Town of Union board approves budget transfers, vacation carryovers and tentative CSEA deal; schedules Jan. 7 hearings

The Town of Union Board on Dec. 17 adopted a slate of routine resolutions and scheduled additional public hearings, approving budget moves, personnel carryovers and a tentative union agreement.

Supervisor Robert Mack presided over the meeting at the Town Board Room in Endwell. The board unanimously approved two budget transfers for Parks — shifting $16,000 from Landscape Materials (40-7110-4164) to Grounds Equipment (40-7110-2502) and moving $1,250 from 'Christmas in the Park Services' (10-7145-4462-CIPK) to 'Halloween in the Park Supplies' (10-7145-4162-PKHIP) — on a motion by Councilman Thomas R. Augostini, seconded by Councilman Frank J. Bertoni.

The board voted to allow certain employees to carry unused 2025 vacation hours into 2026 despite exceeding handbook limits. The minutes list the employees and their unused hours as submitted: Mark Bambara (181.50), Mary Bricker (77.00), Louis Caforio (119.00), Robert Conrow (30.00), Jerry Darrow (145.50), Joseph Moody (133.00), Jon Moss (29.00) and Alicia Pettit (21.50). The resolution was moved by Augostini and seconded by Joseph P. Nirchi; the board recorded all votes as yes.

The board also approved a Tentative Four-Year Agreement reached between the Town and the Civil Service Employees' Association (CSEA), Local 1000, AFSCME, AFL-CIO, Broome County Local #804, covering the Town of Union 35-hour (white collar) unit. The agreement was authorized for execution by the Supervisor, Commissioner of Public Works and Town Attorney pending full ratification by the parties.

In intergovernmental business the board approved a resolution authorizing the Town Supervisor to execute an agreement, subject to Town Attorney review, for the Village of Johnson City to assume responsibility for the Choconut water district.

Planning-related actions included approving the final draft of the Federal Fiscal Year 2024 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) CAPER and authorizing the Supervisor, Planning Director and Deputy Planning Director to submit required documentation to HUD by the Dec. 31, 2025 deadline. That resolution was adopted unanimously.

The board also called additional public hearings for Jan. 7, 2026, at 7:00 PM to solicit input on proposed amendments to local laws (Chapter 5, Section 5-2 on Appearance Tickets and proposed changes to Chapter 178/Sections 178-26 and 128-27 concerning Streets and Sidewalks). A separate set of public hearings held at the start of the Dec. 17 meeting on a CDBG Annual Action Plan amendment, a Temporary Portable Storage Structure local law, an amendment and renaming of Chapter 155 (to add a Residential Article III and retitle it Property Maintenance for Industrial, Commercial and Residential Property), and a Timber Management local law were each noted as having no public speakers and were closed.

The board received and filed routine communications and department reports, including the Town Clerk's November 2025 report and several Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals decisions.

All listed resolutions were recorded as adopted with affirmative votes; movers and seconders were recorded in the minutes where provided. The meeting ended at 7:33 PM.

Next procedural steps: the Jan. 7 public hearings will proceed as scheduled; the tentative CSEA agreement will take effect only upon full ratification by the union membership and completion of required execution steps by town officials.