Dunkirk council approves Adopt-a-Garden and senior services resolutions, accepts boardwalk bid and clears permits; developers report DRI awards

The Dunkirk Common Council voted unanimously on several resolutions and permits during its March 18 meeting, including adoption of an Adopt-a-Garden program, a senior-services agreement with the Chautauqua County Office for the Aging, and acceptance of a contractor bid to reconstruct the boardwalk deck and stairs.

Votes at a glance - Resolution 19-2025, Authorizing Adopt-a-Garden program — Adopted (Council members Laskowiak, Zatorski, Nichols, Weiser all voted aye). - Resolution 20-2025, Agreement with the Chautauqua County Office for the Aging for senior services — Adopted (unanimous). - Walk-in Resolution 21-2025, Accepting the boardwalk/deck/stair reconstruction bid — Adopted (unanimous). The resolution authorizes the mayor to sign an agreement with Esteban Construction Company, Inc., and notes funding from a $50,000 DASNY grant plus budgeted Department of Public Works funds. The transcript’s published bid amount was garbled and is recorded here as not specified. - Multiple permit approvals and referrals (see below) — Approved (unanimous roll calls recorded).

The council took the following formal administrative actions (motions to refer/approve or to accept on the agenda) with unanimous roll-call ayes by the four council members recorded in the minutes: approval and referral of a loudspeaker permit request from the Northern Chautauqua Conservation Club; approval of stadium use dates for a youth baseball team (subject to insurance and usual conditions); approval of loudspeaker permits for Bart’s Cove Marina and the Dunkirk Lakeside Club (seasonal); referral of two notices of claim (one from Matthew McKinnon and one from Christian Ruiz) to the law department and Department of Public Works; and a decision on a fee-waiver request from the Northridge Chautauqua Conservation Club conditioned on not waiving fees going forward.

Boardwalk reconstruction DPW Director Randy Woodbury presented a walk-in resolution accepting a sole bid and authorizing reconstruction of the boardwalk’s deck and stairs with exposed-aggregate concrete intended to be skid-resistant and durable. The resolution states funds for the project will come from a $50,000 DASNY grant plus DPW-budgeted funds for boardwalk repair and public walkways. The resolution names Esteban Construction Company, Inc. as the contractor. The transcript includes a bid figure that could not be reliably transcribed; the council record as read at the meeting did not provide a clear numeric bid amount.

DRI and downtown projects City staff reported several Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) developments: Peak Development Partners is moving forward on the former First Niagara Bank building with a roughly $2 million project (commercial ground floor with apartments above) and is also advancing a mixed-use project at the former Dunkirk Macaroni Company building. City staff said Reagan Development received a $500,000 DRI award to build 78 units of workforce housing with some supportive housing for veterans; staff said the larger program could inject about $30 million into the local economy during construction. Officials said one reason for success on the awards was attaining the state’s pro-housing certification. Staff described these projects as still early in design and financing; demolition and site-preparation work could begin later in 2025 once asbestos surveys, contracting and financing are in place.

City operations: DPW and recycling changes DPW Director Woodbury told the council that, because of fiscal constraints, the city will eliminate the Lucas Avenue brush drop-off pile and rely on scheduled curbside brush pickups (two per year) and an on-call pickup after storms. The city will no longer operate Saturday hours for the city recycling center; residents can use the county transfer station on Webster Road on Saturdays. The city plans to tub-grind accumulated brush to convert it to mulch; Woodbury said the tub-grind expense was about $20,000 budgeted but added the department hopes not to repeat that expense annually.

Other items During public comment, Jim Ensar of Revitalize Dunkirk thanked the council for recognition of the Adopt-a-Garden program. Resident John DiTola urged the city to address truck damage to a corner lawn on Central Avenue; DPW was asked to follow up. Council members also announced an upcoming public-safety committee meeting (March 26) and a finance committee meeting (March 25). The council voted to enter an executive session to discuss hospital litigation and indicated no further public action would follow that session.

The council’s roll calls recorded unanimous “aye” votes on the listed resolutions and permits; no recorded “no” votes or abstentions appeared in the meeting transcript for those motions.