HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-10-13-TB-FINAL-minutes1
TOWN BOARD MEETING
Town of Ulysses
October 13, 2020
Audio of the minutes are available on the website at ulysses.ny.us.
The meeting was held via videoconference on the Zoom platform.
Notice of Town Board meetings are posted on the Town’s website and Clerk’s board.
CALL TO ORDER:
Ms. Zahler called the meeting to order at 7:06pm.
ATTENDANCE:
The Town Clerk called the roll:
TOWN OFFICIALS PRESENT:
Supervisor- Nancy Zahler
Board members- Richard Goldman, Michael Boggs, Katelin Olson, Marc Devokaitis
Town Clerk- Carissa Parlato
Second Deputy Supervisor- Michelle Wright
Building/Code Officer- Mark Washburn
Planning Board chair- Linda Liddle
Conservation & Sustainability Committee (CSAC) chair- Roxanne Marino
Bookkeeper- Gloria Cassetti
Attorney for the Town- Khandikile Mvunga Sokoni
Highway Superintendent- Scott Stewart
Recreation Director- Will Glennon
OTHERS PRESENT:
Mary Bouchard, Anne Koreman (Tompkins County Legislator) (at 7:58pm)
APPROVAL OF AGENDA:
RESOLUTION 2020-196: APPROVAL OF MEETING AGENDA
BE IT RESOLVED that the Ulysses Town Board approve the agenda for October 13, 2020 with the
deletion of an Executive Session for union negotiations, and moving up the CARS and budget discussions.
Moved: Mr. Goldman Seconded: Mr. Devokaitis
Ms. Zahler aye
Ms. Olson aye
Mr. Boggs aye
Mr. Goldman aye
Mr. Devokaitis aye
Vote: 5 -0
Date Adopted: 10/13/20
PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR:
(none)
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REPORTS FROM REPRESENTATIVES AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS:
Ms. Zahler shared that she received concerns from Mr. Houghton regarding guiderails and safety along
Maplewood Rd.
Mr. Boggs noted that the town hall lighting changeover has been completed.
Ms. Olson inquired as to whether there is still a vacancy on the Youth Commission. She added that the Village
is looking for a representative.
Mr. Goldman reported that the health insurance consortium approved new premiums for 2021. The town’s
plan, the Gold Plan, will increase 3.8%. There will be a premium holiday in Dec.
TOWN REPORTS:
(See Appendix for reports submitted by staff in advance of the meeting)
Mr. Glennon gave an update on the Trumansburg School Day Program. The program will transition to the
Conservatory of Fine Arts location as the weather gets colder.
Ms. Olson gave kudos to Mr. Glennon for his work in making the program happen.
Ms. Sokoni shared that she will be moving on to another job at the end of October but has enjoyed working
with the town.
NEW BUSINESS:
WATER DISTRICT #1- RE-STATED AGREEMENT WITH CAYUGA ADDICTION RECOVERY SERVICES
RESOLUTION # 197 of 2020: APPROVAL OF WATER DISTRICT #1 RE-STATED AGREEMENT WITH
CAYUGA ADDICTION RECOVERY SERVICES
WHEREAS, the Town Board approved by resolution of September 16, 1986 the establishment of a
water district in the Town using water supplied by the Village of Trumansburg (the “Village”), which
water district is known as the Alpha Foundation water district (the “Water District”);
WHEREAS, the corporate entity Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services Inc. (“CARS”) is the successor in
interest to entity previously known as Alpha Foundation;
WHEREAS, the Town and CARS negotiated the certain agreement by and between the Town and CARS
which was entered into the minutes of the Town Board meeting on October 14, 1986 (the “Original
Agreement”) regarding the Water District, and, while no executed version of the Original Agreement
has been found, the parties agree and acknowledge that they have each carried out and respected the
terms and conditions stated therein;
WHEREAS, the Village Board approved and entered into that certain agreement by and between the
Village and the Town dated November 14, 1986 (the “Village Agreement”), and thereby approved
supplying water from the Village to CARS’ residential property located within the Village Town of
Ulysses at 6621 NY Rte 227, P.O. Box 724, Truman sburg, NY 14886 (“Property”), which provides
housing and treatment to clients suffering from drug and alcohol related problems; and
WHEREAS, CARS, at its cost and expense and as required by the Original Agreement and consistent
with the Village Agreement, installed lines and equipment to bring water from the Village’s water line
to the Property in accordance with plans drawn by T.G. Miller Associates, dated July 30, 1986, which
installation created the Water District, and which Water District was constructed in accordance with
those certain drawings entitled “Plans for Water System Extension to New York Alpha Foundation
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Facility Town of Ulysses, Tompkins County, New York Water Mains Indian Fort Road and N.Y.S. Route
227” prepared by T.G. Miller Associates P.C. Engineers and Surveyors and approved by the Tompkins
County Health Department on December 8, 1986 and attached hereto and incorporated herein (the
“Plans”); and
WHEREAS, CARS is intending to construct a 25 bed, women’s only, residential addiction recovery
center (the “Project”) on the Property, which Property is serviced by the Water District; and
WHEREAS, on December 17, 2019 the Ulysses Planning Board approved a site plan presented by CARS
for the project, which approval was conditioned upon “Execution of a final water agreement contract
with the Town of Ulysses” and
WHEREAS, the Town and CARS wish to restate in its entirety the Original Agreement to assure its
enforceability and to accommodate the Project;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Ulysses Town Board approves the attached Agreement,
contingent upon approval by the CARS Board of Directors and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Town Supervisor is hereby authorized to sign the Agreement on behalf of
the Town of Ulysses.
