ANCRAM—Ancram started 2013 with a new insurance company.
The Town Board met to close the books on 2012 and get its house in order for 2013, January 3.
According to Supervisor Art Bassin, the town will sign on with the Trident Company and affiliates for property, inland marine, automobile, public officials, general liability and liability umbrella insurance coverage through the Lofgren Agency beginning January 4, for a total premium not to exceed $20,000. Mr. Bassin said in a phone interview this week that the town’s former insurance company HCC did not provide a quote in a timely manner. He said the Trident Company provided an “attractive” quote for $2,000 less than the last minute quote provided by HCC and the board vetted Trident last year.
In other organization matters, the board:
•Appointed Grant Lyons and Whiteman Osterman & Hanna to provide legal services for the town; the Ethics Board, Planning Board, the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Zoning Revisions Committee may use these designated attorneys or retain legal counsel of their choice, subject to the prior approval of the Town Board.
•Appointed Budget Officer Art Bassin, Deputy Town Supervisor Jim Miller, Town Historian Clara VanTassel, Town Hall Building Manager George Wittlinger, Town Assessor Ken Leggett (appointed through September 2013), Assessor’s clerk Mary Boice, Building Inspector/Zoning Enforcement and Code Enforcement Officer Ed Ferratto, Deputy Building Inspector/ZEO/CEO Bill Hunt, Clerk for Building Inspector/ ZEO/CEO Marie McDermott , Animal Control Officer Wes Powell, Emergency Preparedness Plan Coordinator TBD, Registrar of Vital Statistics/ Records Management Officer Monica Cleveland, Court Clerk /Deputy Town Clerk/ Deputy Tax Collector Ruth Wittlinger, Deputy Court Clerk /Planning Board Clerk/Zoning Board of Appeals Clerk Colleen Lutz, Kid’s Summer Camp Director Ruth Thomas.
•Designated Official Town Bank/Depository Bank of Greene County, Town Justices Depository Key Bank, Town Clerk Depository First Niagara, Town Tax Collector Depository Bank of Greene County, Official newspapers The Columbia Paper and the Register-Star, official dog kennel Columbia-Greene Humane Society, Office of the Aging Advisory Council Representative Madeleine Israel, alternate Adrienne Citrin, Columbia County Traffic Safety Board Representative Steve Williams, alternate Bill Gillers, County Environmental Management Council Representative Jamie Purinton; official polling places District #1 Ancram Town Hall, District #2 Friendship Hall, Ancramdale Presbyterian Church.
•Authorized highway superintendent to spend up to $3,000 for a single expenditure without prior Town Board approval; mileage reimbursement for town officials performing their duties on official town business will be set at the IRS rate per mile.
•Set the official meeting of the Town Board for the third Thursday of each month, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Ancram Town Hall, 1416 County Route 7, with Saturday meetings to be scheduled at the discretion of the board; salaries for appointed clerks will be recommended by department heads and approved by the town board as part of the budget process.
•Required that all conferences and training attended by any town official or employee and paid for by the town in excess of $100 must be approved, in advance by the Town Board. Training and conferences that will be attended by the town supervisor or any Town Board member and paid for by the Town of Ancram in excess of $200 must be approved, in advance, by the Town Board.
•Town purchasing policies will follow standard state purchasing guidelines unless otherwise specified in the approved Town Purchasing Policy Document.
•Town Investment Policy is to maintain excess funds in an interest bearing money market account with the Town’s depository bank, with deposits over FDIC insured limits collateralized by securities pledged for this purpose by the Town’s depository bank or their agents.
•Town will respond to FOIL requests within 20 business days, except in situations where the amount of information requested is significant enough to make the 20 business day turnaround impractical. There will be a 25 cent/page fee for all documents requested.
•Committees, commissions, councils , boards appointments: Youth Commission—Commissioner TBD, Secretary/Treasurer Colleen Lutz, Monica Cleveland, Alyson Kozlowski, Janice Miller, Dale Boyles; Zoning Board of Appeals—(5 year terms expiring last day of year listed) William Lutz 2017, alternate TBD, Vice Chair Fred Schneeberger 2013, Chair Leah Wilcox 2014, Sheldon Waldorf 2015, Susan Bassin 2016; Board o
f Assessment Review (5-year terms expiring last day of year listed)—Jack Seiber 2017, Thomas Gumm 2013, Matthew Bernstein 2014,Robert Roth 2015, Larry Berg 2016; Planning Board (7-year terms expiring last day of year listed) James Stickle 2019, second alternate Ann Rader, Chair John Ingram, 2013, Dennis Sigler 2014, Terry Boyles 2015, Erin Robertson 2016, Joe Crocco 2017, Jamie Purinton 2018, first alternate Bob Roche; Ethics Board (5-year terms ending last day of year indicated)—Ron Brant 2017, new appointment TBD, Linda Pulver 2013, Bonnie Hundt 2014, Chair Jack Lindsey 2016: Zoning Revisions Committee— Chair Hugh Clark, Dennis Sigler, Donna Hoyt, Jim Miller, Bonnie Hundt, Barry Chase, Bob Roche, Barbara Gaba, Don MacLean, Bob Mayhew, Terry Boyles, Kyle Lougheed, Jane Shannon; Subdivision Regulations Revision Committee—Chair Hugh Clark, Dennis Sigler, Don MacLean, Terry Boyles, Bob Roche, Barry Chase, John Ingram; Agricultural Advisory Council—Barry Chase, Marnie MacLean, Rory Chase, Sue Bassin, Larry Lampman, Dennis Sigler, Jerry Peele, Chair Art Bassin, Jim Miller; Garage Committee—Chair Emile Racenet, George Wittlinger, Jim Miller, Art Bassin, Ron Brant, Mike Citrin, Jim MacArthur, Will Lutz; Conservation Advisory Council—Andrew Wilcox, Chair Jamie Purinton, Choral Eddie, Colleen Lutz, Joe Hoyt, Vice chair David Dembo, Erin Robertson, Andrea Barnet, Samantha Langton, Jane Meigs; Financial Advisory Council—Chair Art Bassin, Mike Citrin, Jack Seiber, Larry Berg, Bob Wilcox, Barbara Stimmel, Steve Roberts, Emile Racenet; Communications Committee—Chair Madeleine Israel, Nancy Bryant, Sue Bassin, Mary Murfitt, B. Docktor; Intersection Advisory Committee—Chair: Art Bassin, Sue Bassin, Kit White, Lynne Perrella, Jack Lindsey, Libby McKee, Elaine Levy; Heritage Resources Plan Committee—Chair Art Bassin, Scott Newman,Greg Long, Sue Bassin, Clara Van Tassel, Bob Blechman, Bob Murphy, Steve Sorman, Ruth Piwonka, Lynne Perrella, Robin Massa; Recreation Planning Group—To determine what recreational activities and facilities are wanted/needed by the residents of Ancram, develop a long term Recreation Plan for the Town of Ancram, and present it to the Town Board for discussion by the end of 2013. Membership TBD.
To contact Diane Valden email dvalden@columbiapaper.com.
