Few changes at town reorganization

By Mary Jane Pitt
Posted 1/22/25

As they are required to at the start of each fiscal year, the Highlands Town Board reorganized on Monday, Jan. 13, just prior to a regular business meeting.

Not much changed as the board set …

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Few changes at town reorganization

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As they are required to at the start of each fiscal year, the Highlands Town Board reorganized on Monday, Jan. 13, just prior to a regular business meeting.

Not much changed as the board set their leadership, contracts, policies and more in place at the session. Supervisor Bob Livsey named Councilman Richard Sullivan as his deputy again this year and asked Sullivan to continue as the board’s liaison to the Building, Highway, Sanitation, Sewer and Water Departments.

Livsey himself will serve as the town’s treasurer, as well as the liaison to Comptroller Kelly Pecoraro, who also serves as budget officer. Livsey also will handle matters pertaining to parks, communications, dog control, and insurance. He is the town’s marriage officer.

Councilman Joe DeWitt will serve as the liaison to the Dial-A-Bus, Recreation Department, Information Technology, and the town’s relationships with Highland Falls, West Point and local businesses.

Councilwoman Nancy Sporbert will continue as the liaison to the Town of Highlands Ambulance Corps, the assessor’s office, the Ethics Committee and the Planning and Zoning Boards.

Councilman Tyrone King will be the liaison to the Town of Highlands Police Department, the community’s senior citizens, and oversee matters of substance abuse and disaster preparedness.

In some other appointments, Rider, Weiner & Frankel. P, C. remains as the town attorney; Lanc & Tully Engineering is the engineers; Philip Hannawalt and Greg Maher are the sewer inspectors; Kathy McGuiness is the dog control officer; Orange County’s Department of Health is the town’s health officer; Ronnie Clark Coffey is the town historian; and Kyle Shorette handles the THAC administrative services.
Pecoraro, in addition to serving as comptroller and budget officer, is the executive assistant to the supervisor.

Town Clerk June Patterson is the town’s registrar with Lesley Peterson-Churchwell as the deputy. Peterson-Churchwell also handles water and sewer billing. Hannawalt is the code enforcement officer/building inspector 3, and Jean Talman is the sole assessor

Appointed to a five-year term on the Assessment Board of Review was Arthur Brunwasser and Daniel Zint was appointed to a five-year term on the Consolidated Zoning Board of Appeals. There is also a village appointment still to be made for that board.

The town will reimburse employees travelling on town business at the rate of 70 cents per mile.

The Town Board’s regular meetings will continue to be held at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of each month.

The official newspapers of the town are The News of the Highlands and/or the Times Herald Record. The depositories are Chase and CLASS. RBT will conduct the town’s annual audit.

In one change the board did adjust the maximum dollar amounts for which three bids and board approvals are required. In recent years if the price of an item was under $250 no competitive bids were needed; now that amount is $500.

The board also noted that the social media policy and cash receipt policies have been updated. In the case of the social media policies, Livsey said, it had been 10 years since employees were required to review and sign off on that, so they’ll be asked to do that again in the weeks ahead.