The Regular Meeting for the Town Board of the Town of Brighton, Franklin County, NY, was held Thursday, August 14, 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, Steve Tucker
ABSENT: Council Members Lydia Wright, Caroline T. Santagate (Tracy)
OTHERS PRESENT: Andy Crary, Superintendent of Highways, Elizabeth DeFonce-Town Clerk /Tax Collector, Russell DeFonce-Town Justice, John Stack-Assessor, and 1 resident
NOTICE OF MEETING:
Notice of this meeting was posted on the Town Clerk’s Sign Board.
REPORTS
Highway – Superintendent of Highways Andy Crary: mowed the cemeteries, Town Hall, Town Garage and Town Park a couple of times; road raked the dirt roads a couple of times; mowed the soccer field and landfill; paved and shouldered Wardner Road; took the boom off for mowing; mowed the county roads for the second time; made a dump run; got the trucks inspected; got new tires on the F-350; fixed the running lights on the trailer; changed the oil and filter on the F-150; put cold patch on the potholes; spread grindings from the Route 86 paving project on the parking lot at the Fire Station; put the new MPH signs up on White Pine Road; prepared advertisement for fulltime employee.
Paul Smiths College (PSC) wants to lower the speed limit to 40 MPH on Route 86 from the intersection of Route 30 to the current 40 MPH zone to ensure the safety of pedestrians near the soccer fields. PSC will need to submit a letter to the Town before the process can begin.
There was discussion around the lack of enforcement of the speed limit on County Route 60 and the registration status of Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTVs) in New York State.
Town Clerk Elizabeth DeFonce: Total Revenue to Supervisor as of July 31, 2025, was $2,400.00 from 2 building permits and 8 dog licenses
July 24: Attended the New York State Archives webinar “Ask Us Anything About Processing and Purging Records.”
August 4: Took phone call about a beaver dam on Jones Pond Road and referred it to Andy who referred it to the Franklin County Highway Department.
August 5: Began purging Town Clerk records from 2018.
August 11: Called Williamson and set up a demo of their Town Clerk software program on Tuesday, August 19.
August 12: Processed one temporary handicapped parking permit.
TOWN HALL REQUESTS: Monday, August 18, Rainbow Lake Water Protection District Board of Directors Meeting, 1 hour
TOWN PARK REQUEST: Saturday, August 9, Birthday party, 2 hours – Saturday, August 16, Graduation party, 3.5 hours – Sunday, August 17, Bridal shower, 5 hours – Saturday, August 23, Birthday party, 8 hours – Sunday, August 31, Picnic, 5 hours
Tax Collector – Elizabeth DeFonce: No report.
Historian – Elaine Sater: no report
Town Justice – Russ DeFonce: Disposed of 20. The Supervisor received a check in the amount of $2,330.
Code Enforcement Officer – Rodger Tompkins: no report.
Assessor – John Stack: expressed a desire to be reappointed once his current term ends on September 30, 2025.
He will be teaching a class at the Local Government Conference in Potsdam this coming October.
Assessor software is about to undergo an update; Hamilton County will be the first to use the program.
There was an explanation of the STAR Exemption and the STAR Credit. New York State would like to move everyone to the Credit and needs to share information on how to apply. The deadline is March 1 so the Assessor could send a letter out toward the end of the year or an insert could be included with the tax bill. This information may already be part of the tax bill; the Assessor will check with Tammie Brooks of the Franklin County Office of Real Property for guidance.
Assessor Stack has also accepted an appointment as Assessor for the Town of Duane.
RESOLUTION#20-2025
APPOINTMENT of ASSESSOR STACK
Motion made by Supervisor Peter Shrope, seconded by Amber McKernan,
RESOLVED that John Stack be reappointed as Sole Assessor for a 6-year term to run from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2031.
ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye 3 (McKernan, Shrope, Tucker), Nay 0, Absent 2 (Santagate, Wright)
Resolution #20 declared duly adopted.
Supervisor – Peter Shrope:
Energy usage: Received our yearly report from National Grid; energy usage has been consistent.
BridgeNY: Received the permit from the Adirondack Park Agency to move forward with the Keese Mill Road project
Deposits: Town Clerk – $2,400, Town Justice – $2,330, BridgeNY reimbursement – $44,043.44, Snow/Ice (payment #2) – $26,289.45, 3 cemetery plots – $600.
Budget: doing fine.
NYCLASS: For July – General Fund interest $447.68, total $127,442.05 ($20,000 for Town Hall). Highway Fund interest $170.60, total $48,567.59.
State Aid: Received email from the State Comptroller’s Office – the Town will be receiving $782 from the Temporary Municipal Aid program.
ACCEPT/AMEND MINUTES
July 10, 2025 – Regular Board Meeting Minutes
Motion made by Amber McKernan, second by Steve Tucker, to accept the minutes of the July 10 Regular Board Meeting as written. Aye 3 (McKernan, Shrope, Tucker), Nay 0, Absent 2 (Santagate, Wright)
CITIZENS’ COMMENTS: None
Business:
The airport contract from the Town of Harrietstown was received on July 11; the dollar amount has not changed.
RESOLUTION #21-2025
AIRPORT AGREEMENT
Motion made by Supervisor Peter Shrope, seconded by Amber McKernan,
RESOLVED that the Town Board authorizes the Supervisor to sign an agreement with the Town of Harrietstown to support the Adirondack Regional Airport for 2025 in the amount of $1,500, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Supervisor be authorized to pay the Town of Harrietstown the sum of $1,500 for 2025.
ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye 3 (McKernan, Shrope, Tucker), Nay 0, Absent 2 (Santagate, Wright)
Resolution #21 declared duly adopted.
Discussion took place on existing local laws regarding watercraft usage on Osgood Pond, Jones Pond, and the St. Regis Lakes. Paragraph 5 of Local Law No. 4, 2001 contains the ambiguous wording of “low-horsepower motors” with no definition given. This law references Osgood Pond and the St. Regis lakes but not Jones Pond, which was recently the subject of a complaint regarding motorboats going too fast. Several suggestions for amending the existing laws were proposed, as were suggestions for possibly creating new laws using ideas from other Towns. More information will be gathered before any further action is taken.
Supervisor Peter Shrope has received several complaints regarding UTVs on Keese Mill Road. The complainant was advised to call the State Police.
Old Business:
Supervisor Peter Shrope purchased an answering machine that has 4 mailboxes to replace the current phone system at the Town Hall. If it doesn’t work it will be returned.
AUDIT OF VOUCHERS
RESOLUTION #22-2025
AUDIT OF VOUCHERS
Motion made by Amber McKernan, seconded Supervisor Peter Shrope,
RESOLVED that the Supervisor be authorized to pay the audited vouchers as listed on the abstracts as follows:
PREPAID FUNDS: Abstract #8 for Voucher #8A through #8C for 2025 in the amount of $729.12 and Voucher #8C STREET LIGHTING FUNDS in the amount of $86.94
GENERAL FUND: Abstract #8 for Voucher #120 through #137 for 2025 funds in the amount of $15,960.24
HIGHWAY FUND: Abstract #8 for Voucher #84 through #97 for 2025 funds in the amount of $70,538.56
ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye 3 (McKernan, Shrope, Tucker), Nay 0, Absent 2 (Santagate, Wright)
Resolution #22 declared duly adopted.
ADJOURNMENT
Motion to Adjourn at 8:40 made by Amber McKernan, second by Supervisor Peter Shrope,
Aye 3 (McKernan, Shrope, Tucker), Nay 0, Absent 2 (Santagate, Wright)
Respectfully Submitted,
Elizabeth DeFonce, Brighton Town Clerk