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Cheektowaga highway engineer role, staffing and hires draw sharp questions from board
Summary
Council members asked for financial and contract detail before memorializing the highway engineer arrangement that has been in practice for years and pushed back on multiple highway hiring resolutions; a proposed resolution to formalize the existing practice was tabled.
On April 22 town council members questioned a resolution that would formally memorialize the practice of the engineering department employee performing highway engineering duties.
Council members said the town has relied on a principal engineering assistant to support highway projects for years, but they asked for explicit budget lines, overtime comparisons and contract analysis before formally designating the role. Council member Diane Benjkowski (spelling in record varies) cited New York Highway Law §140(19) — which allows a highway superintendent to employ an engineer — while other members pointed to collective-bargaining language and the town budget to argue the board controls headcount and appropriations.
Council member Barbara Bukowski asked for numbers on overtime, costs of outsourcing to firms such as Nussbaum & Clarke, and whether in‑house staffing or shared services would offer long-term savings. A town attorney/staff member reviewed the expired bargaining agreement language and confirmed the board is operating under the prior agreement until a successor contract is in place, meaning workforce and job-security provisions remain in effect.
Nut graf: The proposed resolution to memorialize the engineer’s role was tabled for further financial detail; board members said they want a clear plan for how the position would be funded (highway fund vs. general fund) and what changes, if any, would be required if the incumbent retires.
Supporting details - Several highway hiring resolutions were brought forward (motor equipment/operator upgrades and a crew-chief appointment) and produced divided roll-call results; some failed to carry and were defeated. - Board members asked staff to provide: (1) a cost comparison of overtime vs. hiring a full-time or part-time highway engineer, (2) the cost/role of outside engineering firms used for stamped plans, and (3) how to allocate salary and benefits across relevant funds. - Council members and staff emphasized the need to plan for succession if the current engineering staffer retires, and to identify how the position would be budgeted in future years.
Ending: The board tabled the memorializing resolution and asked staff to return with detailed cost and budget options at the next meeting.
