Town of Oneonta appoints part-time constable

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July 12, 2012

Town of Oneonta appoints part-time constable

Anonymous Staff Report The Daily Star Thu Jul 12, 2012, 03:30 AM EDT

The Oneonta Town Board this week hired a part-time constable, although the idea of converting its constabulary into a police department remains on the drawing board.

Louis Romano was appointed Tuesday by the board to work about 20 hours a week at $15.34 per hour, town Supervisor Robert Wood said Wednesday. Romano, who lives in Hartwick, will continue his full-time job as a police officer in Ilion, Wood said, and he probably will start working for the town next week.

On Monday, Romano and James Small, a captain in the Delhi Police Department, reviewed the differences between a constabulary and police departments, Wood said, and about 15 people attended the public meeting.

The town board, which wants to hear additional advice from residents about policing in the town, probably won't decide the issue until August or September, Wood said.

The town has one full-time constable, Jeffrey Robinson.

Meanwhile, the town awaits word from the Public Employment Relations Board on a grievance filed by two former constables, and Wood said Romano is aware that the outcome may have an impact on his employment with the town.

The town budgets $75,000 for its constable office.

Two part-time constables are also included in the budget, but the positions have not been filled since Anthony Natalini and Scott Harrington were fired in 2010.

Harrington and Natalini had organized under the Teamsters Union, and they filed a wrongful termination claim against the town alleging their firings were because of their union activities.

Wood said previously that a response may be released after August.

Also at the board meeting in West Oneonta on Tuesday, Wood said:

"¢ Revised hours of the code enforcement office were reviewed. New hours, effective Monday, will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Wood said the earlier opening hour will make the office more accessible to contractors en route to projects. Also, the office will be open through lunchtimes, with staff taking staggered 30- instead of 60-minute lunch breaks, he said. Previously, hours were from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"¢ A public hearing was set for 7:45 p.m. Aug. 14 for an amendment on the town's law on solar panels. The amendment will allow some installations without a special-use permit, reflecting that panels are smaller than in the 1980s when the law was passed, Wood said. Applicants will need to check with the code office to find out if a special-use permit is needed.

"¢ Setting a public hearing for a franchise agreement with Time Warner Cable was postponed. Wood said he wants the company to improve its Internet-access services to customers at the "end of the loop" and to pay a 5 percent franchise cable fee instead of a 3 percent fee.