To the Editor:

In setting the records straight, we would like to respond to some statements made by Mrs. Marie Dermody in the past and most recently, in her interview in The Altamont Enterprise.

In August 2011, while she was then our town supervisor, we were hit by devastating Tropical Storm Irene. Homes were damaged or destroyed by flooding of the Catskill Creek and Fox Creek.

When it was suggested to her that we get outside help, she did nothing! She said she contacted the Federal Emergency Management Agency and was told that it couldn’t do anything at that time and we could do nothing either as a township.

We needed someone to push for help immediately to make necessary repairs and work on these creeks so this never happened again. She did nothing. One of our councilmen was finally able to get us some help.

Regarding the state of our records and bookkeeping, when the present supervisor took office, we immediately had to go back over two years to find a starting point to begin to reconcile the books. The town was scheduled for an audit of year 2011 when Mrs. Dermody left. The auditors found the 2011 records to be in total disarray.

When an audit was done for the time period from Jan. 1, 2015 to May 31, 2016, the following was received from the auditors, “We commend Town Officials for establishing and implementing appropriate procedures for auditing claims.”  

In the recent interview with The Altamont Enterprise, Mrs. Dermody makes reference to our “secrecy” meetings. Anything done in our “executive session” is with complete approval of our town attorney.

She also states she wants “more taxpayer involvement.” Perhaps the real reason no one attends meetings is because there is now total transparency so everyone knows that the town’s best interest is being looked after. Does she plan on busing in residents?

In response to our recent “purchase” of a generator, again her wording is flawed. In the fall of 2016 while the 2017 budget was being set, funds were earmarked to the general fund for the purchase of a generator so that the entire town office, highway department, and recycling center could be fully operational during a crisis or power failure. This allows us working telephones and radio communications as well as computers to keep us functional. This was in the budget for $40,000 and has been kept under that amount. Nothing was taken from the Highway Fund.

In January 2012, Mrs. Dermody resigned as the supervisor of the town of Rensselaerville only 23 days into the new year. She gave as her reason: The “culture” created by the present town board majority has made it almost impossible for her to move forward.

The members of the board had no time to begin working with Mrs. Dermody as supervisor even though they recognized the need and they desired to do that. The newly elected board was made up of two Democrats, two Conservatives, and one Independence Party member. Mrs. Dermody stated in her interview, “I could do nothing right.” This was not true and neither was her statement, “I was getting knocked around.”  

This town has come so far in the last six years and it needs people coming in that want to keep our community safe and will work to see that we move forward working together, not by fighting or spreading mistruths.

Gerald Wood

Margaret Sedlmeir

Rensselaerville

Editor’s note: Gerald Wood, a Democrat, is not seeking re-election to the Rensselaerville Town Board; Margaret Sedlmeir, an Independence party member, is not up for re-election.

Responding to the allegation that she “did nothing” in response to Tropical Storm Irene, Marie Dermody said, “I reached out to as many agencies as I could. I worked with the State Emergency Management.”

She added in an email, “There are six sets of official Town Board minutes (dated 9/1/2011-11/17/2011) which clearly indicate the various contacts I made after Hurricane Irene. I did not report that I could do nothing. My Type A personality would never allow me to do that.”

The minutes can be found here: http://www.rensselaerville.com/newsminutes.php

The minutes referenced are dated Sept. 1, 2011; Sept. 13, 2011; Oct. 11, 2011; Oct. 27, 2011; Nov. 10, 2011; and Nov. 17, 2011.

Dermody also said, explaining her resignation, “There was no willingness to work with me. The writing was on the wall. The town needed resolution to flood problems. I wasn’t getting any support. I was facing impending surgery for my husband and me. I didn’t need the stress.”

She concluded of the board appointing Valerie Lounsbury as supervisor, “They were more supportive of my replacement. It was for the benefit of the town. She was what was needed to get the job done.”