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Home My WebLink About02-12-1996MINUTES OF TOWN BOARD MEETING MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1996 @ 7:30 P.M. Those present: Teresa M. Ellard L. Daniel J. Donald N. Absent: Gordon C. Fran Cass Robinson, Supervisor Sovocool, Councilman Carey, Councilman Palmer, Councilman VanBenschoten, Councilman ullo, Attorney Also present: Leland Cornelius, George Senter, Chris Dempsey Moved by Mr. Carey, seconded by Mr. Palmer, that the minutes of January 8, 1996, be approved as presented. Ayes - Sovocool, Carey, Palmer, Robinson. Claim Nos. 2 to 20 of the Highway Fund in the amount of $28,023.77; and Claim Nos. 8 to 38 of the General Fund in the Amount of $161,461.78 were presented for audit. Also, the McLean Fire District check in the amount of $45,675.18 will be written from the Trust and Agency Fund, check #2811. Moved by Mr. Palmer, seconded by Mr. Sovocool, that the bills be approved for payment. Ayes - Sovocool, Carey, Palmer, Robinson. Claim Nos. 31 to 35 of the Special Grant Fund (HUD) in the amount of $25,629.30 were presented for payment. Moved by Mr. Palmer, seconded by Mr. Sovocool, that the bills be approved for payment. Ayes - Sovocool, Carey, Palmer, Robinson. CHRISTOPHER C. DEMPSEY - ROBERT C. DEMPSEY INSURANCE AGENCY - Chris presented Penco Quote through ITT Hartford - A+ Rating. All coverages are per the expiring policies. Policy includes a two million coverage on business auto and two million on general liability. Insurance does not payout more than three million in one year. Coverages quoted are Business Auto, General Liability, Errors and Omissions, Property, Inland Marine, Crime & Bond, and Boiler & Machinery for a total of $34,416.39 an increase of $1,101.22 over 1995. LIZ BRENNAN - BOOKKEEPER - Absent - Supervisor Robinson presented bookkeeper's report. Need a transfer of funds for 1995 budget - General (Townwide) . From Contingency A1990.4 - $1,223.16 to Buildings, Contractual A1620.4 - $1,223.16. This is to be used for tent rental. The Annual Financial Report for 1995 will be sent to the NYS Comptroller's Office by March 1st. A copy will be available to the Board at the March 11th meeting. RESOLUTION NO. 5 - AUTHORIZE TRANSFER OF 1995 FUNDS Moved by Mr. Sovocool, seconded by Mr. Palmer Ayes - Sovocool, Carey, Palmer, Robinson RESOLVED, that the Town Board does hereby authorize the transfer of the following 1995 funds: From: Contingency A1990.4 ................$1,223.16 To: Buildings, Contractual A1620.4 .....$1,223.16 GEORGE R. SENTER, SR. - CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER - Year -to -Date Building Permits issued: 1995 1 house 1 other 1996 1 house 1 barn addition Life Safety Inspections are all current. Asked Board about building permit fees for administrative officials. The old law reads as follows: "Applications for administrative actions in these regulations, except applications from public bodies or officers of the Town, are to be accompanied by nonreturnable fees according to the following 1 schedule:" The new law makes no mention of this. What is the Board's wishes? Consensus of the Board was that officials should pay the fee, but applications from other public bodies should be exempt. Town Clerk will get a recommendation from the Town Planning Board. LELAND E. CORNELIUS, HIGHWAY SUPERINTENDENT - I have lots of salt bills. We didn't have much damage during the flood. Replaced several shoulders. Village needed some help with gravel on Elm Street. I am going to put in $5,000 to $8,000 to reimburse our men's time and overtime. We have a meeting in Cortland on making application for reimbursement for the flood. Councilman Palmer said, "I think the idea of reciprocity between municipalities is good -- I think that should continue." COLLEEN D. PIERSON, TOWN CLERK /TAX COLLECTOR - Monthly Town Clerk's Report and January Tax Collector's Report was submitted to the Board. Town Supervisor has been paid off for 1996 budget. All monies now being collected are being forwarded to the County. ARLAND L. HEFFRON & ALTON I. ALEXANDER, TOWN JUSTICES - Monthly report was submitted to the Board for their review. TERESA M. ROBINSON - SUPERVISOR 1) Letter from Tompkins County SPCA - Notification that in1996 the position of President of the Board of Directors of the SPCA will become a full time paid position. Funding for this position for 1996 has been made possible by a donation in the form of a bequest. 2) The Annual Meeting of the Municipal Official's Association is scheduled for Thursday, February 29, 1996,at the Lehigh Valley Restaurant, Ithaca, NY, at 6:30 P.M. 3)Received a complaint letter written to Time Warner Cablevision by Andrew and Diane Nichols of McLean. They had been charged for some pay - per -view programs that they hadn't request. Supervisor Robinson will turn letter over to the Town's Representative, Ron Weins, who is on the County Cable Commission. 