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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB 2025-10-09 attTB 10-9-25 Page 1 of 3 TOWN OF DRYDEN TOWN BOARD MEETING October 9, 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 Other Town Staff: Amanda Anderson, Bookkeeper *Cassie Byrnes, Secretary to the Supervisor *Indicates attendance via Zoom FINANCIALS & HUMAN RESOURCES RESOLUTION #162 (2025) – APPROVE ABSTRACT #10 Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption: RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby approves Abstract #10, as audited, general vouchers #956 through #1067 ($1,665,699.01) and TA vouchers #96 through #99 ($8,655.78) totaling $1,674,354.79, and the NYSEG bill when it becomes available. 2nd Cl Vargas-Mendez Roll Call Vote Cl Vargas-Mendez Yes Cl Buck Yes Cl Dravis Yes Cl Lamb Yes Supv Leifer Yes Presentation - Dog Control Officer DCO Retta Beardslee previously shared a report (attached) with board members. She said that no dogs that have come through the shelter so far this year have remained there. They either were returned to their owner or adopted. There are no dogs currently in the shelter and her goal is to maintain that. Community engagement has been high, including Dryden Dairy Days, and they have a large social media following (over 3500 FaceBook followers). She thanked the residents of the town and the entire community who came together in January to support Dryden’s dog shelter. Being a part of that was great and she is proud to have grown up here and be working in Dryden. There has been a total of over 500 new dogs licensed since January. She is looking forward to 2026, and the number one goal is to keep the shelter population at zero. In the future she will suggest some revision to the dog control law. She has built relationships with neighboring town DCOs, particularly Country Acres and Tompkins County SPCA. She is thankful to them and Tracy Barton for covering for her when she is on vacation. The next step in the enumeration is to issue tickets to anyone who still has an unlicensed dog. TB 10-9-25 Page 2 of 3 Presentation - Southworth Library Librarian Laura Lusk said she started in this position in July and loves the job. She has been in area for about 25 years, and her children used the Southworth Library. She reviewed the history of the library and the Lincoln Center addition. Southworth is one of the top performing libraries in our 38-library system. (see attached slide deck) As well as books, they have audiobooks, computer access and a library of things. The library has collaborated with as many as 25 different organizations this year for programming and has programs for all ages. The library serves as a meeting space for some community organizations. She is excited about an upcoming session on AI. The slide deck contains use and attendance numbers. They are very busy. Michael Lane, who serves as President of The Southworth Library Association, said the board is proud of the new library director. He introduced Randy Stewart, Vice President, and Bambi Avery, Secretary. Other trustees are Clint Brooks, Paul Streeter, Brenda Carpenter and Charlie Dardia. COUNTY UPDATE M Lane said the county has held nine expanded budget committee meetings. Six of those were presentations by departments and agencies and three of them were voting meetings for modifications to the proposed budget. They finished the amendments last night. Next, the recommendation of the committee of the whole will go to the legislature and then to public hearing. The budget committee recommended an increase to the tax levy of 3.31%, just slightly over the tax cap. If adopted as is, the effect on a median valued home of $300,000 would be an additional $20.08. Sales tax figures and fund balance were adjusted; they made cuts and made some additions. There has been a suggestion to increase room tax by 1% and use those proceeds toward airport expenses. The legislature continues to work on the issue of homelessness and the code blue shelter. They had hoped to work with the City and use the old Burger King building (as a rental for three years), but after looking at the actual expense, they decided it would not be cost effective. The center of government building is proceeding. They have looked at the Harold Square building on the commons, but it has some drawbacks. Health insurance expense is a concern for many people. There will be an 18% increase in the cost of health insurance for the consortium. That is really causing trouble for lower- income people and retirees from the county. The County instituted a new low cost Medicaid advantage plan through the Binghamton group as an option for retirees. Cl Lamb said last year the County entered into a $600,000 contract with Centralus to run the CARS program and take over the operation on Triphammer Road and asked about the status of that. M Lane said he believes they have been waiting on a grant from state. They would certainly like to see that up and running. It was announced today that the new Highway Manager will be Nick Ensign who has served as the deputy and most recently as interim director. There were several unsolicited recommendations for his appointment. TB 10-9-25 Page 3 of 3 Tom Lobdell, Etna Fire Chief, said he and the board have not gotten along well in the past and apologies for past indiscretions. He read the attached letter (that was delivered to the town clerk and sent on to board members) for the record. Greg Parker of Freeville Fire Department gave the year-to-date report for their department. Total calls are 738, with average personnel per call of seven. Average enroute time is 3:14 and average on scene time is 6:58. 