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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006 Oct 23 Special Meeting TB.pdfAPPROVED November 8, 2006 SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING MINUTES MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2006 6:30 P.M. A Special Meeting of the Town of Enfield Town Board was held Monday, October 23, 2006 at the Enfield Community Building, 182 Enfield Main Road, Ithaca, New York at 6:30 p.m. with Supervisor Owens presiding. The Special Town Board Meeting was called to meet with the Enfield Volunteer Fire Company’s Board of Directors. Present: Supervisor Jean Owens, Councilperson Jennifer Fisher, Councilperson Peggy Hubbell, Councilperson Sandra Small, Councilperson Robert Harvey and Town Clerk Alice Laue. Fire Company Board of Directors: Deputy Chief, George May; Board of Directors Vice-President, Larry Stilwell; Board of Directors Members, Art Howser, David Owens and Larry Lanning. Others Present: Margaret Willis, Doug Willis, Calvin Rothermich, Doris Rothermich, Dave Dimmick, Diane Aramini, Jolee Carlisle, Linda Stilwell, Mark Stilwell, Renee Stilwell, Julie Stilwell, Amber Achilles, Mildred Achilles, Jerry Achilles, Ben Giles, Kevin Morse, Peter Meskill, Ed Hetherington, Don Parker II, Betty Tompkins, Bertha Hubbell, Bonnie Griffin, Shirley Hubbell, Charles Hubbell. Meeting was being videotaped by Julie Stilwell. Pledge of Allegiance: Supervisor Owens led the assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. Supervisor Owens reported that she had talked with an attorney for the Association of Towns who told her there was no conflict of interest with her husband serving as a member of the EVFC Board of Directors, and read the following unsigned Notice of Disclosure and asked that it be filed with the Town Clerk as an official notice. NOTICE OF DISCLOSURE October 23, 2006 TO: ENFIELD TOWN CLERK ALICE LAUE FROM: ENFIELD SUPERVISOR JEAN OWENS For public record, I am disclosing that my husband, David Owens, is a member of the Board of Directors of the Enfield Volunteer Fire Company. Councilperson Small inserted that she spoke with Jim Cole, an attorney for the Association of Towns regarding the appearance of a conflict of interest with Supervisor Owens being the Town’s Supervisor who had just recently resigned as a member of the Fire Company. Councilperson Small read from her notes: “Jim Cole said it is not unusual for town board members to also be fire company members and asked if we would have enough votes to take action and if so, he really Special Town Board Meeting Minutes – October 23, 2006 2 didn’t see the harm of Jean recusing herself. He then later told me that she should recuse herself without being told to do so and she should make an announcement and give a reason for so doing which is basically to eliminate the appearance of impropriety. He said that she should leave the table but since the meeting was open to the public, she could be in the audience. He said that if she recuses herself, she is not to take any official position, no voting and no participation in any of the deliberation – she essentially needs to disappear and go into the audience. With her husband being on the EVFC BOD, he said this is part of the reason she should step down. I told him she just recently resigned from the fire company as a member. He did say that because of the appearance factor, she should take it upon herself to step down and out of the picture, even if she resigned.” Supervisor Owens stated that it appeared as though two different attorneys gave different advice and that she was not going to recuse herself and proceeded with the meeting. A lengthy discussion between the Town Board and the Fire Company’s Board of Directors was held. Some topics discussed included Fire Company participation in meetings, what a volunteer firemen means, loss of membership, being more accountable and community oriented, equipment and truck replacement schedule, building code and ADA compliance requirements, outstanding loans, insurance costs and a better working relationship between the Town Board and Fire Company. Privilege of the Floor: David Dimmick (466 Fish Road): Stated that he heard a lot of good started tonight but felt there were still a lot of holes to fill. As a citizen, he would like to see total and detailed accountability to the board and the board is accountable to the citizens of the town. People want to know how and where their tax dollars are spent and that they are spent wisely. Fire Company is made up of volunteers and there is no way a town can live without a volunteer fire company, they are needed to do the services they provide. He would like to see better communication between the Town Board and the Fire Company. If you need volunteers ask the community for volunteers. As a non- volunteer fire person, he would be willing to volunteer doing administrative work. People are here for the Fire Company because the Fire Company is here for us. But you can’t do it if you are secretive and if you don’t live and function as part of the community. Calvin Rothermich (Fish Road): Fire Company stated they never turned anyone down. When he was much younger then he is today, he applied for membership in the Fire Company. He received a letter from the Fire Company saying he wasn’t the type of person they wanted. Fire tax figured on gross assessments, not on Ag assessments. Jolee Carlisle (Black Oak Road): Agrees with David Dimmick. There was a lot of good things expressed tonight. Mostly impressed that there was actual dialogue. Has lived in the town 11 years and has never met (outside of Dennis Hubbell) a Fire Company member. Never felt welcome. Community is extending a hand and it is up to the Fire Company if they want to take it and become a part of the community. Community needs the Fire Company and we need to work together. A Committee should