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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-04-14 DRAFT TOWN OF DANBY TOWN BOARD MINUTES APRIL 14, 2008 PRESENT: Supervisor Fredric Dietrich Councilpersons: Eugene Beavers, Leslie Connors, Daniel Klein ABSENT: Councilperson Joseph Salino (excused) Others Present: Carol Sczepanski - Town Clerk Susan Beeners - Code Enforcement Officer Laura Shawley-Bookkeeper Roy Casterline-West Danby Water District Superintendent Frank Proto - County Legislature Representative Members of the Public: Joel Gagnon, Ronda Roaring Supervisor Dietrich called the meeting to order at 6:40 p.m. and led all present to the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA 1. Under Old Business - Task Force Update 2. Under Old Business - Support for Coddington Trail Initiave by the Town of Caroline 3. Under Old Business - WEB Site 4. Reappointment of Deputy Supervisor 5. Appointments to the Local Assessment Board of Review Fire District Report Supervisor Dietrich asked Councilperson Beavers to refer information to Fire Commissioners on pooling their funds for higher interest rates. Privilege of the Floor Susan Beeners reported that the fire department will be working on exercises on some Monday night here at the town hall. The town clerk reported that the youth groups that are meeting at the town hall are bringing in supplies and leaving them in the meeting room. Their supplies need to be sorted and organized to help keep the room orderly. Groups using the facility need to make sure that all the doors are closed and exterior doors are locked. Town Board Minutes 2 April 14,2008 Supervisor Dietrich reported that the town still has a vacant seat on the Youth Board. He suggested that a person from Community Council be appointed. Privilege of the Floor Ronda Roaring reported 75 people entered her WEB site during March. She requested that the board give consideration to establish a committee that deals with environmental and conservation issues and a roadside cleanup. She said she has written letters to the town board regarding changes to town regulations to make things more equitable, i.e. land use issues. Ames Brown addressed the board and suggested that they appoint a second Deputy Town Supervisor Jeff Jones from the Town of Caroline addressed the board and asked that the town board consider adopting a resolution in support of the Coddington Trail Initiative introduced by the Town of Caroline. REPORTS: County Representative Report County Representative Frank Proto reported: 1) that he will attend the Local Assessment Board of Review on May 21, 2008; 2) the Health and Human Services committee has had a number of people using the WIC program and had discussion having the county run the program, The program is on hold but the county is still providing the service. The state has yet to release the RFP; 3) the Water Well Program public hearing was held and the hearing officer gave an initial opinion that basically said he is not sure we need the program in the form it was presented; 4) the county budget process has not officially started yet. The first pass will be started soon. 5)the town has received a grant recognizing the Danby rural cemeteries and have received eleven signs. EMC (Environmental Management Council) Supervisor Dietrich asked that a letter be sent to Lisa Skolar asking her to contact him. Highway Report The March Highway report was received. Highway Secretary Laura Shawley reported that March was a very busy month. There was routine winter road maintenance and materials were hauled to stock pile snow and ice supplies. Winter road repair was done on Old Comfort Road,Walding Lane,German Cross Road,Michigan Hollow Road and Durfee Hill Road. There was also brush clean up from ice storms. She has provided a list of projects that need to be completed. and an update of the remediation project. A meeting is scheduled with T.G. Miller on April 25th for a sanitary waste separation cost analysis. They are researching costs for a salt shed as it is important that the town consider a building some sort of a salt storage as it is a priority item. Task Force Update Dan Klein reported that the Task Force met and they would like to see the town board take up the things that they have worked on and that the board has not acted upon yet,. Some of the issues they were working on were not completed. Some of the uncompleted work was on flag lots, Right to Town Board Minutes 3 April 14,2008 Farm Law, and manufactured mobile homes. Supervisor Dietrich said that he thought that the chairperson of the Task Force should transmit to the town board specific things they want to pursue. He said that if nobody on the Task Force is excited about entertaining new things until we get some sense about where they are about historical subjects. We need to give it some time and keep it on the agenda. Councilperson Connors said that her understanding was that everything was stopped until these things were all cleared up. Councilperson Beavers was excused from the meeting at 8:30. Motion