Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-11-2001 TOWN OF GROTON MINUTES OF TOWN BOARD MEETING TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 AT 7:30 PM Those present: Glenn E. Morey, Supervisor Ellard L. Sovocool, Councilman Donald F. Scheffler, Councilman Sheldon C. Clark, Councilman Duane T. Randall II, Councilman Francis Casullo, Town Attorney Also present: Colleen D. Pierson, Richard Case, George Senter, Liz Brennan, George Frantz, Debbie Teeter, Monica Roth. MOVED by Councilman Randall, seconded by Councilman Clark, to approve the minutes of the August 14, 2001 meeting as presented. Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Randall, Clark, Morey. General Fund Claim Numbers 219-245 of the in the amount of $14,151.06 were presented for audit. MOVED by Councilman Sovocool, seconded by Councilman Scheffler, to approve the General Bills for payment. Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Randall, Clark, Morey. Highway Fund Claim Numbers 147-166 of the in the amount of $147,445.36 were presented for audit. MOVED by Councilman Clark, seconded by Councilman Randall, to approve the Highway Bills for payment. Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Randall, Clark, Morey. Special Grant (HUD) Fund Claim Number214 of the in the amount of $636.78 was presented for audit. A motion was made by Councilman Randall to approve the HUD bill. Supervisor Morey asked for a second and did not receive one. Supervisor Morey – It’s a simple bid. Can I have a second please for the HUD bills? What’s going on? Town Board Minutes Page 2 of 12 September 11, 2001 Councilman Scheffler – Can we discuss it? Supervisor Morey – Please. Councilman Scheffler - $600 to re-seed a well? Supervisor Morey – For who? Councilman Scheffler – I don’t know. That’s what’s on here. Councilman Sovocool - $636 for re-seeding this. Councilman Scheffler – Raking and re-seeding a well site. Supervisor Morey – It’s probably…that’s how much it was. I have no idea why. Councilman Scheffler – Just seems like a lot of money. Supervisor Morey – Well, everything is gone through with a fine-tooth comb and this is probably the end part of a whole thing. It’s probably not just a small area. It’s probably the whole grass. Councilman Scheffler – It seems like a lot. Councilman Clark – So, you’re saying it’s already been paid? Supervisor Morey – No, it hasn’t already been paid. It’s already been done. Councilman Sovocool – How big of an area is this? Supervisor Morey – I don’t know. Do you want me to find out and we’ll table this until next month? Councilman Scheffler – Yeah, table that one until next month. It just seems strange. Supervisor Morey – All right. Pass the HUD bill down please. Councilman Randall – It doesn’t even say where or anything, does it? Councilman Sovocool – Don’t say where, don’t say………… Supervisor Morey - Can I have a motion to table the bill? MOVED by Councilman Sovocool, seconded by Councilman Clark, to table the HUD bill until next month. Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Randall, Clark. Nay – Morey. Town Board Minutes Page 3 of 12 September 11, 2001 Supervisor Morey – I’d like to change the agenda. First of all Vital Communities will not be here tonight, but we are going to have Cornell Cooperative Extension. We’re going to have Debbie Teeter and George Frantz here. Debbie is going to be talking about the Town Agricultural Profile and George Frantz is going to be talking about the Purchase Development Rights. Liz, can you come up? Elizabeth Brennan, Bookkeeper – You’ve got your reports on revenues and expenditures and the cash. I have a few things. I have one transfer in the General Fund from Contingency to the Town Clerk’s Equipment for $953 and it was in a .4 and it needs to be in a .2 because it’s a fixed asset. So, that’s why we’re moving that. There wasn’t any equipment money. And there’s a correction on the August abstract for the Syracuse Supply checks for the excavator. So, I deleted voucher number 129 and 130 and we’ve set up a Capital Project Fund because the bulk of the money was a bond and it has to be in a separate Capital Projects Fund. So, we now have a separate abstract showing that. I’ve given the re-done abstracts to Colleen. So, this is just so that you are aware. It’s just kind of moved around. It’s still a payment that went out but it is coming in and going out through the Capital Projects instead of the Highway. And then we are also showing that the $15,000 that was a down payment coming from the Reserve money gets transferred over into the Capital Project. I think you can see it a little bit better if you look at the cash report. It’s showing money that came in, went out. So, that