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HomeMy WebLinkAboutM-TB9298 DRAFT TOWN OF ENFIELD TOWN TOWN BOARD MEETING MINUTES WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1998 The regular monthly meeting of the Town Board of the Town of Enfield was held Wednesday, September 2, 1998 at the Enfield Community Building, 182 Enfield Main Road, Ithaca, New York at 6:30 p.m.. Supervisor Owens presiding. Present: Supervisor, Jean Owens; Town Councilman, Tom Drew; Town Councilman, Gary Fisher, Town Councilman, Donald Lovelace, Town Councilman, Greg Stevenson. Others present: Highway Superintendent, Ron Updike, Bookkeeper, Pat Podufalski, Town Clerk, Alice Laue. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag - Supervisor Owens led the assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. Privilege of the Floor - No one wished to speak. Correspondence - Senator Kuhl to hold a Community Meeting, Thursday, October 1, 1998 at the Enfield Town Hall from 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Public invited. Letter from John Miller, Fire and EMS Service concerning county’s capitol project concerning replacement of telecommunication network. Approval of 8/5/98 regular Town Board Meeting minutes. Additions/Corrections - Page One - Under Present change Town Councilman, Donald Lovelace, absent to read, Absent, Town Councilman Donald Lovelace. Correct to read - Councilman Fisher - Your specific comment is, Page Three - Tompkins County Planning correct spelling of board to board. Page Four - Enfield Community Council- Alicia Febo’s response. Second sentence - correct to read Two other septic problems, not just summer camp septic problems. Page 5 Highway Department - Change, money back in budget year to read money will be reimbursed during 1998 budget year. Change, Increase in spending to read project is an increase in Highway spending. Delete money back in November. Town Board Meeting Minutes 9/2/98 2 Approval of Minutes (cont’d) Page 7 - Equipment reserve - Change according to Scott Andrews from Ciaschi, Dietershagen, Little, Mickelson, LLP, as shown in 12/31/96 audit $61,026.00 was owed to Highway Fund from General Fund as shown in 1996 audit. As of 12/31/97 Equipment Reserve Fund was short $28,228.00. Supervisor Owens is purposing that motion be made to transfer $28,228.00 to Equipment Reserve Fund from General Fund, to correct Equipment Reserve balance as of 12/31/97. Correct spelling of board to board. Page 10 delete word fisher. Motion made by Councilman Fisher and seconded by Councilman Drew that the Town Board of the Town of Enfield approve for adoption the minutes of the August 5th, 1998 regular Town Board meeting as amended. Vote: Supervisor Owens, Yes. Town Councilman Drew, Fisher, Stevenson, yes. Town Councilman Lovelace abstained. Tompkins County Planning - Supervisor Owens introduced Jim Hanson, Commissioner of County Planning, Karl Heck, County Planning and Warren Currier, Better Housing. Jim Hanson answered concerns voiced to Supervisor Owens concerning double wide mobile homes by stating that County Planning has no problem nor does HUD with double wide’s, if that is what will work and what town wants to do. Jim Hanson also stated that Warren Currier suggest to County Planning the possibility of replacing mobile homes for families who can’t afford either a double wide or a stick home with a good used mobile home. Basic interest of program is to provide good housing for low and moderate income families. Karl Heck reported on Result of the Enfield Mobile Home Survey. (See back). Warren Currier - When going through community for rehabilitation grants found a component of the population that was left out of rehabilitation program. Thought was to take a few of the mobile homes and replace them with double wide’s or stick built to upgrade housing. Subject of sending survey with out Town Board approval and survey insulting people who received it was brought up. Town Board members feel a letter of apology needs to be written and sent to those receiving survey. Jim Hanson expressed his willingness to help Supervisor and a Town Board delegate adopt such a letter. (No Town Board delegate was named.) Next steps in process - Windshield survey to be taken. Determine what housing stock looks like Try to put numbers to applications Tentative application process deadline March, receive notification about funding in late August, early September. Town Board Meeting Minutes 9-2-98 3 Committees - Tompkins County Board Representative Winch Representative Winch spoke on where County budget process is for 1999 budget. Representative Winch also expressed his concerns about people who live out of Tompkins County who serve on Tompkins County Advisory Committees and advise our county board on programs