Tuesday April 7, 2026
The Village of Cherry Valley Organizational Meeting was opened at 6:33 PM by Mayor Stiles with the Pledge to the Flag. In attendance were Mayor Jeffrey S. Stiles, Trustees Ian M. Feulner and K. Don Brigham, DPW Superintendent Wayne B. Valentine, Clerk-Treasurer Melissa F. Gregory. Also in attendance were two guests.
Proposed Appointments, Wages, Contracts
The following was reported to be the appointments, wages, contracts for the 2026-2027 Village Year:
Mayor - Jeffrey S. Stiles; elected to 3/31/2029 @ $1,925.00/year
Deputy Mayor - Ian M. Feulner; appointed to 3/31/2027 @ $100.00/year
Trustee - Ian M. Feulner; elected to 3/31/2030 @ $1,650.00/year
Trustee - Kevin D. Brigham; elected to 3/31/2029 @ $1,650.00/year
Clerk-Treasurer - Melissa F. Gregory; continuing appointment @ $21.00/hour; w/benefits; no health insurance
Registrar of Vital Statistics - Melissa F. Gregory; appointed to 3/31/2029 @ $250.00/year
Deputy Clerk-Treasurer - Eve N. Bouboulis; continuing appointment @ $20.00/hour
Deputy Registrar of Vital Statistics - Eve N. Bouboulis; appointed to 3/31/2029 @ $50.00/year
DPW Superintendent - Wayne B. Valentine; continuing appointment @ $62,400.00/year; w/benefits; no health insurance
Maintenance Worker - Stacy L. Van Buren; continuing appointment @ $46,800.00/year; w/benefits; no health insurance
Village Attorney - Jill A. Poulson, Esq.; contracted to 3/31/2027 @ $5,000.00/year
Village Historian - Susan Miller; appointed to 3/31/2027 @ $200.00/year
Village Public Health Officer (shared w/Town of Cherry Valley) - Elletta Horth, FNP
Property Maintenance - AA Property Care ℅ Aaron Van Buren; contracted May 1-November 30, 2026 @ $18,200.00/season
Refuse and Recycling Removal - Casella Waste Management of NY, Inc. contracted 4/1/2025 to 5/31/2027 @ $90,999.00/two-year
Motion was made by Trustee Brigham, seconded by Trustee Feulner, to approve the appointments, wages, and contracts as listed.
Policies and Procedures
The Board discussed the following sets of policies and procedures, and agreed that they will be more easily made available to the public via the Village’s website upon the creation of a new user-friendly website (of which discussions are still being had).
The following policies and procedures were voted to be maintained as they currently are:
Bank: NBT Bank of Norwich, NY - Cherry Valley, NY Branch
Newspaper: The Daily Star, Oneonta, NY
Board Meeting Dates: 3rd Tuesday of each month; 6:30 PM
Authorization for Clerk-Treasurer to pay certain bills prior to Board Meetings: (utilities; gasoline; refuse removal contract; property maintenance contract; room rent; insurances; postage; water bonds/interest on water bonds; Elan Financial Services - NBT Credit Card; small items to run office and equipment as needed)
classes/work-related meetings to be reviewed as requested at regular meeting of the Board
Work-related travel mileage; reimbursed at the current IRS rate
Meals (if not included with class/conference): $45.00/day
County sales tax receipts: split of 50:50% between Village General and Water budget funds
All employees must be offered NYS Retirement (required for all full-time employees) and Deferred Compensation Plan
The following policies and procedures were discussed as either new additions or ones to be reviewed and/or updated:
New - online bill payment and online accounts
Review/Update - emergency protocol/preparedness plan.
Review/Update - absence with pay policy
New - job descriptions for all Village positions (elected and appointed)
New - healthcare
Updated - cemetery burials start date
New - volunteer policy
New - deposits and investments policy
New - breach notification policy
New - FOIL policy
New - records management
Updated - property use guidelines
Updated - meeting rules and regulations
To maintain order and accountability, the Board will enact a policy that will outline the rules and regulations of Board meetings, noting that it can be updated, per a resolution, as seen fit at any time by the Board.
