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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-09-25 - TB TOWN OF ULYSSES SPECIAL BOARD MEETING SEPTEMBER 25, 2006 Present : Supervisor Douglas Austic ; Town Council Roxanne Marino, Don Ellis, Rod Ferrentino and Lucia Tyler; Town Clerk Marsha L . Georgia; Deputy Supervisor Richard Coogan. Town Historian Mr. Austic invited the interested residents for the position of Town Historian to attend the meeting. Mr. Austic stated that Ms . Dickerson and Ms . Dean were unavailable to attend tonight and he has extended the invitation to October 4t", 2006 prior to the Tentative Budget meeting. The Board talked with Ms . Fergus and asked her why she is interested in being Historian for the Town. Ms . Fergus said that she knew Ms . Northrup and thinks it would be interesting. Ms . Fergus said that she has the time to devote to the position. The Board discussed the fundamentals of the position and asked Ms . Fergus if she would be open to add duties to the position . Ms . Fergus said that she would be but does not have access to a computer. The Board talked further with Ms . Fergus and thanked her for coming in and said that they would be in touch. Better Housing Ms . Tyler introduced John Spence, Executive Director of Better Housing who wishes to address the Board members about Better Housing Rehabilitation Programs . Mr. Spence distributed a handout and reviewed the following with the Board : The Town is eligible to apply for up to $400,000 in single-use grant funds from the Small Cities Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) which is being administered by the NY State Governor's Office for Small Cities (GOSC) . The Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) should be out in the 1st week of January. Applications for the 2007 round will be due the first week in April . I. Program Basis 1 . The list of the kind of repairs typically covered by Better Housing : • Installing new septic systems and wells • Electric service upgrades • Roof repair and replacement • Replacing old windows • Repair crumbling foundations or support structures • Many others 2 . Tight time frame for completion - 24 months from awarding of contracts . 3 . The amount a municipality can keep for program delivery costs and administration is capped, last year at 18 %. 4. The GOSC staff often looks for community needs assessment that supports the reasoning for applying for the grant funds . The Application reviewers will be looking to fund applications that show a good bit of community input into the determination of needs . Special Town Board 2 09/25/2006 5 . Household requirements : Minimum of 75 % of caseload at or below 50% of area median income, Maximum of 25 % of caseload 51 - 80% of area median income 6 . Variable repayment requirements : Typical = 5 -year diminishing lien for those at or below 80% of AMI. 7 . Other variables : Repayment requirements can be for owned homes only or include rental housing. II. Possible Scenarios for Grant Writing The Town can hire Better Housing or another consultant to put together their CDBG application. Both the consultant and Better Housing charge fees for this service . Better Housing's fee for 2007 : $6,000 Better Housing for Tompkins County will make itself available to write the grant and assemble the entire support package which will include the documentation of need, generating a Town- wide mailing inviting participation and creating a list of interested homeowners. We have a strong track record with grant writing overall, a strong history in administering this program and working with the funder, NYS GOSC . y By either alternative, if funded, the following is an example of the program that would serve Ulysses residents : Total funds (Approx) : $400,000 Funds for construction : $ 334,000 Funds for BHTC program delivery & admin : $61 , 000 Funds for Town administrative costs : $ 5 ,000 Total households to be assisted : 15 - 18 Average amount of assistance per household : $20, 000 Numbers here are averages. If average amount per case is lower; then higher number of participants will be served. III. What steps are needed from Town to Apply? - Hire the grant writing team - Assist writer with soliciting interest from Town residents (mailing) - Hold 2 public hearings in relation to Small Cities program this winter - Review and sign off on required application forms IV. What would be required of Town to administer program : Adhere to Small Cities rules and regulations, work with Better Housing to ensure compliance, oversee program through oversight committee attendance ( lx/ mo for about 2 years from award of contract) , process Better Housing and Contractor billings and draw-downs of grant funds . HUD Income limits for Tompkins County as of 2006 : Persons Very Low Low In Income Income Median Household 50 % Median 80 % Median Income 1 22,250 35,550 44,500 2 25,400 40,650 50,800 3 28,600 45,700 57,200 4 31 ,750 50,800 63 ,500 5 34,300 54,850 68,600 6 36,850 58,950 73 ,700 7 37,350 63,000 78,700 8 41 ,900 67,050 83 ,800 Mr. Spence said that typically the first year an applicant applies it does not get the funds but most always the second year it is granted. The fee for Better Housing to write the grant for the second year application would be $2 , 500 . Special Town Board 3 09/25/2006 The Board discussed the grant with Mr. Spence and asked several questions . Mr. Spence will get back to the Town Board with his answers for the following questions : Define the