Harpersfield Seeks Alternate Planning Board Member

By Liz Page

HARPERSFIELD – The town of Harperfield will advertise for a new alternate to the town planning board and is seeking another helper at the transfer station. The town will research the Summer Youth Program to see if there are any candidates to help at the transfer station and in other areas.

Board members accepted the resignation letter from Kevin All, who stated he no longer has the time to commit to the planning board. Adam Gallagher, who had been serving as the alternate member, was appointed as a regular member.

The town will advertise it is seeking an alternate member to the planning board.

The North Harpersfield churches have been listed as historic property with the New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Places. The town received a letter from the state notifying them of the designation.

A public hearing was scheduled for renewal of the Spectrum Franchise Agreement. The hearing is pending a response from the company and is tentatively set for the June meeting.

Supervisor Lisa Driscoll reported the town has been cited for a few things on a recent audit and town board members are supposed to meet with a representative of the state Comptroller's Office to review those items. One of them, which was implemented last Wednesday, is to physically review each warrant.

Board members again discussed designating the Mountain Eagle as the official newspaper. However, there will be no change currently. Using a daily newspaper and with the Daily Star being cooperative with printing notices that need to go in at a certain time, the discussion resulted in no change.

Members of the Colonel Harper Cemetery Association are finding it difficult to financially pay for the continued upkeep of the cemetery. Once they cease operations, the town will be responsible for the upkeep. Nothing has been budgeted to pay for the mowing of the cemetery this year. 

Supervisor Driscoll said she would inquire through the Youth Program to see if there were any possible candidates, or if someone is interested, may contact the town clerk.

Board members, most of them unfamiliar with the names on the ballot, approved Wayland Gladstone, Glen Faulkner, and Ed Snow for the Board of Directors for the Coalition of Watershed Towns, with Jeff Gearhart and two others to serve as alternates.

The transfer station will be closed on the Saturday, May 25 of Memorial Day Weekend, July 4, and on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend in September.

The town is receiving an additional $72,000 in mortgage taxes related to the solar projects. This one-time windfall will be used to do the concrete work at the transfer station, do the front of the town highway barn, and repair the retaining wall at the town hall. Board members approved the motion.

Councilman Patrick Funk will advertise for people to work through the Summer Youth Program on the town's Facebook page. The age limit for the town is 16-21 due to the jobs that need to be done.

The new truck is getting closer to home, according to Highway Superintendent Russ Hatch, who hoped to see the truck last week. 

The town will hold its $72,000 windfall, the same amount that was reinstated in the state budget in Comprehensive Highway Improvement Program funds, until the amount of CHIPS funding is verified by the state.

Board members then moved into an executive session to discuss personnel.