The Salem Town Board will return to using board committees, a practice that had fallen out of use.
Chairman Diann Tesar made the proposal at Monday’s regular Town Board meeting.
The old committee structure was actually still on the books and Tesar, as chairman, could have simply appointed new people to the existing committees in the ordinance: Finances and Administration; Streets, Roads and Parks; Police, Fire and Building; Judiciary; Sewer, Water and Lights; Health, Relief and General Welfare; Planning and Zoning; Servicemen’s Memorial; and Licensing.
However, Tesar proposed some changes to the committees. The new committees would be:
- Public Works, which would encompass streets, sewer, water and lights.
- Finances and administration.
- Ordinance enforcement, fire and water patrol.
- Zoning, planning and parks.
Other board members seemed to be in favor of reviving committees.
“They serve a useful purpose, some of them,” said Supervisor Ted Kmiec.
Tesar also proposed that the committees all meet on a set day, such as the fourth Monday of the month.
The matter will be addressed again next month, perhaps with appointments, after board members elected in April are seated.