Moved: Ms. Zahler Seconded: Mr. Boggs
Ms. Zahler aye
Ms. Olson aye
Mr. Boggs aye
Mr. Goldman aye
Mr. Devokaitis aye
Vote: 5-0
Date Adopted: 10/13/20
ESTABLISHMENT OF FUND LEVELS FOR REPAIR/RESERVE FUND SW1-230 / SW1-882
RESOLUTION #198 of 2020: ESTABLISHMENT OF FUNDING LEVELS FOR REPAIR RESERVE FUND NO.
SW1230/SW1882 FOR WATER DISTRICT #1
WHEREAS, according to the approved Agreement between the Town of Ulysses and Cayuga Addiction
Recovery Services (CARS), the user(s) of Water District #1 are responsible for the repair/replacement of
the water lines in the Water District and
WHEREAS, the Town of Ulysses and the primary user, Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services (CARS) have
agreed in the re-stated 2020 Agreement that funds shall be set aside for repairs in Water District #1,
now therefore be it
RESOLVED , that the sum of $3,000/year be collected from the user(s) as a utility fee to be set aside by
the Town of Ulysses for future repairs and/or replacement expenses which sums shall be held in Repair
Reserve Fund Numbers SW1230/SW1882 and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Town of Ulysses and CARS agree to meet annually in June to review the
status of the Water District and future budgeting.
Moved as revised: Ms. Olson Seconded as revised: Mr. Boggs
Ms. Zahler aye
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Ms. Olson aye
Mr. Boggs aye
Mr. Goldman aye
Mr. Devokaitis aye
Vote: 5-0
Date Adopted: 10/13/20
RE-AFFIRMATION OF LEGAL REPRESENTATION CONTRACT WITH TRUE, WALSH, AND SOKONI
RESOLUTION #199 of 2020: REAFFIRMING LEGAL REPRESENTATION BY TRUE, WALSH AND SOKONI
for 2020
WHEREAS, Khandikile M. Sokoni, partner in True, Walsh and Sokoni, has provided legal counsel to the
Town of Ulysses during 2020 and
WHEREAS, Ms. Sokoni will be leaving the firm in November 2020, and
WHEREAS, Peter Walsh has agreed to provide counsel to the Town of Ulysses for the balance of 2020,
now therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the Ulysses Town Board thanks Ms. Sokoni for her service to the Town and
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Ulysses Town Board re-affirm its continued legal representation by True,
Walsh and Sokoni and designate Peter Walsh as attorney for the Town of Ulysses through December
2020 at the current fees.
Moved: Ms. Zahler Seconded: Mr. Boggs
Ms. Zahler aye
Ms. Olson aye
Mr. Boggs aye
Mr. Goldman aye
Mr. Devokaitis aye
Vote: 5-0
Date Adopted: 10/13/20
Ms. Sokoni was excused at this time with thanks from Board and staff (7:48pm).
REVIEW OPTIONS FOR SAVING ENERGY AND EXPENSE BY CONVERTING TOWN STREETLIGHTS TO LED
Ms. Zahler reviewed two options for LED conversion: the town can purchase the lighting from NYSEG through
a partnership and contract with New York Power Authority, or continue with NYSEG and ask them to convert
the lights. Previously, in 2019 the board passed a resolution expressing interest in pursuing a buyout through
NYPA. Since then, NYSEG has made a new, competing offer.
RESOLUTION #200 OF 2020: AUTHORIZATION TO CONVERT STREETLIGHTS TO LED THROUGH NYSEG
WHEREAS, the Town of Ulysses, as a Climate Smart Community, wishes to further reduce our energy
use and the costs associated with the operation of ten (10) streetlights currently owned by New York
State Electric and Gas and
WHEREAS, the Town Board has considered two different methods for converting streetlights to LED
energy-saving lighting technology and
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WHEREAS, Option 1 involves the financed capital expense of purchasing streetlights from NYSEG
through a joint plan arranged by New York Power Authority (NYPA) costing a total of $21,649.38,
payable over time at a cost of $112.76/ month x 192 payments and would require an on-going
maintenance contract for poles after they are owned by the Town and
WHEREAS, the Town has no long- term plans to use the poles to mount other Town-owned
communications technology, and
WHEREAS, Option 2 involves the one-time cost of buying out the unexpired life cost of the current
streetlights owned by New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) is $ 353.59 which would be paid back
with four months of energy savings with an additional estimated annual savings of $ 956 from reduced
energy use and longer life of LED bulbs, now therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the Ulysses Town Board authorize the Supervisor to enter into an Agreement with
NYSEG to convert the NYSEG-owned Town’s streetlights to LED lamps, upon review and approval of the
Town Attorney, and further
RESOLVED that the $353.59 shall be appropriated from the A5182.4 account in the 2021 budget when
the conversion is complete and further
RESOLVED that the Ulysses Town Board requests that the Conservation and Sustainability Advisory
Committee review and make recommendations on the appropriate level of LED brightness by
November 24, 2020, to enable the Town to provide direction to NYSEG about our preference when
they make the LED conversions.
Moved: Ms. Zahler Seconded: Mr. Devokaitis
Ms. Zahler aye
Ms. Olson aye
Mr. Boggs aye
Mr. Goldman aye
Mr. Devokaitis aye
Vote: 5-0
Date Adopted: 10/13/20
VOUCHER FOR INTERSTATE
The board discussed whether to pay the full amount now or wait until the documentation needed for grant
reimbursement is completed.
MOTION:
Mr. Goldman made a motion to hold back 10% of the final payment to Interstate until the reporting is
completed. This was seconded by Mr. Boggs and passed unanimously.
