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Home My WebLink About04-15-2020 Special Town Board Meeting Town of Enfield Special Meeting of the Enfield Town Board Wednesday, April 15st, 2020, 6:30 p.m. Virtual Meeting via Zoom Meeting Portal Meeting Link: https://zoom.us/j/966018538 (For computer or smart phone) Meeting ID: 966 018 538 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. Instructs participants to use button to raise hand Call to order: 6:30 pm Supervisor McGee shares links to relevant documents. Supervisor McGee explains procedures to participate in the meeting. Additions and Changes to the Agenda Adding an executive session. Second Abstract this month at the next meeting. Supervisor McGee asks for additional changes or additions. 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) 2 DRAFT MINUTES Town of Enfield Regular Town Board Meeting April 15, 2020 Courtney Bailey - States that she has an issue with the Resolution tonight to expand duties and salary of Deputy Clerk. States that she believes that Supervisor knew about her job as she has had it for two years. Courtney states that she does not know how much the Corona virus will affect ourTown Courtney reports that ECC has moved their programming online. Ed Heatherington Question of Cemetery money. They got $3,500. He believes that money will be diverted from Cemetery committee. Cemeteries should be mowed when needed. Believes volunteers are limited due to age and other challenges. Not in favor of spending extra money for Deputy Supervisor during a Hiring Freeze. Asks questions regarding insurance and Cemetery volunteers. Asks if Deputy Supervisor’s duties will increase. Ed would like Supervisor’s comments on her resignation. Correspondence Alternative Waste Service sent a letter stating they are merging with Casella. Supervisor McGee moves that we move into the executive session. Councilperson Bryant seconds the motion. VOTE: Councilperson Bryant, Aye, Councilperson Lynch, Aye, Councilperson Mehaffey, Aye, Councilperson Redmond, Aye, Supervisor McGee, Aye. Executive Session - 45 minutes *Consent Agenda: Audit Claims (Removed) Audit Acceptance Letter Resolution Authorizing Highway Superintendent to Sell Pick-up (Removed) Supervisor McGee moves Board vote on the Consent agenda. Councilperson Bryant seconds the motion. VOTE: Councilperson Bryant, Aye, Councilperson Lynch, Aye, Councilperson Mehaffey, Aye, Councilperson Redmond, Aye, Supervisor McGee, Aye. 3 DRAFT MINUTES Town of Enfield Regular Town Board Meeting April 15, 2020 COVID Discussion: Masks order discussed. Town Clerk encourages residents to contact the Town Clerk for any needs. Supervisor unmutes Anne Koreman. Anne discusses transportation for COVID testing Representative Koreman encourages the public to contact Senators and Congresspeople regarding aid to municipalities States that there could be serious tax impacts. Counties may be suing the State about salex tax. Supervisor McGee asks Representative Koreman how she is doing. She reports that she is enjoying working with Juniper Manor. Losing Community Preparedness Coordinator Nina Saeli at the Health Department. Councilperson Lynch reports 118 cases in Tompkins as of today. Anne Koreman reports that Tompkins has a high level of compliance with Social Distancing. Town Clerk reads correspondence from Advocacy Center stating that their services will be maintained and available to residents during the Pandemic. Hotline: 607-277-5000 Highway Department Discussion Councilperson Lynch asks Superintendent Rollins ‘When are your men coming back to work?’ Superintendent Rollins suggests that they are working as needed. Superintendent Rollins suggests that the Highway Department is doing essential work. Superintendent Rollins references Cornell Local Roads guidance. Superintendent Rollins reports recent activity. Supervisor McGee asks if it requires five employees. Discussion follows. Councilperson Redmond asks how hours are being tracked. Councilperson Lynch asks Superintendent Rollins if time sheets are being used. Councilperson Mehaffey states that she cannot feel entirely comfortable with public monies being spent in this way. Concilperson Mehaffey asks why we are paying more employees than we need. Superintendent Rollins states 4 DRAFT MINUTES Town of Enfield Regular Town Board