[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6557752,"mediaKeyId","3287798-1f20487593297c61349a342816b43706","parentId",3287798,"title","Cheektowaga officials briefed on DEC consent order, funding gaps for sewer overflow fixes","audioSeconds",2723,"startMs",1023000,"endMs",3746000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3287798-1f20487593297c61349a342816b43706&start=1023&end=3746","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3287798-1f20487593297c61349a342816b43706/thumbnail_1023000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6557752/Cheektowaga/Erie-County/New-York/Cheektowaga-officials-briefed-on-DEC-consent-order-funding-gaps-for-sewer-overflow-fixes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6557752-fc2e56d4f01ee163f21cf8f2d11e6a8f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184046&Signature=kuM1xLKokME0eN7~IdbLW8LSwDMuQBnankB-48h3gJ1OQKbSxUAcjeHY-oQrcD6KxzboeD6-2YGZOvNHVk-LH2V7Dkfmf2GjBCKLe-lid6lMg3r3l0ynyYL6eqKQPeGq5y0lyZNzg4jshp3Z7euWX6OqE0Fgjw8pUR~IXeXNiU~~kx8sJ7kfjpmodegfLtlxc7naA8uY66SAW~J6dp7cpun3zeFR-K32hDrMxeFu-xDARTW1W-SBn~Qi8ENDlWamDxKj42IE5RUdvJPcY~9wK~1sY8rDXRFzhqdcndZtmF06fiD8BKP19BVPcjExvSwO5OvCtf-T4su~iLmgZEDsag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Cheektowaga, NY","date","2025-05-13T21:31:34Z","article","Pat Bowen, the town official assigned to manage the sewer consent-order work, told the Town of Cheektowaga Board at its May 13 meeting that the town remains under a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) consent order requiring steps to eliminate or sharply reduce sanitary sewer overflows during heavy rain and snowmelt.

Bowen said the town has completed pipeline rehabilitation in sewer sheds 1–8 and that work on sheds 9 and 10 is in progress. He told the board the system\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000 is largely old clay tile pipe, installed from the 1920s through the 1950s, and that defects at pipe joints and manholes allow groundwater and storm inflow (I&I) into the sanitary system during wet weather.

\"All of our overflows occurred during wet weather events. We don't have any dry weather overflows into our creeks or ditches,\" Bowen said, summarizing the DEC finding and the town\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000's monitoring results.

What the town did and still owes

He described projects completed and planned under a revised Schedule A in the consent order (the transcript notes the revised schedule \"became effective in February\" but does not specify the year). Key points Bowen gave to the board:

- The town divided the sanitary system into 10 sewer sheds. Sewersheds 1\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000and 8 tributary to the town's main north pump station; sheds 9 and 10 flow to Plant 3 in the south.
- The pipeline rehabilitation for sheds 1\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000 through 8 is complete; lining work for sheds 9 and 10 was bid and is underway.
- Manhole rehabilitation is complete in sheds 1\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000 3 and 5\u0000through 8. Manhole rehab for Shed 4 has been bid but not awarded for lack of funding; Bowen said the total needed for that work is $1,341,000 and that manhole rehab bids for Sheds 9 and 10 would require $1,462,000 to fund.
- A pilot Sewer System Evaluation Survey (SSES) and corrective-action pilot was done in Sewer Shed 3 to assess private-side sources of I&I. Pre-rehabilitation flow monitoring for the pilot is complete and has been submitted to the DEC; interior I&I property inspections had not yet begun at the time of the meeting.
- A contract (resolution 2024-738) was awarded for rehabilitation work covering two of five mini‑system bid sections (b and d) in the pilot area: $1,836,000 funded with previously allocated ARPA money. Bowen said the town is seeking an additional $2,860,000 to complete the remaining three mini sections (a, c and e).

Funding history and grant layers

Bowen and board members reviewed earlier funding layers: the town received a $5,000,000 WQIP (Water Quality Improvement Program) grant for part of the work and a package through the Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) that combined a $5,000,000 grant and a $15,000,000 zero-interest loan as part of earlier bonded and grant-funded projects. Bowen said the $20 million package was used across multiple sewer projects (lining and manhole rehab) and that reimbursements for those earlier projects have been processed and closed on.

Board members repeatedly asked for an itemized breakdown showing which projects were paid with which funding sources (grants, bond proceeds, EFC loan, ARPA). Bowen said he has two spreadsheets\u0000one that lists completed projects and a second that breaks funding out by source\u0000and he agreed to send them to the board.

