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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-12-23 1003 1 Town Board Minutes December 23 , 1998 TOWN OF DANBY TOWN BOARD MINUTES SPECIAL MEETING - DECEMBER 23 , 1998 7 : 00 P.M. PRESENT : Supervisor Kenneth Horst Councilpersons : Joel Gagnon, Edward Inman, Howard Steiner, Naomi Strichartz Others Present: Code Enforcement Officer - Susan Beeners Town Clerk - Carol W. Sczepanski Members of the Public : Mary Oltz, Marjorie & Gerald Catlin, Sr. , Esther Dotson, Judy VanDermark, Al Becker, Pat Woodworth, Charles Tilton Supervisor Horst called the meeting to order at 7 : 09 P . M. and led all present to the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. The purpose of the Special Meeting of the Town of Danby Town Board is to approve Warrant No . 13 of 1999 and to consider encumbrances of funds to cover 1998 outstanding bills and other 1998 expenses . Additions to Agenda : Encumbrances of funds for outstanding expenses for 1998 and unexpended funds . Councilperson Strichartz asked that a date be set for the Danby Area News Committee be added to the agenda and expanding the duties of the committee . Councilperson Strichartz asked that discussion and a possible resolution related to the Community Council and Danby Area News Bulk Mailing Permit. Town Clerk Carol Sczepanski asked the Board to address the use of the Town Hall Building. Councilperson Strichartz asked that an appointment to the Planning Board be added to the agenda. PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR: Pat Woodworth - 305 Gunderman Road - reported Community Council Activities : 1 )Blood Drive December 31st at the Fire Station; 2) a fun day Tuesday, December 29th. ; 3 ) A Dance for Teens on December 30th. with a DJ. Charles Tilton - 305 Gunderman Road - asked to review the financial report of expenses for the Danby Area News . Judy VanDermark - 1432 Danby Road - submitted a copy of the Community Council report for 1998 . Elections for Community Council will be held on January 14, 1999 . OLD BUSINESS : Danby Reading Room - A request was received from the Reading Room Coordinator that the Reading Room program and budget requests be directly funded through the Town and not through Community Council . The Coordinator reported that the Danby Reading Room is a separate entity and should be allocated directly through the Town Board . Supervisor Horst said that the request from the Reading Room will be forwarded to the Committee to work on developing contracts with the Town. The request for a key to the building be made available for volunteers was not considered . non 1004 2 Town Board Minutes December 23 , 1998 RESOLUTION NO. 74 OF 1998 TRANSFER OF HIGHWAY FUNDS By Councilperson Gagnon : Seconded by Councilperson Inman RESOLVED , that the Town Board of the Town of Danby authorize the transfer of funds in the amount of $ 3 ,000 . 00 (three thousand dollars) from Account No . DA5112 . 200 to Account No . DA5110 .400 . Discussion : Councilperson Gagnon questioned whether it was appropriate to transfer funds from DA5112 .200 to DA5110 .400 . Highway Superintendent William Hall reported to the Board that the DA5112 . 200 Account is the operating and maintenance and the contractual State Aid combined . As this is part of the operating and maintenance expense and can be transferred . A roll call vote on the resolution resulted as follows : Gagnon Aye Inman Aye Steiner Aye Strichartz Aye Horst Aye Carried Unanimously Tompkins County Contract for Sharing of Equipment and Manpower A contract agreement was received from Tompkins County regarding the sharing of equipment and manpower between Tompkins County Highway Department and the Town of Danby Highway Department. A copy of the contract will be sent to the Town Attorney to review. Revitalization Grant Proposals Awarded Supervisor Horst reported that the Bicentennial Committee and the Revitalization Task Force applied to Tompkins County for grants . Both grants were awarded by Tompkins County . The request for the bandstand was awarded in full and the amount for the Town Hall project was awarded excluding the proposed work on the driveway elevation, patchwork and walkway . Encumbrances of 1998 Funds Highway Request for Encumbrance of Funds Motion to Encumber Funds for Highway Department A motion was made by Councilperson Steiner and seconded by Councilperson Inman to encumber funds in the amount of $ 859 . 86 in the highway general fund (A accounts) and $ 5 ,295 . 