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Home My WebLink About2010-11-03'1'13 I 1 -3 -30 TOWN OF DRYDEN TOWNBOARD MEETING AND BUDGET HEARING November 3, 2010 Present; Supervisor Mary Ar111 Sumner, C1 Stephen Stelick, Cl Joseph Solomon, Cl Jason Leifer, Cl 0,,, I rd Makar elc;cted Officials; Bambi L, Avery, Town Clerk Supv Sumner opened the rneeting and PLLblic clearings at 7,00 p -rn- She distributed and reviewed her 2011 budget summary. The value of tlte_ town's taxable propertY has increased by 1,5%, Appropriations in the general funds are up 5A % and revenues are dav4 n 0,1 %- Appropriated fund balanuQc increased by 13.6 %. This wiII keep the tax rate stable- The levy increased I. ' - In the Fire Protection District, Supv Sumner said they struggled to keep the tax rate c_ven with last year, but the Cre departments Have serious ad di IlionaI expenses this year, Neptune needs spate- mandated bailout equipment- There are new bunker progroma in the Freeville and Varna Fire Departments- The bunker programs Ore ;� %tep tovrard having people available at all times to respond without actually having to pay their. They receive a p4we to live at no ch;�rgc in exchange for signing tip for coverage shifts- A substantial amount of fund banshee was used for fire depaT- twenl's and will not be able to be maintained in the future. The town contracts with Dryden Ambulance, Inc, for about half their actual costs Dryden Ambulanr e does charge for ambulance service. The ambulance h a % some paid staff. The Town will also be contracting with Slate rville; Arnbu [an cc. They cover a portion of the southweL% L area of the town- With respect to special districts, Supv Sumner said Cortland Sewer and Varna WAI:e'r are the only ones with �;ubstanHa1 increases- In some cases, additional expense %gas covered with fund balance. The increase u1 the general fund appropriations is about $300,000- S upv Sumner �;Oid about $160,000 of that {Silt be going to capital reserves. Total salary hicreases amount to about $26,000. The amount in the continguncy line is $70,000.001 Robert Jacobson, a resident of the Cortland road sewer district, thanked the board for sending the postcards to residents in special districts this year- I•ie asked the Town Board to make_ an effort to work vvi the, Village of Dryden to coordinate any actions taken with respect to water. Supv Sumner asked Cl Stelick and Cl Solomon to schedule an initial meeting with Village representatives, Supv Sumner explained there is old water line (From the late 1300's) that nli3S e)LltSiejC the Village bnundaric � and serves property along North Street. The old line keeps breaking and needs to be rep] a red I Supv Sumnr_r %aid the Health Department is concerned with village water- quand1:v r €,Ost. be good For two days when their best well is out of service, ar,d the their water source doesn't meet that criteria. They also aging welter mains that need to be replaced and that. can be quite cosilly- The Village and ToTan are talking about the past5ibility of forming a water district tlial: includes the village and the Cortland Road Scwer District. The Town is developing Ngu I c7I"5 TB I 1 -3 -1 U a water source on the south side of the Village 1lhot wquId serve the Village's needs and at that level of c_oopf' ration to also serve Cortland Road. This would be a fomrard- 1'hin kin r, solution, A resident {,f the Meadow Drive f Leisure Lake Lighting Uistricll 1igked how the is rate figured year to year aisd why there is fluctuation? Squpv Sumner and Cl Makar explained th(: Town Heeds to raise enouSh revenue to pay the electric bill, make any necessary repairs and in t5ome years there is an available fund balance_ A few years ago there were new poles and lights added. The formula was also changed to a per unit charge from being computed on assessed values. S upv S urn ner said there has been no policy for setting rates, but she is hoping for better long range planning_ Each special district ho.s its own fund balance. The Town's districts were formed at different times, and