2021 TENTATIVE BUDGET REVIEW: A FUND EXPENSES FOR TOWN WIDE EXPENSES INCLUDING RECREATION
AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
The group discussed the following account lines in the A fund:
• Town Board
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• Town Justice
• Town Supervisor
• Auditor
• Town Clerk
• Attorney
• Engineer
• Elections
• Records Management
• Town Hall
• Central Communications
• Printing & Mailing
• Unallocated (Liability) Insurance
• Municipal Assoc. dues
• Purchase of Land/ROW
• Contingency
Mr. Glennon was excused at this time (9:26pm).
• Highway Superintendent
• Highway Barn
APPROVAL OF HEALTH CONSORTIUM MUNICIPAL COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AMENDMENTS 2020 & 2021
RESOLUTION # 201 of 2020: APPROVAL OF THE 2020 AND 2021 AMENDMENTS TO THE MUNICIPAL
COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT FOR THE GREATER TOMPKINS COUNTY MUNICIPAL HEALTH INSURANCE
CONSORTIUM
WHEREAS, the Town of Ulysses is a Participant in the Greater Tompkins County Municipal Health
Insurance Consortium (the "Consortium"), a municipal cooperative organized under Article 47 of the
New York Insurance Law, and
WHEREAS, the municipal participants in the Consortium, including this body, have approved and
executed a certain Municipal Cooperation Agreement (the "Agreement"; effective date of October 1,
2010) and the 2020 and 2021 Amendments that provide for the operation and governance of the
Consortium, and
WHEREAS, Article 47 of the New York Insurance Law (the "Insurance Law") and the rules and
regulations of the New York State Department of Financial Services set forth certain requirements for
governance of municipal cooperatives that offer self-insured municipal cooperative health insurance
plans, and
WHEREAS, the Agreement sets forth in Section Q2 that continuation of the Consortium under the
terms and conditions of the Agreement, or any amendments or restatements thereto, shall be subject
to Board review on the fifth (5th) anniversary date and upon acceptance of any new Participant
hereafter, and
WHEREAS, by motion 005-2020 and 008 of 2020 the Consortium's Board of Directors recommends
approval of the 2020 and 2021 amended agreements based on review of the document by the
Governance Structure/MCA Review Committee, the New York State Department of Financial Services,
and the Consortium’s legal counsel, and
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WHEREAS, the Municipal Cooperative Agreement requires that amendments to the agreement be
presented to each participant for review and adopted by its municipal board,
WHEREAS, the Town of Ulysses is in receipt of the proposed amended Agreement(s) and has
determined that it is in the best interest of its constituents who are served by the Consortium to
amend the Agreement as set forth in the attached 2020 and 2021 Amended Municipal Cooperative
Agreements, now therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the Town of Ulysses approves and authorizes the Chief Executive Officer to sign the
2020 and 2021 Amendments to the Municipal Cooperative Agreement of the Greater Tompkins County
Municipal Health Insurance Consortium, and
RESOLVED, further, that the Clerk of the Town of Ulysses is hereby authorized to execute this
Resolution to indicate its approval, transmit a copy thereof to the Board of Directors of the Greater
Tompkins County Municipal Health Insurance Consortium, and take any other such actions as may be
required by law.
Moved: Mr. Goldman Seconded: Ms. Zahler
Ms. Zahler aye
Ms. Olson aye
Mr. Boggs aye
Mr. Goldman aye
Mr. Devokaitis aye
Vote: 5-0
Date Adopted: 10/13/20
SUPPORT FOR TOMPKINS COUNTY 2021 BROADBAND FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR RURAL ACCESS
Ms. Koreman shared some background on the topic. The Village of Trumansburg is also interested and would
like the scope of the survey to include all of the area served by the Trumansburg School District.
RESOLUTION #202 of 2020: SUPPORT FOR AN OVER TARGET REQUEST FOR TOMPKINS COUNTY TO
UNDERTAKE A BROADBAND PLANNING STUDY AND PLEDGING FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS IN
SUPPORT
WHEREAS COVID-19 has highlighted key inequities in our infrastructure and communities, including a
lack of adequate broadband access to residents and businesses in our rural communities; and
WHEREAS lack of broadband access impedes the ability of our residents to do work, attend school,
have medical appointments, run their businesses, and even to have virtual face-to-face conversations
with loved ones; and
WHEREAS access to broadband services is not a luxury but a necessary public need that must be
addressed; and
WHEREAS there are still households in the Town of Ulysses that lack access to broadband service and
others experience barriers to access based on affordability and physical distance from the road; and
WHEREAS the model for broadband buildout up until now has been that Internet Service Providers
(ISPs) get grant funding from the state or federal governments to build a system that the ISP owns and
controls; and
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WHEREAS these ISPs are driven by profit motives rather than public interests, resulting in inadequate
speeds and lack of access and competition in the most rural areas in the county; and
WHEREAS municipally owned internet services can better serve the public interest; and
WHEREAS it is not economically feasible for each municipality to fight each other for state and federal
funding to build their own fiber network; and
WHEREAS a collective, regional approach is not only possible and logical, it is already happening in
many counties around us through a regional partnership with the Southern Tier Network, and
WHEREAS the Southern Tier Network (STN) is a municipally-owned non-profit open access fiber
network created in January 2011 through a partnership between the Southern Tier Central, Corning
Incorporated, and Chemung, Schuyler, and Steuben Counties; and
WHEREAS STN was built to support the needs of public safety, improve broadband access in rural
areas, increase competition and the level of telecommunications services across the region, and create
a globally competitive advantage for job creation; and
WHEREAS STN has developed and successfully maintained over 500 miles of fiber across the Southern
Tier of New York, with lines extending through Schuyler, Chemung, Steuben, Yates, Tioga, Broome, and
even into Tompkins County; and
WHEREAS since 2011, STN has been building out middle mile fiberoptic cable that has successfully
increased the competition of ISPs to provide service to both residential and commercial properties;
and
WHEREAS STN is now working with member counties to explore solutions to reach into the most rural
areas in the Southern Tier; and
WHEREAS earlier this year Schuyler, Chemung, Steuben, Yates, and Tioga (the current members of STN)
collectively hired Fujitsu to do a study with 5 deliverables to explore a plan for STN to build, own and
operate a network of both middle and final mile fiber in their communities; and
WHEREAS the Executive Director of STN, Steve Manning, indicated that Tompkins may be able to
create an add-on contract with Fujitsu for the same deliverables, taking advantage of the work that has
already been done (e.g. business and operations models, financial models etc.) to realize costs savings;
and
WHEREAS the Town of Ulysses recently participated in a webinar with Steve Manning to learn more
about the potential of municipally owned broadband, and we are interested in exploring the possibility
and believe economies of scale will be realized that will make the project more feasible by working
with other Counties;
Now, therefore be it
RESOLVED that the Town of Ulysses Town Board asks the County to support a one-time Over Target
Request of not more than $80,000 for a study that will provide the following deliverables to help us
identify a possible path forward for a county-wide buildout of both middle and last mile fiber optic
cable in Tompkins County:
1. Market assessment - identifying the unserved and underserved areas, what the competition is
in the county, where do the current providers provide service, what the terms are and what they are
charging, and will outline demographics.