Each guest will be provided two minutes to speak (extra time available per the board’s approval); a 30 second-remaining notice will be given so the speaker has time to finish their thoughts.
The Board has the right to request a guest to leave the meeting if that guest is not showing respect to the Board members and others in attendance.
A public comment section to the meetings will be available after the guests on the agenda have spoken. The Board is not required to respond/provide an answer during this time. If necessary, the Board will follow up with the individual(s) in question.
New - compensation time vs. overtime for employees
Motion was made by Mayor Stiles, seconded by Trustee Brigham, to approve the policies and procedures as addressed above.
Motion was made by Trustee Brigham, seconded by Trustee Feulner, to open the Budget Hearing at 8:28 pm.
Department of Public Works
DPW Superintendent Valentine presented the Board with a list of items/projects that they have planned within the DPW itself for the upcoming/Summer months. Listed below are the other topics discussed pertaining to the new Village year.
Truck and/or Plow - The Board and DPW continue to search for an appropriate new truck for the DPW. A handful of trucks have been viewed in various locations, and Trustee Brigham suggested a search via the NYSOGS (New York State Office of General Services) State Contract Site.
Manlift - To maintain the safety of the DPW employees an appropriate manlift is needed so they can hang holiday lights, banners, flags, etc. The DPW rented a manlift from Empire Power Rentals in Fort Plain, NY to take down holiday lights and put up the flags, which worked well and was a good price. The Board discussed whether or not to budget money for the purchase of a manlift, or to continue to rent for now. It was decided that for this upcoming fiscal year the DPW will continue to rent as needed and monies will be budgeted and set aside for the purchase of a manlift possibly in the 2027-2028 fiscal year. If/when purchasing one, DPW Superintendent noted that even a towable manlift would satisfy the needs of the DPW.
Sidewalks - It was discussed which sidewalks would take priority this summer to re-do and of those, which may be eligible for reimbursement through the NYS DOT CHIPs (New York State Department of Transportation Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program) funding. According to the program’s guidelines, funding is provided for sidewalk (in this case) improvements that run along state highways. In the Village’s case that would be Main Street and Alden Street. At this time, Mayor Stiles has stated that he would prefer to perform these repairs in house.
Roadways - The following streets/lots were discussed to be chip sealed/repaired: Montgomery (from church to past the bridge); Hamilton; Quarry; Red Point Lot.
Technology Upgrades to the Shop - Discussions were held regarding adding internet to the DPW shop and the Board agreed that this would be helpful to them. They also discussed the transfer of at least one of the printers from the office up to the shop as well, if a new printer is purchased for the office.
Additional Maintenance Worker - There is interest from the Board regarding the addition of a worker for the DPW staff, specifically for additional help in the summer months. At this time, this discussion will be held off until next budget planning season.
Trees - DPW noted that there are trees that will need to be removed this summer both around the Village and in the cemetery.
Miscellaneous
Security Cameras - The status of the security cameras that are currently being utilized were discussed and it was agreed that they need upgrading, and adding more to other Village property locations would be a good idea.
Electric Vehicle Chargers - The status of the electric vehicle chargers was discussed with an interest from the Board as to exactly how much is spent per month on energy to run them. Clerk-Treasurer Gregory agreed to do further research into this. She also reminded them of the NYSERDA grant that was received in the Fall of 2024, and how applying that money towards EV chargers was a possible option. Further research will be conducted into the EV chargers and how the Board chooses to proceed with their availability for residents and guests.
Office
Accounting Software - Clerk-Treasurer Gregory, along with Trustee Brigham, were provided a demo from Williamson Law Book Company for their accounting software. The quote received was for $17,750.00 (plus 12 - 16 hours of training at $175/hr = up to $2,800.00). The software demo showed how valuable it would be to the work load of the office, and it is currently planned to be implemented into the budget.
