Southtowns Record

Town Board minutes — June 16, 2026

Government
Town of Aurora
Board
Town Board
Meeting
Jun 16, 2026
Kind
Minutes
Topics
Parks and recreation, Zoning and land use

Original document

Same meeting

Text · page 1 of 2

Town of Aurora | Work Session | June 16, 2026
  The following members of the Aurora Town Board met on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at
6:30 PM for the purpose of holding a work session. The Board met in-person at the Aurora
Municipal Center, 575 Oakwood Avenue, East Aurora, New York.

  Present:  Ben Garvey  Councilmember
  Jess Armbrust  Councilmember
  Joe McCann  Deputy Supervisor

  Others Present:  Chris Musshafen  Recreation Director

  Deputy Supervisor McCann opened the session at 6:30 PM with the recitation of the
Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

Before moving into the Agenda, Deputy Supervisor McCann took a moment to review the
process for referring to Town officials and staff with their first name versus their title so that
anyone attending or accessing the YouTube stream understands who is being addressed.

1) Dan Dychkowskyj to present a course on emergency management

  Dan was not present at the time of the meeting. Councilmember Armbrust offered
to reach out to see if he could send the information regarding the course via email. The
plan is for him to teach a course for local officials on the topic of emergency
management.

2) Composting Letter of Intent with Erie County

  The Town of Aurora (the Town) as well as the Village of East Aurora (VEA) have the
opportunity to be one of the first five municipalities to join Erie County’s pilot composting
program. The Town and the Village would count as one municipality together, with the
VEA agreeing to handle the collecting of compost material and the Town agreeing to
transport it to the composting facility. Councilmember Garvey explained that he is looking
into closer collection sites, the current closest one being in Alden. He commented that Erie
County would provide all the education and roll-out material, as well as tabletop compost
bins for the residents that sign up for the program. Councilmember Armbrust verified that
this is a no-cost program for the first two years, aside from time and labor of collection and
transportation, and that this will give the Town and VEA the ability to gauge local interest
in the program. The Town and VEA both need to submit letters to Erie County regarding
their intent to join the program.

3) Going Place Van Program from Erie County Dept. for the Aging

  Councilmember Armbrust explained that the acquiring of a new Wheelchair
accessible van should also be accompanied by a formalization and updating of the Van
Program and Policy as a whole. This would include setting rider and driver expectations, as
well as a definition of “curb to curb” service. Recreation Director Musshafen provided the
original policy from 2011 to use as a reference. Deputy Supervisor McCann inquired about
an estimated time of arrival of the van, but that is unknown at this time.

4) Pollinator Garden at 400 Circle

  Councilmember Garvey presented a plan to revamp the traffic circle at the end of
the 400 at Olean Road. As of right now, the space is overgrown and in need of some
attention. He explained that most of the original landscaping structure is intact; in the form
of three flower beds and landscaping stone, so a whole overhaul is not needed.
Councilmember Garvey also noted that Masterson’s Garden Center has offered to look at
the circle and draw up a design at no charge. The Climate Smart Committee expressed
interest in providing volunteers to do the labor, and Masterson’s also agreed to the
possibility of taking over the maintenance at some point. Councilmember Garvey
explained that this project would provide native pollinating plants, as well as be
considered a traffic calming measure, both of which are part of The Town’s
comprehensive plan. Deputy Supervisor McCann asked about the possible need for a
formal agreement or a letter of intent with Masterson’s, and Councilmember Armbrust
mentioned it may be worth speaking with the Town’s attorney regarding the project.

1