Walk-in resolutions have become a point of contention in the city of Dunkirk. The issue, while ongoing, seemed to pick up steam recently when the city brought in a resolution to purchase the Stearns Building in March.

At the time the original walk-in resolution was tabled 3-2 in lieu of more information on the purchase and some councilmembers believe that other walk-ins, like this one, doesn’t give the public the time to review what is going to be talked about at a Council Meeting, just to name one issue.

To stem what some councilmembers see as a continuous problem in meetings, a new local law was introduced at the July 2 Common Council Meeting, which would amend Appendix 1 of the Dunkirk City Charter — Rules of Order of the Common Council. This law change would add a section stating that any walk-ins presented at a meeting, would have to be voted on to entertain them before they can even be presented. While some councilmembers think this is a step in the right direction, others do not.

“The simplest solution to it, since this has been going on for decades, is to allow, through the law, some type of avenue for the City Council to vote on, by majority vote, whether or not they even want to accept that particular walk-in resolution, prior to that walk-in resolution itself, being voted on,” Councilman-at-large Andy Woloszyn stated. “It does not mean that the resolution will fail and go away if the council does not accept it that day, it just means that it’s going to be pushed to the next Common Council meeting.”

“I believe that this is adding another layer that doesn’t need to be added,” Fourth Ward Councilman Mike Civiletto shared. “We have the ability to table things, that’s essentially what this (the proposed law) is doing. If you don’t have the votes or if you think that you need more time, than you say ‘I’d like to table this for more time.’ There have not been, as opposed to what a lot of councilmen here have said, that many walk-in resolutions in this administration, I see maybe one every four meetings maybe. The walk-ins are generally because of a time constraint, so to add another layer of rules of order that’s already in the Robert’s Rules, I don’t understand, it does exactly the same thing as tabling.”

Second Ward Councilman Marty Bamonto agreed with Civiletto’s sentiments. “It’s another layer that we really don’t need. There’s a lot of things that has happened in the city that hasn’t happened in quite a long time. Once in awhile you have to bring up something that has to be done at that time.”

Bamonto went on to question city attorney Richard Morrisroe on what the current practice is if a walk-in is brought in that the council doesn’t agree with. Morrisroe said that they would just simply table it.

The motion to table the resolution for a public hearing on July 16 at 5:20 p.m. was approved in a 3-2 vote, with Bamonto and Civiletto voting against it.

“It’s been handled for years. Maybe it’s just the political season, why this is happening, but it hasn’t happened in the four years since I’ve been here and it hasn’t happened in the past,” Bamonto told the OBSERVER following the meeting. “If at the end of the day, if these guys think that it’s that bad and we want to discuss it, then we table it. I think it’s just a political move.”

When the OBSERVER asked Mayor Wilfred Rosas his take on the law change, he stated that he doesn’t believe it’s necessary. “I agree with Councilman Civiletto, I think it’s just putting in another layer of red tape,” Rosas added. “Walk-ins are a part of city government, by charter we meet twice a month and sometimes issues come up where immediate attention is needed and that’s why you do have the ability to ‘walk-in’ resolutions. In my opinion it’s wrong, I think it’ll hurt city government moving forward long after we’re gone out of here, by law the councilmembers will have to do a separate resolution, get a sponsor and a cosponsor and then pass that resolution just to entertain a walk-in. I do not plan to veto it, however, if that’s what this council decides to do.”

The next City of Dunkirk Common Council Meeting will be July 16.