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Home My WebLink About2014-07-08-RTBI TOWN BOARD MEETING Town of Ulysses July 8, 2014 Audio of the minutes are available on the website at ulysses.ny.us. The meeting was held at the Ulysses Town Hall at 10 Elm Street, Trumansburg. PRESENT: Supervisor- Liz Thomas Board members- Rich Goldman, John Hertzler, Nancy Zahler, David Kerness Clerk- Carissa Parlato Town Attorney- Mariette Geldenhuys Highway Superintendent- Jim Meeker Environmental Planner- Darby Kiley OTHERS PRESENT: Bill Chaisson (reporter), Diane Hillmann, John Wertis Notice of Town Board meetings are posted on the website and clerk's board. Ms. Thomas called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. GENERAL BUSINESS: APPROVAL OF MEETING AGENDA RESOLUTION 2014-134: BE IT RESOLVED that the Ulysses Town Board approve the agenda for the July 8, 2014 meeting with the following additions: zoning change having to do with parks and recreation; a short discussion on the meeting with the village on 7/15; and an executive session for the advice of counsel. Moved: Ms. Thomas Seconded: Mr. Kerness Ms. Thomas aye Ms. Zahler aye Mr. Kemess aye Mr. Goldman aye Mr. Hertzler aye Vote: 5-0 Date Adopted: 7/8/14 APPROVAL OF MINUTES: June 24 & 25, 2014 RESOLUTION 2014-135: BE IT RESOLVED that the Ulysses Town Board approve the minutes for the June 24, 2014 and June 25, 2014 as edited by Ms. Thomas. 2 Moved: Ms. Thomas Seconded: Mr. Kerness Mr. Kerness initiated a discussion on the length of the minutes and requested that only action items are recorded. Ms. Zahler felt that some concise summary of discussion is helpful both to her as a board member and to members of the public seeking to understand the various points of view on issues. Mr. Kerness felt that any summary is an interpretation and those interested in details can listen to the verbatim audio tape online. Ms. Parlato offered to include even more concise summaries of discussion, which was agreeable to most board members. Ms. Thomas aye Ms. Zahler abstain Mr. Kerness aye Mr. Goldman aye Mr. Hertzler aye Vote: 4-0 Date Adopted: 7/8/14 APPROVAL OF CLAIMS RESOLUTION 2014-136: BE IT RESOLVED that the Ulysses Town Board approve payment of claims 100-133 in the amount of $14,976.98 with an additional $4524.19 of non-vouchered bills. Moved: Ms. Thomas Ms. Thomas aye Ms. Zahler aye Mr. Kemess aye Mr. Goldman aye Mr. Hertzler aye Vote: 5-0 Date Adopted: 7/8/14 PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR: (no comments spoken nor submitted) Seconded: Ms. Zahler REPORTS FROM REPRESENTATIVES: Ms. Hillmann reported that the power was out in Jacksonville due to the storm. She inquired about any updates on the church, and noted continuing issues with the red house in Jacksonville. TOWN REPORTS: PLANNING BOARD / ZONING OFFICER- Darby Kiley Planning Board On June 17, the Planning Board approved the Cayuga Compost Site Plan. On July 1, the Planning Board held a public hearing and approved a proposed 3 -lot subdivision on Krums Corners Road, north of Perry City Road. BZA The BZA did not meet in June. Grants Energy Projects Grant — The project team interviewed a candidate for the project manager position. Zoning amendments Grant- Ms. Kiley submitted an application through the Consolidated Funding Application for completing the update of the zoning regulations based on the Comprehensive Plan. If the project does not get funded, the Town still needs to complete the work and should consider adding funding into the 2015 and 2016 budgets. Farmland Protection Implementation Projects- The grant deadline was extended until August 4. Scott Doyle and Ms. Kiley are still working on the details of whether to move forward with an application for the Glenwood Heights Farm. Other Meetings/Issues On June 16 the Water Resources Council heard an update on the City Water Plant rebuild and hydrilla eradication efforts. HIGHWAY SUPERINTENDENT- Jim Meeker Mr. Meeker reported that the following activities were performed by the highway department in June: trimmed around road signs and fire hydrants; helped the county department haul shoulder material on Kraft Road; mowed road sides; maintained water services; took down an old tree on Pennsylvania Avenue; fixed a drain line on Gorge Road; worked on some wet spots on Curry Road; cleaned up trees and power lines as a result of the storm. TOWN CLERK- Carissa Parlato The clerk's office collected $2907 in fees for licenses (dog, marriage, sporting) in June. The town keeps $1032 of that. #Licenses issued: Sporting licenses- 8 Disabled parking permits- 0 Dog licenses- 62 Marriage licenses- 3 Activities: • Participated in the Tompkins County Emergency Response training on how to set up a Joint Information Center in an emergency. The purpose of a JIC is to coordinate with other agencies in a time of crisis to get information out to your community. • Prepared a list of Ulysses fire hydrants for Tompkins County Emergency Response. • Worked with the interim water superintendent (Mr. Dean) on