The Town of Webb Board held its monthly meeting for August on Tuesday, August 12, at the municipal building in Old Forge.
At the meeting, the board received a resignation letter from long-time Town of Webb employee Peter J. Gaffney.
Gaffney will be retiring on September 1, 2014.
In his letter, Gaffney thanked the board for the opportunity and privilege of working for the Town of Webb all these years.
Gaffney began his Webb career with the Department of Public Works in 1971. He remained there through 1991.
He later joined the Town of Webb Highway Department, where he has worked from 1997 to 2014.
Over the years, he also worked part-time at the Snowmobile Packer Shack and at McCauley Mountain.
“I have had a lot of experiences throughout the years, and I feel it is time for me to retire on September 1, 2014,” he wrote. “Not to mention, that date is my birthday. So thank you for all you have done for me and my family over the years,” Gaffney concluded.
Supervisor Ted Riehle stated that Gaffney’s Highway Department Superintendent, Casey Crofut, has complimented Gaffney on his work for the department, thanks him for his years, and wishes him well in retirement.
The Town has advertised and is in the process of finding a replacement for Pete’s position.
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Also at the meeting, bids were opened, read and deliberated, and hunting leases were awarded for six parcels owned by the Town of Webb.
Parcel No. 1 will be leased to Wallace Club. Parcel No. 2 will be leased to Moose River Gun Club. Parcels No. 3, 4 and 5 will be leased to Old Forge Fish and Game Club. And Parcel No. 6 will be leased to Rick Kipp.
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Former Town of Webb Councilman Dan Rivet admonished the board for issuing a public statement regarding the assessment of the local police department that is currently ongoing.
He said the statement implies impropriety by the police chief, who is suspended with pay during the department evaluation.
Rivet said that when he spoke to the board publicly at a meeting last May, raising concerns about personnel retention in the local police department, it had not been his intention to “point the finger” at the chief.
“I sat there [on the Webb town board] for 20 years. We had personnel problems. We handled them between the board and the employee. I feel that the board was really wrong to put out a press release that pointed the finger at a 35-year employee,” Rivet said.
“I think the board acted in a way that’s very detrimental to the town. It makes us look bad,” he said.
Supervisor Riehle has said the evaluation of the Town of Webb Police Department is a measure that does not involve the Town of Webb Board, but rather the duties charged to himself as Police Commissioner.
Riehle said the entity performing the evaluation will be issuing a report to the Town of Webb Police Commission, at which time, he expects to prepare a presentation for the town board.