Town of Johnsburg appoints interim town supervisor

JOHNSBURG | In an unexpected plot twist, former Johnsburg Town Supervisor Sterling T. Goodspeed is back in the role, and this swan song may be perhaps his finest performance yet. "This whole thing has come as a very significant surprise to me. I had no plans on trying to make a political comeback, but we are at a perilous point in our town's history," Goodspeed admitted. After the unfortunate passing of the newly-installed Supervisor Mark Smith in January (he had led only one town board meeting), Goodspeed recognized that the Town of Johnsburg was left in a position of vulnerability. "I had a number of people come to me and say, 'We need your help.' There were things that weren't going to get done without somebody immediately getting involved," Goodspeed explained. "It is a busy time, and a complicated time for the Town of Johnsburg. We have a lot of different things going on that need attention." Goodspeed made the Town Board aware that he would consider the appointment as interim supervisor, to which they accepted, and very soon made the appointment official on Feb. 18. Born and raised in North Creek and a 1980 Johnsburg Central School graduate, Goodspeed pursued further education at St. Lawrence University, where he graduated in 1984, and then attended Albany Law School, graduating in 1987. He made a name for himself in the private practice of law in both Glens Falls and his hometown, where he had his own practice for several years. He has also been twice-elected as the Warren County District Attorney, serving from 1994-2001, and was the Warren County Public Defender, as well as the Hamilton County Public Defender (where he currently does public defense work). Though this new chapter is one Goodspeed didn't anticipate, he has settled back into the seat and has already hit the ground running, set to complete Smith's unexpired term that runs through Dec. 31. Having served as Town Supervisor for two terms already in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012, Goodspeed will be channeling his well-earned experience for the good of Johnsburg, and has already identified his main areas of focus for the next nine months. "We are trying to complete the sewer district; we are on track to complete it by the end of July this coming summer," he revealed. "We have been doing research on the North Creek water district and trying to stabilize the water district. We are enhancing communications between the Town and the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA). We keep a mindful eye on taxes; I am a very fiscally conservative person. We also have expanded our approach to economic development so we are looking at some other issues I have presented to the board, including the impact of Airbnbs on the local economy and local housing market, pursuing ideas for affordable housing, and also for the potential of inclusionary zoning." It is a full plate Goodspeed has in front of him indeed, but he is taking a proactive approach because there is an expectation that Johnsburg its small population of a little over 2,000 community members, will be experiencing both commercial and residential growth, and Goodspeed wants the ensure the district and infrastructure won't be threatened by that increase. "Johnsburg has a rare opportunity to pursue economic growth that is consistent with environmental protection," he noted. "We can grow our businesses but still remain in tune with our environment and in tune with our history, and I think that is a unique opportunity." As someone who has sat in the seat before and had to make some hard decisions, and most likely lost a few nights of sleep agonizing over those decisions, Goodspeed will once again be approaching his role with the broadest stroke of the brush. "As supervisor, you need to balance out the diversity of the community- you serve everybody, you serve your friends, you serve the people who perhaps don't care for you, you serve people who politically opposed you, you represent second home owners, and also people who are old and retired and struggling to generate income to put food on the table, we have a broad, diverse community and and the biggest thing the supervisor has to remember is to paint with a broad stroke of the brush, and remember you represent, everyone, not just the one screaming the loudest." Not always the easiest of tasks, but Goodspeed grew up watching his father, Sterling J. Goodspeed, in action as Town Supervisor from 1963-1985 and Chairman of the Warren County Board of Supervisors beginning in 1978, and inevitably picked up a few things from the patriarch. Though Goodspeed wasn't consciously aware of it, as he witnessed his father tackling obstacles and challenges, navigating choppy waters and exercising judiciousness, the seed was being planted somewhere deep inside his subconscious that maybe one day he too could thrive in the town supervisor role. "I don't think you grow up in a man's shadow like that and not have it be impactful," he reflected. And as he re-entered the municipal center and county chambers, Goodspeed has felt bittersweetly close to his father, decades-old memories stirring to the surface, manifesting into a powerful presence. "There have been some moments in the town hall and particularly Wednesday night's board meeting where I kind of felt like we wouldn't have had a quorum if he wasn't there," Goodspeed said. He is walking once more in his father's shoes, but this time, the intention is more altruistic than ever before- his town needs him. Goodspeed has no intention of circulating a petition and running this November- once this term is fulfilled, Goodspeed has every intention of spending all the time he can with the newest loves of his life, his two little grandchildren. "I truly urge political parties, independent candidates, and people who care about our hometown to line up and try to get involved and run for office and seek that responsibility," he encouraged. "And I encourage people to get involved in our local government. There is nothing better than the personal experience of face-to-face and seeing people who represent you, and having the chance to ask them questions. People are entitled to know how a board member feels about a particular issue." Johnsburg Town Board meetings are held every first and third Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Tannery Pond Community Center.

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Town of Johnsburg appoints interim town supervisor

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