Capital Project is now zero and closed and will be showing the payments on the debt in Long Term Debt. So, each time we make a payment that will be reducing that part of the debt. And I would like to request adding one more bill. I forgot to bring it with me. It’s for Quill and it’s for W-2 Forms I’ve ordered for the end of the year. It’s about $25. I just wanted to add that to the rest of the abstract. Councilman Randall – What’s the $953 for? I don’t see equipment. Liz Brennan – That was for a shredder for the Clerk’s Office. Councilman Randall – Well, it must be a good one. Clerk Pierson – It is. Councilman Randall – Seems like an awful lot of money for a shredder. Clerk Pierson – You can spend from $100 to $200 on a shredder in an office and they don’t last at all, not for me, because we do a lot of shredding. Supervisor Morey – And there’s a lot of paperclips and staples in the paper and it just ruins these cheap ones. Clerk Pierson – These are old records. Supervisor Morey – And when Colleen does do the shredding it’s boxes, not just a very few. Any questions on the Highway Fund? Does everybody understand what we’re trying to do? Town Board Minutes Page 4 of 12 September 11, 2001 RESOLUTION #60 – TRANSFER OF FUNDS MOVED by Supervisor Morey, seconded by Councilman Sovocool Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Clark, Morey. Nay – Randall RESOLVED, that the Town Board does hereby authorize the transfer of the following funds: General Fund – Town Wide: From: Contingency A1990.4…………………………..$953.00 To: Town Clerk, Equipment A1410.2………………$953.00 RESOLUTION #61 – ADD QUILL BILL TO ABSTRACT MOVED by Supervisor Morey, seconded by Councilman Clark. Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Randall, Clark, Morey. RESOLVED, that the Town Board does hereby authorize the addition to the abstract for the Quill bill in the approximate amount of $25.00. Supervisor Morey – Any other questions for Liz? Okay, thank you. George R. Senter, Sr., Code Enforcement Officer – I’ll only give you the building permits that were issued for the month of August. There were 12 and there were 3 houses and one manufactured home, which is mobile home. There were several garages, an in-ground pool, a shed and additions. That’s all I’ve got unless you want any more. Do you have any comments, any questions, any complaints? Councilman Clark – No complaints. Are you far enough in it so you are checking on number of cars and property? George Senter – No, I have not done that. When I was here before I always did it in the spring when all the leaves were off the trees and you can see back into the places. As I drove around the Town I’ve noticed a lot of unlicensed vehicles and I was kind of surprised. Councilman Clark – I’ve got one, one that’s really building. So, I thought I would fill you in when you are ready to do them. George Senter – If you’ve got something I can go with, I’ll go with it right now. I’ll get it this week. Councilman Clark - It’s left on Lick Street off of 222, the trailer at the corner of Old Stage, Ayres I think it is. I think there’s five there. Town Board Minutes Page 5 of 12 September 11, 2001 George Senter – I had problems with him back when I was doing this. You go down Old Stage Road and you’ll see a ton more. I was really surprised. I saw one house with four or five of them lined up as if they had a used car lot. Councilman Sovocool – George, out on Locke Road, across the bridge, on the right, has someone put a trailer in there? Are they living in that? Just before you get to the County line. George Senter – I don’t know. It may be. It may be in the file. Councilman Clark – Isn’t it a camper? Councilman Sovocool – I don’t know if it’s a camper or a regular trailer or what. Campers, tents………. George Senter – I’ll check on it. I came in last week and I had 12 messages on the answering machine. So, people know I’m here during the day. Mark had another job so he could only do it in the evening, but now they know I’m here during the day so they call up. Councilman Clark – But it’s nice that they can get a hold of you. George Senter – Certainly, they should be able to. So, I’m trying to catch up and trying to go through the files. Councilman Clark – Well, welcome aboard and good luck and all that stuff. Supervisor Morey – Yes, we all do appreciate you helping us out in a tight situation. And since George is here, I finally signed the building permit for the teller window for the Court Office. And George told me tonight that he will approve it. And as soon as I get the information back, we will order the equipment. Thank you for that. George Senter – Just as a side thing, it would be nice if the Town of Groton could