East Aurora Advertiser

Board Begins New Year With New Councilman




Newly elected councilman Daniel Driver, left, took his seat on the Wales Town Board. He is joined with Town Clerk Melinda Eaton Supervisor Rickey Venditti, who were both re-elected to their posts.

Newly elected councilman Daniel Driver, left, took his seat on the Wales Town Board. He is joined with Town Clerk Melinda Eaton Supervisor Rickey Venditti, who were both re-elected to their posts.

<p dir=”ltr”>The Wales Town Board made its annual 2018 board appointments and reappointments at its reorganizational on Jan. 9.

<p dir=”ltr”><span>Taking a seat on the town board is newly-elected councilman Daniel Driver, who replaced Councilwoman Jude Hartrich. She did not run for re-election this year and there were no other challengers for the town this year.</span>

<p dir=”ltr”><span>With Driver sworn into office, the board moved forward with its annual reorganization efforts, appointing people to various posts for the coming year.</span>

<p dir=”ltr”><span>Supervisor Rickey Venditti named Councilman Gerald Klinck as the deputy supervisor. There is no extra pay in this title. He also again will serve as the town board’s delegate to NEST, the Northeast Solid Waste Transfer consortium at no additional salary. NEST is a countywide consortium made up of town board members from different townships all across Erie County whose primary focus is concentrated on solid waste and environmental issues.</span>

<p dir=”ltr”><span>Venditti was re-appointed as the board’s Affirmative Action Officer and as the appointing officer, as required under the state’s civil service statute. He will receive no additional pay for holding the two positions.</span>

<p dir=”ltr”><span>In the legal department, Ronald Bennett was again re-appointed as town attorney at an hourly rate of $160 this year, up to a maximum salary of $15,375 annually. That figure rises to $205 per hour if litigation in court takes place. Bennett’s East Aurora law firm of Bennett DiFilippo &amp; Kurtzhalts will be paid $45 an hour for all clerical work performed on behalf of the town.</span>

<p dir=”ltr”><span>Elma town prosecutor Phyllis Todoro will double as the prosecutor for Wales, earning $356.42 per night in court up to an annual stipend of $4,227 unless increased by town board resolution later in the year.</span>

<p dir=”ltr”><span>Town constable Paul Solomon will be paid $30 per hour for a minimum of three hours on each day or night that he is required to work.</span>

<p dir=”ltr”><span>Town of Holland resident William Newell was re-appointed as the town’s Dog Control Officer at $65 per hour, not to exceed $3,000 yearly. The town’s engineering firm of GHD Consulting Services, Inc. of Buffalo again was hired by the town board at a cost of $4,000 for consulting work in 2018, with more to be paid to the firm for design work and the implementation of town sponsored projects.</span>

<p dir=”ltr”><span>The town board re-appointed Code Enforcement Officer and building inspector Walter Raichel to the combined posts, but that appointment will expire at the end of the month when he retires from town service.</span>

<p dir=”ltr”><span>Starting last week, the town officially placed David Bender on the town’s payroll, pending Raichel’s retirement plans that have been scuttled at least three times within the last year and a half. The retirement was recanted each time for different reasons, with the board asking him back each time. The latest delay was waiting for Bender to obtain certification to take on the building inspector and enforcement officer duties.</span>

<p dir=”ltr”><span>In other re-organizational news, Wales Board of Assessor chairman David Lane’s annual 2018 salary was set at $9,927 this year, while assessors Dr. John Carlone and Jennifer Gossel will each take down $6,388 in their respective roles this year.</span>

<p dir=”ltr”><span>The town operates under a system where they have hired three part time assessors to compile all the property tax assessments in town, and related work, as opposed to having only one full-time assessor</span>

<p dir=”ltr”><span>Town of Wales assessor clerk Dawn Martin will earn $6,641 in 2018. Assessment Board of Review chairman Patrick Struczynski will take home $295 for his service to the town on “Grievance Day,” a day specifically set aside for property owners to come into town hall and legally challenge their property tax assessors. Each of four Assessment Review Board members will be paid $218 for the day’s work. “Grievance Day” this year has been scheduled for June 5, Venditti noted.</span>

<p dir=”ltr”><span>The board re-appointed Glenn Goerke to chairman of the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals. He will make $615 this year, while each of four ZBA members will earn $524 apiece. Morgan Eaton was named as secretary of that independent panel at an hourly rate of $15.38 on an “as needed” basis.</span>

<p dir=”ltr”><span>The town’s planning board will again see familiar faces with Richard Munn serving as its chairman in 2018 at $615 per year, with each member earning what their counterparts on the ZBA are paid, or $524 yearly. Morgan Eaton was appointed as clerk of the planners. Conservation Advisory Board chairwoman Joan Keicher again will serve on the panel and earn $364 annually in her role as chairwoman, with each of four CAB members notching $291 yearly. Town historian Deanna Zeigel will take down $654 in 2018 for her services.</span>

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