Lockport residents to have option to pay city bills with credit card and online

By the end of 2012 the City of Lockport hopes to have their new credit card system up and running, said Alderman Ken Genewick.

During Wednesday’s meeting, the Common Council approved the proposal from M&T Bank of Buffalo for their new credit card and online bill pay option.

For the past several months Genewick has been working on an option for residents, which would allow them to pay city bills with a credit card. They will offer a kiosk at city hall that allows residents to come, swipe their card and pay for certain bills.

They would also like to offer the option to resident to pay their city bills online.

Genewick said when the credit card system is up and running they will start by offering the option of paying one type of bill, such as city water bills, by credit card and then phase in additional bills, such as parking tickets and city tax bills, one at a time.

In other city news:

• The city will contract with Conestoga-Rovers and Associates, 285 Delaware Ave., Buffalo for consultant work on the demolition of the existing parking ramp on the corner of Main Street and Pine Street.

The city would like to remove the existing structure and replace it with a one level surface lot accessible off Pine Street.

The firm will help the city prepare bid specs and design the demolition and construction of the surface lot for the project.

The contract is for $157,777, plus a 10 percent contingency charge, which will be taken from the city’s capital project account.

• A resolution was passed to continue to contract with the Lockport City School District for a school resource officer.

The 10-month contract places an officer in the high school and is available for safety and security needs throughout the district when school is in session. During the summer and breaks, the offers does patrol shifts and special events for the city.

The school district will pay $50,000 toward the officer’s salary and the city pays the remaining portion.

• The council also passed a resolution to accept a Rad-57 Oximeter valued at $3,754.

The Amanda Hansen Foundation will present the Lockport City Fire Department with a oximeter during their Saturday, Sept. 8 open house, held from noon to 4 p.m. at city hall.

A Oximeter can be used by placing it on the end of a person’s finger to determine if that person has carbon monoxide poisoning.

The foundation will also be providing 75 to 100 carbon monoxide detectors to those attending the open house for a $3 donation.

The Amanda Hansen Foundation is in memory of Amanda Hansen, a 16-year-old girl from West Seneca who died of carbon monoxide poisoning after spending the night at a friends house in 2009.

The mission of the foundation is to educate and supply the public with CO detectors who cannot otherwise afford them.

Since her death, “Amanda’s Law” was passed in New York state, requiring a CO detector in every dwelling.