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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026_03_03 Town Board Meeting Minutes1 | P a g e Town of Danby Town Board Regular Meeting Minutes Held Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026, at the Danby Town Hall Board Members Present: Joel Gagnon, Town Supervisor Leslie Connors Mariah Dillon Zachary Larkins Mark Pruce Town Staff: Blake Savoy, Town Clerk Gary Huddle, Town Justice Theresa Klinger, Town Justice Keith Shipman, Highway Superintendent Laura Shawley, Town Bookkeeper Other Attendees: Ronda Roaring Ted Crane Captain Charles Tilton Pat Woodworth Isaac Ciele H Katharine Hunter Heather Coffey Martin Kelly Jim Holahan Meeting Called to Order at 6:01pm Additions/Deletions to the Agenda -Correspondence Policy (Added) -Schedule Special Meeting to Review Employment Options/Benefits (Added) -Update regarding the proposed Special Events Law (Added) -Policy for Special Meetings to Pay Bills (Deferred to March 17th meeting) Privilege of the Floor Martin Kelly expressed concerns regarding a plan from the County Sheriff's office to add two Flock cameras to Danby. He opined that the cameras were an invasion, chipping away at residents' privacy through their use of tracking technology, noting his "strenuous objection" to the matter overall. Ted Crane expressed appreciation for the correspondence being linked to the agenda. He expressed concerns regarding Flock cameras, specifically weighing pri vacy and the benefit to law enforcement, and opined that the report from the Sheriff did not sufficiently justify the necessity. He stated that he was in favor of banning crypto mining and related egregious uses of electricity and further that it can be done simply. He suggested a change to the proposed Special Events Law's trigger point based on square footage rather than acreage. H Katharine Hunter expressed her agreement with the previous speakers about the Flock cameras and with Ted Crane about the numbers for the Special Events Law. She stated her appreciation for Scott Davis' letter (submitted under correspondence). Ronda Roaring expressed concerns regarding the Town and County highway departments' road - salting practices, specifically incidents that may interfere with wildlife. She expressed dissatisfaction with the Town's Highway Department for adding rocks to Peter Road, citing concerns for disruption of the wetland. She further expressed a desire for the Town to take more interest in protecting wetlands, such as those found on Peter Road. Correspondence • Email from Jim Davis "Peter Road" • Email from Ronda Roaring "Special Events Law" 2 | P a g e • Email from Gary Bercow "Banning Data Centers and Crypto Mining" • Email from Gwen Saltal "Flock (AI surveillance) cameras in Danby" • Sheriff’s Office on Flock Safety Cameras • Emailed document from Scott Davis and other residents "Preemptive Danby" • Emailed document from Highway Superintendent Shipman "Agenda Peter Rd Davis" (Responding to initial complaint 3/5/2025) • Email from Ronda Roaring "FLOCK" • Email from Ronda Roaring "Peter Rd." Announcements Board Member Pruce announced changed work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and that residents should contact their Department of Social Services caseworker for assistance regarding these changes. He also announced that this time of year is known for amphibious crossings. The main crossing in Danby is across Michigan Hollow Road. He encouraged residents to exercise extra caution to avoid hitting salamanders, newts, and other amphibians on their migratory journey. Supervisor Gagnon noted that there are also crossings on Bald Hill Road near Jennings' Pond. Reports and Presentations • Town Clerk's Monthly Report • Code Officer's Monthly Report Warrant Abstract 5 of 2026 Resolution 101 of 2026 to Accept the General Fund Vouchers #77-84 for $13,175.65 Discussion Supervisor Gagnon noted that the invoice from T.G. Miller was for both the crosswalk project and the entry to the Town Hall, both of which are accessibility improvements. Vote Moved by Connors Seconded by Dillon Vote: Connors Yes Dillon Yes Larkins Yes Pruce Yes Gagnon Yes Resolution 101 of 2026 passed on March 3, 2026 Resolution 102 of 2026 to Accept the Highway Fund Vouchers #22 -31 for $7,557.11 Discussion Bookkeeper Shawley noted that some of the voucher numbers had shifted to correct an error from the previous meeting wherein an item was charged to the incorrect account. Vote Moved by Connors Seconded by Dillon Vote: Connors Yes Dillon Yes 3 | P a g e Larkins Yes Pruce Yes Gagnon Yes Resolution 102 of 2026 passed on March 3, 2026 Business Town Hall Meeting Room Use Policy The Board discussed the policy, noting its creation was to not rely solely on the Clerk's discretion for whether or not a use was acceptable or not. They discussed the potential addition of a pre-approval list. Resolution 103 of 2026 to Table Discussion of the Town Hall Meeting Room Use Policy Until the Next Meeting