By Jason Emerson

Editor

The Fenner Town Board has scheduled a public hearing for 8:10 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 12, to discuss a proposed law to change the terms of office of the town supervisor, highway superintendent and clerk from two years to four years each.

Town Supervisor Dave Jones said Fenner is one of the few towns remaining in the county with two-year terms of office for those positions and the jobs of the supervisor and highway superintendent especially are too complicated and demanding to really “get the gist of what’s going on” quickly.

“I don’t think two years is really long enough time to get their feet wet,” he said.

If the board were to approve a change to the tenures of office, the propositions would have to be approved by town residents during the November 2017 elections.

Also at the meeting, the board decided not to change its current redemption fees for stray dogs recovered by the town dog catcher.

The change was discussed at the behest of Wanderer’s Rest animal shelter, which has asked every municipality in its coverage area to increase their fees to identical levels to not only make it easier on Wanderer’s Rest in terms of paperwork, but would also give dog owners a greater incentive to keep their pets on a leash or otherwise under control.

In August the town of Cazenovia approved an increase in its dog redemption fees, while the town of Nelson has a proposed fee increase pending and to be discussed at its October meeting.

Wanderer’s Rest requested the fees be increased to $40 for the first impoundment of a dog, $50 for a second impoundment and $100 for a third impoundment – all within a one-year period.

The Town of Fenner currently charges $20 for first offense and $50 for second and third offense within a one year period.

The board members agreed not to raise town redemption fees believing, in the words of Jones, “I don’t think we need to put another fee on people at this time.”