Town of Niagara board moves to offer town clerk position to applicant Tami Lema‑Meilcarek

The Town of Niagara board moved on Feb. 17, 2025, to offer applicant Tami Lema‑Meilcarek the position of town clerk, outlining a phased hiring plan with set training and probation dates and proposed hourly rates.

The motion, recorded as (Butler/Neuens), was made by Chairman Bob Butler and seconded by Supervisor Ronald Neuens. The board’s roll call at the meeting recorded Chairman Bob Butler, Supervisor Ronald Neuens and Supervisor Dawn Johnson as present; Clerk Sara Wentzel was present at the start of the meeting and Supervisor David Sanicki was marked absent.

Under the motion the board would hire Lema‑Meilcarek on Tuesday, March 18, for an initial training period running March 18–April 15 at a proposed rate of $20 per hour for about 5–10 hours per week. At the April 15 monthly board meeting the motion specifies appointing her to the position of Town of Niagara clerk for a three‑month term at a proposed rate of $25 per hour for about 10–20 hours per week. The motion further states that on Tuesday, July 15, the board intends — if the probationary period is successful — to appoint her to a nine‑month term at the continued rate of $25 per hour for 10–20 hours per week. Finally, the motion notes that in April 2026 the board would have the opportunity to consider a longer appointment of up to three years at a renegotiated rate.

The transcript records the motion language and the dates and pay rates spelled out above but does not record a formal vote tally or an explicit statement that the motion passed. The meeting adjourned at 11:00 AM.

Next steps, per the motion, include the March 18 training hire and the April 15 board meeting, where the board could take the formal appointment action specified in the motion.