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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-11-8 Tri I I -8- 12 TOWN OF DRYDEN • TOWN BOARD MEETING November 8, 2012 Present : Supervisor Mary Ann Sumner, Cl Stephen Stelick , Cl Joseph Solomon , Cl Jason Leifer, CI Linda Lavine Absent: Cl Stephen Stelick Elected Officials: l3ambi L . Avery , Town Clerk Other Town Staff: Jennifer Case , Bookkeeper PUBLIC HEARING BUDGET, SPECIAL DISTRICT IMPROVEMENTS, FIRE CONTRACTS Supv Sumner opened the public hearing at 7 : 05 p . m . and dispensed with reading the public notices . She said the town tax rate remains at $ 1 . 44 per thousand of assessed value . It has been level since 2003 . in 1994 the rate was $2 . 50 . It then declined steadily until 2003 and has remained level since . The levy was kept under the tax levy cap mandated by the state . it is $ 11 ,000 . 00 less than the cap. Overall , individual salaries were 2% per position, but the total salary budget is less than up 1 % because a position was eliminated . The tax rate remains the same despite the fact that retirement costs are up 20% and health insurance costs are up 9% . She said the board is continuing to use fund balance, but less than the last few years. It a is estimated that this year's surplus will be over a million dollars . About two million was appropriated last year, but they expect to have one million remaining in unexpended fund balance . Charts were distributed showing changes in tax rate , appropriated fund balance and fund balance by fund . The town did not always use all the fund balance that was appropriated . The fund balance did fall and as of last year has started to recover. The town did recently receive payment from the state for the farmland protection grant that was paid out a few years ago, so that is a substantial boost to the recovering fund balance . One savings this year is that we don 't have to budget much for legal services in connection with the Anschutz lawsuit because that is being handled by EarthJustice pro bono. There is a substantial decrease in the DPW budget because they completed their energy savings program this year. No new projects are anticipated this year. In the coming year we will assess how well we are doing, and redirect some of our efforts . The code enforcement office has budgeted to purchase a car for the CEOs to share . This has been carefully analyzed and will reduce the mileage reimbursement. With the resale value of vehicle, they anticipate savings in less than five years. CI Leifer said the board had looked to cut appropriations this year, and did so by 10 . 5% with a goal of using less and less fund balance over the years. Mike Lane - said he has worked on 27 municipal budgets over the years . They are incredibly hard because there are so many external things that come along that make the job more challenging. Recession and deflation coupled with rising costs makes it a difficult task. He congratulated the board for its work on this budget . He knows they have been working on the fund balance and said it 's not a bad thing for the taxpayer to have their municipality be • able to pay cash and not have to bond for capital improvements . With respect to the vehicle purchase , he said the County just adopted a revised policy respect to who can ride in the car. Page I of 5 TB I 1 -8- 12 It basically says that riders have to be affiliated with the County . They have had a couple of • liability law suits . As trustee of Southworth library, M Lane thanked the town for its continued support . They have had about a year with the new addition and now realize the additional costs for heat and lights. Help from town , village and county is appreciated . They may have to dip into their own fund balance . Their current budget is about $ 140 , 000 a year. They have no full time people and some part time with minimal fringe benefits . They are an association library . That saves the county money because it runs for a lot less than a branch library . He said they will do their best and if they ask for money in the future , it is because they need it . M Lane suggested that the chart that was handed out needs a section with the tax levy chart and cap. The county will exceed their tax levy cap. Almost all of their allowed increase (3 . 1 %) is going for increases in state mandates. They are about . 