Published: January 08, 2009 11:38 pm      

NORTH TONAWANDA: Council reorganizes, Sommer remains as president

The North Tonawanda Common Council held its annual reorganization meeting last Friday, largely preserving the status quo.

Council President Brett Sommer began his sixth straight year at the post, after a unanimous decision by all four other members of the body, who also will stay on heading into 2009.

“The council members vote for who they want to be council president,” Sommer said. “As far as my strengths, I think I do a good job of building consensus amongst the council. I try not to let things turn into partisan fights among the council members. I give everybody the opportunity to be heard on an issue ... I think ultimately they vote for me because I run a good meeting.”

He said the single biggest issue heading into the new year is cooperation among municipalities in Niagara County, in order to save money as the dismal economy dries up funding on the state level.

One challenge, he said, will be consolidating services — as is being explored right now, in a bid by both Twin Cities to fund a study on sending excess storm water from the City of Tonawanda to the Lumber City for a price.

It’s a challenge to do all that, he said, especially with a panel of part-time, citizen legislators like the city’s Common Council.

He said a close eye on budget cuts, while difficult, is key.

“In good times that’s easy to do. In lean times, it’s harder to do,” he said.

“It’s a county of 225,000 or 230,000 people — that’s the same as a small city. We need to find ways to work cooperatively and save money.”

Also at the first meeting of ’09, the council adopted a local law requiring absentee landlords to register the name, address and telephone number of a local representative, in case their property is cited for code violations.

A public hearing on the law was held in September in accordance with procedure, and Sommer said it took some time for formal adoption while the legislative branch waited for some paperwork to come back from the mayor’s office.

“If (landlords) don’t reside in (Niagara or Erie counties), they have to appoint a local person who will be their representative if they go to housing court,” Sommer said.

The information must now be filed with the office of Building Inspector Cosimo Capozzi.

Also, since Friday’s meeting, Sommer said the body has agreed on two other issues to be voted on in the next two or three meetings.

In brief, the council wishes to update its policy on special assessments — such as those leveled on homeowners following resurfacing of Kingston Avenue, completed in 2007, and on the developer of a burgeoning housing development on Brentwood Drive in an effort to save residents money.

Also, the city’s persistent pothole problem, while addressed with record expenditures this year, could get a boost from a specialized rental machine using some of the money officials think they’ll save in light of reduced gas prices.

On the assessment issue: The city had bonded the money for Kingston Avenue at about 4 percent interest, but held property owners paying for a portion of the work through special assessment at 10 percent interest.

Now, it has been agreed to vote on a change, whereby residents would only be responsible for the city’s rate plus 1 percent “to cover administrative expenses,” Sommer said.

“Because we haven’t done special assessments in a long time,” he said in an attempt to explain the heavy burden to residents seeking improvements. “Brentwood and Kingston were the first I can remember seeing in a long time.”

He explained the other special assessments may not have been leveled since the 1970s, and city officials clearly had a different view of the taxpayers’ financial role at the time.

The issue will come up at the Jan. 20 meeting.

Also, the reduced price of gas has left the city with a projected savings, what Sommer called “a few hundred thousand” dollars beyond the ’09 city fuel budget.

Of that, about 10 percent could be used to rent the “Pothole Killer,” sometime beginning in the spring or early summer. The machine has and is now being used in Niagara Falls, where it has been lauded for its rapid, pothole filling potential.

Since the tax rate has already been set, Sommer said the money can’t legally be sent back to taxpayers but many might agree that filling the city’s rough roadways is a viable alternative.

Of the rest of the expected surplus, Sommer said it should be put into a savings account, and considered when next year’s budget is tabulated.

“When we did the budget, gas was $4 per gallon,” he said.

The “killer,” if it is agreed upon, could be employed “when the weather breaks a little bit.”

Contact reporter Neale Gulley at 693-1000, ext. 114.