No preview available
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB Minutes 1976-05-17 i TOWIN OF ITHACA AbiouRNID , BOARD P-METING May 171 1976 - 5 : 00 p . m . At an adjourned meeting of the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca , Tompkins County , New York , - held at the Town of Ithaca Offices at 126 East Seneca btreet , . Ithaca , New York , on the 17th day of Play , 1976 , at 59. 00 pem . , there were PRESENT9. t+7altev J . Schwan , Supervisor Andrew We McElwee , Councilman Noel Desch Councilman Victor Del Rosso , Councilman Robert N . Powers , Councilman Lathe ine AD. Valentino , Councilwoman Shirley Raffensperger , Councilwoman ALSO PRESENT * James Ve - Buyoucos , Town Attorney DIVISION OF ASSESSIMMIT - C012 ,11MI ICATIOU Supervisor Schwan read letter dated Play 14 , 1976 , addressed to him , from Thomas Go Payne , Director of Assessment . The letter states that as of December 1975 the field review of all existing real property in Tompkins County was completed . The review of some 27 , 000 parcels and capital improvements discovered through the field inspection were reflected in assessed values at the 1965 market value level currently in use throughout Tompkins County . New market values will be released to property owners during October , November and December of 1976 . Informal hearings will be conducted to answer taxpayer questions to help them under stand how the new assessment was arrived at . The new assessment will become part of the assessment rolls filed in 1977 . HIGHWAY BARN AUCTION Town Attorney Buyoucos is working with the Supervisor to prepare a statement of conditions of sale regarding the public auction of the Town highway barn . The Board members reviewed a resolution prepared by Mr . Buyoucos authorizing the auction . After the auction at 1Io. 00 a . m . on June 28 , 1976 , the Board will meet the same day at So00 p . m . Supervisor Schwan said preliminary budget figures for the new highway maintenance facility should be available by that timee Test holes will be dug on the new site this week to determine suitability for septic system . ir . Fabbroni has talked to the Health Department . 111th regard to the resolution Councilman Desch suggested inserting a possession date in it . Mro Buyoucos said this would appear in the conditions of sale * The Board , however , agreed that a tentative possession date of February 1 , 1977 should appear in the resolution . 14r . Buyoucos noted that the proposed resolution is subject to a permissive referendum . The Board then acted as follows , Motion by Councilman Desch , seconded by Councilman McElwee , In the matter of the sale of Town property on Elmira -Road in the City of Ithaca . [f1JHERE4AS 9. ( 1 ) The Town Board has caused a study to be made of the adequacy and suitability for use by the Town Highway Department of the property in the City of Ithaca on the Elmira Road which is now used and occupied by the Town Highway Department , and Town Board Minutes - 2 - May 17 , 1976 ( 2 ) The Town Engineer and Town Highway Superintendent have reported that said property is- no longer adequate and suit- able for such purposes because of inadequate space , building con- ditions , and the like , and ( 3 ) It . is. ` urther reported that the said property is not suitable for ariy other public purposes of the Town , and i WHEREAS , the Board now makes the following determinations ° (A ) That the said lands of the Town which are hereinafter described are no longer Adequate or suitable for the present and the reasonably foreseeable needs of the Highway Department , and ( B) That Stich lands and the buildings thereon are not required for any other present or reasonably foreseeable public purpose of the Town , and ( C ) That it would be in the best interests of the Town that such land be sold and that other lands 'more suitable for the purposes of the Highway Department be acquired , BE IT RESOLVED AS FOLLOWSa ( 1 ) The Town of Ithaca will sell real property , includ- ing lands and buildings thereon , owned by the Town in the City of Ithaca , fronting on the southeasterly side of Elmira Road ( Route 13 ) , and with rear line fronting on Spencer Road , being substantially shown as Tax Parcel 125 - 2 - 2 on the City of Ithaca Tax Map , and being all of the land used and occupied by the Town Highway Department . ( 2 ) The sale shall be by ( i ) auction to the highest bidder on such terms and provisions as are prepared by the Town Supervisor and the Attorney for the Town including , amongst others , the right of the Town to reject any and all bids or ( ii ) in the event any such bids are rejected or the sale is not other- wise consummated in accordance with the terms of the auction sale , then the property shall be resold in such manner as the terms of sale may require or as the Town Board may otherwise determine . f3 ) Any auction sale shall be held upon compliance with all provisions of law and as soon as all documents have been pre - pared and all necessary arrangements made . Without limiting the authority of the Supervisor , it is now contemplated that June 28 , 1976 is a tentative date for the auction sale , and that a tenta- tive date for delivery of title and possession is February 1 , 1977 . ( 4 ) The Town Supervisor is authorized to obtain and pay for the services of an auctioneer