HomeMy WebLinkAboutReg Mtg. Minutes 2/18/2003Minutes of Regular Meeting
February 18, 2003
Village of Cayuga Heights
Board of Trustees
Present: Mayor Lynn, Trustees Antil, Collyer, Kusse, McNeil, Mount, Staley; Attorney
Tyler, Fire Supt. Pique, Police Chief Lansing, Supt. Cross, Treasurer Silber.
Others: George Tamborelle, Steve Phillips
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 by Mayor Lynn who asked the Board to change
the order of the agenda due to the Treasurer needing to leave the meeting early.
Supt. Cross gave a presentation on the Village of Cayuga Heights perspective of the
Intermunicipal Sewer Committee (ISC), its history and a draft of the upcoming
Intermunicipal Wastewater Agreement by and between the Village of Cayuga Heights
and the Town of Dryden, City of Ithaca, Town of Ithaca Town of Lansing and Village of
Lansing.
Treasurer Silber presented his report. He urged the department heads to keep working on
their budgets and noted that the Village will experience a significant increase in state
pension costs. The Village will see increases from the assessment increases of last year
in the way of an increase in the tax levy.
At the last meeting, Treasurer Silber brought up the question of the salary increase for the
non - bargaining unit employees and public officials. Should it follow the bargaining unit
percentage or be different? It was the major consensus of the Board that it has always
followed the bargaining unit increases and will continue to do so.
Transfers were presented with one deletion.
MOTION by Trustee Kusse
Seconded by Trustee Collyer
VOTED to pass Resolution 5097
to approve the Transfers as listed below:
FROM
TO
A01410.200
Clerk Capital Eqpt.
A01410.410
Clerk Contr Exp
$1000
A01620.200
Vil Ball Capital Eqpt
A1620.410
Vil Hall Contr Exp
500
A01990.400
General Contingency
A1640.200
Centr Garage Cap Eqpt
870
A01990.400
General Contingency
A01640.410
Centr Garage Contr Exp
5000
A01990.400
General Contingency
A01680.200
Info Tech Eqpt
2000
A01990.400
General Contingency
A03120.440
Police Insurance
980
A01990.400
General Contingency
A05110.200
Street Eqpt.
1160
A01990.400
General Contingency
A05142.200
Snow Cap Eqpt
2180
A01990.400
General Contingency
A05142.410
Snow Contr Exp
5000
A01990.400
General Contingency
A08160.490
Refuse Eq Maint
200
A09060.800
Health Insurance
A09060.810
Health InsNCH
600
F01990.400
Water Contingency
F08350.200
water Sys Cap Eqpt
2180
G01990.400
Sewer Contingency
G08120.200
Sewer Cap Eqpt
2190
G01990.400
Sewer Contingency
G08130.460
Pretreat Contr Exp
500
Trustees Antil, Collyer, Kusse, Mount, McNeil and Staley voted YES.
Abstract of Vouchers were presented.
MOTION by Trustee Kusse
Seconded by Trustee Antil
Trustees Anti], Collyer, Kusse, Mount, McNeil and Staley voted YES.
Approval of the Minutes. The minutes of the meeting of January 21 were previously
distributed.
MOTION by Trustee Collyer
VOTED to accept the minutes as presented.
Deputy Mayor Antil, Trustees Collyer, Kusse, McNeil, Mount and Staley voted
YES.
The Mayor presented his report. Mayor Lynn announced that Trustee Mount will recreate
the Village newsletter. He asked Trustee Mount to tell the Board about her plans for the
newsletter. Trustee Mount told the Board that she will create a newsletter similar to the
earlier "informal letter" that Mayor Lynn put together ... 4 — G pages in length. The
department heads have been asked to submit their information to Trustee Mount and she
will put the newsletter together and coordinate with the Clerk for distribution. A
quarterly newsletter is what is being planned.
The Mayor's compensation needs to be resolved in the budget at the March meeting.
Jeff Cox, former Village representative to the EMC, has passed his position on to Dave
Woodard. This was done last fall, but for the purposes of recording, was brought to the
Board's attention at this meeting.
Dan Higgins of the Ithaca Journal is interested in interviewing residents who were
reassessed by the County.
The Annual Report of the Justice Court was distributed. Mayor Lynn urges the Trustees
to read the report and ask questions, if any.
Police Chief Lansing presented his report, a copy of which is on file.
The Chief distributed a copy of his Annual Report.
Fire Supt. Pique presented his report, a copy of which is on file.
Supt. Pique received a request from the Garden Club to plant a garden around the sign in
front of the fire station. There will also be a memorial plaque dedicated to the 343 NYC
firefighters that gave their lives on 9111. The Board advises the Supt. to get more
specifics on their plans and talk to Supt. Cross about the particulars.
Supt. Pique reported on a class lie and Firefighter Walter Buble attended entitled, "Legal
Issues for the Volunteer Fire Service" at the NYS Fire Academy in Montour Falls. The
class is aimed at Chief Officers as well as Village Trustees and Mayors. The goal of the
class is to increase the legal knowledge of the students as it relates to the volunteer fire
service. The class will be held again in May, September and November and urges Board
Members to attend. He is offering a firefighter to drive anyone interested to the class.