relationship between the Town of Ulysses and Village of Trumansburg in relation to this grant. At what point do we verify income levels ? If you decide to make funds available to landlords, do you have to make funds available to those who rent to college students who may not need the assistance? How can program income be spent? What if the Town of Ulysses doesn ' t have enough need? What if the average income in the Town is too high ? When does Better Housing need to hear from the Town ? The Board thanked Mr. Spence and will look forward to his responses . Recreation Partnership Ms. Marino had previously submitted a draft resolution for the Town of Ulysses to remain a member of the Recreation Partnership and also supporting information that was reviewed at the September 19, 2006 meeting. Ms . Marino moved, seconded by Ms . Tyler the following revised resolution. BE IT RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Ulysses will notify the Recreation Partnership by October 1 , 2006 that the Town will remain a member of the Partnership for the calendar year 2007, to enable children in the Town of Ulysses, Village of Trumansburg and Trumansburg School District to continue to participate at the lower member fees in Recreation Partnership programs for 2007 . BE IT ALSO RESOLVED that the Supervisor will appropriate $6 ,083 in the 2007 Town of Ulysses tentative budget for the Recreation Partnership . This commitment is for one calendar year. The Town will withdraw from the Recreation Partnership as of January 1 , 2008 . FURTHER, the Ulysses Town Board resolves to form a committee of key stakeholders to evaluate youth recreation options in Ulysses and Trumansburg for the 2008 calendar year and beyond, beginning in January 2007 . As a key part of this effort, the Town will engage the County Youth Services Department to provide technical and planning assistance to such committee, to help identify youth needs, inventory local programs, and to evaluate a variety of different options for meeting the needs of Ulysses and Trumansburg children and youth. This County service offered at no cost to municipalities . Mr. Austic aye Mr. Ferrentino aye Ms . Tyler aye Mr. Ellis aye Ms . Marino aye Adopted. Ms . Marino also introduced a resolution that came from the Town of Caroline in support of continuing collaboration in the Recreation Partnership to be presented to Tompkins County Legislators . Ms . Marino moved , seconded by Mr. Austic the following : Special Town Board 4 09/25/2006 WHEREAS, the Tompkins County Recreation Partnership is a unique collaboration among 11 Tompkins County municipalities which allows youth from Ulysses and other municipalities to participate in recreational programs to meet new friends, learn new skills, and have positive new experiences in well- supervised appropriate activities at an affordable price, and WHEREAS, by collaborating and pooling resources, the Partnership offers a wider and more affordable array of recreational programs than any single local government could offer on its own, according to a cost-sharing formula wherein the Town of Ithaca, City of Ithaca, and Tompkins County each contribute one- quarter, enabling eight smaller municipalities to share the remaining one-quarter, and WHEREAS, the Tompkins County Administrator recently requested the Tompkins County Youth Services Department to describe the impact of withdrawing full County financial support from the Recreation Partnerships, and WHEREAS, withdrawal of County support for the Recreational Partnership would create a funding gap that increased user fees could not fill, and WHEREAS, a partial cut in County funding to the Recreation Partnership contributed to a reduction in the number of Recreation programs from 39 to 30, and WHEREAS, withdrawal of County support for the Recreational Partnership would dramatically reduce the number of recreational programs offered to youth by the Recreation Partnership, and WHEREAS, withdrawal of County support for the Recreational Partnership could ultimately jeopardize the existence of the partnership, and WHERAS, continuing full County support for the Recreation Partnership will encourage inter-municipal cooperation with 10 other municipal partners, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Ulysses affirms the importance of providing well-supervised recreational programming for youth, and also BE IT RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Ulysses strongly encourage the Tompkins County Legislature to continue its support for the Recreation Partnership, and also BE IT RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Ulysses strongly encourage the Board of the Recreation Partnership to develop funding streams in addition to municipal contributions to reduce the strain on its municipal partners . Mr. Austic aye Mr. Ferrentino aye Ms . Tyler aye Mr. Ellis aye Ms . Marino aye Adopted. Joint Village Town Discussion Mr. Austic asked Ms. Marino if she had the opportunity to draw up a resolution on the three things (commitments) the Village has requested. Ms . Marino said she had not had the time to draft that resolution. Special Town Board 5 09/25/2006 Mr. Austic commented that he would hate to commit to the 100, 000 gallons with out careful review of the Town ' s use. The board discussed this . Ms . Marino said she feels that another meeting should take place so everyone can agree on what the discussion was and so that we can move on . Mr. Austic will contact John Hrubos and try to set up a meeting. The