BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — The calendar says September, but some Buffalo Common Council Members have winter on their minds. They’re calling on the mayor and members of his administration to provide a comprehensive emergency winter weather plan in the wake of last December’s deadly 2022 blizzard.
7 News Senior Reporter Eileen Buckley caught up with lawmakers to learn about their request and the mayor for his response.
“We just need to have a sense of urgency. This is how important it is,” David Rivera remarked.
“And council members, and especially a coalition of us are growing frustrated,” replied Mitch Nowakowski.
Fillmore Common Council Member Mitch Nowakowski.
Fillmore Common Council Member Mitch Nowakowski and Niagara District Common Council Member David Rivera say it's time for the mayor and his administration to provide a "comprehensive" update on an emergency winter weather plan.
They want to know when the city will hire an emergency manager and fleet manager. These positions were approved by the common council in February.
"When we talk about timelines in City Hall, people want to see things done, and we pass this in February. We’re now into September,” Nowakowski noted.
I caught up with Mayor Brown Friday and asked him specifically about these positions.
“Where are you in the process of hiring the emergency manager and the fleet manager? They say that the posting was up and then it disappeared?” Buckley asked. “The postings have been out. People who have applied to both positions have been interviewed. We plan on reposting and extending the application period for those positions because we would like more candidates to be able to apply,” responded Mayor Brown.
But the mayor has no sense of urgency to hire before the snow flies.
“I don't know if those positions will be filled and in place by this winter season. We don't believe that we need those positions to be in place to be very functional this winter season. What's more important is to find the right people for those roles,” Brown noted
“And right now, I’m not confident that we will be able to deal based on the response from the previous events,” Rivera commented.
River, Nowakowski, and two other council members, Lovejoy District lawmaker Bryan Bollman and University District Council Member Rasheed Wyatt, submitted this request to the mayor and other city leaders called “Where are we at?”.
They want the administration to release the city's annual Snow Plan before November 1st, the date required by the city charter.
“The City of Buffalo needs to be prepared, not only with a snow plan but with the emergency manager and to make sure that we have the equipment,” Nowakowski said.
I pressed the mayor asking if he would be willing to release it to give citizens more time to review it.
“Listen, I could agree to release it before then. But again, according to the city charter, the law of the City of Buffalo. The snow plan is due on November 1 and right now we are on schedule to release the snow plan at least by November 1,” answered Mayor Brown.
But I also asked if it would be a show of ‘good faith’ to residents to have it out sooner.
“My faith is always good. We've done everything that we said we're going to do. The council has not changed the charter as it relates to when the snow plan is due,” replied Mayor Brown.
Council Member Rivera noted that he’s not being critical and wants to “work with the administration”.
“We want to make sure that we're safe, that we're making good decisions,” Rivera noted.
The Council members also want the mayor to reveal more information about an Emergency Task For e that was established by the city, made up of 20 individuals from Buffalo, Erie County, and the state. The lawmakers are asking how they were selected if meetings have been held and when they will meet with the Council to offer an update.
The city says the task force has already met and a final meeting is planned that would be open to the media.
“The task force has met several times with recommendations that we will be including in the new updated snow plan,” described Mayor Brown.
A city spokesman says an update from the task force could be issued possibly within the next couple of weeks.
