JULY 12, 2021 MEETING MINUTES (ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING) - Queensbury Union Free School District

The Organizational Meeting of the Queensbury School Board of Education was held on July 12, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. in the High School Queensbury Room.

Clerk of the Board Scott Whittemore called the meeting to order at 6:35 p.m.

The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag was led by Mr. Mannix.

Members Present: Daniel Mannix, Esq., President, Timothy Weaver, Vice President, Dawn Bleyenburg, Francis Cabana, Jamey Hardesty, Amy Molloy, Michael Shea, Ph.D., Superintendent of Schools Kyle L. Gannon, Clerk of the Board Scott Whittemore

Members Absent: Patricia Belden, Stacy Flaherty

Others present: High School Assistant Principal Dan Hamm, High School Assistant Principal Andrew Snide, Middle School Principal Michael Brannigan, Middle School Assistant Principal Tiffany Montgomery, WHBI Principal Gwynne Cosh, WHBI Assistant Principal Amanda Denno, Elementary School Assistant Principal Kristin Bergin, CSE Chairperson Robyn Scotland, Director of Instructional Technology John Luthringer, Kelly Montanye, Yuliana Cummins and other employees and community members.

Organizational Matters

Administration of Oath of Office for newly elected Board Member Dawn Bleyenburg
Election of 2020-2021 Officers of the Board of Education

Clerk call for nomination of officers

Nominations for President

Motion by Mr. Weaver, seconded by Mr. Cabana, that Daniel Mannix, Esq. be nominated for President of the Board of Education
Request for additional nominations for President: None
Motion by Mr. Weaver, seconded by Mr. Cabana to close the nominations for President of the Board of Education
- 7 voting in favor, 2 absent (Mrs. Belden, Mrs. Flaherty)
Call for vote (roll call vote required if more than on nominee): None

Nominations for Vice President

Motion by Mr. Mannix, Esq, seconded by Mr. Cabana that Timothy Weaver be nominated for Vice President of the Board of Education.
Request for additional nominations for Vice President: None
Motion by Mrs. Molloy seconded by Mr. Hardesty, to close the nominations for Vice President of the Board of Education.
- 7 voting in favor, 2 absent (Mrs. Belden, Mrs. Flaherty)
Call for vote (roll call vote required if more than one nominee): None
Resolved that Timothy Weaver be elected as Vice President of the Board of Education.
Oath of Office: Newly appointed Board President (administered by Clerk of the Board), newly appointed Vice President (administered by Clerk of the Board). Treasurer and Controller Oath of Office was administered by the Clerk of the Board in the Business Office.

Board President presided over the balance of the meeting.

Motion by Mr. Weaver seconded by Dr. Shea, that Scott Whittemore be appointed Clerk of the Board of Education.
- 7 voting in favor, 2 absent (Mrs. Belden, Mrs. Flaherty)
Oath of Office: Clerk of the Board administered by Superintendent of Schools.
Oath of Office: Superintendent of Schools administered by Clerk of the Board.

