By Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – Residency rules and regional assets were discussed at Wednesday's Buffalo Common Council meeting, but there were no votes. The newly-elected city comptroller was also installed at the session.
A resolution regarding "zero tolerance for residency violations" was sent back to committee for further discussion. The Council has been receiving complaints that some workers are not following residency rules required by the City Charter. Some police report technicians, recently laid off, claim others who remain on the job do not live in Buffalo.
North district lawmaker Joseph Golombek says the city's human resource commissioner will investigate complaints.
"I just wish it was five or six people that we were looking for rather than 20 or 40 or 60," Golombek said. "Had we been following these rules from the top to the bottom, we wouldn't be in the boat we are in right now."
But Ellicott District Council Member Brian Davis says it's a little too late.
"It is ridiculous that folks want to come now screaming at us about who doesn't live in the city," Davis said. "Frankly I'm fed up as an individual because it's long overdue.
Also sent back to committee -- a regional assets agreement that would allow Erie County to take over Shea's, Kleinhans and the Buffalo Zoo. Lawmakers say they still have a number of questions on how it will help the cash-strapped city. Fillmore District lawmaker David Franczyk says he would like to see the agreement include the Broadway Market because it's "vital" to the Fillmore neighborhood.
"The county can't just cherry pick the good centers they want," Franczyk said. "They've got to take the tough ones to. The market has had problems, but so have the other venues as well."
Franczyk says including the market in the agreement would be the "only kind of regionalism" he would support.
In other action, Council President James Pitts gave a hug to newly-elected City Cmptroller Andrew SanFilippo. SanFilippo -- who had been acting comptroller -- took the oath of office Wednesday. Ironically Pitts, who lost in last Tuesday's election against SanFilippo, stood by his side as he was sworn in by the city clerk.