Meeting April 15, 2020 that there has been flooding in the last few years, the Highway Department has acted to clear pipes to prevent flooding. Supervisor McGee states that all local municipalities are having these conversations. Explains fiduciary responsibility of the Board. Discusses long lasting financial impacts of the crisis. Councilperson Lynch states that Buddy is Superintendent of the Highway Department. Councilperson Lynch states Operational Management of the Highway Department is the purview of the Highway Superintendent. Councilperson Bryant discusses other municipalities. Councilperson Lynch asks that Superintendent Rollins be more specific. Superintendent Rollins discusses the policies of Dryden, Lansing, Ithaca. Discusses Newfield and Ulysses. Reviews Danby who is not working. Superintendent Rollins believes we are totally in line with other municipalities and Cornell Local Roads . . . Councilperson Mehaffey proposes that we pay only for hours worked. Superintendent Rollins suggests that that will not happen. Councilperson Lynch moves to re-submit his resolution that continues paying the Highway Department through the crisis. Councilperson Mehaffey is not comfortable paying people to be out of work. Councilperson Mehaffey states that she believes partial unemployment is a viable solution in this situation. Councilperson believes this option does nothing to hurt the employee. Councilperson Bryant agrees Councilperson Lynch asks about requirements for a 48 hour call back. Councilperson Mehaffey explains the difference between Partial and Full Unemployment. Superintendent Rollins says ‘you guys are nuts’. 5 DRAFT MINUTES Town of Enfield Regular Town Board Meeting April 15, 2020 Councilperson Redmond asks why Superintendent Rollins is against this proposal. Superintendent Rollins states that he is NOT putting anyone on Unemployment. Board discusses the difference between Partial Unemployment and Layoffs. Councilperson Mehaffey firmly believes employees are better off on Partial Unemployment. Councilperson Mehaffey states that she firmly believes that it works out in the worker’s favor. Councilperson Mehaffey moves that we pay partial unemployment to Highway Employees for the hours that they do not work. Councilperson Bryant seconds that motion. Councilperson Lynch asks Superintendent Rollins what it would do to the effectiveness of the Department to do partial unemployment. Superintendent Rollins states that deviation from the current plan puts the town in jeopardy. Councilperson Redmond states that if people need to be scheduled, they should be scheduled. Councilperson Mehaffy explains that as long as employees are eligible for Federal $600 as long as they are eligible for 1 hour of unemployment. Amendment to the Motion: Virginia Seconds Amendment VOTE (on Amendment): VOTE: Councilperson Bryant, Aye, Councilperson Lynch, Nay, Councilperson Mehaffey, Aye, Councilperson Redmond, Aye, Supervisor McGee, Aye. Supervisor McGee Amends motion to include documentation requirements of hours worked. Certified by Employees & Superintendent. Start date of the 19th. Second: Councilperson Bryant Action item: Counciperson Mehaffey will prepare documentation and notify employees. 6 DRAFT MINUTES Town of Enfield Regular Town Board Meeting April 15, 2020 Councilperson Mehaffey states that she feels that she is advocating for the Highway Department. VOTE (on amendment): Councilperson Bryant, Aye, Councilperson Lynch, Nay, Councilperson Mehaffey, Aye, Councilperson Redmond, Aye, Supervisor McGee, Aye. VOTE (on motion): Councilperson Bryant, Aye, Councilperson Lynch, Nay, Councilperson Mehaffey, Aye, Councilperson Redmond, Aye, Supervisor McGee, Recused. Recreation Partnership Report- Mimi Mehaffey Old Business: COVID-19 Updates Highway Department Budget Concerns Supervisor McGee states that can be on next week’s agenda Hiring Freeze* Supervisor McGee moves resolution Resolution #2020-42 A Resolution Implementing A Hiring Freeze for the Town of Enfield WHEREAS, it is the sole authority of the Enfield Town Board to develop, levy for, administer, modify and amend the budget of the Town of Enfield; and WHEREAS the Enfield Town Board has determined that the Town of Enfield is in need of a temporary hiring freeze due to uncertainty regarding funding from New York State, NOW, therefore, be it RESOLVED, by the Enfield Town Board, that a hiring freeze will take effect upon passage of this resolution, subject to the following conditions: 1. The hiring freeze will be in effect until lifted by the Enfield Town Board. 