OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Shari Miller, former Chairperson of the Town of Dunkirk Planning Board, now serves as a member of the Dunkirk Town Council.

With Shari Miller now serving on the Town Board, the Town of Dunkirk Planning Board has selected its latest chairperson.

At a recent meeting, the Town Planning Board appointed Paul Bowers. Additionally, Benjamin Gloss transitioned from an alternate to a full-time member of the Board, while Robert Price will serve as Deputy Chairman.

A workshop to discuss updates to the Town Code will be held March 26 at 5 p.m., at the Town Hall and Court, with members of the Town, Planning and Zoning Boards to attend.

The Town Board recently approved a salary increase of $12,507 to Justice Christopher Penfold to compensate for the additional duties of serving as the Town’s lone Justice. Two salaries of $12,507 were budgeted to go to two Town Justices, but the second position was eliminated this past election, leaving Penfold to take on the additional workload. Town Supervisor Priscilla Penfold abstained from the vote regarding the increase in salary for her husband, Christopher Penfold, while the other Board members voted unanimously in favor.

The Dunkirk Town Court submitted a total of $29,276 in the month of January, driven mostly by 312 vehicle and traffic violations in the month. The Town Clerk also submitted $2,741 in the month of January, with the majority coming from zoning fees.

The Town Board will further explore improvements to the Town Hall and Court building, as the structure is lacking in several areas. Town Councilman Phil Leone highlighted the boiler, a generator, and insulation and flooring upgrades to the attic as infrastructure needs of the building.

“We have to think about what we are going to do,” Town Supervisor Priscilla Penfold said. “… We will put our heads together and we’ll come up with something that is palatable, because we are taxpayer dollar cognizant and we have got to be careful with that.”