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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-01-2020 Special Town Board Meeting Town of Enfield Special Meeting of the Enfield Town Board Wednesday, April 1st, 2020, 6:30 p.m. Virtual Meeting via Zoom Meeting Portal Meeting Link: https://zoom.us/j/968086007 (For computer or smart phone) Meeting ID: 968 086 007 Call in Number: (646) 876- 9923 (landline or cell) For instructions for this meeting visit: http://townofenfield.org/virtual-board-meetings Or click on the “Chat” button in Zoom to find links to meeting documents Present Supervisor McGee, Councilperson Bryant, Councilperson Lynch, Councilperson Mehaffey, Councilperson Redmond Town Clerk: Ellen Woods Special Meeting Supervisor McGee explains procedures & technical guidelines. Documents/Raising Hands. Muting and guidelines for participation Call to order​: 6:37 pm Privilege of the Floor​-​ Limited to 3 minutes per speaker-Including the Pledge of Allegiance if you so choose (Privilege guidance on the back of the page) Button to raise your hand Last call for privilege of the floor Supervisor asks Alice Linton to unmute herself to test the system. Supervisor McGee unmutes all Nancy Spero thanks the Board for working with the technology Joanna Green notes that she cannot chat. Supervisor McGee indicates that that is by design and how this Town Board meeting is supposed to work. 2 DRAFT MINUTES Town of Enfield Regular Town Board Meeting April 1, 2020 Additions to Agenda Additions to next week’s agenda Old Business​: Solar RFP Councilperson Redmond reports that she reached out to Renovous. Recommends holding off on Solar RFP distribution until next month, until after Pandemic. Councilperson Bryant discusses allowance in Governor's report for single construction workers. Supervisor McGee notes that it may fall under an exemption for a utility. Supervisor notes that there may be a construction season anyway. Councilperson Mehaffey notes that this may be a perfect time to work from home developing an application. She is in favor of sending out the proposal and extending the deadline. Councilperson Lynch supports a July 1 deadline. Supervisor McGee moves that we amend the Solar RFP to allow for the submission deadline to be July 1, 2020. With the additional language of ‘subject to change depending on COVID-19 restrictions’. Proposed deadline for award 30 days after submission deadline. Councilperson Redmond seconds VOTE: Councilperson Bryant Aye, Councilperson Lynch Aye, Councilperson Mehaffey Aye, Councilperson Redmond Aye, Supervisor McGee Aye. Minutes Supervisor McGee reached out to Alice Linton to ask her to catch up on minutes. Proposes that because no Confidential Secretary work was required in February and March was when NY Pause occurred, the Town could use that accrued time to catch up on Minutes. 3 DRAFT MINUTES Town of Enfield Regular Town Board Meeting April 1, 2020 2007 Town Hired someone to coordinate the minutes. That person was paid $20/hour. Supervisor McGee proposes the Town of Enfield pay Alice Linton the rate of $20 hour to catch the Town’s Minutes up. Supervisor McGee discusses balance of time from work not performed in February and March 2020 by Confidential Secretary as part of the package proposal. Councilperon Bryant, Councilperson Lynch, Councilperson Mehaffey express qualified support for the proposal. Town Clerk Ellen Woods states that minutes are 90% done. Clerk why 1 hour of requested weekly consulting time would not be available to her. Asks why she could not receive help to finish the minutes which are in progress. Town Clerk Ellen states that this proposal was made during the last week of her first tax season, during a Pandemic. Clerk reminds the board that they passed a motion to approve training in Minutes for the Clerk very recently. Town Clerk contends that the Board has not allowed sufficient time for this resolution to be implemented. Board agrees to allow another week to resolve the Minutes issue. New Business​: COVID-19 Discussion Food Pantry discussion - New system is in place and working well. Volunteer Fire Company - Working with the Town Supervisor and the Department of Emergency Response. Has developed and trained on new EMS protocols for the protection of all. Has limited access to the Station and postponed training to socially distance. Supervisor McGee responds to Weekly Supervisors and Administrators Calls Supervisor McGee will be be putting together a Zoom call Board asks if we should postpone the CleanUp days . . . Supervisor McGee reminds everyone to sign up for Swift 911 Councilperson Lynch suggests that we do postpone the clean up days . . . Mentions hiring freeze by Tompkins County 4 DRAFT MINUTES Town of Enfield Regular Town Board Meeting April 1, 2020 Councilperson Mehaffey suggests we postpone the cleanup. Thanks Supervisor McGee for leadership through this crisis and notes that Supervisor McGee has been working on Broadband issues. Supervisor McGee mentions Ontario telephone’s assistance in this. No shut offs for overdue balances from Haefele . . . Clarity Connect is a local provider . . . Board discusses possible Budget Modifications Hiring Freeze is a good idea COVID 19 Budget Resolutions Aide funding Sales tax is likely to be lower County is spending a lot of money in this response Highway Dept determination- Proposed Resolution Superintendent Rollins enters meeting Did not include paying NY in the 284 agreement Councilperson Mehaffey asks if a 160,000 shortfall is a possibility. Board discusses Large equipment freeze Supervisor McGee makes a motion that: No expenditures for heavy equipment line or hiring until the Board makes a determination at the April 8 meeting. Councilperson Lynch seconds the motion. VOTE: Councilperson Bryant, Aye, Councilperson Lynch, Aye, Councilperson Mehaffey Aye, Councilperson Redmond Aye, Supervisor McGee, Aye. Any vouchers that come in for anything related to COVID have that clearly marked and labeled. 