Southtowns Record

Town Board minutes — August 18, 2026

Government
Town of Aurora
Board
Town Board
Meeting
Aug 18, 2026
Kind
Minutes
Topics
Roads and traffic

Original document

Same meeting

Text · page 1 of 3

Town of Aurora | Work Session | August 18, 2026

  The following members of the Aurora Town Board met on Tuesday, August 18, 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. The Work session was also live streamed via
YouTube.

  Present:  Jessica Armbrust  Councilmember
  Benjamin Garvey  Councilmember
  Joseph McCann  Councilmember
  Charles D. Snyder  Supervisor
  Raymond Wrazen  Councilmember

  Absent/Excused:  Brigid Maloney  Town Attorney

  Others Present:  David Gunner  Highway Superintendent

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

All agenda topics were brought to the board by Highway Superintendent David Gunner.

1. Recycling Grant and Highway Equipment

Superintendent Gunner stated that the Highway Department received a $342,000 New York State
recycling grant earlier than expected. Because reimbursement requires canceled checks, the
Town paid for the $274,000 grapple early so the reimbursement process could begin. Timing of the
reimbursement depends partly on other municipalities included in the State’s payment batch.

The Highway Department also proposed moving ahead with two equipment replacements
already included in its long-term equipment plan. A new hook-lift truck would replace the existing
unit while continuing to use its interchangeable bodies. Purchasing before new emissions
requirements take effect is expected to avoid roughly $15,000 to $20,000 in additional cost.

A new 2027 Ford F-550 is available for approximately $77,000, compared with an earlier estimate
of $84,000. Combined with the savings on the larger truck, moving the purchases forward was
estimated to save approximately $38,000. The F-550 would be included in the new grant.

A separate plow package would include both a salt hopper and brine system, allowing the
operator to switch between salt and brine as needed. This portion would not be eligible for the
recycling grant and would be paid by the Town. The discussion emphasized brine as a lower-cost
alternative given rising salt prices.

The existing grapple and F-550 were grant-funded in 2017 and cannot be sold until the required
10-year ownership period is satisfied. They are expected to be sold once eligible.

2. Salt Barn Project

The grant will fund the salt barn itself, but the proposed brine equipment was removed from the
project. Earlier grant versions had included more equipment, but those items were reduced to
control the Town’s match and ultimately could not be included under the revised grant allocation.

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