[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",[32,75,87],{"_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",6042746,"mediaKeyId","3665882-31e2b1556bfd797cb24d2531178fcee5","parentId",3665882,"title","Lackawanna to stop curbside grass pickup; city says move will reduce dumping costs by about $50,000 annually","audioSeconds",122,"startMs",3486000,"endMs",3608000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3665882-31e2b1556bfd797cb24d2531178fcee5&start=3486&end=3608","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3665882-31e2b1556bfd797cb24d2531178fcee5/thumbnail_3486000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6042746/Lackawanna/Erie-County/New-York/Lackawanna-to-stop-curbside-grass-pickup-city-says-move-will-reduce-dumping-costs-by-about-50000-annually","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6042746-d8ceaf6944ff9c9f5d925f2b5e11bd0c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771202734&Signature=PlhLSSfiPMg0vp7NSTCfqGLWGF-ZNwNQurhAqPLxsLMNkrV1n0VzeggVwN3ET0FoWJU-Fd3OZEK8gp0AA0bNnm0Eiv~IKJswRsoLIoBFOlZHOwXIB02WxhtofhGMkoPXcsgKjVBLGCvFH~RX2P-g46G~4Ad2fpbMpjNP3Qf-zrswyfAkH340z4Zv51wFEjpr0uGwMe7V0DK7Ig0DchWxhtdNRFtFixjNk49aYmmQdEW05zHfdL13q8oJzAw0lF0i7sWwAv-YSA18CQjSO32KPuN6EYyT3g38j6jpXzCfpVE3AFBA5DyY1~HORmvmn-ZqV2fxWne0Snt7IHx-kl0CKg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Lackawanna, NY","date","2025-05-06T20:58:49Z","article","The City of Lackawanna’s Department of Public Works announced at the May 5 council meeting that it will discontinue curbside collection of grass clippings starting immediately, while continuing to collect leaves, branches and other yard waste.

DPW officials said the change responds to higher dumping costs tied to the weight of wet grass. Senior foreman of public works explained the city pays about $65 per ton to dispose of residential garbage; reviewing three years of invoices showed dumping costs rise during spring and summer months when wet grass increases tonnage. Eliminating grass pickup is projected to avoid about $50,000 in annual dumping fees, the foreman said.

The foreman also reported sharp increases in recycling costs: in 2022 the city paid about $15 per ton for recycling (about $1,400 per month); by 2025 that figure had risen to $93.50 per ton, with monthly recycling expenses approaching $4,000. The city said higher disposal and recycling costs, combined with prior reductions in sanitation staff, motivated the change.

Why it matters: The change affects routine residential curbside service and could shift disposal responsibilities to residents. City officials framed the move as a budget-management step to sustain essential sanitation services without raising garbage fees further.

City staff said three sanitation positions were eliminated last year to avoid a garbage-fee increase; those employees were reassigned to DPW street-division openings. The announcement emphasized that the projected $50,000 is not surplus funding but the amount by which the sanitation budget could otherwise be overdrawn without the change.

Next steps: Residents should expect continued collection of branches, leaves and other yard waste but no curbside pick-up of grass clippings; the city encouraged composting and other environmentally responsible disposal practices. DPW asked for patience as staff implements the change and continues to monitor sanitation costs.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lackawanna City Council Meeting - 5/5/25","oneSentenceSummary","The Department of Public Works will continue collecting leaves, branches and yard waste but will no longer pick up grass clippings. City officials said the change is intended to reduce landfill dumping costs and manage a sanitation budget strained by rising recycling and disposal fees.","taxTitle","Lackawanna, Erie County, New York","taxId",68792,"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},6042752,"Council approves $131,000 bid to demolish Veterans Stadium grandstand and transfers funds for stadium rehabilitation",329,3065000,3394000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3665882-31e2b1556bfd797cb24d2531178fcee5&start=3065&end=3394","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3665882-31e2b1556bfd797cb24d2531178fcee5/thumbnail_3065000.jpg","/articles/6042752/Lackawanna/Erie-County/New-York/Council-approves-131000-bid-to-demolish-Veterans-Stadium-grandstand-and-transfers-funds-for-stadium-rehabilitation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6042752-b37092fcbc7e7b218b18ee011c6fc901/orig.mp4?Expires=1771202734&Signature=fEEqCjbRK8W~vSxUdl4eW8lTFOl6PL3FqBtheJL0bkSMg9R~dhOJxP-Mvmo-F-r5OWia68mzmbGUrft5zMjnUS50sWRWEAuUMLt3-gUvs9ofjPoIoMZ6c38wPizKEv-5f4IrmdhnfjLCTLwcVyfMp-JlbCpb5WWsOndxDji8~oKDl61N63lR8trBFZWpG25zcF6hyJvBZPRVXJha9KZQmMYmUWb6WEhOQxTn7RV9e-wT6xDWNQGGqkEWpcasuSihklqFmuA-751Uw7EjKqBTHck3WXtOJI45RKTitWzibgZr7eEoSv6PTGj~JkNo3sHKHphFgHSgnZJIqrk74RYXXw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lackawanna City Council on May 5 awarded a contract for demolition of the concrete grandstand at Veterans Stadium and approved budget ordinances to track county aid and project expenses.

Grasshoppers Inc. submitted the lowest of three bids at $131,000 and the council voted 5-0 to approve the demolition contract for phase two of the stadium project. The council also approved budget ordinances to record $800,000 in Erie County aid that the controller said would fund stadium rehabilitation, including lighting and court refurbishing.

Why it matters: The city said the concrete grandstand was structurally degraded and posed safety risks; the work is part of a multi-phase effort to rehabilitate Veterans Stadium. Council action both awards the immediate demolition and establishes accounting lines so the city can track county aid and related expenditures.

