HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB 2025-02-13 attTB 2-13-25
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TOWN OF DRYDEN
TOWN BOARD MEETING
February 13, 2025
Zoom Hybrid
Present: Supervisor Jason Leifer, Cl Daniel Lamb, Cl Leonardo Vargas-
Mendez, Cl Christina Dravis, Cl Spring Buck
Elected Officials: Bambi L. Avery, Town Clerk
Rick Young, Highway/DPW Superintendent
Other Town Staff: Amanda Anderson, Bookkeeper
Ray Burger, Planning Director
*Cassie Byrnes, Secretary to the Supervisor
*Indicates attendance via Zoom
Supv Leifer opened the meeting at 6:08 p.m.
Financials & Human Resources
RESOLUTION #48 (2025) – APPROVE ABSTRACT #2
Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:
RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby approves Abstract #2, as audited, general
vouchers #41 through #178 ($2,474,213.35) and TA vouchers #60 through #64 ($91,147.44),
totaling $2,565,360.79.
2nd Cl Lamb
Roll Call Vote Cl Vargas-Mendez Yes
Cl Buck Yes
Cl Dravis Yes
Cl Lamb Yes
Supv Leifer Yes
Budget Modifications
The board reviewed two sets of budget modifications in preparation for closing the 2024
fiscal year.
RESOLUTION #49 (2025) – APPROVE BUDGET MODIFICATIONS
Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:
RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby approve the attached budget modifications for
fiscal year 2024.
2nd Cl Lamb
Roll Call Vote Cl Vargas-Mendez Yes
Cl Buck Yes
Cl Dravis Yes
Cl Lamb Yes
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Supv Leifer Yes
RESOLUTION #50 (2025) – APPROVE BUDGET MODIFICATIONS
Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:
RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby approve the attached budget modifications for
fiscal year 2024.
2nd Cl Dravis
Roll Call Vote Cl Vargas-Mendez Yes
Cl Buck Yes
Cl Dravis Yes
Cl Lamb Yes
Supv Leifer Yes
Harford Accounting Services Agreement -
The board reviewed a contract with the Town of Harford to continue providing
accounting services for a period of six months.
Resolution #51 (2025) - Town of Harford Accounting Services Agreement
Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:
Whereas, the Town of Dryden Bookkeeper started in 2022 performing accounting services for
the Town of Harford.
Therefore, be it resolved that the Board authorizes the Town Supervisor to sign the 2025
Accounting Services agreement with the Town of Harford.
2nd Cl Dravis
Roll Call Vote Cl Vargas-Mendez Yes
Cl Buck Yes
Cl Dravis Yes
Cl Lamb Yes
Supv Leifer Yes
Approve Court Clerk – The court has hired a new court clerk.
Resolution #52 (2025) - Appointment of Madison Hanford to Court Clerk
Cl Dravis offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:
RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby approves the appointment of Madison
Hanford to the position of Court Clerk at an annual salary of $49,500 with a six -month
probationary period starting February 10, 2025.
2nd Cl Vargas-Mendez
Roll Call Vote Cl Vargas-Mendez Yes
Cl Buck Yes
Cl Dravis Yes
Cl Lamb Yes
Supv Leifer Yes
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Presentation and proposal by Etna Volunteer Fire Department
Colette Conklin and Linda Fenner of Etna Volunteer Fire Department presented the
attached slide deck. L Fenner said the members still want to volunteer and the community still
needs support. She understands the other two departments say they can manage it, but losing
the apparatus, tanker and water Etna has is huge. They did make 100% of their fire calls and
83% of their EMS calls. She feels it was a huge injustice that they were not able to provide the
documents they send to the state. They were the second truck and first tanker on the scene of
a fire that was shown on the screen where there were ten or twelve departments. Without Etna
in the picture and the other departments being called all the time, members will burn out.
They are asking for a contract for just fire service and MVAs so they can keep their pilot
program for EMTs to recertify (the only department that has that program). The town fire
coordinator was hired to help the departments and to tell the board not to contract with Etna
was a huge injustice and a big step outside of his job role that was supposed to help the
volunteer fire departments. They recruited new members and had a place for EMS personnel
that they were renting next to the station. They had members in training, and she had to
scramble a lot to keep them in their training. They made a great strategic plan and were
moving forward with their goals.
Again, she is asking the town to reconsider the decision on the contract with them. She
has not determined a dollar amount, and that can be worked out. When the Town Supervisor
met with her, they went over the call report he had. A portion did not match, but when she
pointed out that the numbers didn’t just represent Etna, they did match.
