LOCKPORT – The Town Board voted last week to demolish a long-abandoned house at 6804 Erica Lane. Town Attorney Michael J. Norris said Niagara County foreclosed on the house because of unpaid property taxes and decided to give the property to the town.
The Town Board agreed to the deal in April, but the transaction didn’t close until late July. Town Supervisor Marc R. Smith said the demolition will take place within a few days. Norris said the basement of the house has been repeatedly flooded.
Councilman Mark C. Crocker said he visited the house recently and, looking through the windows, saw walls covered with mold.
“It appeared to be beyond any type of repair,” Crocker said.
Also at last week’s session, the board approved a new contract for dog sheltering services from the SPCA of Niagara. That organization hadn’t raised its price for the town’s contract in more than a decade, Smith said. The town was paying under $10,000 a year. The new contract will cost the town $6,606 for the second half of this year; $13,476 for all of 2014; and $13,746 for 2015.
The board also approved an upgrade of the software on its website that shows assessed valuations of property. The town will pay Proserve $2,561 per year for the software, which will be about $50 less than the current software. Smith said Town Assessor Jill Lederhouse will be able to enter updated assessments into the system from the computer on her desk, rather than having the town’s contracted webmaster do it.
The board also voted to buy two 20-foot sections of five-row bleachers for the soccer fields in Day Road Park from Belson Outdoors of North Aurora, Ill., for $7,262.
Councilman Paul W. Siejak said 27,000 pounds of electronic waste was dropped off at the town garage for recycling in the first half of the year, nearly doubling the amount from the first half of 2013. The town received $2,236 as its share of the proceeds of recycling this year’s material. Siejak also said a townwide brush pickup is set for Aug. 19, with pickup starting at 7 a.m.
email: tprohaska@buffnews.com
The Town Board agreed to the deal in April, but the transaction didn’t close until late July. Town Supervisor Marc R. Smith said the demolition will take place within a few days. Norris said the basement of the house has been repeatedly flooded.
Councilman Mark C. Crocker said he visited the house recently and, looking through the windows, saw walls covered with mold.
“It appeared to be beyond any type of repair,” Crocker said.
Also at last week’s session, the board approved a new contract for dog sheltering services from the SPCA of Niagara. That organization hadn’t raised its price for the town’s contract in more than a decade, Smith said. The town was paying under $10,000 a year. The new contract will cost the town $6,606 for the second half of this year; $13,476 for all of 2014; and $13,746 for 2015.
The board also approved an upgrade of the software on its website that shows assessed valuations of property. The town will pay Proserve $2,561 per year for the software, which will be about $50 less than the current software. Smith said Town Assessor Jill Lederhouse will be able to enter updated assessments into the system from the computer on her desk, rather than having the town’s contracted webmaster do it.
The board also voted to buy two 20-foot sections of five-row bleachers for the soccer fields in Day Road Park from Belson Outdoors of North Aurora, Ill., for $7,262.
Councilman Paul W. Siejak said 27,000 pounds of electronic waste was dropped off at the town garage for recycling in the first half of the year, nearly doubling the amount from the first half of 2013. The town received $2,236 as its share of the proceeds of recycling this year’s material. Siejak also said a townwide brush pickup is set for Aug. 19, with pickup starting at 7 a.m.
email: tprohaska@buffnews.com