Webster Names New Wastewater Chief; Cell Tower Review Pushed to July

The Webster Town Board appointed a new chief operator for the town's wastewater treatment plant Thursday night and signed on to a state-funded cybersecurity program, while holding off on a closely watched independent review of two proposed Verizon cell towers until next month.

The board appointed Dwayne Hilfiker as chief wastewater treatment plant operator, effective July 4, 2026. Hilfiker will work alongside outgoing chief Rick Kenealy for a period of cross-training before Kenealy retires. The vote was unanimous.

Hilfiker rose internally, moving from the maintenance side of the operation to the operations side and earning his 3A and 4A operator licenses before becoming assistant chief operator. Kenealy, who was on vacation and could not attend, sent a statement read aloud by Human Resources Director Kelsey Feeney.

"Running a facility like the one at Webster takes more than just a title," Kenealy wrote. "It takes an individual that not only has the institutional knowledge to operate it to its utmost efficiency but also an individual with integrity that has passion for the job and truly cares about its employees and town residents."

The statement noted a local connection: Hilfiker's great-grandfather once owned the land where the treatment plant now sits, and Hilfiker played on the property as a child.

Council members praised the promotion. "I think that's wonderful when we are able to develop town staff into leadership roles," Councilwoman Jennifer Wright said. The town's wastewater operation is in the middle of a major treatment plant upgrade that several board members described as a centerpiece project for Webster.

Cybersecurity agreement

The board authorized the supervisor to sign an intergovernmental agreement with the New York State Office of Information Technology and the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services for endpoint protection and response services. The vote was unanimous.

Councilman Garrett Wagner, the board's information technology liaison, said the protection is provided through the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike under an arrangement the state has built into its budget for the next three years. "For us, it doesn't cost us anything," Wagner said. "Our tax dollars already spend it."

Cell tower review tabled

The board declined to act Thursday on a contract for an independent, third-party engineering review of two proposed Verizon cell towers, voting instead to reschedule the matter to its July 2 meeting.

The proposed contract would hire William P. Johnson, an RF engineering consultant based in Batavia, to evaluate Verizon's claims about the need for the towers, with Verizon required to fund the review through an escrow agreement. Community Development Director Josh Artuso said the town contacted roughly 10 firms nationally and received a single response. Supervisor Alex Scialdone credited Planning Board Chairman Anthony Casciani with the idea of an independent review.

Discussion centered on whether to expand the contract to include RF drive testing, field work that would measure signal frequencies on site. Johnson does not perform that work himself and would subcontract it to a third party, board members were told, potentially raising the cost. Town Attorney Kyle Taylor advised that adding the field work would change the scope and budget Verizon had agreed to fund, and recommended the board table the resolution rather than approve it and amend it later.

"I just don't know that I would recommend moving forward with the contract if you're going to be changing such a material element of that contract," Taylor said. The board voted to reschedule the item to July 2. A Verizon attorney present at the meeting said the company had extended its review timeline to late August.

Other business

The board took several other actions, all by unanimous vote:

• Authorized an intermunicipal agreement with the Village of Webster for shared equipment and services, allowing the two governments to assist each other on projects and during emergencies.
• Approved a license agreement for a split-rail fence within a town stormwater drainage easement at 1072 Shoemaker Road.
• Approved a license agreement for a 6-foot monument sign for fairlife within town easements at 1886 Tebor Road.
• Accepted the permanent dedication of Alyssa Way in Westwood Estates Section 3, a 0.32-mile stretch from Allison Lane to Schlegel Road, into the town road system.
• Accepted the resignation of Adam Prescott from the Zoning Board of Appeals, effective June 8, and appointed John Accorso to fill the unexpired term, ending Dec. 31, 2028.
• Awarded the wastewater treatment plant's polymer solution bid to Polydyne Inc. at a price of $1.77 per pound. The company was the sole bidder.
• Approved a series of surplus, recycling, auction and trade-in items from the Highway, Sewer, Parks and Recreation, and Police departments. The Highway Department's list was unusually large following the demolition of the former highway building.

Residents used the open-to-the-floor period largely to address the board's recent decision regarding a Pride flag at Town Hall.

The Town Board's next regular meeting is scheduled for July 2, 2026.

AI tools were used in drafting and research.