HomeMy WebLinkAboutReg Mtg. Minutes 5/11/195431
MINUTES of a regular meeting of the Board of Trustees
Cayuga Heights held on Tuesday, May 11, 1954.at 7:30,PM at the
of the Viilage of
Village Office.
PRESENT: H. J. Shirey, Mayor
S. S. Atwood, Trustee
F.•G. Marcham, Trustee
Lincoln Reid, Trustee
E. A. Whiting, Trustee
Carl Crandall, Engineer
C. H. Guise, Treasurer
Lowell George, Police Commissioner
C. I. Sayles, Chairman Fire. Service Committee
1. The minutes of the meeting of April 5 were xead and approved.. .
2. The following bills paid on authority of the Mayor
were approved:
GENERAL
Paul Bradford, Auditor - 1953 -54 Audit
$60.00
Norton Printing Company - Envelopes
10.00
N. Y. S. Eloctric & Gas _ Lights
1.39
Wilcox Press - (Checks $36.19, Letterheads $16.85)
53.04
New York Telephone
23.70.
T. G. Miller - Misc. items
20.38
Van Natta Office Equip. - Adding machine & Tables
367.63
Mills A. Eure Company - Mimeograph
249.65
®
Stallman Dist. Company - Fan
28.44
Van Natta Office Equip. - Mimeographing Budget &
Ballots
12,58
McKinney Agency - Office Fire and Theft
95.75
McKinney Agency - Treasurers Bond
125.00
Supplemental Pension Fund
4.44
Ithaca Printing Service - Tax Bills
16.00
SANITATION
W. D. Lyme - March
20.31
W. D. Lyme - April
56.19
HIGHWAYS
W. D. Lyme - March
20.31
General Crushed Stone - Black top
23.94
J. Stark - Plow Snow
18.00
Stevens Service Station - Grease & Oil
4.00'
Town of Ithaca - March Road Expense
92.15
N.Y.S. Electric & Gas - April lights
189.23
C. J. Rumsey - Fire Gun Fluid & Set Screws
6.48
Cornell University - Cinders
7.60
W. D. Lyme - April
•.'56.19
Jim's Fix -it Shop - Sharpen Mowers
12.00
'
Cornell University - Cinders
3• There were no additional bills to be approved for
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payment.
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4. The Mayor recommended that the Board retain counsel on a task -fee
basis in connection with the several involved legal matters coming up in con- ,
nection with the Village fire service, water and sewer extensions, and
IT WAS VOTED to appoint Charles H. Newman as attorney for the Board on
assigned tasks.
The Clerk was directed to notify Mr. Newman of his appointment and write
him regarding specific tasks as now and later requested by the Board..
The Board requested that Professor Donald S. Welch appear at the next
meeting in the interest of the control of Dutch Elm disease, to aid the Board in
determining possible action on this matter.
5. The Treasurer reported a balance on May 1, 1954 in the General Account
of $9,602.86, with the comment that about $1,800 of materials invoices and salaries
were in process. He stated that the General Account would be ample until augmented
by tax collections in June.
6. The Engineer reported that the erection of new street lights was under
way, and that several complaints on position of the lamps and direction of the
light beam in house windows had been received.
Two complaints on water running off the lower sides of roads had been
directed back to the complainants for correction by the property owners as their
own responsibility, or for legal action as they saw fit. The Engineer pointed
out that this was not a responsibility of the Village.
Upon recommendation, the Board approved hiring a third workman for the
position of road maintainer at the rate of $129.16, payable semi - monthly.
The Engineer presented the agreed list of roads in the annexed area which
will be resurfaced or treated for the first time under the program approved, with
the Town of Ithaca providing the services. The list of roads for the Old Village
is in the process of being worked out.
As shown in the minutes of this meeting, the City of Ithaca has author-
ized extension of water service in the annexed area, as requested by Engineer
Crandall's letter of April 12, 1954. The Engineer cited a letter to Mayor
Shirey, dated May 3, 1954, outlining several steps to be taken pending final
detailed plans.. Following discussion, the following actions were taken:
IT WAS VOTED to authorize Carl Crandall to have prepared and to bill
the Village for final detailed plans for the water service extension.
IT WAS VOTED to authorize Carl Crandall, along with Charles H. Newman
to negotiate with land owners,:to obtain written options for acquisition.of
land and right -of -way for pipe lines, pumping station and storage tank. Option' -
would be exercised and matured into deeds only if and when the project is ready
to go through.
