Grafton Organizational Meeting 2012

by Alex Brooks
On  January 4, the Grafton Town Board held its annual  organizational meeting at 7 pm in the Town Hall. The meeting was very well attended, the room being almost full. There was no discussion or public comment. The Supervisor offered 31 resolutions setting up Town government for the year. [private]All but one of them passed. The one that was voted down was a motion to appoint Scott Newell as Planning Board Chairman, which failed by a vote of 3-2, with councilpersons Claus, Crandall and Ungaro voting no, and Councilwoman Messenger and Supervisor Darling voting in favor. According to Town Attorney Sal Ferlazzo, this means that incumbent Planning Board Chairman Tom Withcuskey continues as Acting Chairman until the Town Board appoints someone else.
The following appointments were approved:
Accounting Services: West & Co. of Saratoga
Town Bookkeeper – Victoria Nellis
Deputy Supervisor – Cathy Goyer
Attorney to the Town of Grafton – Salvatore Ferlazzo
Dog Control Officer – Rick Bly
Board of Assessors Clerk – Helen Hemendinger
Planning Board Member – Owen “Skip” Grandjean
Planning Board Chairman – none appointed
Planning Board Secretary – Jessica Crandall
Official newspapers – The Record and The Eastwick Press
Court Clerk – Kathleen Mason-Wagar
Building Inspector/Code Enforcement Officer – Thomas Withcuskey
Senior Citizen Representative – Connie Alderman
Deputy Town Clerk – Allison Kirchner
Deputy Registrar of Vital Statistics – Allison Kirchner
Deputy Highway Superintendent – James Goyer
Banks/Depositories – Pioneer Commercial Bank
Time of meetings of the Town Board – second Monday of each month at 7 pm except January and October. January Meeting is January 23.
The Board authorized:
Bookkeeper signature authority on Town checks in emergency situations;
Town Supervisor’s use of a facsimile signature stamp;
the setting of fees as listed in the January 1, 2012 Town of Grafton Fees Schedule;
the setting of the mileage reimbursement rate at $.555 per mile;
the pay of full time hourly employees, part time hourly employees and appointed employees per the 2012 Town of Grafton Budget;
the expenditure by the Highway Superintendent of up to $2,000 on equipment, tools and implements without prior Board approval, and returned checks fee to the Town at $35.
Supervisor Darling said that the annual accounting of the books for the Town Supervisor, Town Clerk and Judges and Tax Collector will be held at 6 pm on January 23 in the Grafton Town Hall.  Books will be on display for all Board Members to view.[/private]