50 in the highway fund (DA accounts) to cover outstanding bills for 1998 . A roll call vote on the motion resulted as follows : Gagnon Aye Inman Aye Steiner Aye Strichartz Aye Horst Aye Carried Unanimously Motion to Encumber Funds from A3089 Account A motion was made by Councilperson Gagnon and seconded by Councilperson Strichartz to encumber the funds received from New York State to cover the cost of postage for mailing tax receipts for escrow accounts in the amount of $ 574 . 53 . A roll call vote on the motion resulted as follows : • 1005 3 Town Board Minutes December 23 , 1998 Gagnon Aye Inman Aye Steiner Aye Strichartz Aye Horst Aye Carried Unanimously Motion to Encumber Funds Earmarked for Comprehensive Plan A motion was made by Councilperson Gagnon and seconded by Councilperson Steiner to encumber $ 1 ,283 . 20 from account No . A8020 . 401 to a special reserve account to cover expenses for the comprehensive plan expenses . A roll call vote on the motion resulted as follows : Gagnon Aye Inman Aye Steiner Aye Strichartz Aye Horst Aye Carried Unanimously Motion to Encumber Funds for Town Hall Expenses A motion was made by Councilperson Stiener and seconded by Councilperson Inman to encumber funds in account No . A1620 .400 in the amount of $283 . 88 to cover outstanding expenses for janitorial supplies for the Town Hall building . A roll call vote on the motion resulted as follows : Gagnon Aye Inman Aye Steiner Aye Strichartz Aye Horst Aye Carried Unanimously Motion to Encumber Funds for Bookkeeping A motion was made by Councilperson Steiner and seconded by Councilperson Strichartz to encumber $79 . 08 in account No . A1220 . 400 for bookkeeping supplies . A roll call vote on the motion resulted as follows : Gagnon Aye Inman Aye Steiner Aye Strichartz Aye Horst Aye Carried Unanimously Motion to Encumber Court Funds A motion was made by Councilperson Inman and seconded by Councilperson Strichartz to encumber $22 . 00 in account No . A1110 . 400 to cover outstanding 1998 bills . A roll call vote on the motion resulted as follows : Gagnon Aye Inman Aye Steiner Aye Strichartz Aye Horst Aye Carried Unanimously Date Set for New York State Exit Audit A meeting with the New York State Auditors was scheduled Monday, January 4, 1998 at 9 : 00 a.m. 1006 4 Town Board Minutes December 23 , 1998 for an exit audit. Councilperson Inman asked to be excused from the meeting . Motion to Authorize Town Supervisor to Balance Accounts A motion was made by Councilperson Inman and seconded by Councilperson Strichartz to authorize the Town Supervisor to pay outstanding expenses and balance out accounts as needed. A roll call vote on the motion resulted as follows : Gagnon Aye Inman Aye Steiner Aye Strichartz Aye Horst Aye Carried Unanimously Motion to Encumber Funds - Senior Citizens A motion was made by Councilperson Steiner and seconded by Councilperson Strichartz to encumber funds in the amount of $444 .25 from Account No . A7620 . 400 (Senior Citizens) . A roll call vote on the motion resulted as follows : Gagnon Aye Inman Aye Steiner Aye Strichartz Aye Horst Aye Carried Unanimously Appointment to Planning Board RESOLUTION NO. 75 OF 1998 By Councilperson Inman : Seconded by Councilperson Steiner RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Danby re-appoints William Farrell of 581 East Miller Road, Ithaca, New York to the Planning Board for a seven (7) year term, and be it further RESOLVED, that the term of appointment is to begin on January 1 , 1999 and expires on December 31 , 2005 . A roll call vote on the motion resulted as follows : Gagnon Aye Inman Aye Steiner Aye Strichartz Aye Horst Aye Carried Unanimously Set Date for Committee to Review Contracts A tentative date of Thursday, January 7, 1998 at 7 : 00 p .m . was set a committee to review contracts . k. The Danby Area News Committee has been renamed to Contract Committee . Request to Place a Moratorium on Bulk Mailing Permit for Danby Area News Councilperson Strichartz introduced the following resolution regarding the Danby Area News Bulk Mailing Permit. USE OF BULK MAILING PERMIT and CONTRACTS - discussed Community Council President Judy VanDermark reported that she was refused the right to use the Community Council Bulk Mailing Permit by the Ithaca Post Office as she was not an authorized user _I Q07 5 Town Board Minutes December 23 , 1998 of the permit application that is on file . Motion to Suspend Program Funding of Town Monies Until Contracts are in Place A motion was made by Councilperson Gagnon and seconded by Councilperson Strichartz that the Town Board of the Town of Danby suspend funding of programs without either their being Town programs or a contracts