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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes of the Regular Meeting April 29, 2008.pdf 1 Minutes of the Board of Trustees April 29, 2008 Village of Cayuga Heights Meeting of the Board of Trustees Present: Mayor Gilmore, Trustees Antil, Bors, Donner, Riesman, and Staley; Supt. Cross, Clerk Manning, Attorney Laurie Johnston Absent: Trustee Collyer ************************************************************************* Mayor Gilmore opened the luncheon meeting at noon. He told the trustees that the previous two weeks have been a learning experience. He has a Village email account on his new computer and is receiving and answering many emails. He has met with all department heads except the Police, which he plans to do soon. It is his intent to also spend more time with Supt. Cross and the Clerk to learn more about the workings of their departments. The Mayor will distribute his resume to the Trustees for their information. He is still working on Committee appointments and will report back to the Board soon on those. He also reported on a meeting with Trustees Bors and Collyer, along with Attorney Tyler and Attorney Johnston. They all gained insight into the past legal issues of the Village, as well as the upcoming Police contract negotiations. Treasurer Silber created a report of statistical information to analyze where the Village has been financially over the past 10 years. Copies are available for the Trustees and Finance Committee from the Treasurer. Supt. Cross then offered to talk to any Trustees about ongoing activities such as; Pleasant Grove Road construction Intersection of Pleasant Grove Road and Hanshaw Road and the plan by the County to bring a sidewalk down Hanshaw Road into the Village Chemung Canal Trust bank building Cornell Child Care Center North Campus Gateway Study – The study was previously brought before the Board but no action was taken. Trustee Riesman will meet with Supt. Cross about the Gateway issue. Trustees Bors asked if there were any plans to establish bike lanes on Pleasant Grove Road when the repaving is done. Supt. Cross said that bike lanes are a bigger issue than just on Pleasant Grove Road. Pleasant Grove Road will be on the agenda for the May Board of Trustees meeting. Mayor Gilmore thanked the Trustees for their input on the Chemung Canal Trust letter that he, in his position as Chair of the Planning Board, sent to Rose Catalano at Chemung Canal Trust.. The Mayor then introduced the Resolution in support of the Council of Governments’ Review of Health Benefits for New York State Shared Municipal Services Program. He, along with Trustee Bors and Treasurer Silber, went to an information meeting regarding this consortium. If the consortium is run efficiently, the Village could save approximately 2 10% of its health care costs. Mayor Gilmore will sit on the Planning Board of this group, which has a $266,000 grant, funded by New York State, to allow municipalities to be able to afford to investigate this type of plan. The consultants and legal firms have been hired out of Syracuse, and they have communicated with unions and elected officials. The Village of Cayuga Heights needs to be more efficient in its health care costs as that line item is growing. There will be protection for the smaller municipalities not to be overtaken by larger entities. Four entities involved have less than 50 employees. The municipalities have been urged not to get legal counsel involved yet…it is too early at this stage. Mayor Gilmore will stay involved and bring back all information to the Board. The Mayor then presented the Intermunicipal Agreement between Tompkins County and the Member Municipalities along with the Resolution in support of the Council of Governments’ Review of Health Benefits for New York State Shared Municipal Services Program and asked the Board to authorize him to sign the agreement and pass the Resolution. The Mayor added a paragraph to the agreement, in italics below. Motion by Trustee Donner Seconded by Trustee Riesman Move to pass Resolution 6344 authorizing Mayor Gilmore to sign on behalf of the Village the Inter-Municipal Agreement between Tompkins County and the Village of Cayuga Heights and pass the resolution In Support of the Council of Governments’ Review of Health Benefits for New York State Shared Municipal Services Program. Trustees Antil, Bors, Donner, Riesman and Staley voted YES. INTER-MUNICIPAL AGREEMENT - ADM-08-312 AGREEMENT by and between the County of Tompkins, with main offices at 125 East Court Street, Ithaca, New York 14850, hereinafter referred to as COUNTY, and Village of Cayuga Heights Jim Gilmore, Mayor 