by Alex Brooks
The Petersburgh Town Board meeting was called to order by Deputy Supervisor Mario DiDomenicantonio because Supervisor Siegfried Krahforst was sick.
Highway Superintendent Rob Cottrell said he lost his temporary seasonal person Bryan Amidon, and asked for the Board’s guidance on what basis he can hire a new seasonal worker.
[private]Initially Cottrell thought the seasonal worker would work full time through the winter months and possibly stay on after that. In recent discussions with Supervisor Krahforst and Town Bookkeeper Charles Guntner, he has learned that the seasonal worker is budgeted for a part time position through the winter and nothing after that. When Amidon learned this, he left to find a full time job. Cottrell said Amidon was a very good worker. “He is a good mechanic, and he has his CDL, and I’m going to miss him,” he said.
Cottrell said he had a few guys who had expressed interest in working for the Highway Department, but he needed to know what terms of employment he can offer them. The Board suggested he sit down with Guntner, the Town Bookkeeper, and make a plan that will serve the Highway Department’s needs and also allow Cottrell to stay within the Highway Department budget.
Cottrell said the recent freeze and thaw cycles have made plowing very difficult, and trucks have gotten stuck in ditches several times. He said the shoulders of the roads are soft, turning frequently from ice to mud. Cottrell said citizens who want to reach him about road issues can call his cell phone at 518-390-8110.
Taconic Expansion
Planning Board Deputy Chairman Tim Church told the Board that Taconic has received its air emissions permit for the expansion project they are doing. He said the new ovens are to be delivered in May and it will take about ten weeks to install them so the expected startup date for the new production area is July of 2015. He said the Planning Board still needs to give final approval – he and Chairman Frank Sheldon will walk through the facility after the equipment is in prior to giving final approval.
Two Year Terms
After further research, the Board determined that changing Town Board appointments to two years as they voted to do last month would require that a lot of other laws and regulations be changed. As Councilman Neil Geary put it, “We don’t want to go through all that.” So they voted this month to rescind Resolution #93, the one passed last month which changed the appointments to two years. The appointments at next month’s organizational meeting will be one year appointments, as usual.
The Organizational Meeting was set for Monday January 5, at 7 pm, and the End of Year meeting was set for Tuesday, December 30, at 7 pm.
Library Trustee Appointment
The Board approved the Library’s recommendation for appointment of a Library Trustee. William Alston was appointed to the Library Board of Trustees for a 5 year term from January 1, 2015, until December 31, 2019. Alston replaces Gordon Batcheller, who has served on the Library Board for 15 years. The Library’s letter expressed appreciation for Batcheller’s service and especially for his expertise in NYS education regulations.
The Supervisor’s Report was read. It said the Town started the month of November with a balance of $122,198. It took in $29,180 and spent $73,128 during the month, ending with a balance of $78,178.
There was no public comment, but Tom Berry sent his best holiday wishes to the Board and to the public by email.[/private]