A closely divided Falls City Council has approved a request from Mayor Robert Restaino to retain the Buffalo-based firm of e3communications as a professional communications consultant for the city.
The vote to approve the contract was 3-2, with Republican Council Members David Zajac and Vincent Cauley opposed. The contract calls for e3 to be paid $48,000 for a wide range of services. Restaino has said that the contract would be funded through the city’s Tourism Fund.
Cauley attempted to block consideration of the contract, noting that a previous postponement of action on it had stipulated that representatives of e3 appear before the council to “show what they’re going to do.” No other council member supported Cauley’s effort.
Zajac repeated his opposition to the contract, saying the work to be performed was unnecessary. He also pointed to the elimination, in the 2026 city budget, of a $48,000 line for a public information officer (PIO).
“The PIO position was not filled for months and we were just fine,” Zajac said. “Now we’re told it’s for an executive assistant. Information is getting out to the public.”
The council’s three Democratic members, Chairman Brian Archie, and Members James Perry and Bridgette Myles voted to approve the contract.
A memo to the council from Restaino indicates that e3 would be the city’s “primary communications partner.” It calls for the firm to “provide media relations and publicity management, police and public safety communications support, crisis communications and reputation management, strategic communications planning and issues management, community relations, coalition building, and grassroots outreach, state and local government affairs and legislative tracking and media training for city officials.”
Archie called the contract “an offshoot of the effort to hire a city public information officer, without the extra benefit costs of hiring an individual.”
The council chair said he believed hiring e3 would be “beneficial to help market the city.” Asked about the government affairs and legislative tracking components of the contract, Archie said he felt that was “still along the lines of promoting” the city.
The contract also calls for e3 to “conduct weekly remote planning meetings, act as liaison between city government and the news media, draft and issue press releases, statements, media alerts, and email responses while also preparing city officials for media interviews, including talking points and key messaging.” It would also “coordinate and manage special events such as ribbon cuttings, groundbreakings, and announcements.”
Archie said he believed that the contract would make e3’s services available to both the city administration and the council. City Administrator Anthony Restaino, in a council committee meeting, confirmed that e3’s services would be available to city lawmakers.
The contract also calls for e3 to “draft and submit a quarterly opinion piece or letter to the editor highlighting city initiatives and pitch positive stories to local and regional media outlets.”
The firm will also take over management of the city’s social media communications, including serving as “administrator for the city’s official Facebook page.”