New members took their seats
Trustee Brian Aylward was reappointed as deputy mayor, and two new Village Board members took their seats for the first time on Monday evening.
The board’s annual reorganization meeting was held at the Senior Center, and followed by a budget public hearing and regular business meeting (see related stories).
Mayor Joe D’Onofrio made the first round of appointments at the meeting, starting with naming Aylward as his deputy. Aylward will also serve as the police and street commissioner, and the village’s liaison to local schools.
D’Onofrio will serve as fire commissioner, the liaison to the town’s Disaster Preparedness coordinator Kurt Hahn, and the liaison to West Point, senior citizens and the Town Board.
Board member Jim DiSalvo will serve as the liaison to the town’s Building Department.
New Trustee Melanie Guerrero will serve as the sanitation/wastewater commissioner.
New Trustee Gary Phillips will serve as the water commissioner.
Non-board members were appointed to two new positions. Former Trustee Merv Livsey was named as the new ‘program director’ for the village, overseeing things like the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, and, Livsey said, new programs in the areas of drug and domestic violence prevention and self-defense. Livsey said the position will not interfere with any work town Recreation Director Aaron Falk is doing.
And, appointed to serve as the village’s liaison to the Spanish and Latino community in Highland Falls were Ivan Marzan and Hector Allemont. Both, D’Onofrio said, have “the knowledge and respect of those members of the community”.
In other reorganization matters, the board appointed Regina Taylor as Village Clerk for the next two years and Ralph Walters as treasurer and tax collector for two years. One year appointments included Ana Sierra as deputy village clerk/treasurer and fair housing officer; Alyse Terhune as attorney for the village; Walters as budget officer; J. Robert Folchetti & Associates as village engineer; and HFPD Sgt. Jason Torpey as bingo inspector and 911 addressing coordinator.
The News of the Highlands remains the official newspaper for the village, and the official depositories are JP Morgan Chase, HSBC Orange County Trust and Key Bank.
