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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-1993 & Special 07-23-1993MINUTES OF TOWN BOARD MEETING MONDAY, JUNE 14, 1993 AT 7:30 P.M. Those present: Teresa M. Robinson, Supervisor Ellard L. Sovocool, Councilman Gordon C. VanBenschoten, Councilman Donald E. Cummings, Councilman Carl E. Haynes, Councilman Jack Fitzgerald, Attorney Also present: Leland Cornelius, Liz Brennan, Betty Sperger, Elsie DeCamp Moved by Mr. Haynes, seconded by Mr. Cummings, that the minutes of May 10th be approved as mailed. Ayes - Sovocool, VanBenschoten, Cummings, Haynes, Robinson. Claim Nos. 105 to 128 of the Highway Fund in the amount of $12,294.19 and Claim Nos. 136 to 159 of the General Fund in the amount of $4,578.99 were presented for audit. Moved by Mr. VanBenschoten, seconded by Mr. Sovocool, that the bills be approved for payment. Ayes - Sovocool, VanBenschoten, Cummings, Haynes, Robinson. 8:OOPM - Bid opening for Highway Garage Electrical One bid was received from Dennis Toolan. Attorney Fitzgerald advised that bid was not in proper form. After discussing electrical problem and complaints bidders had regarding specs for same, the Board asked that the Supervisor get in touch with Floyd Ferris and an Electrical Engineer to see if they could meet with the Town Board at a Special Meeting to discuss how to comply with the electrical code and prepare specifications so that bids can again be let for this project. LIZ BRENNAN - BOOKKEEPER - Accounting is all up to date on the new accounting equipment. Handed out Monthly Reports and a Detail of Expenditures and Revenues for month ending May 31. We need a resolution to transfer funds in the Budget Account .4 to .2 to pay for the printer. We found a company that was about $70 cheaper so we mail ordered that. The cost of the printer was $430.38. If you don't have any questions, I'll be leaving. RESOLUTION NO. 36 - AUTHORIZATION TO TRANSFER FUNDS Moved by Mr. Haynes, seconded by Mr. Cummings Ayes - Sovocool, VanBenschoten, Cummings, Haynes, Robinson RESOLVED, that the Town Board does hereby authorize that the following transfer be made: From: General Budget A1340.4 - $430.38 To: General Budget A1340.2 - $430.38 1 GEORGE SENTER - CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER (Report read by Colleen Pierson, Town Clerk) 1992 year to date building permits issued - 33 6 houses; 3 mobile homes; 24 other. 1993 year to date building permits issued - 27 5 houses; 3 mobile homes; 19 other. Unlicensed vehicle status - original number letters sent - 52; still open - 8. Four have called and are trying to resolve their violation. Four that I am working with (on) to resolve the violations. LELAND CORNELIUS - HIGHWAY SUPERINTENDENT - We have been paving on Old Stage Road, Elm Street Extension, Lick Street and Wood Road. We will be doing the Town Line Road in July. We should be done paving this week. Mr. VanBenschoten said that a nice job was done on Old Stage Road. The Town Line Road by Pollock's has a building lot for sale. Monthly reports from the Town Clerk and Town Justices were reviewed by the Board. Supervisor Robinson read a letter written to Robert I. Watrus, Chairman of the Tompkins County Board of Representatives and copied to Groton Supervisor from John A. Gaines IV resigning from his position as the Town of Groton representative to the Tompkins County Youth Board effective immediately. The demands of his job have made it impossible to devote a reasonable amount of time to the Youth Board. Motion was made by Mr. Haynes, seconded by Mr. Sovocool, that the Supervisor express that the Town Board regretfully accepts the resignation of John Gaines as the Town's representative for the past six years to the Tompkins County Youth Board and Local Youth Commission. Ayes - Sovocool, VanBenschoten, Cummings, Haynes, Robinson. RESOLUTION NO. 37 - APPOINTMENT TO COUNTY YOUTH BOARD Moved by Mr. Haynes, seconded by Mr. Sovocool Ayes - Sovocool, VanBenschoten, Cummings, Haynes, Robinson RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Groton does hereby appoint Steven Gallow to fill the unexpired term of John Gaines on the County Youth Board from this date thru December 31, 1995. BETTY SPERGER - I'm curious to know if Diversified has made any payments? Supervisor Robinson said, no they haven't. How long do we have to wait? Supervisor Robinson said, right now we're waiting for them to sign contract. The agreement was not legible. Attorney advised that they sent it over to his office and suggested changes were made and returned. Supervisor said that once they sign it, it is