Grand Island Town Board reorganizes for 2023

Session includes numerous appointments, resolutions and approvals

By Terry Duffy

Editor-in-Chief

The Town of Grand Island Town Board got down to business for 2023 at its Jan. 3 reorganizational meeting. The session included a number of procedural appointments, resolutions and approvals to set the stage for town government in the year ahead.

Board actions as reported by the town clerk’s office included:

√ The law firm of Hodgson Russ LLP and Peter Godfrey, Esq., of counsel, were appointed as attorneys for the Town of Grand Island for 2023.

√ The Town Board moved to adopt resolutions covering the method of assessment for consolidated water districts and method of assessment for consolidated sewer districts.

√ The board adopted a resolution on the method of assessment for lighting districts in the town. Under the measure, all costs shall be apportioned against the properties in all districts in the town, based upon the frontage of said property.

√ Supervisor John Whitney was designated as town budget officer for 2023. Whitney was also appointed as commissioner of the Grand Island Police Department and will serve as liaison to the GIPD.

√ Gregory Butcher was reappointed as deputy emergency services coordinator for a one-year term expiring Dec. 31.

√ The town set the mileage reimbursement rate at the IRS standard mileage rate of 62.5 cents per mile. The reimbursement applies to town officials performing duties for the town.

√ The Island Dispatch was designated as the official town newspaper.

√ Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company, MBIA CLASS and JP Morgan Chase were all designated as depositories for the town in 2023.

The procedure designates the town supervisor and town clerk to “deposit all monies coming into their hands by virtue of their office, and furthermore, that the Town Clerk be directed to deposit tax monies in the Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company Grand Island office, said tax may be remitted to the supervisor at least once each week. Water, Wastewater and General receipts are to be remitted to the Supervisor daily. All other funds of the clerk are to be deposited with the Supervisor no later than the 15^th of each month.

“Said depositories are herby requested, authorized and directed to honor checks, drafts and other orders for the payment of money drawn in the name of Grand Island, including those payable to the individual order of the person or person thereof, when bearing of purporting to bear the facsimile signature of John Whitney, Supervisor of the Town of Grand Island.

“The Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company, MBIA Class and JP Morgan Chase Bank shall be entitled to honor and to charge the Town of Grand Island for such checks, drafts or other orders, regardless of by whom or by what means that actual or purported facsimile specimen duly certified to or filed with (the above named institutions) by the Town Clerk of the Town of Grand Island.”

√ The board adopted the Town of Grand Island fee schedule as submitted by department heads.

√ The board designated the town attorney and Susan Seifert as harassment complaint officers, as required by the Human Resources and Policy & Procedures, No. 4.

√ The board designated Peter Marston as the town’s fair housing officer.

√ The board adopted to the town’s investment and procurement policy. Included are the town’s various procurement policies and procedures, adopted by Town Board resolution in May 1993.

√ The board approved the town’s holiday schedule for 2023. Included are Monday, Jan. 2, New Year’s Day; Monday, Jan. 16, Martin Luther King Jr. Day; Monday, Feb. 20, Presidents’ Day; Friday, April 7, Good Friday (one-half day); Monday, May 29, Memorial Day; Monday, June 19, Juneteenth; Tuesday, July 4, Independence Day; Monday, Sept. 4, Labor Day; Monday, Oct. 9, Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day; Friday, Nov. 10, Veterans Day; Thursday and Friday, Nov. 23 and 24, Thanksgiving Day holidays; Friday, Dec. 22, Christmas Eve; Monday, Dec. 25, Christmas Day; Friday, Dec. 29, New Year’s Eve (one-half day); and Monday, Jan. 1, 2024, New Year’s Day.

√ The board authorized the supervisor to set the payroll date as every other Thursday, commencing Jan. 12.

√ The board adopted the town’s continuing disclosure compliance procedures and post tax compliance procedures for tax-exempt bonds and notes.

√ The board adopted the non-union salary schedule and the elected officials salary schedule for 2023. Salaries for elected officials include supervisor, $78,603.20; council members, $20,772.82; highway superintendent, $98,806.87; town justice, $49,265.36; and town clerk, $78,668.50.

√ Town Board meetings will be held at 8 p.m. on the first and third Monday of each month, with board meetings to take place on the Tuesday of that week in the event of a holiday. Workshop meetings will be held at 6 p.m. on the first and third Mondays, or on a Tuesday in the event of a holiday.

√ Town Hall officer hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

√ The board set sewer rents at $5.50 per 1,000 gallons of water usage, and water rents at $3.55 per 1,000 gallons of water usage.

√ Wrapping up, 2023 Town Board liaison appointments between the board and town departments include Christian Bahleda, accounting/human resources; Marston, assessor; Marston, building/code enforcement/zoning; Tom Digati, court; Whitney, engineering; Whitney and Marston, Golden Age Center; Bahleda, highway; Digati, parks; Whitney, police; Digati, recreation; Mike Madigan, town clerk/dog control; and Whitney, waste water.

Marston was reappointed as deputy supervisor for 2023, and Rhonda Diehl was reappointed as secretary to the supervisor.

For more information on the various appointments, approvals and procedures set by the board from its Jan. 3 reorganization session, visit www.grandislandny.us/AgendaCenter, and look under Town Government.