Supervisor Jennifer Salemo felt that the Town of Plattekill accomplished a lot in her first year in office. But she said it was a team effort every step of the way.

“It has been challenging at times in my first year as a supervisor,” she said in an interview with the Southern Ulster Times following the January 4 reorganizational meeting at the Town Hall. “But I am very, very blessed to have the wonderful surroundings of wonderful, hard-working, dedicated people that help me through the difficult moments.”

Salemo said the town board, town attorneys, town staff, town engineers, the town highway department and other volunteer boards and commissions have all done outstanding work in her first year on the job.

“I owe a lot to my family and I owe so much to my town residents for all that I have learned and experienced this year,” she said.

One controversy that Salemo and the Town of Plattekill had to navigate during 2022 was Police Chief Joseph Ryan crashing his police car while in New Jersey on personal business on September 1.

After investigating the one-car crash in Toms River, N.J. that caused $12,500 in damages to Ryan’s 2021 Ford Explorer, the board voted unanimously on November 29 to suspend Ryan for one month without pay.

Ryan returned to the job on December 30 after serving the suspension.

“It’s unfortunate it came to this,” Salemo said after she announced the suspension. “It’s the end of one chapter.”

Among the town’s priorities in 2023 would be adopting a social media policy for employees, working on Part II of the town’s Comprehensive Plan and considering a short-term rental law, Salemo said.

Salemo said the town just received a grant for $27,000 to assist in implementing the second phase of the comprehensive plan.

“We’re really excited to receive that grant and we should be moving forward on this now,” Salemo said.

Salemo, who operates Turtle Creek Golf Course, said she would like to attract other businesses to the town.

“I would love to bring in more businesses that would lend to the culture of the town,” she said. “We have a new florist right across the street (from Town Hall) that opened up. There’s talk of different business opportunities coming into the area. We can offer them incentives and help them along the way. I would love to see a half dozen to a dozen businesses open in the next year or two.”

Among the moves made at the reorganizational meeting were Ryan’s appointment as Police Chief and William Smith being appointed as the Police Lieutenant.

Councilman Dean DePew Sr. was appointed Deputy Supervisor.

Larry Lindenauer was reappointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) for a seven-year term through 2029 and he was reappointed as the chairman of the ZBA.

Cindy Hilbert was reappointed as the chairperson of the town’s Planning Board.

The Southern Ulster Times was designated as the official newspaper of the Town of Plattekill.