Page 4 - RR-2-26-26

4 • RIVERROCK T • Thursday, February 26, 2026
Buffalo briefs

Council approves resolution

to establish full property tax

exemption for certain veterans

The Buffalo Common Council profound challenges they
voted unanimously on Feb. 17, to continue to face. For veterans
approve a resolution that would pro- who can no longer work and
vide a full property tax exemption to require specially adapted
certain veterans who have a 100% housing, property tax relief
permanent and total disability relat- can make the difference be-
ed to active military service. tween stability and hardship.” BSA work on new gate structure at Cornelius Creek.
The resolution directs the City’s The matter will return before the Journalism scholar- BSA images
Corporation Counsel to draft a local Common Council after Corporation BSA looks ahead at major projects
law opting into recently-passed Counsel drafts the local law. Upon ships available
New York State legislation granting its final approval, Council Members Greater Buffalo-area college From page 1 Additionally, the sewer authority
the tax exemption to disabled veter- will clarify when the exemptions students who are studying commu- Five big projects is in the process of updating its
ans who meet all four of the follow- take effect and outline the actions nications, along with pofessional on the horizon Queen City Clean Waters Plan, as
ing criteria: that qualifying veterans must take in journalists seeking additional aca-
She also gave updates on five part of an ongoing effort to bring all
A 100% disability rating with a order to take advantage of the tax demic training, can now apply for
initiatives already in motion or facilities and systems up to New
total and permanent designation exemption. college and graduate school schol- York State standards and require-
from the U.S. Department of Veter- arships for the 2026-2027 academic coming up this year. ments. “One of the updates is we are
On the Cornelius Creek project,
ans Affairs (VA). Parking Authority year. planning for an underground storage
Have a Total Disability based on meeting is online “Our fund has awarded more in which the Sewer Authority is facility near Military and Hertel. We
Individual Unemployability (TDIU) The City of Buffalo Parking Au- than $150,000 in scholarships to installing a backflow preventer to think we can get rid of that and in-
from the VA. thority will hold a regular meeting talented communications students keep storm water from mixing with
the waste flowing into the water stead we would be putting in a very
Qualify for the VA’s specially on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at 1 who have attended about 30 differ- deep pipe, 150 feet below ground
adapted housing grant. p.m. in the Mayor’s Conference ent colleges and universities in the treatment plant, she says installa-
tion will be done “within the surface, that we would be drilling
Have either an honorable dis- Room on the second floor of City United States and Canada,” said
month.” Crews will return later to down to and then connecting above
charge or a qualifying condition un- Hall, 65 Niagara St., Buffalo. chair Brian Meyer. “Many of the clean up the site and “make every- a couple points throughout. One of
der New York State Veterans’ The meeting will also be recipients have forged successful those points would be the former
Services Law, with an other-than- streamed live online at the follow- careers in the communications in- thing look nice,” but once the main
installation work is completed, the landfill space north of the 190,” she
dishonorable or bad conduct dis- ing link: dustry.” said. There would need to be soil
charge; qualifying conditions in- https://teams.microsoft.com/me To be eligible, applicants must Sewer Authority will need to con- rehabilitation work but, ideally, it
nect the technology into its opera-
clude: et/27437938033189?p=pUwYKwn be residents of Western or Central could result in the creation of some
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder AwR6mzYwa8u New York, Northwestern Pennsyl- tional system. green space that would be available
“Ultimately this creates flood
• Traumatic Brain Injury The authority’s webpage is: vania or Southern Ontario attending for public use. “We are hoping to
• Military Sexual Trauma https://www.buffalony.gov/1853/P accredited colleges in the U.S. or prevention and keeps the canal and make that happen, so that area that
the river outside of our major inter-
• Discharged LGBT Veteran arking-Authority Canada that offer courses to en- folks are looking to have be a park
