TOW Board Quickly Reorganizes

The Town of Wappingers Town Board held their reorganization meeting on Monday, January 9.

The public hearing to address the two resolutions designed to eliminate residential developments (multiunit housing) in residential areas of the Town - thereby helping to reduce the density of new developments in residential neighborhoods - was adjourned to January 23. The reason for the adjournment was because the Town Attorney would like to spend time with Dutchess County Planning addressing their questions and he wasn't able to schedule those meetings since the last board meeting of December 12. Please remember that this discussion was kicked off in October of 2022, with the town attorney acting in an extremely deliberative, cautionary pace heretofore not observed with any other zoning code change.

The rest of the meeting was devoted to quickly running through a list of resolutions basically setting up the town for business in the coming year. Some wage increases were approved, resulting from the change in minimum wage, increases in the stipends paid to Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Board members.

A Resolution authorizing attendance at the 2023 Association of Towns Annual Meeting was passed - appointing Chris Phillips and Al Casella to attend. It is nice to see two town board members who take their positions in representing the Town and learning how to improve Town Government seriously, and not as a burden as was expressed by others.

Reappointments to open seats on the Zoning Board and Planning Board and Chairpersons were approved with no discussion or reflection on whether either board represents the diversity and geographic locations of the town.

A Resolution authorizing the submission of the Supervisor's Annual Report to the State Comptroller was passed. We eagerly await seeing this report.

All of this was accomplished in 45 minutes, with the board moving to go into executive session for "Contract Matters and Employee Matters" at 7:46. They returned at 9:06 -- spending more time in executive session than in the open board meeting, with the town attorney announcing that "no action was taken in executive session" . Bill Beale then congratulated a young man on achieving his Eagle Scout award... and explain that there was a fire at 1383 Route 9 early Monday Morning - with the Town Highway team assisting the fire department in dealing with the water freezing on the ground. The Supervisor then mentioned that town offices will be closed for the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday next Monday. The meeting adjourned at 9:11 PM.