Lewiston reorganizes: Town Board approves designations, appointments, confirmations for 2026

Salada reports on LPD 2025 service numbers

By Terry Duffy

Editor-in-Chief

The Town of Lewiston got down to business Monday with several approvals, authorizations and appointments set for the upcoming year.

Supervisor Steve Broderick opened the meeting by introducing newly elected councilman Bill Burg.

From there, a host of items were approved:

•Appointments and confirmations included:

√ Nick Fiutko as town assessor and Alphonso Marra Bax as town attorney.

√ Building inspectors Tim Masters and Ed Zimmerman. Masters was named SEQRA compliance officer.

√ Christopher McAuliffe was reappointed as storm water management officer.

√ Engineering services for the town will again be provided by GHD Consulting Services.

√ Returning fire inspectors for 2026 are Pat Martin (part-time) and Sam Ricotta. Broderick announced Jim Bos as fire prevention chair.

√ Jeff Cosgrove was reappointed as deputy highway superintendent and Zach Collister reappointed as town historian.

√ George Adamson was named town prosecutor.

√ Highway Superintendent Mike Weiss was reappointed as parks superintendent.

√ Mike Salada was reappointed as Lewiston Police Department chief.

√ Tim Smith was reappointed recreation director.

√ Town Clerk Tamara Burns was designated as 2026 records/access officer and RMO. Linda Kreps was named deputy registrar, with sub registrar Briggett Cogland.

√ Melinda Olick was reappointed as senior citizens coordinator.

√ Supervisor’s confirmations include William Conrad as deputy supervisor; Amy Smith as confidential secretary; and Jacqueline Agnello as finance director.

√ Isaiah Milne was reappointed as the town’s part-time junior accountant. Municipal Solutions will serve as grants consultant on a case-by-case basis.

√ Dresher-Malecki was approved as town auditor.

√ Dan Zahno was named water foreman, and Jeff Ritter as chief operator of the water treatment plant.

√ Broderick announced his board liaison appointments this year would remain the same as in 2025.

√ In remaining appointments, Burns was named as minority business officer and women’s business officer; Atlantic-Inland Inc. was designated as electrical inspector; Broderick and Burg were named as town/village police liaisons; Lisa Wisnieski as bingo inspector; and Broderick as records appeals officer.

For an updated listing of all 2026 appointments, visit www.townoflewistonny.gov.

•The town’s pay schedules for 2026 were approved as presented.

•The town’s official/secondary newspapers include the Niagara Gazette and the Niagara County Tribune/Sentinel.

•The regular meetings, work sessions and audit schedules; meeting schedules for the town’s Planning and Zoning boards and its various commissions and committees; plus, the town’s 2026 holiday schedule.

•The 2026 IRS mileage reimbursement rate at 72.5 cents per mile and the 2026 fee rates set for assessor/map copies. Plus, 2026 fee rates, the cell phone stipend for designated town officials, 2026 credit card use/payments for town departments and retaining the dishonored check fee at $20.

•BankOnBuffalo and M&T Bank were approved as the official town depositories.

Work session

In the brief work session that followed:

•Salada reported on the LPD’s service numbers for the year.

“In 2025, we had 15,751 calls for service, which was on par with ’24, but it’s still 47% over our highest year, which was 2023,” Salada said.

LPD 2025 arrest numbers were 33% higher than the previous year, while issued ticket numbers (vehicle/traffic and others) were 17% higher.

“We had a busy year,” Salada said.

•Broderick announced he will serve as Lewiston’s delegate for the annual Association of Towns meetings, to be held President’s Day weekend in New York City.

•In remaining news:

√ Bax announced the town’s 2026 contract for services with the Niagara County Office of the Aging has been renewed.

√ The Town Board approved payment of $87,759.53 in audit claims and budget revisions submitted by Agnello.

√ LPD officer Courtney Bourey’s resignation was accepted and is effective Jan. 10.