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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-06-12 TOWN OF GROTON -MINUTES OF TOWN BOARD MEETING TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 2012 AT 7:30 PM THE TOWN HALL, 101 CONGER BOULEVARD Those present: Glenn E. Morey, Supervisor Ellard L. Sovocool, Councilman Donald F. Scheffler, Councilman Richard B. Gamel, Councilman Sheldon C. Clark, Councilman Victoria Monty, Attorney for the Town Also present: Marc Perosio, Ed Neuhauser, Tina Adams. Roger Adams, Bob Fouts, Sharon Fouts, Greg Weiland, Richard Dale, Stacy Binkerd, Andy Crispell, Susan Cerretani, Mike Morris, Dusty Keys, James Henry, Lisa Trust, Carole Daugherty, Joan Packard, Monica Carey, May McGarry-Newman, Doug Newman, Rachel Newman, Bambi Avery, Joanne Costley, Tom Scheffler, Liana Klumpp, Jacob Klumpp, Logan Klumpp, Amanda Ostrander, Darren Ostrander, Lane Ostrander, Dewey Dawson, Gary Coats, Charles Rankin, April Scheffler. MOVED by Councilman Gamel, seconded by Councilman Scheffler, to approve the minutes of the May 8, 2012 meeting as presented. Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey. Claim Numbers 149-178 of the General Fund in the amount of $19,330.78 were presented for audit. MOVED by Councilman Sovocool, seconded by Councilman Scheffler, to approve the General Bills for payment. Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey. Claim Numbers 78-96 of the Highway Fund in the amount of $227,028.61 were presented for audit. MOVED by Councilman Clark, seconded by Councilman Gamel, to approve the Highway Bills for payment. Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey. Supervisor Morey - Announced that April Scheffler had been named as District 6 Director for the New York State Town Clerk's Association at the NYSTCA conference. He feels this is a tribute to her professionalism, honesty, integrity, and dedication to the Town Board Minutes Page 2 June 12,2012 Town of Groton. He introduced Bambi Avery, Town Clerk of Dryden, who was there with a proclamation of an honor that April also received at the conference. Bambi Avery - Introduced Joanne Costley, Town Clerk of Nanticoke, who is finishing her term as District 6 Director and will be replaced by April Scheffler. Ms. Avery explained that each year the 10 districts in the State nominate a Clerk of the Year for their district. This year, April Scheffler was the recipient of the District 6 Clerk of the Year award. They read the proclamation and presented it and a bouquet of flowers to Clerk Scheffler. Robin Cargian, Deputy Clerk- Presented Clerk Scheffler with a scrapbook containing all the letters of recommendation and a bouquet of roses. Clerk Scheffler thanked everyone and said that it was a great honor to receive this award. She also introduced family members that were present. Monthly Reports: Charles Rankin, Bookkeeper - Presented monthly reports for the Board's review. The auditors are here this week. He had nothing to report from the Cable TV committee. Gary Coats, Code Enforcement Officer - Submitted monthly reports for the Board's review. He has been busy with annual inspections with Robin's help. A lot of building permits have been coming in. Complaints are way down. April L. Scheffler, Town Clerk/Tax Collector - Submitted monthly reports for the Board's review. She had received a resignation letter, effective June 30th, from Steve Thane, the Zoning Board of Appeals Chair. She asked if the Board wanted to advertise for a new board member and Supervisor Morey said that they would talk it over with the other ZBA members first. Federal Primary is June 26. Tomorrow the 4Th grade is coming for a field trip to the Clerk's Office, the Court and the Highway Department. RESOLUTION #12-036 - APPROVE 2012 CONTRACT WITH HUMAN SERVICES COALITION MOVED by Supervisor Morey, seconded by Councilman Scheffler Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby approves the 2012 Contract with the Human Services Coalition and hereby authorizes Supervisor Morey to sign said contract. Victoria Monty, Attorney for the Town - Had nothing to report. Dewey Dawson, Town Justice - Submitted monthly reports for the Board's review. Councilman Donald Scheffler, Representative to Joint Youth Committee - Summer activity brochures have been printed and distributed to grades K-6 as well as various places around town. Youth track has finished its season with 27 participants. We'd like to thank Marc Perosio for coaching this program. Summer employees for the pool have Town Board Minutes Page 3 June 12,2012 been hired. Jennifer has been working with the library on a summer outdoor family movie night. There are a lot of issues to iron out and hopefully we can make it work. Sheila Ossit was elected