She provided board members with a handout from an insurance agency that states how
far away a home is from a station affects homeowners insurance rates. Costing residents more
money is not serving them well.
She asked the board to contract with them for their apparatus, labor, and water, not
just for residents in their area, but for neighboring departments that can use the water.
L Fenner answered a series of questions asked by board members. There was more
discussion and Supv Leifer worked with L Fenner to produce a budget of $110,000 to provide
fire service and respond to MVAs, to be paid for in two installments with benchmarks in the
contract. He said either party could end the contract at any time and it is non -negotiable.
Cl Vargas-Mendez said he is not prepared to entertain a different decision at the moment and
doesn’t want to raise expectations when most likely it won’t happen.
Supv Leifer said it makes sense to offer them a contract that is pared down to what they
can do until they can get their feet back under them. He suggested a two-part contract for a
total of $110,000 for fire and MVA calls so they can keep the training program going, and then
have a six-month review. The board could do a deep dive into the numbers at that point and if
the town is not happy, end it right there. He has heard anecdotally from other departments,
they like to see that tanker show up because we don’t have hydrants or dry hydrants
everywhere.
After further discussion, Supv Leifer made a motion to offer Etna Volunteer Fire
Department a contract in the amount of $110,000 for fire and MVA calls (to keep the training
program going), to be paid in two installments, with a review after six months. There was no
second to the motion.
Ann Marie Sheridan asked for a moment of silence to honor a fallen firefighter from
Binghamton.
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HIGHWAY/DPW DEPARTMENT
R Young reported the department has been busy and does have a supply of salt.
COUNTY UPDATE
None
DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS
Dryden Fiber – David Makar explained that over the last 12-18 months Dryden Fiber
has changed a lot as an organization, is building a lot more fiber and is a much bigger place in
the community. That includes being a recipient of an 8.9-million-dollar grant from NYS to
bring this project to every unserved or underserved household in the project area. That grant
needs to be completed by the end of next year. They have come to the realization that the
project has outgrown its initial engineering firm. The project is now larger with many more
defined needs than four or five years ago and Hunt has been struggling to provide the needed
service. The project needs more resources and capacity and needs the experience of a
consultant with more experience that can keep within the budget and timeline. They have
looked at the marketplace, keeping the timeline in mind , and believe Vantage Point will give us
the ability to finish the entire project between one and three years ahead of schedule. They will
finish the MIP project and possibly reach all other properties much sooner than originally
planned. The firm works in 46 states and deploys about 10,000 miles of fiber a year. Our
project is less than 300 miles. Vantage predominantly works with non-profits or co-ops owned
by municipalities and know how to work with publicly funded projects. They provided three
references across the country. D Makar checked with them and also reached out to another
company who uses Vantage and all reported positive experiences.
The Broadband Committee supports this change unanimously. D Makar is asking for a
resolution to terminate the agreement with Hunt for fiber optic services and authorize the
Supervisor to sign two agreements with Vantage, one for the MIP component of the grant and
the other for the non-MIP funded part of the grant (necessary for reimbursement requests).
Supv Leifer asked whether there needed to be any transition period. D Makar said
Hunt has been doing a lot of design work and those are provided digitally to contractors. They
will also provide a KMZ file (mapping file) to show where work is done. They have been doing
all the permitting. All of those assets are owned by and should be in the hands of the town.
Hunt may propose a short-term consulting partnership with the new firm so they would be on
hand to answer questions.
RESOLUTION #53 (2025) – TERMINATE AGREEMENT WITH HUNT ENGINEERS
Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:
RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby determines that it will not renew its contract
with Hunt Engineers for the Dryden Fiber project.
2nd Cl Lamb
Roll Call Vote Cl Vargas-Mendez Yes
Cl Buck Yes
Cl Dravis Yes
Cl Lamb Yes
Supv Leifer Yes
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RESOLUTION #54 (2025) – AUTHORIZE CONTRACTS WITH VANTAGE POINT
Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:
RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby authorizes the Town Supervisor to sign two
agreements with Vantage Point for the Dryden Fiber project, one for the areas of Dryden and
Caroline funded by the MIP grant and one for the remaining areas in the town, as o utlined in
their proposal dated January 24, 2025.
2nd Cl Vargas-Mendez
Roll Call Vote Cl Vargas-Mendez Yes
Cl Buck Yes
Cl Dravis Yes
Cl Lamb Yes
Supv Leifer Yes
It was acknowledged that the project couldn’t have proceeded this far without Hunt
Engineers and the board thanked them for their work.
