Kiskayuna names new town attorney, deputy attorney

PHOTOGRAPHER: Steven Cook

The Town Board Thursday night named a town attorney and appointed a new deputy attorney. The board also moved along efforts to get police officers new bullet-proof vests.

The board officially appointed Peter Scagnelli town attorney. He had been deputy town attorney for more than a decade; it’s a part-time appointment at a salary of just over $26,000.

Appointed as the new deputy town attorney was Matthew P. Miller, a 2009 graduate of Albany Law School, who will receive a full-time salary of $50,000.

The town’s other deputy attorney, Paul Briggs, remains in his position.

The moves were prompted after long-time town attorney Eric Dickson, who had served since 1988, left his post in February to focus on his private practice. The changes essentially shift the money reserved for the town attorney post to the deputy post, making that full time. The town attorney had been budgeted at $55,000.

Supervisor Joe Landry said Thursday night the town needed a full-time legal presence at Town Hall, but couldn’t get that with a town attorney, resulting in the approved arrangement.

Miller is to start Monday.

Also Thursday, Police Chief John Lubrant told the board of efforts to get officers new bullet-proof vests. The board is expected to approve allowing Lubrant to apply for a grant to replace 20 vests that are nearing the end of their useful life.

The vests cost $720 apiece, making the total cost $14,400. A Bureau of Justice Assistance grant would cover half of that. With other funds, the town would pay just under $5,800, Lubrant told the board.

Board member Liz Orzel Kasper said the grant would be nice, but it wouldn’t be a determining factor in getting the replacement vests.

“You can’t put a price on human life,” Kasper said. “Whether we get the grant or not, we’re going to have to get some of these.”