Democrat and current Mayor Eddie Sundquist previously announced he is seeking re-election for a second term with Republican Council Member at Large Kim Ecklund recently announcing she will be running against him for the seat.

The City Democratic Committee has endorsed local attorney John I. LaMancuso to run for City Court Judge. His father, John L. LaMancuso, has held that position for 29 years. Republicans have not endorsed a candidate for that race.

Democratic endorsements for City Council At Large include Isaiah Rashad II and returning candidate Alyssa Porter. Republicans have endorsed incumbents Jeff Russell and Randy Daversa; as well as Russ Bonfiglio.

Republican Ward 1 Council member Brent Sheldon and Ward 2 Council member and Council President Tony Dolce are running unopposed.

Ward 3 Democratic Incumbent Regina Brackman will again face Republican Robert Reedy. That race in 2021 was determined by three absentee ballots.

Democratic incumbent Marie Carrubba has been endorsed again to represents Ward 4 and will face Republican Joe Paterniti.

Republican Incumbent Bill Reynolds will face Democrat Kaycee Colburn for Ward 5 and Republican Incumbent Andrew Faulkner will be running against former Council Member at Large Vanessa Weinert in Ward 6.

For the County Legislature endorsements, Democratic incumbent Billy Torres and Republican Phillip Landy have been endorsed for District 9.

Republican incumbent Jamie Gustafson will face newcomer Democrat Julie Jackson-Forsberg for District 10.

Republican incumbent Dave Wilfong is unopposed for District 11.

District 12 endorsements include Republican Elisabeth Rankin against former Democratic County Legislator and former County Attorney Fred Larson.

Democratic Incumbent Tom Nelson will face Republican Joseph Tickle for District 13.

Candidate petitioning to get on the election ballot begins tomorrow, February 28 and ends April 6. Any primaries necessary will be held on Tuesday, June 22, 2023.

Jamestown City Clerk Todd Thomas (left) swears in Tamu Graham-Reinhardt after she was unanimously appointed to the Jamestown City Council to fill a vacant at large seat as Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi looks on.

JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown City Council is once again at full strength.

On Monday night members of the council acted on Mayor Sam Teresi’s appointment of Tamu Graham-Reinhardt (D) to the fill the at large council seat vacated by Vannessa Weinert at the end of last year.

“I became interested [in the council seat] due to housing and some of our properties around here that deserve a little more attention,” Graham-Reinhardt told WRFA after being sworn in and following the meeting. “I’m also interested in engaging the Latino community a little bit more. We kind of have a couple of separate communities here and we need to reach out and engage more of our marginalized communities or communities that aren’t involved so I hope my background can help us do that.”

Graham-Reinhardt is a Jamestown native who currently is employed at the Falconer School District as a Spanish Teacher. Her background in education includes a Teaching Degree in Spanish from UB, a Masters in Public Relations from Ball State University, and she’s also been accredited with a New York State School District Administrator Certificate. Prior to working at Falconer she was employed as an administrator for WestED professional development firm based out of San Francisco as well as for Jamestown Public Schools for 13 years, from 2004 to 2017, most recently as curriculum coordinator.

As for choosing Graham-Reinhardt, Teresi had to identify an individual who was a registered Democrat, since that was the party Weinert is registered as. But he also wanted to find someone who would be staying in the community and also willing to run for a full two years once this current term is over and Graham-Reinhardt said that is something she will definitely be doing.

“Nine months or a year is not enough time for anybody to really understand how this all works and if you’re going to do this you need to make an investment. You need to show that this is something you are doing because the community is important to you,” Graham-Reinhardt said. “My kids live here, I want my daughters to move back here. I hear all the things the mayor is talking about in regards to infrastructure and things we are trying to do to revitalize the area so I think it would be great to have our kids move back here. I want our graduates to stay here. I think that is important.”

Graham-Reinhardt and her husband David are the parents of two children, one who still attends Jamestown Public Schools while the other is now attending college at UB. She was unanimously approved to fill the vacancy by a vote of 7 to 0 with councilman Tom Nelson absent from the meeting.

In addition to announcing Graham-Reinhardt’s appointment, Teresi thanked Weinert for her service during her short time on the council, as well as thanking a reported ten other individuals who also expressed interest in filling the open seat.

Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi delivers the 2018 State of the City message to the Jamestown City Council on Monday, Jan. 29.

JAMESTOWN –  Mayor Sam Teresi will deliver his state of the city during Monday’s Jamestown City Council meeting.