62% over is for everything else , including salary increases. in response to a question , Supv Sumner explained that the anticipated tax revenue is not included in the individual budgets, but instead is calculated on the cover sheet . Supv Sumner closed the public hearing at 7 : 25 p. m. The board decided not act on this tonight because there needs to be a correction on one of the sewer districts and they would like Cl Stelick to have an opportunity to look it over. They will vote on it next week. Board expects to propose a reserve fund policy in the next few months to be used for allocation of future amounts to reserves. There will be an analysis of how to fund the recreation and other reserve funds , health care costs , and benefit costs, and pretty much everything will be discussed at length . Supv Sumner said Bolton Point has a debt service fund ® that they maintain , but the Town has no debt. Special Districts Cl Solomon and Supv Sumner have worked to better understand the water and sewer districts and their relationships, with an eye toward some consolidation next year. There are agreements in place for the Sapsucker Woods sewer district passing through the Town of Ithaca and the fee associated with that, which has not been taken into consideration for 16 years. They are asking for a new sewer rate for Sapsucker Woods of $ 3 . 82 per thousand gallons . There will be an increase in Peregrine as well . Sapsucker is higher because it discharges to Cayuga Heights sewer plant and their cost is higher than IAWWTP. Peregrine discharges through the Town of Ithaca to IAWWTP. Their rate will be $2 . 75 per thousand gallons. This will be on next week 's agenda. The board has a memo from Melissa Bianconi regarding the Recreation Commission 's recommendation for funding for the Finger Lakes Land Trust for the l3ernnsten property. Andy Zepp spoke to Commission and they are recommending that the town fund $ 1. 5 , 000 for construction of the board walk. This has not been added to the budget and could be appropriated from unexpended fund balance . The City, Town and County have all contributed to the cost. The board will discuss it next week . Road use law - CI Leifer has questions and would like to talk. with Atty Perkins . He has compared it to the County 's and theirs targets number of trips which is different than what we have proposed . Supv Sumner asked him to come in and look at the engineering manual . The Varna Development Plan and related zoning amendments will be introduced next 1111 week . CI Leifer would like to add revision to the zoning map to the agenda as well . Pzigc 2 ours TIC 114- 12 Bruno Schickel - At the end of 2011 the AUD showed reserves and unexpended fund • balance at just under 3 million dollars, which is a dramatic rise from the year before, and he thinks the numbers for reserves and unexpended fund balance were reversed . Supv Sumner said there was new terminology in the Comptrollers guidelines this year, and she has not had a chance to follow up on his email , but will . B Schickel said there was a very aggressive target for sales tax for 2012 and asked how that was doing. Supv Sumner said it may be short, but we are over in other areas . 13 Schickel said in the proposed revenues for 201. 3 it shows about $ 107 , 000 less than in 2012 , and that 's good . Think about the projection of how you think your spending is doing for 2012 vs. the budget. He is happy to see that appropriations have been lowered significantly. His concern is that in the past the pattern has been a 940% variance in the budgeting vs . actually spending. The town has been consistently budgeting about 10% more in appropriations than is spent. In the significant reduction in budgeting of appropriations this year, have you simply taken the slack out or are you really cutting anything? Supv Sumner said they budget extremely conservatively and usually budget for worst case scenario expenditures and budget for only the revenue they are sure of. For 2013 , it is a little bit of both . They have estimated retirement and health insurance more closely than in the past because better data is available . Those are much more accurate . Several projects were completed in 201. 2 , and there are a number of things that won 't be done in 2013 . Some things have been cut and we are not taking on new projects . B Schickel said in 2011 the total spending was $5 , 605 ,000 . For 2013 you are projecting to spend $ 5,875 , 000 , a slight increase over two years ago . if that is a real number, it is a real cut from the previous patterns in spending, which is good . He is concerned that even if we hit the revenue budget for 2013 , and hit spending budget, you will need to take from savings $ 1 , 532 , 000 . Supv Sumner said we will exceed our revenue budget and will and spend less than is budgeted . She added that in the 2011 budget substantial contributions were made to reserves and those are not budgeted for 2013 . They will be making those appropriations when the policy for fund balance has been made. B Schickel his concern is how much of reserves will go toward feeding the budget and are you going to hit a position where you don 't have enough fund balance . Supv Sumner said she understands the concern and the board is looking at it carefully . The surplus anticipated for 2012 is 1 . 