Cheektowaga board approves consent agenda and several staffing and grant actions; local law on energy exemptions adopted

The Town of Cheektowaga Town Board on May 13 approved its consent agenda, handled a series of staffing appointments and grant‑application authorizations, amended two finance-related resolutions, and adopted a local law to opt out of tax exemptions for certain energy systems.

Adopted local law to opt out of RPTL 487 exemptions

The board adopted a local law (resolution 2025-261) that would prohibit the town from granting real-property tax exemptions under Real Property Tax Law 487 for post‑effective date installations of solar, wind, farm‑waste, micro‑hydroelectric, fuel‑cell and certain energy-storage systems. The resolutionwas sponsored by Council member Benczkowski and seconded by Council member Jasinski.

Roll-call vote (resolution 2025-261): - Yes: Council member Barbara Bukowski; Council member Diane Benczkowski; Council member Michael Jasinski; Council member Brian Pularski; Council member Vernon Thompson. - Abstain: Council member Anthony Filippski; Supervisor Brian Nowak (recorded as "Advisor Noah" in the roll call). Outcome: Motion carried; local law adopted.

Consent agenda, vouchers and transfers

The board approved the consent agenda for items listed in the published packet, with a roll-call vote recorded by the clerk (all listed voting "Yes"). The clerk noted multiple resolutions had been removed from the consent agenda for separate consideration; several of those were later pulled, tabled or amended.

Key procedural amendments and actions the board took during the meeting included: - Transfers resolution (2025-302): The board amended the transfer list on the floor to strike two lines temporarily (assessor contracted appraisals and central garage pool cars) and approved the resolution as amended. The original appropriated fund balance reduction of $273,956 was amended to $153,956 as recorded during the meeting; the board carried the amended motion. - Vouchers/warrants (2025-303): The board amended the warrant resolution to make a technical change: vouchers and warrants shall be audited and approved by the town controller before being made part of the record. The amendment carried.

Pulled and tabled items

Multiple resolutions were pulled from the consent agenda for later discussion. Several were explicitly pulled by sponsors for further documentation or to be reintroduced at a subsequent meeting: - Resolutions 2025-306, 2025-308, 2025-309 and 2025-310 (notices to bidders and a public hearing related to sewer and road projects) were pulled for additional documentation and to allow sponsors time to provide scope and funding information. - Resolution 2025-335 (hiring in sewer maintenance) was tabled.

Appointments, hires and other approvals

The board approved several staff appointments and other routine items that were moved onto the regular agenda or added after the agenda deadline, including: - Resolution 2025-346: Tracy Beecher appointed provisional senior clerk in the council office (approved). - Resolution 2025-347: A community baseball tournament application for use of Stigelmeyer Park approved. - Resolution 2025-348: Rescission of an earlier administrative‑panel appointments resolution (rescind approved). - Resolution 2025-349: Appointment (labor, highway department) approved. - Resolution 2025-350: Direction to staff to file a zoning rewrite grant application was approved, with the planning boardhaving recommended the application; the resolution allows an alternate, smaller scope if full townwide zoning rewrite funding is not available. - Resolution 2025-351: Creation of a supervising code enforcement officer position (civil service title) was approved to allow overlapping transition in the department. - Resolution 2025-352: Appointment of a supervising code enforcement officer (Donald C. Whartinger) was approved as amended to change the start date to May 26, 2025, allowing a brief overlap. - Resolution 2025-353: Appointment of a motor equipment operator A in highway was approved.

Funding and grants

The board approved allocations and grant-related items on the consent calendar, including a set of cultural/nonprofit payments under resolution 2025-323 (Wagga Garden Club, Cheektowaga Historical Association and the Cheektowaga Community Symphony Orchestra). The board also authorized staff to pursue a zoning rewrite grant (2025-350) and to sign required documents for that filing.

How the board voted on consent items

A roll-call vote to adopt the consent agenda (items as published, excluding removed items) was recorded with all voting "Yes" as called by the clerk. Several items were later addressed separately as noted above.

What was pulled for more information

Sponsors pulled specific paving and sewer bid notices and a public hearing (resolutions 306, 308, 309, 310) and asked that the items return with full scope documents, budgets and clarification of funding sources prior to being reintroduced.

Ending

Board members and the supervisor directed staff to provide additional documentation on budgets and funding sources for bondable capital and consent-order projects, agreed to publish more detail for major capital projects, and approved the personnel hires and grant‑application actions described above. No new taxes or bond authorizations were adopted at the meeting; some funding decisions were deferred pending the requested documentation.