Town Board Febrary 5th meeting (continued)
In other Board discussions, these topics were addressed but not yet resolved:
The board heard from highway superintendent James Fetzer regarding his request for authorization to grant paid time off to Highway Department staff in situations where he judges that difficult working conditions and long hours warrant this. Based on discussion, there is a difference of opinion among board members about whether this is possible in a situation where there is a labor / union contract where paid time off is addressed. Board Member Werwaiss agreed to meet with the Highway Superintendent to discuss possible parameters to such authorization, in consultation with Board Member Eaton, and to report back to the Board with recommendations for a resolution.
A recent Freedom of information Law (FOIL) request was addressed by Town Clerk Beth Anne Rippell, who described herself as the Town’s “FOIL Officer.” As such, she stated that requested information would be provided to her so that she may fulfill FOIL requests. Currently, there is a pending FOIL request related to a citizen advisory committee’s survey that was conducted under the condition that respondents were given anonymity. Several board members questioned the legality and necessity of releasing respondents’ personal information, and had no assurance from Rippel as to what she might redact. These issues were not resolved at the meeting.
Planning Board Chair Gabriella Sperry spoke during public comment about her view that the Planning Board, the Zoning Board of Appeals, and the Town’s Building Department function cooperatively as the Town’s “first line of defense” on land use matters in the Town. She emphasized that there are regularly new laws and regulations that affect land use decisions. Sperry asked that the new working group / subcommittee on zoning issues consult with the Planning Board, the ZBA and the Building Department as they do their work and identify their agenda.
Two upcoming events of interest to community residents were highlighted at the meeting:
Kelly Mackerer, Director of Operations at PS 21 in Chatham announced THE DARK, a week of events sponsored by local arts organization PS21 during the week of February 16 to February 22. That program is a winter festival of over 80 performances, and further information is available here.
The Columbia County Soil and Water Conservation District is sponsoring their annual bare root sale of shrubs and trees. See the accompanying section for more information.
A video of the February 5, 2026 Town Board meeting is available here.
The next meeting of the town board is scheduled for Thursday February 19th at 6:30 PM, following the public hearing on the extension of the solar moratorium.