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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1991-12-30 45 1 Town Board Meeting December 30 , 1991 TOWN OF DANBY TOWN BOARD MEETING Special Meeting 5 : 00 P . M . December 30 , 1991 P RESENT : S upervisor Dietrich Councilpersons : Eckstrom , Marisa , Oltz 111 ABSENT : Councilperson Schwartz ( Excused ) O thers Present : Town Clerk - Carol Sczepanski H ighway Superintendent - Pete Coddington Councilperson Elect - Gail Miller H ighway Superintendent Elect - William Hall Members of the Public : Mary Lou Hardesty , Bill Farrell , Cliff DeMayo , Jimmy Miller , Charolette Mayo , Raymond Mayo , John C . Shepardson , Ted Merritt , Pat Woodworth , Ray Babbitt , Richard Bordenet , John Benjamin , Carol Benjamin , Roy Casterline , Nick McCabe , Roland Manley Supervisor Dietrich called the meeting to order at 5 : 06 P . M . P LEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE : S upervisor Dietrich led all present in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag . Highway Superintendent Salary - Fiscal Year 1992 Supervisor Dietrich said that due to the fact that most of the public in attendance were here to address the salary of the Highway Superintendent that he would address comments from the public before the business meeting . Communications : Letter from Dorothy and Edw . M . Roberts supporting an adjustment in the Highway Superintendent ' s salary to $ 27 , 500 . Members of the Public : Ted Merritt asked the Town Board to tell him what was going to be done in regard to the reduced salary for the Highway Superintendent and what is the issue . Supervisor Dietrich said that this salary was reduced from $ 27 , 500 to $ 25 , 000 from last year due to over - all budget cuts . He said that salaries vary in other townships due to additional duties such as water districts , zoning , code enforcement , etc . Information he received information from Tompkins County Personnel that some are paid on an hourly basis . The towns are paying their highway personnel in a variety of ways . Supervisor Dietrich said that Pete Coddington called other town Highway Superintendents and he received a different answer than the information on record at the County Personnel Office . Pete Coddington said that he received the same answers as John Benjamin . Councilperson Eckstrom said that the salary was set well before the Election . John Benjamin said that Mr . Hall was elected and basically the Town has cut his pay and asked if other positions were cut as well . He said that he had called other towns in Tompkins County and none of the Highway Superintendents are paid on an hourly basis . 46 2 Town Board Meeting December 30 , 1991 Carol Benjamin asked if this was an across the board cut and if salaries for every newly elected official was cut . Councilperson Oltz responded that the salary for a position was cut not an individuals salary . The salary was set before the election . Councilperson Eckstrom said that the Highway Superintendent was the only position in the Town that was a full time elected position . Councilperson Marisa said that he was surprised that the Highway Superintendents salary had become an issue . The first time he was aware it was an issue was at the last Town of Danby Board Meeting . He is interested in what the people have to say as it is a very important issue in our town and we want it to be handled correctly . Ted Merritt said he wants the salary back to $ 27 , 500 . The people who voted for him did not complain that he would get $ 27 , 500 . He personally would like to wait until the new Board is seated ( about two days from now ) and let them make the decision . He voted for him at $ 27 , 500 and was happy with it . An article in the Journal quoted the salary at $ 27 , 500 . Raymond Mayo said he has been a long time resident of Danby thinks that Pete Coddington and his crews have done a superior job as and should be commended . If we start cutting salaries we are going to go back to where we were a few years ago . Clifford DeMayo - said if Mr . Coddington had run for office again the Board it would have been necessary to consider raising his salary . He thinks the Town has a moral responsibility to pay $ 27 , 500 as . It was very unethical and immoral to reduce the Highway Superintendents salary . Roy Casterline - He thought that Mr . Hall was elected at the $ 27 , 500 salary . He does not think reducing the salary was fair . He thinks the Town Highway salaries are way behind times . Charlotte Mayo - If the newspaper was wrong why wasn ' t it corrected . Supervisor Dietrich explained that the newspaper article referred to quoted 1991 budget figures and was misleading . The Town of Danby Legal Notice was correct . Superintendent Coddington said that he had talked with other townships and it is his understanding that they are paid an annual salary not an hourly rate . Enfield has elected a new superintendent who has never worked with a highway department and his salary is the same as the out - going superintendent . Carol Benjamin