Published: November 05, 2009 12:23 am      

CITY OF LOCKPORT: Appraisal company hired

KLW Municipal Inc. of Williamsville will assist the city’s 2010-11 property revaluation effort.

The Common Council on Wednesday approved a $170,000 contract with the appraisal company, based on referral from an in-house interviewing committee.

Four appraisal firms submitted bids for the city’s business. KLW was the low bidder, but that’s not why it’s being hired, Mayor Michael Tucker said.

KLW handled a recent revaluation project for the Town of Amherst that, while perceived outwardly as controversial, got good reviews from state and local assessing officials, Tucker said. Acting Assessor Joe Macaluso checked out KLW’s references and past work, checked with the state Office of Real Property Services and found out its reputation is sound, he said.

Among things Macaluso determined, the percentage of reassessments challenged by Amherst property owners is lower than was believed.

“It appears the discontent was politically driven by Satish (Mohan, departing Amherst supervisor),” Tucker said. “Joe checked out (KLW’s) owner and he personally gets good reviews too. Apparently he works like a dog.”

KLW will assist city assessing staff in updating the city’s property inventory, a listing of all properties and their physical attributes, as a prelude to citywide revaluation.

The contract isn’t hammered out yet, so it’s not known when KLW will start work, or how much of the $170,000 retainer the city will pay the firm this year, versus next year.

Macaluso previously estimated inventory updating and reassessment would take about 18 months. The Council budgeted $100,000 in 2010 for project work; the new line item helped drive a tax rate increase next year.

Representatives of four appraisal firms, including GAR Associates of Amherst, were interviewed by a city committee in late October. The committee was composed of Macaluso, real property appraiser Lena Villella, and Council members Pat Schrader and Flora McKenzie.

In other business Wednesday, the Council approved an agreement between 210 Walnut St. LLC and the state Division of Military and Naval Affairs for temporary use of Harrison Place, Walnut, Washburn and Locust streets.

Through today, DMNA is using a portion of the facility as the site of a simulated earthquake. Federal and state military units are rehearsing how to handle hazardous materials in the event of an earthquake, according to City Clerk Dick Mullaney. Units have been in training since this past Monday. The city is not charging the military any fee for the use of Harrison Place.