Warren County personnel committee approves prior minutes, moves into executive session on collective negotiations

Warren County’s Personnel Administration and Education Committee on Jan. 30 approved the minutes of its prior meeting and voted to enter an executive session under New York’s Public Officers Law §105(1)(e) to discuss collective negotiations under Article 14 of the Civil Service Law.

The committee first moved to approve the minutes from the previous meeting. Supervisor Marino made the motion, which was seconded by a supervisor whose name was not specified in the transcript. The committee voice-voted the motion with multiple members saying “aye.” One committee member abstained, saying, “I abstain. I was not at the meeting.”

Later in the session the committee voted to go into executive session to discuss collective negotiations. The chair cited Public Officers Law §105(1)(e) as the basis for the closed session and invoked Article 14 of the Civil Service Law. The committee asked that county attorney Paltrowitz, Treasurer Christine Norton, Risk Manager Marilyn Rivers, Human Resources Director Jackie Figueroa and Superintendent of the Department of Public Works Kevin Hajos remain for the executive session. The motion to enter executive session was approved on a voice vote; the transcript shows President Merlino calling for the vote and members answering “aye.”

Committee members and staff clarified there were no public comments for this meeting before the executive session, and the session proceeded into closed-door discussion on the cited statutory basis. No substantive details of the negotiations were discussed on the public record.

The meeting’s formal actions were limited to approving the minutes and the procedural vote to enter the executive session. Any outcomes or decisions from the closed session were not recorded in the public transcript.