HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-07-09 TOWN OF GROTON -MINUTES OF TOWN BOARD MEETING
T U ES DAY, J U LY 9, 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: Ed Neuhauser, Jen Schwade, Brian Robison, Kat Clement, Dewey
Dawson, April Scheffler.
MOVED by Councilman Sovocool, seconded by Councilman Scheffler, to approve the
minutes of the June 1 l, 2013 Town Board Meeting as presented.
Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey.
MOVED by Councilman Gamel, seconded by Councilman Sovocool, to approve the
minutes of the June 18, 2013 Special Town Board Meeting as presented.
Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey.
Claim Numbers 100 - 1 1 1 of the Highway Fund in the amount of $21,004.87 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.
Claim Numbers 182 - 208 of the General Fund in the amount of $18,055.35 were
presented for audit. (Note: Claim #209 added by resolution #13-049 for the Olde Home
Days Celebration in the amount of $1,000.00, making total amount of abstract
$19,,055.35)
MOVED by Councilman Scheffler, seconded by Councilman Sovocool, to approve the
General Bills for payment.
Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey.
Monthly Reports:
Charles Rankin, Bookkeeper - Was not present but had submitted monthly reports for
the Board's review.
Town Board Minutes Page 2 July 9,2013
Gary Coats, Code/Fire Enforcement Officer and Richard C. Case, Jr., Highway
Superintendent, were both on vacation.
April L. Scheffler, Town Clerk/Tax Collector - Submitted monthly reports for the Board's
review.
Fran Casullo, Attorney for the Town - Had nothing to report.
A. D. Dawson, Town Justice - Submitted monthly report and semi-annual report for the
Board's review. John Norman will be resuming his work schedule on the August 22nd. He
was out a little longer than expected.
Supervisor Morey - Is everything going okay? I know Cindy is doing a wonderful job for
you.
Judge Dawson - Yeah, it would have been really tough without her as a clerk.
Councilman Donald Scheffler, as Representative to Joint Youth Program - Free movie
night at Ross Field is this Friday night; I believe it's Jack the Giant Slayer. It was well
received last year and we're going to do it this year as much as we can. The summer
concert series is also in full swing.
Clerk Scheffler said that they would be doing an advertisement for the Verne Morton
Memorial Photo Show and Contest during the movie night.
Brian Robison, County Legislator - The County Clerk's Office received an award for their
archiving efforts that you are participating in and that has worked out really well for
everyone involved and I think they are getting ready to apply for more grants.
Clerk Scheffler said that there were two grants they were going to apply for soon. We
are getting to the point where we will be able to go into the system and use the
software and upload our own records. We have the by-laws written and a contract
written, which will be forwarded to the Legislature for their final approval after the
boards of the involved towns.
Mr. Robison - I know this program was the first in the State and it's worked out really well,
and I'm sure eventually everybody will be doing it. In the next week or two they will be
putting the final top coat on Old Peruville Road. Some of the neighbors are worried
that it will be too nice and become a shortcut with people going to fast. If we have to
we'll get some extra Sheriff's Department attention to it. The other thing is the Groton
City Bridge, there has been nothing on that. I got a capital projects update today. Jeff
Smith is getting absolutely no cooperation at all from NYSEG to move a pole that needs
to be done before the temporary bridge is put in. They've been ready since January or
February, so have lodged a complaint with the Public Service Commission just because
they have gotten no action at all. NYSEG's excuse because of the hurricane last fall,
that held water for awhile but I'm not so sure it does now. So, we'll see what happens.
Once it is moved, the temporary bridge will go in quite quickly. Our concern is that
project is still slated for design in 2014 and if it makes it through the design and approval
phase, construction will be 2015. However, we wanted some time without the bridge
and some time with a bridge back there again and then have another meeting with
the folks in that area because it was kind of split as to what they wanted to do. Our
highway guy, Jeff Smith, is not one to abandon bridges anywhere, so he would rather
put it in there, but we made a promise to listen to the constituents in that area to see
Town Board Minutes Page 3 July 9,2013
what they want. So, I am hoping we can get the temporary in there soon so that we
can have that other phase of the trial period and then have that local meeting.
Councilman Clark - I had a call form a neighbor up there that they got a letter from
NYSEG for an application for eminent domain, that they are evidently going to take
over some property to move that pole, so there must be something going on a little bit.
Mr. Robison - Yes, there is a quick-deed process that can be done in a day.
Councilman Scheffler - Is Clarity Connect still on board for this summer to cover all of
Groton?
Mr. Robison - Yes, the whole broadband system. The money they got for it is amazing,
and they are still trying to find money for the small percentage of the County that
wasn't going to be covered. But it is on schedule.
Privilege of the Floor:
Kat Clement - The farmer's market open today and it went fairly well. We have about
four volunteers and two youth employees. It goes from 3:30 to 6:30, Tuesdays, now until
mid-September. That is over at the Village Court Center. We get produce from local
farmers around the area. Usually the Cornell Cooperative Extension interns come over
and bring the produce with them. The area Cooperative Extension offers coupons to
the senior citizens worth a bout $12.00,, so they get to come out and get to see us and
say hi and everything.
RESOLUTION #13-045 - APPROVE DOG ENUMERATION CONTRACT
MOVED by Supervisor Morey, seconded by Councilman Gamel
Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey
RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby approves the contract between the Town of
Groton and Steve Sovocool providing the services of dog enumeration at the rate of
$2.50 per every dog counted, and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby authorizes Glenn Morey to sign said contract.
Clerk Scheffler had provided the Board with a copy of the proposed contract for the
Tompkins Shared Services Electronic Records Repository (TSSERR) and the member
bylaws. She had also asked the Board to support the County Clerk's efforts in applying
for additional grants to continue to expand and support the program.
