HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-02-12 TOWN OF GROTON -MINUTES OF TOWN BOARD MEETING
TU ESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013 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
Fran Casullo, Attorney for the Town
Also present: Julie Graham, Joe Graham, John Gaines, Stefanie Brooks Jacobs,
Richard Neville, Sr, Kelly Smith, Mike Morris, Jen Schwade, Linda
Mizer, Dan Carey, Carol Daugherty, Kat Clement, Charles Rankin,
Richard C. Case, Jr., April Scheffler.
MOVED by Councilman Gamel, seconded by Councilman Scheffler, to approve the
minutes of the January 8, 2013 Regular Meeting as presented.
Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey.
MOVED by Councilman Sovocool, seconded by Councilman Scheffler, to approve the
minutes of the January 8, 2013 Organizational Meeting as presented.
Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey.
Claim Numbers 12 - 57 of the General Fund in the amount of $231,909.70 were
presented for audit.
MOVED by Councilman Gamel, seconded by Councilman Scheffler, to approve the
General Bills for payment.
Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey.
Claim Numbers 2 - 23 of the Highway Fund in the amount of $48,238.90 were presented
for audit.
MOVED by Councilman Clark, seconded by Councilman Sovocool, to approve the
Highway Bills for payment.
Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey.
Monthly Reports:
Charles Rankin, Bookkeeper - Presented monthly reports for the Board's review and
requested a budget transfer. He had nothing to report on cable television.
Town Board Minutes Page 2 February 12,2013
RESOLUTION #13-021 - 2013 BUDGET TRANSFER
MOVED by Supervisor Morey, seconded by Councilman Gamel
Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey
RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby approves the following 2013 Budget Transfer:
General Fund - Town Wide:
From: Contingency, Al990.4.......................................$4,300.00
To: Youth Program, Personal Services, A7310.1 ............4,000.00
Employee Benefits, Social Security, A9030.8.............300.00
Gary Coats, Code Enforcement Officer - Was not present but had submitted monthly
reports for the Board's review.
April L. Scheffler, RMC, Town Clerk/Tax Collector - Submitted monthly reports for the
Board's review. Had received bill from Human Services so had prepared the
agreement for that and asked for a resolution to approve it.
RESOLUTION #13-022 - APPROVE 2013 AGREEMENT WITH HUMAN SERVICES COALITION
MOVED by Supervisor Morey, seconded by Councilman Sovocool
Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey
RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby approves the 2013 agreement between the
Human Services Coalition and the Town of Groton.
Richard C. Case, Jr, Highway Superintendent - At present the Highway Department is
dedicated to snow and ice removal. The shop has continued with the scheduled PM
program and the NYS vehicle inspections. Downtime for plow equipment has been
kept to a minimum. The operators and mechanic should be commended for this
accomplishment. The NYS DOT highway inventory has been updated and filed. The
Town of Groton currently is slated as owning 53.45 centerline miles of roadway.
Tompkins County is slated as owning 42.35 centerline miles of roadway in the Town of
Groton. The Town of Groton is under contract for snow removal of 39.10 centerline
miles of Tompkins County roadway. With the mild weather at the beginning of winter
season, the highway crew has a good start on the drainage and right-of-way clearing
of Stevens Road from NYS Route 38 to Lick Street. When weather conditions improve,
we will resume this project. The payroll certification has been filed with the Tompkins
County Personnel Department. All highway employees have had their driver license
information updated with Dempsey Insurance. Insured Highway Department inventory
has been updated with the insurance company for 2013. Southern Tier East Regional
Planning Development Board sent a senior planner, Thomas Evans, to explain a
program that is supported by the NYS Department of State, that would help conduct a
baseline road condition survey. At the present time, because of the data compiled
over the years of road structures, signs, culverts, drainage, bridges, and a recent vehicle
count study that is being done in-house, we have a good start for the baseline
information needed to develop a road preservation program. So, we're working on it. I
Town Board Minutes Page 3 February 12,2013
know there has been a lot of discussion on the road preservation act for the Town and I
just wanted you to know that we do have information that can be put into that. The
senior planner, Tom Evans, said that we were ahead of the curve and there was
nothing they could do for us because we already has the information that they would
provide, other than finishing the traffic count studies, which takes time. And just for your
information, Old Stage Road, when the Lafayette Bridge was closed, we had 5,000 cars
and trucks a day on that road. My concern that a lot of people have found that route
and will continue using it.
Jennifer Schwade asked what other kinds of information Mr. Case was collecting for a
road preservation act and if he was comparing what other towns have for laws.
Mr. Case replied that no, this was just information on the structure and condition of our
roads and what they are built out of, as well as other facts.