Liberty Affordable Housing – Supv Leifer explained that the PILOT agreement was
proposed after the March taxable status date for the tax roll that came out January. He said
he believed everyone thought it would take effect for January. County Assessment does not
allow the current bill to reflect the PILOT. A resolution of the board’s intent may be helpful .
This will also affect the school, county, and village of Freeville taxes. Liberty’s attorneys’
position is that the public housing finance law is what controls taxable status. County
Assessment’s position is that the state’s taxable status date controls. The receiver of taxes
cannot change the bill without an order. The schedule in the agreement does show that it
would be effective for January 1. Supv Leifer said the board can pass a resolution stating the
intent, but he doesn’t know whether it would change anything.
RESOLUTION #55 (2025) – REGARDING EFFECTIVE DATE OF PILOT AGREEMENT FOR
LIBERTY AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:
RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby clarifies that when it entered into the
Agreement for Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) among the Town of Dryden, Freeville Housing
Group, L.P. and Freeville Housing Development Fund Corp., the intent was for the PILOT to
begin with the January 2025 tax roll and hereby requests that Tompkins County honor the
PILOT as written and amend the tax roll appropriately.
2nd Cl Dravis
Roll Call Vote Cl Vargas-Mendez Yes
Cl Buck Yes
Cl Dravis Yes
Cl Lamb Yes
Supv Leifer Yes
There will be introductions for two projects next week with the intent of scheduling
public hearings for March 20:
o A special use permit application for a hemp processing operation at 478 Lower
Creek Road.
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o A special use permit to convert existing structures at 1274 Dryden Road to
dwelling units and retail space.
Supv Leifer said there was a question in the chat about holding back funding in a
contract and said it is common in a contract for services.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:32 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Bambi L. Avery
Town Clerk
2024 Budget Year Budget Modification for Fund
A Fund
Reason
237.64 A1110.1 Justices - Justice Due to payroll accural entry
561.12 A1110.102 Justices - Court Clerk 1 Due to payroll accural entry
442.64 A1110.103 Justices - Court Clerk 2 Due to payroll accural entry
(2,583.31)A1110.105 Justices - Court Security 1,341.91 A1110.4 Justices - Contractual Underbudgeted contractual expenses
801.36 A1220.101 Bookkeeper/Personnel Due to payroll accural entry
(2,123.58)A1220.103 Senior Account Clerk 1,322.22 A1220.102 Conf. Secretary to Supervisor Underbudgeted payroll expense
(959.31)A1220.453 Supervisor - Mileage 959.31 A1220.451 Supervisor - Office Supplies Underbudgeted contractual expenses
268.38 A1330.100 Reciever of Taxes Due to payroll accural entry
225.36 A1330.101 Dpty Receiver of Taxes Due to payroll accural entry
1,991.24 A1330.102 Seasonal Help Change from part time to full time
490.37 A1330.4 Reciever of Taxes - Contractual Underbudgeted contractual expenses
409.07 A1410.100 Town Clerk Due to payroll accural entry
225.36 A1410.101 Dpty Town Clerk Due to payroll accural entry
(6,532.65)A1430.1 General Time 2,922.87 A1410.102 Dpty Town Clerk Change from part time to full time
(48.43)A1460.2 Records Management - Equip 48.43 A1460.1 Records Management - Personnel Due to payroll accural entry
(296.14)A1490.1 Public Works 296.14 A1490.101 Dpty Supt of Public Works Due to payroll accural entry
(1,401.66)A1490.403 Cleaning 1,401.66 A1490.4 Public Works Contractual Underbudgeted contractual expenses
(96,600.00)A3910 Climate Smart Grant
(15,000.00)A1990.4 Contingency
(11,989.63)A1490.2 DPW - Equipment 123,589.63 A1620.202 Buildings - DPW/Equipment Account for Climate Smart grant for Hwy bldg
(2,741.19)A1620.401 DPW purchases for Town Hall 2,741.19 A1620.402 Buildings - Utilities Underbudgeted utility expenses
(2,617.93)A1680.2 IT- Equipment 2,617.93 A1930.4 Judgements and Claims Underbudgeted judgement and claims
(829.12)A5010.103 Depty Supt of Hwy OT 829.12 A5010.100 Supt of Highway Due to payroll accural
586.49 A5010.101 Dpty Supt of Highway Due to payroll accural
