TB Organizing:
The board followed the provided agenda and with few additions or changes, took the following actions that will serve as the organizational structure for 2025:
Adopted the rules of order for town board meetings, public hearings, motions and resolutions, and public comment and set monthly dates for regular Town Board meetings on the third Thursday of every month at 6:30 pm; and for Town Board Workshop meetings on the first Thursday of every month at 6:30 pm.
Designated the official paper of the town (for purposes of legal announcements and postings) as the Register Star and / or the Columbia Paper.
Designated the Bank of Green County as the official Depository for the Town and voted to allow the Supervisor to invest funds in other banks if interest rates are more favorable.
Agreed to:
Reimburse mileage for any Town business expense
Hire an engineer on a fee basis as needed.
Name Tal Rappleyea, Esq. as Attorney for the Town of Chatham and each of its boards, and set forth payment for this service.
Appoint Robert Patterson, CPA as the town accounting officer to perform the accounting duties of the Supervisor, a Justice Court Audit and a Town Clerk Audit.
Authorize the town accounting firm to file the Annual Update Document to the State Comprollier in lieu of an annual financial report, and to provide a copy of that report to the Town Clerk.
Authorize the finance Department and / or Town Accounting Firm to pay bills for utilities and postage / delivery costs early / prior to audit.
Set up petty cash funds for the Tax Collector, Town Clerk, Recreation Director, Justice Court, and Highway Department.
Named Angus Eaton as 1st Deputy Supervisor and Destiny Hallenbeck as 2nd Deputy Supervisor, and authorized either to sign checks in the absence of the Supervisor.
Fixed salaries of elected officials: each of 4 councilperson / board member ($4800.00); Highway Superintendent ($74,160.00); each of two Town Justices ($16,199.00); Town Supervisor ($14,840.00); Town Clerk / Tax Collector ($43,255.00).
Appointed people to the following paid positions:
Part time Recreation Director (Mike West)
Dog Control Officer (Darrell Dutcher)
Groundskeepers I and II (Nicholas Bacarro Sr. and Nicholas Bacarro Jr., respectively)
Fulltime Clerk to Town Justice (Joan Goold)
Part time Clerk to Justice Court (Art Proper)
Agreed to pay town employees biweekly.
Re: the Town of Chatham Planning Board:
Named Gabriella Sperry as Chair of the Planning Board.
Appointed Gary Martin to a 7-year term on the Planning Board.
Appointed Adrienne Dowd as an alternate member of the Planning Board for 2025.
Named Evan Young as Deputy Planning Board Chair and Gary Martin as 2nd Deputy Planning Board Chair.
Re: the Town Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA)
Named Daniel Pershing, Esq. as Chair of the ZBA
Appointed Stephen Day to the ZBA for a five-year term (2025-2029) and to name him as Deputy Chair.
Appointed Trish Fallon as Clerk/Typist for the Planning Board and the ZBA.
In other actions, the Board:
Appointed Kent Pratt as part-time Code Enforcement Officer I, and Ann Formel as part-time Clerk / Typist for the Building Department.
Appointed Beth Ann Rippel as Registrar of Vital Statistics and Records Manager and named Janie Miller as Deputy Registrar of Vital Statistics.
Fixed the wages of Highway Department Employees for 2025 as per the negotiated contract.
Authorized and designated specific powers and duties the Town Supervisor to complete the day-to-day administration and supervision of all Town and special district facilities and employees, while recognizing that the Town Board comprises the governing body of the Town, and maintains basic statutory responsibilities for town government.
Fixed salaries of appointed officials and employees.
Agreed to provide for the defense and indemnification of all Town Board members when acting under and within the scope of their duties.
Agreed to continue to pay local volunteer service agencies an annual fee for 2025 to support their work for the citizens of the town. These agencies include Ghent VFW Post 5933, Chatham Center Rural Cemetery Association, Ghent / Chatham Senior Citizens Club, Columbia County Meals on Wheels volunteer drivers, and Northern Neighbors of Columbia County.
Authorized a contract with an independent janitorial / cleaning service.
Agreed to contract with master gardener Shelley Haefner of “Guiding Green Thumbs” to operate the 2025 Children’s Garden program and offer her gardening education program to children attending the summer camp at Crellin Park.
Assigned Supervisor Collins as Delegate and 1st Deputy Supervisor Eaton as alternate delegate to attend the Association of Towns Annual Meeting in February 2025.
Appointed Janie Miller as Deputy Town Clerk.
Heard Supervisor Collins’ appointments of Matthew Meier as Town Historian, Tammy Shaw as Confidential Administrative Assistant to the Supervisor, and Jennifer Trolenberg as Clerk / Typist for the Finance Department.
Listened to 2025 membership rolls for the Town Planning Board, the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Board of Assessment Review, the Community Preservation Fund Advisory Board, and the Supervisor’s Town Board Committees.
Listened to listing of members of Citizen Advisory Committees and Representatives to Boards and Councils, including:
Broadband & Cellular Service Citizen Advisory Committee
Conservation Advisory Council
Chatham Agricultural Partnership Committee
Climate Smart Action Task Force Citizen Advisory Committee
Columbia County Climate Smart Communities Task Force
Communications Citizen Advisory Committee
Grants Appropriation Citizen Advisory Committee
Housing Citizen Advisory Committee
Invasive Species Awareness Citizen Advisory Committee
Office of the Aging Advisory Board
Parks & Recreation Citizen Advisory Committee
Solar Law Citizen Advisory Committee
Traffic Safety Advisory Group
Zoning Update Citizen Advisory Committee
Environmental Management Council
During public comment following the review of the members of these committees, citizens John Breault and Gabriella Sperry resurfaced a request to reactivate the Finance & Planning Committee that had been discussed at the previous Town Board meeting. They said they believe that committee could identify opportunities for economic development in the town, and potentially create a “more robust” tax base by doing so; in addition to taking on other future planning. Supervisor Collins said that he would put this item on an upcoming agenda for a Town Board Workshop meeting.
The next Town Board meeting is scheduled for January 16, 2025. It will open at 6:30 pm at Town Hall and online; and immediately go into two public hearings regarding: (1) the roof mount solar project at the Town Highway Garage and (2) an extension of tax exemptions for volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers. Go to the town website calendar for details on these proposals, the meeting agenda, and links to attend online.