RENSSELAERVILLE — Town Hall was packed on New Year’s Day as the town board’s two Democrats differed sharply with the three Republicans on several key appointments for 2006.

The town now has new legal counsel, a new constable, and a new planning- and zoning-board secretary; the post of clerk for the highway superintendent has been abolished.
"One of the things I campaigned on was no conflicts of interest with anyone in the government," the new Republican supervisor, Jost Nickelsberg, told The Enterprise after the meeting. He also said he was trying to encourage involvement in the government from a broader base in town.

He is particularly looking for community involvement, Nickelsberg said, as a building moratorium goes into effect this month so the town can develop a comprehensive plan for its future.

The two Democrats on the board — newly-elected Sherri Pine and six-year Councilman Gary Chase — had some concerns about the reorganizational meeting.
"I was kind of blind-sided," said Chase, indicating he hadn’t been told ahead of time what the Republican appointments would be.
"We had nothing to say," Chase told The Enterprise of the changes made by the GOP board members. "These people put in a lot of their own time without getting paid," he said of those who were not reappointed to their posts, "and now they’re getting thrown out on the street. I don’t like that."

One of the people who lost her part-time job was his mother, Joyce Chase, who worked as a clerk for his father, highway Superintendent G. Jon Chase.

Pine was concerned about a closed meeting the three Republican board members had in the supervisor’s office before the public meeting began on New Year’s Day. She stood right outside the door and wasn’t invited in, she said, calling it an illegal meeting.

The state’s Open Meetings Law doesn’t allow a board majority — in this case, three members — to meet in an unannounced session, but Nickelsberg had not yet taken office so, technically, only two board members were meeting.
"That’s not how you run government," said Pine. "Mr. Nickelsberg is new" but she pointed out the other two — Myra Dorman and J. Robert Lansing — had been town supervisors before.
"There was a lot of political play right off the bat," said Chase. "I think it’s going to be a long road...I’m going to try to fight to keep the taxes down. There are a lot of rumors about big ideas that will cost a lot of money."

More than 40 people watched, some of them standing in the hall because all the seats were filled, as Nickelsberg took the oath of office.

A Republican who has worked for 35 years as a securities and investment banker and lived in Rensselaerville for 11 years, Nickelsberg won his first-ever race for public office this fall. He won with 58 percent of the vote against Democrat David Bryan, formerly a supervisor, attempting a comeback.

Highway Superintendent Chase took the oath next; he had edged out Republican challenger Stephen Wood. Chase had come under fire during the campaign for near silence on the work of the highway department.

Lansing was sworn in next as a councilman. A Republican with a long history of service to the town, he had stepped down as supervisor and received the most votes in a four-way race for two council seats.

Pine was sworn in after Lansing. She won the other council seat, besting a Democratic incumbent and a Republican challenger to win her first public office.

Long-time town clerk Kathleen Hallenbeck was also sworn in.
"These are the people who will make our town go from this point on and I believe they deserve a hand," said Judge Victor La Plante after the oaths were administered. Applause filled the room.

New legal counsel

The pace was quick, without discussion, as the board worked through its list of appointments for 2006.

While most appointments were unanimous, votes were split along party lines for appointing new legal counsel, appointing Brian O’Keefe constable, abolishing the position of clerk for the highway superintendent, and for appointing Cathleen Bobrick as planning-and zoning-board secretary.

In those cases, Nickelsberg would read the motion; it would be quickly seconded by Dorman; and then Pine and Chase would vote against the motion while the Republican majority carried the vote.

Nickelsberg, who opened the meeting by announcing microphones at the dais will allow people to hear the board’s deliberations, told The Enterprise afterwards that the changes are to insure open government without even an appearance of conflicts of interest.
"We did a-thousand-plus hours worth of research as to who the players are and need to be relative to management and government," he said.

Joseph Catalano, who lives in Rensselaerville, had been the town attorney. That post was abolished Sunday along with deputy town attorney. In its place, a position of attorney to the town was created, so a non-resident appointment could be made.

