Divided Niagara Falls City Council approves contract to design new animal shelter

Rick Pfeiffer -, Niagara Gazette, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
·3 min read

May 23—A divided Falls City Council approved spending $13,000 with a Buffalo design firm to begin the initial work for the development of a new city animal shelter at Hyde Park.

Council Chair James Perry (D) with Members Traci Bax (R) and David Zajac (R), voted to approve the contract with Clark Patterson Lee, following a recommendation from Mayor Robert Restaino. Council Members Brian Archie (D) and Donta Myles (D) opposed the contract.

In a letter to the mayor, Clark Patterson Lee said they have previously been involved in the design of animal shelters in upstate and Western New York.

Under questioning from Archie, Acting City Corporation Counsel Thomas DeBoy said that Clark Patterson Lee's work was part of a planning phase for the new animal shelter.

"CPL will make a recommendation on the placement of the shelter in Hyde Park and, if appropriate, will design (a shelter) consistent with (New York) state requirements," DeBoy said.

If Clark Patterson Lee can't design a "state-compliant" shelter in Hyde Park, DeBoy said the firm will look at other city properties that might be available to house a shelter operation.

Janine Gallo, an outspoken critic of the city's current animal sheltering contract with the Pit Chic on Grand Island, called the Hyde Park location inappropriate for housing dogs because of summer fireworks displays.

DeBoy told council members that Clark Patterson Lee was aware of potential noise issues with the Hyde Park site and would address "state requirements including sound-proofing" at the site.

Other public speakers asked for a community forum to be held on the dog shelter issue.

In a memo to the council, Restaino said the Clark Patterson Lee contract would be funded with money in the city's American Rescue Plan account. That brought a harsh, and lengthy, rebuke from Myles.

"I am so tired of trying to expose how we're taking money from poor people," he said. "Our mayor has been taking from the poor to set the Pit Chic up in business in the Falls. This is bad business."

Myles lengthy comments led to a confrontation with DeBoy, who told Perry that the council member was violating meeting rules for speaking for more than 10 minutes on a single topic.

Myles angrily told DeBoy to "Stay in your lane." Perry, however, said Myles had violated council rules and needed to abide by them in the future.

The harsh words between the city's lawyer and the council member then spilled over into the public speaking portion of the meeting, when Falls resident Roberta Cicero lashed out at non-residents who signed up for the public speaking session.

"This is our city. we voted you in," Cicero said to the council members. "You people from Erie County, go home!"

The comments elicited shouts of protest from others in the council chambers and led Falls police, who were on scene, to step in to quell the outbursts.

Former City Council Member Vincent Cauley was also rebuffed by Perry, when he took the microphone from the speaker's podium, turned around and began giving a stump speech to the audience in the council chambers.

"Mr. Cauley," Perry said. "Are you giving a campaign speech? Turn around and face the council."