to Extend Meeting A motion was made by Councilperson Klein and seconded by Councilperson Connors to extend the board meeting to 9:00 p.m. A roll call vote on the motion resulted as follows: (Councilpersons Salino and Beavers absent) Beavers Aye Connors Aye Klein Aye Dietrich Aye Carried Zoning and Code Enforcement Susan Beeners submitted her monthly report for March 2008 and asked if the board was looking for her to draft Task Force matters. Supervisor Dietrich said that we have just had the discussion on whether we are going to go through those items and going and vote on each item whether we should pursue it. There are contingencies for those items that were brought up and addressed at the Task Force meeting in terms of staff time. RESOLUTION NO. 37 OF 2008 IN SUPPORT FOR CODDINGTON TRAIL INITIATIVE BY THE TOWN OF CAROLINE By: Supervisor Dietrich: Seconded by Leslie Connors WHEREAS: * Trails provide an important recreational outlet; and * Trails support the public health of communities by providing opportunities for residents to engage in physical exercise; and * Trails can support economic development and a richer sense of community and (Http//www.railtrails.org/whatwedo/trailadvocacy/2010Campaign.html; and * abandoned railbeds are ideally suited to multi-purpose trails; and * The abandoned Lackawanna Railroad bed continues eastward and southward through the Towns of Ithaca,Dryden,Caroline and Danby(under the ownership of NYSEG),beyond the current end of the Town of Ithaca's South Hill Recreation Way, offering a potential connection between the city of Ithaca and the hamlet of Brooktondale, as well as the possibility of connecting Ithaca and Owego in the longer term; and * The residents of the towns of Ithaca, Dryden, Danby and Caroline will benefit from a Town Board Minutes 4 April 14,2008 continuation of the South Hill Recreation Way into Caroline; and * This proposed trail continuation of the South Hill Recreation Way along the former Lackawanna Railroad Bed into Caroline is not currently on the Tompkins County Planning Map for trail development within Tompkins County; and * Putting the trail on the Ithaca Tompkins County Transportation Council Planning map requires a formal request from the affected towns (Ithaca, Dryden, Danby and Caroline); * The Town Board of the Town of Caroline has, at its January 8,2008 meeting,unanimously resolved that "The Town of Caroline be the lead agency in providing direction and momentum for this project, acting with the Natural Areas and Trails Working Group to establish shared goals with the Towns of Ithaca, Dryden and Danby in the establishment of an extension to the South Hill Recreation Parkway to the hamlet of Brooktondale; And Be It Further Resolved that Linda Adams, a member of the Caroline Town Board has the responsibility to conduct negotiations and discussions on behalf of the Caroline Town Board with the Natural Areas and Trails Working Group, other Towns, the County,NYSEG, and landowners in a timely manner so that the[Caroline] Town Board can apply for state or federal grant funding with a June 2008 deadline" (see attached copy of the Town of Caroline's full resolution). * The Town of Danby Planning Board resolved to recommend that the Town Board support this resolution at its meeting on February 21, 2008. Therefore,now let it BE IT RESOLVED,that the Town of Danby endorses the Town of Caroline's leadership in this project to extend the South Hill Recreation Parkway to the hamlet of Brooktondale. And be it Further Resolved that we support the Town of Caroline's request that this trail extension be added to the Tompkins County Planning map for trail development within Tompkins County;that we support the Town of Caroline's negotiations with NYSEG and neighboring landowners; and support applications by the Town of Caroline for county, state or federal funding for this project. And Be It Further Resolved that Dan Klein, a member of the Town of Danby Town Board, will serve as the contact person for the Town of Danby for future discussions related to this project. A roll call vote on the resolution resulted as follows: (Councilperson Salino and Beavers excused) Connors Aye Klein Aye Dietrich Aye Carried Town Board Minutes 5 April 14,2008 The WEB and Webmaster discussion was deferred and Supervisor Dietrich may call for a Special Meeting of the board at a later time. RESOLUTION NO. 38 OF 2008 APPROVAL OF INCREASE IN TOWN MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT By: Supervisor Dietrich: Seconded by Dan Klein RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Danby increases the Town Mileage Reimbursement from$.485 to $.505 cents per mile retroactive to January 1, 2008. A roll call vote on the resolution resulted as follows: (Councilpersons Salino and Beavers excused) Connors Aye Klein Aye Dietrich Aye Carried RESOLUTION NO. 39 OF 2008 APPROVAL OF ALTERNATE MEMBER TO TCCOG BOARD By Councilperson Klein: Seconded by Councilperson Connors RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Danby appoints Laura Shawley as Town of Danby