Antivirus Software - Clerk-Treasurer Gregory noted to the board that either a renewal of, or new purchase of antivirus software is needed. The Board discussed and agreed of its necessity and will wait to receive quotes from Clerk-Treasurer Gregory before choosing a company to work with.
Website & Email - Though not a new conversation about the upgrade of the Village’s website and email, more discussion was held this evening and will be followed through with at the April 14, 2026 meeting.
Record Management - Clerk-Treasurer Gregory mentioned to the Board about the state of files and records within the office, noting that there is a great deal of work that needs to be done to get files up to date and aligned with the NYS Archives Record Retention Schedule. Clerk-Treasurer Gregory stated that NYS Archives has resources available to help municipalities (and others) improve their records. This will be something that will be looked into for the upcoming fiscal year to make great improvements which will help with work flow and increase efficiency in the office.
Increase Petty Cash Fund - The Board agreed to increase the petty cash fund from $50.00 to $200.00. This was requested by Clerk-Treasurer Gregory after her noting the difficulty in providing exact change to residents who pay with cash for various fees.
Separate Village General and Village Water Accounts - Upon speaking with other Villages, Clerk-Treasurer Gregory noted to the Board that a separation of the Village General and Water account would be greatly beneficial to the accounting processes for the office. The Board agreed to allowing Clerk-Treasurer Gregory to proceed with this separation. When completed, the one account will become two as 1) Village General Funds; 2) Village Water Funds.
Computer and Printer - It is being discussed by the Board to purchase an upgraded printer and a larger (or an additional) computer monitor to increase work efficiency for the office. If an upgraded printer is purchased, the DPW would benefit from the “old” printer(s) to further increase their efficiency. At this time, there is the possibility of an available laptop/computer for the DPW to utilize as well. More research is being done and updates will be provided once available.
Adjournment:
The Village Board ended the budget hearing and adjourned the meeting at 9:55 p.m. upon motion of Trustee Brigham, seconded by Trustee Feulner, unanimously carried.
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Village of Cherry Valley Organizational Meeting/Budget Hearing Part 2 Minutes
Tuesday April 14, 2026
The Village of Cherry Valley Organizational Meeting was opened at 6:30 PM by Mayor Stiles with the Pledge to the Flag. In attendance were Mayor Jeffrey S. Stiles, Trustees Ian M. Feulner and K. Don Brigham, DPW Superintendent Wayne B. Valentine, Clerk-Treasurer Melissa F. Gregory. Also in attendance was one guest.
*Please note that items placed on the agenda that are not listed below will be included in the regular Board meeting agenda (and minutes) for April 21, 2026.
Mirabito Gas
Mirabito reached out to Clerk-Treasurer Gregory regarding the letter they received from the office noting that their water bill payment was late. Upon speaking with them, they asked if the Board would waive the late fee since they had mailed their bill on February 5, 2026 and had proof of doing so. The check was eventually received in the office, postmarked April 2026, and so the Board agreed to waive their late fee.
Cemetery Information Sheet
It was discovered that, after the most recent update regarding the May 1st date for the first (potential) available date for burials, information on the back of the document stated contradictory information. The Board, along with DPW Superintendent Valentine reviewed the current wording and agreed to change that date to May 1st as well.
Treasurer’s Reports
Clerk-Treasurer Gregory inquired about the reasoning for the layout of the treasurer’s reports and abstracts of paid bills. The Board, along with the guest in attendance, discussed the potential reasoning for why the format is the way it is, then agreed to maintain the format for now.
Potential Funding Opportunities
Clerk-Treasurer Gregory noted that there are frequently emails, articles, etc that she receives which note various funding opportunities. She inquired to the Board if anyone had extra time to help sort through said potential opportunities and they responded noting they’d stop in the office when they had a free moment.