make up some type of resolve and send something to the governor of the State of New York and/or the mayor of the City that the Town of Groton does in fact stand behind the State in what’s going on. It’d be a nice thing for town’s to do that. Supervisor Morey – In what? George Senter – Because of what happened. Supervisor Morey – Oh, today, yeah. George Senter – It’s nice to know that everybody’s involved and everybody’s upset about this thing and I think it would be a nice thing to do. It’s just a suggestion. Councilman Scheffler – Good idea. Thanks. Richard C. Case, Jr., Highway Superintendent - At this time the Highway Department's paving program has been completed. Sovocool Hill Road from the Village line to Smith Road and Durfee Road are now scheduled to have shoulders applied. I have made arrangements to borrow the Town of Cortlandville's shoulder machine when it becomes available. Town Board Minutes Page 6 of 12 September 11, 2001 Presently, Salt Road from Stevens Road to the McLean Road is receiving shoulder repair, drainage pipe replacement and pretty much a complete right-of-way reclamation. All Town roadsides have been completely mowed twice as of this week. As the Highway Department moves into the fall season, I would like to thank all Highway Department employees for a very productive summer season. The 1980 Ford 1-Ton Dump Truck that was placed in the Lansing Municipal Auction will bring payment of $3,250 to be placed in the machinery account. The auction did not produce any equipment that would be of benefit to our operation leaving the $15,000 previously approved, still in the machinery account. I received notice that the Tompkins County Highway Department will increase our December winter maintenance payment by $1,083. This is reimbursement for the fuel adjustment associated with the New York State bid for de-icing salt. Other than that, I don’t have anything, just a question from Fran on where we stand on the water situation. Francis Casullo, Town Attorney – Do you want to do that now? Supervisor Morey – You’re up next. No, Colleen’s up next. Can you wait Rick? Colleen D. Pierson, Town Clerk/Tax Collector – Submitted her monthly Town Clerk’s report for the Board’s review. Francis Casullo – First of all an update on the Coit Property. I have filed the notice of the petition of legal action. I filed that last week. We had my affidavit; another affidavit from an attorney in our office; I had Glenn sign the petition; I had Mark Gunn sign an affidavit; I had Colleen sign an affidavit; and probably had close to six, seven exhibits that I attached to the Court and filed it. I received a letter yesterday indicating that the case had been assigned to Judge Relihan. I’m just waiting to hear. It’s in his hands and he will tell me what’s next. So, as soon as I hear, I will notify Colleen. I just wanted to let you know where we stand on the Coit Property. Basically, what I’m asking for is some guidance of how we could give some notice on our intensions to remove and demolish the building. So, I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything. With respect to the Flang water cut-off, what I did is yesterday I got hold of Jim Henry, who is apparently the attorney for the Flangs and asked him about this. He was rattling off deeds and in particular one deed from 1912. Later on yesterday I called the abstract company and asked them if they could fax me a copy of that deed. Normally they are very quick, but with what went on today I didn’t get it until about 3 o’clock. I started going over it and it is somewhat hard to read. I also gave it to my real estate paralegal to start looking at and we’ll try to put all the deeds in order so that we can go down the progression and figure out what exactly the Flangs’ argument is. I guess, generally, as I understand it, their argument is that this deed in 1912 did not create a valid easement for others down the line. I guess a lady first had this easement and it didn’t create a valid easement down the line. So, the argument is that in the year 2001, now we’re being told that the Town of Groton did not have a valid right to use this water. I sort of find it a little odd or strange as to the timing that you can let things go for nearly a century. This property has Town Board Minutes Page 7 of 12 September 11, 2001 changed hands, it looks to me, no fewer than three or four times at least and this is the first time this has ever cropped up. But I will be looking into it and as soon as I have a definitive answer I’ll let the Board know. Supervisor Morey – And everybody did get a copy of the letter I received, so. All righty, thank you. Anything else? Arland stopped by and he was concerned