BY ADAM ATKINSON
North Country This Week

POTSDAM — The town board recently approved a hold harmless agreement with the county, agreed to send the annual financial audit of the town court system to the state, and approved an easement and a consulting contract.

The board passed the measures at its Jan. 10 meeting.

First, town officials approved a resolution to hold the county harmless in the event of any liability incurred from shared services provided to the town in 2023.

Specifically, the services include annual paving, signage, road stripping, blasting, and other routine maintenance activities the county helps the town with.

The town approves the hold harmless agreement on an annual basis.

According to the resolution, the town indemnifies the county and its workers from any liability which may be incurred from injuries or death that might result on town roads.

Also at the Jan. 10 meeting, the town agreed to send a copy of its 2020 financial audit to the state’s Office of Court Administration, Internal Audit Services Unit. The turn over of the audit to the state courts administrators so they may review the justice court fine collection is a regular municipal practice.

Financial records for the Town of Potsdam, including the Justice Court were examined and audited for the fiscal year 2021 by the accounting firm Pinto, Mucenski, Van House and Company.

The board approved a request from National Grid for an easement to run from County Route 14 through the town right-of-way on the Cemetery Road to parcel 51.004-2-9.

The board also agreed to extend the consulting contract with James McGuire effective from Jan. 2023 to June 2023.

McGuire will be paid an hourly fee of $45 per hour for time worked in the assessor’s office, and provide mentoring and training to the acting assessor.