The Peru Gazette

By John T. Ryan

The Peru Town Board had a light agenda at its November 24th meeting. Outdoor wood boilers were the subject of a twenty-minute discussion. As he had done at the board’s November 10th meeting, resident Dennis Mason questioned why his existing wood boiler had not been granted a building permit during the approximate four week period last summer when the when outdoor wood boiler moratorium had apparently lapsed. He also questioned why he needed planning board site plan review. Councilor Cortland Florence said he had spoken to Town Attorney Donald Biggs since the last meeting and Biggs wanted more time to research the issue before updating the Board. In an apparent reversal of his previous statements Biggs told Mason, “The initial call is up to Zoning Enforcement Officer Paul Blaine. He has to make the determination and it’s his discretion to do it…I don’t think it’s a Town Board call at all!” (Biggs has stated at previous meetings that if Blaine hadn’t issued building permits during the period when the moratoriums lapsed he was forbidden from doing so once another moratorium took effect. Once the outdoor boiler was passed Paul Blaine issued explicit guidelines stating that owners of existing wood boilers must go through the site review and planning board process. He stated that the new law required the site review process.) Counselor Tom Powers told Mason he should go through the permitting process and that he probably would not have a problem. The permitting process includes planning board site plan review. Later in the meeting Counselor Forrence said the board had not taken any action on the often- mentioned amendments to the boiler law. He urged counselors, as he had previously done, to get their ideas to Attorney Biggs.

The counselors conducted a one-hour Executive Session for discussion of personnel matters and two offers to purchase town property. Counselor Powers will continue negotiations with the interested purchasers.

In other actions the board:

Accepted the resignation of Mike Farrell from the Planning Board effective November 24, 2008. Farrell will become Highway Superintendent on January 1, 2009.

Discussed shared services with the Town of Champlain. Supervisor Donald Covel expressed his concerns regarding the possibility of paving equipment being broken when in use by other towns. Peru jointly purchased a paving machine with three or four other communities and it is housed in Peru. Discussions will continue.

Discussed workmen’s compensation costs and the competing insurance plans. The counselors voted to schedule a December 3rd workshop on the matter.

Received Counselor Glushko’s report that the open confidential secretary position has been advertised and that application has been made to make the position a civil service exempt position. All applications must be received by December 5th and interviews will begin on December 9th.

Received a report from Town Clerk Kathy Flynn that a Christmas Tree lighting ceremony will be held at the gazebo on Saturday, November 29th at 7 p.m. Activities will start at 6: 30 p.m. Brady O’Connell, who just underwent his third kidney transplant, will light the tree.