The annual report will highlight activities and accomplishments that took place in 2018 while also previewing the mayor’s agenda for 2019.

When WRFA had the mayor on the air earlier this month, he wouldn’t disclose too many details about his report, saying he preferred to wait until he first presents it to the city council.

The question Monday night will be whether or not the mayor makes any comment at all in regard to the State of the City. In recent years Teresi has passed on reading the report verbatim. In 2016 he passed on saying anything altogether and instead simply delivered a written report to council members. In 2017 and last year he offered some short comments, but still passed on getting into any specifics.

The city charter requires the mayor give a report to the council on an annual basis. Once he delivers the report to council members it will also be made available on the city website for public review.

In addition to the state of the city, the mayor will also appoint resident to finish the term of an at large city council seat that was officially vacated at the end of last year.

The open seat is the result of former councilwoman Vanessa Weinert resigning last month due to personal reasons.

Weinert was a Democrat so anyone the mayor selects will also have to be a member of that party and his appointment will have to be supported by a majority vote of the council – which currently has four Democrats and four Republican.

Monday’s meeting begins 7:30 p.m. in the fourth floor of city hall.

The Jamestown City Council (shown during its Nov. 26 voting session) was reduced to eight sitting members following the resignation of At Large Councilwoman Vanessa Weinert

JAMESTOWN – A number of people are being considered for appointment to fill an at-large Jamestown City Council seat that was officially vacated last month following the resignation of councilwoman Vanessa Weinert.

That’s according to Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi, who told WRFA following Monday night’s city council work session that he’s currently considering up to ten different city residents who are qualified for the post.

“Much to my surprise we’ve had a lot of interest,” the mayor said. “There’s about ten  quality individuals that have stepped forward at this time that all meet the baseline requirements of the charter. I’m in the process of interviewing all of those candidates and a few more interviews are scheduled for this week.”

Teresi said that during the next couple weeks he’ll consider weighing his options before bringing a name forward for the full city council to consider. According to the city charter, any vacated council seat must be filled by appointing an individual from the same political party as the person who had left the position and the appointment must be approved by a majority vote of the city council.

Teresi said he hopes that the council will be able to act on an appointment by the January voting session.

“I’ve been in contact with various members of the city council, keeping them abreast of the process and will continue to do so. My timetable is to have a nominee ready by the end of this month. If it’s the council’s pleasure to take action and ratify the nominee it would be my goal to have it read on Jan. 28,” Teresi added.

The names of the residents interested in filling the seat were not provided.

The At Large council seat was vacated after the city council accepted Vanessa Weinert’s resignation during its December voting session. Weinert was elected to her first term on the council in November 2017. She had been absent from the council since Mid-September following the death of her husband.  She formally submitted her resignation letter prior to the December voting session, citing personal reasons for leaving the council, but adding she may return to public service down the road.

Whoever is appointed to fill the seat will remain until the next general election in November of this year, when the other eight council seats will also be up for election, as well as the office of mayor.

Vanessa Weinert

JAMESTOWN – A member of the Jamestown City Council has submitted her resignation.

Jamestown City Council President Marie Carrubba announced during Monday’s city council voting session that first-year Councilwoman Vanessa Weinert (D- At Large) had submitted her resignation, based a situation in her personal life that resulted in her not being able to attend council meetings in recent months.

“It is with great regret that I had to submit my letter of resignation from Jamestown City Council. I have been honored to serve Jamestown over the last year and I was looking forward to working to make Jamestown an even greater city,” Weinert stated Tuesday morning on her Facebook page. “As many of you know, my family has endured a personal tragedy and I have to spend this next year focusing on my daughter.”

Weinert was elected to one of the three at-large seats on the council in the November 2017 general election.

The council unanimously accepted the resignation Monday night, resulting in an opening on the nine-member panel.

Under the city charter, the mayor is responsible for selecting a person to fill a vacancy on the council, with a majority approval by the city council. The person appointed to fill such vacancy shall be a member of the same political party as the person who vacated the office.

Because Weinert is a Democrat, the mayor will have to appoint a resident of the city who is also a member of that party. During the 2017 election, both former council president Greg Rabb and former county legislator Robert Whitney ran for At Large council seats but were defeated. Of the two, Rabb received the higher number of votes. It’s not known if either is among the possible people being considered for the post.  Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi was absent from last night’s meeting so we were unable to get comment from him regarding possible names to consider.

