Town Government

Tistrya Houghtling
email: supervisor@townofnewlebanon.com
phone: 518-794-8889, FAX: 518-794-9694

1. All statutory responsibilities as prescribed by law
2. HR duties for all positions for the Town including but not limited to civil service, payroll & benefits
3. Budget Officer – preparation of the tentative/budget and monitoring the budget throughout the year (this position is paid an additional salary and if nobody else is appointed to it, the Town Supervisor is the budget officer)
4. Voucher preparation as laid out by policy for Purchasing and Vouchering Items
5. Liaison between the Town and other County and State agencies such as NYS DOT
6. Liaison between the Town and local utilities such as NYSEG
7. Supports Town Board members and department heads with various needs
8. HR Paperwork
9. Notary services
10. Letter drafting and mailing
11. Meeting preparation including but not limited to agenda, resolutions, supporting documentation
12. Meeting follow up tasks
13. Preparing & tracking newsletter submissions for town & county offerings
14. Office filing & organization
15. Administration of all grants
16. Day to day operations of the Town

Additionally, the supervisor is a member of the Columbia County Board of Supervisors, the governing body of Columbia County.

If you would like to have the minutes of the Town Board Meetings and notices of special Town Board meetings and Public Hearings sent directly to your email address, email your request to townclerk@townofnewlebanon.com – your information will not be shared by requesting inclusion on this distribution list.

All meetings of the Town Board are open to the public. Please note, submission of any requests for inclusion on a town board agenda must be received in the Office of the Town Clerk no later than the close of business on the Wednesday immediately preceding the meeting. Any questions or concerns, please contact the Town Clerk’s Office.

Town Resolutions
Budget & Finance

The following four members, plus the Town Supervisor, comprise the Town Board.

Joanne Amlaw
email: jamlaw@townofnewlebanon.com

Chris Patterson
email: cpatterson@townofnewlebanon.com

Steve Powers
email: spowers@townofnewlebanon.com

Susan Tipograph
email: stipograph@townofnewlebanon.com

Click HERE to view the following:

Town Laws and codes
Town Policies
Proposed Legislation
Pending Legislation
Town Fee Schedule

For information on 2005 plan and the 2021 plan update: link

The Town Board, comprised of the Town Supervisor and four Council Members, is the governing board of the town. Council Members are elected for four year terms. Some of the responsibilities of the town board include filling vacancies in town offices; providing for the hiring of such employees as necessary for conducting the town’s business; overseeing town operations; adopting budgets; fixing salaries of officers and employees; managing expenditures; establishing policies and procedures; enacting local legislation.

Jeff Hattat, Code Enforcement Officer (CEO)
email: CEO1@townofnewlebanon.com
phone: 518-794-8884
FAX: 518-794-9694

Cissy Hernandez, Zoning Enforcement Officer (ZEO)
email: buildingdept@townofnewlebanon.com
phone: 518-794-8884

email: pzclerk@townofnewlebanon.com
phone: 518-794-8884
FAX: 518-794-9694

Code Enforcement Officer

1. The Code Enforcement Officer shall administer and enforce all the provisions of the Uniform Code the Energy Code and Town Code Chapter 81 – BUILDING CODE ADMINISTRATION
2. All statutory responsibilities as prescribed by law
3. All statutory responsibilities as prescribed by Columbia County Civil Service

Duties

1. All duties of the Code Enforcement Officer are outlined in Chapter 81 of the Town Code
2. Additional Duties
3. Cooperates and when necessary requires assistance from local state and federal official concerned with building housing and zoning matters and develops necessary procedures to ensure the town is compliant with these agencies’ regulations
4. Trains and Supervises the activities and time management of subordinates engaged in inspection and clerical duties Reviews and approves subordinate time sheets
5. Prepares and submits monthly departmental activity reports to the Town Board
6. Assists in creating short- & long-term departmental objectives in accordance with municipal goals
7. Responsible for On-Call 24/7 for Columbia County 911 emergencies and must appoint the deputy when not available
8. Attends Town Board Planning Board ZBA and other committee meetings when necessary

