The Regular Meeting for the Town Board of the Town of Brighton, Franklin County, NY, was held Thursday, July 10, 2025, at 7:00pm at the Brighton Town Hall, 12 County Road 31, Paul Smiths, NY, with the following:

CALL TO ORDER: 

Meeting was Called to Order by Supervisor Peter Shrope at 7:00pm

The “Pledge of Allegiance” to the flag was recited.

ROLL CALL OF OFFICERS

PRESENT: Supervisor Peter Shrope. Council Members: Amber McKernan, Caroline T. Santagate (Tracy), Steve Tucker
ABSENT: Council Member Lydia Wright
OTHERS PRESENT: Andy Crary, Superintendent of Highways, Elizabeth DeFonce-Town Clerk /Tax Collector, Russell DeFonce-Town Justice, and 1 resident

GUESTS: Chris Jage, Mary Thill

NOTICE OF MEETING:

Notice of this meeting was posted on the Town Clerk’s Sign Board.
PRESENTATION FROM THE ADIRONDACK LAND TRUST – Chris Jage and Mary Thill

The Adirondack Land Trust (ALT) is looking into creating a conservation easement with Paul Smith’s College (PSC) to protect the Visitor Interpretive Center (VIC) property. Fundraising is now underway with a goal of reaching $4.1 million to purchase the easement from PSC. ALT is pursuing a $1 million grant from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation and is asking the Town of Brighton to write a letter of support.

RESOLUTION #16-2025
ADIRONDACK LAND TRUST LETTER OF SUPPORT

Motion made by Supervisor Peter Shrope, seconded Amber McKernan,
WHEREAS Paul Smiths College (PSC) would like to preserve its Visitor Interpretive Center  property by creating a conservation easement in conjunction with the Adirondack Land Trust (ALT), and
WHEREAS ALT is seeking grant funding from the Fish and Wildlife Foundation to purchase said easement from PSC and is looking for letters of support in this endeavor,
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Supervisor Peter Shrope will craft a letter, using a template provided by ALT, in support of ALT’s pursuit of said grant, to be signed by the Town Board.
ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye 4 (McKernan, Santagate, Shrope, Tucker), Nay 0, Absent 1 (Wright)

Resolution #16 declared duly adopted.

REPORTS

Highway – Superintendent of Highways Andy Crary: mowed the cemeteries, Town Park, Town Hall, garage, and the county and town roads; put new wheel bearings in the York Rake; working on Wardner Road, getting ready to pave on July 15; put the mower on the tractor; put new drive belt on the lawnmower; put new blades on the brush hog mower; cut branches on Tebbutt Road and Keese Mill Road; put cold patch on Tebbutt Road; replaced the ballast in the bathroom light; got rid of the trees at the park

RESOLUTION #17-2025
PAVING WARDNER ROAD

Motion made by Supervisor Peter Shrope, seconded Amber McKernan,
RESOLVED that the Town Board authorizes the Superintendent of Highways to pave Wardner Road, a distance of .5 mile, and hire Brunell & Sons, Inc to do the work, Not to Exceed $60,000.
ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye 4 (McKernan, Santagate, Shrope, Tucker), Nay 0, Absent 1 (Wright)

Resolution #17 declared duly adopted.
Town Clerk Elizabeth DeFonce: Total Revenue to Supervisor as of June 30, 2025, was $696.25 from 6 building permits and 2 Town Park donations

June 16:Performed one notarization

June 17: Performed on vital records search. It was unsuccessful so I referred them to the New York State Department of Health

June 26: Attended the New York State Archives webinar “Establishing Records Management Policies and Procedures.”

TOWN HALL REQUESTS: Tuesday, July 8, Caucus, Town of Brighton Democrats, 7pm

TOWN PARK REQUEST: Thursday, June 26, Girl Scout Troop 4026, 2 hours; Tuesdays and Wednesdays, July 8 through August 6, Saranac Lake Youth Soccer Association, 3 hours
Tax Collector – Elizabeth DeFonce: The Tax Collector’s books were audited on June 17. No problems were found.