and to incur and pay for all other reasonable expenses required in connection with such sale and the preparation for such sale , including , amongst others , the cost of advertising any such sale in newspapers or other media , preparation .of brochures , appraisals and surveys ,, if any , and title documents , and the Town Supervisor is authorized to execute oil and deliver all deeds and other instruments necessary to effect such sale and to do any and all other acts which may be necessary to accomplish the purposes of this resolution . ( 5 ) This resolution is subject to a permissive referendum in accordance with the provisions of Town Law . Unanimously carried . Town Board Minutes - 3 - May 17 , 1976 NEW PROPOSED HIGHVIAY MAINTENANCE FACILITY SITE SELECTION With respect to site selection for the new proposed highway maintenance facility , Councilman Powers urged that the . residents in the area of any proposed site should be contacted and their opinions soughta Town Attorney Buyoucos agreed and said the neighbors should be advised of the type of building which might be constructed and the type of landscaping which might be done . Councilman Desch suggested it ' might be a good idea to have an informal meeting with the people in the area . Councilman McElwee recommended that a plot plan be made available to interested parties and possibly published in the newspaper . Supervisor Schwan reported that the Town office has had a call from Constance Cook , Coy Glen areal she is unhappy about the proposed Seven Mile Drive site and the Five Mile Drive site as well . AUCTION OF TOWN HIGHWAY BAMT - GRAVELDING AUCTION SERVICE Supervisor Schwan reported that Hr . Gravelding (Auctioneer ) recommends that the Town should reserve the right - to place one bid which would be the minimum price the Town would accept for the highway barn property and buildings . Councilman McElwee suggested it would - be clearer if the amount of the minimum price was made known . The prospective bidders would then know what they would need in the way or financing - - at least minimum financing . Councilman Desch suggested setting a minimum price and also reserving the right to put in a higher bid , but he did not think the Town should tip its hand by making the minimum bid known . Councilman Del Rosso felt the Board should go along with Mr . Gravelding ' s recommendation . The Supervisor read Mr . Gravel - ding ' s sample advertisement of the auction . Mr . Buyoucos said he would want to revise the Gravelding ad in some respects . He said he and the Supervisor will work out the conditions of sale . Councilman McElwee recommended preparing copies of a plot plan which will be available at the Town Office and at the Town High- way Barn for inspection . This will be done . It is contemplated that possession will be taken by the buyer of the present facility on February 1 , 1977 . Title could be taken on the same day . When title is transferred the Town will be paid in full . Per . Buyoucos was concerned that a prospec - tive bidder might make a bid " subject to obtaining financing . " He said any bidder will have to have made his financial arrange- ments in advance and that this should be made clear at the time of the auctiona Councilman Powers asked how a prospective bidder could arrange his finances without knowing what the minimum price might be . He suggested setting a 10 -day period within which to- arrange financing after the auction . Supervisor Schwan said it could not be done that way because the Town , then , would not know whether it had sold the property or not . No firm answer to Councilman Powers " question was made . However , it appeared that any prospective bidder would have made sufficient inquiry to arrive at a reasonable appraisal or estimate of financing require - ments . In order to arrive at a minimum price for the facility , it was agreed that the Town would obtain an additional appraisal of the property - - from J . D . Gallagher Co . , Inc . or Burns Realty Co . , Ltd . Town Board Minutes - 4 - May 17 , 1976 . CIVIL SERVICE . In order to comply with Civil Service regulations , the following resolutions were adopted : PIotion by Supervisor Schwan ; seconded by Councilman Desch , RESOLVED , that the Town Board of the ' Town of Ithaca hereby creates one additional position in the Town Highway Department under the classification Motor Equipment Operator , in the non-competitive class , duties ' to be the same as other employees in the Highway Department under the same classification , the position to be retro - active to January 1 , 19760 Unanimously carried . Motion by' Supervisor Schwan , seconded by Councilman Desch , RESOLVED , that the Town Board of the ' Town of Ithaca hereby creates a second Crossing Guard Position in the Town of Ithaca , duties to be the same as the first Crossing Guard position . Unanimously carried . Motion by Supervisor Schwan , seconded by Councilman Desch , RESOLVED , that the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca hereby appoints Melvin Beck ( retroactively effective January 1 , 1976 ) and Judy Swift (retroactively effective September 19 , 1975 ) as Crossing Guards for the Town of Ithaca . Unanimously carried . ADJOURNMENT The meeting was duly adjourned at 6005 p . m , to May 24 , 1976 at 5000 p . m . Edward Le Bergen Town Clerk