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2. Design - outside (geographic layout and design, redundancy and diversity, how to reach each
address point, comparison of a distributed or central architecture) and inside plan design (where
should colocation centers be placed, convergence points, OLTs, etc...).
3. Business and operations model - what are the different models out there for municipal based
fiber to the home. What does it look like and what are the different models of operation?
4. Operations and maintenance - a complete look at what would it take to operate the
infrastructure, what type of service, what are the staffing needs, what is a recommended maintenance
schedule? How often do you need to replace a core router etc…?
5. Financials - for both capital and operations (including take rate opportunities) - what kind of
revenue can you expect since it needs to cover costs for many decades?
Moved: Ms. Zahler Seconded: Mr. Boggs
Ms. Zahler aye
Ms. Olson absent
Mr. Boggs aye
Mr. Goldman aye
Mr. Devokaitis aye
Vote: 4-0
Date Adopted: 10/13/20
PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR:
Ms. Koreman suggested that the TC Legislature might be more persuaded to support the broadband study if
municipalities contribute.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
RESOLUTION # 203 OF 2020: APPROVAL OF MINUTES
RESOLVED that the Ulysses Town Board approves the minutes from the Town Board meeting held
September 22,2020.
Moved: Ms. Zahler Seconded: Mr. Boggs
Ms. Zahler aye
Ms. Olson aye
Mr. Boggs aye
Mr. Goldman aye
Mr. Devokaitis aye
Vote: 5 -0
Date Adopted: 10/13/20
RESOLUTION # 204 OF 2020: APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Special Town Board meeting October 1, 2020 to review the 2021 Tentative Budget, and Special TB
Meeting 10/7 for advice of counsel re: CARS., Sept. 10 Fire/EMS
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Moved: Mr. Goldman Seconded: Mr. Devokaitis
Ms. Zahler aye
Ms. Olson aye
Mr. Boggs aye
Mr. Goldman aye
Mr. Devokaitis aye
Vote: 5-0
Date Adopted: 10/13/20
APPROVAL OF BUDGET MODIFICATIONS:
RESOLUTION # 205 OF 2020: APPROVAL OF BUDGET MODIFICATIONS
RESOLVED that the Ulysses Town Board approves the budget modifications below:
A FUND BUDGET MODIFICATIONS
A1220.12 Deputy Supervisor PS INCREASE $3,760
To cover the approved annual salary for Second Deputy Supervisor.
A1220.14 Project Assistant PS DECREASE $3,760
The Town Board planned to use this line to balance staffing salary lines in the Supervisor’s Office.
A1220.13 Budget Officer PS INCREASE $2,069
To cover the salary gap for the Second Deputy Supervisor splitting the duties of Budget Officer with
Supervisors Thomas and Zahler.
A9060.8 Health Insurance DECREASE $2,069
Savings in this line due to the fact that NZ is not using this benefit. Balance remaining in this line after
modification = $42,828.86
A1620.4 Town Hall EQ INCREASE $18,918.60
As presented to the Town Board on 3/10/20, the 2020 budget did not adequately plan for the total cost
of the NYSERDA partially funded HVAC renovation project. This increased expense was recognized at
the 3/10/20 meeting, which is when the bid for the contractor for this project was approved.
A1620.4 Town Hall CE DECREASE $18,918.60
Balance after this modification: $4,375.97. It is likely that a budget modification will be needed to
increase this line for the December voucher cycle. These overages have been known and
communicated to the Board prior to the start of the HVAC project; additionally, they have been
included in the end of year (EOY) estimates during the budgeting process.
A7020.43 Adult Community Rec INCREASE $550
Overage in this line due to changes in programming as a result of the on-going COVID 19 emergency.
In lieu of planned programming, outdoor movie night was sponsored by the Town as a way of
increasing Recreation Department engagement with adults and families in the community.
A7020.42 Recreation CE – Summer Camp DECREASE $550
Budgeted expenses from this line will be less than anticipated due to the fact that the Recreation
Department was unable to host summer camp in 2020. Balance after this modification = $17,466.24
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B FUND BUDGET MODIFICATIONS
B3620.4 Enforcement Office CE INCREASE $2,645.32
Overage due to costs associated with transition and hire of new Code Officer.
B1990.4 Contingency Account DECREASE $2,645.32
Contingency used for unplanned expenses.
