[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6531555,"mediaKeyId","3525958-f0d79198f940e43f93450bd51c8b95d0","parentId",3525958,"title","Cheektowaga board approves year-end transfers, discusses paving funds and calls for clearer budget monitoring","audioSeconds",1345,"startMs",6685000,"endMs",8030000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3525958-f0d79198f940e43f93450bd51c8b95d0&start=6685&end=8030","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3525958-f0d79198f940e43f93450bd51c8b95d0/thumbnail_6685000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6531555/Cheektowaga/Erie-County/New-York/Cheektowaga-board-approves-year-end-transfers-discusses-paving-funds-and-calls-for-clearer-budget-monitoring","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6531555-9504b365e5d8d9b7e745281ff2c04e4b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200646&Signature=B9fzz8z-7F8bMMW0Pr6CVIqWqnzNrbRtxSsspk1HoNjx02arDZZP9xy8UFwBeSvKtAQ9dL5dwFNhkxBE5mnFj2GIo8YU-Hg88c3gB8X528wNQYt-WeYak-s28U9TuLQXp7JRheH4-TZgqfbivOzd6nzkjRGUMCN8DgOaXwIF7ExuN6oTjLZMxm9iZ-ompmCQboptHYzVjCStTue9zNCSYPI5ADUqdl5ATvVAwQIZVsptAp~zLzGZorbnedkcRE2rLarS12HjoKbju0vxaatzL4f0HHSQawsOCR~0T6DkMzUZ-NbRuGoaJjzY107DiJcU28X9tM7igTHintjfdsmTtg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Cheektowaga, NY","date","2025-05-27T21:30:45Z","article","The Town Board approved a package of budget transfers covering fiscal-year 2024 at its May 27 meeting and spent significant time discussing the town's approach to one-time capital moves and state Pave New York/CHIPS funds.

Supervisor Brian Nowak presented the transfers for 2024 (Resolution 2025-03-54). Council members asked for clarifications about why transfers were needed, why lines had been overspent and whether some transfers were the result of prior-year changes in capital spending or unanticipated legal or personnel costs. Officials said transfers are often performed after year-end activity and that many reflect moving money to grant- or capital-related expenditure lines that were not reclassified earlier in the year.

The highway superintendent explained the recent news item that Cheektowaga will receive roughly $1,060,000 from state Pave New York/CHIPS funding and described a plan to use the award for preservation work such as mill-and-fill overlays, crack seal and micropaving tests in north and south areas of town. He said the money would typically be used to preserve roadways and avoid more costly full-depth road reconstructions, and that the town also plans to pursue equipment options (for example, faster crack-seal machines) and shared services where possible.

Council members expressed interest in seeing an explicit street list for the CHIPS money, and several urged the town to hold off on major work until the state's figures are confirmed in writing. The highway superintendent said some repair and pothole work was already underway and that the town would try to spread funds to preserve the most road mileage. He also said the town had worked with a neighboring municipality (West Seneca) to handle yard-waste processing on a short-term basis while the town seeks a longer-term solution.

On the transfers themselves, several board members requested better in-year reporting on budget status and line-item availability to avoid overspending individual lines. They discussed procedural options including more frequent budget updates, checking line balances when processing warrants and continuing implementation of a new financial software system that town officials hope will improve oversight by the next budgeting cycle.

The board approved the transfer resolution by roll-call vote. Members requested more frequent reporting of actual-to-budget figures and asked finance staff to prepare clearer documentation ahead of the 2026 budget process.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town Board Meeting 5.27.25","oneSentenceSummary","The board approved 2024 budget transfers on May 27. Members discussed a recent $1.06 million Pave New York/CHIPS allocation, how the money will be used for overlays and preservation work, and asked for more frequent budget reports and better line-item controls.","taxTitle","Cheektowaga, Erie County, New York","taxId",56246,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6531557,"Public raises health, property-value and notice concerns at Cheektowaga Verizon tower hearing",2398,2051000,4449000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3525958-f0d79198f940e43f93450bd51c8b95d0&start=2051&end=4449","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3525958-f0d79198f940e43f93450bd51c8b95d0/thumbnail_2051000.jpg","/articles/6531557/Cheektowaga/Erie-County/New-York/Public-raises-health-property-value-and-notice-concerns-at-Cheektowaga-Verizon-tower-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6531557-26ce5f0dd82293ae11265830858c0804/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200646&Signature=eoJqaTSHWClSPPj~xIyMa3uLck6MMLzIwM6dpUHBSCGUMhOnGr5gb~dnczHVUtSbKnTOthsFA9-lRn9m-xT7DpKzE4KtKoQSCXCEZIg8aeLYgKaaBloHCVQ7iJsmUtwpq7yn7zCGsq0mAJZnxk3tYH5T9rzJ06oOAMPmzSmcWYzyCqGC9VvsTp~SSqxJtQPXSs25LUXU8FkoDVCUe3basCJyUvEYycVtpygXBwX4IarnGJj00IbaflvCbQHmHcTgbbI2p6eU14ds1bV64-YlhviUNIvJd1mHgxHCThNDUVDHvre5qf2QF9uSdRUt2Xjf9asOytT55kobY55aHaEuQA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Town Board opened and closed a public hearing May 27 on a proposal by Verizon to construct a monopole telecommunications tower at 2733 William Street near I-90. The hearing included a presentation from the applicant's attorney, technical questions from board members and multiple public comments expressing concern about health effects, property values and notice to nearby residents.

