like to request permission to post an open position we have at the Golden Age Center. The position is for a part-time recreation attendant at 19 hours a week. Staff member Sam Sandra Tomasello is retiring on Thursday, April 30th after 3 years of service to our senior center and to our Grand Island community. Uh I would truly appreciate it if you and the town board could put this on the agenda so agenda for your May 4th meeting for discussion. Motion to authorize advertisement to fill the open position. So moved. Second. Motion second. Any discussion? Other than Elvis gave her a good send-off the other day for lunch when I was there which I thought was kind of cute. So good for her. Um roll call. Deal Aye. Tegati Aye. Kilmer Aye. Garcia Aye. Marston Aye. Uh next to report from the audit committee. I make a motion we pay the bills from the following funds from the general fund $54,678.30 from the highway fund $6,911.23 from the sewer fund $97,212.38 from the water fund $40,260.46 the capital fund $16,899 the lighting districts $2,221.75 from refuse and garbage $170,470.17 for a total of $388,653.29. Second. Okay, motion second. Any discussion? Second second. Your leaders were better than mine last week.

Roll call. Garcia Aye. Deal Aye. Tegati Aye. Kilmer Aye. Marston Aye. Okay, next up is public comments. This is the point where if you'd like to talk about something that's going on in Grand Island you're welcome to come to Mike, give us your name and you have 3 minutes. Is it 3 minutes then? Sure. 3 minutes. So the mic is yours. Michael Smetana This is for Mr. Godfrey. I was denied medical care at urgent care back in January. Law enforcement came. They wouldn't let me have medical care. It was a blinding snowstorm. It's a violation of my civil rights. Do you know who Denise Miranda is at the human rights division? Mr. Godfrey I'd like you to get a hold of her and find out what's going on on this island with law enforcement and now over here at urgent care. But every time I leave my house I get harassed. What's going on? What happened at the library at at the election? Remember they were threatening to shoot me inside there with a Smith & Wesson? Law enforcement covered it up. I'd like you to contact Denise Miranda the human rights division. You know who she is. You're not telling me the truth. You know who she is. I'd appreciate it, okay? Cuz I'm not getting any results here, more harassment and I'm a senior citizen. And is it senior citizen day? Yeah. Nice for the pictures. Yeah. Beautiful. Thank you. Anyone else? Right. Wait, before that just so

everybody here knows the board does not interact when you're at the microphone. We listen to your complaints. We'll contact you at a later date. There's a lot of things where people think there's two-way dialogue. It's your time to tell us what your complaint is. We listen. We embrace it. We help. Okay, but we're not going to have two-way dialogue anymore. Why do they all have to be complaints? Huh? Why do they all have to be complaints? Well, I'm just saying. People expect us to answer. We don't answer. We're not supposed to. Hello everyone. Chris Slurry. On January 5th I came before this board to report what I believe to be wrongdoing and request assistance. Following that report I immediately experienced negative consequences. Based on these circumstances I consider myself a whistleblower and believe I have been subject to retaliation. I also believe the situation may involve violations of law. Since that time I have made multiple attempts to follow up with the town board including several emails. Despite these repeated efforts I have not received any acknowledgement or response from the town board. I do want to note that Councilman Kilmer has spoken on this issue during meetings. However, the matter has not been collectively addressed by the town board. At this point the continued lack of response reflects a failure to address a serious complaint that has been raised multiple times. So today I'm asking the board directly to formally acknowledge my complaint. And I guess I'll stop there because of Mr. Kilmer's Councilman Kilmer's statement about not interacting. And to finish it up I'm going to continue to pursue this until it's properly addressed. Tired of falling on deaf ears. Complaints here, it's not going away.

