Town of Porter reorganizes for 2023; approves calendar, sets salaries & appointments

Staff Reports

The Town of Porter opened 2023 with its reorganizational session Tuesday, where a number of resolutions and routine procedural items were approved, setting the stage for operations in the coming year. Included were appointments, the town’s holiday and standard workday schedules, and the naming of officials to various positions/duties.

Attorney Michael Dowd was reappointed for 2023 at a salary of $32,400, with his duties to include serving as town attorney and prosecutor, plus duties on the Planning and Zoning boards.

The 2023 holiday schedule includes: Monday, Jan. 1, New Year’s Day; Monday, Jan. 16, Martin Luther King Jr. Day; Monday, Feb. 20, President’s Day; Friday, April 7, Good Friday; Monday, May 29, Memorial Day; Tuesday, July 4, Independence Day; Monday, Sept. 4, Labor Day; Monday, Oct. 4, Columbus Day; Thursday and Friday, Nov. 23-24, Thanksgiving Day weekend; and Monday, Dec. 25, Christmas Day.

Town Board meetings for 2023 will take place at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of each month (excluding October) at Town Hall. The schedule includes Jan. 9, Feb. 13, March 13, April 10, May 8, June 12, July 10, Aug. 14, Sept. 11, Tuesday, Oct. 10, Nov. 13 and Dec. 11.

Supervisor John “Duffy” Johnston was reappointed as the budget officer for 2023. Other appointments included Glenn M. Calvery, storm management control officer; G@G Consulting and Grant Writing as the town’s grant writer for 2023 on a $650 monthly retainer; and Linda White as recreation commissioner for a five-year term (to Dec. 31, 2027).

The board approved the town’s procurement policy for 2023 and authorized various town officials to make purchases. The board also approved a number of salaries of elected/appointed officials. Broken down, this includes Johnston, $36,166 (salary) and $1,778 (budget officer); Clerk Kara Hibbard, $46,172 (salary), $7,466 (town registrar), $6,350 (water collections), $3,531 (sewer collections) and $3,482 (tax collector); Highway Superintendent Dave Burmaster, $42,273 (salary), $546 (buildings), $2,000 (parks) and $35,943 (Water/Sewer departments); and town justices Wayne Pollow and David Truesdale, $20,094.33 each. Also, Jeff Baker, $546, deputy supervisor and $7,752.86, councilman; and Jip Ortiz, Tim Adamson and Larry White, councilmen, $7,752.86.

The Town Board approved liaison appointments for: CWM (Citizens Advisory Committee) – Johnston, Baker and Anthony Collard (Planning Board); Village of Youngstown – Johnston; Recreation Department – Larry White; Niagara Falls Area Chamber of Commerce – Baker; Libraries – Larry White; fire companies – Truesdale (Youngstown) and Baker (Ransomville); human relations – Johnston, Kimberli Boyer (budget officer) and Dowd; highways – Burmaster, Adamson and White; buildings – Truesdale, Johnston and Peter Jeffery (town building/code enforcement officer); Planning Board – Ortiz; Zoning – Baker and White; historical societies – Ortiz; Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce – Johnston and Baker; and the Lake Ontario Ordnance Works (Restoration Advisory Board) – Johnston and all Town Board members.

Wrapping up, the Town Board approved a number of contacts as budgeted for 2023: Care-n-Share, $2,000; industrial development (NICAP), $4,000; American Legion O. Leo Curtiss Post, Ransomville (maintenance), $2,500; VFW Post 313, Youngstown, $2,500; Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce annual contract, $7,500; Youngstown Free Library, $70,000; William J. McLaughlin Free Library (Ransomville), $70,000; Ransomville Historical Project, $2,000; Town of Porter Historical Society (program maintenance), $2,000; Ransomville Country Faire (Ransomville Historical Project), $1,000; Ransomville Business and Professional Association (community beautification), $1,500; Youngstown Business and Professional Association (community beautification), $1,500; Ransomville Garden Club (flowers), $700; Niagara Pioneer Soccer League, $500; Wilson Youth Baseball Program, $500; Ransomville Rural Retirees (services of the aging), $700; Old Fort Niagara, $5,000; Ransomville Lighting of the Wreaths, $2,000; and Ransomville Rural retirees (activity programs), $3,000.

For more information on the town’s various reorganization approvals, visit www.townofporter.net.