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Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High around 40F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..
Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 32F. Winds light and variable.
Updated: January 5, 2023 @ 12:55 pm
Massena Town Hall. Christopher Lenney/Watertown Daily Times
Massena Town Justice Eric Sharlow swears in new Massena Town Council member Francis J. Carvel during the board’s reorganizational meeting on Tuesday. Bob Beckstead/Watertown Daily Times
Massena Town Justice Eric Sharlow swears in Councilor Debra A. Willer as her husband, Paul, holds the Bible during the Massena Town Board’s reorganizational meeting on Tuesday. Bob Beckstead/Watertown Daily Times
Reporter/Editor
Massena Town Hall. Christopher Lenney/Watertown Daily Times
Massena Town Justice Eric Sharlow swears in new Massena Town Council member Francis J. Carvel during the board’s reorganizational meeting on Tuesday. Bob Beckstead/Watertown Daily Times
Massena Town Justice Eric Sharlow swears in Councilor Debra A. Willer as her husband, Paul, holds the Bible during the Massena Town Board’s reorganizational meeting on Tuesday. Bob Beckstead/Watertown Daily Times
MASSENA — Tuesday’s public hearing to extend the town’s cryptocurrency mining moratorium drew only two written comments, one addressed to Town Supervisor Susan J. Bellor and a second addressed to the board by Debra A. Willer.
Mrs. Bellor said she received correspondence from a cryptocurrency operation that she did not identify. She said they requested that current cryptocurrency mining operations in the industrial zone, which wanted to expand its capacities and infrastructure, not be subject to the moratorium provided they stayed within the overall footprint of the already existing industrial site.
“That information was provided to me this morning and it’s certainly something to consider” in the regulations that are currently being written, she said.
Mrs. Willer said she had also received an email from an individual who was in favor of extending the moratorium, which councilors did during Tuesday’s meeting. The moratorium now extends until July 31, although town attorney Eric J. Gustafson said they could revisit that if regulations are approved by the board before that date.
Town officials first started discussing a potential moratorium in July 2018 because town regulations did not address cryptocurrency mining operations, and they needed time to get regulations in place. Sea boxes and trailers were among the concerns when the board passed its first moratorium on any future operations.
Since then, board members have agreed on several occasions to continue the moratorium. The most recent moratorium was set to expire on Jan. 31.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Mrs. Willer and Francis J. Carvel were sworn in by Town Justice Eric Sharlow for one-year unexpired terms.
Mrs. Willer had been appointed to fill out Mrs. Bellor’s term as board member after Mrs. Bellor was elected town supervisor in 2021. Her term as board member expires this year.
Mr. Carvel replaces Thomas C. Miller, who did not seek another term. He had served on the village board for 14 years, but chose to run for a town board seat this year. He has two years remaining on his four-year village board term, and trustees are scheduled to make an appointment when they meet at 5 p.m. Thursday.
As part of Tuesday’s organizational meeting, Mrs. Bellor appointed Patrick M. Facteau deputy supervisor, Brenda Mossow bookkeeper and secretary, and James Shaw chairman of the Massena Electric Utility Board. Mr. Gustafson was also reappointed as town attorney.
Board members set meeting dates for 2023: Jan. 18, Feb. 15, March 15, April 19, May 17, June 21, July 19, Aug. 16, Sept. 20, Oct. 18, Nov. 15 and Dec. 20. All meetings begin at 5:30 p.m. except for July, August and September, which begin at 4:30 p.m.
Sean Lynch was appointed deputy town clerk, deputy registrar and marriage officer; Christina Barber and Shannon MacCuaig were appointed justice town clerks;
Taya Pryce was appointed receiver of taxes; Renelle Ryan was appointed deputy receiver of taxes; Brenda Mossow was appointed second deputy receiver of taxes; Josh Davis was appointed as town historian; Linda McDonald was appointed town archivist; Dylan Casselman was appointed superintendent of highways, superintendent of maintenance/buildings and grounds, and airport manager; and Austyn Allen was appointed maintenance representative.
Johnson Newspapers 7.1
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