Minutes
Arlington Select Board
May 18, 2026
Members Present: Dan Harvey andMatt Bykowski(via Zoom), Jamie Paustian, and Glenn Sherman
Members Absent: Sebastian Massey
Also Present: Katie Dixon-Town Administrator, Cynthia Browning-Interim Town Administrator, Tim Williams, Willy Knight-Park Supervisor, and Mary Anne Holmes, GNAT-TV, and Janet Barry ( via Zoom)
Mr. Harvey called the meeting to order at 7:00PM.
Additions to the Agenda: None
Minutes of the Meeting of May 4, 2026: Mr. Paustian made a motion to approve the minutes the meeting of May 4, 2026, as presented. Mr. Bykowski seconded the motion. Motion carried.
Welcoming the new Town Administrator: Mr. Harvey officially welcomed the new Town Administrator, Katie Dixon, and thanked Mr. Bykowski for all his hard work in recruiting Ms. Dixon. Mr. Bykowski said he is so happy to have Ms. Dixon and is pleased to have her skill set in this position.
Public Comments: Mr. Willliams spoke at the meeting of possibly having the Board host a public forum to discuss the major projects the Town is in need of, such as Wasterwater, replacing the Town Garage, new firehouse and bridge repairs. It was discussed that before the Town can ever receive State grant money for any project, the project needs to be shovel ready, with a fully developed plan and Town match, and at this point these projects are not ready. It was discussed that the firehouse sub-committee needs money for architectural and engineering drawings. Mr. Sherman said there are Select Board meetings every other Monday that anyone can attend and discuss issues and Mr. Paustian said there was a Wastewater meeting that was well advertised and no one from the public attended the meeting. Mr. Paustian said the Fire Department has now hired grant writers that will help obtain future State money. Mr. Bykowski said he appreciated Mr. William’s input and the Board will take it under advisement.
Highway Updates: Ms. Browning said Highway supervisor, Mark Robinson, wanted to know if the Board wanted to have TopKote do the line striping this season as they have done for many years. Mr. Harvey and Mr. Bykowski said the project will have to go out to bid.
7A Sidewalk: Ms. Browning reported that Mr. Zaiac had gotten two bids for the 7A Sidewalk project, but something still needs to be vetted before the bid is finalized.
Covered Bridge Updates: Ms. Browning and Mr. Paustian spoke of their meeting with Joe Poston from Wright Construction. He will also return to the bridge for further measurements and there should be a price available for the next meeting. It was discussed that Wright Construction did an excellent job with Irene repairs and that it makes sense to do the repairs now, with the Town bridge repairs savings and not spend an additional $10,000-$30,000 for drawings the State would require to apply for grant money.
Benedict Crossing Update: Ms. Browning said a complete RFP for Benedict Crossing repairs cannot be done until the study of the abutments is completed.
Benedict Hollow: Ms. Browning said Martina Barnes, from Green Mountain National Forrest, wishes to come to a meeting in July to discuss their plan to purchase the land from Benedict Hollow Road into New York State. As was mentioned at the last meeting, GMNF wants the Town to shift the Town’s plow turnaround to make a bigger parking area. Ms. Browning will talk with landowners and have a report at the next meeting.
Mr. Harvey reported on a sizable pothole on East Arlington Road that needs to be repaired. Mr. Paustian said there had been an issue on RT 313 with cars parked on the bridge and making for dangerous driving, and the State needs to be contacted for “No Parking on Bridge” signs.
Fire Department Updates: Mr. Bykowski said the Department had received additional insurance reimbursements recently. It was mentioned that the income received exceeds expense for the company handling the reimbursements and the savings will help in consumables purchases and firetruck savings. Mr. Paustian said the Fire Department and Fire Company will be having a carnival on July 17 & 18th for the Company’s 100th anniversary with music, a parade, and fireworks. And a firetruck will be at Fisher Elementary for their Field Day.
Park and Rec Updates: . Mr. Knight said he had price from two companies in the Albany NY area for power washing the tennis and basketball courts. A-1 had a quote of $6,900 and could do the work in July. The other company was $6,850 but wouldn’t be able to do the work until at least September. He also said a representative from RK Miles did measurements for door and window replacements with a quote of two windows for $1,000, $1,135 for the bathroom windows and the men’s room door for $978. Mr. Sherman said he plans on attending the Park and Rec Committee meeting at the library on Thursday to see if there would be any funds available for these projects. A decision will be made at the next meeting.
LEMP: Mr. Zaiac, the local emergency coordinator, has updated the list of phone numbers. Mr. Bykowski made a motion to adopt the undated LEMP as presented. Mr. Sherman seconded the motion. Motion carried, with Mr. Sebastian absent. It was discussed that Ms. Dixon will need to take some online courses from the State and would be able to take over the position when Mr. Zaiac’s term ends in April 2027.
MERP RFP: Ms. Dixon will send out the RFP for Town Hall insulation that was discussed at previous meetings, as well as an RFP for the drop ceiling and lighting replacement at Town Hall.
Transition Planning: The new Town Administrator, Katie Dixon, officially started her new position on May 18, 2026. The transition has started and she will meet with employees in the next week. The Board thanked Ms. Browning for helping with the transition,and staying on as Land Use Administrator, which will also make her available for any questions Ms. Dixon may have, and for all her work as Interim Town Administrator for the past year. Ms. Dixon will draw up a contract for the Land Use position for the next meeting.
- Warrants and Orders: Mr. Sherman made a motion to approve Water Department Warrant #10, dated 5/15/26, in the amount of $5,861.45. Mr. Paustian seconded. Motion carried, with Mr. Sebastian absent. This included the payments for GMP, Meadowland for plowing, Snow Plumbing, Fidium, and supplies. Mr. Sherman made a motion to approve Warrant #10, from the General Account, dated 5/15/2026, in the amount of $29,446.93. Mr. Paustian seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously with Mr. Sebastian absent. Most significant item being $2,600 for salt, $1,300 for BCRC, gravel for Kent Foster, GMP, and fuel.
- All Other Business: Ms. Browning said a man from PA would like to present a framed Arlington map at the next meeting. She also said Denise Colety, from Hometown Heros, wishes to attend the next meeting. Also, there are problems with residents on Colbrook Drive and Cold Brook Road in Sunderland with having such similar names and there is a petition to change the name to Brookside Lane. They will be at the next meeting.
Mr. Bykowski made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Mr. Sherman seconded. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 8:13PM.
Minutes respectfully submitted by Janet Barry