retroactive. If they don't pay, we can take their 2 equipment. Attorney advised that we're second in line. Mr. Haynes said that we ought to be trying to get our payments. Mrs. Sperger also asked about the hearing equipment for the meeting room. Is it something that is going to be done pretty soon now? Supervisor Robinson replied, we'll try. Supervisor Robinson said our CHIPS papers have to be completed and mailed to New York State Department of Transportation by July 1 in order for the Town to receive reimbursement from the State. Leland Cornelius, Highway Superintendent, reported that the CHIPS program is supposed to be good until 1997, however, there is a lawsuit going on in Albany over the State borrowing money for this program. Supervisor Robinson said that tonight Gary Watrous is being honored by the Masons for the Dewitt Clinton Award. The Award recognizes distinguished or outstanding community service by non - Masonic organizations or individuals whose actions exemplify a shared concern for the well -being of Mankind and a belief in the worldwide brotherhood of Man. Since Supervisor Robinson was unable to attend this evening, she sent the following letter of Declaration on the Town's behalf: "The Town of Groton would like to add our thanks to Gary Watrous for his Service to the Community of Groton. We recognize his contributions to not only the Economic Development Projects, but also his positive effects on the Community as a whole." Correspondence: 1) Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce invitation to attend Symposium "New Opportunities in County Government ". A joint program of the Tompkins County Municipal Officials Association, the County Affairs Committee of the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce and the County Tax Committee to be held June 22, 1993 at 6:30PM at the Lehigh Valley House Restaurant. (No one was able to attend); 2) Notice of Life Safety Inspections from George Senter, Code Enforcement Officer. Life Safety Inspection -Town Hall - revealed no obvious defects. Life Safety Inspection -Town Garage - revealed following violations: 1) The boiler room door does not completely close and latch by itself; 2) The Southwest exit door should be protected from automobiles parking too close and restricting the swing of the exit door, NYSUFP &BC sec. 765.1.b. I realize this condition has existed for a long time, but I feel it is worth mentioning; 3) The storage building has a dirt and gravel floor. There is evidence of years of gas and oil leakage. This is another situation I thought is worth noting. 3) Letter from Groton Central School thanking us for letting them use our voting machine for their referendum vote and Board elections and a check for $50 to cover same. 4) Letter from American Community Cablevision advising us that Time Warner Entertainment Company has just reached agreement with US West under the terms of which US West will invest $2.5 billion and acquire a 25.510 limited partnership interest in TWE. Names of Elections Inspectors for the year commencing April 15, 1993, have been forwarded to the Clerk's Office from the Tompkins County Board of Elections and are as follows: 3 DISTRICT #1 Charlotte Rankin Patricia Senecal Beverly Oaksford DISTRICT #2 Myra Hathaway Catherine Buck Dorothy Green DISTRICT #3 Ruth Bell Donna Wilson Merle Tichenor Betty Brown Georgie Tillotson Alternate Phyllis Miner Mary Adams Barbara Greene Rita Walpole Sally Walpole Norma Neville Rose Hammond Ruth Reynolds Helen Graham Terry Hollenbeck Moved by Mr. Haynes, seconded by Mr. Cummings, to go into Executive Session to discuss individual personnel matter at 8:45PM. Unanimous. Board meeting reconvened at 9:25PM. Discussed correspondence received from Lyle Raymond concerning a proposal being made to try to fund a District Manager for the Tompkins County Soil & Water Conservation District. Tompkins County is the only county in the state that does not have such a person. The SWCD is a legal subdivision of NYS government. Tompkins County SWCD was created in 1944 to work with farmers. In the 1960's, the SWCD began to work with rural nonfarmers as well in applying conservation techniques. They also began to provide assistance to town and county governments. They currently can't offer such assistance to town and county governments because the personnel is not present to do so. Board was not sure if this was necessary, since most of the activities are already being looked into by Highway Departments, Health Department, Zoning Officers, Planning Boards, etc. There being no further business, Mr. Sovocool moved to adjourn meeting