GUILDERLAND — At the Guilderland Town Board’s last meeting of the year, Deputy Supervisor Christine Napierski gaveled the session to a close.

The gavel was presented to her moments before by Supervisor Peter Barber near the end of the brief Dec. 16 meeting as Napierski is leaving the board to become one of three town justices.

“Just practicing,” Napierski said as she tapped the dais.

Napierski was the highest vote-getter in November’s town elections; none of the Democrats who ran were challenged.

“It’s been a really short four years,” said Barber of Napierski’s term on the board. “And I really want to thank Christine for her dedication … She’s a very talented and experienced trial lawyer, very good on her feet but more importantly, very well prepared behind the scenes.”

He went on, “These are all characteristics that are going to make her a great town justice,” said Barber, praising Napierski as “very compassionate” and for being “a good listener.”

His comments were met with applause from the other board members.

“I’ve had an incredible experience here,” said Napierski. “I’ve enjoyed every minute, even the long hours, the long meetings, and the work.

She also said, “I know I’m leaving the town in good hands.” Napierski praised Barber for running the town “efficiently and competently”; the town lawyer, James Melita, for his “hard work”; Lynne Buchanan for being “the world’s most awesome town clerk”; and the board members “for welcoming me and working with me.”

Napierski was elected to the board despite being at odds with the town’s Democratic committee and is now returning to a justice post she was earlier denied by that committee.

Her history of town service began in 2018. Former Guilderland judge Richard Sherwood was suspended from his post on Feb. 23, 2018, the day he was arrested — he later pleaded guilty to grand larceny — and fourteen candidates applied to fill his vacant seat.

The town board, which had four Democrats and one Republican at that time, unanimously appointed Napierski, a Democrat. But the Guilderland Democratic Committee decided not to back Napierski the next November, instead backing Bryan Clenahan, who had been one of the 14 candidates who initially sought the post.

Clenahan is Denise Randall’s son-in-law; he is still a town justice. Randall is retiring at the end of this year.

Napierski then unsuccessfully challenged the caucus process in court, lost at the caucus by 21 votes, and pushed for a change to a primary system, which the Democratic Committee ultimately adopted. She subsequently lost the election for town justice on a small-party line.

At the Democrats’ first-ever primary, in June 2021, the Democrats sent a mixed message in a four-way race for two spots on the town board where the key issue was development.

Napierski, one of a pair of challengers to the Democratic Committee’s two picks, came in first with 26 percent of the vote. Her running mate, Kevin McDonald, came in last with 21 percent. McDonald, a newcomer to politics, was among the Westmere residents who had brought an ultimately unsuccessful lawsuit trying to stop Pyramid projects in his neighborhood.

McDonald is currently a member of Guilderland’s zoning board and was elected in November to the town board.

Incumbent Paul Pastore — who was backed by the Democratic committee — was ousted with 24 percent of the vote while his running mate, Amanda Beedle, came in second, securing the Democratic line for that November, with 25 percent of the vote.

Beedle and Napierski then campaigned together and both handily won seats on the town board, besting two Republican newcomers. Beedle, like McDonald, was uncontested in November’s election.

Napierski told The Enterprise earlier that it was a difficult decision to give up her post on the town board to run for town justice. But she called her experience of being town judge for seven months “very special” and concluded that, as a lawyer for 30 years, she has always admired judges.

“It’s always been close to my heart,” said Napierski.

At the Dec. 16 town board meeting, Barber told Napierski, “There’s always a division between legislative and judicial; the judges kind of stay in their space …I want you to break the mold … This is not a knock against our current town judges in any way, but I think I’d like to see you show up. If you have any questions or concerns, come upstairs.”

“I know the way,” Napierski responded.

She concluded, “I know this seat is going to be filled and taken well care of by my successor, Kevin, and he’s going to bring a lot to this town board.”

Other business

In other business at its Dec. 16 meeting, the Guilderland Town Board:

— Approved a five-year agreement with Rotterdam, allowing Guilderland to purchase 75 million gallons of water or more each year with water rates that increase 5 percent annually.

Barber said that the former agreement was for 50 million gallons annually and that Guilderland could use 75 million. 

He also said the 5-percent increase, which is more than inflation, is because chemicals are expensive.

The rate for each 1,000 gallons of water is set at $3 in 2025, rising to $3.65 in 2029;

The town’s engineer, Barber said, “thinks it’s great, wonderful”;

— Heard from John Haluska, speaking on behalf of the Guilderland Historical Society, on the historical markers recently placed in town or about to be placed.

Speaking of a proposal for two years hence, Haluska said, “2027 is the 200th anniversary of the manumission of slavery in New York state. That went into effect on July 4th, 1827. I would really like to have a marker for that. I know it’s not a pleasant subject, but hey, it’s there. And it was part of our history.” Census records, Haluska said, shows Guilderland was “replete with slaves”;

— Made three permanent appointments: Stella Lee as an emergency medical technician, Craig Boudreau as a laborer in the golf department; and Timothy Rathburn as a laborer at the transfer station;

— Amended 12 items in the town’s 2025 budget, which Barber described individually, characterizing them as “all just moving monies around”;

— Closed town facilities on Friday, Jan. 2;

— Heard from Barber that the town’s reorganizational meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 6, at 7 p.m. and that he will be giving his State of the Town address at the following meeting, on Jan. 20.