BERNE — Frustrations mounted last week as officials discussed purchasing new trucks for the town’s highway department.

After a heated discussion, no decision was reached.
Raymond Storm, Berne’s highway superintendent, said one of the highway department’s trucks, which is 30 years old, "needs work," and another truck, a 1984 model, has "serious drive-train problems."
"We just can’t keep fixing these things," Storm said. "They all break. Even the new ones break."
Berne Supervisor Kevin Crosier said the department’s trucks get "heavy service."
"That’s the problem," he said.

Storm estimated a new fully-equipped four-by-four truck at $194,000 before emissions controls are added. Storm said the department also needs a smaller truck, which, he said, would cost about $80,000.

Crosier and Councilman James Hamilton, who ran against each other for town supervisor in 2005 and are often at odds, argued over this year’s budget. Hamilton speculated about the amount of money in the town’s savings.
"We don’t have a million dollars. I wish we did, but we don’t," Crosier said.

Crosier did not approve this year’s spending plan. His budget proposal included a merger of the town’s highway department with the county’s department of public works, a concept the board rejected.
Crosier ran on the Republican ticket; the board members are Democrats. Crosier, who is enrolled as a Democrat, is now launching a run for the county legislature against Democratic incumbent Alexander "Sandy" Gordon, forcing a primary.
"I’m just not ready to accept the myth that the county was going to give us a free ride that would have magically solved all our problems," said Councilman Joseph Golden. "I think we’re just going to have to buy the truck."
Crosier said, "How are you going to pay for it""
"We can’t figure out how to buy a truck now"" Hamilton asked.
"I don’t know. You guys figure it out," he said. "I gave you guys enough ideas. Now, it’s up to you," he said.
Councilman Wayne Emory was emphatic. "No one’s asking anyone to figure anything out. We’re having a discussion here, and you’re willing or not willing to participate just because of a difference of opinion"The man needs a vehicle," he said.
"Well, then, tell us how you’d do it," Crosier responded.

This year, the tax levy increased approximately 20 percent.
Crosier said he didn’t vote for the budget, and said, "You designed it."
Hamilton said the other board members didn’t design it, but "cut back on your general fund against your wishes."
"We’ve been making hard choices," said Golden. "You don’t agree with them. That’s fine. I have a great deal of respect for your ability to fund and budget," he said to Crosier.
Golden, the liaison to the town’s highway department, said the board "set out on a path."
"Whatever the magical merger was, we’re not doing it, so we have to conduct business in order to solve this particular problem, which is how we buy the truck. It makes me sad to have to spend that money to buy a truck, and, if we have to raise taxes, and that’s the outcome of it, and these people"come out with pitchforks and torches, then so be it," Golden said. "Our job is not to deal with hypotheticals — could have been, would have been."

Minutes

During discussion of a draft of the town minutes from last month’s board meeting, officials recommended purchasing a tape recorder with a microphone.

Last month, the board discussed sharing services with the county. Crosier recommended sending a proposal to consolidate the town’s highway department along with a proposal for shared services to Albany County. Hamilton and Emory said they didn’t want to send a proposal not supported by the board.

Last week, at the meeting’s onset, Hamilton questioned minutes from last month’s meeting, typed by long-time town Clerk Patricia Favreau, a Democrat.
"[The minutes make] it look like we are recommending they submit it, and I strongly said I do not recommend they submit it," Hamilton said.
"Minutes written like this are a paraphrasing of the discussion. It is the opinion of the person that writes it. When you pick and choose sentences out of context, you have to be very careful how it’s worded," he said.
Crosier said he doesn’t think "anybody picked sentences out of context," and said minutes are "a snapshot."
"I’ll just rewrite it and submit it to them," Favreau said.

Golden and Hamilton said they’d suggested a new tape recorder with a microphone.
"Get it, and we’ll be happier," Golden said.

Other business

In other business, the town board:

— Appointed Councilman Hamilton to the Albany County Shared Municipal Highway Services Board. Sponsored by County Legislator Gordon, who represents three of the four Hilltowns, the county unanimously passed a resolution to create the board last month.

Each of the 19 municipalities in Albany County will appoint one member to the 21-member board to discuss sharing services and explore possible cost-savings measures between departments. The county legislature will appoint two members;

— Voted with four members’ approval to award the sole bidder for a new furnace for Town Hall to Donato Plumbing in Altamont. Donato Plumbing will install a furnace for $3,265, with the installation to be completed by July 30. Hamilton abstained from voting;

— Voted unanimously to temporarily close roads on the morning of July 21 for the 5-kilometer Fox Creek Road Race and Fun Walk;
— Heard from Gordon that the county’s right-to-farm law passed unanimously in the county legislature. The law defines a farmer as having a gross income of $2,000, lower than the requirement of $10,000 at the state level. The law also has a provision for "dispute remediation," he said. One of the law’s benefits is that it strengthens farmers, Gordon said. "Hopefully, this will be something that helps to preserve agriculture in the area.";

— Heard from Kevin Kemmet, Berne’s solid-waste coordinator, that the town is already sharing highway services with towns. Kemmet, who, along with the town’s highway workers, is opposed to merging the town’s highway department with the county’s department of public works, said Berne shares services with the towns of Knox, Westerlo, Wright, Rensselaerville, Coeymans, and New Scotland, and has been sharing services for years.
"Why aren’t we applying for grants""The money has got to be out there, and we’re already doing it. We’re already doing shared services," Kemmet said;

— Heard from Linda Carman, who lives on a state highway. Carman asked about shared services and said that, during the most recent snowstorm, a Berne plow truck went by her house three times.
"Could they plow"" she asked the board, "Because the county didn’t show up for hours." Carman asked if the town’s plowing a state highway would be a shared service. Councilman Hamilton and Supervisor Crosier said that it was possible. "If we work out an agreement," Hamilton concluded.