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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-1997 MINUTES OF TOWN BOARD MEETING TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 1997 AT 7:30 P.M. Those present: Teresa M. Robinson, Supervisor Ellard L. Sovocool, Councilman Donald N. Palmer, Councilman Daniel J. Carey, Councilman Fran Casullo, Attorney Arrived late: Gordon C. VanBenschoten, Councilmen Also present: Liz Brennan, Leland Cornelius, George Totman, Jerry Holl, George Senter Duplicate C&M Cleaner repair bill needs to be deleted from General Abstract. Moved by Councilman Palmer, seconded by Councilman Sovocool, that the minutes of July 8, 1997 be approved as submitted. Ayes - Sovocool, Palmer, Carey, Robinson. VanBenschoten - Absent/. Claim Nos. 111 to 133 of the Highway Fund in the amount of $11,939.39 and Claim Nos. 160 to 194 of the General Fund in the amount of $17,054.69 were presented for audit. Moved by Councilman Sovocool, seconded by Councilman Palmer, that the bills be approved for payment. Ayes - Sovocool, Palmer, Carey, Robinson. VanBenschoten - Absent. Claim Nos. 103 to 108 of the Special Grant Fund (HUD) in the amount of $20,055.13 were presented for audit. Moved by Councilman Carey, seconded by Councilman Sovocool, that the bills be approved for payment. Ayes - Sovocool, Palmer, Carey, Robinson. Absent - VanBenschoten. GEORGE TOTMAN - TOMPKINS COUNTY BOARD OF REPRESENTATIVES - There is lots going on. It is budget time. A grant for the Village of Groton went through last week. It is a new program that the County has. They put in $26,000 for Towns and Villages to apply for special projects. The first round they put up $13,000 -- Village of Groton got $7,000, Ulysses got $3000 and Dryden got $3,000. Village's grant was to fix up mini park. Supervisor Robinson asked if it was true that the County was trying to centralize everything? Mr. Totman said they are looking for ways to save money and they are encouraging everyone to consolidate. They are strongly on police agencies which is to eliminate Sheriff and appoint Police Chief. This is still on the back burner. I'd like to get feedback on this. I personally feel there is nothing wrong with our Sheriff's Department right now. I feel the people should have the right to elect their own Sheriff. Supervisor Robinson said there is a Rural/Urban Coordination Committee Meeting being held on August 15 at 8:15AM in the Courthouse Conference Room with police consolidation on the agenda. LIZ BRENNAN - BOOKKEEPER - We have two transfers. One from the General Fund Townwide Contingency to Justice, Equipment A1110.2 which is our share of the Court computer for $409.50. The other is from General Fund Part-Town Contingency to Refuse & Garbage for $50.30 which is the amount over what we had budgeted for trash days. Don, you wanted to know the total expenditures on the fuel tank. This includes what we spent at the end of last year and we did close out the capital fund for $27,045. The total including on todays abstract is $39,166. That includes the engineers and all expenses. That's what we paid to take the tanks out and to put the new ones in. Councilman Palmer asked for clarification -- We had $27,000 last year that we brought forward for that project and we have spent $39,000 in total? Liz said yes. Councilman Palmer asked where did the extra money come from? Liz said we had money in this years budget. Councilman Palmer asked how much money did we have this year? As I said, this includes the engineer. We had $5,000 in the engineer account and in the garage for fuel tanks about $5000 or $6000. Councilman Palmer said that if we are going in round numbers we are a couple thousand over at this point in time. Liz said the bills that are in this month we'll have to be transferring some money in to pay that. Every thing is done except for putting the roof on but I'm not sure if all the engineering bills are in for removal of the contaminated soil. The roof is going to cost about $3000 for the material. LELAND CORNELIUS - HIGHWAY SUPERINTENDENT - We just talked about one thing. I want to talk about one other thing. I want to draw some stone from way up in Fout's farm and bring them down and put them in the ditch to keep water from eroding. This is in case someone asks what we are doing. He has big stones up there that we can use in ditch instead of buying rip rap. I'd like to put the roof over the gas tanks but we don't have any money. It will cost about $3000 with our men doing the work. Consensus of Board was that it has to be done so do it. Moved by Councilman VanBenschoten, seconded by Councilman Sovocool, that the Town does hereby authorize Leland Cornelius to attend the Annual Highway Superintendents Training School at Kutsher's Country Club in Monticello, NY, on September 23 - 26, 1997. Ayes - Sovocool, VanBenschoten, Palmer, Carey, Robinson. Since Primary Day is on our regular Board Meeting day we will have to change the date. Thursday is better for Don and Dan. It is also okay for the rest of the Board. RESOLUTION NO. 36 - RESCHEDULE SEPTEMBER BOARD MEETING 2 Moved by Councilman Carey, seconded by Councilman Palmer Ayes - Sovocool, VanBenschoten, Palmer, Carey, Robinson RESOLVED , that the September Town Board Meeting be rescheduled for Thursday, September 11, 1997 at 7:30 PM due to Primary Election Day falling on September 9, 1997. RESOLUTION NO. 37 - COMBINE ELECTION DISTRICTS 2 AND 3 FOR PRIMARY DAY Moved by Councilman Sovocool, seconded by Councilman Carey Ayes - Sovocool, VanBenschoten, Palmer, Carey, Robinson RESOLVED , that the Town Board does hereby combine Election