that should be instituted or improved. These people live out of our county, pay no taxes in our county and benefit from these programs. Tompkins County charter states you must be a resident of Tompkins County to serve on a advisory committee unless by statute of State Law you are to serve. There is a movement a foot to change charter to give these people a vote. RCAP Technical Assistance Supervisor Owens reported on meeting held with RCAP representatives Chris Nill and Fred Testa. Supervisor proposed another meeting with RCA representatives. Supervisor wishes to invite Chris Nill to November board meeting. Representative Winch willing to attend this meeting. ECC - Written Report Enfield Fire Department - Roy Barriere Total calls for August 1998. Twenty five. Six fire calls, sixteen EMS calls, three miscellaneous calls (wires down, investigation calls). Trying to plan a Defensive Drivers Course for early October. Possibly spots available for public. Hopefully cost, date and time to be Community Newsletter. Blood Drive scheduled for early December. Tentative date 12/5/98. Highway Department - Ron Updike Busy. Paved last mile of E. Enfield Center Rd. Started Bostwick Road project this week. Still have a negotiation factor with Phil White over the .11 piece of land superintendent would like. Phil White would like town to stone and oil the driveway to his apartments in lieu of payment for land. Driveway about 500’ off road and close to 400’ of driveway. Peter Meskill appraised .11 acre at $2,100.00, superintendent presented appraisal to Phil White who felt it wasn’t enough money for standing timber on that land. (White to get what timber is there). Superintendent Updike told Phil White he would talk to town board about doing stone and oil on driveway. Approximate cost of doing driveway $1500.00 Councilman Fisher asked how property would be transferred to town. Superintendent answered - by having a survey done, go through lawyer. Superintendent doesn’t know if it would be a warranty deed or a quick claim. Driveway to be done only one time. Town Board Meeting Minutes 9-2-98 4 Highway Dept. (cont’d) Depth of cut 6 - 7’ wide, back 40’ and about 270’ on backside. Stone and oil in lieu of payment. Need to look at liability insurance on private property. No written offer given by town. Superintendent trying to get his wants defined, which have been defined by physically marking where we want to go and Phil White’s concern was about timber. Superintendent doesn’t want to barter for any thing town wants by doing services like this, but he wants this piece of land and if it is the only way he can get it he will, but not his way of doing business. Councilman Stevenson can see a financial advantage that warrants consideration. Superintendent not sure where financial advantage would be. Lot of work for town. Councilman Fisher - extra work not anticipated. Superintendent stated safety main object. Councilman Stevenson meant financial advantage in acquiring land. Financial advantage in bartering a service verses a straight cash purchase. Councilman Stevenson asked about legality of bartering services? Supervisor to check with Association of Towns attorneys about legality of bartering. Decision needed by Tues/Wednesday of next week. Superintendent has filed Chips forms - Chips money should be issued around 9/15/98. Highway Department still needs to stone and oil some sections of Griffin Rd., Black Oak Rd., E. Enfield Center Rd., Van Dorn Rd., Sage Rd., Rothermich Rd. and Aiken Rd. Cemetery Committee - Peggy Hubbell Worked on 1999 budget. Poison Ivy problem in Presbyterian Cemetery that needs to be taken care of this Fall. Code Enforcement - Councilman Stevenson Met with Code Enforcement officers and discussed concerns of members of the public and board members. Discussed concerns about junk cars and report of their activities. Form given for August meeting same form as before. Form to be submitted in time for board meeting each month. Junk Cars - Neither Code Enforcement officers patrol for junk cars, act on complaints only. Criteria for enforcement of statute on books changes from supervisor to supervisor and board to board. Asked how board wants to enforce statutte on books. Do we want to make statute more restrictive? Language in local law talks about viewing junk cars from the road. In some situations junk cars can’t be viewed from the road but the homeowner who lives on the road can see them from his yard. Code Enforcement officers are on the road. Town Board Meeting Minutes 9-2-98 5 Code Enforcement (cont’d) Statute of law is - A home owner may have three junk cars visible to the public from the public highway, only so restrictive doesn’t cover all instances of junk carts objectionable to people. Code Enforcement Officers