ALLEGANY
ORGANIZATION MEETING
JANUARY 2, 2008
** APPROVED **
The organization meeting of the
Board of Legislators was called to order at 2:00 p.m. by Clerk of the Board
Brenda Rigby Riehle, who then led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. The invocation was given by Legislator Pullen.
ROLL CALL: 15 Present; 0 Absent.
RESOLUTIONS:
RESOLUTION NO. 1-08
REAPPOINTMENT OF LEGISLATOR CURTIS W.
CRANDALL TO
CHAIRMANSHIP OF BOARD OF LEGISLATORS;
AUTHORITY TO DETERMINE NUMBER OF BOARD MEMBERS
ON COMMITTEES
Offered by:
Legislator Theodore Hopkins
Pursuant to
RESOLVED:
1. That
Legislator Curtis W. Crandall is reappointed Chairman of this Board of
Legislators, with term of office commencing immediately and expiring December
31, 2008.
2. That said Chairman is authorized to
determine the number of Board members to serve on each of the standing and
special committees of this Board which have been or may be established by this
Board.
Moved by: Mr. Hopkins Adopted: Roll Call
Seconded by: Mr. Pullen 13
Ayes, 2 Noes, 0 Absent
Voting
No: Kruger, Ungermann
OATH OF OFFICE ADMINISTERED:
Judge Thomas Brown
administered the Oath of Office to Chairman Curtis W. Crandall, who was
accompanied by his wife, Cathy, following adoption of Resolution No. 1-08. Chairman Crandall assumed leadership of the
meeting.
RESOLUTION NO. 2-08
REAPPOINTMENT OF VICE CHAIRMAN
Offered by:
Legislator Dwight R. Fanton
Pursuant to Rule 70 of County Board Rules as
enacted by Resolution No. 77-89
RESOLVED:
1. That
Legislator William G. Dibble is reappointed Vice Chairman of this Board of
Legislators to act pursuant to, and during the designated time periods
specified in, County Board Rules.
Moved by: Mr. Fanton Adopted: Roll Call
Seconded by: Mr. Reynolds 13
Ayes, 2 Noes, 0 Absent
Voting
No: Kruger, Ungermann
OATHS OF OFFICE ADMINISTERED:
Judge Thomas Brown
administered the Oath of Office to Vice Chairman William G. Dibble, who was
accompanied by his wife, Shirley, following adoption of Resolution No. 2-08.
Judge
Thomas Brown administered the Oath of Office to Allegany County Clerk Robert L.
Christman, who was accompanied by Leonard Watson.
Judge Thomas Brown
administered the Oath of Office to Allegany County Judge James E. Euken, who
was accompanied by his secretary, Deborah Hunter.
RESOLUTION NO. 3-08
APPOINTMENT OF INTERIM
Offered by:
Legislator Curtis W. Crandall
WHEREAS, the
Office of Allegany County Attorney is currently vacant due to the retirement of
Daniel J. Guiney, and
WHEREAS, this
Board wishes to appoint an Interim County Attorney to serve in such Office
until the position is filled by appointment, now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED:
1. That
the First Assistant County Attorney, Thomas A. Miner is appointed as Interim
County Attorney with a yearly salary of $85,000 to serve until this Board
appoints a County Attorney.
2. This resolution shall be effective as
of January 4, 2008.
Moved by: Mr. Hopkins Adopted: Roll Call
Seconded by: Mr. Pullen 15
Ayes, 0 Noes, 0 Absent
CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT:
Chairman Curtis W.
Crandall presented his message to the Board:
“Dear
Friends and Colleagues: As we bring a
close to the challenges, opportunities, adventures, and the many satisfying
rewards that we received from serving the people of Allegany County as their
Legislators in 2007, and as we look forward to greater challenges and greater
opportunities coming up in 2008, I would like to pause and reflect on the time
we’ve spent together.
First,
let me say what a pleasure it is to serve and work with each and every member
of this Board of Legislators and to see your dedication. To our County Administrator for the overall
management of County operations, the Clerk of the Board, and the entire team of
dedicated department heads, County employees, and fellow elected officials that
work so hard to meet the constant demands of County government and the
challenge and responsibility to balance the proper services, public safety,
infrastructure, cultural, heritage, and historical preservation needs, not to
mention addressing unfunded mandates from the State of New York, and to meet
these demands while minimizing the tax burden for Allegany County residents –
what a great job you do in your challenging positions.
I
am honored once again to be selected as this Body’s Chairman, and I promise
that I will do all I can to help this Board of Legislators not just meet, but
exceed the responsibilities each of us pledged when we took office.
Gentlemen,
today marks the halfway point of our service together; today we begin year
three of our four-year term. I have said
in the past, and I continue to believe, that we are dealing with and facing not
only more complex issues, but a greater quantity of more complex issues all at
one time, than any one group of our predecessors was ever forced to deal
with. I also continue to believe that
this is for a reason.