7 DRAFT MINUTES Town of Enfield Regular Town Board Meeting April 15, 2020 2. The hiring freeze prohibits the replacement of personnel in already existing positions should an employee resign, retire or be terminated by the Town of Enfield. 3. The hiring freeze prohibits the creation of new positions and the hiring of person(s) to fill any newly created position. 4. The hiring freeze prohibits filling positions that are not currently filled as of the date of the adoption of this Resolution. 5. Town of Enfield department heads may approach the Enfield Town Board at a regularly scheduled meeting and request an exception be granted to the hiring freeze upon a showing of special circumstances. Town Board members will review special circumstance situations and consider the current budget of the department, the special circumstance or need of the department and any other relevant factors. 6. The following are exempt from the hiring freeze: Public Officer Appointments; Volunteers for the Enfield Volunteer Fire Company; RESOLOVED, this Resolution will take effect immediately upon adoption. Councilperson Mehaffey seconds resolution Councilperson Lynch Moves to amend resolution to say Deputy Town Clerk rather than Public Officer Appointments No Second Supervisor McGee discusses other appointments 8 DRAFT MINUTES Town of Enfield Regular Town Board Meeting April 15, 2020 VOTE: Councilperson Bryant, Aye, Councilperson Lynch, Aye, Councilperson Mehaffey, Aye, Councilperson Redmond, Aye, Supervisor McGee, Aye. Purchasing Freeze* Resolution #2020-43 A Resolution Implementing a Purchasing Freeze for the Town of Enfield WHEREAS, it is the sole authority of the Enfield Town Board to develop, levy for, administer, modify and amend the budget of the Town of Enfield; and WHEREAS, the Enfield Town Board has determined that the Town of Enfield is in need of a temporary purchasing freeze due to uncertainty regarding funding from New York State, NOW, therefore, be it RESOLVED, by the Enfield Town Board, that a purchasing freeze will take effect upon passage of this resolution, subject to the following conditions: 1. The purchasing freeze will be in effect until lifted by the Enfield Town Board. 2. The purchasing freeze prohibits the purchase of tools and equipment over the amount of $____________ without prior Town Board approval. 3. The purchasing freeze prohibits the purchase of any services, repairs, or materials over the amount of $ ____________ without prior Town Board approval. 9 DRAFT MINUTES Town of Enfield Regular Town Board Meeting April 15, 2020 4. Town of Enfield department heads may approach the Enfield Town Board at a regularly scheduled meeting and request an exception be granted to the purchasing freeze upon a showing of special circumstances. Town Board members will review special circumstance situations and consider the current budget of the department, the special circumstance or need of the department and any other relevant factors. 5. The following are exempt from the purchasing freeze: the Enfield Town Supervisor for expenditures directly related to managing the COVID-19 State of Emergency imposed by the Federal Government, NYS Government, and Tompkins County Government, that must be expended to provide for the immediate safety and security of the Town of Enfield and its residents; RESOLVED, this Resolution will take effect immediately upon adoption. Amendment: Councilperson Lynch moves to delete paragraph 3 Exempt the Repairs line. Superintendent Rollins lists roads requiring Gravel. No second. Amending resolution 3 to read 50G Amending resolution 4 Special meetings Councilperons Mehaffey motions to amend Councilperson Redmond seconds motion to amend Councilperson Mehaffey moves Resolution #2020-42 VOTE: Councilperson Bryant, Aye, Councilperson Lynch, Aye, Councilperson Mehaffey, Aye, Councilperson Redmond, Aye, Supervisor McGee, Aye. New Business: Deputy Appointments* Supervisor McGee moves resolution to appointment Councilperson Redmond Councilperson Bryant Seconds 10 DRAFT MINUTES Town of Enfield Regular Town Board Meeting April 15, 2020 Town