Ripley Supervisor Laura K. Pless

Town of Ripley board members were to hold a public hearing on Wednesday at 6:15 pm to hear comments from the community concerning Ripley’s development needs.

At their regular meeting on June 12, council members unanimously voted to hold the public hearing. Information from the meeting will be used to determine the possible submission of one or more Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) applications.

According to Town Supervisor Laura K. Pless, the State of New York has announced that $24.2 million is available through the 2025 CDBG Program. Up to $20 million has been specifically earmarked for public infrastructure projects, she said.

“The Town of Ripley is applying for up to $2 million in CDBG funds to upgrade public infrastructure,” Pless said. “The hearing will provide further information about the CDBG Program . . . and will allow for citizen participation in the development of any proposed grant applications.”

The meeting was in the Ripley Town Hall, which is accessible to persons with disabilities, Pless said.

In a related matter, board members passed a resolution authorizing G&G Municipal Consulting and Grant Writing to complete and submit an application through the 2025 Consolidated Funding round.

In other business, council members approved a resolution regarding standard work days for town employees. The resolution also provides for reporting days worked to the New York State and local employee retirement system.

Council members approved a permit fee schedule, as was recommended by Code Enforcement Officer Ken Shearer.

In addition to standard permits, such as repairs, pools, fences and decks, the permit schedule includes fees for large scale solar or wind projects and communication tower projects.

In matters of personnel, council members approved the appointment of Robert Galbraith as a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals. They also approved Debbie Hunt as a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals. Both appointments are effective through Dec. 31.