Shelby Town Board meets for first time since July following 3 resignations

Board needs to tackle budget, expects to appoint acting town supervisor next week

Photos by Tom Rivers: The Shelby Town Board met on Tuesday for the first time since July 8. Pictured from left include new town councilman John Misiti, town attorney Kathleen Bennett, and board members Linda Limina and Ed Zelazny.

SHELBY – For the first time in about two months, the Shelby Town Board was able to convene and hold a meeting on Tuesday.

The board wasn’t able to function after three of the five members resigned in mid-July, leaving the board without a quorum to conduct business.

John Misiti takes his spot on the Town Board. He was appointed by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sept. 5 and gives the Town Board a needed third member to conduct town business and hold a board meeting.

It took a special appointment by Gov. Kathy Hochul to fill a seat and give the board a needed third member to vote to pay bills and tend to other town business.

The governor appointed John Misiti, a retired sales manager who also is chairman of the board for the Orleans Economic Development Agency.

Misiti, in his comments at the meeting on Tuesday, said he wants to put aside any in-fighting at town hall, and focus on the town’s finances while ensuring there isn’t a hostile work environment for the board members and employees.

“We’ve been in a state of paralysis here since essentially July 15,” Misiti said. “The acrimoniousness has to end.”

The board was unable to function following the resignations of Town Supervisor Scott Wengewicz and board members Jeff Schiffer and Stephen Seitz Sr., who was also the deputy town supervisor. (The Town Board on Tuesday voted to accept those resignations. The board also approved a resolution to change the locks on the town supervisor’s office.)

Misiti joins Linda Limina and Ed Zelazny on the board. They said they would pick an acting town supervisor at their meeting on Sept.16, and that person wouldn’t be one of the current board members.

An acting supervisor is needed to certify the town’s budget for 2026, a document that needs to be finalized by Nov. 20.

The board met for 56 minutes on Tuesday, and there wasn’t a cross word exchanged the whole time. Residents commented they appreciated a shorter meeting focused on the issues facing the town.

John Parada spoke at the meeting and he said most of the previous board meetings often stretched past two hours.

About 40 people attended the Town Board meeting on Tuesday. The meeting ended after 56 minutes, far shorter than many of the meetings so far this year that often topped 2 hours.

Besides appointing an acting town supervisor on Sept. 16, the board also will work on the town budget for 2026.

Misiti said the board needs to get a handle on the town finances.

“The financial standing is the first priority to make sure we have money to finish the year out,” he said.

Town Justice Ed Grabowski thanked Misiti for agreeing to be on the board until Dec. 31 to allow town business to move forward.

Garbowski also shared with the board that Shelby has armed security officers for court nights. Three of those officers will be getting recertified next week for firearms.

The town pays the COPS security firm $56 per hour for security for a minimum of a four-hour shift plus mileage for the security officers.

Mark Wambach, left, and John Pratt III speak during Tuesday’s meeting. The two will face each other during the Nov. 4 election to fill one of the vacancies on the Town Board.

Wambach is backed by the Conservative Party while Pratt has the Republican line. The winner will get the final two years of Jeff Schiffer’s term.

Wambach asked the board if it would be presenting a list of priorities. Misiti responded that the finances are the immediate concern, and also accepting new flood maps for the town that were prepared by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). The board needs to finalize those so people in town are eligible for flood insurance.

The town will have a hearing on the flood maps at 6 p.m. on Sept. 16.

Pratt thanked the three current board members for their willingness to serve the town.