The Seneca Falls Town Board met Tuesday night without Town Supervisor Frank Schmitter in attendance, days after his arrest on charges tied to an alleged altercation inside town offices.
Deputy Supervisor Dawn Dyson led the meeting in Schmitter’s absence as board members tackled a packed agenda that included a failed vote on hiring a new town manager, debate over a proposed downtown park project and a lengthy public comment period that reflected growing tensions inside town government.
The board’s most significant action came during unfinished business, when members voted to reject the appointment of Michael McCarthy as town manager.
McCarthy, who works for ProneXus, had been recommended by a search committee formed after the retirement of former Town Manager Peter Soscia.
Councilmembers Dyson, Wendy Crane and Gabby Costentino voted against the appointment. Councilmember Jackson Pulyara said he would not vote until meeting with officials from the Town of Fayette regarding ProneXus’ work there.
Before the vote, McCarthy used the public comment portion of the meeting to defend himself and push back against criticism that has surfaced in recent weeks.
“I met with all board members and told I was supported,” McCarthy said. “I was told something different later.”
McCarthy also disputed suggestions that ProneXus operates as an accounting firm with authority over town employees, describing it instead as a consulting firm assisting municipalities with financial operations and reporting. During the exchange, tensions briefly escalated when McCarthy attempted to respond to concerns raised about the company’s work in Fayette before Dyson cut him off after his allotted speaking time expired.
Much of the meeting’s public comment period focused on the future of the Van Cleef Lake area near lower Fall Street.
Rev. Brad Benson, pastor of Trinity Episcopal Church, spoke against a conceptual proposal that could convert the church’s parking lot into a recreational area that includes a swimming pool. Benson argued the project would damage the historic character of the neighborhood and emphasized that the church is not interested in selling the property to the town.
Anwei Law of the It’s A Wonderful Life Museum also urged the town to preserve the area’s historic significance, including recognition of the location where Italian immigrant Antonio Varacalli washed ashore after drowning while saving a young woman in 1917.
The meeting also included presentations and updates from several community organizations and residents.
Karen Altimari thanked the town for supporting the growing Seneca Falls flag football program, while Andrew Oden updated the board on the reopening of the Seneca Falls Museum and Tourism Center after nearly a year of renovations.
Resident Denise Hayes also praised the town highway and public works departments for their snow removal efforts during the winter.
In other business, the board approved several resolutions, including measures supporting inclusion of the Cayuga-Seneca Canal in the Cayuga Lake watershed framework, seeking bids for reconstruction work on a damaged Bayard Street culvert and partnering with the state on a potential restoration project involving the former Morehouse boat manufacturing building.
Schmitter’s absence loomed over much of the evening. The town supervisor was arrested May 1 following an alleged confrontation with a Town Board member over unauthorized construction work inside town offices. Court records allege Schmitter attempted to cut a payment window into a wall at the zoning office before the situation escalated into a physical altercation. He faces charges including harassment, criminal mischief and official misconduct.
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