Clerk informs Board of the resignation of Deputy Sims received April 9, 2020 by the Town Clerk. Notice originally received April 1, 2020. *Resolution #2020-44 Deputy Town Supervisor – salary at $10,000.00/year, paid monthly WHEREAS, the Town Board has established the essential Office of Deputy Town Supervisor to act with, for, and in place of the Town Supervisor as directed by the Town Supervisor, and; WHEREAS, it is necessary for the Town of Enfield to provide adequate support for the Town Supervisor in service to the Town of Enfield, therefore be it RESOLVED, the Town Supervisor appoints Stephanie Redmond to fill this position with an annual salary of $10,000.00/ to be paid monthly. Councilperson Lynch asks why we have to hire a Deputy Supervisor. Councilperson Mehaffey suggests that not having a Deputy Supervisor makes the Town of Enfield vulnerable. Supervisor McGee states that she is working more than ever. VOTE: Councilperson Bryant, Aye, Councilperson Lynch, Nay, Councilperson Mehaffey, Aye, Councilperson Redmond, Recused, Supervisor McGee, Aye. Supervisor McGee asks that Councilperson Lynch read his letter Robert A. Lynch Councilperson, Town of Enfield 175 Gray Road Ithaca, NY 14850 April 14, 2020 re: Message to fellow Enfield Town Board Members, Town Officers, and Public Subject: Deputy Supervisor Appointment Colleagues: I guess you might call this the COVID-19 surprise. But no, I am not smiling. First, I must make one point perfectly clear. What I am about to state has nothing to do with the competence, qualifications, or integrity of the individual our Supervisor has chosen to designate as her new deputy. Despite the often-contentious atmosphere of Enfield Town politics—a toxicity which our Supervisor has chosen to intensify by her latest 11 DRAFT MINUTES Town of Enfield Regular Town Board Meeting April 15, 2020 initiative—I have no quarrel with fellow Councilperson Stephanie Redmond, and in no way do I choose to make my objections personal. True, Stephanie and I have disagreed on issues of policy, including one particular matter earlier this year that proved a hot-button for community debate and division. But as I’ve often said, colleagues can disagree without being disagreeable. I’ve worked collegially with Stephanie in the past, and hope to do so for the remainder of our contemporaneous four-year terms. Moreover, as Section 42 of New York Town Law makes clear, the Town Supervisor holds sole discretion in appointing and removing a Deputy Supervisor, and said deputy, by law, serves at the Supervisor’s pleasure. At our Organizational Meeting January 8th, the Enfield Town Board created, as was budgeted, the position of Deputy Supervisor. That night’s Resolution recognized Supervisor Beth McGee’s appointment of former Councilperson Becky Sims as that Deputy Supervisor. As budgeted, Ms. Sims earns $800 annually for her service. Today, with no prior official notice to this Board member, Supervisor McGee placed on tomorrow’s (Wednesday, April 15th) Special Meeting Agenda the appointment of Councilperson Stephanie Redmond as Deputy Supervisor. By separate Resolution, McGee proposes the reallocation of $9,200 to raise the Deputy Supervisor’s annual compensation to $10,000. Were this last-minute legislative sleight of hand attempted in normal times, it would be seen for what it was; a surreptitious attempt by a lazy Town Supervisor to offload her responsibilities to another and to do so far distant from the Town’s annual budget cycle, as well as the next election. April 14, 2020 2 But these are not normal times. We are in the midst of a pandemic, with all of the fiscal and budgetary constraints, both private and public, that have accompanied this national catastrophe. It stands as the cruelest of ironies that at the same meeting at which our Town Board will consider both a Purchasing Freeze and a Hiring Freeze for all other positions, our Supervisor will ask us to pull $9,200 from the mythical magic hat of alleged “General Fund Savings” to compensate one of our own Councilpersons to do more work so that she, the Town Supervisor, may do less. This comes as I and other volunteers will take it upon ourselves, for no additional compensation, to mow the town cemeteries this year; and as patronage of the Enfield Food Pantry in recent weeks has nearly doubled, increasing