1 million, so only $900 , 000 of the appropriated fund balance will actually be used . This is partly due to the State having repaid us for the farmland protection grant . 13 Schickel said the budget for 2013 appears to be very tight and as accurate as possible , and 1 . 5 million is projected to come from. savings. His concern is at end of year, the savings between reserves and unexpended fund balance is shrinking. The problem is what to do when it runs out . He asked what the board plans to do because it is being depleted. Cl Leifer said that's why we are reducing expenditures every year, so they have a soft landing. They will hit the target for the fund balance and it will be balanced by a reduction in the appropriations. Supv Sumner said they have been using two scenarios for a long time ; one targeting a 50% fund balance (50% of appropriations) and the other 25% , both of which are higher than the Comptroller's office recommends . We are somewhere in the 50% neighborhood now , and even with the 2013 appropriation from fund balance , we are still above the 25% . This does not include dedicated reserves . 13 Schickel said he applauds the board for tightening up . His only concern is if you are ® just doing a tighter job of budgeting as opposed to really reducing spending, you won 't get into the soft landing you are talking about. Supv Sumner said this is still a fairly conservative Page 3of5 TB 11 -8- 12 budget because there other revenue streams (grants or other streams) that have not been • budgeted because they don 't have a contract in hand yet. She doesn 't feel it is overly risky . Cl Lavine said it is a plan to start doing this gradually for a soft landing, to the extent that you need to change staffing or other things they will talk about next year. B Schickel said he believes the board will need to be more aggressive in reduction to spending to get to a point where you are not facing a dramatic tax increase . Thank you . Supv Sumner said she has seen the trends and knows when to compare actual to budgets . It looks terrible , but she has the trend lines and she is pretty comfortable with it . Ag Committee - CI Leifer said he and Cl Stelick want to talk about the ag committee and would like to introduce that by December and approve it in January . RESOLUTION # 161 (2012 ) - APPROVE BUDGET MODIFICATIONS Supv Sumner offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption : RESOLVED , that this Town Board hereby authorizes the following budget modifications : From Acct To Acct Amount A8790 . 401 A8790 . 404 $ 1 , 528 . 67 A8790 . 401 A8790 . 407 5 , 000 . 00 A8790 . 401 A8020 . 105 471 . 33 A8790 . 4 A8020 . 105 2 , 191 . 74 ® A1. 490 . 1 A8745 . 403 5 ,000 . 00 A7020 . 401 A7020 . 102 2 , 600 . 00 A7989 . 404 A7330 . 414 617 . 00 A8790 . 4 A8790 . 404 300 . 00 A8020. 405 A8020 . 402 918 . 76 2 «ci Cl Leifer Roll Call Vote Cl Solomon Yes Supv Sumner Yes CI Leifer Yes Cl Lavine Yes RESOLUTION # 162 (2012) - APPROVE ABSTRACT # 11 CI Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption : RESOLVED , that this Town Board hereby approves Abstract # 11 , as audited , vouchers #979 through # 1. 069 , totaling $436 , 114 . 44 . 2nd CI Solomon Roll Call Vote Cl Solomon Yes Supv Stunner Yes Cl Leifer Yes • Cl Lavine Yes Page 4of5 TB 11 -8- 12 • There being no further business, on motion made , seconded , and unanimously carried, the meeting was adjourned at 8: 00 p. m . Respectfully submitted , 4 , � ,� Bambi L. Avery F Town Clerk • Page 5of5 < , , Dryden Town Board Meeting �� Jar , L Dryden Town Hall / ', 0 Ko"`" ZN DEN.. 93 East Main Street :cows �° ,nE,v - _-- Thursday , November 8 , 2012 7 : 001'M Nate chage of meeting time .Y- i . Call Meeting to Order 2 . Roll Call 3 . Public Hearing : Town Budget 4 . Discussion Items a. Peregrine sewer rate b . Sapsucker sewer rate c. DYC recommendation for FLLT funding d . Road Use Law 5 . Proposed November 15 Agenda Items a. Section 18 proceedings for Verizon , ATT, Spring 0 b . Introduce Varna Development Plan c . Introduce Zoning amendments relating to Varna Development Plan 6 . Abstract approval The Next Abstract and Agenda Meeting will be Thursday , December 13 , 2012 at 7 : 30 • Town ci Uryden Town Board Meeting November 8 , 2012 Name - (Please,;,Print} Address or Board SJ1cet ' CLs K u- 1042/aitet 7yn' u CAL. , ' i t I 4 •