Vote Moved by Gagnon Seconded by Dillon Vote: Connors Yes Dillon Yes Larkins Yes Pruce Yes Gagnon Yes Resolution 103 of 2026 passed on March 3, 2026 Credit Card Audit Procedure Resolution 104 of 2026 to Adopt and Use the Credit Card Audit Procedure Discussion The purpose of the procedure is to create a record of auditing the credit card bill. The Board discussed who would be using the procedure, determining that the responsibility falls chiefly on the Board. Bookkeeper Shawley suggested that she could demonstrate what the process would look like, and that the Board, as well as Julia Hughes, be trained on it. Vote Moved by Connors Seconded by Pruce Vote: Connors Yes Dillon Yes Larkins Yes Pruce Yes Gagnon Yes Resolution 104 of 2026 passed on March 3, 2026 Community Science Institute (CSI) Request to Use Town Hall Meeting Room for Training on 3/28 Resolution 105 of 2026 to Allow CSI to Use the Town Hall Meeting Room for Training on 3/28/2026 Discussion 4 | P a g e The Board discussed how they would access the building. Clerk Savoy said he would let them in and close after them. Vote Moved by Connors Seconded by Pruce Vote: Connors Yes Dillon Yes Larkins Yes Pruce Yes Gagnon Yes Resolution 105 of 2026 passed on March 3, 2026 Considering Explicitly Banning Cryptocurrency Mining and Data Centers Potentially by Moratorium Resolution 106 of 2026 to Cancel the March 17th Public Hearing, Instruct the Planner to Add Language Regarding Banning Cryptocurrency Mining and Data Centers to the Current Zoning Amendments, and Reschedule the Public Hearing to April 7th for the Proposed Zoning Amendments Local Law. Discussion The Board discussed creating a ban on cryptocurrency mining and/or data centers. It was suggested by Attorney Krogh to include it with the proposed zoning amendments. Vote Moved by Connors Seconded by Pruce Vote: Connors Yes Dillon Yes Larkins Yes Pruce Yes Gagnon Yes Resolution 106 of 2026 passed on March 3, 2026 Meeting Room Use Request from Todd Rose for 4/11 and 4/12 Resolution 107 of 2026 to Approve the Request from Todd Rose to Use the Town Meeting Room on 4/11/2026 and 4/12/2026 and Waive the Requirement for Liability Insurance Discussion Supervisor Gagnon noted that the current policy still contains a requirement for liability insurance. The Board decided to waive the requirement. Vote Moved by Connors Seconded by Larkins Vote: Connors Yes Dillon Yes Larkins Yes Pruce Yes Gagnon Yes Resolution 107 of 2026 passed on March 3, 2026 Authorizing T.G. Millere to Send the Crosswalk Plans to the DOT 5 | P a g e Resolution 108 of 2026 to Authorize T.G. Miller to Send the Proposed Crosswalk Plans to the Dept. of Transportation for Approval Vote Moved by Gagnon Seconded by Dillon Vote: Connors Yes Dillon Yes Larkins Yes Pruce Yes Gagnon Yes Resolution 108 of 2026 passed on March 3, 2026 Correspondence Policy The Board and Clerk Savoy discussed the current correspondence policy. Clerk Savoy opined on portions that could be clarified and that he would formalize his suggestions to submit later. Schedule Special Meeting to Review Employment Options/Benefits Resolution 109 of 2026 to Schedule a Special Meeting for Monday, March 9th at 12pm to Review Employment Options/Benefits Discussion The Board discussed the current Bookkeeper to the Supervisor position. Vote Moved by Gagnon Seconded by Connors Vote: Connors Yes Dillon Yes Larkins Yes Pruce Yes Gagnon Yes Resolution 109 of 2026 passed on March 3, 2026 Special Events Law The Board reviewed the current draft of the Special Events Law, specifically the criteria for triggering the necessity for a permit or other notice. They discussed the exceptions, which Supervisor Gagnon stated are part of determining what would be "customary residential activity". They also discussed protecting property rights while balancing other residents' rights regarding excessive nuisances or unsanitary conditions. The Board discussed suggestions for the trigger point, including acreage, square footage (a suggestion from Ted Crane), size of attendance, and number of vehicles. It was reiterated that the law as proposed is applicable only for events that have a duration longer than 8 hours, held past 9:00PM, charge a fee for admission, and do not meet one of the exemptions. Board Member Pruce opined that it would be better to "err on the side of allowing events", noting that the trigger point could be lowered with an amendment later, rather than unnecessarily constraining events. Supervisor Gagnon agreed. Supervisor Gagnon called the vote. Resolution 110 of 2026 to Instruct the Planner to Revise the Language Setting the Trigger Point at 200 People or 75 Vehicles at Any One Time Vote Moved by Gagnon Seconded by Dillon 6 | P a g e Vote: Connors No Dillon Yes Larkins No Pruce Yes Gagnon Yes Resolution 110 of 2026 passed on March 3, 2026 For Next Meeting's Agenda • Meeting Room Use Policy • Correspondence Policy The allotted time expired and with no motion to extend, the meeting was adjourned at 8:01 PM.