Unofficial summary. This is a community summary of the town's official minutes, provided so the record is searchable and readable. It condenses the meeting and may omit detail. The official signed PDF is the complete record of authority.
A note on the link above: the town’s PDF of these minutes is no longer available on the town’s website, so the “Official PDF” link is an unaltered copy we host. It is a scan, so the text in it is not searchable — our summary above is. For a certified copy, ask the Town Clerk.
The Town Board of the Town of Schaghticoke held its annual organizational meeting at the Town Hall, 290 Northline Drive, Melrose, on Tuesday, January 2, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.
Present: Supervisor Salisbury and Councilmen Akin, Rustin, and Ward. Absent: Councilman Fogarty.
Every resolution below passed unanimously (Ayes: all present; Nays: none).
Resolutions adopted
- Set organizational information — the 2024 meeting schedule, depository, official newspaper, and salaries for elected and appointed positions (Rustin · Ward · all).
- Review policies — the Investment, Procurement, Fixed Asset, Violence in the Workplace, and Sexual Harassment policies were reviewed with no changes (Akin · Ward · all).
- Set water- and sewer-district buy-in fees for 2024 (Rustin · Ward · all).
- Set the 2024 holiday schedule (Akin · Rustin · all).
- Renew outside contracts for 2024 (Ward · Akin · all).
- Audit of books — the justices’ books to be audited by January 20, and the Town Clerk’s and Supervisor’s by the end of February (Ward · Rustin · all).
- Water rate and fee increases (Rustin · Akin · all).
- Update the medical-insurance buy-out policy (Ward · Rustin · all).
Meeting schedule and designations
- Meetings: the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Town Hall, with a work session to sign bills beginning at 6:00 p.m. A workshop is held at 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of the month, as needed.
- Depository: M&T Bank and the New York Liquid Asset Fund (NYLAF).
- Official newspaper: The Record and The Express. Public notices also appear on the official town website and the Town Hall posting board.
2024 salaries
Elected positions
| Position | Yearly salary |
|---|---|
| Supervisor | $28,390 |
| Councilperson (each of 4) | $6,945 |
| Town Justice — Thomas | $11,920 |
| Town Justice — Ryan | $14,000 |
| Highway Superintendent | $70,940 |
| Town Clerk | $46,610 |
| Tax Collector | $6,245 |
Appointed positions
| Position | Salary |
|---|---|
| Deputy Town Clerk | $36,380 |
| Clerks to the Justices | $11,100 |
| Budget Director | $60,270 |
| Attorney / General | $23,210 |
| Assessor | $51,525 |
| Dog Control Officer | $8,475 |
| Building / Fire Inspector | $28,060 |
| Assistant Building / Fire Inspector | $20.00/hr |
| Code Enforcement Officer | $11,240 |
| Historian | $1,135 |
| Special Districts Manager | $6,000 |
| Clean-Up Day Manager | $3,700 |
| Water & Sewer Operator | $59,575 |
| Janitorial Personnel | $22.00/hr |
| Water & Sewer Superintendent | $8,000 |
| Storm Water Manager | $5,685 |
| Central Communications Manager | $1,545 |
| Registrar of Vital Statistics | $0.50 per record |
Highway Department hourly rates
| Role | Rate |
|---|---|
| M.E.O.L. (base) | $25.25/hr |
| Mechanic | $34.90/hr |
| Assistant Mechanic | $26.80/hr |
| Temporary Laborers | $22.00/hr |
| Seasonal CDL | $26.00/hr |
Hourly differentials added to the base rate: Deputy Highway Superintendent +$1.00/hr, Foreman +$1.00/hr, Assistant Foreman +$0.50/hr, and Water & Sewer Operator +$2.00/hr.
Board appointments and stipends
Planning Board: Vincent Ragone re-appointed, term ending 12/2030. Chairman $6,195; Secretary $4,255; five members at $2,165 each; Attorney $8,000.
Zoning Board of Appeals: Kristen Griswold re-appointed, term ending 12/2028. Chairman $2,185; four members at $1,305 each; Secretary $2,165; Attorney $8,000.
Water and sewer rate changes
- Water rate for Water Districts #1, #3, and #3E increased by $0.55 to $4.45 per 100 cubic feet.
- Meter cost $308 → $310; brass adapter $10 → $20; tapping fee (same side of road) $1,200 → $1,980; road cut on a town road $1,800 → $2,400.
2024 buy-in fees
| Water district | Fee |
|---|---|
| Consolidated #1 | $5,000 |
| #2 | $1,600 |
| #3 | $1,600 |
| #3e | $5,000 |
| Sewer district | Fee |
|---|---|
| Consolidated #2 | $3,298 |
| #3 | $6,989 |
2024 outside contracts
| # | Organization | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diver Memorial Library | $12,000 |
| 2 | Knickerbocker Historical Society | $3,000 |
| 3 | Entertainment Committee | $3,500 |
| 4 | Village of Schaghticoke (for the Youth Commission) | $6,790 |
| 5 | Hoosic Valley Athletic Association | $4,500 |
| 6 | Hoosic Valley Rescue Squad | $28,400 |
| 7 | Hoosic Valley Rescue Squad — EMT & Paramedics | $666,000 |
| 8 | Dog Shelter Agreement | $1,000 plus fees |
| 9 | County Waste | $358,382 |
2024 holiday schedule
| Holiday | Observed |
|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Monday, January 1 |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Monday, January 15 |
| Presidents’ Day | Monday, February 19 |
| Memorial Day | Monday, May 27 |
| Independence Day | Thursday, July 4 |
| Labor Day | Monday, September 2 |
| Columbus Day | Monday, October 14 |
| Veterans Day | Monday, November 11 |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thursday, November 28 |
| Day after Thanksgiving | Friday, November 29 |
| Christmas Day | Wednesday, December 25 |
Purchasing and travel
The Highway Superintendent is authorized to make emergency purchases up to $500 for the Highway and the Water & Sewer departments without prior authorization from the Supervisor. Any purchase (or combination of purchases) of $500 or more in those departments requires a purchase order from the Supervisor’s Office, and all purchases must follow the town’s procurement policy. Travel mileage is reimbursed at the current New York State rate; pre-approved conference and meeting meals are reimbursed at $10 for breakfast, $10 for lunch, and $30 for dinner.
Medical-insurance buy-out policy
The Board adopted an updated medical-insurance buy-out policy, its first revision since 2003, aimed at long-term savings. In summary: a full-time employee or full-time elected official who is eligible for town medical coverage may take a cash buy-out in lieu of coverage, provided they document comparable coverage and sign the required waivers by December 1 each year. The annual buy-out equals the alternate plan’s premium co-payment (excluding dental and vision) and may not exceed $4,000, paid quarterly through the voucher system. Employees may resume town coverage if they lose the alternate plan or during open enrollment. The policy replaces prior buy-out policies for elected officials and employees who are not in a collective-bargaining unit.
Respectfully submitted by Jennifer Molesky, Town Clerk.
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