water issues. • Attended the health consortium committee meeting. • Met with the Excellus and health consortium representatives to get more information on the program and our plan. • Put out a listsery message. • Fielded concerned calls re: the gas well on Halseyville Road. El • Took care of routine clerk tasks like collecting dog licenses, posting water bills, etc. • Will be attending the Cornell Municipal Clerk's Institute next week from 8am-9pm each day to study a wide range of topics. In reference to emergency planning, Mr. Kerness asked who should be called in an emergency and Supervisor Thomas clarified that 911 will be coordinating all emergency calls. Ms. Zahler asked for a telephone tree for notifications in case of an emergency. CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER (no report) SUPERVISOR- Elizabeth Thomas • Distributed the operating statement. • Put forth the following resolution to cover new and in-service training for the Town Clerk. RESOLUTION 2014-137: BE IT RESOLVED that the Ulysses Town Board modify budget line A1410.4 Town Clerk CE; to increase it by $1,000 from Al 990.4 Contingency. Moved: Ms. Thomas Seconded: Ms. Zahler Ms. Thomas aye Ms. Zahler aye Mr. Kerness aye Mr. Goldman aye Mr. Hertzler aye Vote: 5-0 Date Adopted: 7/8/14 • Time off: Reported taking 8 vacation days; 1.5 sick days, and 1 holiday in June. • Planning Board: Spent a lot of time interacting with Planning Board members this month, on a number of topics. • Grants: Was involved peripherally on all the grants submitted in June. • Water district: Worked on the various options for managing the district; including attending a meeting with the Dept. of Health. • Animal control: The county group has not found an enumerator and is now looking at other options. • Gas drilling: Many calls came in inquiring about the gas well that is being plugged on Halseyville Road. • Legal: Engaged in weekly phone calls with the Town Attorney to review agenda topics. • TCCOG: Worked with this committee on shared services. • Cable merger update: The Ithaca Town Supervisor is sending a template letter to send to Comcast. • TCAT: Reported that TCAT is in need of more funding and asking for contributions from municipalities to avoid taxes being raised. • Deer control: This issue may be addressed by a county -wide plan. E • Police: Reviewed the contract with the Town Attorney. • Emergency Planning: A planning meeting with other community officials was held. • Personnel policy: Reviewed all parts except health insurance for accuracy and consistency. • Zoning changes: Spent time working on the proposed zoning change. DEPUTY SUPERVISOR- Ms. Zahler: • Attended the county's comprehensive plan meeting at the Jacksonville Church. • Announced that the summer movie night posters are out. • Reported that the Recreation Partnership may ask for about $122 more than this year and asked members for feedback. Actual amounts would be part of the 2015 Town Budget. No significant concerns were raised. • The United Way has approved 2015 funding at current levels. TOWN BOARD MEMBERS AND COMMITTEES Mr. Goldman: • Attended the health consortium meeting. • Attended the Planning Board meeting. • Put forth the following resolution: RESOLUTION 2014-138: Move that the Town of Ulysses request that the consortium develop an employee plus one dependent health care plan for the board to review as an option for 2015. Moved: Ms. Zahler Seconded: Mr. Goldman Ms. Thomas aye Ms. Zahler aye Mr. Kerness aye Mr. Goldman aye Mr. Hertzler aye Vote: 5-0 Date Adopted: 7/8/14 The board discussed the planning board with regards to training for members, size, tasks, and function. Mr. Hertzler: • Met with Mr. Carver, Village Board member to discuss EMS/Fire. Ms. Geldenhuys: • Gave an update on the amicus brief and the recent NY Court of Appeals ruling. Mr. Meeker was excused at 8:45pm. OLD BUSINESS: OPTIONS FOR IMPROVED CODE ENFORCEMENT- Ms. Geldenhuys 2 The board discussed code enforcement and agreed that the proposed new plan will use existing state rules to strengthen current local laws. PLANNING BOARD MEMBERSHIP RESOLUTION 2014-139: to establish a Planning Board consisting of 5 persons who function in the manner prescribed by law. Moved: Ms. Thomas Seconded: Mr. Kerness Discussion: As the current seven -member Planning Board has several vacancies and it is difficult to find people willing to serve, Ms. Thomas felt that it would be a good time to reduce the size to five members. The town board will continue to recruit 1-2 alternates to assure a quorum. Only Ms. Zahler and Planning Board Chair John Wertis Sr. disagreed and felt that the larger number offers more points of view. They also both felt that members could be found to serve. Mr. Goldman and Mr. Hertzler clarified that it would be possible to increase the number in the future if needed. Ms. Thomas aye Ms. Zahler nay Mr. Kerness aye Mr. Goldman aye Mr. Hertzler aye Vote: 4-1 Date Adopted: 7/8/14 PARKS AND RECREATION Local Law to Amend Zoning Law, including