— Matt Cook

RENSSELAERVILLE — The town board made two appointments to replace outgoing town officials at its meeting last Thursday.

Eric Sutton was appointed in a split party-line vote as one of the town’s three assessors, replacing Sean McCormick, who was unable to complete the required training courses for the job.

James Watkins was appointed to the zoning board. Valerie Greenberg resigned, leaving one seat open on the five-member board.

Watkins was recommended for the job by the zoning board chairman, William Whitbeck. He was appointed unanimously.
"I don’t know Mr. Watkins, but I appreciate Mr. Whitbeck’s opinion," said Councilwoman Myra Dorman.

Greenberg was not available for comment. Her husband, Robert Greenberg, told The Enterprise she resigned for personal, not political, reasons.

Watkins, an environmental consultant, will be taking his first position in government.
"I like being involved," Watkins told The Enterprise. "In local government, you can actually do something."
Watkins said he will support development and growth in the town, while keeping an eye on its effect on the environment. He intends to use his environmental background, "if it comes up." He said, "I don’t know if it will be appropriate."

Sutton
Rensselaerville has a panel of three elected assessors.

Sutton’s appointment was approved 3 to 2. Supervisor J. Robert Lansing, Councilman Kenneth Decker, and Dorman, all Republicans, voted for Sutton, while the board’s Democrats, Edward Ryder and Gary Chase, voted against him.

Ryder and Chase sided with Democratic assessor Jeff Pine, who recommended that the board appoint Sue Britton, a Rensselaerville resident who is already certified as an assessor. Britton is not interested in running for the elected position in November, and would only serve the last few months of Democrat McCormick’s term, Pine said.
"I don’t think it would be fair to the new guy to take a couple of classes and then find he didn’t win the election" Pine said.

The third assessor, Peter Hotaling, is a Democrat.

Sutton told The Enterprise that he was asked by Supervisor Lansing to take the position.
"I live here in Rensselaerville. I love it up here," Sutton said. "I thought maybe I could help out in that respect."

Sutton, who runs his own seal-coating business in Greenville, said his business is seasonal, so he can focus on the assessing position in the winter. He is not worried about the training required for the job.
"I figure, if you can show me a manual and what’s expected of me, I can get up to speed pretty quickly," Sutton said.

Sutton said he will run for election on the Republican ticket in the fall if he is able to take time away from his business.
"I will make as good an effort as I can," he said.

Assessors in Rensselaerville make $4,510 per year.

Other business
In other business at the May 12 meeting, the Rensselaerville Town Board:

—Accepted bids for an Abele tractor, for $65,993, and an Eager Beaver trailer to go with it, for $13,995. The total, $79,988, is $12 below the $80,000 cap the highway department was budgeted for the purchase; and

—Switched insurance carriers to New York Muncipal Insurance Reciprocal. Lansing, the only one who voted against the switch, wanted to stay with the current provider, Marshall & Sterling, Inc. New York Munincipal offers more coverage for a slightly higher price.