1/18/17 TOWN BOARD MEETING

The following were unanimously adopted except as noted.

• 03&04-2017 Honoring Edward Wallace and Frank Michael on Retirement Congrats & Good Luck.

• 05-2017 Public Hearing on New Best Luther Fire Company Contract 6:40PM on 2/15/17.

• 06-2017 Public Hearing on New with the Best Luther Company Contract for Third Avenue 6:50PM on 2/15/17.

• 07-2017 Agreements for Sewer Services with Individuals/Entities.
• 08-2017 Membership/Fees for NYS Park and Recreation Society.
• 09-2017 Annual Re-Appointment of Part-time Police Dispatchers DiMartino abstaining.
• 10-2017 Reiterating Opposition to Proposed Birchwood Manor- Love Lutheran Church Senior Citizens Housing Project.
• 11-2017 Appoint Roger Johnson Ethics Board Member w/term expiring 12/31/21. Congrats!
• 12&13-2017 Appoint Mary Boisvert and Leighton Cookson Alternate Ethics Board Members w/term expiring 12/31/21. Congrats but alternate’s terms cannot exceed 2 years!
• 14-2017 Raise Pay for EG Police Officers Working Court Sessions.

• 15-2017 Emergency Brook Street Sink Hole Repair.

• 16-2017 Update Amenities Plan.

• 17-2017 Authorize Sale of Real Property to Scott Monuteaux and Stefani Monuteaux.

• 18-2017 Support Ride-Sharing in Upstate New York and Request Accessibility Issues be Addressed for the Disability Community.

• 19-2017 Appoint Ryan M. Condo Motorized Equipment Operator Light (MEOL) Congrats!

• 20-2017 Urge NYSDOT Repave Red Mill Road Between NYS Route 4 and Barracks Road.

• 21-2017 Authorize 2017 STOP-DWI Enforcement Crackdown Agreement with Rensselaer County.

• 22-2017 Acquire Police Vehicle.

• 23-2017 Replace License-Plate Reader.

• 24-2017 Appoint Tyler VanCour-Bryant Part-time Recreation Assistant for Community & Recreation Services Congrats!

• 25-2017 Raise Salaries For Certain Part-Time Clerks Defeated w/Conway, DiMartino & Matters voting “No”.   

Some new 2016 EG1ST-appointed P-T Clerks got raises in January 2017.  Now, older, experienced, longer-serving P-T Tax Collector Clerks earn LESS than these younger, newer ones. A mistake?  A big person admits their mistakes. A bigger person corrects them! Or is it AGE DISCRIMINATION?  Fix it now!

Pete Stenson

East Greenbush

1/3/17 ORGANIATIONAL MEETING & SUPERVISOR CONWAY'S ANNUAL REPORT

All items brought up at the Organizational Meeting were adopted unanimously.  You can find the agenda and Supervisor Conway’s Annual Report at http://eastgreenbush.org/government/town-board/agendas-a-minutes.

Notable base salary increases compared to the 2016 Organizational Meeting are as follows (some positions may not have had raises in a number of years):  

·         DPW Commissioner +$25,000(+41.7%);

·         Town Assessor +$13,500(+27.0%);

·         ZBA Chairperson +$1,000(+25.0%);

·         Town Services Coordinator +$5,500(+15.1%);

·         Asst. Attorney - ZBA +$1,500(+15.0%);

·         Planning/Zoning Secretary +$4,160(+12.5%);

·         Town Justice Secretary +$3,700(+10.2%);

·         Comptroller +$6,000(+9.2%);

·         Justice of the Peace (2) +$2,000(+6.6%);

·         Police Chief +$5,453(+6.3%);

·         Dog Warden +$640(+5.2%);

·         Planning/Zoning Director +$3,000(+4.8%);

·         Typist to Chief +$1,296(+3.0%);

·         Deputy Town Clerk +$1,000(+2.9%);

·         Town Justice Secretary +$500(+1.6%);

·         Assistant Building Inspector -$2,400(-5.7%); and

·         Code Enforcement Officer -$18,190(-26.1%). 

Two of the Supervisor’s appointees fared quite well:

·         Finance Director +$6,500(+16.0%); and

·         Supervisor's Secretary +$5,000(+15.6%).

One wonders why the Zoning Board Attorney is paid $4,000 less than the Planning Board Attorney and why the latter doubles as the Ethics Board Attorney at an additional $2,500 – any potential conflict. 

Supervisor Conway’s Annual Report is, to my knowledge, unprecedented in East Greenbush and an excellent idea.  The report is an exhaustive accounting of 2016 accomplishments in the areas of Operations, Finances, Town Board, and of the various Departments.   

Very interesting and informative reading despite the few not-so-subtle political statements, e.g. “In our campaign … ”, “In our platform for last year’s campaign … “ as well as the wholesale repetition of EG1ST’s Mission Statement which is attributed to the entire Town Board. 

Pete Stenson

East Greenbush