until Special Meeting that will be called by the Supervisor, seconded by Mr. Cummings, at 9:30 P.M. Unanimous. Colleen D. Pierson Town Clerk SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 1993 AT 4:00 P.M. 4 Those present: Teresa M. Robinson, Supervisor Gordon C. VanBenschoten, Councilman Donald E. Cummings, Councilman Jack Fitzgerald, Attorney Absent: Ellard L. Sovocool, Councilman Absent: Carl E. Haynes, Councilman Also present: Leland Cornelius and Floyd Ferris Meeting is a continuation of June 14th meeting. Purpose was to discuss electrical wiring project in the highway garage with Mr. Floyd Ferris. Supervisor Robinson stated that the specs were rather vague and asked Mr. Ferris to explain what the problem is and where it is. FLOYD FERRIS - NYS FIRE UNDERWRITERS - In a nut shell, originally when this new part of the building was being built, I was asked by Gary Wood to do a survey on the existing part of the building. He felt that there might have been code violations out there, so that's how this whole thing got started. We're talking strictly on the old part of the building. This part of the building has been certified by the Code of Underwriters and there is no problem. The problem out there is that I'm under the assumption that that portion of the building was built in the neighborhood of 1961. As close as we can figure it was never electrically inspected. The Groton Village had a total electric department and the service being connected would be no problem, because of the Village Electric Department, without an inspection. I don't know how it happened. This building over here was never in code compliance from the day it was wired and connected to the power supply. When I walked in there on my first day of inspection, I was flabbergasted the way it was wired because it didn't conform to code standards as we know them today. I thought maybe the code was different, so before I wrote this thing up I researched the National Electrical Code back to 1955 with my boss at the time. The code, as far as electrical wiring goes and the violations that are out there are identical in 1955 as it reads today as far as sealoffs go (sealing off conduits that go down into the floor.) That portion of the code has never changed. That's how this violation notice got started. Anyway, the problem is that the whole garage is wired in conduit and most all the conduits go from the panel boxes down into the floor and they disperse out into the garage area in the concrete in the floor and feeds different receptacle circuits, lighting circuits, power circuits and what have you. The code reads, as far back as 1955, that these conduits before they enter the 18" level (18" above the floor) they have to be sealed off by a sealing compound because once that conduit travels down into that 18" atmosphere and then on into the floor it's considered hazardous because of vehicle fumes, vapors and what have you and fuel that might get spilled on the floor. There is a chance of those vapors getting inside the conduit system and if that ever happened and it ever arced or a short or a simple trip of a circuit breaker because of an overload that gasous vapor in there could explode. The explosion could travel throughout the conduit system throughout the panel boxes and could start an electrical k, fire. The reason for these sealoffs where the conduits enter this area, it's a conduit fitting and it sort of looks like a plumbers cleanout Y, in otherwords if the conduit comes in the top and it comes in the bottom and there is a little Y off from it with a thread on cap, and what they do is they take that cap off it after they've installed it and run the wires inside then they pour that fitting full of a liquid compound that gets real hard and it won't allow vapor, fire or anything to travel past it. In otherwords, that isolates that conduit that is in the floor. If there was an explosion or fire it couldn't travel throughout the system. That's the main problem out there. Teresa was interested in eliminating a lot of those conduits that go down into the floor and rewiring the circuits overhead which, to me, would be logical and most economical route to go. To cut those conduits that already are set in concrete and are so close together where they come up to the panel boxes, to cut them and try to rethread them to get the sealoff devises in, it could be done but it could be a very expensive proposition. She indicated that she'd like to see it done overhead anywhere they could possibly do it, which to me I think would be the most economical way to go. You take a building that's wired