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WEST SENECA COURT ROOM TOWN BOARD PROCEEDINGS 1250 Union Road Minutes - Meeting # 2026-02 West Seneca, NY 14224 January 26, 2026 - Public comments only occur if the Town Board allows them - A study performed in 2023 found that 79% of the over 900 towns in NYS - The Erie County Legislature has only recently allowed public comments - The Town of West Seneca allows public comments from Facebook and noted not many municipalities allow this - Time limits were also studied and were found to vary from no limit to a certain number of minutes, most commonly 3 minutes - The Coalition members' opinions on time limits also vary and Mr. Wolf personally supports 3 minutes per speaker - Supports public comments at the beginning of meetings - Public should be able to freely and spontaneously make comments and noted some municipalities require speakers to register prior to the meeting - Speakers should have the option of identifying themselves and providing their address Councilmember Sherman asked Mr. Wolf if time limits for speakers helps to maintain the order of the meeting. Mr. Wolf stated that, in his opinion, time limits do help to maintain order in a meeting and prevent bias by the Town Board when stopping or interrupting speakers. Further, it is important that speakers are treated in a uniform manner. Supervisor Dickson stated the Cheektowaga Town Board allows 20 minutes of public comments and speakers are limited to 3 minutes. Further, after watching a recent meeting, Supervisor Dickson stated that, in his opinion, everyone was respectful of this process. Mr. Wolf stated that in his experience, people are respectful of time limits. Supervisor Dickson asked Mr. Wolf if a time limit violates the first amendment. Mr. Wolf stated the public does not have a first amendment right to speak at a Town Board meeting unless the Town Board allows them. Councilmember Piekarec stated that, in his experience, speakers do not abuse their time. Councilmember Piekarec referred to agenda item attachments and asked Mr. Wolf if, for example, all quotes or only the quote from the selected vendor should be provided. Mr. Wolf stated that, in his opinion, the public should be provided with anything the Town Board has. Councilmember Piekarec asked Mr. Wolf how detailed an executive session should be. Mr. Wolf stated the name of the case should be identified and updates could be made in the open meeting. Additionally, personnel matters should indicate the type, for example, hiring, discipline, etc. Councilmember Breidenstein asked Mr. Wolf if the rules of decorum should be read before each public comment period. Mr. Wolf stated that, in his experience, he has not witnessed the rules being read but the Town Board could provide copies to the public at the meeting and make them available on the website. Councilmember Breidenstein asked for Mr. Wolf's opinion on the Town Board engaging with some speakers and not others. Mr. Wolf stated the Town Board should do what they feel is right in the situation. Councilmember Sherman asked Mr. Wolf what the purpose of public comments was, for example, to provide residents with a forum for input, or for dialogue. Mr. Wolf stated that, in his experience, most Town Boards view public comments as an opportunity to listen to residents before taking action, but noted that some boards do engage in debate. 2. Town Engineer re Grant funding update and planned grant strategy 7