Utility bill dispute causes multiple Buffalo community centers to temporarily close

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Several community centers in the City of Buffalo will close Tuesday due to unpaid electric bills, taking away various programs in the area.

Brian Pilarski, the CEO and President of the Seneca-Babcock Community Association said Seneca-Babcock, along with Arlene Mychajliw, Hennepin, George K. Arthur and Schiller Park community youth and senior centers will be closing temporarily on Tuesday. The decision stems from receiving an electric shut-off notice from National Grid.

“The last thing we want to do is be in programing with our seniors and the power goes out, or we walk in after a weekend and the power’s turned off and our food is now no good in the freezers and fridges for our food pantry,” Pilarski said.

He said there’s a shut-off notice on the door for the “electric of unpaid funds.”

“Coincidentally, it’s the same amount of funds in the time period that the city took over the utilities,” he said.

According to the association, a lease signed in January 2019 states that the city is responsible for all utilities, retroactive to that year.

Pilarski said they were fronting the bill themselves until this past July when services went into the city’s name.

He added that the city now owes them more than $90,000, along with paying National Grid $2,400 for expenses the last three months.

“It’s not the Seneca-Babcock Community Association who fell behind on the utility payments and is now asking the city for a bailout, it’s just part of the lease agreement that the city has never upheld,” Pilarski said.

According to a city spokesperson, they are “in the process of trying to resolve the matter of the $90,000,” adding that the “$2,400 bill was sent to an incorrect address, but is now in the right hands.”

Lovejoy District Councilman Bryan Bollman said in a statement that he’s working with the community association quickly to restore the community center’s critical services.

“We are cutting back our workforce program, our senior’s recreation and dining program,” Pilarski said. “It’s a very tough decision, but we’re kind of falling back like it was [during] COVID and going just essential services.”

The services that are still taking place will be child care, meals on wheels and senior transportation to medical appointments.

“I did receive a call this morning from Nate Marton saying that he spoke with National Grid and they assured us that they will not turn off the utilities here at this location and that it was just a scare tactic, but it shouldn’t come to that,” Pilarski said. “The city should be paying their bills.”

WIVB News 4 asked National Grid for further details on the issue, but they refused to comment.

There is no timeline of how long these centers will be closed.

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Dillon Morello is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has been part of the News 4 team since September of 2023. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.

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