January 8, 2009 board meeting

The town board held its annual organizational meeting. Several appointments were made without debate or dissent.

The town ethics committee presented its findings concerning the failure of Town Attorney Richard Sherwood to disclose a connection he had with another attorney concerning a substantial assessment reduction settlement he negotiated with the Walgreens at Routes 20 and 155. Mr. Sherwood never disclosed the connection to the Town Board.

November 6th Town Board meeting

The Town Board passed the 2009 budget. Councilman Grimm voted "no" because of

1 - the double-whammy tax hike --- a 4.68 % increase in the property tax levy and a 20% increase in town fees

2 - a proposal to freeze the pay of the town elected officials and some other political appointees was voted down by Supervisor Runion and board members Paul Pastore and Pat Slavick.

3 - a Grimm proposal to restore $7,200 to the budget for Community Caregivers, a wonderful nonprofit in Guilderland, was also voted down by the same vote.

4- a Grimm proposal to fund $9,000 for park playground improvements was also voted down by Supervisor Runion and Pastore & Slavick.

There was more than three hours of public input and board discussion on the Glass Works Village project. Western Avenue traffic was a top concern among Hamilton St. residents. The debate over the library road also continued.

The Board discussed the serious ethics issue involving the town attorney. The Board's majority voted to fund outside counsel for the town's ethics committee to investigate Sherwood. Grimm and Redlich voted "no" insisting outside counsel in this case was unnecessary town spending.
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Update (2/09): Supervisor Runion claimed in a Times Union article that he planned ahead for the tough economy by budgeting for lower sales tax revenue. Video from the 11/6 meeting appears to contradict that claim. See Ken Runion, sales tax and budget.

September 16th Town Board Meeting

John Macejka from Rotterdam was appointed Town Assessor. He has agreed to move into Guilderland to satisfy the requirements for the position.

A water service connection request from John VanWormer with the Town of Princetown was approved.

A private road off County Line road was named Almond Lane.

July 8th Town Board Meeting

The Board approved a tax exemption for the village of Altamont on land outside the village that is used to provide public water.

A three-year contract for CSEA Unit A (911 call operators) was approved. It calls for 3 percent annual increases through 2010.

An attempt to discuss the town assessment process was hindered because no one from the town assessor's office appeared.

June 17th Board Meeting

Several items of interest were discussed:

1- Walgreen's Tax Break
In Executive Session, the Board voted 3-2 to approve a $540,000 reduction in the tax assessment for the Walgreens Drug Store on the corner of Route 155 & 20. The deal was negotiated by Town Attorney Richard Sherwood without input from the Town Board. Board members Mark Grimm and Warren Redlich voted "No" on the deal. Ken Runuion, Pat Slavik, and Paul Pastore all voted "Yes." The tax break costs the Guilderland School District alone over $10,000 a year in revenue.

2- Cox Appointment
Lt. Curtis Cox was promoted to Captain of the police department with a 5-0 board vote.
Family and friends were on hand to wish him well. Congratulations to Captain Cox. Concerns were raised about the late notice provided by the supervisor for the ceremonies for both Captain Cox and Chief Lawlor.

The hiring process in Guilderland received further scrutiny --- some jobs are filled with only one applicant for the position.

3- West End Water Bid Approved
A construction bid to extend water to west end residents was approved unanimously. The bid accepted was two million dollars less than expected. The overall project cost is $5.36 million, not $7.37 million. Though the cost is much less than expected, the amount to be charged to west end residents tapping into the system did not change. The tap-in fee remains at $1,750 and the yearly payment is $575 for debt service and water usage.

4- Grant Applications
Grant applications were unanimously approved for sidewalk construction on Carman Road and for renovations at Tawasentha Park.
The price tag of the sidewalk construction is $860,000 and the application to the state Department of Transportation is for $688,000 (the grant is 80/20 percent state-town split). If approved by the state, the town would pay the balance.
The other grant seeks $107,500 from the state Office of Parks and Recreation for a $215,000 project to rehab and upgrade the Guilderland Performing Arts Center at Tawasentha Park. This application is a 50/50 state-town split.

There is no way to determine now if the grants will be approved.

5- Town Assessments
The Town Assessor, Carol Wysomski, spoke at the public comment period, insisting there was nothing wrong with the Town's assessment process. Councilmen Grimm and Redlich challenged that viewpoint.

February 12th Town Board Meeting

Warren Redlich and Mark Grimm attempted to place the controversial "assessment process" on the agenda. The request was denied.

The Board was presented with only one candidate for a new police officer position, requiring an up or down vote. The candidate was presented to the Board just two business days prior to the vote. The process needs to be improved so more than one candidate can be considered.

The appointment involving a police sergeant promotion was made more complicated because phone numbers for the applicants were not provided. Board members need the numbers to conduct a thorough investigation of the applicants.

Mr. Grimm also raised a concern that a part-time court attendant was hired even though he was the only applicant for the position. Having just one candidate for a position is a poor hiring practice.