4)Quotation from Ciaschi, Dietershagen, Little & Mickelson, Certified Public Accountants. Their quotation to audit the books and records of the Town was as follows: 1995 audit - $3,600; 1996 audit - $3,700; 1997 audit - $3,800. After discussion, consensus of the Board was that the fees were rather high and that the Supervisor should try to negotiate a lesser amount. Board discussed intermunicipal agreement to provide Drop- off - Center supervision at the Tompkins County Department of Public Works Solid Waste Management Division in Peruville, NY. Attorney Casullo had no objections to the Agreement as written. RESOLUTION NO. 6 - INTERMUNICIPAL AGREEMENT - TOMPKINS COUNTY SOLID WASTE DROP - OFF - CENTER Moved by Mr. Palmer, seconded by Mr. Sovocool Ayes - Sovocool, Carey, Palmer, Robinson RESOLVED, that the Town Board does hereby desire to enter into Agreement with Tompkins County Department of Public Works, Solid Waste Management Division, (Contract No. SW -96 -07 to provide drop- off - center supervision at the Peruville facilities. 2 RESOLUTION NO. 7 - ACCEPT ROBERT C. DEMPSEY AGENCY INSURANCE QUOTATION FOR 1996 Moved by Mr. Palmer, seconded by Mr. Carey Ayes - Sovocool, Carey, Palmer, Robinson RESOLVED, that the Town Board does hereby accept Robert C. Dempsey Agency's insurance quotation in the amount of $34,416.39 for the year 1996. RESOLUTION NO. 8 - AUTHORIZATION TO PARTICIPATE IN COOPERATIVE PURCHASING OF HIGHWAY SERVICES WITH TOMPKINS COUNTY Moved by Mr. Sovocool, seconded by Mr. Palmer Ayes - Sovocool, Carey, Palmer, Robinson WHEREAS, the Office of the State Comptroller has ruled that counties may no longer extend their bids for public work (services) to political subdivisions, and WHEREAS, General Municipal Law Section 119 -0 provides for municipalities entering into cooperative purchasing agreements to jointly bid needed services, and WHEREAS, General Municipal Law, Article 5 -G Section 119 -0 states that "any agreement entered into hereunder shall be approved by each participating municipal corporation or district by a majority vote of its governing body," now therefore be it RESOLVED, that the Town of Groton be hereby authorized to participate with Tompkins County in the cooperative purchasing of various highway services. RESOLUTION NO. 9 - AUTHORIZE HIGHWAY SUPERINTENDENT TO PURCHASE ON STATE BID Moved by Mr. Palmer, seconded by Mr. Sovocool Ayes - Sovocool, Carey, Palmer, Robinson RESOLVED, that the Town Board does hereby authorize the Highway Superintendent to purchase oil and related products from State Contract Bids as appropriate. Supervisor Robinson discussed letter from NYS Retirement System. Because of the change in the actuarial interest rate assumption the Retirement Systems will, if authorized by the Town, apply your credit account balance to your amortization account balance. For those employers which have credits that exceed their amortization balance, they will pay off the amortization balance and credit interest at 8 1/20 on the remaining credits. For those employers which have credits equal to the amortization balance, they will pay off the amortization balance. For employers which have credits less than the amortization balance, we will apply the available credits to the amortization balance and reamortize the balance over the remaining ten year period. 3 RESOLUTION NO. 10 - NYS RETIREMENT SYSTEM OPTION Moved by Mr. Carey, seconded by Mr. Sovocool Ayes - Sovocool, Carey, Palmer, Robinson RESOLVED, that the Town Board does hereby desire to select option #1 "Use the existing credits to pay off the amortization balance. If the credits exceed the amortization balance credit, credit interest at 8 1/2 ". Supervisor Robinson received the following letter dated January 16, 1996: "Due to health reasons, I am resigning from the Zoning Appeals Board -- Florence Knapp." We need to find another individual who is interested in serving on this Board. Dryden Planning Board has also cancelled the Public Hearing to be held on Tuesday, February 13th, regarding Big Al's Convenience Store to be located in McLean across from the school. Supervisor Robinson appointed Councilman Palmer to Transportation Council. Town Clerk will send his Supervisor Robinson is currently on the Transportat have had problems scheduling meeting dates to Conference. After this is once accomplished, the be attending planning meetings. the Ithaca - Tompkins County appointment to the County. ion Policy Committee. They conduct their 1996 Goals Town's Representative will For the record, Councilman Palmer mentioned the article in the Shopper regarding a list of alternatives for those in need due to the Great American store closing in Groton. It's a good indication of municipalities working together to solve a problem. The community really appreciates the effort that somebody from the Town and somebody from the Village got together and made something happen. Supervisor Robinson said that we were not hurt as much as a lot of others. She said she offered, and the Town did this all the time. Mr. Palmer said it was something that should be made public and it's good for everybody. Supervisor Robinson said that Mr. Satterly stopped her and said he wanted to thank Corney for his help on Elm Street during the flood. There being no further business, Mr. Carey moved to adjourn meeting, seconded by Mr. Sovocool, at 9:50PM. Colleen D. Pierson Town Clerk 4