Zoning Enforcement Officer

Specific responsibilities of the Zoning Enforcement Officer are outlined in the Town’s Zoning Code (Chapter 205). The job of the Zoning Enforcement Officer (ZEO) is specialized technical work in the enforcement of zoning and other land use codes.  Work involves providing zoning information, conducting field inspections for code compliance, issuing citations, referring to zoning maps and plats, researching property legal information and testifying at hearing relating to violations or citations.  In addition the officer is responsible for Flood Plain Administration. The work is performed under general supervision of the Town Board with leeway allowed for exercise of independent judgment in carrying out details of the work.

Duties

Specific duties are outlined in the Town’s Zoning Code (Chapter 205)

Additional Duties:

1. Answers inquiries from architects, attorneys, real estate personnel, building contractors and the general public regarding land usage, zoning code and related ordinances as well as complaints
2. Reviews all building and zoning permit applications and plans for compliance with the Town’s zoning code
3. Performs zoning permit inspections, based on approved plans, to ensure compliance with zoning codes, State and Federal regulations, and ensuring compliance with any and all conditions that the Planning Board and/or Zoning Board may have placed during their approval process
4. Must be able to prepare legal documents such as Stop Work Orders, Notices of Violation, Appearance Tickets, etc.
5. Testifies at hearing regarding notices of violation or citations issued for code violations
6. Maintains official record of all ZEO business and activities, including complaints of violations along with photographs of the violations and action taken
7. Responsible for Administering and enforcing Town Code Chapter 113 – Flood Damage Prevention
8. Attends Town Board, Planning Board, ZBA and other committee meetings when necessary

Planning and Zoning Clerk

1. The Planning/Zoning Clerk works under the direct supervision of the Planning Board Chairperson, and Zoning Board of Appeals Chairman.
2. Performs a wide variety of general and routine clerical work for the Building/Planning and Zoning Departments requiring the skilled use of an alphanumeric keyboard
3. The work is performed in accordance with well-defined standards and procedures
4. Detailed instructions are provided by higher level staff for new or difficult assignments
5. Sorts, indexes, and files material alphabetically and/or numerically
6. Pulls material from files, makes file searches, and maintains charge out records
7. Types forms, letters, bills, reports, announcements, and correspondence
8. Checks, reports, and records for clerical accuracy and completeness
9. Prepares routine statistical reports from assembled data
10. Opens, times stamps, sorts, and distributes mail daily for Planning and Zoning Board of Appeals
11. Procures, distributes, and maintains stock of office supplies for Planning and Zoning Board of Appeals
12. Occasionally may act as a receptionist
13. Will interact with applications to verify that submissions, between meetings, me the request of the Planning Board.
14. Inputs departmental data into computer as necessary
15. Attends Planning/Zoning meetings as needed and types and distributes meeting minutes
16. Maintains the website pages for the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals
17. Ability to use a computer and office equipment necessary for successful job performance
18. May schedule inspections upon the request of the Code Official
19. Builds and maintains positive working relationships with co-workers, Board members, other county employees, and the public using principles of good customer service

Maggie Simmons
email: dcotownofnl@gmail.com
phone: 838-280-0623

1. Every dog control officer shall have the power to issue an appearance ticket pursuant to section 150.20 of the criminal procedure law to serve a summons and to serve and execute any other order or process in the execution of the provisions of this article. In addition any dog control officer or any peace officer when acting pursuant to his special duties or police officer who is authorized by a municipality to assist in the enforcement of this article may serve any process including an appearance ticket and a uniform appearance ticket and simplified information related to any proceeding whether criminal or civil in nature undertaken in accord with the provisions of this article or any local law or ordinance promulgated pursuant thereto
2. Every dog control officer peace officer when acting pursuant to his special duties or police officer shall promptly make and maintain a complete record of any seizure and subsequent disposition of any dog Such record shall include but not be limited to a description of the dog the date and hour of seizure the official identification number of such dog if any the location where seized the reason for seizure and the owner’s name and address if known
3. Every dog control officer shall file and maintain such records for not less than three years following the creation of such record and shall make such reports available to the commissioner upon request
4. The governing body of any municipality in which licenses are issued may either individually or in cooperation with other municipal entities require its dog control officer or animal control officer or any other authorized agent to ascertain and list the names of all persons in the municipality owning or harboring dogs or in lieu thereof such municipality may contract to have the same done