about the bailiff description, so, but he had nothing else to report. They are working on their budget, so they will present that to me in the next couple of days. Arland Heffron and Arthur Dawson, Town Justices – Submitted their monthly report for the Board’s review. Supervisor Morey – We were awarded $400,000 for the 2001 Small Cities Community Development Program. You have all the information about that. We have to do some preliminary things before we do it and I will be doing that in the next couple of weeks. We have th to send out notifying who applied that the grant was approved and they were all sent out the 24 of August. We’re waiting for the list to be established. We had over 50 people and hopefully we’ll have at least 40 people that we’ll be able to help with this grant. We’re going to have to hold a community meeting. This was part of the application that we said that we would and it will be in conjunction with the Town meeting to answer some questions for the people that they might have. We have to sign a contract with New York State; we have to sign a contract with Better Housing of Tompkins County; and we also have to have an Environmental Review. It seems that we have to do a SEQR for everything, even with funds. So, this is what we will be doing next month. Hopefully we’ll have everything completed by then. So, everything is moving forward. My next item is to set a Public Hearing for the Small Cities Grant. Can we do it next month? We do have Vital Communities coming and will be wanting to speak a little bit about what they think the County is going to look like in the future. RESOLUTION #62 – SET PUBLIC HEARING DATE ON 2001 SMALL CITIES GRANT MOVED by Supervisor Morey, seconded by Councilman Scheffler. Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Randall, Clark, Morey. RESOLVED , that the Town Board does hereby set the date of Tuesday, October 9, 2001, at 8:00 PM for a Public Hearing on the 2001 Small Cities Grant. Supervisor Morey – We have to set some meetings for the Tentative Budget schedule for 2002. These are some of the dates that I have, okay? They are tentative so I am asking you whether th they want to do it. This is the days: Wednesday, September 12, tomorrow, at 7 PM, just to go over and find out what your feelings are and what you think are important to the budget. Louie, you look concerned. Councilman Sovocool – I’m trying to think what I had on tomorrow. I guess nothing. Town Board Minutes Page 8 of 12 September 11, 2001 Supervisor Morey – Okay. I’d like to have Friday at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, the highway employees in and if it’s at all possible that they can do it I’d like to have them then to see what th their demands are. Saturday, September 15 at 8 AM. (Several Councilmen said they could not th be there). That’s all right. How about Monday, the 17? That’s next Monday, 7 o’clock and th Wednesday, the 19 at 7 o’clock. (Someone mentions that Wednesday there is another meeting that the Board is attending and Thursday will be the Planning Board Meeting.) Do you want to nd make it next Saturday, (September 22) at 8 o’clock in the morning and finish it up? (8:30 AM was decided upon.) Final dates decided upon were: Wednesday, September 12, at 7 PM Friday, September 14, at 2 PM, to meet with the highway employees. Monday, September 17, at 7PM Saturday, September 22, at 8:30 AM RESOLUTION #63 – CREATE POSITION OF BAILIFF MOVED by Supervisor Morey, seconded by Councilman Sovocool. Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Randall, Clark, Morey. RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Groton does hereby desire to create the position of a part time and/or full time Bailiff. Announcements: th Municipal Officials Association Meeting, September 18. Training Sessions for Town Officials in Summer Hill, Wednesday, September 19, from 7-9 for training on budget preparation. th Groton Fire Department Golf Day, September 16. Supervisor Morey – I’m also going to keep the tax exemptions discussion on paper right now, in front of everybody. We were given, last month, a Q and A pamphlet. I hope everybody’s read this because we are going to be discussing this in the next couple of months. We don’t have to do it until March, but I just want to keep it in front of everybody to get their opinion and find out what they want to do. We still have some information we have to get before we make a decision, but keep up with the paperwork anyway. th Planning Board Meeting is September 20. Don you are going to be there? This month we are going to be interviewing Planning Board members. Next month we are going to interview Code Enforcement Officers or applications. Everybody