RESOLUTION #18-2025
AUDIT TAX COLLECTOR FINANCIAL RECORDS 2025

Motion made by Supervisor Peter Shrope, seconded Amber McKernan,
WHEREAS the audit of the Tax Collector’s 2025 Financial Records was conducted on June 17, 2025, by Council Members Amber McKernan, Tracy Santagate, and Lydia Wright,
RESOLVED that the audit of the Tax Collector’s 2025 Financial Records be accepted as satisfactory as presented by Council Member Amber McKernan.

ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye 4 (McKernan, Santagate, Shrope, Tucker), Nay 0, Absent 1 (Wright)

Resolution #18 declared duly adopted.
Historian – Elaine Sater: no report

Town Justice – Russ DeFonce: Disposed of 29 cases and performed one marriage ceremony during June. The Supervisor received a check in the amount of $3,140.
Code Enforcement Officer – Rodger Tompkins: 7 building permits issued in June.

Assessor – John Stack: no report but the Town received reimbursement of $2,430.83 from the Office of Real Property for the reassessment.
Supervisor – Peter Shrope:

PSC Meetings: Supervisor Peter Shrope had a meeting on June 17 with PSC President Dan Kelting, Dean of Faculty Brett McLeod, and Vice President, Strategic Initiatives Zoë Smith. Discussion included the Town’s request to purchase 5 acres of land behind the Town Garage from several years ago, the proposed conservation easement with ALT, the potential conversion of the NOLS property to a solar farm, and the water and wastewater district. PSC has new personnel involved in the district proposal; any new information should be brought to the Board for consideration.

BridgeNY: Submitted 8^th request for reimbursement in the amount of $44,043.44.

Deposits: Town Clerk – $969.25, Town Justice – $3,140, Office of Real Property – $2,340.83, Tax Collector – $50 (petty cash).

Budget: doing fine.

NYCLASS: For June – General Fund interest $431.84, total $127,204.21 ($20,000 for Town Hall). Highway Fund interest $164.57, total $48,476.96.

ACCEPT/AMEND MINUTES
June 12, 2025 – Regular Board Meeting Minutes

Motion made by Amber McKernan, second by Steve Tucker, to accept the minutes of the June 12 Regular Board Meeting as written. Aye 4 (McKernan, Santagate ,Shrope, Tucker), Nay 0, Absent 1 (Wright)

CITIZENS’ COMMENTS: The park is seeing lots of usage but is staying clean.

Concern was expressed about the bottle bins across from the park.

Business:

A glamping project has been proposed for Hobart Road.

Old Business:
A replacement of the wooden part of the park sign has been made. Supervisor Peter Shrope will design a facade similar to the current sign that can be affixed to the wood.

The park tip-ups have been handled.

Finding a phone system that offers two or three mailboxes on one line is proving difficult since most of these systems are multiline. Current technology is moving away from traditional phone systems and into Voice over IP (internet calling).

AUDIT OF VOUCHERS

RESOLUTION #19-2025

AUDIT OF VOUCHERS

Motion made by Amber McKernan, seconded Steve Tucker,
RESOLVED that the Supervisor be authorized to pay the audited vouchers as listed on the abstracts as follows:

PREPAID FUNDS: Abstract #7 for Voucher #7A through #7D for 2025 in the amount of $747.42 and Voucher #7D STREET LIGHTING FUNDS in the amount of $73.16
GENERAL FUND: Abstract #7 for Voucher #107 through #119 for 2025 funds in the amount of $7,703.03
HIGHWAY FUND: Abstract #7 for Voucher #73 through #83 for 2025 funds in the amount of $4,358.76

ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye 4 (McKernan, Santagate, Shrope, Tucker), Nay 0, Absent 1 (Wright)
Resolution #19 declared duly adopted.

ADJOURNMENT
Motion to Adjourn at 8:22 made by Amber McKernan, second by Supervisor Peter Shrope,

Aye 4 (McKernan, Santagate ,Shrope, Tucker), Nay 0, Absent 1 (Wright)
Respectfully Submitted,

Elizabeth DeFonce, Brighton Town Clerk