Organizational Meeting Consent Agenda

Motion by Mr. Weaver, seconded by Dr. Shea to approve the Organizational Meeting Consent Agenda effective for the 2021-2022 school year:
- 7 voting in favor, 2 absent (Mrs. Belden, Mrs. Flaherty)
Motion to appoint Nicole Arcuri as School District Treasurer
Motion to appoint the Superintendent of Schools and School Business Controller as Deputy Treasurer.
Motion to appoint the Accounting Technician as Central Treasurer of Activity Funds.
Motion to appoint the School Business Office Controller as Extraclassroom Activity Auditor.
Motion that Glens Falls National Bank be designated as school monies depository, and that the Superintendent, Treasurer, and School Business Office Controller be authorized and directed to deposit proceeds of all loans, and all monies of the District shall be paid to the Treasurer and no monies shall be withdrawn except on the written order of the Board of Education.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the clerk be directed to file copies of the signatures of the Board of Education officers with bank officials with the following directive: The School District Treasurer, the Superintendent, and School Business Office Controller are given authority to sign all accounts and the Central Treasurer of Activity Funds has authority to sign Activity Fund checks only.
Motion that, for the purpose of organizing the Board of Education to transact and expedite business, the President of the Board of Education be empowered to appoint as many special committees as he/she finds necessary from to time to time to assist the President and the Board of Education in the discharge of their duties. It will be the policy of the Board of Education that these committees shall function for the purpose of carrying out investigations to supply the board with information for its guidance and action and that these committees shall not have power to act or authorize purchases unless specially authorized to do so by the Board of Education at a regular meeting. The President at his/her discretion may set a date for a board meeting to hear a report from a committee.
Motion that Committee meetings be announced and that a summary of the meetings be provided to the Board of Education and other parties.
Motion that the Assistant Superintendent for Business serve as Acting Superintendent in the absence of the Superintendent.
Motion that the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction serve as the Acting Superintendent in the absence of both the Superintendent and the Assistant Superintendent of Business.
Motion that the Superintendent of Schools is the Official Spokesperson for the District and that all media contact must go through the Superintendent of Schools or his designee.
Motion that the District Clerk be appointed Records Access Officer.
Motion that the School District Treasurer be appointed Records Management Officer.
Motion that the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction serve as the Acting District Clerk in the absence of the District Clerk.
Motion that Coordinator of Capital Projects & Safety Compliance be appointed Asbestos Local Educational Agency (LEA) Designee.
Motion that Assistant Superintendent for Business be appointed as Purchasing Agent for the School District.
Motion to authorize School Business Office Controller to perform the duties of Assistant Purchasing Agent for purchases not to exceed $10,000 and to approve all purchases in the purchasing agent’s absence.
Motion that the firm of Preferred Advocates, Ltd./Bartlett, Pontiff, Stewart & Rhodes, P.C., be retained as counsel to provide legal and labor related services to the Queensbury Union Free School District on a flat fee basis until the date of the next annual meeting of the Board of Education.
Motion that the petty cash fund be set at $325.00. Of this amount $25.00 will be given to each of the following offices: Elementary School, William H. Barton Intermediate School, Middle School, High School. Office of Student Support Services will receive $75.00 and the Central Business Office – $100.00. A petty cash fund will be set for the mail courier services in the amount of $50.00 to be administered by the District Treasurer.
Motion that the Assistant Superintendent for Business is authorized to present itemized bills for reimbursement at each regular meeting in accordance with the regulations of the Commissioner of Education of the State of New York.
Motion that the School Superintendent or designee approve and authorize necessary expenditures and travel expenses to Professional Conferences for School District officers and employees, pursuant to existing school policies and budget allowance, and be it further moved that the mileage rate be the Internal Revenue Service mileage reimbursement rate, (currently 56 cents per mile).
