BY ADAM ATKINSONNorth Country This Week

POTSDAM — The Village of Potsdam Board of Trustees made appointments, set policies, approved its official newspaper of record and took care of other board business at its annual meeting Tuesday, Dec. 3.

Trustees approved Mayor Alexandra Jacobs Wilke reappointment of Trustee Stephen Warr as deputy mayor for one official year commencing Dec. 3, 2024 and ending Dec. 1, 2025.

The board also approved Wilke’s appointment of the Village Administrator Isabelle Gates-Shult, Village Clerk Georgine Scott and the deputy village clerk as compliance officers for the Village of Potsdam’s Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment for one official year, commencing Dec. 3, 2024 and ending Dec. 1, 2025.

Trustees passed a resolution approving the mayor’s appointment of Erica Russell as village treasurer to fill the unexpired term of Isabelle Gates-Shult that ends Dec. 1, 2025.

The board also approved the mayor’s appointment of Elise Deno as deputy village treasurer for one year commencing Dec. 3, 2024 and ending Dec. 1, 2025.

Mayor Wilke’s appointment of Johanna Kastner as deputy village clerk and registrar for 2025 until Dec. 1 was also approved.

The village board set the official business hours of the village offices in the Civic Center as 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Friday, with the exception of official village holidays.

The official newspapers for the Village of Potsdam were designated as the Watertown Daily Times and North Country This week for Dec. 3, 2024 to Dec. 1, 2025.

The mayor and trustees also established the regular meeting dates for the Village of Potsdam Board of Trustees for 2025 as: Jan. 6 and 21, Feb. 3 and 18, March 3 and 17, April 7 and 21, May 19, June 15, July 21, Aug. 18, Sept. 2 and 15, Oct. 5 and 20, Nov. 3 and 17 and Dec. 1 (Annual Meeting) and 15.

Regular meetings, apart from May, June, July and August are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. May, June, July and August meetings are scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m.

If there is a public hearing scheduled prior to any of the regular meetings, the regular meeting will begin immediately following the adjournment of the public hearing.

All meetings will be held in the civic center board room.

All board meetings will be livestreamed on the Village of Potsdam’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/potsdamvillage/ , whenever possible.

Community Bank, NA, Key Bank of Central New York NA, The Chase Bank and Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company were designated as the official banks of deposit for the money of the Village of Potsdam for one year, Dec. 3, 2024 to Dec. 1, 2025.

Trustees and the mayor also approved a resolution authorizing the village treasurer or the deputy treasurer to sign checks for the Village of Potsdam, at the designated banks.

Another resolution was passed to fix the amounts of the surety bonds for the village officials and village personnel as follows: village tax collector $25,000, village treasurer $ 95,000, and all other employees at $10,000.

The village board of trustees also passed a resolution authorizing payments in advance of audit of claims for certain recurring charges such as public utility charges, postage, freight and express charges.

The board also renewed the village’s Written Procurement Policy, pursuant to Section 104-B of the General Municipal Law which requires the governing body to adopt a procurement policy for all goods and services which are not required by law to be publicly bid. The original resolution was passed in policy Form on Dec. 16, 1991 and amended Feb. 4, 2013, the Tuesday night resolution said.

The board then approved a resolution to renew the written investment policy, pursuant to Section 39 of the General Municipal Law, which authorizes the treasurer to invest surplus funds of any village account. The original resolution was passed in policy form on Dec. 16, 1991 and amended Feb. 4, 2013.

Trainings were also approved for Village of Potsdam employees including but not limited to: village clerk/registrar, village deputy clerk/registrar, village treasurer, deputy treasurer, administrator, code enforcement officer, planning director, economic developer, museum director, DPW supervisor, recreation director, police chief, mayor, and board of trustees. Employees and officials are authorized to attend training seminars held during 2023 conducted by but not limited to: New York Conference of Mayors, state DEC, DOH, OSC, and DOT.

Expenses including registration, food per the village handbook, board, and mileage will be paid by the village.

Finally, trustees passed a resolution providing for a mileage allowance for the village officials and employees in the amount of 67 cents per mile for use of a personal automobile in the performance of official village duties for the calendar year 2025.