committee chair and Don Scheffler vice-chair for this year. With a new coordinator and new leadership come new ideas and a better recreation program. It was announced on the radio that there won't be any fireworks displays in Tompkins County this year, but I'd like to say that Groton does have a fireworks display on June 30th at the High School, sponsored by the Fire Department. James Henry - Was there in reference to the sale of a section of Town property to Julie Martin as discussed at previous meetings. The Town Attorneys have reviewed and approved all the associated documents. The time period for permissive referendum has passed with no petition from the public. RESOLUTION #12-037 - PERMISSION FOR SUPERVISOR TO SIGN DOCUMENTS SELLING LAND TO JULIE MARTIN MOVED by Councilman Sovocool, seconded by Councilman Clark Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey WHEREAS, the Town Board of the Town of Groton has been made aware that there are various encroachments on Town property with respect to an adjacent premises located at 115 South Parkway in the Village of Groton, and WHEREAS, on March 13, 2012 the Town Board passed Resolution #12-022 that, subject to a Permissive Referendum, the Town of Groton will sell the 0.12+ acres of land, which is part of Tax Parcel #6.-1-31, located adjacent to 115 South Parkway in the Village of Groton, to Julie Martin for the sum of Six Hundred Ninety Dollars ($690.00). The buyer is to pay all costs associated with the transaction excluding the Town's attorneys' fees, and WHEREAS, no petition signed and acknowledged by the electors of the Town of Groton protesting against said Resolution #12-022 was filed with the Town Clerk within thirty (30) days after the date of adoption thereof, or at any other time since said adoption, now therefore be it RESOLVED, that the Town Supervisor sign and execute all documents to complete this transaction. The Town Clerk was directed to hold the documents pending the check for$690.00. Privilege of the Floor: Dusty Kyes - Told the Board about renting a truck trailer to Rick Huber for his business, Rick's Cycle Parts. The rent had been a God-send, helping to pay almost half his taxes for the year. Mr. Huber had recently declined to renew the lease because he was unable to get a Dismantlers Permit from the State. Mr. Huber had been granted a Junk Yard Permit by the Town of Groton for his business but the State apparently will not Town Board Minutes Page 4 June 12,2012 accept a Junk Yard Permit for his application for the State Dismantlers Permit. He must have something from the Town that says Dismantlers Permit and the Town does not have this type of permit. Therefore, the State will not give Mr. Huber a Dismantlers Permit. Mr. Kyes regrets losing the rent money, but also has other concerns. He has had a Town of Groton Junk Yard permit for over 30 years and he has a Dismantlers Permit issued by the State. He has never been questioned by the State about a Town of Groton Dismantlers Permit, nor have they required one when he renews yearly. He has been trying to sell his business and property and is concerned how this will affect a new owner and possibly his ability to sell his land. He was asking the Board to research this and possibly consider adding a section on dismantling to the Code. Joan Packard - Thanked Supervisor Morey for signing the letter to Governor Cuomo from a large group of municipal officials asking for more studies before tracking is allowed in New York State. Marc Perosio - At the last meeting it was said that certified organic farms would loose their certification if there are any gas wells anywhere on, near or around the farm. He contacted NOFA, which is the organic certification people and spoke to Sherrrie Hastings who said they do not decertify any farms that have gas drilling on, near or around them. If they have a well on their property, they decertify the area right around the well and they make them do some extra buffering. She provided him with a generic letter that they have sent to all their organic people and he gave a copy to the Board. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the meeting in Pennsylvania was cancelled and he is in the process of reorganizing that. When the Board tells him who is going he will set a date. There will be water quality people, gas industry people, road commissioners, etc. Chris Denton, the attorney for the Summerhill Coalition, which represents Northern Tompkins, Southern Cayuga, and Western Cortland Counties, has agreed to come to Groton on July 17th for an open forum. They're going to try to get Linda Adams, with the Tompkins County Coalition to come too. The entire venue has not been set, but will be advertised and he will have the information for the next Board meeting. He asked if the Town Attorney had looked at the law he gave the Board last month and what he thought of it. Attorney Monty - Said that Attorney Casullo had not discussed it with her. Andy Crispell - Wonders why Tony Raffia, a civil engineer for Cornell University, is not invited here to speak for any forums and if asked if the Town could invite him to one. Supervisor Morey - Explained that none of the forums are being sponsored by the Town or Village Boards. Greg Weiland - Said that a lot has been said about risks but if you are taking risks you have to weigh the benefit to see if it is worth the risks. He sees no benefit in gas drilling for individuals or the Town. Stacy Binkerd - Her house sits within 100 yards of Locke Road, Route 38, and she doesn't want a lot of trucks hauling toxic waste. The land around her is leased and she is worried about contamination. People in Pennsylvania who did not have their wells tested before drilling began, have no case to prove that their water has been contaminated by the drilling. She is on a tight budget and her house is her only asset, Town Board Minutes Page 5 June 12,2012 so she will have to pay for water tests, constantly, and it could be expensive. She resents this burden. She doesn't want trucks hauling toxic waste right outside her door and thinks that there would be a danger to the Village since there have been milk truck accidents there in the past. Mike Morris - Wanted to follow up to see if the Board had any thoughts or comments about the petition with over 600 signatures or the questions that GRAC submitted in December. As of today, there are still 160 leases still within their first 5-year term, so that number is going down. He understands that the Board is in a tough position, in part because of the way the State is handling this, forcing towns to either ban fracking or just accept what the DEC presents. It's a tough spot for the Board and the citizens. People in opposition are not saying "never" but that the way that it is done now doesn't seem prudent and will have negative impacts on our town as a whole. He thought at some point he would like to understand what the Town Attorney thinks the permitting process here will be. He said that he attended some kind of zoning board meeting and was told that if it was allowed, it would be handled by the Town Board. He understands the concern about liability connected with a moratorium or ban but he doesn't think there is any liability connected with a moratorium. It seems like the strategy here is to do nothing and let the State take its course and make the decision. He has heard that would then subject us to the whims of the DEC and is not sure if this is a good thing. If we allow something like fracking, what else does it open the door to? Our slogan now is "Groton, a great place to live." Do we really want it become "Groton, anything for a buck?" Mary McGarry-Newman - Has 1 1 1 acre organic farm and wants everyone to know that NOFA is two million percent against hydrofracking. There were crazy things said about risks at the last meeting and the kinds of risks we are talking about with this are just so different. It's ridiculous to put it in the light of walking outside and getting hit by a truck, reducing a very serious topic to something silly. We all take risk, but if I take risks with my table saw, your fingers are not getting cut off at your house, but with hydrofracking someone is taking the risk of ruining the water or air on my property. I believe we should all be able to do what we want but this affects your neighbors and community and is just not the same. It doesn't work like that and we've learned that and to pretend otherwise is just silly. She asked the Board if any of them had gone to a talk given by a couple of women from Pennsylvania. She doesn't understand why they would want to go to Pennsylvania and talk to people when some of them are already coming here to talk to us and tell us not to do it. She is waiting for the Board to do something and they haven't. There have been people talking about how many acres they own but that doesn't matter, we are each one person and we each get one vote, even if you live in a cardboard box you still have something to say about your community. It has nothing to do with how many acres you own. You don't get more rights because you own more land. Discussion took place on the policy for the security of doors and keys for the Town Hall. Town Board Minutes Page 6 June 12,2012 RESOLUTION #12-038 - POLICY FOR THE SECURITY OF TOWN HALL DOORS AND KEYS MOVED by Supervisor Morey, seconded by Councilman Scheffler Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby adopts the following policy: Groton Town Hall - Security of