HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-2-2024 Town Board Special Meeting Minutes1 | Page
TOWN OF GROTON –MEETING MINUTES OF THE TOWN BOARD
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2024, AT 7:00 PM
Town Officers Present: Town Officers Absent: Also Present:
Donald F. Scheffler, Supervisor Francis Casullo, Attorney David Durrett, Ithaca Times
Crystal Young, Councilperson W. Rick Fritz, Code Official
Richard Gamel, Councilperson Mack Rankin, Dept. Highway
Brian Klumpp, Councilperson Ellard Keister, Highway Supt.
Sheldon C. Clark, Councilperson
Julie Graham, Bookkeeper
Robin Cargian, Town Clerk
The meeting was called into session with the Pledge of Allegiance at 7:00 PM.
The 2025 Tentative Fiscal budget was presented to the Town Board which included a projected 14%
health insurance increase, raises, and money for an enumerator to physically count dogs. The Groton Fire
and Ambulance budget request to provide fire/ambulance protection within the town’s protection district
had not yet been submitted.
Questions were raised about the differences in the Groton Youth Commission, Tompkins County Youth
Partnership, and the Groton Recreation line items. Councilperson Clark commended the highway
department for excellent work and stated he has followed them around and they are getting jobs done
quickly and effectively compared to other departments. He asked if there was any way to increase the
raises in the interest of employee retention, noting that it would be challenging to hire qualified help this
time of year should some of them choose to leave. If this were the budget, he would not vote for it.
The starting salary proposed for a motor equipment operator will be $23.50, and the highest MEO will be
$26.35. Ideas were exchanged such as eliminating the open position to allow that salary to be used to
increase the existing employees, investigating lower health insurance, create a contract system that pays
for the CDL training of a new employee in exchange for remaining employed here for 5 years. Eliminating
the position would require the mechanic and superintendent to be in a truck, which is problematic should
something need repair. The superintendent is filling in now. CDL training fees, approximated at $5,000
per employee, would need to be added to the budget. It was agreed our highway department is doing a
better job than other departments, but the public is also looking for the need to stay under the tax cap.
This budget proposal, if passed, would mean they will have gotten two 10% increases in two years, and it
is getting up to where it is competitive. It was unknown where other communities got the money to have
given those $5.00 per hour increases last year and if it can be maintained, where we will be able to if done
incrementally.
There being no further business, Councilperson Gamel moved to adjourn, seconded by Councilperson
Young, at 7:31 PM Unanimous.
Robin Cargian, RMC
Town Clerk/Tax Collector