Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.
The Town of North Salem held a Special Town Board Meeting on September 29, 2026 at 6:00 PM local time (the provided timestamp is 11:15 UTC). The board discussed and acted on resolutions concerning Dish Wireless bond default, Pabst Water District improvements, a Day of Remembrance proclamation, and Delancey Hall carpeting.
Dish Wireless Chapter 11 Filing and Bond Default: The board discussed that Dish Wireless LLC had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and that Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, the surety on removal performance bonds, was canceling those bonds without proper 30-day notice. The bonds covered two cell tower locations: $24,000 (40 Sun Valley Drive) and $40,000 (101 Bloomer Road). The board voted unanimously to call the bonds in default to protect the town's interests while the bankruptcy is resolved.
Pabst Water District Public Hearing: The board set a public hearing for October 27, 2026 to consider a proposed improvement of facilities for the Pabst Water District, with a maximum estimated cost of $850,000. The project is partially funded by an 80/20 grant (approximately $860,000). There was confusion about whether a similar resolution had been adopted previously, but the board moved forward to set the hearing. The resolution passed with three ayes (Peter, Catherine, and the supervisor); Martin was absent.
Proclamation of October 7th as Day of Remembrance: The board unanimously adopted a resolution proclaiming October 7, 2026 as a Day of Remembrance to honor the victims of the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack in Israel and to reject antisemitism and hate.
Delancey Hall Carpeting Quotes: The board reviewed four quotes: Linmarks ($7,311), Sylvestre ($8,604.68), MVP Flooring ($8,669), and Millburn Flooring ($10,198). Discussion included product equivalence (26 oz. Shaw Petto 2 vs. Mohawk), stair installation method (waterfall with tacking), and the need for color selection by Gretchen. A motion was made to approve Linmarks at $7,311.01, contingent on Gretchen's approval of the Shaw carpet color. The motion passed; one member initially expressed opposition but ultimately voted aye.
Note: The agenda listed the meeting start time as 6:00 PM, while the provided timestamp is 2026-09-29 11:15:00+00:00; this discrepancy is noted.
I will take that one. There you go. Just leave it. I'll bring it home and solder it back together. Sounds like a wires up. Well, my fucked up too. Okay. Okay. Okay, we're going to call this special meeting September 29th, 2026 to order, and we'll start with the Pledge of Allegiance. Okay. So we have a kind of a unique situation, and um we have a uh a vendor who uh dish um dish network, just wireless, I guess, who's in default of some of the bonds. Um I don't know if you want to say anything, but I guess they're Chapter 11 bankruptcy. They filed it. They filed for bankruptcy, but then Liberty Mutual. Rolling just using microphone. Liberty Mutual, which is the surety on the bonds, is arbitrarily canceling the bond. Um so we don't quite know why they're doing that, what knowledge they have that we don't have about the dish bankruptcy, but we're still within the effective period of the bonds because the cancellations require 30 days prior notice. So we're gonna call the bonds and at least preserve our Salem's rights. Okay. Um does anybody have any discussion about this? I'll read the should I read the entire thing? I yes, I guess it's sure read the entire thing. He's saying yes, there's dates in here. We change the dates and stuff. All right. Anybody have any questions or comments? No, just uh just so I'm gonna read it and uh make the motion as a res Dish DBS Corporation filed the Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition case number 26-90627 in Southern District Court of Texas for itself and 18 of its affiliates on June 30th, 2026, including Dish Wireless LLC, the applicant, before the North Salem Planning Board, and uh that's we're gonna call that the planning board for the rest of this resolution. Uh whereas Dish Wireless LLC previously uh parentheses during 2023 and parentheses has secured approvals from the planning board to install cell tower uh antennas on two existing cell towers locations at located at 40 Sunset uh uh Sun Valley Drive and 101 Boomer Road, and as conditions of both approvals, the applicant was required to deliver to the town removal performance bonds guaranteeing the removal of the antenna associated equipment should the antenna be deactivated for any reason, and whereas the applicant as principal delivered two removal performance bonds to the town as obligy issued by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company as surety as follows. Effective 10 2023, the principal amount was 24,000. And the other address was 101 Bloomer Road bond 6724, effective date 814, principal amount 40,000. Whereas the surety notified the town by certified mail that as a consequence of the bankruptcy filing, it was canceling the removal performance bonds in each of the two locations with effective cancellation with effective cancellation dates as follows. The 40 Sun Valley Drive was October 24th, 2026, and the 101 Bloomer Road was October 14th, 2026. Um there's an asterisk there, and the asterisk simply says the surety notification states the effective date is 828-26, but the notification was delivered to the town on 914-26, and there is a 30-day um prior notice requirement. So now therefore be it resolved that due to the significant uncertainty surrounding the principal's ability to complete removal of its antenna associated equipment in the event of deactivation due to this status as a bankruptcy partner. The obligate hereby uh calls each bond in default, and it is further resolved that the full proceeds of each bond shall be held by the obligy and oblige trust and agency account told us deem whether the bankruptcy party or another entity will continue to operate the cell network as it exists in North Salem or whether new or replacement removal performance bonds will be tended attendered to the obligation, which if such is the case, the bond proceeds tendered by the secure the surety will thereafter be returned for with less any amount for the principal's costs and fees and having to place the bonds in default. So I will make the motion as I read it with those date changes in it that we mentioned before. Second. I don't have any questions. I think I think I understand what is what it's doing. Well, Roland's telling us we should do it. And so downside, if we do nothing, then the bonds are gonna cancel themselves out. Right. And we have no possible recourse. It is a chapter 11, so maybe this is all about a reorganization. And maybe some other entity is going to take over those antenna, and then they'll post new bonds. We just don't know.