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The Niagara Falls City Council held another rancorous meeting Wednesday with bitter disputes between members, acting corporation counsel Thomas DeBoy and members of the public.
The meeting started with public hearings, including one on the proposed rezoning of a section of capped Love Canal to allow a solar project to progress.
The project has already been vetted and approved by the planning board. NYSERDA’s Amanda Wyckoff was present as project manager.
Commenters on the project including Lori Butera, former councilperson Vincent Cauley and Tanya Barone each expressed concerns.
Butera, who previously expressed concern about woods near her home being obliterated said Wyckoff had visited her and shown where the project would actually be located. She still had concerns over whether panels would be recyclable.
Cauley worried about whether there was a better use for the capped landfill, even suggesting housing be erected on top.
Barone spoke at length about the lifespan of solar panels, non-biodegradable rare earth minerals used in manufacturing and the danger of electromagnetic fields to nearby residents.
It was interesting with her concerns about electromagnetic radiation she never addressed the phones most people hold next to their head for hours at a time.
Wyckoff, before the meeting, said concerns over recyclability should be allayed by a county law mandating. That law, she said, requires panel manufacturers guarantee the panels be recyclable and not dumped in landfills.
The council did not comment.
Following the hearing, Council Member Donta Myles engaged in a spirited discussion with DeBoy over Robert’s Rules of Order.
At the core was Myles interpretation that Robert’s Rules requires the chairperson to step down and appoint someone else if he wishes to participate in debate.
DeBoy countered that the section of Robert’s Rules Myles was quoting pertained to a meeting of a society, not a board and so was inapplicable. The argument went circular and ended in a standoff.
The agenda also included a resolution to fund Beech Avenue Park in the neglected 4th Legislative District. The long-planned park was omitted from funding within the American Rescue Plan.
DeBoy noted the agenda item added by Myles had several problems, including an overstep of council reach since funding the park illustrated a conflict between the executive and administrative branch.
Myles challenged DeBoy on why he did not reach out and discuss difficulties with the resolution. DeBoy countered that Myles didn’t ask. DeBoy also pointed out there isn’t enough time left in the year to fix the resolution and put the project out to bid prior to January 1 which is the date by which all American Rescue Plan funds must be expended.
The resolution failed with Myles and Archie in favor.
Still unaddressed is Bax, Zajac and Myles all rubber-stamping ARP expenditures as recommended by Mayor Robert Restaino without ever challenging or suggesting more appropriate allocation.
If DeBoy is correct and the resolution was inappropriate, the council could have approved it and let Mayor Robert Restaino veto it.