in place governing use of the monies of 1999 funds. Supervisor Horst said he thinks this is a mistake and it is a shame to penalize some of the organizations we have working in the community by withholding funds until the Town Board gets contracts in place . Councilperson Gagnon said he thinks this is an incentive and it is not difficult an would not take long to put contracts in place. Councilperson Strichartz said that she does not think this will hold up operations of programs too much. Councilperson Inman said that this means we will fund programs with a contract. He stated that the Town Attorney said that a small amount should be charged for the use of the hall to cover the cost of the heat, lights and janitorial services . Town can not give away public funds . A roll call vote on the resulted as follows : Gagnon Aye Inman Aye Steiner Nay Strichartz Aye Horst Nay Carried RESOLUTION NO 76 OF 1998 - Defeated RESOLUTION TO SUSPEND USE OF THE BULK MAILING PERMIT By Councilperson Strichartz : Seconded by Councilperson Strichartz RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Danby place a moratorium on the use of our bulk mailing permit until the legal issues involving ownership and use are answered by our Town Attorney and that we authorize our Town Supervisor to write to the Ithaca Post Office notifying them of this resolution effective as of now, December 23 , 1998 , and be it further RESOLVED, that exceptions may be granted with permission of the Town Board on an individual case basis . Supervisor Horst said that he has sent out a response to the Ithaca Post Office giving both Danby Area News and Community Council permission to use the permit and that this resolution is not necessary. He cannot support this . Councilperson Gagnon said that this resolution is tightening up the controls that ' s in place to insure that the permit is not being abused. Councilperson Strichartz said that by resolution of the Town Board that the Danby Area News was to be discontinued as of January 31st. The reason she is suggesting this is that it seems an even handed way of discontinuing the use of the permit until we resolve our legal problems . Councilperson Steiner asked if the Board was saying that we shouldn 't be allocating any money to any entity from which we do not have any contracts for. A roll call vote on the resolution resulted as follows : 6 Town Board Minutes December 23 , 1998 Gagnon Aye Inman Nay Steiner Nay Strichartz Aye No Action Horst Nay Funds for Comprehensive Plan and Contracts Comprehensive Plan and contracts with Tompkins County were discussed by the Board. The approvals for the project were over a two (2) year period and the unused funds for 1998 that have not been expended will be carried over to 1999 to complete the agreements and contracts . APPROVAL OF WARRANTS : General Fund Warrant No. 13 of 1998 A motion was made by Councilperson Steiner and seconded by Councilperson Gagnon to approve the General Fund Warrant No . 13 of 1998 voucher No ' s . 506 - 532 in the amount of $7 , 832 .75 . A roll call vote on the motion resulted as follows : Gagnon Aye Inman Aye Steiner Aye Strichartz Aye Horst Aye Carried Unanimously Highway Fund Warrant No. 13 of 1998 A motion was made by Councilperson Gagnon and Seconded by Councilperson Steiner to approve the Highway Fund Warrant No . 13 of 1998 voucher No ' s . 218 - 221 in the amount of $6 ,482 . 64 . ; A roll call vote on the motion resulted as follows : Gagnon Aye Inman Aye Steiner Aye Strichartz Aye Horst Aye Carried Unanimously West Danby Water District Warrant No. 13 of 1998 A motion was made by Councilperson Steiner and seconded by Councilperson Gagnon to approve the West Danby Water District Fund Warrant No . 13 of 1998 voucher No ' s. 49-52 in the amount of $965 . 93 . A roll call vote on the motion resulted as follows : Gagnon Aye Inman Aye Steiner Aye Strichartz Aye Horst Aye Carried Unanimously Town Supervisor' s November 1998 Report: A motion was made by Councilperson Gagnon and seconded by Councilperson Inman to approve the Town Supervisor' s November 1998 Report. Discussion : Councilperson Steiner is unhappy with the amount held in the General Fund checking account. He 1009 7 Town Board Minutes December 23 , 1998 stated that part of the balance should be in short term CD ' s to generate interest. A roll call vote on the motion resulted as follows : Gagnon Aye Inman Aye Steiner Aye Strichartz Aye Horst Aye Carried Unanimously ADJOURNMENT : On a motion the meeting adjourned at 10 : 20 P . M. dest ),raptedi Carol W. Sczepanski , vn Clerk min- 12-23 .98 is