Celebratory Town Board Meeting

Perhaps it was a coincidence, but the absence of the current town supervisor who was in Kennebunckport to mark his wife's milestone birthday and the mostly happy items on the agenda made for a lightness in the air at the November 13 Town Board Meeting.

Council Member Beale took the reins and opened the Tri-Muncipal Sludge/Digestion Public Hearing. Since the the details are a bit arcane, it is no surprise that there were no comments and the hearing was closed. There were also no public comments on agenda items.

Then a member of the Wappingers Historical Society discussed the new display of Native American Artifacts in the Town Hall Lobby - dating from 6000 years ago to the first contact with white European Settlers. Please stop by the Town Hall sometime to see this display and marvel at both the tools used - and the ability of historians and archeologists to find and understand them.

Randy Ross then presented two Hometown Hero awards to groups who have made the town proud in the last year.

Fareground (https://www.fareground.org/tinyfoodpantry) which provides/stocks tiny pantries and community fridges to help with providing nutritious food, providing lunches/school supplies to children and other activities helping the community. The volunteers were recognized by the Town Board and applauded for their work.

Members/Coaches/Parents of the Ketchman High School Baseball team was recognized for their win (second in the school's history) of the AA State Championship earlier this year. Their hard work and devotion to each other were recognized by the town board. (The plan to have them lead in the community day parade was scuttled because of rain).

These are great examples of Hometown Heros in the Town of Wappinger and worthy of recognition and celebration - thank you to Randy Ross for organizing.

The Town Board then moved onto a Resolution to scheduled the 2024 Reorganization Meeting - and January 8, 2024 was voted on and accepted.

The Town Board then voted on a separation agreement for a provisional town employee - providing 6 months of health care or until the individual finds employment, whichever comes first. (All taxpayers paying for their own healthcare should find that interesting).

Then to prove that the Public Hearing on the Preliminary Budget held the prior week was a performative exercise because the public didn't get a chance to see/comment on the final budget -- the was a long recitation of all the changes to the Preliminary Budget - with an effort to standardize on salary increases and ensure that some line items were appropriately funded -- bringing the tax levy to under the 2% increase mandated by the state. Paying an administrative fee to the county ahead of time, will also ensure that the tax levy increase will stay below the tax cap -- and both village and town residents can look forward to a reduced tax rate per $1000 of value in their 2024 tax bills.

It was announced that the Town Comptroller Fredrick Awino, who has served the town for 15 years, will be moving to another position - in the health care field. He was thanked for his service by the town board, and the former supervisor Barbara Gutzler who noted that she learned a lot by working with Fredrick especially since she didn't even know how to balance her checkbook before working with him (let us pray she was kidding).

The Town Board then went into executive session, where the Town attorney announced at the end of their session that "no decisions were made". (Foreshadowing... on November 14 a Judge determined that the lack of transparency and use of executive session by the town board was part of the reason she found against the town in their effort to change zoning code regulating cluster housing - perhaps in the future we will be made aware of the decisions made/discussions in executive session).

The Next town board meeting is December 11.