B3620.1 Enforcement Officer PS INCREASE $2591.57
Vacation payout expense for previous Code Officer.
B234/B867 EMPLOYEE BENEFIT ACCRUED LIABILITY RESERVE
FUND
DECREASE $2591.57
A referendum is not required either to create or expend money from the Employee Benefit Accrued
Liability Reserve for the purposes permitted by law. No expenditure shall be made from the reserve
fund except by authorization of the Town Board of the Town of Ulysses. This expense is the explicit
purpose of this reserve fund.
DA FUND BUDGET MODIFICATIONS
DA9050.8 Unemployment Insurance INCREASE $255.16
Ulysses, as a government entity, is a self-insured employer. This unemployment claim is from a former
part time highway employee who retired from the Town but is still eligible for unemployment payments
by the Town.
A9060.8 Health Insurance DECREASE $255.16
This line will be underspent this year; balance after budget modification and October vouchers =
$36,351
Moved: Ms. Zahler Seconded: Mr. Goldman
Ms. Zahler aye
Ms. Olson aye
Mr. Boggs aye
Mr. Goldman aye
Mr. Devokaitis aye
Vote: 5-0
Date Adopted: 10/13/20
PAYMENT OF CLAIMS
RESOLUTION # 206 OF 2020: PAYMENT OF CLAIMS
RESOLVED that the Ulysses Town Board has reviewed and approves the payment of claims for:
• HA (WD3 Aerator Capital Fund) fund voucher 22 in the amount of $4030.00
• HB Fund Vouchers # 10-11 totaling $24,419.75
• All other funds vouchers #405- 461 in the amount of $ 113,520.37
Moved: Ms. Zahler Seconded: Mr. Boggs
Ms. Zahler aye
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Ms. Olson aye
Mr. Boggs aye
Mr. Goldman aye
Mr. Devokaitis aye
Vote: 5-0
Date Adopted: 10/13/20
ADJOURN:
Mr. Goldman moved to adjourn the meeting at 10:11pm. This was seconded by Mr. Devokaitis and passed
unanimously.
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APPENDIX I:
TOWN REPORTS:
HIGHWAY SUPERINTENDENT: Submitted by Mr. Stewart
Dead Trees on Wilkins road and Cayuga street
Removed large branch from damaged tree at Jacksonville Park
Clean Shop
Shoulder work on various roads
Mowing back wherever we can
Bill Austen is working on T10, Replacing King Pins, Drag links, Front Springs, Air Tanks and muffler
Undercoated New Mack Truck T22
Painted the Salt Shed
Working on Budget for 2021
TOWN CLERK: Submitted by Ms. Parlato
LICENSES/PERMITS issued: #
Sporting licenses 80
Disabled parking permits 7
Dog licenses and renewals 62
Marriage licenses 5
Plumbing permits 1
Address assignments 0
Notarizations 5
FOIL requests-received 0
FOIL requests-completed 0
CLERK’s OFFICE TASKS:
• Routine tasks:
o retrieved, sorted, vouchered mail, answered inquiries on various topics, attended
town board meetings and took minutes, kept website current, mailed and posted
dog licenses, issued disabled parking permits
• Emergency tasks during COVID-19:
o Took part in periodic meetings with county health dept., community leaders, town
staff
o Assisted in review and update of Reconstitution of Operations Plan
o Sent weekly listserv messages to residents
o Ensure that visitors entering adhere to protocols
WATER DISTRICT TASKS:
FINANCIAL REPORT:
$5831.00 TOTAL Collected for fees & licenses
$1386.21 stays in the town
$4444.79 goes to the state
• Continued weekly water meetings with Deputy Supervisor, Supervisor & Councilperson
Boggs to work on updating/creating water procedures and the 2021 budget.
• Researched historical of water charges for budgeting break out details
• Updated water accounts as properties sold and meters were upgraded
• Completed annual water unit determinations for Water District 3 to be used for
breakdown of O&M and debt service charges on tax bills
• Tracked water usage/consumption/billing for annual spreadsheet
SAFETY COMMITTEE:
• Announced annual staff trainings & deadline, documented completions
COMMITTEES/ASSOCIATIONS:
• Health Consortium- Joint Committee on Plan Structure & Design:
o Attended August virtual meeting
COURT ASSISTANCE:
• Deputy Clerk assisted during court days- checked in defendants and and attorneys, took
temperatures, disinfected all surfaces between defendants
LED LIGHTING UPDATE:
• Ordered additional LED bulbs for Town Hall conversion project, tracked grant expenses
and forwarded to Roxanne Marino for grant reimbursement
CODE/ZONING ASSISTANCE:
• Sent legal ads in for publication and neighbor notices for public hearings (BZA and PB)
• Assisted Code office in property research & set up Laserfiche access through County
• Collected/entered building/code fees
BUILDING/CODE OFFICER-
Building Permits issued 11
Plan Reviews 14
Certificate of Occupancy issued 4
Certificate of Compliance issued 8
Complaints Received 0
Complaints Resolved 0
Inspections (Footers, Foundations, Plumbing, Insulation, roofing, Pools, Etc.) 26
New Site Inspections 11
Building Review Consultations (pre-plan meetings, Future Building/Remodeling) 3
Fire Safety Inspections
Code Training Seminars 9f code class
Last Class
County Assessment, Town, DOS Reports 1
Open property in violation cases 4
Property violations resolved 1
Value of Permits issued: $307,863.00
Building Permit fees collected for month: $1691.00 Activity Report
FIRE INSPECTOR REPORT- Submitted by Lucas Albertsman
Fire Inspections 3
Invoices sent out 2
Notices sent 18
Operating permits issued 6
RECREATION DIRECTOR, Will Glennon:
Current Programs:
Fairgrounds Middle School Program:
Officially called the Trumansburg Community School-Day Program, in conjunction with Cornell
Cooperative Extension Rural Youth Services, Paul Pennock, and support from the Trumansburg middle
school, has offered a five-week pilot program for middle school students to support the community
for the hybrid school model.