look to guidance from board as to doing more than currently doing. Stated they continue to and have always acted on complaints. Suggestions from Code Enforcement - perhaps board would like to entertain the idea of adopting some sort of a junk yard ordnance where people attempting to run or establish a junk yard would be required to license such with town. Councilman Fisher has concerns about need of a building permit for putting vinyl siding on a house. Councilman Stevenson stated Code Enforcement Officers ask that the town board define how restrictive or liberal we want the building permit process to be here, what does or doesn’t need a building permit. Discussed why a building permit is needed. Councilman Stevenson to talk with Code Enforcement about building permit guidelines. Monthly Bills - Supervisor Owens presented monthly bills for payment. Discussed use of community building telephone. Telephone for emergency service only. Should be used for official business, not personnel business. Discussed use of community building - Because of excess telephone and electrical bills town board needs to know who and when building is in use. Fact is - building is vacant, lights on, doors locked or building vacant, lights on, doors unlocked. This is the issue. Councilman Fisher would like to see board institute a policy that whoever uses this building must call in stating when opening building, who they are, what organization is using the building and calling in stating when they are closing the building. Supervisor Owens would like to see a sign in and out sheet. Councilman Fisher asked if everyone assigned a key signed for key in writing Councilman Fisher made the motion that everyone who has access to the community building and has a key be required to sign a receipt for that key. Discussed need of knowing who and when building is used. Who has keys. Key control. Suggestion made that anyone signing for a key sign a statement that states person signing for key is responsible for this key and use of building. Councilman Fisher withdrew his motion, if something is put in writing stating what the town board requirements are for use of community building when a key is signed for. Board needs to keep track of who and why building is used. Town Board Meeting Minutes 9-2-98 6 Monthly Bills (cont’d) Motion made by Councilman Lovelace, seconded by Councilman Drew that the Town Board of the Town of Enfield authorize the supervisor to pay General Fund vouchers numbered 162 - 179,, dated 9/2/98, in the amount of $6,724.82. Highway Fund vouchers numbered 125 - 138, dated 9/2/98, in the amount of $10,531.79. Discussion - Vote: Supervisor Owens, yes. Town Councilmen Drew, Lovelace, Fisher, Stevenson, yes. Unfinished Business - Public Hearing for Local Law #2, 1998 on a Moratorium on Telecommunications Towers was held 8/21/98. Motion made by Councilman Drew, seconded by Councilman Lovelace that the Town Board of the Town of Enfield approve the adoption of Local Law #2, 1998 for a Moratorium on Telecommunication Towers. Discussion - Need of Planning Board to draft and fine tune additional telecommunication tower legislation. This is in town’s interest and Planning Board needs to move this into permanent legislation and town board should so charge them to do so with the town board’s help. Town does not have any say if County decided to put up towers. Vote: Supervisor Owens, yes. Town Councilman Drew, yes; Town Councilman Lovelace, yes; Town Councilman Stevenson, yes. Town Councilman Fisher, no. New Business - Highway 1999 Budget Proposed 1999 Highway Budget presented to Town Board. Items of Discussion - Change of Town Board Meeting date. Discussed changing meeting date to second Wednesday of the month. Supervisor asked town board members if anyone objected to changing meeting date in 1999 to second Wednesday of month. Board in agreement and it is there intent to do so in 1999 Reorganization Resolution. Town Board Meeting Minutes 9-2-98 7 Items of Discussion (cont’d) Quilt - Question - Where do we stand on getting to the bottom of where money for quilt is? Answer, Rhoda Linton checking on this. Cemetery Funds. Question - has money been transferred to MBIA - Answer, yes. Septic - Question - has septic system at community building been pumped? Answer - yes, Brewer pumped system. Workshop - Workshop - Wednesday, 9/16/98 Community Building at 6:30 p.m. to work on Tentative Budget. Adjournment - Motion made by Councilman Lovelace, seconded by Councilman Stevenson that the September 2, 1998 regular meeting of the Town Board of the Town of Enfield adjourn. Vote: Supervisor Owens, yes. Town Councilmen Drew, Fisher, Lovelace, Stevenson, yes. Meeting adjourned at 11:05 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Alice Laue Town Clerk