Grand Island Town Board approves permits, appointments, contracts and year-end budget transfers

The Grand Island Town Board approved a package of permits, appointments, contracts, hires and budget adjustments at its regular meeting on March 3, 2025.

The board authorized an intermunicipal municipal cooperation agreement with the Town of Tonawanda for shared assessor services and accepted routine items on the consent agenda, including minutes and building-permit reports. Attorney Peter Godfrey presented a one-year extension to the fire company contract; the board approved exercising the contract’s final renewal year.

Among approvals, the board granted a special-event permit for a recurring farmers market; reapproved special-use permits and tower permits, including Speedway convenience-store renewal and two Crown Castle tower renewals; and renewed bed-and-breakfast and solar-energy farm permits. The board also approved a site plan approval in principle that the town engineer will execute under the town’s PIP and stormwater funding limits.

On departmental and project contracting, the board approved a change order for the wastewater treatment plant reactor cleaning that increases the contract by $35,000 for additional cleaning and disposal work. The board authorized professional-service agreements: one to prepare an engineer’s report to support a grant application for townwide water-meter installation and another with Advanced Design Group for construction observation and related engineering work on Phase 5 of a concrete subdivision, provided expenditures are limited to funds already collected under the town’s PIP program and stormwater program.

Personnel and procurement actions included appointing Scott Hammond and Craig Eddy as alternates to the planning board, approving Justin Karcher and Vienna Lorendi to the Economic Development Advisory Board, appointing Bridal Ayers to a wastewater department labor position (effective 03/24/2025, subject to pre-employment screening), authorizing advertising for 2025 concrete replacement and repair bid documents (advertise 03/07/2025; open bids 04/23/2025 at 10 a.m.), and approving a hiring notice for an ASME contract labor position at $21.98 per hour.

The board approved year-end budget transfers and appropriation adjustments submitted by town finance staff in preparation for 12/31/2023 closing, including transfers listed in the packet: General Fund $159,600; Highway Fund $99,084; Sewer Fund $7,004.50; Water Fund $48,000; and a Parkland/fund-balance transfer of $21,603 for parks and contract expenditures. The board also authorized payments from multiple funds (general, highway, sewer, water, capital and refuse) as presented by the audit committee.

A previously circulated special-use application to keep one agricultural animal on a 5.5-acre property at 1750 East River Road lacked paperwork; the board referred that application to the planning board and will set a public hearing on receipt of required documentation.

All motions reported at the meeting were approved by roll call unless noted otherwise.