Mayor Robert Restaino said Friday that more than 400 blighted lots and properties have been cleaned since his office executed a contract with a private landscaping company under the citywide state of emergency imposed on July 20.
Restaino also said another vendor who was also hired under a contract his office authorized after the city council failed to approve it earlier this year is preparing to move forward with paving of a 30-block section of Niagara Street between Hyde Park Boulevard and Portage Road.
During an interview with a reporter from the Niagara Gazette following a press conference at Niagara Falls State Park on Friday, Restaino said the 400-plus properties addressed under the city’s contract with the private vendor are in addition to cleanup work being done citywide by the in-house cleanup team with the Department of Public Works.
Restaino also acknowledged
that when it comes to addressing unkempt lots and properties and paving roads, the city has “way more” work to do.
“We are coming towards the end of the season where this work must be completed before winter hits and asphalt plants close and conditions won’t allow grass cutting and tree trimming and that is why our clean team and contractors are continuing to work so hard to get as much done to beautify our city,” Restaino said in a press release issued by his office Friday morning. “We know there is much more to be done and that is why we encourage residents to continue to visit the city’s 311 Portal regarding any blighted properties or areas that need to be cleaned up.”
When asked during his interview with the Gazette how long he anticipated the state of emergency, which his office has extended twice by two, five-day intervals, Restaino said he “did not know.”
He described the state of emergency as a function of the fact that two council members — Bridgette Myles and Vincent Cauley — did not support the contracts with the private vendors who he said are now doing important work — property maintenance and road repair — the city would not be able to do otherwise.
“It’s the only vehicle we have to be able to tackle these problems that are out there, that are even impacting residents and still continuing. Had they simple authorized those contracts, there was no need for this,” he said.
Restaino disclosed on Aug. 21 that he declared a state of emergency on July 20 due to unpaved roads and “blight caused by abandoned properties.” The mayor argued that the conditions posed a risk to public health and safety. In announcing the move, he also cited the council’s failure, “if not outright refusal,” to approve the contracts.
Under state law, the emergency order allowed the mayor to suspend three portions of the charter relating to requirements for the city council to approve or ratify contracts while lifting a restriction on budget expenditures.
After declaring the state of emergency last month, Restaino authorized a pair of contracts with private vendors, including one with the landscaping firm K.J. Smith Enterprises and a second with Occhino Corp., a West Seneca company hired by the administration to pave streets.
On Friday, Restaino said Occhino will focus on the section of Niagara Street because paving work requires “a little bit more staging” than what’s involved in cutting grass and cleaning up properties. He noted that, before any paving can be done, the project will require installation of catch basins and other pre-paving work.
“Instead of all the streets that we hoped to have because the season is shortened, we’re going to get a street done,” he said.
Councilman Jim Perry, who also attended Friday’s press conference at the state park, said he understood why the mayor declared the state of emergency while also citing the council’s failure to approve the landscaping and paving contracts as a motivating factor.
“The council did not take action on these items that we really needed done in this city,” Perry said. “It’s the council’s own fault. We should have approved the contract to get this stuff done, but because of lack of communication, because of local politics, which I disdain, it was a necessary step.”
During his interview with the Gazette at the state park, Perry said he was not aware of “who has done what” by the two vendors hired by the mayor following the emergency declaration, but said he was aware of some properties on the city’s complaint list already being addressed.
“He was stuck between a rock and a hard space so what do you do?” Perry said. “I don’t know if I should say this, but I kind of applaud him for taking the necessary steps. I know a lot of people don’t agree with him, but what are you going to do? Let the grass grow and let the trees grow?”
Restaino said he has not authorized any other contracts or agreements without council approval since the emergency declaration has been in place.
Perry concurred.
Myles said both she and Cauley had good reason to reject approval of the two contracts when they were first presented to the council. On the landscaper contract, she said they had questions about the company having an inactive LLC and whether that would have any impact on the city entering into an agreement. She said the paving work was the subject of a dispute involving the city’s DPW union and council members did not want to approve the deal without getting more information about the status of the administration’s talks with the union first.
Myles said the administration has still not answered her questions as they related to the two contracts.
“It’s called communication,” she said. “He needs someone to blame it on. He’s not going to blame it on himself. It’s just as simple as showing up at the council meetings and answering questions.”
Cauley agreed.
He also said Restaino’s comments confirm to him that the mayor called the state of emergency because the council was doing its job.
“It’s an unnecessary, unjustified state of emergency when we have things like radiation and chemicals going on. We call an emergency for grass cutting and paving? It’s just preposterous.
Cauley said the administration could and should have done a better job attending to grass-cutting and paving months ago but did not get bids out for the work during winter in order to make that happen. He added that DPW crews have now finished the 10 streets on the city’s in-house paving list and asked why the administration didn’t work with the union to try to do more instead of bringing in outside vendor.
“Why did we have to outsource this work?”