Some personnel shifts in Gardiner’s municipal government were revealed during the Town Board’s annual organizational meeting on January 3. Jewell Turner, who for more than 20 years has worn two hats as the deputy town clerk and the clerk for the Building Department, will relinquish the former position and retain the latter, according to town supervisor Marybeth Majestic. “It was her choice to go part-time,” Majestic said.
Donna Smith, who has previously been employed by the town as Majestic’s assistant, will now become the full-time deputy town clerk. In listing her priorities for 2017, the supervisor also expressed her intent to “hire a bookkeeper’s assistant to help with bank reconciliations and processing vouchers for claims, and with other duties as they present themselves.”
On a more somber note, Majestic announced an unanticipated opening on Gardiner’s Zoning Board of Appeals due to the death of its vice-chair, attorney Paul Schwartzberg, in late December. The supervisor praised Schwartzberg’s “knowledge of environmental law” as a valuable asset to the ZBA. “He’ll be missed in more ways than we know,” she said. “He was a really good guy.”
Besides the ZBA, the Town of Gardiner is also seeking to fill a vacant seat on the Board of Assessment Review. Town officials have also been discussing how to reformulate the Open Space Commission in recent months, since all the terms of all the previous members have expired and several have declined to seek reappointment. Gardiner residents who are interested in volunteering for any of these openings may contact Marybeth Majestic at (845) 255-9675, extension 101, or e-mail supervisor.tog@gmail.com for further information. ++
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