because destitute Enfield citizens, quite plainly, have no money to put food on their tables. No, I will oppose Supervisor McGee’s proposed Resolutions to appoint a new deputy and to increase that subordinate’s budgeted salary by more than ten-fold. Enfield taxpayers deserve better than this. They deserve a Supervisor who lives up to her elected promises and does not choose to lean on her shovel handle in a non-election year. And may I have the courage to ask, where is Becky Sims in all of this? To adopt the vernacular, Is Becky Sims chopped liver? I must assume, given the law, that Supervisor McGee, like our President Trump, has suddenly chosen to fire Ms. Sims out of convenience. Could the Supervisor not have first accorded Becky the courtesy of submitting her resignation and publicly informing the Board of her declination before McGee designated Sims’ replacement? I like Becky. I could even vote for her as Supervisor someday, 12 DRAFT MINUTES Town of Enfield Regular Town Board Meeting April 15, 2020 should Becky ever want the job. No, Deputy Supervisor Sims deserves better treatment than Supervisor McGee has accorded her. At our Town Board meeting March 11th, Supervisor Beth McGee announced her plans to resign. Quoting from the audio record, Supervisor McGee stated: “I cannot maintain the high level of commitment beyond what’s generally expected of the Supervisor that I normally have. And there just aren’t supports in place here for that. And I am not able to do all that I want to do for residents.” Just three days later, Supervisor McGee’s winds blew from a different direction. In a caustically-worded email directed at me—accusing me, as she has in the past, of lying about what I’d written—McGee backtracked, saying that the arrival of the COVID-19 crisis would keep her on board: “Through this state of emergency I will continue to serve the town of Enfield as is my prerogative in order to provide consistency and confidence that our municipality can protect residents as they expect.” Only last week, in comments I wrote, and the Chair read, to the Tompkins County Legislature, I stated that “I stand relieved that Supervisor McGee has postponed her departure. We in Enfield have enough on our plate at the moment without addressing a leadership change as well.” April 14, 2020 3 Truly, now, I must rethink my position, of what I then wrote. The Enfield Supervisor this year will earn $20,000 in her part-time position. This Wednesday’s resolution asks Enfield taxpayers to cough up nearly 50 per cent more money to compensate two people to perform the duties our current year’s budget had assigned just one to do, namely the one person elected to serve as our Town Supervisor; and to request this taxpayer sacrifice in a time of both personal and financial peril. No, I will not support these last-minute, slip-it-in-when-we’d-hope-nobody-would-be-looking Resolutions. Enfield taxpayers deserve better. Democracy deserves better. Sorry, Stephanie, you’ve been caught in the crossfire. Becky, you too. I do not relish that we in Enfield face another fight, our second one this year. But fight we must. I did not create this problem. I’m only the principled soul duty-bound—and duly elected—to attempt its solution. Respectfully to our citizens, Robert A. Lynch Councilperson Town of Enfield Supervisor McGee moves Budget Amendment 2020-8 Budget Amendment #2020- 8 Move Funds for Deputy Town Supervisor Appointment WHEREAS, the Enfield Town Board has appointed Stephanie Redmond as Deputy Town Supervisor, and; 13 DRAFT MINUTES Town of Enfield Regular Town Board Meeting April 15, 2020 WHEREAS, the Enfield Town Board provides compensation of $10,000.00 annually for the Deputy Supervisor appointment, therefore be it RESOLVED, the Town Board authorizes Supervisor McGee to decrease line A201- General Fund Savings - by $9,200.00 and increase line A1220.13 Personnel Services- Deputy Supervisor, by $9,200.00. Councilperson Mehaffey seconds motion. VOTE: Councilperson Bryant, Aye, Councilperson Lynch, Nay, Councilperson Mehaffey, Aye, Councilperson Redmond, Aye, Supervisor McGee, Aye. Supervisor McGee thanks Board, states that they have done something valuable. Councilperson Lynch states ‘we move forward’. Announcements None Adjournment Supervisor McGee motions to adjourn. Councilperson Redmond seconds. 9:17 .