Click here for information on New York State’s Pet Dealer & Breeder Licensing Program

For more information on dog licensing and New York State requirements, click here: http://www.agriculture.ny.gov/AI/small_animals.html

click here for information on Bears

Kimberly Smith
email: assessor@townofnewlebanon.com
phone: 518-794-8875
FAX: 518-794-9694

Fastest and easiest way to contact the assessor is via email

Assessor:

1. Administer all tasks in accordance with Real Property Tax Law
2. Keep current physical description or inventory and value estimate of every parcel
3. Continuously monitor, inspect, track and value all building activity in timely manner
4. Process/maintain property splits/merges/BLA’s and other related mapping changes. Provide related apportionments on request.
5. Administer property tax exemptions
6. Maintain the assessment roll and related records using RPS (Real Property System) (or similar)
7. Continually communicate with the public answering questions and dealing with concerns
8. Attend all public hearings of the Board of Assessment Review
9. Prepare evidence and attend Small Claims Assessment Review hearings
10. Work in coordination with Town Attorney on Judicial Cases
11. Sales processing and verifications
12. File annual reports with ORPTS
13. Maintain a rolling data verification and/or and monitor any County Collection project
14. Work additional hours to complete all work related to regular updates and reassessments as part of the annual salary
15. Maintain all documents in a digital format and maintain a digital file for every parcel

Assessor Clerk

1. General clerical duties including but not limited to answering phone and emails
2. Data entry
3. Electronic and Physical filing and scanning records
4. Process exemptions and help taxpayers with real property tax forms
5. Prepare and conduct field visits for data verification and building permits
6. Conduct reassessment informal assessment review and pre-grievance meetings with tax payers
7. Communicate with tax payers on assessment subjects

Tax Collector

Tammie Darcy
email: taxcollector@townofnewlebanon.com
phone: 518-794-8882
FAX: 518-794-9694

1. Prepares the annual budget for the Town Board for the office of the Tax Collector
2. Receives the tax roll and tax warrant annually for the Town/County tax collection
3. Writes and arranges for legal notice to be published annually in the Town’s official newspaper along with posting said notice in other prominent locations within the Town
4. Loads the tax bills for the new year onto the BAS Egov website and continually keeps this information updated/current as tax payments are received throughout the collection season
5. Receives the Town/County tax bills from ORPS and prepares them for mailing to individuals and banks holding mortgage escrows This includes sending out delinquent notices received from the CC Treasurer from previous years taxes that are still outstanding
6. Receives tax payments both in person at the Tax office during open hours and also by mail
7. Manages all phone calls visitors and correspondence to the office of the Tax Collector
8. Makes bank deposits for all tax payments received within 24 hours This is done both remotely and thru in person or night drop deposits as appropriate based on the form(s) of payments received
9. Maintains and balances the bank account of the Tax Collector
10. Submits payments from tax revenue collected to the Town Supervisor and then monthly to the Columbia County Treasurer during warrant period
11. Prepares and mails second notices as of April 1^st annually for tax bills still outstanding from the current year collection
12. Prepares records and reports for the return of unpaid taxes to the Columbia County Treasurer at the end of the warrant period annually

Delinquent taxes can be paid to the Columbia County Treasurer’s office, you can contact them at (518) 828-0513.

Tax Bills can be viewed online at: egov.basny.com/newlebanon

To view New Lebanon Central School District Tax Bills – click here.

To view Chatham Central School District Tax Bills – click here.

To view Berlin Central School District Tax Bills – click here.

LINKS

Tax Rates – By Town