alternate member to the Tompkins County Council of Governments Board (TCCOG). A roll call vote on the resolution resulted as follows: ( Councilpersons Salino and Beavers excused) Connors Aye Klein Aye Dietrich Aye Carried RESOLUTION NO. 40 OF 2008 IN SUPPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS' REVIEW OF HEALTH BENEFITS FOR NEW YORK STATE SHARED MUNICIPAL SERVICES PROGRAM By: Supervisor Dietrich: Seconded by Councilperson Connors WHEREAS,the Town Board of the Town of Danby joined the Tompkins 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 Town Board Minutes 6 April 14,2008 RESOLVED, on recommendation of the Town Board of the Town of Danby, That the Town of Danby Supervisor is authorized to execute an inter-municipal agreement with TCCOG members to participate in the review of the development of the health benefits consortium, and FURTHER RESOLVED,that the Town of Danby understands that upon a complete review and plan design of a health benefits program„the Town of Danby will ave the option of joining a health benefits consortium that would require the Town of Danby to sign another inter-municipal agreement. SEQR ACTION: TYPE 11-20 A roll call vote on the resolution resulted as follows: (Councilpersons Salino and Beavers excused) Connors Aye Klein Aye Dietrich Aye Carried RESOLUTION NO. 41 OF 2008 APPROVAL FOR TOWN CLERK TO ATTEND THE 2008 NYSTCA ANNUAL CONFERENCE By Supervisor Dietrich: Seconded by Councilperson Connors RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Danby approves the Town Clerk's request to attend the Annual New York State Town Clerks Association Conference from April 27 -April 30, 2008. A roll call vote on the resolution resulted as follows: (Councilpersons Salino and Beavers excused) Connors Aye Klein Aye Dietrich Aye Carried Appointments to the Local Assessment Board of Review Councilperson Klein asked that the resolution appointing town representatives to the Local Assessment Board of Review be deferred as he could not approve one of the applicants and would vote against the appointment. Consideration of Approving Use of the Town Hall Fo r Special Groups The Town of Danby has a policy for use of the building for groups that are not town committees and the policy requires approval by the Town Board and a Certificate of Insurance be placed on file. Many groups requesting use of the building for meetings are not incorporated and consist of town residents on working committees that are non municipal groups. Town Board Minutes 7 April 14,2008 Supervisor Dietrich asked if we want to make an official list of special groups asking to use the Town Hall. After discussion on what groups have permission for use of the Town Hall and who has insurance certificates on file Supervisor Dietrich moved the following motion. Motion to Approve of the Danby Store Group to Meet at the Town Hall A motion was made by Supervisor Dietrich and seconded by Councilperson Connors that the Town Board of the Town of Danby grants permission for the Danby Store Group to use the Town Hall for their meetings. A roll call vote on the motion resulted as follows: (Councilpersons Salino and Beavers excused) Connors Aye Klein Aye Dietrich Aye Carried Approval of Supervisor's February and March Reports The February and March Supervisor's reports were deferred to May. Approval of the Town Clerk's March Report A motion was made by Councilperson Klein and seconded by Councilperson Connors that the Town Board of the Town of Danby approve the Clerk's March report as submitted. A roll call vote on the motion resulted as follows: (Councilpersons Salino and Beavers excused) Connors Aye Klein Aye Dietrich Aye Carried APPROVAL OF WARRANTS General Fund Warrant No. 4 of 2008 A motion was made by Supervisor Dietrich and seconded by Councilperson Connors that the Town Board of the Town of Danby approves the General Fund Warrant No. 4 of 2008 in the amount of $23,880.44 vouchers numbered 124 - 172. A roll call vote on the motion resulted as follows: (Councilpersons Salino and Beavers excused) Connors Aye Town Board Minutes 8 April 14,2008 Klein Aye Dietrich Aye Carried Highway Fund Warrant No. 4 of 2008 A motion was made by Supervisor Dietrich and seconded by Councilperson Connors that the Town Board of the Town of Danby approves the Highway Fund Warrant No. 4 of 2008 in the amount of $63,580.42 vouchers numbered 33-52. A roll call vote on the motion resulted as follows: (Councilpersons Salino and Beavers excused) Connors Aye Klein Aye Dietrich Aye Carried West Danby Water District Fund Warrant No. 4 of 2008 A motion was made by Councilperson Connors and seconded by Councilperson Klein that the Town Board of the Town of Danby approves the West Danby Water District Fund Warrant No.4 of 2008 in the amount of$2,340.16 vouchers numbered 17-23. A roll call vote on the motion resulted as follows: (Councilpersons Salino and Beavers excused) Connors Aye Klein Aye Dietrich Aye Carried ADJOURNMENT On a motion the meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m. Carol W. Sczepanski, Town Clerk min-4-14-08