Albion Village Board Approves Pay Hikes for Water Operator, Addresses Crossing Guard Dispute
The Village of Albion Board of Trustees approved a $5,000 pay increase for an acting Water Treatment Plant operator and amended a funding agreement for a school crossing guard during a September 11 meeting. The board also moved to fill a vacancy at the Water Treatment Plant following recent personnel changes.
●Approved Levi Boyer as acting Chief Water Treatment Plant Operator with a $5,000 salary increase, effective Sept. 21 (Vote: 4-0).
●Agreed to pay 100% of the first semester cost for a school crossing guard at Albion Central School, capped at 2 hours daily at $17/hr (Vote: 4-0).
●Authorized the Village Clerk to advertise the vacant Chief Water Treatment Plant Operator position for 30 days.
●Adjusted the employment status of a currently suspended employee from unpaid to paid suspension pending outside litigation.
●Approved an 18.72% increase in healthcare premiums for village employees for the 2024-2025 plan year.
●Ratified invoices for the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act (WIIA) grant totaling $2,898.
●Named Rebekah Karls as the second-quarter Community Hero Award recipient.
●Accepted a new lease agreement with Crown Castle for a cell tower, pending legal review.
The Albion Village Board of Trustees took decisive action regarding village personnel and infrastructure funding during their regular meeting on Wednesday, September 11, held at Village Hall.
With Mayor Angel Javier Jr. absent, Deputy Mayor Joyce Riley presided over the session, which included a lengthy executive session and several votes impacting village finances and staffing.
Leadership Changes at Water Treatment Plant
In significant personnel news, the board moved to stabilize leadership at the Water Treatment Plant. Trustee Greg Bennett put forward a motion to appoint Levi Boyer as acting Chief Water Treatment Plant Operator, effective September 21. The appointment includes a $5,000 increase in pay on a prorated basis.
The board voted unanimously to approve the appointment. However, with Boyer moving into the acting role, the board recognized the need to permanently fill the position. Trustee Peter McMurray motioned to advertise the vacant Chief Operator position for 30 days on platforms including Indeed, HUB, and the Batavia Daily News.
Additionally, the board ratified invoices related to the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act (WIIA) grant. Two separate resolutions were passed to appropriate $1,552.50 and $1,345.50 respectively, matching revenue increases to cover the costs associated with the Donegan WIIA 1 and 2 projects.
Crossing Guard Funding Dispute
The safety of students walking to Albion Central School District was a topic of debate. The board considered a resolution to pay "in full" for a crossing guard for the entire 2024-2025 school year.
That motion, put forward by Trustee McMurray, failed. Deputy Mayor Riley and Trustee William Gabalski abstained from the vote, while Trustees Bennett and McMurray voted in favor.
Immediately following the denial, the board negotiated a compromise. Trustee Gabalski introduced a successful motion to fund 100% of the crossing guard's cost for the first semester of the school year only. The funding is capped at two hours per day at a rate of $17 per hour. The board agreed to revisit the issue for the second semester once the Village Attorney receives clarification from the school district's attorney. This measure passed with all trustees present voting in favor.
Employee Personnel Matters
The board addressed a sensitive personnel matter involving a current employee. Following an executive session for personnel, the board returned to open session to vote on a grievance resolution.
Trustee McMurray moved to change the employment status of a specific employee. The board voted to remove the employee from unpaid suspension and place them back on paid suspension with benefits, effective September 12. The two weeks prior to this vote were counted as time served for the unpaid suspension period. This status will remain pending the outcome of "outside ligation" (litigation). The vote carried 4-0.
Financial Housekeeping
In routine financial business, the board approved the payment of village bills totaling $35,472.33 across General, Water, and Sewer funds.
The board also approved a correction to the cost of healthcare premiums for village employees for the plan year starting September 1, 2024. The premiums reflect an 18.72% increase. Corrected rates include a single plan at $528.71, subscriber and spouse at $1,057.42, subscriber and child(ren) at $898.81, and family at $1,506.82.
Other Business
* **Community Hero:** The board named Rebekah Karls as the recipient of the 2nd quarter Community Hero Award.
* **Cemetery Deeds:** Deeds were approved for Donna L. Brennan for 800 Deerfield Avenue and Patricia Borrero for 312 Mapleview Avenue.
* **New Firefighter:** Christopher W. Marsan was approved as a new member of the Albion Fire Department.
* **Park Benches:** Trustees McMurray and Bennett announced they would attend the dedication of new basketball sport benches at Bullard Park on September 28 at 9 a.m.
The meeting adjourned at 7:29 p.m.
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Coverage of the Board of Trustees meeting on 2024-09-11,
Village of Albion, NY.
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This article was drafted by AI (claude-sonnet-4-20250514) from the official meeting transcript and reviewed by a human editor.
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Related Board of Trustees Meetings
Fire District Infrastructure and Police Negotiations Dominate Village Board Session
●Adopted Resolution: Formally approved the establishment of the Albion Joint Fire District (AJFD), encompassing the Village of Albion, Town of Albion, and Town of Gaines.
●Executive Session: Board met privately for over an hour (5:30 p.m. to 6:39 p.m.) to discuss pending negotiations.
●Legal Strategy: Directed Village Attorney John Gavenda to respond to the "Police Attorney" regarding ongoing contract negotiations.
●Salary Range: Established a pay range of $65,000 to $75,000 for the Chief Water Treatment Plant Operator civil service position.
●Park Protection: Voted to prohibit cars from parking on the grass at the multi-use field at Bullard Park during the upcoming Honda-Tech and Hospice Car Show.
●Commissioner Approval: Ratified the appointment of David Buczek as the Village's representative to the AJFD Board of Commissioners.
Village moves to dissolve fire department, weigh joint district model
●Cemetery Expansion Hearing Scheduled: Public hearing set for Oct. 23 at 6 p.m. to discuss using cemetery funds to purchase 35 acres of land, not to exceed $250,000.
●Gazebo Naming Vote: Four nominees—Jonathan Doherty, Donna Rodden, Neil Johnson, and Kathleen Ludwick—will be placed on the Village Facebook page for a public vote ending Nov. 13.
●Water/Sewer Credits Denied: The Board voted to deny a request to remove charges for residents' water/sewer bills.
●Billing Policy Adopted: Trustees approved a new policy regarding final bills and newly opened water/sewer accounts.
●Fluoridation Project Payment: Approved $19,362.62 in payments to LaBella for the Fluoridation Building project.
●Canal Park Security: Approved the purchase of a camera for the Erie Canal Park bench and a proclamation for a time capsule to be opened in 2059.
●McKinstry Street Speed Limit: A public hearing is scheduled for Nov. 13 to consider reducing the speed limit from 30 mph to 25 mph on McKinstry St.
●Holiday Decorations: Approved the "Bring Back Christmas to Albion" Committee to decorate street lampposts.
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