ALBION — Citing a need to maintain village grounds, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved the purchase of a new excavator for the Cemetery Department during a special meeting held Monday, March 31. The board voted 4-0 to authorize the expenditure of $40,450 for the machinery. The purchase will be paid for through the Cemetery Capital Maintenance Funds, specifically increasing line item A0.8810.0202.000 in the village budget. Deputy Mayor Greg Bennett presided over the meeting, which was called to order at 6:00 p.m. at Village Hall. Trustees Joyce Riley, William Gabalski, and Tim McMurray were present for the vote. Mayor Angel Javier Jr. arrived shortly after the meeting began, at 6:06 p.m. While the meeting minutes do not detail the specific make or model of the equipment, capital purchases for the Department of Public Works and cemetery operations are standard line items designed to replace aging machinery. The Cemetery Capital Funds are specifically earmarked for improvements and large-scale maintenance within the village’s cemeteries, ensuring that taxpayer money allocated for general operations is not used for the equipment. Following the vote, the board moved quickly into executive session. At 6:02 p.m., Trustee McMurray made a motion to enter the closed session, seconded by Trustee Riley, to discuss employee personnel. The motion carried unanimously. Under New York State's Open Meetings Law, boards are permitted to discuss the employment history of particular persons, or matters leading to the appointment of a particular person, in private. According to the minutes, Mayor Javier dismissed all village employees present in the room at approximately 6:30 p.m. so the board could continue its discussion in private. Deputy Mayor Bennett was noted as leaving the meeting at 6:45 p.m. The board remained in executive session for over an hour. The board returned to open session at 7:34 p.m. upon a motion by Trustee McMurray and a second by Trustee Gabalski. No further business or resolutions were conducted after the board exited the closed session. The meeting was adjourned at 7:35 p.m. (Note: The motion to adjourn in the official minutes lists the time as 7:20 p.m., though this occurred after the 7:34 p.m. motion to exit executive session).