By Chrissy Prichard

Express News Staff

The Town of Webb board met on Tuesday, Jan. 3, to conduct its organizational meeting for 2012. These meetings are conducted at the beginning of each year to allow the town to appoint committees and department heads and set things like mileage rates and meeting times.

Prior to the start of the meeting, newly elected and re-elected officials were sworn in. New officials sworn in were Town Supervisor Ted Riehle, Councilwoman Mary Brophy Moore, and Town Justice Jack Graham. Re-elected officials taking the oath were Councilman J.B. Herron, Tax Collector Kelly Hunkins, and Highway Superintendent Casey Crofut.

The board decided to keep the board meeting schedule on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Town Offices. The board’s audit of claims will continue to take place on the second Monday of every month at 4 p.m. All meetings of the board, with the exception of executive sessions, are open to the public.

The schedule was also set for the zoning board of appeals and the planning board. The zoning board of appeals will meet on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. in the Park Avenue building. Don McKenna, who had been serving as an alternate member since February 2011, was appointed as a full time member of the zoning board of appeals. His term will last until Dec. 31, 2013. Beth Pashley was also appointed to the zoning board of appeals, with her term running through Dec. 31, 2016.

The planning board will meet on the first and third Tuesdays of every month at 7 p.m., in the Park Avenue building. The second meeting each month may be cancelled if deemed unnecessary. Sheila Rivet was re-appointed to the planning board. Her term will last until Dec. 31, 2018. She has accepted the position on a temporary basis, requesting that the board find a replacement willing to complete her term as soon as possible.

A meeting attendance policy was adopted, allowing members of the Planning Board a maximum of five absences per year, and Zoning Board of Appeals members a maximum of three absences per year.

Riehle named the members of the supervisor’s committees. The committees work as liaisons between the individual department heads and the town board. They also research issues and inform the board about actions that can be taken to resolve problems.

The McCauley Mountain committee members are Councilwoman Kate Russell and Councilwoman Mary Brophy Moore.

Publicity committee members are Councilman Mike Ross and Moore.

The Department of Public Works committee members are Councilman J.B. Herron and Ross.

The Parks and Recreation committee members are Ross and Russell.

The Highway department committee members are Russell and Herron.

The Snowmobile Trails committee members are Ross and Herron.

The assessing, zoning, and codes enforcement committee members are Moore and Russell.

The Health Care Research committee members are Ross, Russell, Greg O’Hara, Hazel Dellavia, Laura Cooper, Barbara Green and Roger Pratt.

The board named the following department heads: John D. Russell, Chief of Police; Laura Cooper, Supervisory Registered Nurse, Webb Professional Offices;

Maurice Hudon, Superintendent, Department of Public Works; Timothy Pylman, Snowmobile Trail Maintenance Foreman; Steve Uzdavinis, General Manager, McCauley Mountain; Andrew Getty, Code Enforcement Officer; Jean Murdock, Assessing Department; Mike Farmer, Publicity Department.

Amber LaFountain was appointed as part time court clerk for Justice Graham, and Thera Levi was appointed as part time court clerk for Justice Miller.

The town set $1,000 as the amount that can be spent by department heads and special districts without prior authorization by the board. Emergency expenses over the $1,000 limit can be made if authorized by the Town Supervisor.

Town Supervisor Riehle was appointed as Police Commissioner.

Appointed Police Patrol Officers for the Town of Webb are Kevin Birtle, Kathryn Dillon, Trevor Tormey, and Aaron Silverman. Part-time Police Patrol Officers are Russell Brombacher, Lou Pardi, Anthony Sege, and Craig Burritt.

The town has an agreement with the town of Inlet to share patrolmen.

Inlet Police Chief Andrew Kalil and all other Inlet patrolmen are also appointed patrolmen for the Town of Webb. Inlet’s town board will appoint Webb’s patrolmen to the Inlet police force.

Codes Enforcement Officer Andy Getty and codes employee Steve Baker were appointed fire inspectors for the town. The Old Forge Fire Chief Charles Bogardus will act as deputy inspector.

Dr. Mark Webster, from the Central Adirondack Family Practice, is appointed as Health Officer for the Town of Webb for 2012.

The board for the Professional Offices was named. They are Riehle and Ross to represent the Town of Webb, Hazel Dellavia to represent the Health Center Fund; Clark Seaman, Supervisor of the Town of Long Lake, to represent the Town of Long Lake; and John Frey, Supervisor of the Town of Inlet, to represent the Town of Inlet.

The town entered into a retainer agreement with Frye and Carbone to provide the town with necessary legal services.

Peg Masters was named as TOW Historian.

Riehle appointed Ross to serve as Deputy Supervisor.

Town Clerk Nanci Russell appointed MaryAnn Lum Nelson as the Deputy Town Clerk.

Nanci Russell was appointed as Public Access Officer.

The Old Forge branches of the Community Bank and the Adirondack Bank were named as depositories for the town.

The board designated the Adirondack Express as the publisher of legal advertising.  

The rate for mileage reimbursement was set at $.45/mile.

Legal holidays, vacation, and sick leave policies were established for full-time employees of the town. Wage schedules and policies were set for town employees and Town of Webb Professional Office employees.

The town board decided to remain members of the New York State Association of Towns and Villages and the Adirondack Association of Towns and Villages. The combined membership dues will be $1,800.

The next regular meeting of the Town of Webb Board will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 10. The audit of claims will be held at 4 p.m. on Jan. 9.