IT WAS VOTED to request Attorney Charles H. Newman to take the necessary
steps to abolish the Cayuga Heights Water District. e
P-Ileptir:r {• •, m4 • J
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The Engineer read his letter of May 3, 1954 to the City requesting ex-
tension of sewer service to which no reply has been received to date. A reply
is necessary before plans can be furthered on this project.
' On April 16, 1954 the Zoning Officer issued a permit to the Cornell
\}I/\ Heights Residential Club, Inc. for the use of the premises as a Residential
Club for the members and their guests. This was done on the basis that the ,
Residential Club was reorganized, a new corporation being formed as noted,
above, which has leased the premises from the Colberts. On request of Trustee
Whiting, the Engineer was requested to make available to the Clerk the papers
involved in this matter, so that copies could be made for the Village Officers
anrt.tha Marks file. * -The Trustees will transmit
annually to the Town Board a statement of the property liable to taxation for the
payment of such obligations, installments and interest as the same appears on the .
town assessment roll, accompanied by an apportionment upon the taxable property of
the amount to be raised. V.L. Sec. 329J -
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7. The Police Commissioner presented his report for activities of the
Police Department for the month of April.
The Trustees approved the placing of a ItSlow Dangerous Intersection"
sign on the north side of Devon Road at the Devon Road N. Sunset Drive inter-
section.
The Trustees rejected the request of Professor W. T. Dean of 206 Overlook
Road for the erection of a "Slow Children" sign on Overlook Road on the basis that
Overlook is a private road. The Police Commissioner will so advise Professor
Dean.
8. C. I. Sayles reported that the Fire Service Committee had prepared
sketches which contemplated two plans for the use of the Corners gas station
property as a base unit for the proposed Village Fire Station. The "A" plan,
a 10,1140 cubic foot addition to the present building would entail about $6,000
of new construction, while the "B" plan, a 62,710 cubic foot addition, would
probably require $50,000 of new construction. The present 30,000 cubic foot
building was estimated to have a present value of about $18,000 without land.
Mr. Heasley had indicated a figure of $25,000 for the gas station with land,
and $2,500 for land elsewhere on the property, either to the East of the gas
station, or to the South of the main building. Carl Crandall noted that the
present building is now, or would be reasonably soon, available, could be
adapted for fire station use in rather short time, and the front end could be
used for bunkers, leaving the Village Office in its present location for the
present. It was also noted that the Plan "B" assembly building at the rear,
estimated to cost $26,000, might be built by popular subscription at a later
' date as a project of the organized Volunteer Fire Department. Mr. Sayles
roughly estimated equipment cost at $15,000 -
It was noted that the Town of Ithaca was interested in contracting with
the Village for fire service in the areas of the Town adjacent to the Village.
This would require tank truck equipment not required for Village service where
hydrants are available.
Mr. Crandall suggested that the following list of questions on this
whole matter needed to be cleared up in advance of any public hearing:
1. Get a verbal definite figure from r1r. Heasley on the price for
the present gas station and necessary land, enough for Plan "B"
and roadways.
2. Compile a tentative list of men who would sign up for a Village
Volunteer Fire Company. (The Clerk was instructed to get out a
mimeographed letter to Village householders on this item.)
3. Check with Professor Foss on the entire project.
4. Check with the Fire Underwriters on the project.
5. Make computations on cost of operation, and financing of the
debt to be incurred. (Ms. Sayles was authorized to consult
with Charles H. Newman, Attorney for the Board,on the legal
matters involved.)
The Trustees informally approved the plan to purchase the Gas Station
property, after hearing the individual members of the Committee express them-
selves as favorable to this plan over the possibilities that had been considered.
The Trustees suggested that the project be furthered by the Committee in line
with the above suggestions, and a progress report be made at the next meeting of
the Board.
9. The Clerk noted that the office equipment cost to date, including
the mimeograph machine, amounted to about $1,500, and expenses incident to setting
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up the office were about $300.00. The mimeograph machine.will provide better
facilities than heretofore in getting out paper work to the Village residents'
and officers. The Clerk suggested that the Board meeting minutes might be
mimeographed and mailed to the officers,,thus providing a reference for the
officers and further dispensing with the reading of.the minutes at.the next
meeting. The Clerk was instructed to do so.
10. Time set for the next regular meeting - June 8, 1954, 7 :30
P.M. at the Village Office.
11. The meeting was adjourned at 10:15 P.M.
Clerk
IN
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