The Niagara Falls City Council is looking to enter into negotiations with the Falls School District to restart a “Night Gyms” pilot program.
Council members unanimously adopted a resolution Wednesday night that calls for “a joint planning meeting with the superintendent, appropriate school district leadership and the Board of Education to discuss reopening ‘Nights Gyms’ through a pilot program.” The resolution also asks city administrators and the corporation counsel to “convene a stakeholder planning meeting with school district leadership and key partners, including the Niagara Falls Police Department, to explore operational needs and potential funding/support mechanisms, including the potential use of NFPD Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) grant resources.”
It asks the city administrators and corporation counsel to report back on the planning within 60 days.
A copy of the resolution will be sent to members of the Falls School Board, Schools Superintendent Mark Laurrie, Mayor Robert Restaino, City Administrator Anthony Restaino, Acting Corporation Counsel Thomas DeBoy, Falls Police Superintendent Nicholas Ligammari, and Falls GIVE Coordinator John Faso.
The resolution originally called for the pilot programs to be established at “three North End school sites.” It initially proposed programs at Henry J Kalfas Elementary School, Abate Elementary School and Maple Avenue Elementary School.
During a council Committee of the Whole meeting, Member James Perry (D) objected to the lack of a LaSalle neighborhood school in the proposed pilot program. Members then changed the resolution’s language to leave a decision on pilot program site selection to the Falls School District.
“I think it’s a good amendment,” Council Member Bridgette Myles (D), the resolution’s primary sponsor, said. “You leave it up to the school district to determine what schools are best (for the program).”
Some council members also suggested that members of a newly created City Council Youth Advisory Board could weigh in on pilot program site selection.
Supporters said the pilot program would allow the city and the school district to “test operations, evaluate demand and measure outcomes.” Members also said the pilot may meet requirements of the NFPD’s GIVE grant that call for “community engagement and youth-focused public safety programs.”
GIVE grant funding would help offset the pilot program costs.