The council has 60 days from the date of Weinert’s resignation to identify and act on an individual to fill her vacated seat. Once that person is seated, he or she will remain on the council until the next General Election, which is on Nov. 5, 2019.

Meanwhile, Weinert also said she may return to public service in the future.

“I love this city and I plan on re-engaging with politics and the great community work that comes with that once I have gotten past this part of my life. Thank you all for your support. This has truly been a very difficult decision,” she said.

Jamestown City Council during its Nov. 26 voting session.

JAMESTOWN – The city of Jamestown now has a budget in place for 2019.

The Jamestown city council voted 7 to 1 Monday night to approve the $36 million spending plan as presented by Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi.  Freshman councilman Andrew Liuzzo (at large) provided the only “no” vote while councilwoman Vanessa Weinert (at large) was absent from the meeting.

Prior to the vote Liuzzo made an attempt to introduce several amendments to the spending plan, calling for an across-the-board quarter of a percent cut to spending. He also wanted to see all continuing education expenses for city staff removed, as well as cuts to the parks department summer part-time help and also cuts to the parks department’s plant program budget and instead utilize a greenhouse to save money by instituting a perennial plant program.

The budget relies on an additional $1 million in state aid to help closing a spending gap. Liuzzo said he wanted to see spending cuts so the city didn’t have to rely on bailout money from the state, adding he was disappointed he never received a reply when he initially made his suggestions at the end of October in an email to city officials.

Jamestown City Council members (from left to right) Tom Nelson (Ward 6), Kim Ekclund (at large) and Andrew Liuzzo (at large)

“I asked that we do this for the mayor so that he doesn’t have to ask for a million dollars. Maybe he asks for $700,00 or maybe he asked $815,000, but at least it would show an effort that we’re trying to do what we can. More importantly not for him or for us but for the people of Jamestown to see that anything that could be done is being done,” Liuzzo explained.

In response, ranking city councilman and Finance Committee Chair Tony Dolce challenged Liuzzo for not following up on his email prior to Monday night’s vote on the budget.

“We’ve had three or four meetings since you brought this forward,” Dolce responded. “You never once brought it up last week. You didn’t submit an amendment the day that they were due before the public hearing. You didn’t bring these up. We can’t vote on an amendment that doesn’t have any… what green house? Where are you going to bring [the plants]? Do you have a number for that? Do we have a plan for that? Did you follow through with that? That was your idea.”

Things then became even more heated when Dolce and Liuzzo got into a back-and-forth on the amendment process, with Liuzzo responding to Dolce’s questions as Dolce still had the floor.

“I asked for your help,” Liuzzo interrupted Dolce.

“I’m not a department head. My point is…” Dolce replied before being interrupted again by Liuzzo.

“He has the floor!” councilwoman Kim Ecklund told Liuzzo as he and Dolce continued talking over one another.

“We both can argue about this…” Liuzzo continued before council president Marie Carrubba tried to put an end to the discussion.

“No, you’re not going to argue. Councilman Dolce has the floor,” Carrubba said.

“Then stop asking me questions. Just make your statement and stop asking me questions,” Liuzzo continued.

“But you can post on social media that we didn’t do our jobs, when you didn’t do yours,” Dolce continued, referring to a public post Liuzzo had made on his Facebook page voicing his disappointment for not getting any response to his email three weeks earlier.

In the end no other council member seconded Liuzzo’s motion for his amendments and so they were not voted on. Instead the council eventually passed the spending that includes no property tax increase due to the city already being at its constitutional taxing limit.

Following the meeting Dolce said that the cuts Liuzzo was suggesting were too vague and unrealistic to consider, adding that the council has already worked to identify most of the cuts that could be made in previous years.

“Over the years many amendments have come forward. Whether it’s taking money out of the fund balance or taking money out of contingency or out of the departments. Over the course of several years we’ve already done enough of that. We’re at a point now, where you saw tonight with the police chief, his budget was slashed by 13 percent from his original request, as well as other budgets. And any further cuts to those budgets would directly impact the service that we are providing to the community,” Dolce said.

The total budget is $35,997,962. It includes a 13 cent, or .54 percent, decrease in the tax rate to $23.85 per $1,000 assessed property value.

On Monday night the council’s Housing Committee had a member of the Chautauqua County Department of Health on hand to present and discuss the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program.

According to information provided on Monday night, Jamestown ranks eighth in the state for childhood lead poisoning, with 40 percent of children in Jamestown having an elevated lead level.