next meeting with the Village and Town is scheduled for October 11th , 2006 at the Village Hall . Attorney Search Ms . Tyler said that she contacted everyone on the list that Mr. Wilson provided. She also received another name from Ms . Brock . The interested attorneys will submit a letter of interest to the Town Board . Mr. Austic asked if Ms . Russell had been contacted by Ms . Tyler and she responded that she had not because she thought the Board had already received her letter of interest. Mr. Austic said he would contact her. Mr. Ellis distributed a list of "general requirements" he had developed, they are the following : General Requirements for an Attorney for the Town Generalities and Introduction : Introduction, the Board: In Ulysses the all Town Board members, especially the Supervisor, take many assignments and often work in ad hoc or permanent committees on executive assignments. This is driven somewhat by the increasing demands on the overall executive function of a growing Town . Introduction, procedures: This trend involving Town Board members, other than the Supervisor might not be oblivious. They are not present daily in the Town offices. They do meet at least monthly for the Working Session and then the Regular Town Board Meeting. In fact, during most months, they will meet addition times relative to budgets, projects, or problem solving. Within legal guidelines, they also communicate nearly daily by email sent to all members. Communication : Consulting Professionals should engage in this form. Correspondence should be by email and it should be copied to the full Board. Consulting Professionals should assume that email and its attachments may be edited and further circulated. This is a significant convenience for the Board members. The Consulting Professional may maintain "Record Versions "for whatever purposes. The use of conference calls and email to keep down billing costs and conveniently include interested Board members is required. Budgets: Each Board member is responsible for keeping professionals 'fees within budget and therefore generally controls the scope and depth of Consulting Professionals ' assignments. In the event that a Consulting Professional reports directly to another Board of the Town, or to an ad hoc committee, fees will be fixed when the assignment is made. These ad hoc fees may be absolutely fixed or hourly with a limitation. Scope of Services: Reports: The Attorney for the Town advises the Town Board. The advice may be verbal, as during Regular Town Board meetings and phone conversations, or documented, as in drafts of Town Laws, contracts with third parties, and various Reports. Reports respond to larger and more complex inquiries, such as roles of town personnel, interpretations of Town Law, and recommended procedures at any juncture. Special Town Board 6 09/25/2006 Meetings: The Attorney for the Town is expected to attend the Regular Town Board meeting on the second Tuesdays at 7: 30 at Town Hall. Board members arrive at 7: 00 to review Payment Vouchers. This is an interval during which the Attorney might render reports pertaining to the upcoming meeting, although it is much preferred that such reports be available for the Working Session on the fourth Monday. Special requests are infrequent for attendance of other meetings, perhaps quarterly for some controversial hearing or detailed discussion of some non-routine matter. Allocated Budgets: The Board will budget an overall dollar amount for services in a month and a subordinate part for services requested by the group of individual Board members. Upon receiving a request that predictably exceeds an allocation the Consulting Professional will contact the Supervisor for instructions. Schedule Expectations: The Consulting Professional and the initiating Board member mutually responsible for setting a reporting deadline related to any inquiry. An effort should be made to provide materials several days ahead of any meeting upon which they may have impact. Unless an emergency is indicated, requests for reports to Board Members, including the Supervisor, should be issued on a first come first serve basis. Priorities: In its monthly Work Session the Board will routinely review the Attorney ' current assignments and set priorities. Accommodation : The past practiced of providing an office in Town Hall for the Attorney is ended. Work space could be provided on an ad hoc basis, but only if related to work of a specified duration. The foregoing was not discussed at tonight' s meeting. Zoning Changes The Board did not get to the review of the zoning changes and corrections . Ms. Marino said she also had received a couple of memos from Mr. Coogan that need to be discussed and possibly added to these changes . Mr. Austic asked Ms . Marino if she had some notes on the things that she would like to look at. Ms . Marino said she could get her comments to the Board, one of the things she feels has not been addressed thoroughly is the "signs" . Mr. Ellis felt that the Board may need to look at additional items but at this time get done what the Board has . Mr. Ellis said that he had a lot of notes on signs . Mr. Austic asked Mr. Ellis to work on the "sign standards" . Mr. Austic said the Board should address what they can at the next meeting. Hearing no further business Ms . Tyler moved, seconded by Mr. Ellis to adjourn the meeting. Unanimously approved. Meeting adjourned at 9 :20 pm. Respectfully submitted, Marsha L. Georgia Ulysses Town Clerk MLG : mlg