And see you next month. week Thank you. Sherry Kern 2905 Staley on uh Monday the Staley Road Committee had a meeting with um Jim Sedita and his team John and I want to thank um Jose and Dan for being at the meeting representing the board. Um a lot of discussion, a lot of talk of course about Staley Road. Um we're hopeful that things might be changing and might be moving forward. Uh some suggestions were made and I hope the board takes seriously. We've been at this for 4 years now. And um we're we're really hoping that something changes. We know the money isn't going to come down from the sky so something has to be done. And so I I still believe if if the pharmaceutical companies are pursued at the higher level that might mean a trip to Massachusetts or whatever, but I think dealing with the people that are in control here is not going to yield us anywhere. But that's just my own personal belief. I'd be willing to get on a plane and go to Massachusetts or in a car and represent our committee as well. Sounds like a fun road trip. So yes, well it depends on who's in the car with me. But anyways, I do want to thank you for taking the time both of you to be at the meeting and I am really hopeful it's going to move forward with the whole board. Thank you.

Hello. You all know me. My granddaughter was killed. Broadway, South Park Joe Daniels. Um the last meeting Peter I missed you. It's good to see you not be the man in the room. Uh I requested a resolution for a highway design study so I can use that to present to the state so get their attention about improving traffic conditions on the South Park Bay. Um I haven't heard anything yet. In case you forgot my email I will give it to you. Ron here's my card. Okay, I know these things take time. I really appreciate your efforts, but um you know, we're all public servants here trying to make things better. Thank you. Hi. Hi. Hi, it's Regina Gunther. Um my complaint is with the zoning board. Um I've had uh some issues over the last 4 months uh over 1437 Ferry Road which is Ferry and East River. Uh I have a very annoying neighbor on the corner and he uh claims that he owns the property at the end of the road and he's blocking off half the road. Half of the town parking uh cuz he says he owns it. Which he doesn't own it and he's putting up no parking signs. And I've been talking to Ron Milks about it and he's basically has pushed it onto the highway department and the highway department needs help because they need he needs to know what he owns and doesn't own. He needs it from the zoning board. The zoning board has given him some papers to take it to him but he really needs to step up and get out there and tell the guy what he really owns and doesn't own. Um it's it's

our actual road? Well, he's got two signs up that say no parking and then he's meter you know, he's he's monitoring it. He's not going to let anybody park there. I mean it's it's town property. It's there's a guardrail there. It's been there for 40 years. I mean I've been there for 40 years but it's constant. What's the address? Pardon me? What's the address? Um 1437 Ferry Road. You know where Ferry and East River are? Now I mean I've went gone through multiple things with this neighbor. I mean he's moved my mailbox from Ferry to East River to void deliveries for the hot dog stand which I've had to take to small claims court, won that, you know, but he's not going to pay me to put my mailbox back but I had to put my mailbox back. You know, he's harassed me about my dumpster which Ron Milks made me put it in a a casing which he has sent me a violation for it which is wasn't it was not it didn't apply to me. He sent me a violation for something that was not it it was not true. I mean I am in the middle of two other people have dumpsters that didn't have to encase their dumpster but I'm keep on having to appease this neighbor and it's it's not fair. Okay. Not only that, I bought property on Staley Road. I bought the property of 2275 Staley Road. I bought that property and I was going to it was a a house was taken down it was a vacant lot and I was going to build a house for my son. And so I I was I bought the lot and so I went to the town to apply for a variance and um but they said that because the house was taken down and a new one was put up you're not allowed to do variances. Rhonda went in the books and she's you know, assisted it. Ron Milks Milks assisted it and would not let me apply for a variance whatsoever. So I went back and I gave up the property because I could only build a house that was 20 ft wide and I was looking forward

to build the house where it was. Wasn't a whole wide lot as it was but at least there was a house there to build but it could have been longer but the point is is that I was not allowed to do a variance. Well, I gave up the property and lo and behold somebody else bought the property. And guess what? They applied for a variance and they got it and it happens to be a relative of Rhonda. Really? I mean why can't I come to the town and get straight answers on what is true? Um that's what I'm just saying, you know, it's just you know, it's just like this neighbor I'm having. I mean it's like why can't you just come out here and show the guy his property and stop and stop it. I mean I had the police called this weekend. Again, this is the second time you know, we've we've had conversations. It's it's it's ridiculous and it's because he's constantly going after my business of the hot dog stand cuz he doesn't want anybody there. So that's all. I'm just asking that the you know that they should know the rules and when I go up there and ask a darn question, they should have the darn answer. So thank you. Thank you. I appreciate it. Any other public comments? Okay. From the board, Councilman Kilmer. Well, let's discuss about Staley first. I'm going to give a quick rundown what's going on. This as the resident said we met on Monday. I think it was Monday. Friday. Was it Friday? Today's Monday. That's when I met. That's when I met. I thought today's Friday. Anyways, whatever day we met. So I I I ran the numbers based on the $3 million it would take to borrow to do Staley Road because that was what we came up with as why we there's no other way we're going to get this thing paved if we don't if we don't

