By Peter Calvert

Town Board Meeting, January 6

Board and Staff: Supervisor Ritchie Gabriel; Deputy Bud Gladstone; Councilmen Dale Cole, Thomas Hall, and Jason Mondore. Support Staff:  John Bouton, Highway Superintendent; Carol Ames, Town Clerk.

New Town Supervisor, Ritchie Gabriel, was sworn in and presided over his first meeting. Bud Gladstone was sworn in as Councilman and appointed Deputy Supervisor. Dale Cole was sworn in as re-elected Councilman. Michael Terry was appointed Deputy Highway Superintendent. Janice Elwell was appointed Deputy Town Clerk. Zachary Haverly was appointed Building Inspector/CEO/Fire Inspector.

Other appointments: Bill Palmer, Chair of the Andes Planning Board; David Merzig, Town Attorney; Bob Abbate, Chair of the Zoning Board; Harvey Morse, Chair,  Board of Assessment Review; Rachel Andrews, Pool Director; Cyndi Wright, Scenic Byways Representative; Jason Mondore, Dog Control Officer; Peter Ames, Webmaster; and James Andrews, Town Historian. A new position was created: Director of Finance and Banking and Bud Gladstone was appointed to assume that role. All these appointments are through the end of December 2026.

   Supervisor’s Report: Bills and vouchers will now be available for Councilmen to review in the Town Hall a few days prior to the monthly Board meetings, and they can be thoroughly examined and signed, so it does not distract during the ongoing meeting. Councilmen had been going through the vouchers and signing them during the meetings. Also, the Meetings Minutes will be circulated by the Town Clerk prior to meetings for review and to allow for any corrections to be suggested in advance of the minutes coming up for approval during the Town Board meetings.

Street parking on public streets in the Hamlet is still prohibited by ordinance between the hours of 11 PM- 6 AM in the Fall/Winter/Spring from November 15 through April 1. But residents were reminded this does not allow them to park on sidewalks instead.  Vehicles in violation will be towed at owner’s expense The sidewalks need to be cleaned of ice and snow as well..

   Highway Department: The highway department reported on their extensive road clearing work during this busy snow and ice season, including dealing with repair issues on multiple vehicles and equipment. The long-awaited, back-ordered truck arrived at the next step in the process in January.

   Zach Haverly, Town Code Enforcement Officer, reported that the pace of building permit applications and inspections has slowed down. He reported 85 building permits issued in 2025 and that over the past two months he drove 147 miles around the town roads. He made a recommendation to the Board that, given the rate of non-compliance with the permitting law by the Airbnb/Short-term rentals advertised in the Andes area, that the owners of those businesses be subject to a fine of $1,000 per violation if the owners did not comply with the law and register their short-term rentals with the Town and pay the initial $300 fee. A three-night un-permitted weekend rental would thus result in a $3,000 violation. Annual registration is $100 to renew in subsequent years. It has been noted that 200+ short-term rentals are being publicly advertised in the Town and Hamlet of Andes and 13 are currently registered and inspected by the CEO for building safety. He would reach out to owners first to remind them of the law passed by the Board on 4/12/22 to allow them the chance to show up and register. The Town short-term rentals permitting details can be learned by contacting the Town Clerk, Carol Ames at (845) 676-4791. The Board recognized the ongoing issue and will discuss it at future meetings.

   The Town Board will meet in the Town Hall at 6 pm on Second Tuesdays November through March, and at 7 pm Second Tuesdays from April to October. Next meeting is February 10 at 6 pm,  open to the public as usual and available on Zoom. ~