The program runs Monday - Thursday and is designed as two two-day programs for the students that
are only attending school two days per week. The current cost of the program is $30 per/two days.
The daily activities include academic support and recreation. The Internet has been provided at no
cost from Trumansburg Telephone.
The attendance/registration started at four and increased to a maximum of 13 per session.
The initial five weeks of the program at the Trumansburg Fairgrounds is set to end on October 15th.
The Cayuga Nature Center has offered their space for rent over the late fall to early spring months to
continue the program. Next session of the program is set to begin on Monday, October 26th. The
week of October 19th will be used to evaluate the program and recruit students.
Additional funds for the program have been raised through Cornell Cooperative Extension, the
individual efforts of members of the Youth Commission, and the generosity of the Trumansburg
Education Foundation.
Recently concluded program:
Movie night series:
The three movie series concluded on September 11th. The three movies offered were North by
Northwest, The Goonies, and Sing. The series was supported by the Town of Ulysses (financial
support and staffing), the Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts (staffing, logistical support, and 24’
inflatable screen) and the Trumansburg Library (projector).
Community members were encouraged to register to attend through RecDesk. Contact tracing for
the event was conducted through both RecDesk and in-person logs.
The attendance for the events ranged from 23-32.
Total cost of the three movies was $1050.00 and licensing was provided through Swank Motion
Pictures INC.
Future initiatives:
Responding to the request from Trumansburg Community Recreation to the Town of Ulysses and the
Recreation Department concerning becoming the hub for recreation programming information and
opportunities in the community and the use of RecDesk for information dissemination and
registration.
ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNER / ZONING OFFICER- Submitted by Mr. Zepko
Planning Board
1 Sept meeting
15 Sept meeting
Board of Zoning Appeals
No Meeting in September
Planner Activity
• Cleaner Greener Grant (39053) – In Responses to comments from
NYSERDA project manager, compiling a report of grant funding
expenditures and a list of staff/agencies involved in zoning update
• 9 Sept Attended Stream & Buffer Protection Webinar
• 14 Sept – Met w/ Highway Superintendent to discuss Hazard Mitigation Planning
• 16 Sept - Attended Tompkins County Resiliency Plan Risk Assessment Meeting
• 28 Sept – Met w/ Town Supervisor, Code Enforcement Officer, municipal
attorney to discuss zoning enforcement procedures
Zoning Enforcement
** NOAV – Notice of Apparent Violation
Hazard Mitigation Plan
• Completed verification/update of list of critical facilities in the Town of Ulysses.
• Staff is coordinating to complete an analyses of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Obstacles or Opportunities
(SWOO) in the Town of Ulysses to assist in the draft annex of the Tompkins County Multi-Jurisdictional
All Hazard Mitigation Plan.
SBL Violation Code Action Status
13.-5-15.124 Unregistered Vehicles § 212-170 C & D **NOAV Resolved
18.-4-26.2 Non-Conforming Use Article VII R – Residential Zone NOAV Resolved
20.-1-6.1 Unregistered Vehicles § 212-170 C & D NOAV Resolved
18.-4-26.2 Unregistered Vehicles § 212-170 C & D NOAV Resolved
28.-1-4.1 Building w/ out permit Article II § 212-5 B & C
and Article VIII § 212-54 F
Phone contact
w/ owner
Ongoing/
working
w/ owner
Board Activity Sept 2020
Planning Board
Date Parcel Property Address Project # New Lots
9/1/2020 23.-3-11.23 Waterburg Rd Minor Sub 1
9/15/2020 24.-2-8.32 Mekeel/Jacksonville Minor Sub 1
Total New Lots 2
DEP. SUPERVISOR, ADMINISTRATION & EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
Emergency Related
• COOP re-development work in anticipation of cold and flu season.
• Assistance with re-configuration of Town Hall traffic flow.
• Sanitization of Town Hall when last in building for day.
• Coordination with Clerks office regarding Town Hall sanitation supplies.
2021 Budget Development Work
• Continued development of the budget worksheet.
• Continued communication with outside organizations and Town Staff and Officials regarding elements
to include in the 2021 budget.
o Including work related to obtaining a rough estimate on design work for highway infrastructure.
• Submission of the tentative budget.
Active Grant Updates
• NYSERDA Heat Pump Grant
o Internal Activities: continued work regarding the close out process.
o Coordination of training Town Staff on system.
• Cemetery Road Bridge over Trumansburg Creek (NYSDOT funded with FHWA money, Barton &
Loguidice Engineers)
o Internal activities:
Continued submission for reimbursement through NYSDOT.
o Engineer Update: “On the other front (ROW vs. contract docs), the update is that the ARM was
sent to Real Estate yesterday, but it looks like there are still more markups on the acquisition
maps. I believe the critical path is Real Estate and so that’s good news. That said, ROW overall
is going to be the critical path to go to bid and so I’ll try to ask for/pass along updates
periodically.”