Steve Fantuzo of the law firm Nixon Peabody, appearing for Verizon, described the proposal as a 20-foot galvanized-steel monopole with a four-foot lightning rod and antennas at the proposed centerline. He said the fenced compound would be about 600 square feet on leased property owned by Public Storage Inc., with power tied into existing onsite utility lines and a backup generator. Fantuzo said Verizon had provided a radio-frequency (RF) justification (Exhibit E) and site-selection analysis (Exhibit F), noting a balloon test had been performed and that Exhibit J contains proof of compliance with FCC emissions rules.

Several residents said they were not aware of the project before the hearing. One resident, Richard of 63 Lower Court, said the only notice he received was the public hearing announcement and raised questions about health effects and property values. Patricia Kasperczak, whose family owns a house backing up to the proposed site, said the base of the tower would consume much of a small backyard and would change the character of a neighborhood her family has lived in since 1956. Another resident said the balloon used to show height had been very visible from living-room windows, and others said they had concerns about noise, screening and whether alternative locations farther from homes had been considered.

Board members asked technical questions. Councilman Michael Jasinski sought the distance to the nearest residence; Fantuzo said the nearest house is about 272 feet from the proposed tower and cited a designed break point for the structure indicating a maximum fall radius of about 62 feet if the tower were to fail, which he said was well inside the setback from homes. Board members asked the applicant to provide exhibit details on expected exposure levels (microwatts or EME levels) and Fantuzo said the RF engineers had calculated exposure and that Exhibit J documents compliance with the FCC's limits. Fantuzo also said that other carriers could potentially co-locate on the new pole if they pursued leases and approvals.

Residents raised potential impacts on property values and aesthetics. Fantuzo said Verizon's submitted studies and the site's proximity to existing utilities and Thruway-related infrastructure were factors in site selection and he said the company had adjusted siting and height in response to comments from the town planning and environmental committees.

Board members and staff acknowledged some residents' concerns about whether notice was adequate. Fantuzo said the balloon test and a public notice in the Buffalo News were performed in accordance with requirements; the town clerk added that the proposal's supporting documents were posted with the planning-board packet on the town website for prior meetings and that the public-hearing notice requirement had been met.

No final permit vote occurred at the meeting. The board opened the public hearing by motion and later closed it by motion; it did not take a final decision on the special-use permit at this session. The applicant's attorney said he would provide requested exhibit details (EME numbers, alternate-site analysis and generator/fuel specifics) to town staff. Residents urged the town to make those materials available online and asked Verizon to provide accessible material summarizing RF exposure and other safety information.

The board recorded the opening and the closing of the hearing in public session and will consider the application in subsequent planning and permitting steps.","A public hearing on a proposed 20-foot Verizon monopole at 2733 William Street drew multiple residents who raised concerns about health effects, property values and whether neighbors had adequate notice; Verizon's attorney said the company submitted RF and siting studies and that Exhibit J demonstrates FCC compliance.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6531561,"Cheektowaga outlines expanded employee safety training, rolls out learning platform for department heads",700,124000,824000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3525958-f0d79198f940e43f93450bd51c8b95d0&start=124&end=824","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3525958-f0d79198f940e43f93450bd51c8b95d0/thumbnail_124000.jpg","/articles/6531561/Cheektowaga/Erie-County/New-York/Cheektowaga-outlines-expanded-employee-safety-training-rolls-out-learning-platform-for-department-heads","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6531561-adf80005bf8964f1fa8a8d028b8629d7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200646&Signature=i1kb9XSLwpqvcZztV3yNS4syiTUKJiLXzgBmAB3qmuiDnvLCP1wEDd3khofZ9ieGb-RUqfSpFuJ7V0no1kp9H0PQKZ~5lkd9usdpGmWila7iZW8a1rW4hZGGgI90538Hpzwt8BKH9pIcxWDzwFr4NmNldGz2DuIqo3HES4aDW4kA5lmnxpBnLpPtmAdAPDCqVU3jebKp2TicVoxfRjHmwTsx8BiL2iiqpEoc0QUtG7-89Klx~HV3V5C2IAxdJRhy7axM-cWlV-0vSO1FfUgAO~Nczze90bmC6aXcjBjC6spqfznVX~L4xi1CJMIYzJyr1~iwogoCFY7KOML3tOcqGA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jason Tolsma presented a summary of recent and planned employee safety and training activities to the Town Board of Cheektowaga on May 27, saying the program aims to reduce workplace injuries and increase staff readiness.

