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Town of Brighton puts its house in order

PAUL SMITHS — In its organizational meeting on Thursday, January 11, the town of Brighton elected officials put into place its appointments and committees for 2018. Four of its elected officials were sworn in by Justice Nik Sandagate. Town supervisor Peter Shrope, councilpersons Amber McKernan and Brian McDonnell, and highway superintendent Andy Crary were all re-elected in uncontested races in November 2017. Shrope also reported that the town received $300,000 in pre-paid property taxes, as Brighton residents took advantage of a proclamation by Gov. Andrew Cuomo that allowed them to avoid the lower deductions associated with the new federal tax law. The entire Brighton warrant is $642,810. (A more in-depth story on local consequences of the tax reform will appear in the Enterprise soon.)

Appointments and committees were established in a half-hour organizational interval at the start of the regular monthly meeting. In addition, the town council voted to make it official policy–as opposed to an informal agreement–that they would not discuss town business via email. All discussions will take place in public meetings, excepting executive sessions, for which they are bound by the Open Meetings law to justify beforehand with a reason from a list specified by the law.

Shrope reported having spoken with Assemblyman Steven Englebright (D-4) of Long Island during a discussion of the consequences of Proposition 3. “He said, ‘This is a good thing for the North Country,'” the supervisor said. “So, at least we know someone on Long Island is thinking of us.” Proposition 3, which was on the November 2017 ballot, passed with 52 percent of the vote. It will “create a 250-acre land bank, which would allow local governments to request state Forest Preserve land for qualifying projects in exchange for the state adding 250 new acres to the preserve; and allow bike paths, sewer lines, and utility lines within the width of highways on preserve land.”

Dan Whitson, the chief of the Paul Smiths-Gabriels Volunteer Fire Department, presented the new roster of officers to the council and notified them that the department would be entering into a new mutual aid agreement with other Franklin County firefighting units. Whitson told the council that, with 44 members, the Paul Smiths-Gabriels department is one of the largest in the North Country. Twenty of the members are Paul Smith’s College students. “They come and they go,” Whitson said of the students, “but it’s nice to have them around.” However, even with the students away between semesters, the department mustered 11 members to respond to a recent call.

“How many members typically go on mutual aid calls,” asked councilperson McKernan.

“It depends on what we are called out for,” the chief said. “As many people as can go, will go.” Whitson said that his crews may be going up to Malone more often this year under the terms of the new agreement because the fire chief in Malone was impressed that Paul Smiths-Gabriels was regularly able to field three trucks fully staffed.

The supervisor related the contents of a letter from a McCollums resident who was concerned the new agreement between Franklin County Solid Waste Authority and Albany County will increase truck traffic on Route 30 through the town of Brighton. “He contacted the county manager to ask them to talk about the route [with Albany],” said Shrope. “It would be easier to go all the way to Plattsburgh on the Northway and then cut over.” The Brighton resident had not had any reply from the county manager on this topic.

“We need to send the message to the people making the decision,” said councilperson McDonnell, when the question arose as to what Brighton should do. “That would be Franklin County. We can support their decision.” The council agreed to take no action for the present and wait to hear from the county manager, Donna Kissane.

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