RESOLUTION #13-046 - AUTHORIZE TOWN CLERK TO SIGN AGREEMENT WITH TOMPKINS
COUNTY FOR THE TOMPKINS SHARED SERVICES ELECTRONIC RECORDS REPOSITORY
MOVED by Supervisor Morey, seconded by Councilman Gamel
Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey
RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby authorizes the Town Clerk, April Scheffler, to sign
the agreement with Tompkins County for the Tompkins Shared Services Electronic
Records Repository (TSSERR).
Town Board Minutes Page 4 July 9,2013
RESOLUTION #13-047 - AUTHORIZATION FOR THE TOWN CLERK TO ENTER INTO
A 5-YEAR AGREEMENT WITH TOMPKI NS COUNTY FOR
THE TOMPKI NS SHARED SERVICES ELECTRONIC RECORDS REPOSITORY (TSSERR)
MOVED by Supervisor Morey, seconded by Councilman Sovocool
Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey
WHEREAS, Tompkins County has initiated and secured grants for the Tompkins County
Shared Services Electronic Records Repository (TSSERR) which is a shared service hosted
by the County and made available to all municipalities within the County, and
WHEREAS, the Groton Town Board supported the grant application for TSSERR in 2013,
and
WHEREAS, the participating members of the TSSERR have drafted a set of By-Laws and a
Group Agreement which have been presented to its members and the Tompkins
County Operations Committee, and
WHEREAS, the Groton Town Clerk has presented and discussed the TSSERR agreement
and by-laws with the Groton Town Board, now therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the Groton Town Board does hereby authorize the Groton Town Clerk to
enter into the Tompkins County Shared Services Electronic Records Repository Group
Agreement on behalf of the Town of Groton subject.
RESOLUTION #13-048 SUPPORT FOR THE TOMPKI NS COUNTY CLERK'S APPLICATION FOR
FUNDING FROM THE NEW YORK STATE CONSOLIDATED FUNDING APPLICATION FOR
SHARED SERVICES UNDER
THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY GRANT
MOVED by Supervisor Morey, seconded by Councilman Clark
Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey
WHEREAS, Tompkins County Clerk's Office intends to apply for funding through the New
York State Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) for monies to continue its efforts to
increase efficiencies in local services delivery of services and through shared services
and support related to records management systems, and
WHEREAS, the Town Board has supported the County Clerk's Office in previous funding
applications and looks forward to future opportunities for shared services and
intermunicipal cooperation which result in savings for its constituents, and
WHEREAS, the Town of Groton anticipates cooperating with and joining in future shared
services offered and/or supported by the County whenever feasible, now therefore be
it
RESOLVED, that the Groton Town Board does hereby fully support the Tompkins County
Clerk's Office in its pursuit and application for funding for shared services through a
Local Government Efficiency Grant.
Town Board Minutes Page 5 July 9,2013
A request had been received to donate $1,500.00 to the Olde Home Days Committee.
After an extended discussion, it was decided to donate the amount that had been
budgeted for Olde Home Days.
RESOLUTION #13-049 - MAKE DONATION TO OLDE HOME DAYS COMMITTEE
AND ADD TO ABSTRACT
MOVED by Supervisor Morey, seconded by Councilman Sovocool
Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey
RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby approves a donation of $1,000.00 to the 2013
Olde Home Days Committee, and be it further
RESOLVED, that said $1,000.00 donation be added to the July abstract.
PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED LOCAL LAW #1 FOR THE YEAR 2013
ENTITLED A LOCAL LAW ESTABLISHING A CODE OF ETHICS
AND ETHICS ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE TOWN OF GROTON
Supervisor Morey asked the Town Clerk to read the public notice that was published in
the Town's legal paper, the Groton Independent, on June 26, 2013. She said that no
written comments had been received.
Supervisor Morey MOVED to open the Public Hearing, seconded by Councilman
Sovocool.
Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey
Supervisor Morey asked if there were any public comments.
Ed Neuhauser - Wondered if there should be a time period for which Ethics Board
members should be a resident before being appointed and suggested perhaps 30
days.
Supervisor Morey said that the Town Board would be making the appointment and
they would not appoint anyone who had not been a resident of the Town of Groton for
a very short time.
Jen Schwade - Questioned having a member of the Town Board as a member of the
Ethics Board and asked if this was usual for the Ethics Board that advises the Town Board
to contain the Town Board.
Supervisor Morey said it might be a typo and should be officer or employee. There was
some discussion that in some of the older drafts it had said employee or official of the
Town. Attorney Casullo said that is could be changed but was not sure if this would
require another public hearing or not. Councilman Gamel thought that it had been
discussed and they had decided it should be a Town Board member. The County law
has a County Legislator as a member of their Ethics Board and we had copied their
law. Finally it was decided to keep the wording as is and if it causes problems at a later
date, the law can be amended.
Town Board Minutes Page 6 July 9,2013
Supervisor Morey MOVED to close the Public Hearing, seconded by Councilman
Sovocool, at 8:16 pm.
Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Clark, Morey
RESOLUTION #13-050 - ADOPT LOCAL LAW #1 FOR THE YEAR 2013
ENTITLED A LOCAL LAW ESTABLISHING A CODE OF ETHICS
AND ETHICS ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE TOWN OF GROTON
MOVED by Supervisor Morey, seconded by Councilman Sovocool
Ayes - Sovocool, Gamel, Morey
Nays -Scheffler, Clark
RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby adopts Local Law #1 for the Year 2013 entitled
A Local Law Establishing a Code of Ethics and Ethics Advisory Board for the Town of
Groton.
There being no further business, Councilman Gamel moved to adjourn, seconded by
Councilman Scheffler, at 8:17 pm. Unanimous.
April L. Scheffler, RMC
Groton Town Clerk