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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-10-2023TOWN OF GROTON – MINUTES OF TOWN BOARD MEETING TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2023, AT 7:30 PM Town Officers Present: Town Officers Absent: Also Present: Donald F. Scheffler, Supervisor W. Rick Fritz, Code Official Eric Deforrest, Groton Fire Chief Crystal Young, Councilperson Richard Gamel, Councilperson Dale Slocum, Highway Dept. Sheldon C. Clark, Councilperson Dan Carey, AG Committee Brian Klumpp, Councilperson Robin Cargian, Town Clerk Ellard Keister, Highway Supt Mack Rankin, Dept. Highway Julie Graham, Bookkeeper Francis Casullo, Attorney The meeting was called into session with the Pledge of Allegiance at 7:30 PM. MOVED by Councilperson Klumpp, seconded by Councilperson Young to approve the September 12, 2023, Town Board Meeting minutes. Ayes – Clark, Young, Klumpp, Scheffler Motion Passed MOVED by Councilperson Klumpp, seconded by Councilperson Young to approve the September 26, 2023, Town Board Meeting minutes. Ayes – Clark, Young, Klumpp, Scheffler Motion Passed RESOLUTION #23-090‐ APPROVE PAYMENT OF INVOICES MOVED by Supervisor Scheffler, seconded by Councilperson Young, WHEREAS, vouchers for Abstract #10 for the Year 2023, numbered 400-431 were reviewed and and audited by the Town Board, be it RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby approves said vouchers which will make the accounts in the Total amounts as follows: A GENERAL FUND 9,354.54 B GENERAL FUND PART TOWN 32,836.45 DA HIGHWAY FUND 2,292.08 DB HIGHWAY FUND PART TOWN 212,134.14 SL2- PERUVILLE LIGHTING DISTRICT 91.90 SLl- MCLEAN LIGHTING DISTRICT 179.81 Total $256,888.92 Ayes – Clark, Young, Klumpp, Scheffler Resolution Passed Nays - Town Board Draft Minutes Page 2 October 10, 2023 Monthly Reports Julie Graham, Bookkeeper – You have my report which there are Budget Adjustments. RESOLUTION #23-91- -APPROVE BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS MOVED by Councilperson Young seconded by Councilperson Clark to approve the Budget Adjustments A1990.4 Contingency $30.00 To: A1920.4 Municipal Association dues $30.00 DA1990.4 Contingency $540.00 To DA5120.41 Culverts $ 540.00 Ayes – Clark, Young, Klumpp, Scheffler Resolution Passed Nays - W. Rick Fritz, Code/Fire Enforcement Officer submitted the following report. Building Permits Issued:7 Permits Completed: 0 Fire Safety Inspection 0 Training: 6 Permits Renewed:0 Building Inspections: 35 Complaints:2 Zoning Permits:0 Certificates of Occupancy/Completion:0 Violation Notices:0 Site Plan Reviews:1 Subdivisions:1 Life Safety Inspections September 2023 Inspected - 0 Completed - 0 Total 2023 Inspected -14 Total 2023 Completed - 14 Town Clerk, Robin Cargian: There was a thought brought up at the last meeting, that it would be nice if there was a way to get information out to the public regarding reasonings behind a budget increase or going over the tax cap. In 2007 a local law was passed to allow the board to include items in the tax bills such as information relating to changes in Town government, information relating to the administration of government operations, or such information determined by the Town Board to be worthwhile to town residents. So, yes, there is a way to provide that information by a resolution. Attorney for the Town, Fran Casullo: Nothing to report. Recreation Coordinator, Councilperson Young: Becky and the committee have been busy. There will be Yoga starting back up. She is also initiating a new Pound and Kickboxing class on Monday and Thursday nights, subject to building use approval. She is also starting Cayuga Climbs, which is rock climbing-type stuff. She also worked with the library to host a Nerf War, which was running around the library with Nerf guns open to all ages. I am sure that was a lot of fun. She is also bringing back the adult Co-rec basketball in October. This year's Trick or Treating will be on Main St. from 4-5 PM, and Trunk or Treat will be from 5-7 PM at Conger Blvd. Lots of winter planning has commenced. Concert series bands have been booked with the locations for that being discussed. Cabin Fever has been scheduled for February and we are getting a new Recreation Desk program to make it easier for people to register for programs. Things are going well. Eric Deforrest, Groton Fire Chief: We are on average for the year 282 calls per quarter, 847 calls for the year; 686 ambulance, and 164 Fire. We are pretty much on track for a normal year. We are still running mutual aid (EMS) to Cortland and Dryden, as other agencies are still battling staffing shortages. We have been trying to get more than one crew on our ambulance to help cover some of that shortage as we have people available. It has been challenging on our part. We are still interviewing part-time people. For whatever reason we are getting a lot of traction from part-timers wanting to work Town Board Draft Minutes Page 3 October 10, 2023 in Groton. One of the initiatives I took on as chief was to eliminate overtime from our books as paramedics cost more money obviously, so I am trying to get as many part-time staff as possible. We are still short of at least two members from where we need to be, to eliminate about 30 hours a week in overtime. We are not where we need to be but working towards this. It can be a painful process to interview as some workout and some don’t. I am sure everyone has seen the new building going up a lot faster than we thought it would. We are starting to go through items at the station to decide what goes to the new building and what needs to be disposed of. EMS Billing is almost fully implemented at this point. We have our Medicaid number and are waiting for the Medicare number. We are actively billing. We did not anticipate the calls questioning the bill for services rendered or the price. Multi-Med, the company that is doing our billing for us, is now assisting with those calls based on our documentation. So far, we have had no complaints, unless you had anything here. I know the Village Office has not taken any. I think the transition from this being included in the tax bills to billing has gone much smoother than we anticipated. We had some pushback from older generations who have lived here their whole life. As we are known for our Cider and Doughnuts during the Trick or Treat event, will be changing to providing only cider and doughnuts to give the kids something else in their stomachs besides chocolate. Ellard Keister, Highway Superintendent – We put in a couple of hundred feet of pipe while we had a machine rented. We will start our shoulder work tomorrow and finish up hot patching. Lots of work to be done before fall. We did lose our part-time guy, who chose to go a different path so we are back to square zero. We will go with that as it comes. Looking at the tentative budget the DA5142.4 account needs to be set where it was previously, and move the $240,000 into equipment DA5130.2. I have discussed this with Julie and it won’t change the bottom line. No updates on the trucks that have been ordered. I sat through a Zoom meeting on road monitoring camera systems. Right to your phone, they provide a live visual stream with current weather and road temperatures operating off a long-life solar battery. How we do this now is Mack and I will drive to different locations and check the temperatures. We know in central New York we can get these small storms that come through that hit one part of town and leave another dry. We don’t know until we put miles on and check. These cameras could serve us by giving us that instant information, which would allow us to roll out a driver for road treatment much sooner than if we were to physically drive there. This would save approximately 40 to 50 minutes. They are offering a one-year lease, they would service the entire thing such as software updates. I would like to try this in two different spots, we can also move them around as we like. Another huge advantage is the cone that shoots down to the road and takes a temperature every 15 seconds. By having those road temperatures, we can change application amounts of salt and sand ahead of time saving trips and fuel. The baseline price is $3000 per camera that I install, and they set up the software. They contract with three different cell phone towers to send the data so we would be in good shape to move them around. I would like to try two cameras. We have this in the budget this year and have no obligation next year, we can just pack them up and send them back. I have two spots in mind, Sovocool Hill and Salt Rd., as it is a good indication of high snow and drift spots. Councilperson Klumpp – Do you have any idea how much time you would save and the product? You stated you would be able to adjust your settings. Town Board Draft Minutes Page 4 October 10, 2023 Ellard Keister, Highway Superintendent – It’s hard to say as it would be seasonal. I spend a couple of hours driving around, Mack would do the same. It could be as much as 8 to 10 hours on a snowy week with the wind. I do think