The council learned that the county does have lead abatement funding available via a federal HUD lead hazard control grant.

The program provides assistance to repair lead-based paint hazards in rental properties. It is a county-wide program for properties occupied by income-eligible tenants who have children under the age of 6. Landlords are also only responsible for 20 percent of abatement costs.

“Their program inspects any apartment or privately owned homes built before 1978. If residents have children 6 years of age or under, the county will give the occupants free cleaning supplies, smoke detectors, and carbon monoxide detectors just for letting them in to do testing,” Housing Committee Chairwoman Vicki James explained.  “If they find lead, they teach the homeowners how to address it properly and give them $300 in supplies to address the problem.”

James said for rental properties, things are more complicated, although much of the abatement costs is still covered by federal grant funding.

“The federal government requires landlords to attend an EPA renovation, repair, and paint class, which the county will pay for at a cost of (at $160) and anyone who works on a building that has lead paint, inside or out, is required to have certification under federal law,” James said. “It’s also required that if they disturb a wall with lead paint, they are required to do plumbing, electrical, and any other repairs or modifications, although the landlord will only have to cover 20 percent of the total cost.”

James also said that according to a county health department spokesperson, some landlords are warning their tenants not to allow health officials in to test for lead.

“She said the landlords are warning tenants not to let them in and if there is anything we can suggest to help them get into the apartments it would be greatly appreciated,” said James.

“We can’t have 40 percent of our youth with elevated and sustained lead levels,” added councilwoman and housing committee member Vanessa Weinert. “If they are exposed and we’re able to abate and do whatever it is we need to do, then we won’t see these long lasting effects. There are studies out there that show kids who have sustained lead levels and the results are devastating.”

According to the  CDC, Lead exposure can affect nearly every system in the body, produces no obvious symptoms, and frequently goes unrecognized, potentially leading to serious health issues. Lead poisoning is particularly dangerous to infants and young children. Some adults are also at risk for lead exposure, including those who work around products or materials that contain lead.

The grant at the County Health Department is still active through the end of the year and city council members said it may be worth reaching out to landlords and tenants alike to make sure they are aware the program exists and see if they qualify.

To learn more, contact the county department of health or visit the Lead Poisoning & Prevention page on the county website.

Jamestown City Councilman Andrew Liuzzo (center) suggested the city look into allowing certified bow hunters harvest deer living within the city during the council’s April 23 work session.

JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown City Council could soon be taking a closer look at what some say is a growing problem of deer within the city limits.

During Monday Night’s Jamestown City Council work session, councilman Andrew Liuzzo (R-At Large) said he was made aware of the growing deer problem through a recent letter-to-the-editor in the Jamestown Post-Journal calling for a deer management plan in the city.

Liuzzo said he then went on Facebook to the “Jamestown, NY” group page to seek more feedback on the issue. He said through the post, found that there are a large number of residents concerned with the number of deer in the city, which damage property and landscaping and also pose a threat to motorists.

The councilman said the city should consider working with a small group of bow hunters to harvest deer within the city limits in order to control the population.

“We have skilled [bow] hunters in the area that could be certified. A certified hunter makes a shot that doesn’t injure the deer, but puts it down,” Liuzzo said. “It wouldn’t be open to any hunter, it would be a select group. It’s quiet and they’re doing it from a tree stand so if there is a miss, the arrow would go into the ground.”

A recent Facebook post by Liuzzo on the “Jamestown, NY” group page spurred a conversation among Facebook users who are members of the group about the pros and cons of harvesting deer within the city limits.

Liuzzo also said he’s talked with a representative from the state DEC who said he would be willing to come in and talk with the council about deer management.

City councilwoman Vanessa Weinert said she would first like to learn what all available options to dealing with and managing deer populations, prior to settling on the bow hunting solution.

Liuzzo said he would support holding a hearing on the issue to allow members of the community an opportunity to weigh in on the issue and offer their thoughts on how the issue should be dealt with.

“Your options are ten-foot fences if you want to protect your property, but those would require a variance because you’re only allowed to have up to a six-foot fence. You could take human hair from the beauty shop and spread it around. You can have repellents. But all those things are short-term because the deer are used to people and they’re not going to stay long,” Liuzzo said.

Liuzzo also noted that it is illegal in New York State to feed deer and wants to reminds residents that they shouldn’t be putting out food to attract deer.  It’s also currently illegal to hunt deer with bow or shotgun within the city limits, but the city could approve a measure requesting a deer management permit from the DEC and to allow hunting with certain restrictions included. A similar program has been initiated and underway in the village of Celoron for the past six years.

