Honor Orchard Park Award

2017 WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to honor those municipalities within the State of New York which distinguish themselves through outstanding professional behavior, and enduring commitment to their community; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor the Town of Orchard Park upon the occasion of its designation as recipient of the Structures Award by the Western New York Chapter of American Public Works Association at its Annual Awards Banquet on Thursday, February 2, 2017; and WHEREAS, The American Public Works Association (APWA) is a not-for-profit, professional association of public works agencies, private companies, and individuals dedicated to promoting professional excellence and public awareness through education, advocacy and the exchange of knowledge; and WHEREAS, Each year, this vital organization presents its Structures Award to an institution in recognition of its remarkable, innovative, creative or otherwise stimulating project completed within the last few years; and WHEREAS, This year, the Town of Orchard Park received this distinguished award in recognition of the work done with the Green Lake Dredging and Dam Reconstruction Project; the Town will also advance to the next level for consideration of a statewide award; and WHEREAS, On October 2, 2015, the Town Engineering Department began draining Green Lake as part of a plan to clear out two to seven feet of silt and shore up a weak earthen berm which serves as a dam between the lake and the nearby neighborhood of Green Lake; and WHEREAS, Dredging over the summer removed 118,000 cubic yards of silt and sediment from the bottom at a rate of 500 dump truck loads a day at its peak; as a result, much of the lake is at least eight feet deep, and is about 26 feet at the deepest part, allowing for more room for fish to propagate; and WHEREAS, The success of the Green Lake project is in direct correlation to the efforts of Highway Superintendent, Fred Piasecki; Town Engineer, Wayne Bieler; and Supervisor, Pat Keem, whose involvement is, and always has been characterized by an impressive commitment, an unbridled enthusiasm, and an uncompromised standard of excellence in all endeavors on behalf of the community they serve; and WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that those municipalities which enhance the well-being and vitality of their community and have shown a long and sustained commitment to excellence certainly have earned the recognition and applause of all the citizens of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to honor the Town of Orchard Park upon the occasion of its designation as recipient of the Structures Award by the Western New York Chapter of American Public Works Association; and be it further RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Fred Piasecki, Highway Superintendent; Wayne Bieler, Town Engineer; and Pat Keem, Town Supervisor.