Some
of these issues we are choosing
to deal with, such as the development of the Crossroads Area and
We
are a Board that has taken action to implement a County-wide Comprehensive
Plan, a plan that has been worked on for the better part of 2007 and should be
ready for our review and adoption early this year. We will be the first Board in our County’s
history to adopt such a plan. This will
be a culmination of planning and ground work that was done by some very
dedicated volunteers over several years, yet a document was never adopted in
the past. Let’s not just adopt this
Comprehensive Plan and stick it on a shelf; let’s put it to work for
We
are a Board that, as I said at last year’s Organization Meeting, is in the
right place at the right time. We are in
the right place to make a difference, and now is the right time for
I
have been excited to be a part of, and see, our larger employers and
educational institutions sitting down together, rolling up their sleeves, and
working to address the issues of employee recruitment and retention, a task
that we must cope with, including this Legislature, as we face a potentially
large turnover of employees due to retirement in the near future. An exciting exchange of ideas has begun by
the business leaders of our County. This
is certainly a challenge, but it’s a great opportunity for our County also.
A
recent news article was titled Dresser-Rand
Adds over 100 Jobs in 2007 and Still Going. The article talks of the 96 hourly workers
and 38 salaried employees, five that are management positions making over
$100,000 per year. The article also
speaks of Alstom Air Preheater, L.C. Whitford, Otis Eastern, and Northern
Lights Candles and the good things going on in industry and business in our
County. Let’s seize the opportunities
coming, not just watch them go by.
We
are facing our ongoing day-to-day County business challenges head on, never
letting our guard down. Our Budget for
2008 is possibly the most honest and accurate budget adopted in many
years. As a Board, we have worked to
steady Allegany County’s financial position, do away with the deficit we
inherited, and replenish our fund balances, and with the hard work of the
Budget Committee, Budget Officer, and County Treasurer, we are well on our
way. The 2008 Budget contains bridge
projects that will be paid for as we go, not bonded, thank you very much. Our senior population, and our Veterans’
Services, Health Services, Social Services, Personnel, and Public Works Departments
are always challenging us with needs to be met, and we are meeting those
needs. Our 2008 Budget contains revenue
in the operation of our Jail for housing prisoners, another first for our
County. We need to continue with sound
financial planning, reduce our sales tax rate, and foster economic growth for
Other
projects and issues we face are not ones that we have sought to work on, but
our hand is forced to address them, and we are equal to the task. The Court Facilities issue will continue to
be a major project in the coming year.
We will be moving forward on a responsible plan that will bring us into
compliance with the Court Facilities Capital Plan Act of 1988. We will also be addressing the Landfill
situation and the fact that it will soon be filled and other alternatives will
need to be implemented. Serious work
lies ahead for us.
The
people of Allegany County deserve a Board of Legislators that takes a positive,
pro-active approach to meeting the needs and demands of County government, a
Board that lives up to its pledge and responsibilities. We are that Board.
If
my statement sounds optimistic, it’s because I am. Allegany County is a great place to live,
work, and visit, and I am glad to be a steward of our County’s resources, along
with you, at this time.
To
the nay-sayers and dooms-dayers that are looking for company, I say step
aside. This Board has work to do. Thank you.
Respectfully, Curtis W. Crandall”
APPOINTMENTS:
The Clerk of the Board
announced that Chairman Crandall has made the following appointments:
CATTARAUGUS-ALLEGANY
WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD (Appointed
jointly with Crystal Abers, Chairman of the Cattaraugus County Legislature, for
a three-year term expiring December 31, 2010):
Donald
Giardini Susan Piper
Theresa
Schueckler Jodi
Fuller
Linda
Pierce Christina
John
David T. Pullen,
Fillmore
Charles Jessup, Alfred Station – Chairman
Theodore L. Hopkins, Fillmore
Ronald Stuck, Friendship
Brent Reynolds, Alfred Station
Frederick Sinclair, Scio
Edward Eicher, Wellsville
Brent L. Reynolds, Chairman of Ways and Means Committee
John E. Margeson,
Thomas A. Miner, Interim
Charles Jessup, Chairman of IDA
John E.
