Meeting of the Wilmington Town Board
&
Public Hearings
March 25, 2026
4 p.m. / 6 p.m.
Agenda:
– Announcements, reports, discussions, & resolutions:
- Town newsletter
- Summer concerts at the beach, concert donations
- Easter celebration
- Assessors’ salary increase – local law required
Discussion / report: Homestead Housing, Adirondack ROOTS, Land Bank, etc.
- Discussion / resolution: MOVE-IN NY
Routine contracts:
- Essex County Office of Emergency Services
- NYMIR
Discussion: Beach light posts
Discussion: Beach trees, storm clean-up appreciation
Resolution: Beach staff / hiring / advertisements
Resolution: AuSable River Sediment Accumulation Committee
Resolution: Clarifying the Town Board’s Policy on Executive Session
Resolution: Clarifying the Town Supervisor’s Authority to Appoint a Confidential Secretary
Resolution(s): Clarifying Budget Lines / Funds
Discussion: Employee Handbook
Public Hearing on proposed Local Law 2 of 2026
Public Hearing on proposed Local Law 3 of 2026
Public comments
Please note: This agenda is in draft form and may change.
RESOLUTION ______ OF 2026: A Resolution Approving & Endorsing the Essex County Land Bank’s Application to New York State Homes and Community Renewal for Funding Under the MOVE-IN NY Program
WHEREAS, the Essex County Land Bank desires to apply for financial assistance through the MOVE-IN NY Program; and
WHEREAS, the application proposes funding to support the purchase and installation of manufactured “CrossMod” homes in various sites throughout the Town of Wilmington, County of Essex; and
WHEREAS, the proposed funding will contribute to ongoing affordable housing development efforts; and
WHEREAS, the program application requires that the applicant obtain the approval and endorsement of the governing body of the municipality in which the proposed project will be located; and
WHEREAS, the program application further requires that the governing body of the municipality in which the proposed project will be located affirm both its understanding of the CrossMod manufactured housing typology and its ability to approve siting and installation of HUD Code manufactured housing within the community without special use permits or other administrative approval processes that present an obstacle to permitting;
Therefore, it is RESOLVED that the Town Council (“Town Board”) of the Town of Wilmington, Essex County, New York, hereby approves and endorses the application for assistance prepared and to be submitted by the Essex County Land Bank to the New York State Homes and Community Renewal MOVE-IN NY Program; and
It is further RESOLVED that the Town Board affirms its understanding of the CrossMod manufactured housing typology and its commitment to approving and expediting the siting and installation of manufactured “CrossMod” homes within the community.
At a regular meeting of the Town Board of the Town of Wilmington, Essex County, New York, held at the Community Center in Wilmington, New York, on the 25th day of March, 2026, the following resolution was offered by __________________ and seconded by __________________.
The question of the adoption of the foregoing resolution was duly put to a vote on roll call, which resulted as follows:
CROMIE:
FOLLOS:
FORBES:
HOOKER:
WINCH:
Dated: ____________________, 2026
Wilmington, New York
RESOLUTION ______ OF 2026: A Resolution Authorizing the Town Supervisor to Advertise and Appoint a Committee to Address the Sediment Accumulation in the AuSable River (draft)
WHEREAS the Town Council (“town board”) of the Town of Wilmington, New York (“The Town”) recognizes that the sediment that has accumulated in the “Lake Everest” section of the AuSable River is a longstanding problem that has only escalated over the past decades; and
WHEREAS the town board recognizes that the Town will be well-served by a focused, dedicated, collective, and community-based effort to address this problem; therefore
IT IS RESOLVED that the Town Supervisor is authorized to advertise and promote the creation of a committee and/or civic group dedicated to solving this problem; and
IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that the Town Supervisor is authorized to appoint members of this board, group, or committee, schedule meetings of this committee, and organize the activity of this committee to allow it to make progress on addressing this important issue; and
IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that the Town Supervisor shall report to the town board regarding the committee’s progress as the Supervisor sees fit and/or as the members of the town board request; and
IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that any decisions the Town Supervisor makes regarding this committee may be altered, amended, or overturned by majority vote of the town board.
