BERNE — Supervisor Kevin Crosier started the New Year’s Day reorganizational meeting by offering thanks to the people whose work helped Berne in 2014: the town board, employees, volunteers, emergency responders, and officials from other layers of government.

Crosier added that, in 2015, the town would finish renovating the town park pavilion, finish a review of the town’s comprehensive plan, update the zoning law, and continue buying equipment for the highway department. He said the town would be seeking some of the $500 million in state funds announced by Governor Andrew Cuomo in October for expanding Internet access.

A dozen people attended the afternoon meeting, gathering in a side room for coffee, and homemade cookies and brownies brought by Councilwoman Karen Schimmer.

Appointments

The town board made the following appointments with no discussion or opposing votes:

— Joseph Golden as deputy supervisor;

— Kevin Crosier as director of emergency management;

— Anita Clayton as registrar and deputy tax collector;

— William J. Conboy II as legal counsel;

— William J. Conboy III as deputy legal counsel;

— Cheryl Tefft-Baitsholts as dog control officer;

— Brian Crawford as chairman of the assessors;

— Patricia M. Favreau as deputy town clerk, deputy registrar, and marriage officer;

— Katherine Hill-Brown as alternate deputy town clerk;

— Frances O’Malley as second deputy tax collector;

—Tim Lippert as building and zoning inspector;

— Ralph Miller as town historian;

— Ronald Jordan as zoning board chairman;

— Rick Otto to a five-year term as zoning board member;

— Alan Rockmore as planning board chairman;

— Michael Vincent to a five-year term as planning board member;

— Kathleen Moore as conservation board chairwoman;

— Susan Hawks-Teeter and Nancy Engel to two-year terms as conservation board members;

— Emilie Wright as chairwoman of the board of assessment review;

— Robert Conklin to a five-year term as a board of assessment review member;

— Gertrude Horl as youth council chairwoman;

— Chuck Conklin and Erin Rappaport to two-year terms as youth council members;

— Nancy Lendrum to a five-year term as a library trustee;

— Mary Jo McKeon as a library clerk; and

— Kathy Stempel as the highway clerk.

Salaries and wages

The board voted to approve annual salaries for the following positions:

— Supervisor at $18,666;

— Town judges at $9,500 each;

— Councilmembers at $3,529.25 each;

— Town clerk at $39,915;

— Highway superintendent at $52,224;

— Tax collector at $6,732;

— Chairman of the assessors at $12,980;

— Assessor 1 at $12,006 and Assessor 2 at $7,280;

— Building inspector and code enforcement officer at $14,223;

— Legal counsel at $12,648;

— Deputy legal counsel at $10,200;

— Dog control officer at $6,195;

— Senior account clerk at $49,212;

— Registrar of vital statistics at $1,050;

— Planning board chair at $2,136;

— Planning board members at $1,716 each;

— Zoning board chair at $468;

— Zoning board members at $260 each; and

— Records management at $657.

The board also set these hourly wages:

— Deputy town clerk at $16.30;

— Planning and zoning boards secretary at $16.30;

— Highway clerk at 15.98;

— Justice court clerk at 16.98;

— Highway department employees at $19.94;

— New highway department employees at $18.94;

— Deputy highway superintendent at $20.18;

— New highway department employees at $18.55;

— Winter highway department employees at $16;

— Summer highway department employees at $14.04;

— Parks and cemeteries caretaker at $16.30;

— Buildings laborer at $16.30;

— Seasonal youth employees for parks at $10;

— Compactor operator at $16.30;

— Solid-waste coordinator at $16.30;

— Wastewater treatment plant operators at $20;

— Alternate wastewater operator at $16.30;

— Custodian at $15.60;

— Sewer clerk at $16.30;

— Library manager at $15;

— Library assistant at $12;

— Library clerk at $10.25;

— Library page at $9.18;

— Cultural community senior employee at $14.32;

— Youth director at $16.30; and

— Conservation board intern at $15.98.

Jurors are to be paid $10 per day.

Other business

In other business, the town board voted to pass the following motions:

— To designate First Niagara as the official depository bank and The Altamont Enterprise as the official newspaper of the town;

— To authorize the highway superintendent to spend up to $1,000 on tools, tires, and equipment without prior approval from the board;

— To meet the second Wednesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. for the town board’s regular meeting, and every fourth Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. when necessary;

— To authorize the supervisor to pay all utility bills, postage, and salaries without prior approval from the board;

— To authorize the highway superintendent to purchase fuel through state contracts;

— To authorize the supervisor to enter into an agreement with Community Caregivers for administering the use of the van for elderly residents;

— To authorize the supervisor to have 60 days to file an annual report with the state comptroller;

— To authorize the supervisor to enter into an agreement with the town’s library.

— To authorize the reimbursement of training expenses for the tax collector, town clerk, and town judges;

— To authorize the highway superintendent to renew a memorandum of understanding about the Stream Protection Law between the town and the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation;

— To authorize the supervisor to enter into an agreement with Albany County for participation in Advanced Life Support services, at a cost not to exceed $79,000;

— To authorize the supervisor to enter into an agreement with Helderberg Ambulance, not to exceed $55,000; and

— To designate Joseph Golden as the board’s liaison to the highway department and the library, Wayne Emory as liaison to the zoning and planning boards, Karen Schimmer as liaison to the sewer district, senior citizens, and conservation board;  and Dawn Jordan as liaison to the youth council.