ALTAMONT — Village Trustee Cathy Glass, who joined the Altamont board this spring, has resigned due to unforeseen health issues within her family, Glass told The Enterprise.

Mayor James Gaughan said that he is going to try to find someone to fill the position of trustee for the next half-year. He said that, regardless of whether he can find an interim replacement, he will need to hold a special election for that trusteeship in March 2016.

Glass’s resignation came just before the board’s vote on a controversial Stewart’s proposal to expand its 1001 Altamont Blvd. store and lot by changing the zoning of adjacent property 107-109 Helderberg Ave. from residential to central business district.

Glass had planned to recuse herself from that vote anyway, because she came to the village board from the planning board.

She told The Enterprise in a recent email that it was “with deep regret” that she needed to resign.

She wrote, “As a member of the Planning Board last February, I endorsed the planning board’s decision to write a letter to the village board requesting their consideration for possible rezoning of the Baumann property (107-109 Helderberg Ave.). I felt there were valid reasons for the planning board to make that request, and in light of my prior involvement, felt it only right that I should recuse myself from participating in the village board’s vote regarding that determination.”

Gaughan said that, immediately after Glass’s election, she was assigned to be liaison to the fire department, and that in that capacity she did “incredible things” even in a short time. These included, he said, moving forward “with great vigor” on a project that had languished, of trying to take out the trifold doors in the village hall’s community room, to create more storage space.

She had also, because of her experience in accounting, Gaughan said, been able to help the department with its books and with its long-range capital improvements plan.

Fire Chief Robert White said that Glass “was instrumental,” together with town of Guilderland grant writer Donald Csaposs, in working on several grant proposals. In addition, Glass helped with the sale of the 2004 Dodge Durango chief vehicle, and with repairs to the firehouse itself.

“She was a pleasure to work with and will surely be missed,” White said.