RESOLUTION ______ OF 2026: A Resolution Clarifying and Explaining the Town Board’s Use of Executive Session to Discuss Matters Leading to the Appointment, Employment, Promotion, Demotion, Discipline, Suspension, Dismissal or Removal of a Particular Person (draft)
WHEREAS the Town Council (“Town Board”) of the Town of Wilmington, New York (“The Town”) recognizes that it may be beneficial for the broader community to clarify the town board’s position on discussions of appointments, promotions, demotions, etc.; and
WHEREAS New York State’s Open Meetings Law identifies as valid topics for executive session “[T]he medical, financial, credit or employment history of a particular person or corporation, or matters leading to the appointment, employment, promotion, demotion, discipline, suspension, dismissal or removal of a particular person or corporation’’; and
WHEREAS the Wilmington town board therefore has the right to discuss the above-mentioned topics in executive session; and
WHEREAS the Wilmington town board regrets the manner in which the qualifications and attributes of a candidate for appointment to the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee were hashed out at length in front of an online audience that now numbers in the hundreds; and
WHEREAS there are circumstances in which discussing the qualifications, conduct, personal strengths and weaknesses, etc. (“matters leading to the appointment, employment, promotion, demotion, discipline, suspension, dismissal or removal of a particular person”) of town employees and applicants for town positions in front of a substantial in-person and permanent online audience would be inappropriate at best and cruel at worst; and
WHEREAS there is generally information about matters leading to the appointment, employment, promotion, demotion, discipline, suspension, dismissal or removal of a particular person that the town board should not, and will not, discuss in front of hundreds of people; and
WHEREAS appointments, employment, promotions, demotions, discipline, suspension, dismissal and removal of particular people are not matters the town board takes lightly; and
WHEREAS “transparency” is a valid aspiration, but respect, professionalism, and basic decency are values and priorities that the town board believes are at least equally important;
THEREFORE, IT IS RESOLVED that the town board of the Town of Wilmington, having clarified and explained the reasons it previously discussed matters leading to the appointment, employment, promotion, demotion, discipline, suspension, dismissal or removal of particular people in executive session, hereby reaffirms its intent to discuss matters leading to the appointment, employment, promotions, demotions, discipline, suspension, dismissal and removal of particular people in executive session.
RESOLUTION ______ OF 2026: A Resolution Clarifying the Town Supervisor’s Authority to Appoint A Confidential Secretary (draft)
WHEREAS the Town Council (“Town Board”) of the Town of Wilmington, New York (“The Town”) recognizes that it may be beneficial to explain the town supervisor’s authority to appoint a confidential secretary; and
WHEREAS New York State Town Law §2-19 states the following:
Confidential Secretary / Bookkeeper: In towns of the first class, the supervisor appoints a confidential secretary or bookkeeper (see Town Law §29[15]). In towns of the second class, the town board may create the position of secretary or bookkeeper or both. Once created, the supervisor has the authority to fill the positions. The town board must fix compensation for the position in a reasonable amount; and
WHEREAS Wilmington’s town supervisors have, for many years, maintained the ability to employ a confidential secretary; and
WHEREAS within the town’s municipal administration and the community at large this position has been identified by the colloquial title “Clerk to the Supervisor”; therefore,
IT IS RESOLVED that Wilmington’s current supervisor maintains the same authority and discretion that has been granted to previous supervisors, and is granted by state law; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Wilmington’s town board shall affix the composition for the position described herein in a reasonable amount, in accordance with state law.
RESOLUTION ______ OF 2026: A Resolution Updating the Names of Budget Lines / Funds to Accurately Reflect Individual Donations and Unspent Occupancy Tax Money (draft)
WHEREAS the Town Council (“town board”) of the Town of Wilmington, New York (“The town”) recognizes that it may be beneficial for the members of the board, town employees, and the broader community to clarify Essex County’s policy regarding unspent occupancy tax funds; and
WHEREAS the Town of Wilmington’s General Fund currently contains $_______ in unspent occupancy tax funds that the town received in 2023; and
WHEREAS the Town of Wilmington’s General Fund currently contains $_______ in unspent occupancy tax funds that the town received in 2024; and
WHEREAS the town Supervisor and/or town board transferred $_______ in unallocated occupancy tax funds that the town received in 2022 into a fund / budget line titled “Beautification”;
THEREFORE, IT IS RESOLVED that the town will hereby create a fund / budget line within the town’s General Fund titled “Occupancy Tax Community Tourism Enhancement Fund (CTEF)”; and
IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that the town will transfer _______ from the town’s General Fund into the Occupancy Tax CTEF, reflecting the unspent occupancy tax funds the town received in 2023 and 2024; and
IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that the town will transfer $_______ from the town’s “Beautification” Fund into the Occupancy Tax CTEF; and
IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that upon the completion of these actions the town’s Occupancy Tax CTEF shall have a balance of $_______; and
IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that the town’s Account Clerk shall provide the town Supervisor and the town board with a transcript of the receipt and expenditure of Occupancy Tax funds in 2020 and 2021 on or before May 1, 2026; and
IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that, following the completion of these actions, the $_______ remaining in the “Beautification” fund / budget line shall be transferred into the budget fund / line currently titled “RM Donations,” and the budget fund / line titled “RM Donations” shall be renamed “Donations.”