Nowadays it seems that valuable employees are hard to find and even harder to retain. The town of Dunkirk knows that all too well as it looks to find a new Deputy Clerk yet again.

The Town Board accepted the resignation of Deputy Clerk Emma Newton, with regret, at its latest meeting. Newton plans to move out of town. Her resignation is effective Sept. 25.

Town of Dunkirk Supervisor Priscilla Penfold characterized Newton as a “valuable employee” who will be missed. Newton also served as secretary to the Planning Board.

“I’ve enjoyed my time here and will miss my colleagues greatly,” Newton wrote in her letter of resignation. She added that she “truly enjoyed working with the generous and uplifting group of people” of the town of Dunkirk.

The Town is now seeking a replacement for the role of Deputy Clerk for the third time in the past two years, beginning with Kyle Coughlin’s resignation in September of 2023.

In the month of August, the Town Clerk’s office collected a total of $5,351.14 in revenue for the Town, with more than $4,800 in zoning fees. The Town Justice Court handled a total of 201 cases in August, with $17,814 submitted to the Town for distribution.

Penfold also responded to a recent OBSERVER article regarding her presence at a North County Water District meeting. The article noted, “Board Chairman Dan Pacos, the Pomfret town supervisor, resorted to rousing Town of Dunkirk counterpart Priscilla Penfold out of her sickbed so there could be a quorum.” Penfold clarified she did not feel well that day and would have preferred to miss the meeting, but she attended in order to allow for the meeting to proceed with enough members to take action. After fielding concerns from many who read the article, Penfold said at the Dunkirk Town Board meeting, “I was not sick in bed, I’m healthy.”

At the latest Town Board meeting, resident Jay Warren raised concerns with a rental property in the town that he believes is operating against the town’s laws regarding short-term rentals. The Town of Dunkirk will evaluate the matter further following Warren’s complaint.

The Town Board approved a five-year contract extension with Plaza 59 for water and sewer services, under the same terms of an agreement that has been in place since 2005. The extension runs through August of 2030.

The Town Board also passed a resolution in support of Congressman Nick Langworthy’s Energy Choice Act and in opposition to government-mandated natural gas bans. The Town of Sheridan and the Village of Silver Creek also passed the same resolution within days of Dunkirk’s meeting.

A special meeting of the Town Board is scheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m. for the presentation of the 2026 Town Budget, with a Board workshop to follow.

The next regular meeting of the Town Board is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 21, beginning with a public hearing regarding eminent domain proceedings with the Shorewood Water Project, at 5:15 p.m. The regular meeting will follow the public hearing.