The city council agreed it was a public safety issue and as a result, said they would await further input from Public Safety director and police Chief Harry Snellings – who was absent from Monday’s meeting.

JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown City Council held its inaugural voting session on Monday night at City Hall.

Councilwoman Marie Carrubba (D-Ward 4) was tapped to replace previous council president Greg Rabb, who lost reelection in November. She has served on the city council since 2013 and has chaired the council’s housing committee and also served on the public safety committee.  As city council president, Carrubba will preside over all council meetings, appoint its standing and special committees, and perform the duties of mayor in his/her absence. Carrubba will also serve as co-chair of the city’s Strategic Planning and Partnership Commission and was appointed by Mayor Sam Teresi to serve on the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities (BPU).

Carrubba is just the second woman to serve as council president, following former council women Dr. Lillian Ney, who was council president a little over a decade earlier.

Rabb, meanwhile, will remain active in city government with a seat at the BPU and on the city Planning Commission. Rabb was appointed by Teresi to serve on the BPU to replace outgoing member Tyler Case. Rabb previously served on the BPU while president of the city council. Case, meanwhile, was appointed to the Jamestown Local Development Corporation.

WOMEN HOLD MAJORITY

For the first time in its history, a majority of women will hold seats on the City Council. Joining Carrubba are council members at large Kim Ecklund (R) and newcomer Vanessa Weinert (D), along with councilwoman Vicki James (D-Ward 3) and Maria Jones (D-Ward 4).  Jones will continue serving on the BPU. Ecklund will serve on the JLDC board.

Councilman Tony Dolce (R-Ward 2) will once again serve as the council’s finance committee chair.

City resident Tim Smeal was appointed to the JLDC as a representative of the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier (MAST).  Smeal currently serves as Director of Development at Jamestown Community College and previously had served on the mayor’s ad hoc Downtown Parking Committee.

Also appointed to another four-year term to Public Safety Director was Jamestown Police Chief Harry Snellings, who’s held that dual role since 2010.

A Complete list of appointments is available below.

LIUZZO VOTES ‘NO’

Prior to voting the council members took their oath of office. Joining Carrubba, Ecklund, Weinert, James, Jones and Dolce were returning council members Brent Sheldon (R-Ward 1) and Tom Nelson (D-Ward 6) along with newcomer Andrew Liuzzo (R-At Large).

Liuzzo was the only council member to vote “not” to electing Carrubba as president.  In all Carrubba received five nominations as president (all from the Democratic members of the council). Others who received nominations were Dolce (two nominations from Sheldon and Ecklund) and Ecklund (one nomination from Dolce). Liuzzo had nominated Jones.  Once nominations had ended, Liuzzo made a motion to vote for the president by secret ballot rather than a roll call vote. His motion didn’t receive a supporting second and was declared dead by city clerk Todd Thomas. The council then voted 8 to 1 in favor of Carrubba as president.

Liuzzo also voted against Teresi’s 27 agency appointments, which were blocked together into a single vote. After the appointments were announced, a motion was made to suspend the rules and vote on the appointments collectively, to which Liuzzo voted “absolutely no.”  He also voted “no” on the actual appointments. All other council members supported both the motion to suspend the rules and the actual appointment vote and they passed 8 to 1.

The Council’s first work session of the new year is set for Monday, January 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the Mayor’s Conference Room (4th floor) of City Hall.

2018 Mayoral Appointments

* New Appointment
** Council member appointed by Mayor
*** Council President appointment

Department Head:

• Harry L. Snellings  – Director of Public Safety/Chief of Police – Term Expires: 12/31/2021

Zoning Board of Appeals

• Sally Martinez – Term Expires: 12/31/2019
• Patricia Calanni – Term Expires: 12/31/2020
• Richard Hanson – Term Expires: 12/31/2020
• *James Olson – Term Expires: 12/31/2020

Board of Assessment Review

• *Thomas Vitale – Term Expires: 09/30/2022
• Board of Electrical Examiners
• James MacTavish – Term Expires: 12/31/2019
• Steve Nowell – Term Expires: 12/31/2019

Board of Public Utilities

• Martha Zenns – Term Expires: 12/31/2019 (filling unexpired term of T. Case/resigned)
• Ralph Wallace – Term Expires: 12/31/2019
• Charles Cornell – Term Expires: 12/31/2021
• *Gregory Rabb – Term Expires: 12/31/2021
• **Maria Jones – Term Expires: 12/31/2019
• **Marie Carrubba – Term Expires: 12/31/2019