as debts are retired and main tenanc ce in cm. ases, the Town will explore the pogsibi1ity and financial benefit of consolidating some of the districts, Items new this year in the budget include a Business Process Analysis and the land use study in Voma, An equipment reserve fund was cstabli shed last year for Flighwoy and DFW so those budgets should not see significant increases and dccreawes due to equipment purchases_ R Jacobson irtt�uWed about the charges to TC3 and Dryden Central School in the Cortland Road Sewer District and Supv Sumner explained that their charges are pursuant to a special agrcrTncnt with those entities. To get the amount to be levied on a district, they take the amount required to maintain . {listzict, subtract the revenue from u: cage, and the difference is how much is to be raised by taxes. TC3 pays a very barge usage bill and they also own a lot of the infrastructure that serve; 1'.hcir facilities, including pipes, pumps and their own water tower. The {;o t of electricity in the Varna Lighting DisLriCC in 2009 was $3,429. DPW estimates $3,000 for rnainl.<nonce in the Marna Sewer District- In 20109 they spent $1,000. This year they needed a new sewer pump (expense tok(.;n from fund balance), and will replace mother in 20111 Cl Makar noted that if a properi:y's assessed value has stayed 11he .same, their general town tax should go down a bit, Harold Simmons asked the board for a projected cyst. for infrastructure to accommodate new housing in Varna. He has been told that. it. wi11 cost the town $1.25 for every $1.00 that it collects in taxes. That figure comes from an Ohio Mate University study and includes all services, not just special district_ Supv Sumner said that is a planning concept and she dofCtm't have information to s0y how it would work 1n Marn a. . She told Mr Simmons tbat when a new development puts additional demand on o district, the costs attributed to that development will be borne by the developer, RESOLUTION #151 - ADOPT SFZCL&L DISTRICT & AS,SESSMMMT ROLLS Cl Makar offered the following resolution o.nd asked for its adoption: RESOLVED, that thl& Town Board does hereby adopt the Special District and Assessment Rolls for the Town of Dryden for 2011. Rd Cl Stelick 41 Roll C,a1111ote Cl Stelick Yes Cl Solomon Yes 1' c2oi'; TO 11-3-10 upV Sumner Yes Cl maka.r Yes ] Leifer Yes RESOLUTION 0152 - ADOPT gall GENERAL BUDGET CI Makar offvri d the following resolution and asked for its adoption. RESOLVED, that: Chis Town Board hereby adopts the preliminary genonal budget as the Town of Dryden's general budget for 201.l- n" Cl teHrk Roll Call Vote Cl Stelick Yes Ol Solomon Yes Supv Sumner Yes Cl Makar Yep Cl [,eifer Yes RESOLUTION # 153 - ADOPT 2011 SPECIAL DISTRICTS BUDGET Cl Makar offered the following re olw.ion and asked for its adoption. RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby adopts the preliminary special [1i 'k1'riCts budget as the Town of Dryden's special districts budget for 2011. 2 ",' O] Stelick Roll Call Vote Cl stelick Yes Cl Solomon Yes Supv Sumner Yes Cl Makar Yes CI Leifcr Yes The nc:w paper published the legal notice for the fire contracts incorrectly. li: ha,d to be rep ob]ished, and that public hearing veil] be ]geld [November 10 at 7:00 p -m- On motion made, seconded, end unanimously carried, the board adjourned to e3cecui:ivu session to discus% o matter of current litigation a1: 7.55 p.m. and returned i1n m.gulay- session at SL I() p -m. RESOLUTION #134 - RESOLUTION ON APPROVAL OF PROPOSED SETTLEMENT OF FIRSTENEROY V. CITY OF ITHA A Cl Makar offered thc following resolution and asked for its adoption; WHEREAS, , in 20095 the City of Ithaca was narned as a third -party defendant in a lawsuit initially involving VirstEnergy Corp, (FirstFnergy) and N(. -w York State Electric & Gas Corp. (NY m EG), regarding liability for the cost of remedia6on of containation at property in the City of Ithaca referred to as the First Street Sife, which is now the location of the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility (IAVdTV) and