be composed of Town Board members, Fire Company Board of Directors members and members of the community. Special Town Board Meeting Minutes – October 23, 2006 3 Doug Willis (Black Oak Road): Asked if Speedsville didn’t purchase a truck from Enfield Fire Company. He has been told that it was the best fire truck they ever had right up to this date. When you replace a truck every 20 years, they all have speedometers and hour meters, the one being replaced has how many miles on it? Response: Less than 20,000. Truck has less than 20,000 miles but is good for 200,000 miles. Response: 20+ years with a load of water on it. Mr. Willis responded 20,000 miles is peanuts, no reason truck can’t be updated even if a new tank is needed to be put on it. Response: It won’t carry enough water for today’s fire fighting techniques. Mr. Willis stated he has a good size pond next to the road and has offered to the Fire Company that they could put a pipe in any time they wanted for water. He would do the digging and put the pipe in if he was given the proper equipment. No one has ever gone any further. Response: Fire Company will contact DEC for engineering. Mr. Willis wants to see an audit of the Fire Company’s finances by an independent organization. He was kicked off the Fire Company in the 50’s because he worked the second shift and couldn’t be there all the time. Charles Hubbell (Harvey Hill Road): Asked what happened to the $3,000 that the Town Board voted to give the Fire Company a few years back during which the majority of the Board were Fire Company members. Response: Believed the money was to be used for mileage for direct training expenses and such expense was to be documented. Supervisor Owens said she would look into it and report back. Linda Stilwell (488 Enfield Main Road): Fire Company has cost them a lot of money over the years and believes that what the Fire Company is asking for is reasonable. $25 on $100,000 doesn’t seem much to her. They spend far more than that just on gas. Diane Aramini (120 S. Applegate Road): Those of us who want to and belong to something that is good for us expect that expenditure. $25 may not seem like a lot but if you are paying a lot of different taxes, it adds up over the years. Wages don’t go up that much. There are a lot of people on fixed incomes in the community and that is what we should be looking at. Peg Willis (198 Black Oak Road): As a community it might be a good idea that we work toward bringing the Fire Company building up to code so it can be opened to the general public for activities. As taxpayers if we could feel comfortable in contacting the Fire Board and be able to rent the building, we as taxpayers may feel better about paying the fire tax. It’s something to think about. Ed Hetherington (Enfield Main Road): Read the following comments and asked they be put on record. [Because of a previous request by the Supervisor that individual names not be used, names are being eliminated from his statement.] “We are a small community. And as in all small communities, many people wear different hats to be active in the various activities in the community. We have people involved in the school, churches, Enfield Community Council, working at summer camp for the kids, food distribution, fire department, Board members, historical aspects of the community, Beautification Committee, Planning Board etc. We need all these organizations to have a viable community that we are proud to live in. We need people to volunteer. Those that do volunteer are usually involved with more than one group. Some members of this Town Board have made a lot of noise about the supervisor. She was a member of the fire department as an Emergency Medical Technician serving the medical needs of people in need of emergency medical help. These board members were screaming foul Special Town Board Meeting Minutes – October 23, 2006 4 because she would be able to vote on the Fire Department budget, so she resigned from the Enfield Fire Department and now the community has one less EMT to help those with medical emergencies. Shame on those people. There is a present Town Board member who has had an ongoing complaint against her neighbor, who also happens to be her nephew. She has been complaining that his kids ride their ATV’s on their own property, making noise. I don’t know of an ATV that doesn’t make noise. It doesn’t stop there. She took her nephew, who is also the President of the Enfield Fire Department to court. Lost the court case and owes the nephew money. She should not be allowed to vote on the Fire Department Budget and the reasons are very obvious. I have had my opportunity to speak and thank the Town Board for allowing me to have my say. I expect this board to grow up, put things behind them and work for the betterment of our community.” David Dimmick (466 Fish Road): Each person on the board holds a position of public trust and because you hold that position of public trust you are accountable to the taxpayers. What you do in your private and personal lives is open to scrutiny when it impacts this Town. If it’s the perception of impropriety, then the public loses confidence in you as an individual on the Board, which is there to serve the community. He added that he will continue to do the things that he believes are right. Bertha Hubbell (406 Enfield Main Road): A few years ago she contacted the Attorney General’s Office and got opinions on fire members voting on their fire contract. According to those opinions, the Supervisor should not have voted. Adjournment: Motion made by Councilperson Fisher, seconded by Councilperson Hubbell that the October 23, 2006 Special Town Board Meeting adjourn. Discussion: Vote: Councilperson Fisher aye, Councilperson Hubbell aye, Councilperson Small aye, Councilperson Harvey aye, Supervisor Owens aye. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Alice Laue, Town Clerk