CHEEKTOWAGA – Town workers quickly fixed a damaged fence along Scajaquada Creek Monday after the Cheektowaga Chronicle brought the potential liability issue to the attention of Supervisor Diane Benczkowski’s office.
A portion of the chain link fence to keep people from falling into the flood control canal behind the homes on Wildy Avenue was damaged by vandals more than a week ago.
The Cheektowaga Chronicle reported in our September 6th police blotter that the police investigated the damaged, determined that it was a town fence, and requested a town crew to repair the damage.
We visited the location over the weekend and found the damage remained. Large holes in two separate locations exposed a potential liability issue to the town if anyone was to fall into the canal. The estimated two-foot easement between the creek and the Wildy Avenue property lines is used as a cut through by walkers to get to the Alexander path and Town Park.
After we showed the photos of the damage to Supervisor Benczkowski’s office Monday morning, the damage was soon repaired.
Her office says the repair work is the responsibility of the highway department. It’s not clear which town department got the original request from the police department on September 6th, but it never crossed Highway Superintendent Mark Wegner’s desk.
“We never did, no. I just heard about it today. We called the fence company and we’re going to have them redo it the right way. We just put it back so that nobody could fall through there,” said Mr. Wegner.
Cheektowaga Chronicle returned to the site Monday afternoon and found that the fence was temporary repaired using zip ties.