Districts 2 and 3 for Primary Day to be held on September 9, 1997. Town Clerk needed a resolution for pay increases of 15 cents for Robert Bogardus and Carol Marks for employment anniversary dates. RESOLUTION NO. 38 - PAY INCREASES FOR EMPLOYEES Moved by Councilman VanBenschoten, seconded by Councilman Sovocool Ayes - Sovocool, VanBenschoten, Palmer, Carey, Robinson RESOLVED , that the Town Board does hereby authorize the following pay increases: Robert Bogardus - 5th year Anniversary of Employment 15 cents per hour to $12.28 Effective August 3, 1997 Carol G. Marks - 10th year Anniversary of Employment 15 cents per hour to $9.13 Effective August 17, 1997 Three weeks paid vacation 8:00 PM - Board meeting recessed for Public Hearing on Proposed Local Law No. 3 for the year 1997 - NYS Retirement System Incentive Program. Clerk read Legal Notice published in the Moravia Republican-Register on July 23, 1997. Supervisor Robinson: Is there anyone that would like to be heard from the audience? Jerry Holl: I guess the only one that it will affect is me and it has to be adopted this year. You can't carry this on to another year so I understand. I have to have it adopted in case I do have the opportunity to retire by the end of the year. It will give me one month for every years service that I have. What I make if I did retire, you could probably hire someone at my capacity for $10,000 a year less than what I'm making. That would cover the cost of this incentive program. Supervisor Robinson: Anybody else? Okay. We'll close the hearing and resume the Town Board Meeting. Hearing closed at 8:05PM. 3 Town Board Meeting resumed at 8:05pm. Supervisor Robinson asked Board if they would like to vote on this now. Consensus was that we might just as well. Councilman Palmer asked if there was a window of opportunity of time that has to be a part of this? Attorney Casullo said yes, it is in the Local Law itself. It begins in October and runs through December (66 days). RESOLUTION NO. 39 - ADOPT LOCAL LAW NO. 3 FOR THE YEAR 1997 RETIREMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAM Moved by Councilman Palmer, seconded by Councilman VanBenschoten Ayes - Sovocool, VanBenschoten, Palmer, Carey, Robinson RESOLVED , that the Town Board does hereby adopt Local Law No. 3 for the year 1997 Electing a Retirement Incentive Program as Authorized by Chapter 41, Laws of 1997 for the Eligible Employees of the Town of Groton. LOCAL LAW NO. 3 FOR THE YEAR 1997 A LOCAL LAW ELECTING A RETIREMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAM AS AUTHORIZED BY CHAPTER 41, LAWS OF 1997 FOR THE ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES OF THE TOWN OF GROTON SECTION 1. The Town Board hereby elects to provide all of its eligible employees with a retirement incentive program authorized by Chapter 41, Laws of 1997. SECTION 2. The commencement date of the retirement incentive program shall be October 1, 1997. SECTION 3. The open period during which eligible employees may retire and receive the additional retirement benefits, shall be sixty- six (66) days in length. SECTION 4. The actuarial present value of the additional retirement benefits payable pursuant to the provisions of this local law shall be paid as one lump sum, or in five annual installments. The amount of the annual payment shall be determined by the Actuary of the New York State and Local Employee's Retirement System, and it shall be paid by the Town of Groton for each employee who receives the retirement benefits payable under the local law. SECTION 5. If any part or provision of this local law or the application thereof to any person or circumstance be adjudged invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, such judgment shall be confined in its operation to the part or provision or application directly involved in the controversy in which such judgment shall have been rendered and shall not affect or impair the validity of the remainder of this local law or the application thereof to other persons or circumstances, and the Town Board of the Town of Groton hereby declares that it would have passed this local law or the remainder thereof had such invalid application or invalid provision been apparent. SECTION 6. This local law shall take effect immediately upon filing in the office of the Secretary of State in accordance with section twenty-seven of the Municipal Home Rule Law. GEORGE R. SENTER, SR. - CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER - Year-to-date building permits issued: 1996 45 4 Houses 8 Mobile Homes 33 Other 1997 65 5 Houses 15 Mobile Homes 45 Other 4 Life Safety Inspections are current. COLLEEN D. PIERSON - TOWN CLERK & TAX COLLECTOR - Town Clerk's monthly report was reviewed by the Town Board. ARLAND HEFFRON & ALTON ALEXANDER - TOWN JUSTICES - Town Justice monthly reports were reviewed by the Board. SUPERVISOR ROBINSON: Thoma Consultants. We didn't do anything about that one last month. Is there any comments or discussion on that one right now? Councilman VanBenschoten - Wasn't Fran going to look into Bernie or an alternate? Attorney Casullo said there just isn't that many people out there that do this type of work. Bernie is the only one in this area. What Thoma charges you, that money comes out of the grant money. You ought to have some sort of plan. I'm not sure but what we should be in executive session to discuss this. Supervisor Robinson said that we have to do something and we could try it until the end of the year. Atty. Casullo said we should get an agreement signed and filed so that we have a regular monthly payment being made and monitored by someone. We need