should have copies of all the applications of Town Board Minutes Page 9 of 12 September 11, 2001 the Board Member as well as the Code Enforcement Officer. The Planning Board wanted to have a full staff before making a decision on the Code Enforcement Officer. Is there any topics of interest? Councilman Scheffler – Yes, I’d like to register my disappointment with the brochure. I know you don’t want to hear it, but I find it very discriminating against two forms of businesses, and not because I wasn’t on it. I really could care less whether I am on it or not. But it hurt a lot of feelings around Town and there was really no reason for them to try to damage our businesses as much as they could. They showed no remorse. They say they stand behind it. Then they kind of printed some other forms here that basically say the same thing, that two forms of businesses are not open and they can’t wait on people during business hours. I don’t think it was the right way to handle things and I am very disappointed in it. I don’t know how anybody else feels about it. The copy that we were given on Tuesday night was worded different…the final draft is different than the one that they printed. I was real disappointed in it. They asked us for taxpayer money for it, and you know, they’re asking for money from the people that they are trying to hurt. I’ve showed it to 12 year olds. I’ve showed it to businesses outside of Town. A lot of businesses have told me that they would be suing if they did it to them. I told Chuck about it and Chuck said, “yeanh, so?” Councilman Sovocool – Whose telephone number have they got in there? Councilman Scheffler – Well, that’s the Village Office. They are also the office for the GBA apparently. And a lot of the phone numbers don’t match the businesses, but that’s neither here nor there. Councilman Randall – I’ll back Don up. I’m very disappointed. I have talked to a few people since then and they had the list so it wasn’t like we didn’t try to help them out. It was pretty blatant, I thought. They asked for my help as an individual, which I offered, and they cancelled the meeting and didn’t tell me about it and failed to get back to me about any of it. So, I support Don. I think it was a waste, if we pay anything on it; it was a waste of the Groton Town taxpayers’ money to even support it. Councilman Sovocool – Have we paid anything into it? Councilman Randall – I don’t know if we have yet. I don’t think we have. Councilman Scheffler – They haven’t billed us, but we approved $200 for the brochure. And for that…. Have you seen it Fran? See what you think of this wording. If they did that to your law office, what would you do? Councilman Sovocool – Can’t be reached during……………. Supervisor Morey – It’s too bad that the pamphlet didn’t come out perfect but I didn’t think anybody ever expected………. Councilman Scheffler – No, I don’t expect it to come out perfect……. Supervisor Morey – Don, can I talk now? The intent was to support the businesses in Groton and promote the local Groton as a whole. But when Bob Walpole came here we made two Town Board Minutes Page 10 of 12 September 11, 2001 stipulations, that we get copies and that we have more Town businesses in there. The last one, we did not have final approval. We did not ask for final approval. And everybody on the Board thought that Tyke was sitting on the committee, to later find out that the meeting was cancelled and Tyke never had any final input whatsoever. But when we voted for the $200, they met every stipulation that we had. Next time we vote we gotta be smarter and make sure that we have final input and have someone on the Town Board sitting on the committee at all times and that we have final approval. But for the most part, the intent was to support the businesses in the area and promote Groton as a whole. Go ahead. Councilman Scheffler – Does that support Groton? I mean………. Supervisor Morey – I think the intent is. It’s supporting Groton. Now we have something to give proper businesses coming in who we are trying to attract here and people coming into the community. That’s one of the things why we came up with a pamphlet. We went to talk to these people we had nothing to give them. We had no videotapes. We had no brochures. Councilman Scheffler – What is the purpose of them singling out two forms of business that they say specifically can’t be dealt with during business hours? Supervisor Morey – I have no idea. I think what they’re saying was to first of all call Chuck to get a list of the people. And second of all that there’s no permanent businesses or someone there to answer all the time. That’s what they were trying to do. You show people that are out