New year, many old officials lead Rensselaerville

The Enterprise — Marcello Iaia

Mark Overbaugh, Rensselaerville’s longtime building inspector and zoning-enforcement officer, repeats the oath of office after town Judge Gregory Bischoff. Overbaugh is a code-enforcement officer in Greenville as well. 

The Enterprise — Marcello Iaia

Kathryn Wank, Rensselaerville’s newest assessor and deputy town clerk, holds her right hand up to take the oath of office after the Jan. 2 re-organizational meeting, as Supervisor Valerie Lounsbury looks on. Wank won a two-year term in the November election, as did the town’s current chairwoman of assessors, Donna Kropp, who also took her oath of office. 

RENSSELAERVILLE — Councilman Gerald Wood and Town Clerk and Tax Collector Victoria Kraker officially took their seats at the dais for the first time during the town re-organizational meeting on Jan. 2.

Councilwoman Marion Cooke, who was elected to a new four-year term in November, was absent.

Kathleen Hallenbeck administered the oaths of office for town officials on Dec. 31, her last day as town clerk.

After the meeting, assessors Donna Kropp and Kathryn Wank were sworn in by town Judge Gregory Bischoff, as was building inspector Mark Overbaugh.

Appointments

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

— The firm of Tabner, Ryan, and Keniry as attorney to the town;

— Dr. Diane Biederman-Brynda as town veterinarian;

— Brian Wood as critical incident manager;

— Gerald Wood as critical incident officer. Wood abstained, with three other votes in favor;

— Earl David Potter as time keeper and deputy highway superintendent;

— Douglas Story as water treatment officer;

— Steven Carney as deputy water treatment officer;

— Barry Kuhar and Micah Kuhar as water and sewer committee members with terms ending on Dec. 31, 2018 and Dec. 31, 2016, respectively.

Douglas Story had resigned as a voting member of the committee, Supervisor Valerie Lounsbury said, because the committee saw it as a conflict of interest;

— Richard Simons as constable;

— Sarah Hunt as clerk 1 to the supervisor;

— The firm of Pattison, Koskey, Howe and Bucci as accountant to the town;

— Marion Cooke as deputy supervisor;

— Rachel Chase as clerk 2 to assessors;

— Cheryl Tefft-Baitsholts as dog-control officer;

— Jon Whitbeck as refuse and recycling officer;

— Edward Pizzigati as substitute refuse and recycling officer;

— Janet Nelson as town historian;

— Travis Michael to a term on the planning board ending on Dec. 31, 2020

— Richard Amedure as planning board chairman;

— Mary Carney as planning and zoning boards secretary;

— Mark Overbaugh as building inspector and zoning-enforcement officer;

— Rachel Chase as clerk to the building inspector and zoning-enforcement officer;

— John Mormile as zoning board of appeals member with a term ending on Dec. 31, 2018, and as chairman with a term ending on Dec. 31, 2014;

— Scott Whitbeck to a term on the board of assessment review ending on Sept. 30, 2018

— Victoria Kraker as registrar of vital statistics;

— Kathryn Wank as deputy town clerk, deputy tax collector, and deputy registrar;

— Kathryn Wank as records inventory clerk;

— Deborah Geurtze and Mary Carney as court clerks; and

— Anne Vogel as senior services coordinator.

The engineer to the town will be hired as needed.

Other business

The town board voted, 4 to 0, to:

— Establish the rate per mile for all employees at 36 cents;

— Designate The Altamont Enterprise as the town’s official newspaper and The Bank of Greene County for depositing funds;

— Establish the second Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. in Town Hall as the official meeting date of the town board;

— Re-affirm the investment policy of the town;

— Authorize the supervisor to have 60 days after the end of the fiscal year to complete a financial report; and

— Authorize the supervisor to pay all utility bills, postage, indebtedness, salaries, and wages.

— Designate the following officials as bonded: Supervisor Valerie Lounsbury, Deputy Supervisor Marion Cooke, Town Justice Gregory Bischoff, Town Justice Miller, Highway Superintendent Randall Bates, Town Clerk and Tax Collector Victoria Kraker, Deputy Town Clerk and Deputy Registrar Kathryn Wank, Building Inspector and Zoning-Enforcement Officer Mark Overbaugh, Building and Zoning Clerk Rachel Chase, Planning and Zoning Boards Secretary Mary Carney, and Clerk 1 Sarah Hunt.

Salaries

The town board voted, 4 to 0, to establish the following salaries and wages:

— Council members at $3,000 each;

— Judges at $9,150 each;

— Supervisor at $12,500;

— Town clerk/tax collector, a full-time position, at $32,280;

— Assessors at $6,335 for the chair, $5,835 for a certified assessor, and $4,635 for an uncertified assessor;

— Attorney to the town at $35,500;

— Building inspector and zoning enforcement officer at $14,930;

— Dog-control officer at $5,140;

— Registrar of vital statistics at $580 annually;

— Highway superintendent at $42,300;

— Constable at $1,300;

— Water-treatment officer at $10,000 with certification and $9,000 without certification;

— Sewage treatment officer at $5,000;

— Deputy water treatment officer at $10 hourly, up to $2,000;

— Water-rent collector at $400 annually;

— Foreman at $18.73 hourly;

— Truck driver at $17.93 hourly;

— Operator at $17.93 hourly;

— Mechanic at $17.93 hourly;

— Recycling coordinator at $36,705;

— Substitute recycling coordinator at $10 per hour and $11.64 with a commercial driver’s license;

— Clerk 1 at $19.90 hourly, or $20,696;

— Temporary clerk, to fill in when needed, at $12 hourly, up to $2,500;

— Clerk 2 for assessors at $10,106;

— Deputy town clerk  at $11 per hour, or $15,600;

— Justice clerk at $2,200 each;

— Planning board secretary at $10 hourly, or $3,500;

— Zoning board secretary at $10 hourly, or $2,000;

— Building inspector clerk at $5,425;

— Highway superintendent clerk at $11 per hour, or $4,576; and

— Custodian at $12 per hour, or $2,000.

More Hilltowns News

  • Multiple maps and an oddly-worded legend has made it difficult to discern whether or not Berne has a historical district with enforceable zoning regulations but, while residents could be forgiven for any confusion, the district’s legitimacy is unambiguous from a legal point of view. 

  • A driver crashed into a Rensselaerville home early Sunday morning, causing it to go up in flames. The driver and an off-duty paramedic who assisted in the rescue both suffered only minor injuries while the occupants of the home were uninjured. 

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