836 Hanshaw Road Ithaca, NY 14850 hereinafter referred to as MEMBER. Whereas a partnership was formed by the following members for the provision of conducting a comprehensive review of municipal health benefits plans: City of Ithaca Town of Groton Village of Dryden County of Tompkins Town of Ithaca Village of Freeville Town of Caroline Town of Lansing Village of Groton Town of Danby Town of Newfield Village of Lansing Town of Dryden Town of Ulysses Village of Trumansburg Town of Enfield Village of Cayuga Heights PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Through this agreement, the partnership agrees to collectively review the MEMBERS’ health benefits plans with a goal of achieving maximum efficiency at a lower cost for the partnership. The COUNTY has received a Shared Municipal Services Incentive grant from the State of New York to assist with the cost of consolidating the health benefits programs of the MEMBERS. 3 NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises, covenants, and agreement s contained herein, the parties agree as follows: 1. This agreement shall be in force from the date on which is signed through project completion. 2. The MEMBER agrees to provide the necessary information requested by the partnership’s Health Benefits consultants. 3. The COUNTY accepts responsibility as lead agency to enter into certain contracts to effectively complete this project. 4. There is no cost to any MEMBER for the provision of the terms of this agreement. 5. The MEMBER understands that upon a complete review and plan design of a health benefits program, the MEMBER will have the option of joining a health benefits consortium that would require the MEMBER to sign another inter-municipal agreement. 6. The Village of Cayuga Heights will participate in the health care consortium planning provided it is understood and accepted that we may opt out at any time for any reason should we choose to no longer participate in the planning phase. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this agreement as of the day and year first written below. DATE: __________________________________ COUNTY OF TOMPKINS __________________________________ DATE: AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE OF MEMBER ********************************************************************** RESOLUTION 6344 IN SUPPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS’REVIEW OF HEALTH BENEFITS FOR NEW YORK STATE SHARED MUNICIPAL SERVICES PROGRAM WHEREAS, the Village of Cayuga Heights joined the Tompkins County Council of Governments (TCCOG), and WHEREAS, in 2007, the County, on behalf of TCCOG, accepted an incentive grant award under the New York State Shared Municipal Services Program, WHEREAS, the grant will assist the municipalities in Tompkins County to create a local health care consortium, and WHEREAS, the health care consortium will seek to develop health benefits coverage for all municipalities with the intent to provide a net savings to the taxpayers of Tompkins County, now therefore be it RESOLVED, on recommendation of the Board of Trustees, That the Mayor of the Village of Cayuga Heights is authorized to 4 execute an inter-municipal agreement with TCCOG members to participate in the review of the development of the health benefits consortium, and THAT the Village of Cayuga Heights will participate in the health care consortium planning provided it is understood and accepted that we may opt out at any time for any reason should we choose to no longer participate in the planning phase. FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Village of the Cayuga Heights understands that upon a complete review and plan design of a health benefits program, the Village of Cayuga Heights will have the option of joining a health benefits consortium that would require the Village of Cayuga Heights to sign another inter-municipal agreement. SEQR ACTION: TYPE II-20 The Village of Cayuga Heights can opt out of this Agreement at any time. The System will be set up as Community Rated….everyone will be treated equally. If everyone signs up in the member municipalities, there will be over 2000 participants. Motion by Trustee Antil Seconded by Trustee Riesman Motion to enter into Executive Session* at 12:40 PM to discuss police contract negotiations and the appointment of a Village attorney. Trustees Antil, Bors, Donner, Staley and Riesman voted YES. Motion by Trustee Antil Seconded by Trustee Riesman Motion to enter into Executive Session at 1:51 PM to end Executive Session and close the meeting. Trustees Antil, Bors, Donner, Staley and Riesman voted YES. *Executive Session allowed to discuss collective barganing and personnel issues.