it will put our service out there much faster for these areas. Ideally, we would like 8 cameras, but we don’t have the financial support for that available. Councilperson Young – Is anyone else using these, can you find out if they think it is worth it? Ellard Keister, Highway Superintendent- As far as I know, no one else is using these. We have a highway superintendent’s meeting, and I could ask them. Councilperson Clark – I like the idea. Councilperson Klumpp – I am comfortable spending the money on it. You are good about it, get an honest opinion on it to make sure it is worth it. Not just saving the hourly people, but if you are getting there quicker and you have the right mixture because you know the road temperatures. I think it makes sense. Ellard Keister, Highway Superintendent – I will also add, there are unlimited users to this site. Mack was saying if he is on Pleasant Valley, he can easily check and head back to Sovocool Hill before coming in. That is a good 40 minutes to an hour. Councilperson Klumpp – So that will save you fuel costs knowing if you need to go or don’t go. Supervisor Scheffler – I think it would be worth a shot to try it for a year. It was new to you this morning. Maybe it would be worth finding out from other highway departments, maybe everyone would say it is a waste of time. Ellard Keister, Highway Superintendent – I haven’t heard of anybody yet, they are in New York State and 31 other States total. I didn’t call anyone else, I did check with other camera systems. RESOLUTION #23-092‐ AUTHORIZE THE HIGHWAY SUPERINTENDENT THE OPTION TO PURCHASE A ONE-YEAR LEASE OF TWO HIGHWAY LIVE STREAM CAMERAS RESOLUTION BY Councilperson Klumpp, second by Supervisor Scheffler to authorize the Highway Superintendent the option to lease two highway monitoring camera systems for $6,000.00. Ayes – Clark, Young, Klumpp, Scheffler Resolution Passed Nays - Supervisor Scheffler, CS Energy – We have had limited contact with CS Energy over the last month. They have been asked for months, for reports and clarifications. Substantive answers have been slow and coming. Late today I received a mountain of information, with the specifics we would need to know or like to know, were redacted. Their planned date to file with the State of New York keeps changing. That is all we know about what is going on. Local Law 3 of 2023 RESOLUTION #23‐093 –PROPOSE LOCAL LAW#3 OF 2023, A LAW TO OVERRIDE THE TAX LEVY LIMIT FOR BOARD REVIEW Town Board Draft Minutes Page 5 October 10, 2023 MOTION BY Supervisor Scheffler, seconded by Councilperson Klumpp to propose Local Law #3 as follows: A Local Law Overriding the Tax Levy Limit Established in the New York General Municipal Law §3-c in and for the Town of Groton Be it enacted by the Town of Groton Town Board, as follows: SECTION 1. LEGISLATIVE INTENT It is the intent of this local law to override the limit on the amount of real property taxes that may be levied by the Town of Groton, County of Tompkins pursuant to New York General Municipal Law §3- c, and to allow the Town of Groton to adopt a Town budget for (a) Town purposes and (b) any other special or improvement district governed by the Town Board for the Fiscal Year 2024, that requires a real property tax levy in excess of the "tax levy limit” as defined by the General Municipal Law §3-c. SECTION 2. AUTHORITY This local law is adopted pursuant to Subdivision 5 of the New York General Municipal Law, §3-c, which expressly authorizes the Town Board to override the tax levy limit by the adoption of a local law approved by a vote of sixty percent (60%) of the Town Board SECTION 3. TAX LEVY LIMIT OVERRIDE The Town Board of the Town of Groton, County of Tompkins, is hereby authorized to adopt a budget for the Fiscal Year 2024 that requires a real property tax levy in excess of the limit specified in the New York General Municipal Law §3-c. SECTION 4. SEVERABILITY If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section, article or part of this local law shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in its operations to the clause, sentence, paragraph, section, article, or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judgment shall have been rendered. SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE This Local Law shall take effect immediately upon filing with the Secretary of State. Ayes – Clark, Young, Klumpp, Scheffler Resolution Passed Nays - Executive Session at 8:05 PM MOVED by Supervisor Scheffler, seconded by Councilperson Young to enter into an executive session to discuss