Senior foreman of public works described the demolition scope as “the complete demolition of the concrete grandstands, hauling away of all materials and then doing a rough grade of the ground after everything’s removed.” The council next approved an interfund transfer and budget amendments that, according to the city controller, added $800,000 from Erie County to revenue code “county aid,” and allocated $131,000 for stadium demo and $84,907 for basketball court refurbishment.

The council adopted an ordinance authorizing a transfer of $467,567.40 between the general and capital funds to support Veterans Stadium rehabilitation lighting. That ordinance and related budget amendments carried on unanimous votes.

The public asked for basic safety context at the meeting. A resident noted visible structural degradation and code-enforcement concerns; staff confirmed inspection findings that the grandstand was unsafe and that demolition was necessary.

Next steps: The demolition contractor was authorized to proceed, and city staff will use the newly created revenue and expenditure codes to track county aid and project spending. The council approved refurbishing two municipal basketball courts using the remaining urban-initiative grant funds ($84,907) and approved initiation of bidding for other capital work — including a paving project at Kirby Avenue.","The Lackawanna City Council approved a $131,000 bid for demolition of the Veterans Stadium concrete grandstand and adopted budget changes to house $800,000 in county aid, $131,000 for grandstand demolition, and $84,907 for basketball-court refurbishments.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6042756,"Lackawanna council tables decision on Public Auto Connect after residents cite safety, parking and code concerns",2737,739000,3476000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3665882-31e2b1556bfd797cb24d2531178fcee5&start=739&end=3476","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3665882-31e2b1556bfd797cb24d2531178fcee5/thumbnail_739000.jpg","/articles/6042756/Lackawanna/Erie-County/New-York/Lackawanna-council-tables-decision-on-Public-Auto-Connect-after-residents-cite-safety-parking-and-code-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6042756-205f197ccd1548f9b15b59712cac8d74/orig.mp4?Expires=1771202734&Signature=Pbzr1Fad16k2F0J8Ku91xkqPhHZV4FF6WUFzyLkc~CT5vYg-XbHnT-y9wsBkSKv1xK7-FS-CcrjjZBRXtVg2cWW8sYifKrOm5Ny6Lv8h~0UXvSVDplYL30uiot~ZI5SGbOEQENyoKYMSlfYKARaMhquUtqVNrwm6rGk6YpyEL6FOMyDli0GsopjuvJmQn1O8D~kjDDfhKn18OyMZt~fdccSTFdd04gR8cUmNvvwG4-CFWL4FUJsmgGy8Dj-khxvl7ESjH~413Woilp7mVpa63YpMmsEhbFYhWps9PoL0bwHX3U1XIkIR3J-tBk7XJ-rwwhxb2xnOLuplV7YiV6SnIw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lackawanna City Council on May 5 voted 5-0 to table action on a business registration for Public Auto Connect, a used-car operation that residents say has created parking, traffic and safety problems on Abbott Road and Barlow Avenue.

Councilmember Moreno moved to table the item and Councilmember Surdi seconded; the motion carried unanimously. The council asked the law department to research whether the city can require a site plan or pursue license revocation before taking a final vote on the registration.

Why it matters: Neighbors told the council they regularly see unregistered cars, vehicles parked on both sides of a narrow residential street, and drivers speeding through the neighborhood. City officials said the choice before the council is procedural — whether the property needs a site-plan review or whether the council should pursue revocation of an existing license — and that additional legal research and enforcement records are needed before deciding.

During the public comment period, resident Catherine Mill told the council, “On a daily basis, the business illegally parked cars…many of these cars do not have plates on them,” and described near collisions when vehicles block sight lines turning from Abbott onto Barlow. Another resident, Sharon Beers, who represents Sunny Red’s (a separate business), said new owners planned fencing and other measures to reduce outdoor-noise impacts but distinguished that matter from the used-car complaints.

Adriana Kwiatkowski, the city attorney, urged a cautious legal approach. “From a legal standpoint, I believe that we would be looking not at approving a new business registration but, looking at a potential revocation if that is what the council deems appropriate,” she said, adding that the city code lists bases for revocation including where a business “is adversely affecting the public good, welfare, health, safety [or] morals of the city.” Kwiatkowski also described the revocation process in general terms, saying that if the council decided to pursue revocation it would trigger notice to the owner and a public hearing timeline the law department would need to follow.

Council discussion focused on two practical limits. Planning staff and council members noted the lot at issue apparently lacks a site plan that would prescribe a maximum number of vehicles; without a prior site-plan condition, enforcing a numeric limit is difficult. As one council member said, site-plan review is triggered when there is a material change of use or a property has been dormant for more than a year; otherwise an unchanged operation may not be subject to retroactive site-plan limits.

Several council members and staff recommended that the law department clarify: (1) whether the city can require a site plan for an existing operation that previously operated without one; (2) whether code enforcement has issued fines or tickets that would support a revocation; and (3) what the statute requires procedurally to begin a revocation. The council voted to table the registration until the city can collect that information and report back.

Next steps: Council members instructed staff to gather record of complaints and enforcement actions, and asked the law department to return with a legal opinion on site-plan authority and the revocation timeline. No revocation or denial was decided at the meeting; the item remains tabled pending further information.","The Lackawanna City Council on May 5 tabled a business registration for Public Auto Connect (formerly Trinity Motors) after residents described unlicensed cars, blocked streets and speeding. The council asked the law department to research whether site-plan or revocation authority applies before acting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Lackawanna to stop curbside grass pickup; city says move will reduce dumping costs by about $50,000 annually

Council approves $131,000 bid to demolish Veterans Stadium grandstand and transfers funds for stadium rehabilitation

Lackawanna council tables decision on Public Auto Connect after residents cite safety, parking and code concerns