to appoint people to a board to screen applications prior to revolving loans. Councilman Sovocool asked Attorney if he wanted to do it or should we get Thoma. Atty. Casullo suggested we get Thoma to help put the Agreement together and help with putting out security. I could monitor it once it's set up. Once we get everything in place I can easily monitor it. Councilman Sovocool suggested we get going on it. Atty. Casullo will contact Bernie Thoma tomorrow and tell him that we want an agreement put together in a month or month and one-half. RESOLUTION NO. 40 - RETAIN SERVICES OF THOMA ASSOCIATES Moved by Councilman Sovocool, seconded by Councilman Palmer Ayes - Sovocool, VanBenschoten, Palmer, Carey, Robinson RESOLVED , that the Town Board does hereby accept proposal dated June 19, 1997, submitted by Thoma Development Consultants for work to be completed in two phases -- the first phase will be for loan workout DIVERSIFIED TECHNOLOGY involving and the second phase would be loan DIVERSIFIED TECHNOLOGY. monitoring involving Supervisor Robinson has received an addendum Agreement with the County that was supposed to be signed last month. It was misplaced in the Village Office. This is an addendum to the original Agreement with the Village and County Youth Program. We have already agreed to a certain amount but we have to sign this addendum to get extra money. RESOLUTION NO. 41 - APPROVE ADDENDUM TO 1997 YOUTH CONTRACT Moved by Councilman Carey, seconded by Councilman Sovocool Ayes - Sovocool, VanBenschoten, Palmer, Carey, Robinson RESOLVED , that the Town Board does hereby authorize the Supervisor to sign the Addendum Agreement dated June 16, 1997, amending the original 1997 County Youth Services Contracted entered into by the Village, Town and County for Youth Services on January 1, 1997. GEORGE TOTMAN - GROTON PLANNING BOARD CHAIRMAN - Did you all get copies of our July 17th Planning Board Meeting? All replied yes. We were requested to receive the people and it really wasn't a Planning Board function. I think it's important that you talk about it because George Senter is there and George is going to wind up having the problem with them more than anyone else. George Totman gave the Board a little background history of these same people when they lived in Lansing and how they arrived here in Groton. The local neighbors wanted to come in and talk with someone. They just want to make sure, in case something happens down the line, that they have made everybody 5 aware of some of their problems. I think the majority of the people are quit rational. I just wanted you to know about it. I told them at the meeting it was the Town Board that they should go to and not our Board. One of the reasons they came was that they just get so frustrated -- they brought pictures of their beautiful homes in to show us and in just 30 days these people had their place looking so bad that they didn't even want to walk by the place. George Senter said so far there has been barking dogs and foul language late at night, they put their fence up on Barb's and Sheldon's land, so they are trespassing. A lot of this is a neighbor nuisance type thing. They have been to court or are going to court for barking dogs. Town Clerk has received several complaints on their dogs. Clerk asked what the definition was of a trailer park. It used to be two or more trailers constituted a trailer park. George Totman said that it reads more than two. George Senter said the way it reads is if they have the lots available for rent for the placement of two or more mobile homes. They own these mobile homes and are living in them. As long as they have 150' of frontage and an acre of land they are okay. The two purchased the land jointly. Supervisor Robinson said she still does not understand how they can have one septic system because my understanding was from years back and I suppose it's archaic but I always understood that if you had a piece of property you should be able to (like a house or trailer) sell it as a piece of property not as half of somebodies septic system. George Totman said that's right, you can't. But when they sell their property, the trailers have to go with the property. You can't have a septic system on two pieces of property. That's all on one piece of property. Supervisor Robinson said they have one septic system for two trailers. George Totman said yes but they are all on the same property and they have to sell property... It's a common practice of the Health Department to do that. George Senter said he called Janet Kowski and she said they do it all the time. It is the first time that I heard of it. (Board Members, Totman and Senter discussed Health Department rules.) Town Board Training Sessions - Councilman Palmer is interested in attending the session at the Lansing Town Hall on 9/25/97 from 5:00PM - 8:00PM. Councilman Carey is interested in attending the session at the Homer Village Hall on 9/30/97 from 5:00PM - 8:00PM. RESOLUTION NO. 42 - AUTHORIZE TRANSFERS Moved by Councilman VanBenschoten, seconded by Councilman Palmer Ayes - Sovocool, VanBenschoten, Palmer, Carey, Robinson RESOLVED , that the Town Board does hereby authorize the following transfers: General Fund (Townwide) From: Contingency A1990.4--------------------$409.50 To: Justice Equipment A1110.2 (Computer)-----$409.50 General Fund (Part-Town) From: Contingency B1990.4 -------------------$ 50.30 To: Refuse & Garbage B8160.4 (Trash Day) ----$ 50.30 There being no further business, Councilman Sovocool moved to adjourn meeting, seconded by Councilman VanBenschoten, at 8:40PM. Unanimous Colleen D. Pierson Town Clerk 6 7