the pay for a particular person with the Attorney and Bookkeeper present. Ayes – Clark, Young, Klumpp, Scheffler Motion Passed Nays - MOVED by Supervisor Scheffler, seconded by Councilperson Young to return to regular session at 8:25 PM with no decisions being made. Ayes – Clark, Young, Klumpp, Scheffler Motion Passed Nays - Tentative Budget 2024 Town Board Draft Minutes Page 6 October 10, 2023 Councilperson Young – Although generous I am looking at the increases should be 3% across the board for salaried and appointed officers and employees. It’s nice to want to give them 5% and it is generous to give them 5% for the Supervisor, Justices and Council and superintendent and Town Clerk $5000.00 raises but people that were mentioned, but the standard cost of living increases are right now 2.9 to 3% and I think that should be the standard we should have as well. In addition to that, I don’t believe it should be 3% across the board other than the highway. Supervisor Scheffler – What are you suggesting for the highway? Councilperson Young -I think they gave us good information at the last meeting and the average in NY State for that particular type of work is right around what they stated in the hourly rates, so I propose we get them to the $22.50 hourly rate, which would be a $3.00 increase. Councilperson Klumpp- Right now this budget is worked at a $2.00 increase which we would need to stick to to stay under the 2% cap. Councilperson Young- Unless it changes by taking the other salaries down to 3% instead of 5% and certain dollar amounts. I was also wondering about it, I don’t know if it will make a difference as salaries and operating are probably different. I was also wondering about bridges, you have $13,000 worth of planning on a bridge. Ellard Keister, Highway Superintendent – Are you looking at Culverts? You mean, Is that for personal services? That is where we take the hourly money out for personal services when working on bridges and culverts. Julie Graham, Bookkeeper – And that will have to increase if you are looking at raising the highway over the two dollars an hour that is already in there. Councilperson Klumpp-I feel we should stick with the $2.00 raise that is already in there so we don’t go over the tax cap. Highway Departments Starting Hourly Rate Difference  Groton $19.50 x  NYS DOT $22.38 $2.88  Danby $22.50 $3.00  Genoa $22.50 $3.00  Venice $22.50 $3.00  Summerhill $22.50 $3.00  Cortland C.O Highway $23.06 $3.56  Cayuga C.O Highway $23.13 $3.63  Tompkins C.O Highway $23.32 $3.82  Enfield $24.00 $4.50  Caroline $24.05 $4.55  Locke $24.50 $5.00  Lansing $25.30 $5.80  Moravia $25.48 $5.98  Ulysses $26.25 $6.75  Dryden $26.75 $7.25  Ithaca $27.31 $7.81  Newfield $27.62 $8.12  Average $24.04  Town Board Draft Minutes Page 7 October 10, 2023 Councilperson Young-When you got this information of what other towns hourly rates were, I am under the impression that they do not get overtime? Mack Rankin, Dept. Highway – That is incorrect. The first column is the starting wage. Like here, there is also a probation period, when after 3 or 6 months you get an incentive, and you often move up. All of those are hourly jobs, that pay overtime just like we do here if it is necessary. Some of those departments do more DPW services such as water and sewer. They would get more overtime during t emergency service situations such as water breaks. Those numbers all came from department heads for 2023. I couldn’t get 2024 numbers as they are also early in their budgets but are all looking at an active $1.00 to $2.00 an hour increases to start January 1st. Supervisor Scheffler – Bear in mind, jumping to $3.00 will probably put us over the tax cap. I don’t know how this will really turn out by lowering the other ones to 3.5% without running the numbers. Councilperson Klumpp- I would like to stick with the $2.00 with the understanding that yes, we are below but we can’t do it all in one year. It didn’t take one year to get behind. We can’t correct it in one year. Councilperson Young- Unless we go over the tax cap. Mack Rankin, Dept. Highway – I think one thing to point out too, is that $3.50 was about as reasonable of a figure to attempt to not correct it in one year. It will get us closer to having a fighting chance to compete with some of these other highway departments. We are still multiple dollars behind even at the original $3.50 we talked about. For the last four years I have heard we can’t do it all in one year, we can’t do it right now. I ask what is the tentative plan for change? When do we