o Project Timeline, updated with information in red from Sandra Lusher, our NYSDOT Project
Manager:
o When o What o Status
o September
o Project Awarded Bridge NY Funding o Complete
o October
o Project Added to STIP/TIP o Complete
o January
o State-Local Agreement Executed o Complete
o January
o Design Consultant Contract Executed o Complete
o January
o Design sent to NYSDOT for review o Complete
o March 2,
o Public Meeting o Meeting held 3/2
o January
2021
o ROW Acquisition Completed o NYS will conduct,
this is in process
o 11/10/2020 o ADP Complete o Submitted to
NYSDOT and TC Highway
o 12/28/2020 o PS&E Submitted
o January
o PS&E Approved by County & State
o 1/25/2020 o Construction Phase Authorized
o 2/26/2020 o Advertisement
o 3/26/2020 o Letting
o 4/26/2020 o Contract Awarded
o 4/26/2020
(?)
o PreCon Meeting o Note: assuming
Sandra meant sometime
after 4/26 for the
o June 2021 o Begin Construction
o October
o Complete Construction
o 11/15/2021 o Construction Complete o Sandra’s
date for
• WD #3 WIIA Grant (EFC funded, MRB Engineers)
o Financial: work pertaining to internal financing; reserve inter fund 3-year loan work
o Engineering update:
o “We received an updated schedule from the contractor on Monday – many
questions sent back to him but we were able to at least get some dates for various
portions of the remaining work. Here is what we know:
Modifications to the tank roof will be performed on October 12th by the tank
manufacturer, Statewide Aquastore. These penetrations will be for the
new equipment and associated power chords for the equipment inside the
tank.
TTHM Removal System will begin to be installed week of November 9th.
Chris will need to have tank operating at the high water level October 12th so
the tank manufacturer can get inside the tank while they make penetrations
to the roof.
We will plan to hold a pre-installation meeting near the end of
October to coordinate installation of the TTHM System
equipment.
o The electrical power panel and control panel for the TTHM system are anticipated
to be available ahead of November 6th but the delivery dates are still trying to be
solidified by the GC. The contractor has been limited with work recently based on
getting delivery of the equipment (TTHM System, Power Panel and TTHM Control
Panel).
o Substantial completion and Final completion of the project were scheduled for
9/21/2020 and 10/21/2020, respectively. With the dates provided by the GC, we
will need to begin coordinating a contract extension. A change order can be
issued to amend the contract dates. Once we understand how long installation
of TTHM system will take we can begin pulling Change Order paperwork
together.”
Note that at this time, this is a no-cost change order
o o Revised Project Timeline:
o Advertise to Town
o
o 5/21/20
o Plans and Specs Available for Bidders o 5/26/20
o Pre-bid Meeting o 6/2/20
o Bid Opening o 6/19/20
o Provide Bid Tabulation & Summary of Bids to Town o Completed
Board Meeting to Award Contracts 6/23/20
Start of Construction August 2020
Substantial Completion of Construction (91 days) 10/27/20
Final Completion of Construction (30 days) TBD: extended, see above
11/27/20
Other Work
Other Financially Related & Bookkeeper Supervision
• 2020 COVID budget: continuing to keep an eye on the affect the pandemic and
related economic emergency has on the Town the 2020 budget.
• Continued communications with Insero regarding audit and preliminary findings
• On-going supervision of closing monthly financial books, corrections and other over sight.
o Supervision of on-going water district bookkeeping reconciliation issues
o Supervision of corrections needed for original February entry pertaining to CD
investments
• Payroll supervision.
• On-going review of expenditures, vouchering process.
Water District 3
• Regular meetings regarding a variety of aspects: budgeting, reconciliation, operations,
testing, etc.
Curry Road Structure Replacement
o 9/10 Meeting with Ben W. from Barton and Loguidice and Scott Stewart to discuss
progress on resolving aging bridge needs. Unedited notes from this meeting below.
o County definition of a bridge is 25’ ; DOT says 20’
o A full study would determine if this structure needs to be replaced or if the
super structure needs to be rehabilitated.
Culvert NY funding program: unlikely they would invest in a rehabilitation
project; Ben has only seen funding for full replacement.
o A hydraulics analysis would help determine what the size of the bridge would
need to be, Tompkins County is anecdotally open to the idea of this structure
needing to be over 25’ (the replacement/rehabilitated structure would be
designed 20% over stream average stats).
o Weight limit signage: at Scott’s discretion; calculations would need to be made to
justify B&L making a weight limit recommendation, but doubtful that would be the
conclusion due to the fact that most large/heavy vehicles only have one axel at a
time on the structure.
Maplewood Hairpin Turn Structure
o Scott Stewart requested that Barton and Loguidice take a look at this structure as well
o The “cheapest” fix is to put a new pipe (slipline pipe) in this structure —a discussion ensued
regarding a product that has a smoother co-efficient from a manufacturer that can spec out
specific sites.
o Any proposal would include an improved drainage plan.
o B&L hydro analysis includes proposing design fail conditions: i.e. what storm would
overtake the infrastructure (aka a 25, 50 year storm, etc.)
o DEC permit would be sought
Scope of work for design on both of these structures:
1) complete an in-depth inspection of the structure
2) pull together a basic sketch of the site with rough dimensions
3) prepare a basic scope of work accompanied by cost estimates for both alternatives
4) assemble this into a summary memo
Upcoming
• 2021 budget season: should take up a lot of time in the next month.
• HVAC project close out.
• Continued work with aerator installation project.
• Preparing for the accounting and bookkeeping work required for end of year activities
o Monitoring of EOY projections versus actual in order to keep an eye on fund balance
projections
o The cross over from one financial year to the next requires a good deal of extra work
Meetings and Trainings
In an effort to stay in touch with the latest financial information coming from State and other
sources, I participated in several opportunities for professional development in an effort to keep
my ear to the ground about the economic state in which we are designing the 2021 budget
within.