Private-side work and DEC expectations

Bowen and engineers told the board they expect the DEC to press the town to address private-side I&I after the pilot. The pilot includes interior inspections of private laterals where the DEC has directed the town to investigate suspected illegal connections and defective private laterals. Bowen said the DEC has been unsparing about enforcement expectations: the town must demonstrate enforcement or remediation to bring properties into compliance with sewer-use laws.

Council members voiced concerns about logistics, enforcement, equity and cost to homeowners. Bowen and others on the dais noted approaches used elsewhere (interior inspections tied to time-of-sale, use of CDBG funds to assist low- and moderate-income homeowners, public education campaigns) and discussed operational issues such as staffing, grant administration and contractor availability. Bowen said prior ‘‘walk-by’’ exterior inspections had been used to flag properties and the pilot would expand to interior inspections where warranted.

What the town has shown so far

Bowen cited analysis by Nussbaum & Clark showing lining and manhole rehab work has reduced wet-weather flows by roughly 40–50 percent in some sheds when compared to similar rainfall years. He said sheds 1\u0000through 8 cover about 80 percent of district flow and that the remaining work on sheds 9 and 10 is concentrated in the Plant 3 tributary area.

Board requests and next steps

Council members pressed Bowen for a clear accounting of where earlier loans/grants were spent and for the bid tabs and breakdowns for already‑bid manhole rehabilitation. Bowen agreed to provide the spreadsheets and the bid tab summaries to the board. Council members and Bowen said they would pursue additional grants; Bowen said he would ask the DEC for examples of successful public-education campaigns used by other municipalities and that the town planned additional technical staff meetings with DEC.

Discussion vs. decisions

The May 13 presentation was informational and elicited questions; the board did not adopt new policy or a new contract during the meeting. Several resolutions that relate to consent‑order work (advertising bids, public hearings) were pulled from the consent calendar for later discussion; no formal new commitments beyond earlier-bidallocations were adopted at the meeting.

Ending

Bowen told the board he would send the requested funding and bid spreadsheets and work with engineering and the town supervisor on next steps; he said the pilot study results will shape whether the DEC requires townwide private‑side inspections and lateral rehabilitation. Council members emphasized the need for clearer public education materials, funding transparency and follow-up with the DEC.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town Board Meeting 5.13.25","oneSentenceSummary","Pat Bowen told the Town of Cheektowaga Board on May 13 that the town remains under a DEC consent order to reduce sanitary sewer overflows and that completed pipe lining has lowered flows in many areas, but funding shortfalls and private‑side inspections remain unresolved.","taxTitle","Cheektowaga, Erie County, New York","taxId",56246,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6557747,"Cheektowaga board approves consent agenda and several staffing and grant actions; local law on energy exemptions adopted",211,4639000,4850000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3287798-1f20487593297c61349a342816b43706&start=4639&end=4850","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3287798-1f20487593297c61349a342816b43706/thumbnail_4639000.jpg","/articles/6557747/Cheektowaga/Erie-County/New-York/Cheektowaga-board-approves-consent-agenda-and-several-staffing-and-grant-actions-local-law-on-energy-exemptions-adopted","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6557747-646645526e0c6007c601ab351f5a56d3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184046&Signature=mOShZM2Fl-LlwI3L6b5cfyWGyaBSMSHkf2sUPXwOVuZ9cToEmRBmLtU2MjkyOQJnYnFmbRBNhyJQbftBNYKBaFOA3KObyZowjdZaETw~tH1YrrR9~ju~yJtRyEN~yYj5ZArqj4nXjVRoywGgf8qXpkHMgoqDKKj7HTDV2ncd6pDtH6dv9DUjy8qrVGpaYY7e97LCpOZXZmpd7sRnlA3E4-CKLeqY39npt-Kt-NO6NagJfsUfSzMPLLetijyR~BB5hnLaqo4DUMfL7Bwt5CC2dLXNOT7PPEafKgkorCLxd1y~eNPBH~vRZoCubpBzuY6kHtfXR~dqp~Ms-r-u9jDzFA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","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 \u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000487 for post‑effective date installations of solar, wind, farm‑waste, micro‑hydroelectric, fuel‑cell and certain energy-storage systems. The resolution\u0000was 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 board\u0000having 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.

","At its May 13 meeting the Town of Cheektowaga Town Board approved the consent agenda and multiple hires and grant applications, amended a transfers resolution, amended the vouchers/warrant language to note controller review, and adopted a local law opting out of certain real‑property tax exemptions for energy systems.","actionData","errors"]

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Cheektowaga officials briefed on DEC consent order, funding gaps for sewer overflow fixes

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