Please see the Fire Supt. if interested.
The Fire Supt. is asking the Board's permission to sell Truck 204, the 1975 Seagrave
engine. The truck is currently running as a reserve engine, is old, and will be costly to
retrofit to keep it legal.
MOTION by Trustee Antil
Seconded by Trustee Collyer
VOTED to authorize the public sale of the 1975 Seagrave Engine.
Trustees Antil, Collyer, Kusse, Mount and Staley voted YES.
Trustee McNeil abstained.
Supt. Pique introduced George Tamborelle, his second in command. George spearheaded
the "fire hydrant snow clearing" detail that the firefighters were conducting earlier in the
week. The Board stated its appreciation for that important effort.
The total amount raised at the Pancake breakfast to benefit the fire victims was $2400.
Job well done!
Attorney Tyler reported on the Village's support of Bill 5.622 as distributed. It involved
a quirk in that Law that puts municipalities in a less favorable situation than private
sector entities called "Collateral Source of Payment. As it presently exists, a claimant
can in effect get a kind of "double recovery" in part from insurance and other recoveries
on occasion. The Mayor will send in the Villages support for the corrective measure
being proposed.
The fence zoning issue was then discussed. Supt. Cross has proposed a modification on
the fence ordinance. A public hearing would have to be held to discuss the modification.
MOTION by Trustee Antil
VOTED to hold a Public Hearing on March 17 at 7:00 pm to discuss modification to
the fence ordinance.
Trustees Antil, Collyer, Kusse, Mount, McNeil and Staley voted YES.
Supt. Cross presented his report.
The Supt. directed the Board to the attached Storm Water Management "Notice of
Intent ", and explained that the Village needs to pass a resolution authorizing the Village
Engineer to prepare the required forms to submit to the NYSDEC for consideration as
meeting the requirements of the Stormwater Management Plan. Trustee Staley asked
what the penalty would be if the Village was not in compliance. Supt. Cross said that the
choice is to try and create our own in the Village, which would take much more time to
do.
MOTION by Trustee Antil
Seconded by Trustees Collyer and McNeil
VOTED PASS RESOLUTION 5098 TO PREPARE AND SUBMIT NOTICE OF
INTENT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NYSDEC SPDES GENERAL, PERMIT #GP -02-
02 FOR MUNICIPAL SEPARATE STORMWATER SEWER SYSTEMS
Whereas, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under the Phase II
of the Clean Water Act, requires that all municipalities with separate stormwater sewer
systems (MS4's) within urbanized areas (population density of 50,000 persons /square
mile) shall develop a Stormwater Management Plan to reduce contamination of
stormwater discharges to the surface waters of the United States, and
Whereas, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation ( NYSDEC)
has developed a SPDES General Permit 4GP -02 -02 to satisfy the EPA requirement, and
Whereas, the Village of Cayuga Heights (Village) has a partial MS4 within the Greater
Ithaca Metropolitan Urban Area which is subject to the EPA requirement, and
Whereas, the NYSDEC has agreed to allow individual municipalities to participate in
GP -02 -02 to satisfy the obligation under the EPA regulations, and
Whereas, the NYSDEC requires that individual municipalities submit a Notice of Intent
by March 10, 2003, to participate in the general permit, and
Whereas, the Village wishes to satisfy the EPA requirements by participating in the
NYSDEC general permit, and now
Therefore, the Village hereby directs the Village Engineer to prepare the required Notice
of Intent forms to submit to the NYSDEC for consideration as meeting the requirements
of the Stormwater Management Plan, and
Therefore, the Village hereby authorizes the Mayor to sign and submit the Notice of
Intent to the NYSDEC.
Trustees Antil, Collyer, Kusse, Mount, McNeil and Staley voted YES.
Supt. Cross reported that there has been an exceptional amount of brush and debris
generated by storms these past few months. The contractor hired to haul this debris is
currently in default with his contract and Supt. Cross will be checking on this.
John Yaw, operator of the Wastewater Treatment Plant, has requested an increase of
$10 /ton (to $40 /ton) for the disposal of sludge effective March 2003. The Board advised
Supt. Cross to holdover this request till the March Board meeting.
Motion by Trustee McNeil
VOTED to enter Executive Session at 9: 05 pm to discuss employee issues related to:
A pending retirement,
The pending arbitration of bargaining unit grievance, and
An employee performance evaluation.
Trustees Antil, Collyer, Kusse, Mount, McNeil and Staley voted YES.
Motion by Trustee Antil
VOTED to move out of Executive Session at 9:40 pm.
Trustees Antil, Collyer, Kusse, Mount, McNeil and Staley voted YES.
Motion by Trustee Mount
VOTED to adjourn meeting at 9:40 pm.
Trustees Antil, Collyer, Kusse, Mount, McNeil and Staley voted YES.
Respectfully submitted,
Norma Manning
Village Clerk