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Board provisionally appoints Frank Morabito as DPW commissioner after heated debate over dual roles and town finances
Summary
After prolonged public comment and exchanges about budgeting and staff roles, the Town Board voted to suspend rules and provisionally appoint Frank Morabito as Commissioner of Public Works pending county approval. The move sparked dispute about combining commissioner and building‑inspector duties and drew requests for weekly inspection reporting and an ethics review.
The Town of Greenberg board provisionally appointed Frank Morabito as Commissioner of Public Works (pending county approval) at its March 25 meeting after an extended and sometimes contentious public comment period on town finances and department staffing.
Supervisor Paul Feiner and other members debated whether one person should hold both the public‑works commissioner role and the building‑inspector responsibilities. Feiner argued the dual role concentrates too much authority and raised examples from another jurisdiction where combining duties led to oversight failures. He told the board he had requested the ethics board review and asked for weekly reporting on inspections, pending permit backlogs and response times. "I have very strong concerns about having dual roles," Feiner said.
Council members who supported the provisional appointment said the designation is temporary, requires county approval and provides operational continuity while the town fills vacancies. A written statement from building‑department staff (read aloud by a council member) defended the department’s staffing and operations and said claims circulating online about double pay and compromised enforcement were false. The staff statement said the compensation structure is a single salary with a stipend for additional duties and asserted the arrangement yields net savings compared with hiring a separate commissioner.
The board first voted to suspend rules (a supermajority vote under their code) and then moved the appointment forward with some members voting aye and at least one member recording opposition on procedural grounds. The motion included a proviso that county approval is required and that the appointment would be effective 2026‑04‑03 if approved. Members also discussed asking Frank Morabito and Liz Garrity to respond to requested weekly reporting at a work session and possibly to post inspection data publicly.
No final determination on ethics or compensation changes was made at the meeting; the matter was left for follow‑up with staff reports and the ethics board.