Parks, Recreation and Conservation

• **Vanessa Weinert – Term Expires: 12/31/2019
• **Kimberly Ecklund – Term Expires: 12/31/2019
• *David Reinhardt – Term Expires: 12/31/2022
• *Aubrey Russell – Term Expires: 12/31/2022

Planning

• Jeffrey Nelson – Term Expires: 12/31/2022
• *Gregory Rabb – Term Expires: 12/31/2022 (Chair)
• ***Thomas Nelson – Term Expires: 12/31/2019

Property Rehabilitation and Conservation Board of Appeals

• *Sandra Stewart – Term Expires: 12/31/2020
• Mary Lynne Videll – Term Expires: 12/31/2020
• ***Brent Sheldon – Term Expires: 12/31/2019

Riverfront Management Council

• **Kimberly Ecklund – Term Expires: 12/31/2019
• *Vanessa Weinert – Term Expires: 12/31/2020
• Jade Barber – Term Expires: 12/31/2020
• William Stevenson – Term Expires: 12/31/2020
• *Luke Fodor – Term Expires: 12/31/2020
• *Aubrey Russell               12/31/2020

Strategic Planning and Partnerships Commission

• Paul Leone – Term Expires: 12/31/2022
• ***Marie Carrubba – Term Expires: 12/31/2019
• ***Anthony Dolce – Term Expires: 12/31/2019

Veterans Memorial Commission

• Sharon Terwilliger – Term Expires: 12/31/2020
• Russell Diethrick, Jr. – Term Expires: 12/31/2020
• Tom Abbott – Term Expires: 12/31/2020
• *Daniel Kell – Term Expires: 12/31/2019

Jamestown Local Development Corporation

• **Kimberly Ecklund – Term Expires: 12/31/2019
• *Tyler Case – Term Expires: 12/31/2018 (At Large member)
• *Timothy Smeal               – Term Expires: 12/31/2018 (MAST representative)
• Russell Diethrick, Jr – Term Expires: 12/31/2018 (Chaut. Co. Chamber of Commerce representative)
• John Whittaker – Term Expires: 12/31/2018 (JRC representative)

A highlight of the meeting will be the appointment of a new council president. The new president will replace former council president Greg Rabb, who did not win reelection last November.

With Democrats on the council holding a slight 5 to 4 majority, council members will likely select another Democrat to serve as the new president.  Among the Democrats who could be selected are councilwoman Marie Carrubba (ward 4), councilwoman Maria Jones (ward 5), councilwoman Vicki James (ward 3), councilman Tom Nelson (ward 6), or councilwoman Vanessa Weinert (at large) – who is the newest member of the group following her election win in the November.

Meanwhile, the longest serving council members are in the group of four Republicans and could also be in the mix for appointment to lead the council. They are councilman Tony Dolce (ward 2) – who also chairs the city’s finance committee, along with councilwoman Kim Ecklund (at large).  The other two republicans to round out the list of council members are Brent Sheldon (ward 1) and Andrew Liuzzo (at large) – who also won election in November and is beginning his first term on the council.

Council to Review and Act on Mayoral Appointments

In addition to appointing a new president, the council will also review and act on a series of appointments to several city agency boards and positions brought forward by Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi. Among those appointments are membership to the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities – where five out of the nine seats will be up for appointment.

Rabb was one of the two city council members appointed to the BPU, but because he lost his bid for reelection last year, his seat will be vacated and will have to filled by another council member.

The four other BPU members whose term expires at the end of 2017 and would have to be reappointed or replaced Monday night are:

• BPU Chairman Chuck Cornell (appointed to BPU to fill a vacated seat in June 2014);
• City Councilwoman Maria Jones;
• Ralph Wallace (appointed to BPU in January 2016);
• and Martha Zenns (appointed to BPU in January 2014).

The city website has not posted any of the appointments that will be acted on during Monday’s meeting, so it’s not publicly known who any of Teresi’s nominations are for any of the agencies or positions that have seats up for appointment, including the BPU. However, the mayor has indicated to WRFA that it’s likely all four of those individuals currently on the BPU will be reappointed to new terms during the meeting.

Besides appointing a new council president and approving appointments from the mayor, the council members will also take their oath of office and will assign committee chairs for the new term.

Monday’s meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the city council chambers and is open to the public.