By Denise Wright
The Town Board of Stephentown worked hard on November 21, paying the bills, reviewing/approving minutes, and passing resolutions.
Members highlighted two bills that involved purchasing a microphone in conjunction with the court from the general account, and a culvert replacement near Webster Hill Road. The microphone will come in handy for the court and Town to use on various occasions.
The Board approved minutes from the budget workshops, solar energy public hearing, and Town Board. The preliminary budget and special meeting to adopt the budget on November 14 were also approved. The transfer station reported that workers had repaired the gate after a resident had run into it. It isn’t as pretty, but it does work. They also said they temporarily suspended the paint program until a lockable storage solution was in place. With inflation happening, officials decided that prices will not be increased this year.
NYSEG opened the heating program on November 1 and the emergency heat program effective on January 3. These programs are income-based programs that assist residents with their heating costs. They also encouraged residents to check their carbon monoxide detectors. Supervisor Roder was happy to report that he received checks from Ambient Energy for some catch-up payments from March 2019 through August 2021.
The Town Board will hold a public hearing on December 19, at 7 pm, to amend local law number one involving the land use regulations of the Town of Stephentown and the official zoning district map involving property on West Road. “When a DEC-permitted mine has been legally closed, the Town Board shall designate a new Land-Use Zone for that parcel.”
The Town is looking for sealed bids on materials to complete road work and maintenance of Town roads for 2023. The bid specs are currently available at the Town Clerk’s Office. All sealed bids with a non-collusion form are due no later than December 19, at 7 pm.
The Town Clerk received permission to advertise for appointed positions for 2023. The deadline is Friday, December 16, at 11 am.
The Town will need cleaning services for the Town Hall in 2023. Anyone interested may submit a resume and letter of interest by Monday, December 19, at 7 pm.
Finally, the Board will hold its regular meeting on December 19 and their end of year meeting on December 29. The Town set up its organizational meeting for Monday, January 2, at 7 pm. The Town Clerk will advertise for the meeting.