HIGHLAND, NY — May 9 is the day two Town of Highland officials will sit down with mediators to work out their differences.

Supervisor Johnny Pizzolato and board member Kaitlin Haas have been at loggerheads about a number of issues, such as moving the warming center from the town hall to a church, how bills are paid and reviewed, and decisions by the personnel committee, among other matters. Pizzolato was first elected in November and says his decisions reflect the change residents voted for. Haas is a veteran board member who says her institutional knowledge is being ignored. They have moved beyond mere disagreement to an open hostility that was breaking down communication on the board.

The Dispute Resolution Center (DRC) will act as mediator. Its executive director, Miriam Frankl, said DRC serves four counties—Orange, Putnam, Sullivan, and Ulster—and mediates family, landlord/tenant and neighbor disputes. Frankl said the DRC also has experience facilitating mediations among town board members, with 70 to 80 percent of cases resulting in some type of resolution. 

The goal of the DRC is to help parties in conflict reach practical agreements and mutually acceptable solutions, Frankl said. Although feelings may come into the discussion, DRC does not provide mental health counseling.

Mediators are demographically diverse and come from a range of career backgrounds, Frankl said. They go through training, work as an apprentice or mentor, and are required to retrain regularly. Much of the training is approved by the New York State Court System, she said.

At the April 9 town board meeting, Pizzolato and Haas told the River Reporter they were waiting for confirmation from the DRC.

Toward better communication

Continuing the communication improvement theme, the town board will be purchasing 10 more email addresses so that every board member will have one.

Councilwoman Laura Burrell said the technology committee suggested the town emails to “streamline communication, using security, using dedicated emails, not personnel email, which allows us to have greater protection for volunteers, elected officials, as well as staff.

Pizzolato agreed. Having all members use town email will give the board “clear and guaranteed communications moving forward,” he said.

Bounced emails have caused issues with setting up different committee assignments.

“We’re emailing other people to get a hold of some people,” he said. “Emails are bouncing,” which has caused problems setting up committee assignments.

Akt said that if an email bounces, just “pick up the phone and call me.”

Burrell said “It’s hard to make that requirement,” in asking board members to use town email.

The extra email addresses will cost the town a little less than $50. The board decided not to require that its members use town email.