said that most people do not read the legal section of the newspaper and asked what the publication for the new ordinance cost . She said that the town should cut our legal costs instead of cutting salaries . Supervisor Dietrich said that there were many budget cuts and explained some of the major areas . Carol Benjamin asked the Town Board if the public could be assured that the Highway Superintendents salary would be increased to $ 27 , 500 . She asked if they could be assured that the Board would make a decision tonight . Supervisor Dietrich said that there is money in the fund balance and it would be strictly a Board decision as to whether it would be used for the Highway Superintendent ' s salary . Mildred Miller explained that the Highway Superintendent salary is paid out of the General Fund and the Board could elect to use a 4 ' d 3 Town Board Meeting December 30 , 1991 portion of the fund balance to raise the set salary but could not modify the 1992 budget . Supervisor Dietrich said that persons interested in the budget process should attend the budget meetings . The materials are available at the Town Clerk ' s Office . Ray Babbitt - ex Highway Superintendent - said that it seems the B oard should back the Highway Superintendent and Bill is getting a bad break . We should remember the Town of Danby has a hard time keeping Highway Superintendents . Mr . Babbitt commented on the newspaper article and wanted/ who said Bill was a new man . Rolly Manley - said he deals with the Journal every day and said they don ' t write anything without substance . B ill Farrell - said we should use some of the Zoning Officer salary to pay Bill . P ete Coddington said that his salary was cut when he ran for H ighway Superintendent . He said he was not pleased but managed to get it raised by half of the cut . There is a way that this salary can be legally adjusted . Councilperson said he would be willing to entertain a motion to take $ 2 , 500 from the Year - end balance to adjust this salary under New Business . NEW BUSINESS : Motion to Adjust Highway Superintendent Salary - Adopted A motion was made by Councilperson Marisa and seconded by Councilperson Eckstrom to move $ 2 , 500 . 00 from Year - end Fund Balance to apply to the Highway Superintendent Salary for Fiscal Year 1992 . Councilperson Eckstrom said that he felt the handling of this situation was outrageous and does not think it goes well to the new B oard to beginning a situation with so much controversy . He said there were much more substantive change in the Highway Budget ( CHIPS ) than this issue will lever . He doesn ' t think the Town wants to begin a new year with a new Board with this sort of ridiculous controversy floating around . It is sort of unfortunate . A roll call vote on the motion resulted as follows : E ckstrom Aye Marisa Aye O ltz Aye D ietrich Aye Carried Unanimously RESOLUTION # 73 OF 1991 ADJUSTMENT TO 1991 BUDGET - ADOPTED By Supervisor Dietrich : Seconded by Councilperson Eckstrom RESOLVED , that the Town of Danby Town Board move $ 500 . 00 from Account A8010 . A to A8010 . 4 in the Fiscal Year 1991 to permit the Code Enforcement Officer to pay his Assistant Zoning Officer . A roll call vote on the resolution resulted as follows : • Eckstrom Aye r • ° Marisa ,. Aye O ltz Aye D ietrich Aye Carried Unanimously Approval of Highway Fund Warrant # 13 of 1991 A motion was made by Councilperson Marisa and seconded by Councilperson Oltz to approve the Highway Fund Warrant # 13 of 1991 in the amount of $ 146 . 59 . 48 4 Town Board Meeting December 30 , 1991 A roll call vote on the motion resulted as follows : E ckstrom Aye Marisa Aye O ltz Aye D ietrich Aye Carried Unanimously Approval of General Fund Warrant # 13 of 1991 A motion was made by Councilperson Eckstrom and seconded by Councilperson Oltz to approve the General Fund Warrant # 13 in the amount of $ 4 , 678 . 73 . ' 4 q J A roll call vote on the motion resulted as follows : E ckstrom Aye Marisa Aye O ltz Aye D ietrich Aye Carried Unanimously Approval of West Danby Water District Fund Warrant # 12 of 1991 A motion was made by Councilperson Oltz and seconded by Councilperson Marisa to approve the West Danby Water District Fund Warrant in the amount of $ 552 . 38 . A roll call vote on the motion resulted as follows : E ckstrom Aye Marisa Aye O ltz Aye D ietrich Aye Carried Unanimously Danby Pond Committee - Receipt of Funds The Keep Danby Pond Committee Afloat Committee has turned over the balance of their account to the Town of Danby Town Board in the amount of $ 244 . 61 . Motion for Receipt of Danby Pond Funds : A motion was made Councilperson Eckstrom and seconded by Councilperson Oltz to use the funds received from the Danby Pond Committee in the amount of $ 244 . 61 to balance account A7150 . 4 making the new revised balance $ 1 , 359 . 00 . A roll call vote on the motion resulted as follows : E ckstrom Aye Marisa Aye O ltz Aye D ietrich Aye Carried Unanimously ADJOURNMENT : On a motion the meeting adjourned at 6 : 20 P . M . ciaiwAtt Carol W . . Sc / • ; nski Town Clerk