228 of the calls were for EMS service. The board moved to budget workshop at 6:49 p.m. Supv Leifer said town departments have presented their budget requests. The board needs to discuss health insurance and the proposed pay schedule. A Anderson explained the tax rate worksheet she sent to board members. The board considered moving all employees from the PPO Health insurance plan (higher premium, lower co-pays) to the Platinum Plan (lower premium, higher co-pays) with a health savings account, and the savings to the town that could be realized by doing so. There would be no merit increase and there would still be annual performance reviews. The amount of employee contribution toward health insurance premiums was also discussed. RESOLUTION #163 (2025) – NON-UNION EMPLOYEE HEALTH INSURANCE Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption: RESOLVED, that this Town Board will move all non -union employees to the Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield Platinum Plan. 2nd Cl Vargas-Mendez Roll Call Vote Cl Vargas-Mendez Yes Cl Buck Yes Cl Dravis Yes Cl Lamb Yes Supv Leifer Yes The board discussed the wage schedule, hire rates that would be established, the steps provided in the schedule and factors considered when the schedule was developed. There were negative comments about the municipalities used as comparisons. It was sug gested to use a regional data base or service. Cl Lamb asked that tax base be considered when comparing to other towns. After more discussion, there was direction to get more comparisons for the pay structure. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:40 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Bambi L. Avery Town Clerk Town of Dryden – Dog Control Officer Progress Update January – October, 2025 Since stepping into the Dog Control Officer position on January 1, 2025, my focus has been to build a strong, compassionate, and transparent program that serves both the residents and the dogs of Dryden. This report highlights the progress made over the past nine months, all made possible through community support, teamwork, and dedication to responsible animal care. 1. Shelter Successes & Animal Welfare • All dogs that entered the Dryden Dog Shelter have found their forever homes. This has been my greatest achievement to date. Follow-up communications indicate that each adopted dog has successfully adjusted and is thriving in their new environment. • The Dryden Dog Shelter and DCO successfully passed all 2025 New York State Agriculture & Markets inspections. • Followed strict veterinary care standards, ensuring every dog received proper vaccinations, deworming, behavioral enrichment, and individualized care, setting each dog up for success. • Developed and maintained strong relationships with local veterinarians to ensure timely medical treatment and preventative care. We have made relationships with Adana, Colonial Animal Hospital, Dryden Animal Clinic, CNY Snap, and the SPCA of Tompkins County. 2. Licensing, Enumeration & Compliance • Completed town-wide dog enumeration between April and August 2025. • At the start of January, the Town had 2,422 licensed dogs; as of October, there are 2,956 active licenses — an increase of over 500 dogs licensed. This number is still rising! • Continued public education on New York State dog licensing laws through social media posts, signage, and direct community outreach. 3. Training, Professional Development & Collaboration • Attended the annual two-day Dog Control Officer Training Conference in Webster, NY. • Participated in additional training sessions alongside neighboring Dog Control Officers. • Developed strong working relationships with surrounding municipalities. • November 3rd Webinar: Addresses Article 26-C and how it pertains to brick-and-mortar shelter rescues. The Companion Animal Care Standards Act goes into effect December 15th. 4. Community Engagement & Outreach • Organized a booth at Dryden Dairy Days, offering on-site dog licensing, educational materials, and information about responsible dog ownership. • Built and maintained an active social media following of 3,455 Facebook followers, providing updates on adoptions, lost dogs, events, and public notices. • Established a network of responsible and dedicated volunteers and foster homes. • Worked directly with community members to connect residents with resources for training, fencing, vaccine clinics, spay/neuter programs, surrenders, and general dog care. 5. Program Development & Future Planning • Assisted with planning and design input for the future Dryden Dog Shelter facility to ensure it aligns with new shelter standards taking effect in December. • Improved recordkeeping systems, field forms, and reports. The first nine months as Dog Control Officer have been both challenging and rewarding. With the support of the Town Board, Clerk’s Office, Court, volunteers, and community, the Dryden Dog Shelter has become a model of progress and compassion. I am proud of the strides we’ve made (especially seeing every dog find a home) and remain committed to continuing this upward momentum into 2026. Thank you for entrusting me with this position. Retta The Southworth Library Connect. Explore. Learn. Lincoln Center Addition 2024 programs and events 461 adults came to 16 Lunchtime Learning at the library programs 47 preschool storytime programs with 1,995 attendees Over 70 kids participated in 6 different book clubs 386 teens attended library programs 343 people attended Wednesday Wildlife in the Park programs 79 attendees learned basic computer & tablet skills 344 attendees for the adult book clubs 553 dolls, microscopes, games and more checked out from the Library of Things 211 people read to dogs in Paws to Read programs 2024 Programs and Events Library Programs ●2024: ○272 programs with 8,116 attendees ●2025 so far: ○197 programs with 6,987 attendees Early Literacy Programs Programs for Kids and Families Programs for Kids and Families Adult programs Summer Reading 2025 Summer Reading 2025 Summer Reading 2025 Summer Reading 2025 Summer Reading 2025 Collaborations and Special Programs Collaborations and Special Programs How do we do ALL this? Volunteers! How do we do all of this? 2025 Operating Income 2025 Operating Expenses Grants and additional funding In 2024 we supplemented our income with over $40,000 in additional funding Grants and additional funding We appreciate your support in helping us to provide all of these wonderful programs and services to our community. Questions or comments? Thank you for your support!