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Saranac Lake trustees approve advisory-board appointments, contracts and fund transfers
Summary
At its June 22 meeting the Saranac Lake Village Board appointed members to housing and climate advisory boards, awarded a $60,600 gravel-crushing contract, approved professional services agreements for labor and general counsel and authorized grant-writing and accounting contracts plus contingency transfers.
On June 22, 2026, the Saranac Lake Village Board unanimously approved a slate of appointments, professional service agreements and financial actions and recorded one dissent on the appointment of the village attorney.
The board appointed nine members to the Housing Advisory Board and filled four seats on the Climate Action Advisory Board, approving staggered two-year terms that begin June 1. The housing appointees include Ben Douglass, Jodi Gunther, Mark Legeza, Ann Telfer, Brian Draper, Steve Erman, Doug Haney, Rich Loeber and Peter Waldt; the Climate Action Advisory Board appointees include Tim Caramore, Maura McGuire, Adam Lyons and Sarah Holman.
Trustees also awarded a public works contract for crushing bank-run gravel and stone tailings to Mitchell Stone Products LLC for a combined bid price of $60,600 ($45,000 for Item #1 and $15,600 for Item #2). The resolution authorizes the mayor or village manager to execute contract documents in accordance with the bid specifications.
The board authorized a three-year agreement with Roemer Wallens Gold & Mineaux LLP to provide labor relations and collective bargaining legal services, and separately appointed Harter Secrest & Emery LLP to serve as village attorney effective July 1, 2026; the village-attorney resolution includes a monthly retainer of $5,000 and stated hourly rates for excess hours. The village attorney appointment passed on a 4–1 roll call (Trustee Ryan voted no; Trustees White, Evans, Trudeau and Mayor Brunette voted yes). The village attorney action references Section 4-400 of the New York State Village Law.
The trustees approved a $5,000 fixed-fee contract with LaBella Associates to prepare a Consolidated Funding Application to the New York State Local Waterfront Revitalization Program for Boothe River Park and authorized a professional services agreement with BST & Co. CPAs, LLP for municipal accounting services not to exceed $36,000, with costs allocated across the General, Water and Sewer funds (34%/33%/33%). The accounting resolution cites New York State General Municipal Law §103 regarding the competitive-bidding exemption for professional services.
Finally, the board authorized the village manager and treasurer to make necessary transfers from contingency accounts and between funds to ensure sufficient appropriations and to report all transfers to the board at the next regular meeting.
Votes at a glance: Bill 133-2026 (Housing Advisory Board appointments) — motion by Trustee Evans, second Trustee Trudeau; roll call: Ryan yes; White yes; Evans yes; Trudeau yes; Brunette yes (approved). Bill 134-2026 (Climate Action Advisory Board) — motion by Trustee Trudeau, second Trustee White; roll call unanimous (approved). Bill 135-2026 (Gravel crushing contract to Mitchell Stone Products LLC, $60,600) — motion by Trustee White, second Trustee Evans; roll call unanimous (approved). Bill 136-2026 (overnight travel for Mt. Pisgah staff) — motion by Trustee White, second Trustee Trudeau; roll call unanimous (approved). Bill 137-2026 (labor counsel agreement with Roemer Wallens) — motion by Trustee White, second Trustee Ryan; roll call unanimous (approved). Bill 138-2026 (appointment of Harter Secrest & Emery LLP as village attorney, monthly retainer $5,000) — motion by Trustee White, second Trustee Ryan; roll call: Ryan no; White yes; Evans yes; Trudeau yes; Brunette yes (approved 4–1). Bill 139-2026 (grant-writing services for Boothe River Park, LaBella Associates, $5,000) — motion by Trustee Ryan, second Trustee White; roll call unanimous (approved). Bill 140-2026 (BST & Co. CPAs, LLP accounting services, not to exceed $36,000) — motion by Trustee Ryan, second Trustee White; roll call unanimous (approved). Bill 141-2026 (transfers from contingency and interfund accounts) — motion by Trustee Ryan, second Trustee Evans; roll call unanimous (approved).
The board’s formal actions were procedural and contract-oriented; no ordinances or zoning changes were adopted at this meeting. The meeting record shows that authorized contracts and transfers require execution by the mayor or village manager and, where specified, reporting back to the board.
