The City of Tonawanda court will begin handling more cases in the next month or two, and that has meant shuffling staff to make due with limited space inside City Hall.
City Court Judge Joseph Cassata said in the one-size-fits-all courts that existed when he started out in law 30 years ago, people came out of jail with the same problems they had going in. His goal in 13 years on the bench was to turn a part-time court into a full-time court with full-time resources. In that time, the system has added specific courts for domestic violence, alcohol, gambling, drugs and even veterans.
With those added scheduling duties and an increased caseload came a need for more people, who in turn had to be shuffled into the same amount of space.
“In the past several years, with the advent of specialty courts, the Tonawanda City Court was more like a sardine can court,” Cassata said.
He soon will add mental health court to that list, further complicating the space concerns. The cramped quarters have already pushed police Lt. Fred Foels, who is in charge of the department’s records, out of his office beside the court and down to the building’s basement. The space Foels once occupied on his own is now filled by two people working for the court.
The move means a little added travel time for the lieutenant when it comes to filing records away or pulling files to bring back up.
“The only inconvenience for me is it means I’m up and down the stairs all day,” Foels said.
Courthouse shuffle
The hope is that Foels can eventually move back to his old office to keep the operation streamlined. But for that to happen, the people in there now will need a new office.
There are a few places where that extra space could be developed, but a patio area just outside the corridor leading from the police department’s wing of the building is the most promising spot so far. The spot already had a floor and three walls surrounding it, which could bring the cost for enclosing it lower.
But Mayor Ron Pilozzi said there’s still some research that needs to be done before any plans can be made. The mayor and City Engineer Jason LaMonaco had Bergmann Associates take a look at the space this past week to determine, among other things, if the area could support the weight of the necessary cabinets, furniture and personnel.
“Jason asked them to come up with a quote to get that area set aside for an office, and we should know hopefully in the next week or so,” Pilozzi said.
Cost versus benefit
While the court system will bear some of the cost for the interior of the office, the city will have to foot the bill for at least the walls and roof. And with talk still circulating about possibly relocating City Hall away from its waterfront location on Niagara Street, the mayor said cost will have to be taken into account on more than one level.
The existing City Hall building sits atop prime real estate and alongside a water plant and sewage plant — both of which are slated to be demolished and, hopefully, sold for redevelopment. Pilozzi said the cost of updating City Hall’s aging electrical wiring, plumbing and other routine maintenance are factors in any decision to relocate, as is the price the city could get for the land.
But the court system likely won’t wait, and the mayor is hopeful that, once state aid is calculated and added in, the cost of a small expansion won’t be prohibitive.
“My hope right now is that it comes up at a fairly reasonable price so we can buy some time,” Pilozzi said.
For the time being, mental health court is coming and staff will have to make due in the space they have. While it’s not an ideal situation, Cassata said addressing the specific concerns of each person who comes before him is worth the effort.
“It’s your children. It’s your parents. It’s your schoolmates,” Cassata said. “It’s anybody and everybody in our community.”
Contact reporter Daniel Pyeat 693-1000, ext. 158.
Local News
Related Photos
Discussion
January 31, 2010
CITY OF TONAWANDA: Court looks for room to grow
- Local News
-
- Test story
-
Market on Main will offer fresh produce, baked goods
Medina’s Main Street has more than its fair share of spots to pick up prepared food, but starting this summer there will be a place to buy artisanal bread and locally-grown produce.Dave and Bonnie Reigle have operated a produce stand on their Ridge Road farm for 17 years. They plan to open Reigle’s Market on Main in the former Whole Nine Yards and be open year-round as a bakery and produce store.
-
Lyndonville BoE approves budget propositions
The Lyndonville Board of Education approved the four propositions district residents will vote on May 15, including the school’s $12,964,687 budget.The 2012-13 budget decreases spending by 1.28 percent, but the property tax levy will rise by 1.95 percent to $4,620,374. The estimated property tax rate is $18.40, an increase of 1.38 percent and a bump of a quarter for every $1,000 of assessed property value.
-
Medina BoE OK's budgets for May 15 vote
Medina Central School District residents will have the option this May to vote for a budget that does not raise the property tax levy next year, but does increase the district’s budget by 1.74 percent.
-
Ridgeway sets public hearings
The Ridgeway Town Board will hold two public hearings at its next meeting on May 21.
-
Hoag will host STEM summer camp
The Hoag Library in Albion isn’t set to open until the weekend after Independence Day, but preparations are well underway for a two-week summer camp for a select group of Albion students.
-
Growing like a weed
The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce’s Home and Garden Show had a new home this year, and a record crowd came out to Knowlesville for helpful advice, information about local businesses and organizations, and a wide range of activities, promotions and giveaways.
-
Village budget talks continue
Medina’s 2012-13 budget is coming together at a series of meetings between department heads and village board members that largely focus on projected spending plans and areas where cuts can be made and additional revenue can be found.The board met Monday with Police Chief Jose Avila, who said his department budget will be less than the current year despite increasing salaries and associated benefits.
-
Hoag Library era nears in Albion
The transition of Albion's long-time library to a modern South Main Street facility is quickly approaching, which had the Swan Library Board of Trustees discussing the closing of the current library in early June, a month of movement and plans to resume service at the new Hoag Library on the day after the facility's July 7 grand opening at their Wednesday meeting.
-
Pillars hosting Titanic evening
The extravagant experience that the high-class passengers enjoyed on the first and final voyage of the RMS Titanic will be replicated in a dinner at The Pillars Estate’s new ballroom this weekend.The Pillars echoes the luxury liner’s grand staircase and chandelier, with historic touches throughout the restored County House Road mansion’s ballroom.
- More Local News Headlines
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes
Raw Video: Fight Erupts in Ukrainian Parliament
Texan Ranchers Remain Wary of Drought
Raw Video: Soldiers Plant Flags at Arlington
Police: Man Arrested in Etan Patz Disappearance
NYC Protests: the Revolution Will Be Scripted
Chicago U.S. Attorney Fitzgerald Resigns
Neighbors of Etan Patz's Suspect: It's Shocking
Gulf Fishermen Reel From Seafood Troubles
Stuntman Makes Skydive Without Parachute in UK
Raw Video: Bride Who Faked Cancer Released
