GUILDERLAND — Town appointments from Albany County’s Civil Service list, and concern over the effects of stricter county regulations, were the main focus of last Tuesday’s town board meeting.

Board member Patricia Slavick, citing an article on the Civil Service crackdown that ran in The Enterprise two weeks ago, asked Supervisor Kenneth Runion how many people would be affected by the new regulations.
Runion responded by saying the county was reclassifying many positions and at least one-half to one dozen more people would be "affected" in Guilderland’s town hall. Three workers took the water operator exams in Guilderland and were awaiting the results, Runion added.
"The reclassifications of Civil Service are creating non-exempt positions where they were previously exempt," said Runion.

Currently, one employee at the town assessor’s office, two employees at the Guilderland Public Library, and one employee at the Voorheesville Public Library, have all been fired because of failed Civil Service exams.

Timothy Spawn’s job as the town Superintendent of the transfer station was reclassified by the county, and he is now required to take a Civil Service exam. Previously, his job did not require an examination.

Spawn, the only candidate to take the exam for his position, passed and was unanimously appointed to his position by the town board.

Other appointments included Jennifer Celebucki and Shirley Valletta as deputy court clerks from the Albany County Civil Service list. Celebucki placed number two on the list and Valletta placed number four, after taking their exams. Because Guilderland is mandated by New York State to choose from the top three candidates on the list, the board unanimously appointed Celebucki first, pushing Valletta into the number-three position. The board then unanimously appointed Valletta.

These two positions were also recently reclassified, requiring an exam.

The board also unanimously appointed Dorothy Lynch as deputy town clerk.

The meeting ended with a notice from the Association of Towns, which is having its annual convention, Feb. 19 to 22, at the Hilton, in New York City.

Jean Cataldo, the receiver of taxes and top-vote-getter throughout Guilderland in the last election, was chosen to be Guilderland’s delegate to the annual business meeting, at the last day of the convention. Dave Bosworth, a town board member and the chair of Guilderland’s Democratic party, was chosen to be the alternate delegate.

Slavick, who has been the appointed delegate to the annual statewide meeting in past years, is unable to attend this year.

Both delegates were appointed unanimously.