The resolution comes just hance journalism training. Students ceptor, our major underground can be a park in the future.”
months after Governor Kathy Zellner applauds who are residents outside the chap- sewer, that this whole area, whether These efforts are in the very early
Hochul signed the legislation autho- $40 million for Buffalo ter area who attend colleges in it’s Black Rock or Riverside… stages and there will be opportunity
from fighting with the sewer during
rizing local governments to opt into NY State Senator Jeremy Zell- Western New York are also eligi- for residents to provide comments on
the tax exemption for disabled vet- ner issued a statement in response to ble. Undergraduate students in any days when it gets windy on the the proposal, she said.
lake,” she said
erans. Fillmore District Coun- Governor Kathy Hochul’s an- year of study, graduate students and Fourth, she reminded people to
The interceptor looks like two
cilmember Mitch Nowakowski nouncement of $40 million in state working journalists are encouraged large gates and, “when the water call 311 for any general concerns or
introduced the resolution, joined by funding to help Buffalo address its to apply. complaints about their sewer issues
co-sponsors Lovejoy District Coun- structural budget gap and stabilize Evidence of competence in writ- comes up on the river, the gates at home, as that’s the best way for
will come down and prevent the
cilmember Bryan Bollman and Uni- the city’s finances. In it he stated: ing, broadcasting or related com- the sewer authority to know when
versity District Councilmember “I commend Governor Hochul munications skills is especially water from coming up into your problems are occurring.
system” at home, Nogle says.
Rasheed N.C. Wyatt, as a way to for recognizing the urgency of Buf- desirable. So is the explanation of Finally, Nogle said that the rail
Secondly, the Buffalo Sewer
give back to service members who falo’s fiscal situation and stepping financial need. Applicants must in- Authority, like other agencies bridge crossing Unity Island – which
have suffered and sacrificed to de- up with this critical $40 million in- clude a brief statement outlining is under the governance of the Cana-
fend our nation. vestment. This funding represents their motivation and offering evi- across the state, is still waiting for dian National Railroad and not the
a new operational permit to be ap-
“As the son of a United States meaningful progress and demon- dence of a commitment to a career proved by the New York State De- sewer authority – will be closed for
military veteran, I know firsthand strates what is possible when state in journalism. Two letters of recom- partment of Environmental maintenance work several days in
that our veterans made extraordi- and local leaders work together with mendation from an instructor or su- Conservation. The sewer authority March. She did not have those dates
nary sacrifices in service to our focus and urgency. I also want to pervisor in the student’s field of filed for its permit renewal in 2019 as of the meeting on Feb. 18 but
country,” said Councilmember acknowledge Assembly Majority major interest must accompany the but, due to personnel shortages and promised to make them available as
Bollman. “This local law ensures Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes for application. a backlog of applications from oth- soon as possible. Unity Island will
that Buffalo honors our most se- her continued leadership and stead- Check us out on the web: er agencies and sewer authorities, not be accessible by vehicles when
verely disabled veterans by provid- fast commitment to protecting Buf- https://www.facebook.com/spjscho no new permits have been ap- the bridge is closed, but will be open
ing real financial relief that falo residents while addressing larshipbuffalo/ proved in many years. A new per- to foot traffic from Freedom Park
recognizes both their service and the these financial challenges” For a digital application, email mit is expected to be approved and and other trails.
Annemarie Franczyk at issued in the next few months.
amfranczyk@verizon.net. Individu-
als wishing to receive applications
by U.S. mail should send a self-ad-
dressed, stamped envelope to: An-
nemarie Franczyk, 858 Fillmore
Ave., Buffalo, N.Y. 14212. For
questions, please call Franczyk at
(716) 239-5571.
Applications for the upcoming
academic year must be postmarked
by April 30, 2026.
New gate structure
at Cornelius Creek.
BSA rendering.

The RIVERROCK TIMES is now
offering readers a pdf file of the
newspaper emailed each Thursday.

Send your name, address and email to:
riverrock@email.com
Put “email delivery” in the subject line.