John Norman & A. D. Dawson, Town Justices - Were not present but had submitted
monthly reports for the Board's review.
Councilman Donald Scheffler, as Representative to Joint Youth Program - Had nothing
to report since their meeting had been postponed until the next night.
Privilege of the Floor:
Jennifer Schwade wondered if Mr. Case and the Board had considered what would be
done with the information on the roads and have some kind of legislation to protect the
roads in case of fracking. Other towns have enacted road preservation laws. She told
the Board about meeting taking place in Caroline on road preservation laws.
Some members of the Board and Mr. Case said they intended to attend some of the
meetings.
Linda Mizer - Said she had been to the first meeting in Caroline and learned a lot about
how roads were made. She thought these meetings might provide some good tools to
use.
Mr. Case - County roads are about 50 percent of our roads, so we are trying to make
some continuity in this road preservation as to what the County may do and what the
towns may do. The Highway Superintendents talk together about the different
programs and we are all advocates of having continuity so that we have some kind of
generalization whether it's for fracking or a Walmart, for instance, coming into the town.
It should all tie together. There is discussion going on. I know a lot of folks don't see it
happening, but there's years of information that has to be compiled that has to be
stuck together to get the end result.
Linda Mizer - Said that yes, the meeting she attended was not really all about fracking
but about all kind of use of the roads.
Town Board Minutes Page 4 February 12,2013
RESOLUTION #13-023 - TOWN SUPERVISOR TO ATTEND CONFERENCE
MOVED by Councilman Sovocool, seconded by Councilman Scheffler
Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark
Abstain - Morey
RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby approves the payment of expenses for the
Town Supervisor, Glenn Morey, to attend the New York State Association of Towns
Annual Conference, February 17 - 20, 2013, in New York City.
RESOLUTION #13-024 - TOWN CLERK AND DEPUTY CLERK TO ATTEND CONFERENCE
MOVED by Supervisor Morey, seconded by Councilman Gamel
Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey
RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby approves the payment of expenses for the
Town Clerk, April Scheffler, and the Deputy Clerk, Robin Cargian, to attend the New
York State Town Clerks Association Annual Conference, April 28 - May,l, 2013, in Buffalo,
New York.
RESOLUTION #13-025 - CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER TO ATTEND CONFERENCE
MOVED by Supervisor Morey, seconded by Councilman Clark
Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey
RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby approves the payment of expenses for the
Code Enforcement Office, Gary Coats, to attend the New York State Building Officials,
Central Chapter, Annual Conference April 2 - 5, 2013 in Syracuse.
RESOLUTION #13-026 - APPOINT ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS CHAIR & VICE CHAIR
MOVED by Supervisor Morey, seconded by Councilman Gamel
Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey
RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby appoints Paul Fouts as Chair of the Town of
Groton Zoning Board of Appeals and Patricia Gaines as Vice Chair.
Clerk Scheffler brought up the fact that with so many people going to conference all at
once and other uses, that we could go over the limit on the town credit card.
Supervisor Morey said that they had originally approved a limit of $2,000. After some
discussion the following resolution was made.
Town Board Minutes Page 5 February 12,2013
RESOLUTION #13-027 - RAISE TOWN CREDIT CARD LIMIT
MOVED by Supervisor Morey, seconded by Councilman Sovocool
Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey
RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby approves raising the limit on the Town of Groton
credit card from $2,000 to $5,000.
Discussion took place on the draft law to establish a board of ethics. Attorney Casullo
said that they were on about their third draft and had received quite few comments.
He would like to work on it some more after listening to these comments and come up
with another draft that would then be distributed to all of the department heads for
their comments. After this, they would set up a public hearing for comments from the
public. Attorney Casullo thinks we have a pretty good start, but listed things that
needed to be tightened up and concerns of the Board, the Clerk, and the Highway
Employees that need to be addressed. The four main things to exempting the Town of
Groton Highway Employees Association, enforcement, the clarification that it is a 5-
member board, and change that they are exempt from the Freedom of Information
Law. Supervisor Morey pointed out that they would be permitted to have executive
sessions. Attorney Casullo agreed, but the section needs to be clarified. He also said
that he thought there needed to be a few changes to the jurisdiction, powers and
duties of the board of ethics. He will continue to refine it and send drafts along and
hopefully be ready to set a public hearing at the next meeting. Supervisor Morey asked
when they could expect the next draft and Attorney Casullo said probably by the end
of the week.
Announcements:
➢ Planning Board Meeting, February 21 at 7:30 PM
➢ Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting, changed to Thursday, February 28t" at 7:30 PM
There being no further business, Councilman Gamel moved to adjourn, seconded by
Councilman Scheffler, at 8:06 PM. Unanimous.
April L. Scheffler, RMC
Town Clerk