The Albany law firm of Tabner, Ryan, and Keniry was appointed.
"We wanted to have someone in the position of attorney for the town who will not be doing business with people in the town," said Nickelsberg. "They won’t be on both sides of an issue," he said of the newly-hired firm.
Asked if Catalano had had such conflicts, Nickelsberg said there "could be" a conflict with someone representing Rensselaerville residents, for example, before the zoning or planing boards, but that, with an outside firm, he said, "We know they’ll come to every issue as representing only the town."
Asked why this particular outside firm was chosen, Nickelsberg said he was impressed with work Tabner, Ryan, and Keniry had done for other towns, such as Colonie and with work done by senior partner Jack Tabner. Bill Ryan, he said, will be the "point person" from the firm working with Rensselaerville.

Both Pine and Chase told The Enterprise after the meeting that they favored keeping Catalano as town attorney.
"He lives in town and specializes in town law," said Pine, citing Catalano’s many years of experience.
"A few years back, when the Republicans took over, they hired a law firm and things got messed up," said Chase. "When I got in office, the Democrats took back over and reappointed Joe Catalano. He’s done a great job.
"You should always try to have somebody in the town...It keeps money in the town and they know more about the town."

Chase said that the deputy attorney, Jon Kosich, had also been knowledgeable, and handled work for the zoning and planning boards.

The attorney’s salary was set at $22,000; the deputy attorney’s salary had been set at $9,100.

Master planning

Cathleen Bobrick was named as the new planning- and zoning-board secretary.
"We’re about to go into a moratorium and come to grips with a master plan," said Nickelsberg. "Cathleen is very qualified to help us...She’ll be very busy."
He said his goal is to get all 1,600 Rensselaerville residents involved in the planning process. He listed some questions citizens may answer: "Do you want pocket parks" Do you favor agribusiness" Do you want an industrial park""
Referring to the town’s comprehensive land-use plan developed in the late 1990’s, Nickelsberg said, "Basically, we have five-acre zoning in town."
The building moratorium, beginning this month, will last six months, and can be extended, said Nickelsberg. Meetings will be held in all five of Rensselaerville's hamlets where citizens will be asked, "What is your vision""
Nickelsberg said, "The most important thing is what the people want. The taxpayers are the shareholders of the town. "People will voice their opinions and we’ll ultimately get a consensus," he said.

Bobrick will replace Carlotta Morris, who was not planning to step down from her post as secretary, Nickelsberg said.
"She’s been a part of local government for a number of years and done an exceptional job," he said of Morris. "This is a way for us to broaden participation."
Nickelsberg said he met Bobrick "on the campaign trail" and she had been active in the Rensselaerville library.
Pine said it wasn’t right to displace workers who were doing their jobs, like Morris. "We know they can do the job," she said.

Chase said he doesn’t make appointments based on party enrollment. He cited appointments to the planning board and zoning board — members who were not Democrats — and said he supported them because they were recommended by the chairs of those boards.

The planning board secretary’s salary was set at $12,320 or $11.85 an hour.

No highway clerk

The Republican majority on the town board eliminated the post of clerk to the highway superintendent.

This had been filled by Joan Chase, the wife of the highway superintendent and the mother of the councilman.
Councilman Chase called the cut "a political stab in the back."

His grandfather had been highway superintendent for 30 years before his father was elected to the post, Councilman Chase said, and his grandmother had worked as his grandfather’s clerk.
"That job used to pay about $20,000," he said. "They took that job away from my dad and said he could do it on his own."
Then, since his mother helped his father with paperwork, Chase said, "A couple of years ago, they set it up so she got $10 an hour, up to $3,000. There’s a ton of paperwork you have to file for funding for roads. She was putting in millions of hours and getting paid $3,000...It’s not a conflict."

Asked why the post was eliminated, Nickelsberg told The Enterprise, "The number-one reason is cost savings. The other is a potential conflict of interest."
He went on, "There are certain rules in the state about family members being part of the government. We want to present as few conflicts as possible...
"She’s a wonderful person," he said of Mrs. Chase, "but I ran on the position there would be no conflicts or perceptions of conflicts of interest."
He also said that the highway superintendent will be able to get clerical help from other staff members. "We have some exceptionally good people in the town office...We thought we’d make it more streamlined," he said.

