Bob Giza would handle this much better than Dino Fudoli

[Breezy]

This town supervisor could at least act more professional on this matter, from the Buffalo News... "Village officials were angered when the town and Supervisor Dino Fudoli never responded to initial correspondence in MayAnd on Tuesday, Fudoli had harsh words for village officials – particularly Weiss."

“The village lied to us. We wanted a confidential meeting with the attorneys and then hash out an agreement,” Fudoli said. “This was to be a private meeting and the village made it a public spectacle. We didn’t want to be pigeonholed into something.” WHAT ABOUT OPEN GOVERNMENT, MR. SUPERVISOR?

Fudoli said the village is playing politics, and now risks losing all support from town officials on the issue. “I think the village is broke and doesn’t have money to fix it,” Fudoli said.

Mr. Giza would NEVER act like this, too bad he is not our supervisor today, he would not forget the Village!

Mr. Esmonde: "Thank God infrastructure doesn’t have feelings. Given the double rejection, the thing would probably give up hope and collapse into the creek. That raises the existential question: Can a bridge throw itself off the bridge."

This is rotten!

[WNYresident]

Fudoli said the village is playing politics, and now risks losing all support from town officials on the issue. “I think the village is broke and doesn’t have money to fix it,” Fudoli said.

Mr. Giza would NEVER act like this, too bad he is not our supervisor today, he would not forget the Village!

Fudoli might of spoken the truth that the village is broke and you have an issue with that?

Are you part of the Democratic Party? Why don't you go ask the President you supported for some of the money they are spending over seas to be used for the bridge?

[Breezy]

We will take any money to get this bridge fixed, maybe Chris Collins can talk with Obama about it. In the village people want the supervisor to work cooperatively instead of these verbal fights in the press. I guess it's always the tone of these things that gets people upset. That approach is not in Bob Giza's nature.

[Breezy]

Yes I am a democrat, why does that matter?

[gorja]

Remember Bob Giza cost the Village $7,500 when he failed to inform the village mayor and trustees that the Colecraft building was already purchased.

[Breezy]

Just SPEAKING UP here about our bridge. The neighborhood is up in arms over this craziness and politics.

Had the supervisor been running this year, he probably would have attended the meeting to solve this problem for us. At least the two councilmembers showed up and talked, they are running so I guess they had to be there, but the supervisor should have been there too.

[WNYresident]

"our bridge" ?

The Village bridge?

If you want to be a Village entity why not have the property owners in your village pay the cost to fix it? I thought Fudoli was the Supervisor of the Town of Lancaster not the Village. Same goes for the Lancaster Town Board. Why are they involved in matters of the Village? Same goes if Bob was still Supervisor. What am I missing here?

[ichingtheory]

This town supervisor could at least act more professional on this matter, from the Buffalo News... "Village officials were angered when the town and Supervisor Dino Fudoli never responded to initial correspondence in MayAnd on Tuesday, Fudoli had harsh words for village officials – particularly Weiss."

“The village lied to us. We wanted a confidential meeting with the attorneys and then hash out an agreement,” Fudoli said. “This was to be a private meeting and the village made it a public spectacle. We didn’t want to be pigeonholed into something.” WHAT ABOUT OPEN GOVERNMENT, MR. SUPERVISOR?

Fudoli said the village is playing politics, and now risks losing all support from town officials on the issue. “I think the village is broke and doesn’t have money to fix it,” Fudoli said.

Mr. Giza would NEVER act like this, too bad he is not our supervisor today, he would not forget the Village!

Mr. Esmonde: "Thank God infrastructure doesn’t have feelings. Given the double rejection, the thing would probably give up hope and collapse into the creek. That raises the existential question: Can a bridge throw itself off the bridge."

This is rotten!

Bob Giza is a nice man but it was time for him to go. He was making bad decisions and don't get me started on the position he put the town in regarding public service union contracts. He literally let the union call the shots for every contract. Too bad about the bridge but it is a Village issue, not the town.

[gorja]

Honestly, my feelings are that Supervisor Fudoli should not have ignored the communication sent to him. When the town was requesting bids last year, they should have followed through and fixed the problem. If the town had he same issue for the culverts/bridges on Olmstead and Grant Sts, why treat the Erie St situation any different?

[gorja]

"our bridge" ?

The Village bridge?

