HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-02-23 Town Board Meeting Minutes
Regular Town Board Meeting Minutes
Held on 23 February 2023 at 1:00pm
Roll Call:
Town Board Joel Gagnon, Super visor
Leslie Connors
Katharine Hunter
Steve Weissburg (absent)
Patricia Woodworth
Town Bookkeeper Laura Shawley (via videoconference)
Code Enforcement Off icer Steve Cortright (via videoconference)
Town Planner David West (via videoconference)
Recording Secretary Janice Adelman, Town Clerk (via videoconference)
Transcript and audio recording are available online.
1. Called to Order by Super visor Gagnon at 13:03
2. Additions/Deletions to Agenda
2.1.Insurance update
3. Privilege of the Floor
3.1.Garry Huddle – asked to have the meeting unmuted. Control of muting should
be at the discretion of the Town Super visor or a Board Member.
3.2.Ted Crane – seconded what Garry said.
3.3.Ronda Roaring submitted an email to the Town Board at the end of the meeting
to suggest that the Board implement the chat function with someone monitoring
it to determine if there was anything worthwhile to add to the Board
conversation.
4. Correspondence
5. Announcements
6. Reports & Presentations
6.1.County Legislature Representative Dan Klein
6.2.Highway Superintendent Keith Shipman
6.3. Peter McDonald Inter view for Town Water Committee
6.3.1.Woodworth asked why McDonald is interested in serving. He responded
Mary Ann Barr 2021
T he Town of Danby
1830 Danby Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
danby.ny.gov
Town Board Regular Meeting
Thursday 23 February 2023 at 1:00PM
Town of Danby New York 23 February 2023 Board Meeting Minutes
that he enjoys his community having returned from California where he
had served on various water boards there and felt he had much to
contribute.
6.3.2.Connors asked if he has attended meetings of the Water District.
McDonald has.
6.3.3.No further questions asked.
7. Warrants
7.1.Resolution 070 of 2023 to Approve General Fund Abstract 04 of 2023 Vouchers
58–80 for $16,538.79
Moved By: Connors Seconded By: Woodworth
Vote:
Councilperson Aye Nay Absent
Connors X
Hunter X
Weissburg X
Woodworth X
Gagnon X
Resolution 070 of 2023 passed on 23 February 2023
7.2.Resolution 071 of 2023 to Approve Highway Fund Abstract 04 of 2023 Vouchers
23–40 for $358,303.32
Moved By: Connors Seconded By: Woodworth
Vote:
Councilperson Aye Nay Absent
Connors X
Hunter X
Weissburg X
Woodworth X
Gagnon X
Resolution 071 of 2023 passed on 23 February 2023
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7.3.Resolution 072 of 2023 to Approve the SF Fund Budget Transfer to Fire District
Voucher 81 on Abstract 04 in the Budgeted Amount of $578,000
Moved By: Connors Seconded By: Gagnon
Vote:
Councilperson Aye Nay Absent
Connors X
Hunter X
Weissburg X
Woodworth X
Gagnon X
Resolution 072 of 2023 passed on 23 February 2023
8. Business
8.1.Resolution 073 of 2023 To Appoint Peter MacDonald to Town Water Committee
Replacing and Serving Out Carl Seamon’s Term
Moved By: Gagnon Seconded By: Connors
Vote:
Councilperson Aye Nay Absent
Connors X
Hunter X
Weissburg X
Woodworth X
Gagnon X
Resolution 073 of 2023 passed on 23 February 2023
8.2.Workplace Violence/Threat Assessment Team Charge and Membership
8.2.1.Asked for someone from Highway Crew and someone from the library.
Still haven’t secured anyone yet.
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8.2.2.To be revisited at next Board meeting.
8.3. Appointment of Co-Chair of CAC
8.3.1.Legal counsel indicated that it is possible to have co-chairs on the CAC,
therefore:
Resolution 074 of 2023 To Appoint Jonathan Zisk as Co-Chair of the CAC
Moved By: Gagnon Seconded By: Woodworth
Vote:
Councilperson Aye Nay Absent
Connors [Abstain]
Hunter X
Weissburg X
Woodworth X
Gagnon X
Resolution 074 of 2023 passed on 23 February 2023
8.4. CDBG Grant Administration Decisions
8.4.1. Financial Approvals -- Project Level or Individual Payments?
8.4.1.1.Board was comfortable having the consultant handle these
payments.
8.4.1.2.Both Laura Shawley and David West will have reviewed the bills on
the Town’s behalf.
8.4.2. Participation - Allow Life Use Agreements or Land Contracts?
8.4.2.1.Thoma needs to know what the town prefers to do for Life Use
Agreements
8.4.2.1.1.Woodworth and Hunter conveyed that it would be
admissible to allow life use agreements.
8.4.2.1.2.The current owner would need to agree that the Town
has a lien against the property.
8.4.2.2.Thoma needs to know how the town would like to handle Land
Contracts
8.4.2.2.1.Woodworth asked what Thoma’s opinion on this is.
8.4.2.2.2.Might be more difficult getting money back in the event
that a person leaves sooner than anticipated.
8.4.2.2.3.Connors, Woodworth, Gagnon all inclined to say no to
Land Contracts
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Town of Danby New York 23 February 2023 Board Meeting Minutes
8.4.2.3.Both of these situations are currently unknown as to how many of
these will be in the application process. We have a general idea of
preliminary interest.
8.4.2.4.Gagnon summarized that the board approved the Life Use
Agreements, but will leave the Land Contracts open to consider
when or if this circumstance arises.
8.4.2.5.West noted an example from a CDBG CARES grant in Ohio
suggests options to consider such as, Does it have to be in
writing?; Does it have to be filed with County?; Do you want to
approve someone who is in a precarious position?
8.5.IT Insurance Security
8.5.1.Hunter called NYMIR with an opening conversation in which she learned
that roughly 900k have insurance; 5k of these have cyber insurance – we
are one of them.
8.5.2.Suffolk County had been shut down for two solid month due to cyber
security
8.5.3.NYMIR will call Hunter back to speak about our current cyber security
policy.
8.5.4.If anything does happen, we need to call insurance first rather than the IT
company so that we are not negligent in informing them.
8.5.5.Hunter believes that we need to investigate how we connect to town
cloud services from home. On the flip side, we are a low risk target.
8.5.6.Gagnon noted that the larger places with bigger budgets are better
fortified such that hackers are going after low-hanging fruit with
municipalities that are more vulnerable.
9. Discussion of Next Meeting Agenda
9.1.Capital Planning
9.1.1.Discussion revolved around ideas for community center and
crosswalk on 96b between Town Hall and Dotson Park/TCAT bus stop.
10. Adjourned at 14:26
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