Making Some Ethics Decisions
by Doug LaRocque
The New Lebanon Town Board opened its meeting on Tuesday, October 8 with a Certificate of Appreciation for former employee Herb Jones. Interim Supervisor Meg Robertson said he was part of the park maintenance crew and always did a fine job. Mr. Jones has since moved on to other employment. There was also a presentation by Rebecca Brodeur of the U.S. Census Bureau, which indicated the Bureau is looking to fill positions at $17 an hours, plus .58 cents a mile. This includes paid training and all materials provided. She also explained it was important for all New Lebanon residents to participate in the 2020 census, so the town has an accurate account. It is that final figure that determines how much federal aid the Town might receive.
Ethics, Twice Over
The Board then went into two executive sessions, virtually back to back, taking a break only for public comment. Following the first session, Interim Supervisor Robertson indicated there was no action taken. Prior to the second session, Town Attorney John Tingley asked Council Member Norman Rasmussen if he planned to recuse himself from four ethic complaints, all involving the same incident, since he was involved in all four as a victim or complainant. Attorney Tingley stated he believed it would be in the best interest of all if he did. Mr. Rasmussen agreed, and recused himself from the discussion and decision making process.
Following the second Executive Session, the board, via motions, adopted decisions prepared by Mr. Tingley regarding all four cases. The vote in all four instances was 3-0, with Councilmember Rasmussen abstaining, and Councilmember Baumli absent. A copy of each of the decisions was ordered mailed to the complainant and respondent. The decisions were not made public.
A New Deputy
Interim Supervisor Robertson announced she had appointed councilmember Kevin Smith as her Deputy Supervisor for the remainder of her interim appointment. He replaces Doug Banker, who was deputy under former Supervisor Colleen Teal.
Waiving The Marriage License Fee
New Lebanon is going along with many other area towns and villages in waiving the marriage license fee for active duty military personnel. The authority to do that was granted to municipalities under recently passed and signed state legislation.
Budget Public Hearings
After some discussion about the propriety of holding a public hearing on the town’s proposed 2020 budget, as well as those for the Lebanon Valley Protective Association (fire) and the Chatham Rescue Squad (ambulance), on the same evening, it was decided by board members to proceed with the scheduling. The public hearing on the fire and EMS services contracts was set for Thursday, November 7 at 6 pm, followed by a hearing on the town budget at 6:15 pm.
In regard to the LVPA budget, The Eastwick Press mistakenly reported there was a decrease in its budget proposal. Councilmember Kevin Smith pointed out, there was a capital reserve account not being added this year, which made it look like there was a $30,000 drop in spending when in actuality, the proposal remains budget neutral. The Eastwick Press apologizes for the misunderstanding.
Repairs to the pavilion at Shatford Park are now looking at a mid-November completion because of a delay in acquiring the necessary roofing materials. The Board also re-appointed Robert Weber to the Board of Assessment Review and approved mobile home park permits for the Tazmutt and Hanson sites. A motion to approve the Delta Dental PPO+ Premier Plan, the CDPHP Gold Embrace Health EPO and the MVP HMO HDHP 20 plans at the current 2019-2020 rates was approved, and interim Supervisor Robertson was authorized to sign the necessary contracts.