COPAKE—Making just a couple of changes in personnel, the Town Board organized for the New Year January 4.
All board members were present except Councilperson Kelly Miller-Simmons.
The two changes in personnel for 2017 are the addition of Nicole Miller as a third part-time court clerk and the hiring of Robert Callahan as building custodian and booking agent to replace Ron Piper.
Among the organization motions were the following:
*Adopted a Highway Department wages rate in all classifications of $20.74/hour, shop foreman to receive an additional $.25/hour, deputy highway superintendent to receive an additional $.50/hour, holidays, vacation and sick days for highway employees per the current contract
*Authorized the supervisor to invest town funds in day of deposit and day of withdrawal CD accounts.
*Appoint Kenneth J. Dow, Esq. attorney for the town
*Appoint Rapport, Meyers LLP town counsel for Cascino matters
*Designate The Columbia Paper and the Register-Star official newspapers
*Set the regular town board meeting for the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. with exception of August which will be held the second Saturday of the month at 9 a.m.
*Designated Key Bank official depository
*Designated Town Hall as District #1 and the Copake Memorial Park Building District #2 polling places
*Appointed Sickler, Torchia, Allen and Churchill CPAs PC as town accountant
*Appointed Supervisor Jeffrey Nayer budget officer
*Appointed Lee Hiem code enforcement officer/building inspector
*Appointed Lawrence O. Proper registrar of vital statistics and Vana S. Hotaling deputy registrar of vital statistics
*Appointed Katie Bell, Nicole Miller and Theresa Traver part-time court clerks; Lynn Connelly assessor’s clerk
*Appointed William H. Gregory park superintendent
*Appointed Wes Powell dog control officer; Columbia-Greene Humane Society the designated animal shelter
*Appointed Councilperson Miller-Simmons deputy supervisor
*Appointed Gloria Lyons as town historian; Theresa Traver town bookkeeper; Vana Hotaling deputy town clerk/tax collector; Timothy Albright deputy highway superintendent
*Announced the limited seasonal use of Sunset Rock Road
*Appointed Robin Bruce as person-in-charge of the Williams Cemetery; Robert Callahan building custodian and booking agent
*Appointed Veronica Fabio zoning board secretary; Lisa DeConti as Planning Board secretary; Theresa Traver as code enforcement/building inspector secretary
*Appointed Sean Carbine as computer consultant
*Set mileage reimbursement rate at the IRS rate for the use of private vehicles for town business
*Appointed Bryan VanTassel summer program director
*Set salaries for: councilperson $3,605/year paid monthly, highway superintendent $59,381.21 paid bi-weekly, supervisor $12,875 paid monthly, justice (2) $10,300 paid monthly, town clerk/collector $29,554 paid monthly, deputy town clerk $14.50/hour monthly, sole assessor $28,000 paid bi-weekly, code enforcement officer $19,000 paid monthly, code enforcement secretary $14.50/hour paid bi-weekly, part-time court clerk (3) $14.50/hour paid bi-weekly, historian $425 yearly, park superintendent $7,875 paid bi-weekly, custodian/booking agent $15,300 paid monthly, dog control $3,600 paid monthly, assessor’s clerk $14.50/hour paid bi-weekly, planning secretary $14.50/hour paid monthly, ZBA secretary $14.50/hour paid monthly, town bookkeeper $20/hour paid bi-weekly, summer program director $4,000 paid bi-weekly and assistant summer program director $2,650 paid bi-weekly
*Made liaison appointments: Councilperson Sullivan to the Planning Board, Ethics Board, Broadband Committee, Environmental Committee; Councilperson Miller-Simmons to Parks and Rec and the Assessor’s Office; Town Board to street lights and insurance, refuge and auditing; Supervisor Nayer to the Highway Department; Councilperson Gansowski to the Zoning Board of Appeals, Conservation Advisory Committee; Councilperson Mettler to the Copake Hamlet Revitalization Task Force, Agricultural Advisory Committee.
To contact Diane Valden email dvalden@columbiapaper.com