As expected, Cobleskill’s Bob LaPietra moved unsuccessfully to gut the Codes Office in budget talks Tuesday.
The controversial trustee’s effort to scale back Police Department hires was also defeated with Mr. LaPietra—who spectators pointed out has been in trouble with both—the only one to vote yes.
“When you people hired me, I replaced two people and an office manager,” said an angry Codes Enforcement Officer Mike Piccolo.
“You’re right on the numbers with the current staff.”
And, “What are you basing your overstaffing figures on?,” Police Chief Mike O’Brien challenged Mr. LaPietra.
“Do you have any documentation…?”

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Pleas not to cut the Police Department kicked off the public comment portion of last Tuesday’s meeting as former trustee Carol McGuire spoke of “rumors circulating” that Mr. LaPietra planned to move that retiring police officers not be replaced.
“Why does anyone who does not live in the community have the right to make decisions affecting the lives of people who do live here?” Ms. McGuire asked.
Although he was elected trustee in November 2008, Mr. LaPietra doesn’t live in Cobleskill and was recently sentenced to three years probation and 75 hours of community service in connection with his nominating petition.
“Mr. LaPietra,” added Ms. McGuire, as she called for his resignation, “leave Cobleskill’s police force alone.
“Mr. LaPietra, leave the Codes Office and [Secretary] Nelli Mooney alone. Stop creating a hostile work environment. They will be here long after you are gone.”
Paulette Danforth called Cobleskill’s police force an important part of the community that if anything, needs to be larger.
“I would not live in this community without adequate police protection,” Ms. Danforth said, as she, too, called for Mayor Mike Sellers and trustees to immediately take steps to replace Mr. LaPietra.
And his community service requirement, Ms. Danforth said, shouldn’t be met on the village board, but “perhaps by digging holes…clearing snow, mowing grass.”
Don Schell also protested the idea of not replacing the four officers who could retire in 2010.
“Cutting garbage is one thing,” he said in reference to removing that service from the budget, “but police shouldn’t even be considered.”
Talks about police continued when Mayor Sellers and trustees moved on to the $2.6 million proposed budget.
All things being equal, Trustee Mark Galasso said, they shouldn’t replace Officer Matt Hanzalik, who left at the end of October to return to the Guilderland Police Department after about two years in Cobleskill.
But with the possible retirement of four cops over the next year or so, he said, “all things are not equal,” and if they have the opportunity to replace Officer Hanzalik with a lateral transfer who’s already trained—which they do—they should take it.
Mr. LaPietra questioned hiring someone just because they’re “a bargain.”
“I don’t want to see the police force understaffed, but I don’t want to see it overstaffed,” Mr. LaPietra said, prompting Chief O’Brien to ask whether he had any documentation that the position shouldn’t be filled.
Mr. LaPietra responded that based on the Times-Journal blotter, it’s costing the village “$2,500 per arrest. We might as well give them $500 and drive them out of town,” he said.
Trustees voted to fill Officer Hanzalik’s position with the transfer with only Mr. LaPietra voting against it.
Mr. LaPietra then moved to cut Mr. Piccolo’s job to part-time and eliminate Ms. Mooney, changes he said would save the village $80,000 a year.
Mr. Galasso seconded the motion, “for purposes of discussion,” but went on to point out he’d counted 13 building permits issued in the last year—numbers he’s not sure justify current staffing.
Mr. Piccolo said the job also includes things like fire inspections, sign permits, property maintenance issues, and guiding people through the zoning process.
Trustee Linda Holmes said the village can’t talk about encouraging growth and then slash Codes and in the end, Mr. Galasso agreed.
“I share Bob’s goal to get the budget as low as possible, but I don’t think this is it,” he said.
Only Mr. LaPietra voted in favor of the Codes cuts; the proposed 2010 budget was approved.
The budget shows a 11.8 percent drop for businesses, who’ll no longer be paying for garage pick-up and effectively about a one percent increase for everyone else, who’ll have to pick up the cost on their own.
The tax rate will drop slightly from $12.7 per $1,000 of assessed value to $11.06, though that doesn’t include the increased cost of garbage service, which is expected to keep taxes about the same as last year for most.