Federal funds to be used for disability insurance for Village's firefighters
by ELIZABETH TAUFA Reporter

The Village of Williamsville has decided to stop self-funding the line-of-duty death and disability insurance for the village's volunteer firefighters, opting instead to use the federal program for line-of-duty death and disability that is in place for all public safety officers.

The board made this decision at a special meeting on Aug. 8.

"The federal government pays three times more than we do," said Mayor Mary Lowther at the board's regular meeting Monday. "It's a better idea to go with the federal government's program."

Aside from the fact that the insurance was self-funded and that the federal program gives more money in the event of a line-of-duty death or disability, the board is looking to use the money saved to address the pension payments of firefighters over the age of 55.

Under the current Fire Service Award Plan, volunteer firefighters, beginning at age 55, are eligible to receive $20 for every year he or she obtains the necessary number of points for answering emergency calls.

Previously, any firefighter who remained active after 55 was not given point credit to add toward their pension for the years after 55.

The issue became a state-wide concern, which was locally focused in Clarence Center. State Supreme Court justices ruled that townships would have to continue to award points toward pension monies and retroactively pay those individuals who were owed points or money under the new decision.

If the village decides to retroactively pay their firefighters as well, the money that will be saved by ceasing to self-fund the line-of-duty death and disability insurance would be used to help pay that.

According to Rick Andrews, former fire chief and director, the Williamsville Fire Department supports the village in paying the pensions for the firefighters in lieu of self-funding the insurance.

In other board news:

The Glen Park Joint Committee has approved an environmental consultant to begin a study of the park's wall that has partially collapsed.

"Money has been earmarked in the Glen Park funds, which exceed the amount of the study," said Trustee Brian Kulpa, the board's Glen Park Joint Committee liaison. "But we hope that state money can be found so that we can retain the original funds."

The wall repair project is broken down into three tasks, the first being the assessment of the wall as well as the soil and rock in the area; the second being plans and a bid for the repair and the third being the actual work to be done.

The Glen Park Joint Board has given the go-ahead for tasks one and two.

"After the study and design plans are done, then we'll approach someone for grants," Kulpa said, noting that no action on task three will be taken until the study is done.

The next regular Village Board meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 27 at Village Hall, 5565 Main St., Williamsville.

e-mail: etaufa@beenews.com