Tolsma said training since 2024 has included work-zone safety, blood-borne pathogens, harassment prevention, slips and falls, electrical hazards, heat-stress awareness, ergonomics, excavator and chainsaw operation, CPR/AED classes, and table-top exercises that involve police and new supervisors. “We have a safety committee that was started…made up of employees from all of the different groups…we meet monthly, and we talk about training,” Tolsma said. He added those sessions include union representatives, supervisors and department heads and that training is planned collectively rather than as an individual effort.

Tolsma told the board the town has held multiple in-person supervisor trainings and that employees were split into groups — about a third at a time — to receive hands-on instruction. He said excavator training is required for employees operating mechanized excavation equipment and has reduced the town's exposure to fines for utility strikes. He also emphasized chainsaw and other equipment training: “We don't…shouldn't be giving our employees something that they don't know how to operate.”

The town has started providing CPR/AED training for staff and Tolsma said the town has about 70 AEDs deployed across marked police cars and municipal buildings. He said the town conducted its second CPR/AED class the morning of the meeting and plans to expand fire-extinguisher and active-shooter response training, including \"stop the bleed\" techniques.

Tolsma told the board the town approved the Vector Solutions learning-management platform earlier in the year and it was being deployed to department heads first. “They have training coming up the first week in June as how they can administer training themselves, how they can track their employees…then it'll be pushed out to the employees, hopefully by fall,” he said.

Council members asked about large-scale incident drills. Tolsma said the airport biennial drill occurs every three years (the next in July), that there has been limited recent mall or train-derailment simulation locally, and that the town has discussed coordination with neighboring jurisdictions and the county. He outlined other capabilities: an emergency operations center (EOC) staffed for large events, incident-command training (ICS) at intermediate and advanced levels, and the county's DLAN system used for requesting resources during storms.

On in-house training capacity, Tolsma said many topics could be taught by town staff — except OSHA 10, which he said he would not deliver — and that the safety committee favors training town employees to become trainers. He noted union rules may limit in-house trainer roles and said the committee intends to work with unions on that point.

Tolsma and council members discussed grant opportunities; he said the town has looked into emergency-preparedness grants but had not specifically targeted training grants and that many grants had run through 2025. He also noted a shared-services agreement with the state Department of Transportation was being updated to support heavy-equipment operator training, and that the town is exploring ways to capture injury and near-miss reports so the committee can tailor future training.

The board heard that the town hopes to certify more internal trainers within one to two years, expand CPR/AED trainer capacity so the town can provide trainings to neighborhood groups and leagues, and produce a comprehensive safety manual that the committee will draft.

Tolsma asked department heads and union officials to contact him with questions and said training plans were circulated to department leaders for scheduling. He repeatedly attributed the program to the safety committee's collective work rather than to a single person.

Board members praised the work and raised follow-up points including the timeline for the safety manual, the feasibility of making OSHA 10 a hiring prerequisite (with potential costs), and whether having in-house trainers could reduce recurring contracted training costs. The presentation concluded with the board asking to receive more frequent communication on training schedules and access to the Vector Solutions rollout materials when available.","Town officials heard a presentation May 27 from Jason Tolsma on a multi-pronged employee training program — CPR/AED, excavator and chainsaw operation, OSHA 10, EOC/ICS training and a new Vector Solutions learning-management rollout — conducted through a cross-department safety committee.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Cheektowaga board approves year-end transfers, discusses paving funds and calls for clearer budget monitoring

Public raises health, property-value and notice concerns at Cheektowaga Verizon tower hearing

Cheektowaga outlines expanded employee safety training, rolls out learning platform for department heads