5 DRAFT MINUTES Town of Enfield Regular Town Board Meeting April 1, 2020 Supervisor McGee asks Councilperson Lynch to reach out for volunteers for the Cemetary. Councilperson Lynch suggests that there is a discussion of if volunteers whether they could be covered. Councilperson Lynch discusses his resolution . . . Councilperson Mehaffey suggests the possibility of them collecting unemployment Councilperson Lynch worries that essential functions will go unstaffed in an emergency. Councilperson Mehaffey notes that you can recall employees in an unemployment situation. Councilperson Bryant agrees with her experience at Tompkins Community Action. Supervisor McGee would like to explore the scenario to understand it. Supervisor McGee clarifies that this is a State of Emergency. Supervisor McGee asks Councilperson Redmond and Mehaffey to investigate. Councilperson Mehaffey would like to answer the question regarding whether or not Highway Departments are an essential service . . . Supervisor McGee spoke with the state department of transportation regarding the question of essential service. They affirmed that that highway is an essential service. Judge Betty Poole suggests that there may be a decrease in Highway Pay . . . Councilperson Mimi Mehaffey notes that there will be a flat 600 a week in addition to 506. Refers to the COVID Bill just passed by the Senate. Judge Betty Poole refers to a town who just fired a highway superintendent for keeping his staff in service .. . . Councilperson Lynch suggests that it is mutually exclusive to lay employees off OR consider them essential. 6 DRAFT MINUTES Town of Enfield Regular Town Board Meeting April 1, 2020 Councilperson Mehaffey suggests that layoffs and essential businesses can coexist. Mackenzie wants to talk Supervisor McGee suggests and the Board agrees on a second privilege of the floor. Councilperson Redmond and Mehaffey agree to research this issue. Supervisor McGee indicates that she will reach out to other supervisors and municipalities. Supervisor McGee suggests that sick time is an important consideration. Councilperson Lynch mentions that Superintendent Rollins closed the office due to lack of sanitizing materials. Wonders if sanitation supplies could change this situation. Supervisor McGee indicates that she has those supplies available. Councilperson Mehaffey notes that the Board’s only purview is financial. Superintendent Rollins replies that he has gathered supplies for a special meeting. Superintendent Rollins suggests that if one person is out, the whole crew will be out. Supervisor McGee suggests that teamwork helps the situation Superintendent Rollins asks to mute Supervisor McGee Superintendent Rollins suggests that the money for payroll is already there. Sueprvisor McGee suggests that it is prudent to consider all options. Supervisor McGee moves that the Town Board authorizes highway employees will be paid for 40 hour week until the Town Board makes a solid decision Councilperson Lynch seconds Superintendent Rollins suggests that they should make sure that the Town Board may not have this authority. 7 DRAFT MINUTES Town of Enfield Regular Town Board Meeting April 1, 2020 VOTE: Councilperson Bryant, Aye, Councilperson Lynch, Aye, Councilperson Mehaffey, Aye, Councilperson Redmond, Aye, Supervisor McGee, Aye. Supervisor encourages any board member can bring forward any solutions to move forward. Councilperson Lynch notes that his resolution can be considered in a future meeting. Supervisor McGee will share a summary of the executive order regarding this issue. Code Officer is essential Code Officer gives a report. Did receive an application for a Cell Tower on Fish Road Construction jobs do not include one person crews. Send application by Mail or Electronically Town Clerk Report on COVID-19 adjustments Privilege of the Floor Mackenzie Newhart​ - Essential employee at Cornell. She is home and on recall. The Highway Employees do have to ride with other people. Break room is pretty small. They did plow during a recent storm. If they are hauling there is passing a clipboard back and forth which is a transmission opportunity. Question of insurance. Will insurance continue with the town? Supervisor McGee agrees that is an important consideration. Notes that she makes decisions with as much information as possible. Supervisor Mcgee recognizes Betty Poole. Not allowed to open mail go into the office. Has changed the recording on her machine. No suspensions, no penalties involved. 8 DRAFT MINUTES Town of Enfield Regular Town Board Meeting April 1, 2020 Discussion of call forwarding . . . Julie McGee Speaks to readiness of highway department and service of highway department. More sanitizer needed for Town Barn. Speaks to risk of losing the highway department. Supervisor notes that this is an opportunity . .. Supervisor McGee recognizes Town Clerk Ellen Woods for Public Information. Informative to the Public More connection and communication . Adjournment​: Supervisor McGee makes a Motion to Adjourn Councilperson Lynch seconds Motion. 9:24 pm .