In Westerlo
New date for planning board meetings, new pay plan for zoners

WESTERLO — When there was no Bible on hand at Town Hall New Year’s morning, Andrea Zeh said she had one in the car. It belonged to her daughter, Theresa, who will turn three in February.

Theresa’s father, Councilman R. Gregory Zeh, made history in Westerlo by running on both the Republican and Democratic lines in November’s election. Democrats outnumber Republicans n Westerlo, three to one.

Zeh, an accountant, had been appointed to the town board in 2005 to replace the late Clifton Richardson, the first Republican on the board in seven decades. Both parties then claimed Zeh as their own.

While a handful of people waited for officials to arrive Sunday morning, Theresa and her mother paged through the Precious Moments Bible, with Theresa aptly identifying each picture.

Longtime town clerk, Gertrude Smith, offered everyone Christmas cookies to eat.

Anthony Cardona, presiding justice of the Appellate Division, Third Department, swept into the room with vigor. He discussed snowplowing and fishing with the locals, and, despite, years of presiding over swearing-in ceremonies, expressed enthusiasm for the duty.
"It’s great; it’s fun," he said.

Cardona emerged from the supervisor’s office in a black judge’s robe to officiate. In addition to Zeh, two others put their hands on the Precious Moments Bible to state their oath of office.

Councilman Ed Rash, an incumbent Democrat, had come in second to Zeh in a three-way race for two board seats. And long-time judge, Alan Bauder, another incumbent Democrat, had run unopposed for his post.
"This town’s a wonderful place because of people like you, running it, day in and day out," said Cardona.

Appointments and designations

The small group dispersed after the ceremony on Sunday and the rest of the New Year’s duties were handled by the town board at its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday.

The board changed the date for planning board meetings. (The town board serves as the planning board in Westerlo.)

Town Attorney Aline Galgay advised the board that a new ruling meant that town planning boards can no longer make decisions contingent on approval from the Albany County Planning Board.

Since the county board meets on the third Thursday of each month, it was decided the Westerlo board will meet on the fourth Tuesday, to come after the county meetings.

The town board’s regular meeting date will remain on the first Tuesday of every month but November, when it will be on the Wednesday following elections.

The board then discussed pay schedules at length, because of a concern raised by Zeh. He said workers, including appointed board members, should be paid only if they attend meetings.
The state looks at it as a "no show," said Galgay, if absenteeism exceeds 20 percent.
"I’ve never deducted for anyone if they missed a town-board meeting," said Supervisor Richard Rapp.
"It it’s substantial, three or four months at a time, it becomes blatant," said Galgay.

Clerk Smith pointed out that work on boards, such as the zoning board, involves more than just attending meetings; it includes such tasks as site review.
"If they’re missing a quarter of a year, we shouldn’t be paying them," said Zeh.
"Suppose you’re sick and can’t come to three or four meetings"" asked Councilman Robert Snyder.
"You’re still an employee not performing the service for which you’re paid," said Galgay.

Councilman Rash asked who would check and monitor attendance.

Ultimately, at Zeh’s suggestion, the board agreed the members of the zoning board will be paid quarterly. The chair of that board earns $4,500 a year; the four other members earn $2,500 each.
As for tracking attendance, Zeh said, "I would rely on the chairperson of that board to provide us with some kind of report."

The zoning administrator, who earns $6,000 a year, will also be paid quarterly.

Other appointments and designations made by the board include:

— The Altamont Enterprise and The Greenville Press as newspapers;

— The National Bank of Coxsackie as depository;

— Gertrude Smith as registrar of vital statistics;

— Kathleen Spinnato as both deputy registrar and deputy town clerk;

— Edwin Lawson as code-enforcement officer;

— Bruce Bunzey as deputy code-enforcement officer;

— F. Eugene McGrath as zoning administrator;

— Florence Derry as court clerk;

— Edward Rash as deputy supervisor;

— Aline Galgay as town attorney;

— Robert Duchow as town historian;

— Jody Ostrander as dog-control officer;

— William Scott III as assistant dog-control officer;

— Sheila McGrath as zoning-board clerk;

— Kimberly Slingerland as planning-board clerk;

— Claire Marshall as assessor’s clerk;

— Mary Jane Snyder-Araldi as youth-council coordinator;

— Dawn Belarge, Eugene Coogan, and Suzanne Rash as members of the board of assessment review; and

— Ogden Saddlemire, Virginia Mangold, Gerald Woodruff, Wilfred VanIderstine, and Chair Gail Snyder as members of the zoning board.