SUPERVISOR REPORT- NANCY ZAHLER
Budget
• Worked with Michelle E. Wright to prepare Tentative 2021 budget and overview
• Submitted 2021 Tentative Budget on 9/29/20
• Worked with Michelle to provide 10/1/20 overview for Town Board
• Notified staff re: budget recommendations and to arrange for attendance at upcoming review
sessions
• Prepared brief budget summary for List Serve, which was re-printed by the Free Press
• Requested updated sales tax figures from the County
• Requested and reviewed ambulance billing data to determine possible fee increases
Union Negotiations
• Continuing negotiations for 2021. An executive session may be needed after 10/13 meeting
Water
• Researched and prepared background information on WD#1 and reviewed re-stated
Agreement with CARS
• Working on updating calculations on water units for WD#1 for budget and Assessment office
tax billing
• Worked with Carissa, Michelle, and Councilman Boggs on WD#3 budget
Staffing/ Program Administration
• Updated staff on status of budget and preparation for budget reviews
• Briefly discussed plans for updating Comprehensive Plan with Planner
• HVAC- met with Michelle and Roxanne Marino re: close out of grant and reporting
• Middle School Program- worked with Will Glennon, Ethan Crampton and Michelle E Wright to
be sure we had staff hiring protocols in place and liability coverage for the COVID-19
community-based education/support program
• Provided background information on Recreation Program to Youth Commission
• Reviewed water and waste system work and invoices related to Jacksonville Park Restroom
Project
Enforcement
• Convened a meeting with enforcement attorney Robert Sarachan, Planner and Code
Enforcement officer to clarify protocols for assuring successful enforcement efforts and
outlined next steps on a long-term violations case.
• Updated the budget to reflect Town Board priority on increased enforcement
• Notified County Human Resources re: intention to change the enforcement position title to
include zoning as well as building and fire inspections to determine next steps
• Requested and received a more comprehensive report from the Fire Inspector
Energy/ Environment
• Met with NYSEG representative and Terry Carroll from CCE and CSAC re: Streetlight LED
conversion options to prepare Town Board resolution on next steps.
• Reviewed reports from Cayuga Lake Intermunicipal Organization (CLIO), Water Resources and
Community Science Institute services.
Comprehensive Planning
• Reached out to County Planning to explore help with updating Comprehensive Plan data.
Community Meetings/ Public Information
• Hosted Community COVID call
• Participated in County COVID and Budget update calls
• Participated in two broadband meetings re: expanding internet access to all in Tompkins
County
• Worked with Carissa on Election information Ad for Shopper
• Provided items for List Serve newsletter
• Attended Jacksonville Community Association Board of Directors as Town liaison
• Shared a non-partisan video on how to register to vote in Tompkins County with High School
Principal to encourage young people to register and vote
• Responded to Trumansburg Community Recreation’s request to have independent
community recreation programs advertised and offered through our online registration
program. Consulted with insurance company re: liability. Provided background information to
Youth Commission.
Constituent Contact
• Followed up with Krums Corners resident re: next steps for petitioning re: speed reduction for
safety.
• Took Grassroots inquiry re: water district to attorney for background opinion.
BOOKKEEPER REPORT- Gloria Cassetti- JULY - SEPTEMBER 2020
The entire month of July was dedicated to the internal audit performed by Insero & Assoc. Normal
duties were performed around the audit.
July 2020
• June 2020 monthly close and financial reports completed and distributed
• Processed payroll #14 & 15 and distributed.
• Monthly COBRA billing to former employee.
• Quarterly retiree Insurance Billing
• Quarterly retiree Insurance re-imbursement
• Quarterly Disability and PFL Audit and payment
• Quarterly PERMA Report
• Daily deposits.
• NYSLRS reporting for June
• Monthly pre -pays completed and mailed.
• Monthly vouchers completed and mailed.
• On board Youth Employees for Summer 2020 session.
• Compiled numerous documents for CPA audit. Documentation included items from FY 2018 &
FY 2020.
• Numerous correspondence with CPA and MEW regarding audit.
• Work on Dept Budget Worksheets for distribution.
• Reconcile Water accounts and produced Journals for review re: same
August 2020
• July 2020 monthly close and financial reports completed and distributed
• Processed payroll #16 & 17 and distributed.
• Monthly COBRA billing to former employee.
• Daily deposits.
• NYSLRS reporting for July
• Monthly pre-pays completed and mailed.
• Monthly vouchers completed and mailed.
• Create Journal Entries for 6-month CD investment maturation for all reserve account. Review
with MEW and Enter into WLB.
• Create correcting water journals and enter accordingly.
September 2020
• August 2020 monthly close and financial reports completed and distributed
• Process payroll 18 & 19
• Monthly COBRA billing to former employee.
• Daily deposits.
• NYSLRS reporting for August
• Monthly pre -pays completed and mailed.
• Monthly vouchers completed and mailed.
• Coordinate NYSLRS Signups for Youth Programs and implement same
• Enter real time transactions into WLB
• Refine bank recon excel document to better serve cross auditing purposes & to provide real
time banking activity to newly designed dashboard.
• Preliminary year end phone meeting with Ted at WLB regarding CPA Audit generated Journal
Entries.
• Prep 2020 FYE action item document.
• Refine Water recon document.
• Multiple Resolution Journal Entries created and confirmed with Ted at WLB.
• Refine and implement proper hard copy documentation filing.
Status of Projects
Real time accounting – Created document to track individual bank registers that feed into a
central dashboard. This has helped streamline the month end process as well as provide a central
document location for the reconciliation process.
The dashboard also has a section that captures the monthly revenues and expenditures of each
fund. The end goal is to have this dashboard available to the board as a quick reference to the
more detailed monthly financial reports.
Future Projects and Goals
• Departmental Dashboard.
• Refine employee onboarding process
• Refine voucher review process.
Respectfully Submitted by Carissa Parlato,
10/22/2020