Legislator John Bruso and Lancaster politicians do not waste our taxpayer money.

[Greg Sojka]

2018-04-05 / Front Page










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Town looks to get going on Ellicott Creek work


by AMY ROBB Editor


The Lancaster Town Board discussed a possible project on Ellicott Creek at its work session on Monday night, starting with a resolution detailing changes for the next meeting.
A draft agreement between the Town of Lancaster and Erie County Soil and Water Conservation District would cover log removal west of Stony Road.
“There are a couple of them in there that are pretty decent size logjams. Those are the two I know they’re working on for sure. They’re not doing all of Ellicott Creek, they’re only doing the two jams in the area just west of Stony Road,” said Dan Amatura, highway superintendent.




Supervisor Johanna Coleman and Amatura have been in contact with Mark Gaston, who represents the Erie County Soil and Water Conservation District, as well as Legislator John Bruso, to hash out details.
“[Gaston] was able to get permits from the DEC and the Army Corps of Engineers to do work on Ellicott Creek, and he provided me with a draft agreement,” added Coleman.
“He will be able to secure some funding to help us out. He’s confident he can get two different $5,000 contributions from other sources.”
So far, the lowest bid to take care of Ellicott Creek work is $30,000. The next highest bid would have been for $45,000, according to Bruso, before jumping up to $90,000-plus.
“[Gaston] was able to secure it for $30,000 from a qualified contractor, because it’s early and they’re looking for work. So, time is of the essence for us to get this done. He probably couldn’t hold that price for long,” said Coleman.
As of Monday’s work session, Town Attorney Kevin Loftus needs to look it over and return it, and then a resolution can go on the agenda for April 16.
For many like Amatura and Coleman, who have worked for the town in one official capacity or another for many years, progress with Ellicott Creek work is unheard of.
“We haven’t gotten this far in decades with Ellicott Creek. This is something that is a good deal, we don’t want to pass it up,” said Coleman.
“The last thing I ever heard, when I was a councilman back in 2005, [the supervisor] proposed that we put a lake out in Alden to slow the water, and of course that never happened,” added Amatura.
“As far as I know, we’ve never done any work on Ellicott Creek. I don’t recall any work ever being done there. The only other thing that we’ve done is, when there’s a heavy rain, we get our grappler and we pick out any logs that are jamming underneath the bridge.”
Officials hope that work on Ellicott Creek will help with water quality and flooding: “When debris is in a creek, that water then becomes contaminated in some way, shape or form, and then it reduces the quality of water to the entire community, whether it’s Lancaster or communities outside of Lanc aster,” said Coleman.
“When we have ice jams flowing down there, it’s just horrendous, because it’s not just the ice, it’s about all this debris, and it makes it that much worse.”
The next Lancaster Town Board meeting will be at 7 p.m. Monday, April 16, at 21 Central Ave. in Lancaster. There is always a work session a half-hour prior to each meeting.

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[Greg Sojka]

What Legislator John Bruso and the Lancaster politicians should do is learn the facts first before wasting our taxpayer money. Removing two log jams west of Stoney road is not going to help flooding. Highwayman Amatura is incorrect about clearing of previous log jams as it was done in the past east and west of Harris Hill bridge. This is an example of feel good politics. SAVE OUR MONEY ! It is not a fix. It is a total waste of taxpayer money to remove two log jams on private property. How about stopping the million gallons a day that the quarry pumps in Ellicott creek ? How did the quarry get that agreement? The past Lancaster politicians sold us out downstream!

[gorja]

What Legislator John Bruso and the Lancaster politicians should do is learn the facts first before wasting our taxpayer money. Removing two log jams west of Stoney road is not going to help flooding. Highwayman Amatura is incorrect about clearing of previous log jams as it was done in the past east and west of Harris Hill bridge. This is an example of feel good politics. SAVE OUR MONEY ! It is not a fix. It is a total waste of taxpayer money to remove two log jams on private property. How about stopping the million gallons a day that the quarry pumps in Ellicott creek ? How did the quarry get that agreement? The past Lancaster politicians sold us out downstream!

Are you saying former legislator Ted Morton was wrong when he thought the log jam removal and a new bridge was a good idea last year?

Neighbors want a fix for Ellicott Creek flooding
May 24, 2017

Lancaster, N.Y. (WKBW) -
For decades people living in Lancaster along Ellicott Creek have been asking for help. The creek often floods its banks and damages property.

On Wednesday, federal, state, county, and town agencies met at the Bowmansville Fire Department to discuss possible fixes. Erie County maybe the first to act. They can replace a bridge that causes sediment backups near Stony Road.

There are also plans to remove two large log jams on the creek.

Neighbors say that will help, but they fear they will still deal with flooding.

“It may not eliminate all flooding in the future but there is a very good chance that these are going to reduce the frequency and volume of flooding once they are addressed,” said Erie County Legislator Ted Morton.

[Greg Sojka]

Gorja, I attended those meetings and Ted Morton said it was an incomplete remedy.Our elected officials need to fully address many of the flooding issues in our town. They need to stop kicking the can down the creek . Legislator John Bruso and the Lancaster town board needs to focus on this community and stop with the lip service .I see last week the Aurora garage was flooded again after several residents came months earlier to the town meeting stating they are getting more water.

[lord Geof]

Gorja, I attended those meetings and Ted Morton said it was an incomplete remedy.Our elected officials need to fully address many of the flooding issues in our town. They need to stop kicking the can down the creek . Legislator John Bruso and the Lancaster town board needs to focus on this community and stop with the lip service .I see last week the Aurora garage was flooded again after several residents came months earlier to the town meeting stating they are getting more water.

What garage are you referring to? Aurora Garage at 546 Aurora? Don't see how that could be affected by Ellicott Creek. Trying to understand what you observed

[gorja]

What garage are you referring to? Aurora Garage at 546 Aurora? Don't see how that could be affected by Ellicott Creek. Trying to understand what you observed

Lord Geof, I was at that town board meeting. You have the right garage but nothing to do with Ellicott creek
It can be heard at 35:09 on the towns recording https://soundcloud.com/user-329292372/2017-11-20-tbm

[mark blazejewski]

Greg Sojka: ... the flooding issues in our town. They need to stop kicking the can down the creek

When it comes to flooding problems, I totally agree with this comment.

Historically, in both the town and the village, it seems that the response time to comprehensively address such issues has been eonic.

Since the late 1970s through the very recent past, many areas of the "Second Ward" were severely impacted by the "new" developments north of Walden Avenue. An archaic sewer system further complicated the issue.

On my street alone, residents confronted every run-of-the-mill rainstorm with the trepidation of hurricane. There is not one neighbor that I know of that was not severely affected.

For almost forty years, the Village Board apparently did not see the problem through the prism of cause and effect, but through the constipated eyes of "feel good," stop-gap measures, and applied those remedies with a bladder-incontinence mind-frame. Only recently has the village board taken action to effectively confront the problem.


Lucky Noah, he only had a forty day problem.

[shortstuff]

The best person to answer these questions really is 4248. He has the history behind this as well as who is responsible. I think because the town approved any project that exists in the township, ultimately is responsible IMO. It may have been the Army Corp of Engineers that signed off on the projects, but the town can say yes or no. I also agree with Greg & Mark, this is a continual problem that continues to plague the township. Infrastructure problems that exist, will only fester to become a much bigger problem. One problem, Cross Creek draining into Ellicott Creek. Now tell me, is that a good thing?