Doors and Keys Note: Locking and securely latching a door means to lock it, PUSH it closed from the outside, and then PULL on it to make sure that you cannot open it. During Regular Office Hours: 1. Heads of the Highway, Court and Town Clerk departments or their appointees are responsible for making sure that all doors used in conjunction with their departments are locked and securely latched when they leave the building at the end of the day. 2. The Town Clerk or Deputy Clerk will lock the outside doors on the office side of the building at the end of regular office hours, generally 4:00 pm. If the Town or Deputy Clerk are not available and on days when court is scheduled to be in session after 4:00 pm a Judge or the Court Clerk will lock outside doors either at the end of the business day or the end of the court session. 3. The outside door in the kitchenette, the outside glass door leading from the rear parking lot into the main hallway, and the door from the side parking lot into the main courtroom remain locked at all times. At their discretion, the Judge's may use the door from the side parking lot into the main courtroom for court purposes, but must make sure that it is securely latched after use. After Regular Office Hours: 1. All people using the Town Hall for meetings or events after regular business hours or on weekends must enter and exit only through the main front door. In case of an emergency, any exit may be used. For safety, all doors to the outside are such that they can be opened from the inside and used as an exit even if they are locked, but are not intended to be used as general public exits. 2. Use of the Town Hall by other parties can be arranged through the Town Clerk. A key to the building will be provided by the Town Clerk, which must be signed for and returned immediately following a meeting or event. The person signing for the key will be responsible for making sure that all people involved with their meeting or event use only the main front door and should make everyone aware of this policy. They are also responsible for making sure that the door is locked and securely latched when leaving the building. If someone has used any other door, or it is suspected that they may have, all outside doors must be checked to make sure that they are securely latched. The person that signed for the key must not give the key to anyone else to use. If a group wishes to have another person in charge of the key, it must first be returned to the Town Clerk and then signed out by the new person. 3. The Chairs of the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals are each provided with a key. The Chair is responsible for making sure that all people involved with their meeting use only the main front door and that it is locked and securely latched after the meeting. When the Chair will not be present at a meeting the key may be temporarily given to another member of the board who will assume the same Town Board Minutes Page 7 June 12,2012 responsibilities as far as the key and doors are concerned. When the Chair no longer serves in the position, the key may be passed to the incoming Chair without first returning it to the Town Clerk. It is suggested that the Chairs review this policy with their respective boards at their annual organizational meeting. 4. The Town Supervisor and/or the Town Clerk will be responsible for making sure that all outside doors are locked and securely latched following a Town Board Meeting. 5. The Town Supervisor, Town Board Members, Town Clerk, Deputy Clerk, Highway Superintendent, Deputy Highway Superintendent, certain other Highway Employees, Judges, Court Clerk, Code Enforcement Officer, Bookkeeper, Town Historian, and Cleaner all have keys that allow varying degrees of access to the building through multiple doors. Each key holder is responsible for locking and securely latching any door that they have unlocked and/or used after regular business hours, including interior office doors. Exceptions: 1. Exceptions to this policy may be made for special events, extenuating circumstances, and building maintenance upon approval from the Town Clerk for the office side of the building and the Highway Superintendent for the garage side of the building. Discussions took place on a policy for the rules and procedures during Town Board Meetings. It was decided to table a decision on this policy so that the Board has more time to review and edit it. Announcements: ➢ Planning Board Meets, June 21 at 7:30 pm ➢ Zoning Board of Appeals Meets, June 27 at 7:00 pm ➢ Thank You note from the Gaines Family There being no further business, Councilman Sovocool moved to adjourn, seconded by Councilman Scheffler, at 8:25 pm. Unanimous. April L. Scheffler, RMC Town Clerk