HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-04-16-WorkSession TOWN BOARD WORK SESSION
APRI L 16.. 2013 AT 7:00 PM
AT THE TOWN HALL
Those Present: Glenn E. Morey, Supervisor
Donald F. Scheffler, Councilman
Ellard L. Sovocool, Councilman
Sheldon C. Clark, Councilman
Fran Casullo, Attorney for the Town
Richard C. Case, Jr., Highway Superintendent
Rick Neville, Highway Association Representative
April Scheffler, Town Clerk
Also Present: Jen Schwade
The purpose of the Work Session was to discuss the proposed local law for the formation
of a Board of Ethics.
Attorney Casullo said that when he started working on the local law after the March
work session, it didn't make sense to him to write this law and exclude everyone except
for the town board. He felt that it also made no sense to create a 5-person board of
ethics for the purpose of overseeing the actions of the 5-person town board. He had
discussed this with Supervisor Morey.
Supervisor Morey referred to a copy of the draft local law on ethics that Tompkins
County will soon be passing. He felt that it would be appropriate to pass something
similar for the Town of Groton. Two changes that he suggested would be to change
the allowed amount for any gift from $50 to $75 and the change the amount of stock
allowed in a publicly traded corporation from 5% to 10%. He asked Rick Case for
comments.
Rick Case said that he had made most of his comments at the last work session and the
board knew how he felt about the proposed local law. He remarked that a lot of these
ethics things were pushed by Governor Spitzer when he was in office and it has resulted
in an end to things like the annual highway clam bakes and things like that. He feels
that we are all already covered by ethics laws.
Supervisor Morey asked Clerk Scheffler for comments and she said that she had also
made most of hers at the last meeting. She had researched on the Association of
Towns website and said that they do think that ethics laws are a good thing but that
General Municipal Law is severely lacking in guidance. She said that she did agree
with Attorney Casullo that they couldn't really write this law and exclude almost
everyone from it. Attorney Casullo said that he thought the judges would need to still
Town Board Work Session April 16,2013
be excluded because they come under a different system. Clerk Scheffler mentioned
the inclusion in the County's proposed law about the annual disclosure statement and
asked if it was going to be included in the Groton law. She said that if it was, then all of
the board members would need to start doing an annual disclosure statement. After
some discussion, Supervisor Morey said to take that part out.
Supervisor Morey asked the board members for their opinions. Councilman Scheffler
said that still didn't like it, but he guessed they had to do it. In his words, "the board of
ethics meets on Election Day." Councilman Clark said that he was against it from the
beginning and is still against it and would probably vote no. Councilman Gamel said
that he really saw no need for it, that everyone takes an oath of office and that means
that they are going to do things right. He said though, that if they are going to pass a
local law on ethics, that it should cover everyone, not just the town board.
The consensus of the Board was for Attorney Casullo to put together a local law
fashioned after the County's draft law.
Clerk Scheffler asked if she could address an unrelated issue. She had asked for a
resolution at the last board meeting pertaining to a dog enumeration, but had
forgotten to ask the board if they wanted to add an enumeration fee to the licensing.
The last time an enumeration was conducted, a $5 fee was required by State law to be
added to the license fee, to help cover the cost of the enumeration. Since then, the
State is no longer involved and our local dog law gives the board an option to charge
an enumeration fee if they want to.
RESOLUTION #13-041 - SET ADDITION DOG LICENSE FEE DURING ENUMERATION
MOVED by Councilman Sovocool, seconded by Councilman Gamel
Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey
RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby sets an addition $5.00 license fee for the
licensing of any dog found to be unlicensed in the 2013 dog enumeration.
There being no further business, Councilman Sovocool moved to adjourn, seconded by
Councilman Scheffler, at 7:15 PM. Unanimous.
April L. Scheffler, RMC
Town Clerk
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