Town of Porter reorganizes for 2017

Staff Reports

The Town of Porter spent a busy week - evidenced by changes on the Town Board and a host of actions at its Tuesday reorganizational meeting.

"It's been one of those crazy weeks," commented Town Clerk Barb DuBell this week. "Just look at my desk!"

Leading off, the Town Board saw a change with the recent resignation of long-term Councilmember Joe Fleckenstein. Without fanfare and little comment, Fleckenstein opted to step down last month from the board following years of service to the town.

John "Duffy" Johnson, who was reappointed Tuesday to another term on the Porter Zoning Board of Appeals, as well as being named its chairman, was appointed to assume the remainder of Fleckenstein's term.

Johnson, who also serves as chairman of the Town of Porter Republican Committee, will be working in place of Fleckenstein on the Town Board for the balance of this year en route to election this fall. He is expected to be in attendance at Monday's regular Town Board session.

In other actions from Tuesday's reorganizational meeting:

•Town Attorney Michael J. Dowd was reappointed in that role, as well as attorney for the town's Zoning and Planning boards. His total salary for the posts amounts to $21,930.

Dowd was also reappointed as town prosecutor at a rate of $8,670 annually.

•G.H.D. Inc. of Niagara Falls was appointed as the town engineer at a contracted rate of $9,000 annually.

•Peter Jeffery was appointed as chair of the Planning Board for 2017, and Anthony Collard was reappointed for another term on Planning, running from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2021. Amy Freiermuth was reappointed as Planning secretary for 2017.

•On Zoning, Nancy Smithson was reappointed as secretary.

•Town supervisor's committees include: Deputy Supervisor Jeff Baker; insurance, Barb DuBell, Mary Siegrist and Lisa Hastings; water, Merton Wiepert, Scott Hillman and Jeff Baker; sewer, Merton Wiepert, Scott Hillman and Larry White; land, all Town Board members and Roy Rogers; cable TV, Tom Baia and Larry White; refuse, Tom Baia, Mary Siegrist and Jeff Baker; Audit Committee, Tom Baia and Larry White; drainage, Scott Hillman and Jeff Baker; GIS, Susan Driscoll (coordinator), Scott Hillman and Mary Siegrist; and employee compensation, Larry White, Barb DuBell and Marty Siegrist.

•Town Board liaison duties include: Village of Youngstown, Tom Baia; Town Recreation, Larry White; Niagara Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, Jeff Baker; libraries, Larry White; fire companies, Dave Truesdale, Youngstown, and Jeff Baker, Ransomville; human relations, Mike Dowd, Merton Wiepert and Mary Siegrist; highways, Jeff Baker, Scott Hillman and Larry White; buildings, Dave Truesdale, Merton Wiepert, Roy Rogers and Scott Hillman; Planning Board, Merton Wiepert and Tom Baia; Zoning Board, Jeff Baker and Larry White; Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce, Merton Wiepert and Jeff Baker; Lake Ontario Ordinance Works (Restoration Advisory Board) Porter Town Board members; Greenway, Larry White.

•Miscellaneous reappointments included Mert Wiepert as budget officer for 2017; Glenn M. Caverly as storm water management officer and Rotella Grant Management as the town's grant writer for 2017.

•2017 salaries for elected town officials were set as follows - supervisor, $33,424; town budget officer, $1,643; councilmen, $7,165; highway superintendent, $40,569; town justices (two), $18,207; town tax collector, $6,425; and town clerk, $41,787.

•Town holidays for 2017 are as follows: Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Monday, Jan. 16; Presidents Day, Monday, Feb. 2; Good Friday, Friday, April 14; Memorial Day, Monday, May 29; town floating holiday, Monday, July 3; Independence Day, Tuesday, July 4; Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4; Columbus Day, Monday, Oct. 9; Veterans Day, Friday, Nov. 10; Thanksgiving Day (and day following) Thursday and Friday, Nov. 23 and 24; Christmas Day, Monday, Dec. 25; and New Years Day, 2018, Monday, Jan. 1.

•Town Hall business hours are as follows: Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

•The Town Board meeting schedule was approved. Meetings will be at 7 p.m. Mondays on Jan. 9, Feb. 13, March 13, April 10, May 8, June 12, July 10, Aug. 14, Sept. 11, Nov. 13 and Dec. 11. The board's October meeting will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 10, due to the Columbus Day holiday.

•Town of Porter water and sewer rates were approved for 2017 on the following schedule:

√ Water - 0 to 7,000 gallons, $15.75 minimum; 7,000 to 20,000 gallons, $2.26 per thousand, 20,000-100,000 gallons, $2 per thousand; over 100,000 gallons, $1.50 per thousand (irrigation rate).

√ New York State Parks water charges, $329.61 (minimum); first 100,000 gallons, $182.29; over 100,000 gallons, $1.50 per thousand.

√ Sewer - Village of Youngstown, $5.15 per thousand; Fort Niagara State Park, $5.15 per thousand; Town of Porter, 0 to 7,000 gallons, $42.35; over 7,000 gallons, $6.05 per thousand.