New constable

In another split vote, Brian O’Keefe was appointed constable.

The post had been filled by David Chase.

Asked why the change was made, Nickelsberg told The Enterprise, "Brian O’Keefe is a major in the Army Reserve...He’s an exceptional guy who just got back from 14 months in Iraq. He’s an American hero."
O’Keefe works for National Grid, formerly called Niagara Mohawk, and wants to be involved in local government, Nickelsberg said. "The more we can get from younger people, the more we’re enhanced," he said.
Asked if the decision was partisan, that is replacing a Democrat with a Republican, Nickelsberg said, "I don’t know what party Brian belongs to. He’s very, very qualified. I’m looking to broaden the participatory level in the government...These are basically volunteers.
"David Chase is also the fire chief for Medusa," Nickelsberg went on. "He’s doing very serious, solid work, giving his time to the town. We all appreciate that very much."

Pine objected to David Chase’s dismissal. She told The Enterprise, "The judges picked David many years ago. He knows how both of the judges react; he knows their body language and could react right away to help them."
She also said, "The constable should be the judges’ pick."

The constable post pays $1,300 a year.

New deputy super

Alden Pierce was unanimously appointed as deputy supervisor.

Both Chase and Pine said the deputy supervisor is the supervisor’s pick.

Often deputy supervisors merely fill in when a supervisor is absent, but Nickelsberg has a larger role in mind for Pierce, who does not hold an elected office in town.

He described Pierce as his friend, who has a Ph.D.
"He’s been involved in industry for three-plus decades in the environmental part of corporate America," Nickelsberg said. "His job was to figure out how corporations were good citizens of the community. He's good at land-use and zoning issues. He’s an executive who’s good at interpersonal relationships.
"He’s ready and fit to take on a number of projects...He’s totally qualified to do anything I can do. I’ve been in the Wall Street investment banking world for 35 years...Our backgrounds are similar."

Nickelsberg said that Pierce and his wife, Cheryl, are active in community affairs.
Nickelsberg concluded, "When your government’s got great people, it makes everything better."

The deputy supervisor is not paid.

Appointments

Other appointments made by the Rensselaerville Town Board on New Year’s Day include:

— Harry Prussner as town veterinarian;

— Brian Wood and David Chase as civil-defense coordinators;

— Gerald Wood as civil-defense officer;

— Earl David Potter as deputy highway superintendent;

— Delwin Shaver Jr. as water treatment officer and as deputy sewage treatment officer;

— Doug Story to a five-year term on the water-sewer committee.

Other members are Richard Platel through 2006, Bill Bensen through 2007, Jack Long through 2008, and William McChesney through 2009;

— Brenda Wood as the supervisor’s clerk;

— Rachel Chase as an assessor’s clerk;

— Cheryl Tefft-Baitsholts as dog-control officer;

— Jon Whitbeck as refuse and recycling officer;

— Arthur McCulloch and Ronald Bates as substitute refuse and recycling officers;

— Irene Olson as historian;

— Martin Lloyd and Anthony Donato as election-machine custodians;

— Rich Amedure to a seven-year term as planning board member.

Other members are David Potter through 2006, Kenneth Storms through 2007, Timothy Lippert through 2008, Larry Bryan through 2009, Allyn Wright through 2010, and Muriel Frasher through 2011;

— Allyn Wright as chair of the planning board;

— Mark Overbaugh as building and zoning officer;

— James Bashwinger to a five-year term on the zoning board.

Other members are William Whitbeck through 2006, James Watkins through 2007, Alfred Stetner through 2008, and Kenneth McCulloch through 2009;

— William Whitbeck as chair of the zoning board;

— Kathleen Hallenbeck as registrar of vital statistics;

— Deidre Andrus as deputy town clerk, collector, and registrar;

— Gail La Plante and Lynette Terell as court clerks;

— Deidre Andrus as records inventory clerk;

— Ronald Bates and Gerald Winans as senior employees; and

— Lamont as engineer for the town;

— The Greenville Press as newspaper; and

— First Niagara as depository.