raise taxes to get to where we need to be. We are running this highway department on the same tax base we did years ago but everything has gone up two to three times the price. It is a battle that we fight every single day. Councilperson Young – I hate to say it but I think it is true. We might have to go over the tax cap one year to get us to where we need to be now, to get us under the tax cap in future years. Supervisor Scheffler – I would like to stay under the tax cap. The fire department is under it, Mclean Fire Department is under it. We are all trying. You can cut anyplace you want as far as that goes. You can cut recreation. Councilperson Young – If we did do the increase, whatever we do with that overtime will cause even more…. Julie Graham, Bookkeeper – I did a calculation. Going from the $2.00 to the $3.50 is going to cost the town about $40,000 more. This would include overtime, insurance differences, retirement, social security. This would be an additional $40,000 to the tax base. Mack Rankin, Dept. Highway- That is why I bring up the point and ask how much longer can we keep going and operating with inflation the way that is and everything going up? As we talked about earlier we can’t even keep a part time guy. He can make almost as much at Target as he does here with zero responsibility. He went back to working with the Sheriffs department but with the price that we are paying, I don’t know how to explain it to someone to stay. He has two options, he can stay here and head out in the worst possible conditions ever, in a clapped-out piece of crap plow truck that we have Town Board Draft Minutes Page 8 October 10, 2023 got over there from 2005 and hope for the best or he can go make almost double what we are paying and sit in a heated office next to the airport. That’s why we lost him. He lost the idea and the desire that he thought he would have here. That is what I brought up at the last meeting. The younger age group that we have, there is nothing desirable about it, even if the wage is there to even draw their attention. Supervisor Scheffler – The highway agreement was made a few years ago and nobody saw this 10% coming. What was in that, we all agreed, was a good raise. If it drops 20% next year, are we going to have to cut people? Mack Rankin, Dept. Highway – I don’t see how that is going to happen, but I suppose anything is possible. I think if something extreme happens like that, it will be a disaster across the board everywhere and we will have to deal with that as it comes. It is not just us, this is every business, but something has got to happen before we start losing people. Supervisor Scheffler – This is a disaster across the board for everybody. Ellard Keister, Highway Superintendent – We have talked about this over the last three years, myself and the board, I have tried to cheat at every angle we can and find a cheaper way to do everything we do over there. Honestly, the way I have done that with the budget with the paving, plow equipment and different things is really the only reason why we can still run on that budget. I didn’t make a bunch of changes to that this year because logically, if we did things right now the way we did things 6 years ago, this budget would not put us afloat. This budget would be defunct by September or October without finding different avenues as a group to operate under this budget. I do take some pride at finding different ways at saving money longevity wise with pavement and plow equipment which are the bigger bills. In all rights I should have jumped a lot of these accounts up but we are making it work for that tax purpose. We are cutting as much as we can. Supervisor Scheffler – To come up with the tentative budget as proposed, we are using an additional $40,000 of unexpended fund balance. And we are using an additional $65,000 from sales tax and are hoping it stays up. RESOLUTION #23‐094 –SET A SPECIAL MEETING AND PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR THE PRELIMINARY BUDGET, FIRE AND AMBULANCE CONTRACTS AND LOCAL LAW #3 OF 2023 MOTION BY Supervisor Scheffler, seconded by Councilperson Clark to set a Public Hearing and Special Meeting for the Preliminary Budget, Fire and Ambulance Contracts and Local Law #3 for November 2, 2023 at 7:30PM Ayes – Clark, Young, Klumpp, Scheffler Resolution Passed There being no further business, Councilperson Young moved to adjourn, seconded by Councilperson Clark, at 9:30 p.m. Unanimous. Town Board Draft Minutes Page 9 October 10, 2023 Robin Cargian, RMC Town Clerk/Tax Collector