Motion to authorize the payment in advance of the audit of claims for public utility services, postage and freight, and express charges. All such claims shall be subjected to audit in accordance with the District’s procedures.
Motion that the Superintendent be authorized as Chief Administrator for all Federal Funds.
Motion to appoint Amy Georgeadis, Assistant Superintendent for Personnel and Recruitment, and Denise Troelstra, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction as Sexual Harassment Officers and Title IX Officers.
Motion to appoint Amy Georgeadis, Assistant Superintendent for Personnel and Recruitment, as Medicaid Compliance Officer.
Motion to appoint the following Dignity Act Coordinators:
- Kristin Bergin – Elementary School
- Amanda Denno – Intermediate School
- Tiffany Montgomery – Middle School
- Daniel Hamm & Andrew Snide – High School
- Amy Georgeadis – District-Wide
Motion to allow the Superintendent of Schools to offer authorized positions to new personnel, such offers to be confirmed by the Board of Education at its next scheduled meeting.
Motion that all policies, rules and regulations of the Board of Education, present in effect, will be continued until appropriate Board action changes such.
Motion that accounting firm of West & Company be appointed District Auditors for the completion of the financial audit.
Motion to delegate power to the President of the Board of Education to authorize, from time to time and year to year, the issuance and sale of revenue anticipation notes of the Queensbury Union Free School District, New York, in anticipation of the collection of revenues to be received as State Aid by the School District from the State of New York.
Motion to empower the Assistant Superintendent for Business to authorize payment of tax bills relating to the correction of errors on tax rolls but not to exceed $2,500.
Motion to share, upon the advice of legal counsel, tax certiorari property appraisal costs 50% with the Town of Queensbury.
Motion to authorize the Assistant Superintendent for Business to certify all payrolls.
Motion to resolve that as a “public entity”, pursuant to Public Officers Law #18-1.(a), the Queensbury School District hereby expressly agrees pursuant to Public Officers Law #182(b) to confer the benefits of the Public Officers Law #18 upon the employees and Board Members of Queensbury School District and not to be held liable for the costs incurred under its provisions; and it is further RESOLVED, that these benefits are expressly intended to supplement any and all other existing statutory protections.
Motion to approve the appointment of CSE/CPSE Committee members:
- CSE
  - Chairperson: Kristine Bennett-Barnes, Robyn Scotland, Dorothy Grover
  - Co-Chairs: Amy Pratt, Monique Agans, Nina Russo, Lesley Dalton, Sarah Goetz, All district personnel hired as a school psychologist
  - Parent Members: Ellen Hoffer, Asha Martolletta, Heather Walters, Casey Burns
- CSE
  - All District Personnel, BOCES, or Private School Teachers
  - All District Personnel, BOCES, UCP or Private School Teachers
  - Related Service Providers
    - OT: Molly Keck, Maggie Woods, and Maria Adams; All District Personnel, BOCES, UCP or Private School Teachers
    - PT: Dorothy Grover, Kimberly Bascom; All District Personnel, BOCES, UCP or Private School Teachers
    - School Psychologists: Monique Agans, Nina Russo, Amy Pratt, Lesley Dalton, Sarah Goetze; All District Personnel, BOCES, UCP or Private School Psychologists
    - Speech Therapists: Christine Mattia, Gretchen Lovering, Alissa Iantosca, Susan Cunningham, Taylor Ricci; All District Personnel, BOCES, or Private Speech Therapists
    - Other Related Services Providers: BOCES – Teacher of the Hearing Impaired, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, O&M
    - Student’s Parent
    - Other: Student (if appropriate)
    - School Physicians: Hudson Headwaters Health Network
- CPSE
  - Chairperson: Kristine Bennett-Barnes, Robyn Scotland, Dorothy Grover
  - Co-Chairs: Amy Pratt, Monique Agans, Nina Russo, Lesley Dalton, Sarah Goetz, All district personnel hired as a school psychologist
  - Parent Members: Ellen Hoffer, Asha Martolletta, Heather Walters, Casey Burns
- CPSE
  - All District Personnel, BOCES or Private School Teachers
  - All District Personnel, BOCES, UCP or Private School Teachers
  - Related Service Providers
    - OT: Molly Keck, Maggie Woods, and Maria Adams; All District Personnel, BOCES, UCP, Glens Falls Hospital, Private School or Warren County
    - PT: Dorothy Grover, Kimberly Bascom; All District Personnel, BOCES, UCP, Glens Falls Hospital, Private School or Warren County
    - School Psychologists: Monique Agans, Nina Russo, Amy Pratt, Lesley Dalton, Sarah Goetze; All District Personnel, BOCES, UCP, Glens Falls Hospital, Warren County Contracted or Private School Psychologists
