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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-06-02 Town Board Meeting Minutes 1 | P a g e Town of Danby Town Board Regular Meeting Minutes Held Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026, at the Danby Town Hall Board Members Present: Joel Gagnon, Town Supervisor Leslie Connors Mariah Dillon Mark Pruce Board Member Absent: Zachary Larkins Town Staff and Officials: Blake Savoy, Town Clerk Greg Hutnik, Town Planner Ted Jones, Town Bookkeeper Gary Huddle, Town Justice Other Attendees: Neff Walker Jennifer Tiffany Hunter Grigg Susan Perri Julie Clougherty Ted Crane David O’Shea Pat Woodworth Ronda Roaring Katharine Hunter Meeting Called to Order at 6:00pm Additions/Deletions to the Agenda -Update on the hiring process for the Assistant to the Supervisor (added to reports) -Allocation of Additional Funding for Town Hall Accessibility Entryway Project (Added to business) -Discussion of Identification for CDBG Recipients (Added as part of the CDBG Guidelines review under business) Privilege of the Floor Ronda Roaring requested that the notice from Ironwood Heavy Highway LLC referenced in the correspondence be posted. She also requested to see the FOIL policy updates and the attorney’s comments on the draft Special Events Law. Ted Crane asked why there were strikethroughs in the Clerk’s report, why a notary renewal was included on an abstract. He commented on the use of “insure” in place of “ensure” in the drafted FOIL policy and stated he would also like to see the attorney’s comments on the draft Special Events Law. He asked how a community forum would be functionally different from a normal Board meeting and commented on an issue with the website. Correspondence • Email from Susan Perri "Re: Letter from West King/Yaple neighborhood re Events Laws" with attached letter • Email from Hunter Grigg "Continued retaliation from Selin" with attached video file and response from Supervisor Gagnon • Email from Mara Neimanis "CDBG Homeowner Housing Rehabilitation Grant Program Feedback" • Notice from Ironwood Heavy Highway LLC about tree-trimming in the area Clerk Savoy noted that he had not been able to prepare the correspondence packet ahead of time but stated that the notice was “incredibly vague” and not specifically to the Town. 2 | P a g e Meeting Minutes Resolution 173 of 2026 to Adopt the May 19th Meeting Minutes Discussion Clerk Savoy apologized for not adding the minutes to the agenda. Vote Moved by Connors Seconded by Gagnon Vote: Connors Yes Dillon Yes Larkins Absent Pruce Yes Gagnon Yes Resolution 173 of 2026 passed on June 2nd, 2026 The Board discussed the May 5th meeting minutes, which had been previously submitted for review, and determined to wait on voting on them until the next meeting. Reports and Presentations • Town Hall Accessibility Design Modifications- Board Member Dillon and David O’Shea, a project manager at T.G. Miller, reviewed the new design plans with the Board. They noted that since the start of the project, the scope of work had changed, and research of several ideas had taken significantly longer than anticipated. Thus, a request is being made to allocate $3,000.00 more to cover those expenses. • Clerk’s Report- Clerk Savoy responded to Crane’s earlier question about the purpose of the strikethroughs. He explained that as part of the reconciliation practice, review of the report and crossing out items that have been accounted for was customary. He further stated that while it does not necessarily impede legibility, he would endeavor to use less obstructive methods. • Code Enforcement’s Report- Board Member Connors noted dissatisfaction with the lack of enforcement activity, particularly for the case of one residence on West Miller. • Supervisor’s Financial Reports for the General, Highway, and Water Funds- Bookkeeper Jones explained that the reports given were as up to date as possible but noted that bank statements have not yet been received. He stated that more detailed reports will be available at the second meeting of the month. • Hiring Committee for the Assistant to the Supervisor- Board Member Dillon stated that 21 applications had been received. Of those, 7 would be interviewed. It is anticipated that the top two candidates would be put forth for Board approval at the next meeting. Warrant Abstract 12 of 2026 Resolution 174 of 2026 to Approve General Fund Vouchers #193-202 for $25,310.80 Vote Moved by Connors Seconded by Dillon Vote: Connors Yes Dillon Yes Larkins Absent Pruce Yes Gagnon Yes 3 | P a g e Resolution 174 of 2026 passed on June 2nd, 2026 Resolution 175 of 2026 to Approve Highway Fund Vouchers #82-95 for $50,130.04 Vote Moved by Connors Seconded by Dillon Vote: Connors Yes Dillon Yes Larkins Absent Pruce Yes Gagnon Yes Resolution 175 of 2026 passed on June 2nd, 2026 After the vote, Board Member Pruce noted that there had been a voucher approved that was submitted for two bills but only included one and asked if there had been any follow up. Board Member Connors stated that she would follow up with Bookkeeper Shawley, who was also working on including documented verification of purchases made under state contract pricing within every relevant voucher submitted. Supervisor Gagnon commented on the changeover of staff and ongoing training in light of Bookkeeper Shawley's retirement. Business CDBG Program Guidelines The Board and Planner Hutnik reviewed the proposed guidelines, noting they were largely similar to the ones