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If you arrived eight minutes late for the Dunkirk Common Council meeting Tuesday, you missed it. A short agenda, with little discussion by council members, led to one of the briefest meetings in memory, according to City Hall veterans.

Both resolutions on the agenda met with unanimous consent.

The Dunkirk Marauder Steel Drum Band is $500 closer to its goal of raising some $4,500 for a concert tour of New York City after 74-2009 passed. The group is scheduled to perform at the Lincoln Center and at the Statue of Liberty and according to their letter requesting funding help, "We promise to represent Dunkirk proudly as young ambassadors and perform our very best."

The city is providing the funding through the Bill Cease Fund it administers. City Treasurer Mark Woods said the money would come from interest earned in the fund.

Wendy Spinuzza was approved for a contract extension to aid in the enforcement of the city's building and zoning codes.

Spinuzza is paid with Community Development Block Grant funds and her efforts are focused on the city's CDBG target area. Under 73-2009, Mayor Richard Frey was authorized and directed to extend Spinuzza's contract.

With council's pre-meeting workshop session also ending quickly, Councilman-at-Large James Muscato asked if any department heads wished to speak or give reports. Mayor Richard Frey decided to speak rather than wait for the regular meeting which was not going to be televised.

Frey began with the city's Christmas tree, saying it is getting cut today. Frey said the tree is being donated by Mr. and Mrs. Roger Peterson, new residents of 15 Genet St., who recently moved from North Carolina.

"They graciously offered to donate the tree to us and we're going to go in (today) and take it down and erect it here in front of City Hall," the mayor said.

Frey said the leaf pickup program is continuing, likely until the end of this week.

"We've been at it about four weeks," he said. " ... The Public Works has just done a super job. They've done four runs through the city and it always seems to be when we go down the street one time, the guy tonight decides to put his leaves out there tomorrow morning. So it kind of looks like we haven't been there but we have."

Brush pickup was the next topic for Frey.

"We're going to do one more brush pickup through the city starting next Monday, we're going to start down in the First Ward," he said. "This is actually two additional pickups we've done this fall because the weather has just been so permissive for us to do these things."

Christmas decorations were next.

"They'll be finished up (today) I think. They'll all be up and ready to go," Frey said. "Christmas tree lighting in front of City Hall will be next Wednesday."

Frey said Santa Claus will arrive at 4:30 p.m by fire truck. At 5 p.m. the annual drawings will be held and at 5:30 p.m. the Petersons will light the tree they donated.

Frey also announced Clerk Board of Assessors Thomas Mleczko was elected the 2010 president of the Chautauqua County Assessors Association. Second Ward Councilman Kevin Muldowney is the assessor for the town of Pomfret and will serve on the association's executive board.

"When you see Tom make sure you genuflect and kiss his ring," Frey joked. "But, I think it speaks volumes for Tom's capabilities ... recognized in such a short period of time, a couple of years on the job."

The water meter program was next on Frey's agenda and he reminded everyone of the 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. informational sessions to be held today in City Hall.

"I would like to have the public show up to find out who the people are that are going to be doing this," Frey said. "We're going to be doing it in-house."

Frey added water department members have come up with cost-cutting ideas for the program.

"We have to be very thankful that we're not plowing snow and spreading salt," Frey said next. "It also says to us we're out there working a little longer doing the leaf pickup, the brush pickup and stuff like that. Yes, we did work extra overtime but I'll tell you what, all of the division heads and all the department heads have just done an outstanding job on reducing overtime costs this year. ... I think as of a week ago, we were down $99,000 over a year ago and I think it's just tremendous."

Department of Public Works Director Tony Gugino talked about the repairs made Friday to the railroad crossing on Route 60 in the city. Gugino said the repairs were done because CSX officials authorized their contractor to do the work.

"We got a windfall. The gentleman from Albany we deal with, Maurice O'Connel, authorized the contractor to take care of something on Route 60 we've been trying to get done for how many years? ... It took about 2 1/2 hours, a phenomenal improvement and that came through just joint communication, a lot of pleading, but people should see a big difference over there right now."

Gugino said 10 tons of blacktop was used in the repairs.

"They didn't make any bones about which holes they filled, they just filled them all," Police Chief David Ortolano added. "They did a really nice job."

Ortolano reminded residents that winter parking rules are now in effect and his department is writing tickets.

Muscato asked Development Director Kory Ahlstrom if there had been any responses to the city's request for proposals for the 66 Lake Shore Drive East property.

"No, but even if we received them we wouldn't open them until the expiration date on them, which is for fairness," Ahlstrom said. RFPs for the property are due by Nov. 30 at 3 p.m.

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