bond it. There's just no way to get there. No one's no one's writing us a big check. So we ran the numbers past Corrine. $120,000 for the first year's payment, $870,000 for the second, third, fourth and fifth year. So I am more than willing to ask this board to bond money to do Staley Road. We just have to figure out how we're going to come up with the 870 years. So so give me a little time on that. Those were the numbers that that's what the payment came out as. So we we do have to work on how we're going to pay for this but I'm I'm promising you I will it may have to be a different number. Maybe we could figure out the highway superintendent wants to work for a couple you know, make Staley two years of his budget budget. So that's two years of payment. He borrows about 7800000 a year for for paving anyway but us as a board and the highway superintendent are going to have to have those discussions. It's not as easy as me asking for the $3 million. I would love to make a motion right now but then I got to pay the bill. So I'm not I'm I am promising you I'll stay on it. It's just we got to figure out where 870 a year comes from for the the third second, third, fourth and fifth year. Um that was it. That's at 4% for 5 years. 5 million 5 years. I promise you I'll stay on it. Just figure out the realization of how I'm going to pay for it. I do want to get the run of car but for 5 year payment. That's what I'm assuming. Is that it? That is it. Yeah. Councilman Garcia. Um I I agree with Dan. I would like to see a plan if we do bond the money, this is how we would do it. This is how it will get up to speed with some kind of deadlines too. I know in the past sometimes money has been bonded and we didn't do anything

but we didn't pay for anything also. So I want to make sure that if we're going to do it pay for it and we're going to do it too. Yes, very important I think for us. Well, now we've had a beautiful day and I was happy for the next week so 40 days. That's looking forward to our summer vacation. Councilwoman Deal. I have nothing to add tonight. Okay. Councilman Bigatti. Not much. Thanks to you listeners the first week in July so next first time at the high school and volunteers will be parents and this sewing one Wednesday night. And I said it's spring. Actually it will be nice enough tomorrow for hours I hope I hope. Yeah. Go Sabers. Go Sabers. I wasn't saying I'm so disappointed. I'm so disappointed. Wednesday. Okay. Um I will um also add on to the Staley Road discussion. Uh Jim was in to see me like right after the meeting. So only two of us can go to a meeting at once otherwise it's considered legal. It can only be two board members at a time but he did come in and give me a breakdown pretty quick of what they're thinking about and what they're trying to do and how they're trying to get there and he basically uh indicated the same uphill struggles that Councilman Kilmer did but I know he's his wheels are turning um and I know he's planning on getting them started with his own uh I I say sweat equity. You know, we're going to start working on the drainage and all that stuff which has to be done no matter what's done. So I I know that he is paying attention to that. Uh biggest concerns I've heard past few weeks are are drainage flooding, water, all that.

Um I understand that we've gotten 160% of our average high fall rain this spring and pretty much it you don't have if you don't have some water in your yard, something's wrong. Um you have no more of it. Everybody's pretty much got it. Some people have it worse than others but just be patient. We're doing our best to keep things moving. I know the the sewer guys I I check on them every once in a while and they are they're busy. They're holding their own. They're trying to keep everybody drained out and keep everything moving and keep everything flowing. So um say a prayer for them. And go Sabers. Um with that motion [clears throat] is in order to adjourn tonight's meeting at 8:47. Motion second. Uh all those in favor say I. I. Opposed? That that'll carry. Uh please rise. Tonight we will observe a moment of silence in memory of Alan Pearson Anna Capus Salvatore Santa Lucia Kathleen Christ uh Katrine Ebert and Sherry Wendling.