New Administration Takes Over Village Government
One of the first tasks for the new mayor and trustees is dealing with the possibility of having to find a new police chief.
During their first meeting since being elected, the village's new mayor and trustees handled a lot of routine appointments and faced a rather weighty one as well: the possibility of having to hire a new police chief.
After Margaret Miller called her first meeting as mayor to order, her first order of business was to officially appoint Sam Cooper to her former trustee seat on the board. It's a one year appointment. Much of the rest of the meeting dealt with making assignments to the new trustees -- Anne Clauss, Debbie Kliman and Cooper -- and appointment people to fill terms on a variety of boards and commissions.
Also on the table was discussion of Police Chief Rick Gifford, and the possibility that he may have to leave his post at the end of the month. Gifford was hired last year after having been given a six-month waiver of state regulations that govern how much money can be earned by retired officials without jeopardizing the pensions from their previous posts. In the past, it was all but pro form those waivers were extended for two years.
Earlier this year, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said pension regulations would be strictly enforced, and no extensions granted. That would mean Gifford would forfeit much of his pension if he were to continue as village police chief earning $54,000 per year. The state limits retirees in its pension pan to earn no more than $30,000 a year without losing benefits.
The board adjourned into executive session after routine business was concluded tonight to discuss, among other things, how to deal with this issue. Mayor Miller said she was pleased with Gifford's performance and hoped they could find a way to keep him on.
"This is not how I intended to start my term as mayor," Miller said.
In other police news, a new officer has joined the force. Jeff Worthley has been appointed to a one-year probationary position.
Also at the meeting the board:
+ praised the work of Linda Gorton and the Fourth of July Committee on a successful celebration;
+ learned that the contract with employees of the Municipal Utility Commission was going to mediation;
+ approved having the mayor sign a contract with the Earlville Opera House to stage the concerts in the park this summer;
+ approved the appointment of Clerk/Treasurer Ronda Winn to the executive board of the New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officers;
+ were told that Richard Ireland is at work as the police department's new parking enforcement officer;
+ approved seeking a grant from the state Judicial CAP grant for new flooring and seating in the court house on Montgomery Street;
+ approved spending up to $2,800 to make accessibility cur cuts on Maple Street;
+ approved a request from the Chenango Nursery School for police assistance during its annual run and walk in September;
+ reappointed Winn as clerk/treasurer and Sean Graham as director of utilities and public works;
+ was updated on efforts to expand the Municipal Utility Commission to bring natural gas to the village;
+ and agreed to formalize its rules and operating procedures in written form.
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