(1,090.74)A5010.2 Highway - Equipment 504.25 A5010.102 Highway Secretary Due to payroll accural
(15,160.85)A7020.101 Recreation Assistant 15,160.85 A7110.1 Rail Trail Personnel Work for grant and general maintence
(3,665.93)A7110.412 Trail Maintenance 3,665.93 A7110.414 Rail Trail Grants contractual Expenses related to rail trail grant
(28.40)A7510.410 Historian - Contractual 28.40 A7510.1 Historian Due to payroll accural
(24,380.00)A4089 Federal Aid 24,380.00 A8745.4 Crispell Dam Account for USDA grant funds
(3,106.29)A8790.403 Watershed Monitoring 3,106.29 A9010.8 Retirement Higher than budgeted retirement expense
(8,520.62)A9030.8 Social Security
(2,152.18)A9040.8 Workers Comp
(4,377.37)A9050.8 Unemployment 15,050.17 A9060.8 Medical Insurance Underbudgeted health insurance expense
(206,205.33)Total 206,205.33 Total
B Fund
Reason
(2,165.44)B3620.201 Code Enforcement - Equipment 2,165.44 B1430.1 General Time Higher than budgeted expenditure
559.84 B3620.101 Code Enforcement Off 1 Due to payroll accural
563.12 B3620.102 Code Enforcement Off 2 Due to payroll accural
(1,528.48)B3620.108 Code Enforcement - Parttime 405.52 B3620.106 Keyboard Specialist Due to payroll accural
(1,592.28)B3620.405 Car Maintenance 1,592.28 B3620.407 Code Enforcement - Legal Higher than budgeted legal expenses
428.00 B8010.420 Zoning - Attorney Fees Higher than budgeted legal expenses
(475.13)B8010.434 ZBA Training 47.13 B8010.433 Legal Ads Higher than budgeted ad expenses
(738.80)B8020.102 Planner - Personnel 738.80 B8020.101 Planning Director Due to payroll accural
(1,424.50)B8020.401 Planning Contractual 1,424.50 B8020.412 Legal and Engineering Higher than budgeted legal expenses
(827.34)B9030.8 Social Security
(1,751.98)B9040.8 Workers Comp
(782.59)B9060.8 Medical Insurance
(239.09)B9089.8 Medicare 3,601.00 B9010.8 Retirement Higher than budgeted retirement exp
(11,525.63)Total 11,525.63 Total
From To
From To
DA Fund
Reason
(18,708.07)DA5120.1 Machinery - Personal Serv 18,708.07 DA5130.1 Bridges - Personal Serv Payroll expense used in different category
47,461.58 DA5130.2 Machinery - Equipment Higher than budgeted capital purchases
21,285.54 DA5140.1 Misc - Personal serv Higher than budgeted employee exp
(89,140.97)DA5142.4 Snow Removal - Contractual 20,393.85 DA5140.111 Personal Serv Benefit Time Higher than budget benefit time
(55,447.45)DA5120.4 Bridges - Contractual 55,447.45 DA5130.4 Machinery - Contractual Higher than budgeted repairs
(25,962.67)DA5142.1 Snow Removal - Personal Serv 25,962.67 DA5142.110 Snow Removal - OT Higher than budgeted overtime
(6,051.54)DA9030.8 Social Security
(4,502.47)DA9040.8 Workers Comp 10,554.01 DA9010.8 Retirement Higher than budgeted retirement exp
(20,615.94)DA5142.1 Snow Removal - Contractual 20,615.94 DA9060.8 Medical Insurance Higher than budgeted medical ins
(31,818.80)DA5142.1 Snow Removal - Personal Serv 31,818.80 DA9950.9 Interfund trans cap proj Did not budget for capital project
(252,247.91)Total 252,247.91 Total
DB Fund
Reason
15,393.54 DB5110.111 Street Maintenance - Benefit Underbudgeted for benefit time
21,230.27 DB5112.1 Road Improvements - Personnel Underbudgeted for regular and overtime
1,923.00 DB5112.110 Road Improvements - OT
(49,465.01)DB5110.1 Street Maintenance - Pers Serv 10,918.20 DB9010.8 Retirement Higher than budgeted retirement exp
(192,330.23)DB5112.21 Road Improvements
(100,681.57)DB599 Fund Balance 293,011.80 DB5110.4 Street Maintenance - Contractual Underbudgeted street maintenance
(342,476.81)342,476.81
SF1 Fund
Reason
2,810.49 SF1-3410.1 Fire Prevention - Personnel Serv Underbudgeted payroll exp
466.99 SF1-9030.8 Social Security
(3,385.28)SF1-599 Fund Balance 107.80 SF1-9089.8 Medicare
(4,724.60)SF1-9040.8 Workers Comp 4,724.60 SF1-1430.1 General Time Additional payroll exp
(8,109.88)8,109.88
SL1 Fund
Reason
(87.93)SL1-9795.7 General Fund Interest 87.93 SL1-5182.4 Street Lighting contractual Underbudgeted for contractual
SS1 Fund
Reason
(500.00)SS1-8110.4 Adminstractive - Contractual
(715.85)SS1-8120.1 Sanitary Sewer - Personal Serv
(500.00)SS1-8120.4 Sanitary Sewer - Contractual
(2,523.63)SS1-599 Fund Balance 4,239.48 SS1-8130.4 Treatment/Disposal - Contr Higher than budgeted due to late billing
SS3 Fund
Reason
(10,716.85)SS3-2120 Sewer Rent 10,716.85 SS3-8130.4 Treatment/Disposal - Contr Higher than budgeted contractual
