Orchard Park, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Community Benefits Oversight Committee (CBOC) for the new Buffalo Bills stadium hosted its first meeting on Monday at the current Highmark Stadium since the start of construction along Abbott Road back in June.
The CBOC was created to ensure the Bills and developers are doing exactly what was agreed upon with the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) formulated as part of the deal to build a new state-of-the-art football stadium set to open in 2026. The committee will help monitor and assess all of the stadium efforts, as well as track any types of programs that are being created within the CBA.
"The goal was simple: We wanted to get the group together - obviously, we have this tremendous historic opportunity with this Community Benefits Agreement - and we wanted to just establish what's going to be our cadence, and what type of information and reports we want to establish as we continue to grow in our meetings," said Penny Semaia, vice president of stadium operations with the Bills following Monday's meeting.
According the Semaia, Monday's meeting helped the committee identify a number of key areas where it wants to make sure it is gathering the best information and the right information.
"The reporting structures, what type of reports to expect, ensuring that we have constant updates on the project at every single one of the Community Benefits Oversight Committee meetings, and then making sure we're working with our local community to really highlight and emphasize what a lot of this information means," Semaia explained. "For example, a lot of it right now is a construction phase, so really making sure we're clear and the community understands. And that we're also setting realistic expectations on where that knowledge and information is."
While no date has been set yet for the next CBOC meeting, Semaia says one of the key items up for discussion for the next meeting will be an update on where things stand currently with project updates, specifically utilization.
"We recognize and understand we are putting forth great efforts to ensure that we have New York State certified and local MWBE/SDVOBs activated, as well as where we stand with our current workforce," he noted. "And then secondly, have dialogue on expectations on how to best communicate to the public, a lot of clarifying information so that the public is always aware and on the know of what steps are."
In addition, Semaia says the committee will want to establish a Chair at its next meeting, and find someone to help guide its members through the meetings.
When it comes to the members of the committee, Semaia says one thing he recognized right away was the diversity of the board, which he feels will bring a lot of value going forward.
"In my teaching days, we always talked about when you go into a room and it's just one type of mental thought process, it becomes homogenous. We have so many great community leaders, elected leaders who are within this board, it brings a diversity of thought," Semaia said. "We're hitting every issue from different angles and perspectives so that way, we can have a holistic, comprehensive solution to any issues."
So what challenges does Semaia expect in the long road ahead throughout this entire process until the new stadium is open come 2026? He says one part of the challenge will be getting to hear from the entire community as a whole in Erie County.
"We recognize where we are today in Orchard Park and the stadium. We felt this was a great launching point for the first meeting, obviously, with it impacting the stadium that's being constructed across the street. But really appreciated and enjoyed getting the feedback of, 'Let's make this rotational,' because the county is large. Making sure the county has opportunities to see and hear of all the efforts being put forward, and to know what to expect with the impact," Semaia said.