    - Speech Therapists: Christine Mattia, Gretchen Lovering, Alissa Iantosca, Susan Cunningham, Taylor Ricci; All District Personnel, BOCES, or Private Speech Therapists
    - Other Related Services Providers: BOCES – Teacher of the Hearing Impaired, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Privately contracted Therapist
    - Student’s Parent
    - Other: Warren County Representative Evaluator, Representative, Early Intervention Representative
    - School Physicians: Hudson Headwaters Health Network
- Committee Surrogate Parent Members: Heather Walters, Linda Hill, Ellen Hoffer
Motion to appoint the 504 Officers
- 504 Compliance Officer: Denise Troelstra
- 504 District Coordinator: Kristine Bennett-Barnes
- 504 Elementary Coordinator: Jessica Rossetti/Kristin Bergin
- 504 WHBI School Coordinator: Gwynne Cosh/Amanda Denno
- 504 Middle School Coordinator: Michael Brannigan/Tiffany Montgomery
- 504 High School Coordinator: Damian Switzer/Daniel Hamm/Andrew Snide
Motion to accept the following resolution: RESOLVED, that the Board of Education hereby appoints its Superintendent of Schools as a Trustee of said Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES Health Insurance Consortium Trust, which Superintendent shall also have the authority to review and approve the Trust Agreement and related trust documents on behalf of the School District.
Motion that the Post Star be recognized as the official newspaper of the Queensbury School District.
Motion to appoint Donna Van Schaick as Internal Claims Auditor at $32 per hour.
Motion to approve the following support staff rates of pay:
- Substitute Registered Nurse: $129/day
- Substitute Licensed Practical Nurse: $91/day
- Substitute Occupational Therapist or Physical Therapist: $125/day
- Substitute Occupational Therapist Assistant: $96/day
- Substitute Interpreter: $96/day
- Tutoring Rate – One student: $38/hour
- Tutoring Rate – Two or more students: $50/hour
- Substitute Bus Driver: $26/hour
- Substitute Bus Driver Aide: $16/hour
- Parking Lot Caretaker: $17.50/hour
- Substitute Parking Lot Caretaker: $15.50/hour
- Claims Auditor: $32/hour
- Driver Trainee: $16.00/hour
- Substitute Cleaner: $15.70/hour
- Retiree Substitute Cleaner: $15.95/hour
- Substitute Lifeguard: $16.86/hour
- Substitute Aid/Teaching Assistant: $13.50/hour
Motion to approve the utilization of WSWHE BOCES Substitute Teacher Registry for automated substitute placement and absence management for substitute teachers, substitute teacher assistants, aides or clerical positions.
Motion to participate in the Pupil Benefits Plan, Inc., student accident program.
Motion to authorize the participation in the Southern Adirondack Public Schools Worker’s Compensation Plan.
Motion to approve the Medicaid Compliance Plan and Medicaid Code of Ethics.
Motion to accept the blanket employee dishonesty limit of $1,000,000 for all district employees with additional indemnifications as follows:
- $1,000,000: Treasurer
- $1,000,000: Tax Collector
- $1,000,000: Superintendent/Deputy Treasurer
- $1,000,000: Assistant Superintendent for Business
- $1,000,000: Payroll Clerk
- $1,000,000: School District Controller
Motion to authorize, in accordance with Board Policy #8334 Use of Credit Cards, the issuance of a District Credit Card to the Superintendent of Schools, the Assistant Superintendent for Business, and the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction.
Motion to authorize the attached list of all School District cell phone/smartphone users.
Motion to approve Board Policy #1120, the record retention periods for School District records as stated in Records Retention and Disposition Schedule ED-1.
Motion to approve and appoint R. G. Timbs, Inc. as the School District’s financial advisor.
Motion to approve and reappoint Marvin and Company as the School District’s internal auditor.
Motion to re-establish the Queensbury Union Free School District Integrated Pest Management Protocol and authorize the Coordinator of Capital Projects and Safety Compliance to implement treatment methods up to the threshold limits outlined in the document.
Motion to appoint Sandra Pollaro as the District’s McKinney-Vento Liaison during the school year and Assistant Superintendent for Instruction as the District’s McKinney-Vento Liaison during the summer months.
Motion to appoint John Luthringer as the District Data Coordinator (DDC), the Chief Information Officer (CIO), and the Data Protection Officer.
Motion to approve the appointment of Robert Jones, Health Department Chair as the District’s Substance Abuse Health Educator.
Motion to approve the appointment of Assistant Superintendent for Instruction as District Foster Care Coordinator.

End of Organizational Meeting Consent Agenda

Motion by Dr. Shea, seconded by Mr. Cabana, to close the Organizational Meeting at 6:37 p.m.
- 7 voting in favor, 2 absent (Mrs. Belden, Mrs. Flaherty)

SW:ljm

BOE Org. Meeting 7/12/21