SS8 Fund
Reason
7.32 SS8-8110.1 Adminstrative - Personal Due to payroll accural entry
(61.17)SS8-8120.1 Personal Services (DPW)53.85 SS8-8110.101 Adminstrative - DPW Deputy Due to payroll accural entry
SW7 Fund
Reason
(134.63)SW7-8310.4 Water Adminstrative - Contractual 134.63 SW7-8310.1 Water Adminstration - DPW Due to payroll accural entry
SW8 Fund
Reason
7.32 SW8-8310.1 Water Adminstration - Personnel Due to payroll accural entry
(61.17)SW8-8340.1 Personal Services (DPW)53.85 SW8-8310.101 Water Adminstration - DPW Deputy Due to payroll accural entry
From To
From To
From To
From To
From To
From To
From To
From To
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Etna Vol. Fire
Feb 13,2025
Etna VoluntEEr FirE DEpt.
EstablishED in 1972
Our Mission Statement:
“Nothing Stronger Than the Heart
of a Volunteer”
The Etna Volunteer Fire Department upholds our long-standing
commitment to provide emergency response services, education and
outreach to members of our community for the town of Dryden and State of
New York.
Apparatus
•Engine 301 Holds 1,000 Gallons of
water
•Engine 302 Holds 1,500 Gallons
•Tanker 321 Holds 3,000 Gallons
•Brush Truck and UTV
What we can and provide to the
community.
The Etna Fire Dept. can provide up to
5,500 gallons of water to a scene.
This water makes the difference in
saving a home or a neighboring
home.
Etna made 100% of the fire calls and
83% of the EMS calls.
Fire Calls
•With not contracting with Etna, the fire industry and the Town has
suffered with the loss of the water supply and the loss of volunteers
that have a passion to volunteer for their community
•With the other departments getting sometimes 2,3,4,or 5 calls per day,
how long before the board thinks the members will get burned out?
•I am asking the Town to reconsider their decision, and to contract for
the Fire & Rescue which includes MVA calls with the department.
Members
•With the volunteer fire industry being at an all time low, I find it hard
from a volunteer and taxpayer standpoint where the town board thinks
it is in the best interest of the towns people to not contract with the
department who has 20 plus members. We have made 100 % of the
Fire calls and 83% of the EMS calls.
•These are NOT the numbers that you had been told by others
•For the Town Coordinator to say not to contract with a department is
stepping outside his job. As he was hired to help to support the
volunteer departments who served the Town of Dryden
Communication & Recruitment
•The department recruited new members and was onboard to have a
rental to recruit and house EMS personnel.
•The board chose not to talk to anyone from Etna. Our department was
growing before the Board made their decision.
•Examples:
•New members
•Bunk rental was in place
•Members in training
•Made a good Strategic plan and was working on moving forward with the goals.
Your decision was based on information presented to you that was not 100
% true. A town board meeting was held where Lee Shurtleff came and stated
that the information from the 911 center is not acurrate or should not be
used as they can not tell if people responded to a call or not.
Jason and myself had a meeting, where we reviewed a portion of the calls
that from his spreadsheet which did not match after I showed that the
numbers did not just represent our calls, it counted the mutual aid calls,
and then the numbers matched.
It is little things like this that give the wrong information that you are basing
your decision on.
Homeowners Insurance
•Homeowners insurance premiums in New York are affected by
proximity to fire departments and fire hydrants.
•ISO Rating is based on the amount of water the town has, this also
affects the rate a homeowner pays for the coverage they have on their
home.
•Insurance companies favor properties closer to fire stations because it
means faster response times in case of an emergency.
•With the Town of Dryden not contracting with Etna it will result in higher
premiums for the homes in our protection area.
•As a Town Board you’re supposed to support the towns people not cost
already struggling households more money.
Contract
•I ask the Board for the members of this Town that you serve to
reconsider the decision to contract, as we can deliver apparatus with
water and manpower for our area and our Neighboring Departments