like that, the way this one is, when the building is new the conduits are in and everything is fresh, there probably would be little chance of anything happening the way that's wired.It's been 30 years. Most conduits deteriorate in concrete. If you hammered that concrete out of there and dug some of those conduits up, they'd be totally rust. The older this building gets the more chance something is going to happen. Something might happen tonight or it could last another 10 years. I couldn't give you an estimate on how long it would be before it may happen, if it hasn't already happened, the conduit rusted. All concrete floors crack and move and by doing that the conduits that are embedded in concrete move back and forth. Some of those conduits might already be severed. That's the potential problems. That's the basis of the code enforcement to have those conduits sealed. The incoming service is adequate if it's a 400 amp service. There is a problem on that because the incoming conduit to service the main box comes in from under the floor. That particular conduit can be poured. It's big enough. It's a three or four inch conduit. That can be opened up and that can be poured with this compound right there and sealed. That's the easiest one of them all. The rest of them are problems because they are so small, they're so tight. Now if you go out there and look you'll see all these conduits coming up out of the floor into breaker boxes and they're right next to one another, touching one another, several of them in that one location. But that's for you to decide, which way you want to go and how you want to correct it. Most conduits can be abandoned very easily. By going overhead and abandoning the conduits, I think it's a plus because by going overhead you're out of the problem because these gasous vapors stay on the floor, they don't travel up. Once you're 18" above that floor out there then you can use EMT conduit, plastic conduit, MC cable out there in that garage, but once you go below that 18" level then you've got to use rigid steel conduit, couplers, fittings, and all this explosion proof equipment that is expensive. You can write your specs most any way you want, but they can use almost every type of wiring method except non - metallic cable which is Romex and BX. They're allowed to use metal wire mold which is a n surface mounted raceway used a lot in apartment houses to add more outlets to the room which is mounted on the baseboard. They can use MC cable which is a lot like BX cable. They would be allowed to use EMT (Electrical Mentality Tube) thin wall, ABC conduit, plastic conduit. Cable would be difficult to support up in the rafters. Conduit would be the most attractive. This could be left up to the discretion of the electrical contractor. To retain an electrical engineer would cost you almost as much as doing the repairs. There would be nothing wrong with an electrician writing up specs. I would be happy to review those plans for you at no charge. It should only take three or four hours to work up specs. You need to know what you want for the modified lighting in the garage. (Discussed different types of lighting being used in large establishments.) Installing new lighting system will cancel out most of the old circuits anyway. There should be no power interruption at all. The Fire Alarm Panel should be done at a later date since it has to be done by a certified electricain. Attorney Fitzgerald advised that it is permissible to pay an electrician to write up the specs and also bid the job. Considering the three or four hours to work up specs, the fee should be nominal and within our procurement policy. Supervisor Robinson will ask Dennis Toolan to write specs with Leland Cornelius providing information as to what and where the new lighting system will be in the highway garage. Information will be presented at our regular July Board Meeting. Supervisor Robinson advised that our HUD Agreement has been taken over to Diversified Technologies for their signature. She also called the guy for the pole barn roof to find out where he was. Supervisor asked Board Members to go over list submitted by Lyle at the last meeting to see if there was anything there that relates or pertains to Groton. Board Members did not feel that any of these items applied to us at the present time. Further, all three Board Members present didn't feel that we should be creating another position at this time. There being no further business, Mr. VanBenschoten moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Mr. Cummings, at 4:55PM. Unanimous Colleen D. Pierson Town Clerk 7