Regarding the current EFC (Environmental Facilities Corporation) loan that the Village received in October 2025 for emergency funding for the well repair this past summer, EFC has informed Clerk-Treasurer Gregory that there is the potential for a one year extension. With this extension (with no interest) the Village would have the opportunity to gain resources to repay the loan. Such options currently include: a USDA Rural Development grant - research being completed by resident Julie Barown; working with Otsego County, a local bank, or EFC themselves to bond the loan; potentially utilizing Village water savings accounts. Updates will be provided as available.
Policies and Procedures
There are currently no new updates from last week’s first budget hearing/organizational meeting.
Motion was made by Trustee Brigham, seconded by Trustee Feulner, to open the Budget Hearing at 6:44 pm.
Office Software and Equipment
The Board reviewed a breakdown of estimated expenditures related to the upcoming budget. Among those items were the following: new website; updated email; accounting software; antivirus software; training at NYCOM (New York Conference of Mayors); training at IIMC (International Institute for Municipal Clerks); a new printer; water software; and miscellaneous supplies. The original total came to $28,335.00. Upon further discussion, it was decided that 1) updating the water software will need to wait until at least next year; 2) more research needs to be completed to find additional quotes for updating the website, email, and antivirus software. Further details will be provided once those quotes have been researched and received. Purchase of accounting software for the office is still being pursued and further discussions will be held before the final budget is approved. After discussions were held, the most current total has been brought down to $19,700.00.
CVCFC Room Rental Contract
The Village rents half of the room where they are located within the community building on 2 Genesee Street, while the other half of the room is rented by the Town of Cherry Valley. A new rental contract was received by the office with notification of an increase to the fee by $50.00 per month. This new total was provided in the drafted budget document for review by the Board.
“Off Street Parking”
The Village parking lot, located next to Red Point Builders on Genesee Street, was discussed regarding potential upgrades such as lighting, fencing, line painting, adjustment to sign location, and additional signs around the Village. After discussion by the Board it was agreed that this year’s budget will only be able to absorb small upgrades such as painting lines and potentially relocating the sign for the lot towards the middle of the lot’s entrance. The addition of lighting will be further discussed at next year’s budget hearing.
Youth Sports
At the regular Board meeting on March 17, 2026, Mrs. Allison Gridley attended and shared updates with the Board. At that time she also inquired about the potential for the youth sports group (that she and Mrs. Kimberly Buck lead) to be added to the Village’s budget. With the addition to the budget, the group has greater opportunities to receive more funding as the Village is viewed as a non-profit organization. Clerk-Treasurer Gregory confirmed that the Board wants to add youth sports to the budget and they agreed.
Water Testing
For a number of years the Village has worked with PACE Labs out of Ballston Spa, NY, to retrieve and test water samples that are required of each Village for reporting to the NYSDOH (New York State Department of Health). Over the last year there have been many instances where PACE has not met the Villages’ needs in a timely manner, which impacts the reporting to NYSDOH. As this has been the case, DPW Superintendent Valentine researched other companies and found a local company out of Oneonta owned by Mr. Scott Kellogg; this information was relayed to the Board. Mr. Scott Kellogg owns Highland Property Inspections, LLC and he provided the Village with a very reasonable and comparable quote to what they currently pay PACE. Upon review and agreement of the quote by the Board, Mr. Kellogg will begin sampling and testing for the Village in early May.
Metered Water Sales
Due to rising costs to maintain equipment, have services provided to the Village, to provide services to residents, and to help offset the cost of repaying for this past summer’s well repair, the Board discussed and agreed to raise the rate of metered water sales by $3.00 per 1,000 gallons. The price will increase to $12.75 per 1,000 gallons of usage, which will cost $255.00 for the minimum usage of 20,000 gallons (per 6 months). The bills will continue to be sent in late June and December. At this time, the interest and penalties, along with water service charges, will remain the same.
Respectfully Submitted,
Melissa Gregory, Clerk-Treasurer
April 17, 2026
