Bonuses, contracts and committees: Town Board tackles municipal business

NORTH EAST — The Town Board took care of a number of issues at its meeting on Thursday, Jan. 8, including holding a controversial public hearing on a proposed noise ordinance (for the full story, check out the Jan. 15 issue of The Millerton News or go to www.tricornernews.com). In addition to that public hearing, other business was addressed.

Details

The board was authorized to sign the Cablevision franchise agreement. It was also authorized to sign a contract with the North East Community Center (NECC) for Dial-A-Ride services with the county.

There was a presentation made by Michael Jastremski of the Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) regarding watershed management of the Ten Mile River. According to town Supervisor John Merwin HVA has been “up and down the Ten Mile watershed looking for endorsements,” for the state to treat the river as an open waterway. If that is accomplished the river will be eligible for federal funding to help protect it. Merwin said he expects the board to approve the move at its next meeting.

There was a brief discussion about pay rates for new town employees. Currently, anyone new to the town’s payroll is brought on at the same rate of pay of an existing employee in the same position. There is no difference made between the new hire and the worker with seniority. The board wants to change that.

“We would like to see some kind of salary structure that would bring people up to that and also for people that have been there for a while,” said Merwin. “We don’t think it’s fair to treat someone who’s brand new with the same pay rate. We’ve got to look with our consultant to see if it’s possible. It’s never been done here and that seems kind of bizarre to us.”

The board also spoke about its committees, and the fact that many don’t meet for months on end. He named the Conservation Advisory Council and the Ethics Board as two examples.

“They haven’t had anything to do because there are no problems,” said the supervisor. “But we need to hear from them periodically. We would like quarterly reports to make sure they’re still out there, if they’ve had any reason to meet or not.”

The board then spoke about its social media policy when it comes to town personnel. Merwin said they were “kind of concerned” about posting online, especially if town workers posted photos while working. The board will have to decide if it wants a total ban or just to be more restrictive for employees using social media while on the job.

Town Councilman Jim Campbell further explained that, “no one is against people checking the news on the web during a break or whatever, but the social media part is best left to do at home.”

The board also tweaked its post-accident testing policy.

“If there are town employees in an accident, regardless, we’re requiring that they get an alcohol and drug test, only for their protection and our protection in any kind of litigation,” said Merwin.

Lastly, the board had a conversation about its longevity bonus for part-time employees as well as full-time employees. 

“Small towns like ours have a lot of part-time employees,” said Merwin. “Some have been with us an awful long time and have done a wonderful job. We’re not recognizing them [with a longevity bonus] and our intent is to reward part-time employees who have been on the job a long time.”

Part-time employees who qualify will receive a longevity bonus of $50; full-time employees who qualify will receive a longevity bonus of $100.