Park/Recreation District RESOLUTION 2014-140: WHEREAS, on June 24, 2014 the Town Board of the Town of Ulysses scheduled a public hearing for August 12, 2014 at 6:30 p. m. at the Ulysses Town Hall, 10 Elm St, Trumansburg, for the purpose of hearing public comment on the proposed amendments to the Town of Ulysses Zoning Law, including Park/Recreation District, and WHEREAS, the Town Board made minor revisions to the language discussed on June 24, 2014, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Ulysses accepts the July 8, 2014 version of the proposed Local Law for amending the Town of Ulysses Zoning Law, including Park/Recreation District for purposes of the public hearing, RESOLVED that the proposed Local Law be sent to Tompkins County Planning Department for the General Municipal Law §239 review, and 7 RESOLVED that the Town Clerk shall arrange for publication of notice of the public hearing in the Ithaca Journal and other required notification at least ten days prior to the public hearing. Moved: Ms. Thomas Ms. Thomas aye Ms. Zahler aye Mr. Kerness aye Mr. Goldman aye Mr. Hertzler aye Vote: 5-0 Date Adopted: 7/8/14 Seconded: Mr. Kerness POLICE AGREEMENT WITH VILLAGE RESOLUTION 2014-141: WHEREAS, the Village of Trumansburg wishes to be able to protect its police officers when they are assisting other law enforcement agencies to respond to incidents originating in the Town of Ulysses, outside the Village, and WHEREAS, to provide such protections the Village needs the Town of Ulysses to authorize the Village of Trumansburg to have jurisdiction in the Town of Ulysses when responding to requests from other law enforcement agencies, and WHEREAS, the Village and the Town have developed an intermunicipal agreement to grant and define said jurisdiction, now therefore be it RESOLVED, that the Town of Ulysses approve the proposed Intermunicipal Agreement on Policing as presented/amended to take effect July 14, 2014. Moved: Ms. Thomas Ms. Thomas aye Ms. Zahler aye Mr. Kerness aye Mr. Goldman aye Mr. Hertzler aye Vote: 5-0 Date Adopted: 7/8/14 Seconded: Mr. Kerness EXECUTIVE SESSION: Ms. Thomas made a motion to move into executive session at l Opm to seek the advice of counsel, seconded by Mr. Goldman. The board returned from executive session at 10:21pm. OPT IN TAX POLICY FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOLUTION 2014-142: WHEREAS, the Town of Ulysses wishes to encourage the development of clean, alternative means of producing energy, and WHEREAS, the Town, itself, grants exemptions for such development under Section 487 of the New York State Real Property Tax Law regarding assessment for local property tax purposes related to construction of solar, wind, or farm waste energy systems, and WHEREAS, over the next 15 years, our residents would have a tax incentive to install clean energy systems with tax savings intended to help pay for the installation costs. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, we urge Tompkins County to opt -in to Section 487 of the New York State Real Property Tax Law so that residential alternative energy installations will be exempt from County taxes; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this resolution will be sent to Michael Lane, Carol Chock and Dan Klein of the Tompkins County Legislature before their July 15th public hearing. Moved: Ms. Thomas Ms. Thomas aye Ms. Zahler abstain Mr. Kemess aye Mr. Goldman aye Mr. Hertzler aye Vote: 5-0 work Date Adopted: 7/8/14 NEW BUSINESS: Seconded: Mr. Goldman STANDARD WORK DAY REPORTING AND RESOLUTION: RESOLUTION 2014-143: BE IT RESOLVED that the Town of Ulysses -(location code 30607) hereby establishes the following work days for these titles and will report the officials to the New York State and Local Retirement System based on time keeping records or their record of activities. Title Stand Name Current term Particip ROA ROA and ates in result not work time- submitt day keeping ed system (yes/no) Elected officials Town Supervisor 8 Elizabeth Thomas 1/1/14-12/31/17 Yes N/A Town Clerk 8 Carissa Parlato 1/1/14-12/31/17 Yes N/A 6 Appointed officials Court Clerk 8 Angela Champion 1/1/14-12/31/14 Yes N/A Moved: Ms. Thomas Seconded: Mr. Hertzler Discussion: While no one disagreed with the full time Clerk positions, the question was raised, but not fully answered, as to whether the designation of the supervisor as full time would require a change in health benefits from Class B to Class A. Ms. Parlato agreed to check with the State Retirement system. Ms. Thomas abstain Ms. Zahler aye Mr. Kerness abstain Mr. Goldman aye Mr. Hertzler aye Vote: 3-0 Date Adopted: 7/8/14 PERSONNEL POLICY UPDATE The board briefly discussed the draft policy and hoped to pass it all at the next meeting, save the health care section. PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR: (no comments spoken nor submitted) ADJOURN: Mr. Goldman made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 10:45pm, seconded by Ms. Thomas. Respectfully submitted by Carissa Parlato, 7/21/14