owned by 1:he Towais of Dryden and Ithaca and the City of Ithaca; and Puye 3 411`5 TB 11 M3_ 10 WHEREAS, in the lawsuit: against the City, Firsl'E riergy seeks contribution from the C:ily, under the federal Comprehe, ive Pnvironmental Response , Compensation and Rccovm Act (OERCLA - a strict liability statute) for any financial liability FirstEncr&y May be found by the Court to have, for said contamination and rernediation; and WHEREAS, the site in question was the location, frorn approximately 1929 until 1934, of a manufactured gas plant operated by KY 60 and/or FirstEner v, Arid a by- product of such gas manufacturing is coal Isar, now known to be a hazardous substance; and WHEREAS, the City obtained the site in question from NYSEG in 1959, and, in the 1980s, in collaboration with the Towns of OTyden and Ithaca, constructed the IAWTF there; and WHEREAS, during excavation for said construc6on, large quantities of coal tsar and coal tar-contaminated soil were discovered below I.he ground, and were treated in :a.ccordance with L nstructions frorri NYSE;G and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, including storage on -site for over 10 years prior to removal and disposal by MY PC - and. WHEREAS, the Town of Orydea, Tawas of Ithaca and C;il:y of Ithaca entered into an °Agreement As to Legal Defense Costs and DaTLFLa es (if any) Associated with a l,awsuit AgEdnst the City of I thaca Regarding the Jthaca Area Wastewater Treatment. Fad Site'; and WHEREAS, the [ally retained Menter, Rudin $& Trivelpiece of Syracuse, New York, special coungcLl, to provide a defense in this mat.lx.,r, and W14ERI }A , a motion for suinmarV U dgrn(rnt dismissing the case against the City was recently denied by the Unitcrd .States District Court, on the grounds that there were questions of facie as tjo whether the construction of the IAW'f F and the treatinent of the contamination discovered during that process in some way exacerbsW.d the contamination; and HERSAS, L5pecial co tinsel, its consultation with the City, the Towns of 1]r }Eden and Ithaca and IAWTF representatives, negotiated a proposed settlement of this matter, which settlement is recommended by special counsel, the C;i1'.v Anlorney, and the attorney for tho Town of f ryden in order to limit the legal costs and to avoid the risks and urilnr >ns of treat (and potential appeals), NOW, TI•I]EREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the 'I own [hoard of the Town of ]Dryden hereby approves the settlement of the case of PirwtEnera v. the City of fthac;o, et al, prodded such settlement shall include the following terms1 paiym<rnt of $200,000 to First Ener y, by or through the City, in ten (10) equal, annual payments of 20,000 eia eh (i,e., with no interest), together with a release by FirstFnergy of the Town of Dryden from any and all further liability for the con ts�mination or remediaYtion of the first Street Site; and be it further RESOLVED, that the Towai Board hereby authorizes the Supervisor, upon the advice of the Attorney for thy Tow17, to execute all agreements and other documents which may be necessary or desirable to implement the settlement referenced herein, and be it further RESOLVED, that the above - described payments shall be made from fhe appropriate account(sj of the IAWTF, accordin g to the terms ref the "Agreement A,L5 to Legal Defense Costs and Damages (if any) Associated with a Luw%quit Against the City of Ithaca Rcgarding the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility Site' dated bec6,mber 29, 2009. 2n4E C1 ,Solomon 0 Roll Call Voile Cl Stelick Yes Cl Solomon Yes pqp 4 1wr 5 Eg ± Sam Sumner Yes Cl daka Yea cl b;f r Yea There mg rofurther bu s in e ,nn moti on niade, seco nes d an 4 unarm mouaU ramie% the meeting was adjourn 18 p.m, Rr,pec±m2 5mit , 4U Ba L Avery Town Clerk Q&,«S Tc"n of- Dryden Town Board Meeting November 3, 2010 -\ Y) C) 0 �.(,A k��/Cde cohf��a��- Address or Board Zs9 04\ jle��ZO4 00) /)/- Me Name - Please Phnt -\ Y) C) 0 �.(,A k��/Cde cohf��a��- Address or Board Zs9 04\ jle��ZO4 00) /)/- Me