Foels, Development Director/IDA Director
Frederick Sinclair, Soil and Water
Conservation
David
Roeske, Superintendent of Public Works
Daniel A. Spitzer, Attorney for the
IDA
William M. Hall, Alfred
John C. Tucker, Belmont
FRIENDSHIP
EMPIRE ZONE OF ALLEGANY COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD (To serve at the pleasure of the Chairman,
pursuant to Local Law No. 2-94):
Jody
Kevin LaForge, Wellsville Jerry
Scott,
Ronald Stuck, Friendship Ronald
Truax,
INTER-COUNTY
ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY LEGISLATIVE BODIES OF WESTERN NEW YORK, INC. (To serve at the pleasure of the Chairman):
Voting
Members:
Glenn
R. Benson, Whitesville
William
G. Dibble, Little
Alternate
Voting Members:
Timothy
O’Grady, Wellsville
David T. Pullen, Fillmore
REGION
9 OPEN SPACE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (To serve at the pleasure of the Chairman):
H.
County Representative Member:
Joe Orosz,
Belmont
Legislative Member:
Norman G.
Ungermann, Jr.,
Member at Large:
Thomas
Parmenter, Fillmore
SOLID
WASTE HEARING BOARD (To
serve at the pleasure of the Chairman, pursuant to Resolution No. 211-04 and
Local Law No. 3-04):
Dwight R. Fanton, Chairman of Public Works Committee
Daniel Russo, District IV Legislator
William G. Dibble, District III Legislator
Alternates:
Michael J.
McCormick, District IV Legislator
Douglas D. Burdick, District V Legislator
Deborah Aumick, Rushford
Joel Kassirer, Angelica Craig
Smith, Fillmore
Steve Havey, Wellsville Mary
Vandewarker, Angelica
Larry Short,
William G. Dibble, Little
William M.
Hall, Alfred
The Clerk of the Board
announced that Chairman Crandall has made the following appointments, all of
which are subject to confirmation by the Board of Legislators:
Wallace Higgins, Alfred Station Jean MacMurray, Wellsville
Jean
Education:
Agriculture: Fred Sinclair, Belmont
Forests: John Corneby, Whitesville
Recreation/Tourism: Craig Braack, Belmont
Industry: Raymond DeTine,
Barbara Deming,
Steve
Havey, Wellsville
Utilities: Frederic Marks, Hornell
Small Business: William Hart,
Wellsville
Banking: Linda Clayson, Belmont
Real Estate: William
Shuler,
At Large: David
Fleming, Angelica
REGION
9 FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT BOARD (Two-year term expiring December 31, 2009):
Legislative Representative Member: Dwight R. Fanton, Wellsville
Alternate Legislative Representative Member: Douglas D. Burdick,
Alfred
Station
Sportsmen’s Representative Member:
Alternate Sportsmen’s Representative Member: John Lewis, Wellsville
REGION
9 FOREST PRACTICE BOARD (Two-year
term expiring December 31, 2009):
Legislative Member:
Karl D. Kruger, Friendship
District III:
Kathleen Barnes, Little
District IV:
Aaron Dale Foster,
District V:
Charles Jessup, Alfred Station
Ex-Officio Members (Annual Appointment):
David Roeske, Superintendent of Public Works, Wellsville
Terri L. Ross,
Brent Reynolds,
Harvey Scott Spillane, Wellsville
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS,
COMMUNICATIONS, REPORTS, ETC.:
1. Communication was received from the
Republican Party members of the Allegany County Board of Legislators
recommending that Brent L. Reynolds, District V Legislator, be designated by the
Chairman of said Board as Majority Leader for 2008.
2. Communication
was received from the Democratic Party member of the Allegany County Board of
Legislators recommending that Michael J. McCormick, District IV Legislator, be
designated by the Chairman of said Board as Minority Leader for 2008.
3. Legislators
wishing to attend the NYSAC Conference in
4. All
legislators are invited to attend the Board of Health meeting on Monday,
January 7, 2008, at 7:00 p.m. in the Legislative Board Chambers.
Chairman Crandall distributed
copies of his assignments to the STANDING
COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF LEGISLATORS following adjournment of the
meeting. (Assignments are as follows; Chairmen
and Vice Chairmen are listed first):
COURT FACILITIES AND COUNTY SPACE NEEDS:
Pullen, Hall, Benson, Fanton, Hopkins, O’Grady
HUMAN SERVICES:
Truax, Dibble, Burdick, Kruger, Reynolds, Russo
PERSONNEL:
Hall, Burdick, Benson, Fanton, Pullen, Russo, Ungermann
NEGOTIATIONS AD HOC
(Sub-Committee of Personnel; Liaison between the County’s negotiating team and
the Personnel Committee):
Pullen, O’Grady, Russo
PUBLIC SAFETY:
Dibble, Benson, Burdick, Kruger, McCormick, Reynolds
PUBLIC WORKS:
Fanton, O’Grady, Hopkins, McCormick, Reynolds, Ungermann
WAYS & MEANS:
Reynolds,
BUDGET (Sub-Committee of Ways & Means):
ADJOURNMENT:
The meeting was adjourned at 2:30
p.m. on a motion made by Legislator Reynolds, seconded by Legislator Fanton and
carried.