Niagara Falls City Council members will wrap up their review of the proposed 2010 budget today with a discussion on how to fill holes in an overworked inspections department that has been down three full-time employees suspended four months ago.
The review will be held at 4 p.m. inside City Hall and is the last scheduled session before the council begins voting on budget amendments on Nov. 18 and 19.
Spending in the inspections department is decreasing slightly in Mayor Paul Dyster’s proposed $79 million city budget but the topic of conversation will focus on how to run the department while Building Commissioner Guy Bax, Chief Plumbing Inspector George Amendola and Electrical Inspector Peter Butry remain on suspension.
The three workers were placed on paid administrative leave by Dyster back in July after being named in a federal investigation into local plumbing contractor John J. Gross Jr. No charges have been filed in the case, which has prompted councilmembers to question how long the city should keep Bax, Amendola and Butry off the job while still collecting a pay check.
“What we need to find out is what the administration’s feeling is on whether or not there is a serious enough case for the city to keep these guys off work and to bring in people to do their work,” Councilman Charles Walker said. “The city has a lot of issues and the inspections department is very busy. We really need to get an idea on how long (the administration) plans on keeping these guys out.”
The city has had to allocate $70,000 to restructure the inspections department and create two temporary positions for plumbing and electrical inspectors. In addition, more overtime funds were transferred for a part-time building and housing inspector and the position of sign and zoning inspector was reclassified so other duties could be added.
The two temporary positions, in place until the end of the year, are not currently funded in Dyster’s proposed 2010 budget but the services could be transferred in if needed as the new year begins and Bax, Amendola and Butry remain on paid leave.
City Council members said back in September they would consider budget steps that could lead to the return of the three full-time employees in lieu of continuing to fund costly alternatives to cover their absence.
“It’s a huge concern that we don’t go a whole year paying six people to do the work of three people,” Walker said. “It’s a huge burden to the taxpayers.”
Dyster said Wednesday there have been no new developments in regard to the status of Bax, Amendola and Butry and the city is still waiting on the results of the FBI investigation. However, he said he will be proposing some organizational changes to the council today geared at strengthening the inspections department regardless of when or if the three employees return. The mayor added the changes were being considered prior to the suspensions.
“We know our inspections department needs to be strengthened,” he said. “With the amount of dilapidated homes in our city, we need to continue strengthening our code enforcement.”
As for next year’s budget and the status of Bax, Amendola and Butry, Dyster said if the situation remains unresolved he’s prepared to go back to the council for approval to transfer money into the department and keep funding the temporary positions.
“Obviously, we’re all hoping it’s going to be resolved as soon as possible,” he said.
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