If you want to be a Village entity why not have the property owners in your village pay the cost to fix it? I thought Fudoli was the Supervisor of the Town of Lancaster not the Village. Same goes for the Lancaster Town Board. Why are they involved in matters of the Village? Same goes if Bob was still Supervisor. What am I missing here?

The town fixed the 2 bridges/culverts in the Village of Depew. What's the Village of Lancaster their stepchild?

[Breezy]

"our bridge" ?

The Village bridge?

If you want to be a Village entity why not have the property owners in your village pay the cost to fix it? I thought Fudoli was the Supervisor of the Town of Lancaster not the Village. Same goes for the Lancaster Town Board. Why are they involved in matters of the Village? Same goes if Bob was still Supervisor. What am I missing here?

Sorry, maybe you did not see this Buffalo News story from Thursday, where paperwork said the bridge was the town's responsibility...

Lancaster village officials Wednesday pointed to two town documents identifying the deteriorating Erie Street Bridge, just east of Court Street, as a bridge and, therefore, the responsibility of the town.

The continuing debate over whether the village or town should fix or rebuild the span, which lies in the village, led to a presentation Wednesday evening by village special legal counsel Paul Weiss – who pointed to two references to the town identifying the span as “a bridge.”

The tone of the special meeting on the controversy was not heated – though some officials sidestepped the meeting. Village officials said they want an answer from the town by Wednesday about how the issue will be resolved.

Town Supervisor Dino Fudoli and Highway Superintendent Daniel J. Amatura, however, contend the span is a culvert and is the village’s responsibility.

The public’s safety is an issue, said village officials, who were angered that the town did not respond to correspondence in May from Mayor Paul M. Maute about the problem, which has reduced traffic to one lane on the bridge. The span has a hole through its deck, temporarily covered with heavy steel plates.

“There’s a big safety issue every time someone goes around that bend, so there’s an urgency to resolve this as soon as possible,” Maute said Wednesday.

Estimates from the village’s consulting engineer released Wednesday put total repair costs, including construction and design, at $46,400. If engineering started soon, work could probably be completed this year. A second option, which would mean replacing the span, would cost about $234,000.

“It is a bridge and not a culvert, because this span has no floor,” said Weiss, who noted that the town identified it as Bridge No. 1 – out of six along Erie Street – in an Aug. 12, 1979, inventory of bridges.

Weiss also pointed to July 1958 correspondence from then-Town Highway Superintendent Charles A. Stutzman, who identified the span at issue as a “bridge” and that the town contracted for, and paid for, repairs to the Erie Street Bridge.

“The town accepted responsibility in 1958, so you can only come to one conclusion that the Erie Street span is a bridge,” Weiss said.

“This is our evidence. We believe a court would find in our favor,” said Weiss, who added that had the town addressed the issue with the village in May, timing would not be as critical as it is now to get the span fixed by winter.

John Abraham and Ronald Ruffino, two town councilmen who are up for re-election, attended the village meeting Wednesday and vowed to pass on the information to Fudoli, the town engineer and town attorney.

An angry Fudoli backed out of attending the joint meeting because it was open to the public.

Village officials said the meeting had to be open because there was a quorum of village trustees.

[WNYresident]

The town fixed the 2 bridges/culverts in the Village of Depew. What's the Village of Lancaster their stepchild?

Why would the town have helped the Village of Depew? If a group of people want to be their own "government" money maker service provider why wouldn't they handle the Village of Depew's bridge/culvert them selves? I just want to know how it works. If I call the Town Board of Lancaster can I request that they pay to have some stuff fixed in Cheektowaga?

[Breezy]

Don't try calling the supervisor, he didn't call back after four calls. "The supervisor is on a line I can have him return your call," is what I heard. Highway chief called back right away, and was very informative. At least the town board members did attend the meeting.

[WNYresident]

I have yet to have an issue with any elected official calling me back. There are even a few that called me with answers from items people posted on speakupwny.com.

[gorja]

Why would the town have helped the Village of Depew? If a group of people want to be their own "government" money maker service provider why wouldn't they handle the Village of Depew's bridge/culvert them selves? I just want to know how it works. If I call the Town Board of Lancaster can I request that they pay to have some stuff fixed in Cheektowaga?

It was in the part of the Village of Depew that's in the Town of Lancaster. No part of the Town of Cheektowaga is in the Town of Lancaster.