Director of Streets and Parks bids farewell

Jan. 25—Mike Hoffman formally started his retirement from Director of Highway and Parks for the City of Lockport on Jan. 8, but has been coming in for six hours a week as the city looks for somebody that can fill his shoes.

With a career in two parts, Hoffman was first hired by the city to the head of the department on Feb. 2, 2006 and left in 2011 when his position was eliminated. He was then hired again, this time by Mayor Anne McCaffrey in 2015.

While she did not hire him, Mayor Michelle Roman expressed that Hoffman will be a tough man to replace.

"Mike's been a real asset to this city and his experience and his understanding of how the process works between state funding and the capitol projects — capitol equipment — have been real assets to the city. I'm going to miss working with him."

Hoffman said he approached McCaffrey when Norm Allen, the man who took over Hoffman's duties in 2011 — although from a different position — decided to take a job with Niagara Falls Water Authority.

"There was no one to fill my position, even part-time," Hoffman said. "That's when I knew they were nearly bankrupt, so I offered to come back half-time. Then after a short amount of time I mentioned I could use five hours, so I went to five-eighths time."

During the four years between employment with the city, Hoffman had been working at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station as a maintenance manager for a defense contractor.

"I was in charge of the buildings and the grounds at the air station," he said, but also that the job dried up in 2015 when the 10-year contact ended and another company came in.

Hoffman said it was a desire to do good for the community that's fueled him at the position he's worked — cumulatively — for over 10 years.

"I liked helping out the public, that was the main thing," he said. "As much as you can, you like to help get streets plowed and make the roads safe and nice — pothole free — as much as you can."

In the end though, Hoffman said he was 66-years old — 67 in June — and it was time to move on.

"It's just all the stuff I'd like to do, that's all it comes down to. I got no problem otherwise. ... I'm going to do some fishing. I've got a boat. I've got a wood-working shop, and I also got a '38 Chevy that I've been tinkering around with."

Hoffman said he'll continue to "fill in the gaps" until somebody else is found.

"It may be a month or two before somebody new takes over, and then after that I'm available for consultant work."