previously passed. They also discussed ways to identify grant recipients, specifically given that only low-to-middle income households are eligible, so as not to expose a recipient’s financials. Supervisor Gagnon noted that the circumstance is different for those who self-identify as having received a grant, such as by submitting feedback or commenting at a public hearing. The Board determined to use the property’s address to identify a recipient, rather than the homeowner’s name. Resolution 176 of 2026 to Accept the 2025 CDBG Homeowner Housing Rehabilitation Guidelines Vote Moved by Connors Seconded by Dillon Vote: Connors Yes Dillon Yes Larkins Absent Pruce Yes Gagnon Yes Resolution 176 of 2026 passed on June 2nd, 2026 Community Forums Guidelines Board Member Pruce presented a draft of guidelines for the hosting of community forums. These forums would be a space for public participation outside of the constraints of a standard Town Board meeting. He noted that the guidelines were to enable standards of reasonable conduct for all who participate, and that moderation would be present to facilitate the flow of discussion. Board Member Pruce noted Planner Hutnik had expressed interest in acting as a moderator, but that his leave may impact that. Ted Crane commented regarding the implications of Open Meetings Law in the forum context. Board Member Pruce responded that he would reach out to the attorney for additional guidance, but reinforced that these meetings would be entirely open to the public and advertised as such. 4 | P a g e Resolution 177 of 2026 to Adopt the Guidelines for Conducting Community Forums and Further to Sponsor Such Forums to Provide Additional Opportunity for People to Comment and Contribute to the Decision-Making Process Without Making Decisions Vote Moved by Gagnon Seconded by Connors Vote: Connors Yes Dillon Yes Larkins Absent Pruce Yes Gagnon Yes Resolution 177 of 2026 passed on June 2nd, 2026 FOIL Policy Update Clerk Savoy presented a draft for an update to the Town’s FOIL policy based on model regulations from the Committee on Open Government, noting that the current policy was over 20 years old and had some points that were inconsistent with current law. He stated that another impetus for this was the designated FOIL Appeal Officer/Body. Supervisor Gagnon stated that he had appreciated the Town Board being the Appeal Body because it allowed them to release information that, while determined to be justified to be withheld, could be released in the interesta of public transparency and openness. Clerk Savoy noted that there were challenges with the Board being the Appeals Body, such as the meeting being public, which limited the Board’s ability to discuss the materials, and the Board’s lack of experience in the interpretation and understanding of FOIL. He also noted the double-edged nature of releasing correctly withheld materials and the creation of precedents that could harm the Town later. Discussion ensued regarding the appeals agency, as well as the trigger point for engaging legal counsel. While there was broad consensus to reach out to Attorney Krogh, no formal action was taken. Changes to the Town Hall Entryway Plan Resolution 178 of 2026 to Approve T.G Miller’s Request for an Additional $3000.00 to Cover Expenses Related to Design Changes Discussion The Board and Bookkeeper Jones discussed where the funding would be allocated from. Jones suggested a transfer from the contingent account line to the engineering account line. Vote Moved by Dillon Seconded by Gagnon Vote: Connors Abstain Dillon Yes Larkins Absent Pruce Yes Gagnon Yes Resolution 178 of 2026 passed on June 2nd, 2026 After the vote, the Board discussed the reasons for the additional expense. It was stated that the scope of the project shifted throughout the process, including some revisions that did not pan out. Members of the Board noted that some revisions were based on suggestions from the Building and Grounds Committee, and some were based on public comments that may have shifted the focus outside the intended scope of ideas. 5 | P a g e Special Events Law Planner Hutnik and the Board reviewed minor changes to the draft Special Events Law based on comments from Attorney Krogh. They discussed the specifics of the measuring sound section and comments on the intent. They also discussed a clause relating to easements, noting that the Town should not be responsible for enforcement of non-Town easements, such as those with utility companies, but that those may be mentioned to an applicant for their consideration. They also discussed the language of clauses in the BZA considerations and eliminated unclear and/or redundant language. Resolution 179 of 2026 to Extend the Meeting by 10 Minutes until 8:10pm Vote Moved by Gagnon Seconded by Connors Vote: Connors Yes Dillon Yes Larkins Absent Pruce Yes Gagnon Yes Resolution 179 of 2026 passed on June 2nd, 2026 Resolution 180 of 2026 to Confirm the Proposed Law with the Changes Accepted and Propose it for the Public Hearing Discussion The Board discussed the SEQR process and when to perform the required review. Vote Moved by Gagnon Seconded by Pruce Vote: Connors Yes Dillon Yes Larkins Absent Pruce Yes Gagnon Yes Resolution 180 of 2026 passed on June 2nd, 2026 Next Meeting’s Agenda -Increasing funding for George Frantz given the Planner’s extended leave -SEQR for the Special Events Law -FOIL Policy -Codification/General Code Update -May 5th Meeting Minutes The meeting was adjourned at 8:07 PM.