BY ADAM ATKINSONNorth Country This Week

POTSDAM -- The Potsdam town board has approved several annual appointments, set salaries, designated its official newspapers and took care of other yearly policy measures.

The board convened for its annual reorganizational meeting Jan. 9 and passed a number of housekeeping resolutions.

Newly elected Town Supervisor Marty Miller made the following appointments at the meeting:

• Supervisor's bookkeeper, Morgan Simons
• Confidential secretary, Chastity Baxter.
• Board audit committees, council members Allyssa Hardiman and Dave Sanford, and Lynn Hall and Christine Paige
• Climate Smart Committee, council members Hall and Paige
• Discrimination/Harassment Committee – Miller, Baxter and Hardiman
• Infrastructure Committee – council members Allyssa Hardiman and Dave Sanford
• Negotiations/Personnel - Miller and Hall
• Recreation Committee – council members Hardiman and Paige
• Ad Hoc CCA Committee – council members Hardiman and Hall.

The board approved the following salaries for 2024 for town officials: Cindy Goliber, Tax Collector, $5,625; Meghan teRiele, Deputy Clerk, $46,500; Danielle Mitchell, Acting Assessor, $53,800; Tina Miller, Assessor’s Clerk, $50,500; Jeffrey Murray, Code Enforcement Officer, $52,000; Sherri Stone, Court Clerk, $50,660; Peggy Brusso, Deputy Court Clerk, $46,500; Morgan Simons, Supervisor’s Bookkeeper, $43,260; Chastity Baxter, Confidential Secretary, $47,000; Steve Dilger, Custodian, $42,000; Meghan teRiele, Historian, $1,000; and Alan Huckle, Sub, Court Security, $26/hour.

Salaries for elected officials were also approved with Miller's salary set at $20,000, the deputy supervisor salary set at $6,250, board members at $5,250 each, Town Clerk Cindy Goliber set at $60,000, highway superintendent John Keleher at $85,000 and town justices James Mason and David Haggard each set at $31,500.

Alan Daniel's was appointed to the zoning board of appeals for a four-year term from Jan. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2028.

Larry Averill was appointed to the planning board for a four-year term from Jan. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2028.

Donna Seymour was appointed to the ethics committee for a three-year term from Jan. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2027.

The town board voted to set the salaries for the board of assessment review members at $20.00/hr. for chairman, $17.50/hr. for other members and $20.00/hr. for the minute taker.

A stipend was also approved for planning and zoning board members at $600 for each chairperson and $300 for each member including the alternate, to be paid by vouchers in June and December.

The town board authorized Miller to sign the local health officer agreement with St. Lawrence County which appoints the county public health director as the town's local health director.

The board also approved resolutions allowing town officials and employees to attend a variety of conferences and seminars and set the mileage rate to the IRS rate of 67 cents per mile.

The town board approved resolutions establishing Community Bank as the municipalities bank and depository for several accounts and authorized several town officials as being able to handle and access those accounts.

Several contracts with local organizations and payments to those organizations were also approved. These included:

• Potsdam Humane Society - $43,567 for dog control, and $15,367 for professional services
• Senior citizens groups - Potsdam Active Senior Club, $2,000; Sandstoner, $2,000; and the Golden Agers $1,000
• Chamber Of Commerce, $6,000
• Norwood Village Green, $5,000
• Veterans contracts -- Clark Robinson, $500; American Legion, $400; Amvets, $500
• Fire contracts -- Potsdam Fire Dept., $145,400; Norwood Fire Dept., $90,000; Hannawa Falls Fire, $8,000; West Potsdam Fire, $120,000
• Potsdam Rescue Squad, $34,452
• Museum contracts -- Norwood Museum, $6,200; Potsdam Museum, $18,000
• Recreation Contracts, Norwood Rec., $18,000; Crary Mills Playground, $700    
• Pinto, Mucenski, Hooper, Vanhouse & Co., $16,250 for the town audit and annual report.
• Clear Data, $16,428 for IT services.

North Country This Week and the Watertown Times were both designated as the town's official newspapers.

The town board also approved a resolution to bond for a public official's liability policy with The Hartford Insurance company, and approved petty cash amounts for the town clerk and justice court.

Finally the following meeting dates were set for 2024: Jan. 9, Feb. 6, March 13, April 9, May 14, Sept. 10, Oct. 8, Nov. 7 and Dec. 10 at 6:30 p.m.; and June 11, July 9 and Aug. 13 at 5:30 p.m.