working, hard, and there’s no permanent person located in an office to answer a phone. Councilman Scheffler – But they never asked any of these businesses if that were true. Like the contractors, most of them have rollover numbers to their cell numbers. You can get hold of them. A lot of the repair shops are open all day, every day. We work hard to get people not to call us Sunday night at 10 o’clock. Supervisor Morey – And you can tell that the professional people weren’t the people who put this together too, because of the wording in it. That’s why, if Tyke was involved he might have saw that and corrected them. Councilman Scheffler – I just wanted to register my dissatisfaction with it. I understand that we did say that we would give them the money and if that’s the case, then that’s the case, but I’m not happy with it. Richard Case – May I say one thing, as a person in the crowd? I understand a lot of the displeasure, but I think another factor was that it was poorly prepared in some aspects because they were trying to hurry to get it done for the people who were coming in for the Grave’s Memorial. Supervisor Morey – Festival Days. Richard Case – Old Home Days. I know they were hustling and I am just an observer. Councilman Scheffler – I understand that and I didn’t expect it to be perfect, but…………… Town Board Minutes Page 11 of 12 September 11, 2001 Guests from Tompkins County: George Frantz was there to talk about a feasibility study he is doing for the Tompkins County Planning Department and Cooperative Extension to look at whether or not it would be a good idea for Tompkins County to set up a formal program to protect agricultural land through purchase of development rights. They are also looking at whether it is a good idea to set up a separate or similar program that might be used to protect some of the more environmentally sensitive or ecologically important lands in Tompkins County that are not already protected either as State Parks, State Forests, Cornell Plantations Lands, or the Nature Conservatory or the Fingerlakes Land Trust. Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) is essentially when a willing landowner would sell the development rights to their property to the County. The value of these development rights would be established by an appraisal of the land as real estate and then there is another appraisal done on the land based on its value for agricultural or conservation purposes. The difference between the market value and the value of the land for agricultural or conservation purposes would be what the County would pay the landowner for the development rights. All rights to develop the land would then essentially be extinguished. Mr. Frantz went on to describe other aspects of the program including how the agriculture lands would be selected according to the best soil types, what the program would cost the County, and how the County’s Agricultural District would be incorporated into it. Monica Roth, Ag Program Leader at Cooperative Extension, explained that one thing that was also being looked at in the study was to figure out what municipal entities should be holding the easements and what level of involvement the towns wished to have in the process. Supervisor Morey asked what form the payments would be. Mr. Frantz explained that the typical way would be a cash payment. Monica Roth explained the County’s Ag and Farm Protection Plan. There are three areas that they feel are important to continue agriculture’s viability. One is education to consumers and public. Farm City Day is one thing that addresses this. Another area of focus is economic development and trying to link consumers closer to producers and with tourism. The third area of focus is on policy and informing people about the Ag District Law and how help can be given to towns to help protect and preserve agriculture. Debbie Teeter presented the Town of Groton 2001 Agricultural Profile and explained some of its contents to the Board. She also presented some maps and left them with the Board. Supervisor Morey – Debbie and Monica, this is fabulous information and we will all read it. The Board thanked Mr. Frantz, Ms. Roth, and Ms. Teeter for their presentation. They will be back to another Board Meeting, possibly in November with more information on the subject. Town Board Minutes Page 12 of 12 September 11, 2001 RESOLUTION# 64 - IN SUPPORT OF GOVERNOR PATAKI AND MAYOR GIULIANI MOVED by Supervisor Morey, seconded by Councilman Clark. Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Randall, Clark, Morey. BE IT RESOLVED , that we, the Town Board of the Town of Groton, do hereby extend our support and gratitude for the exemplary actions taken by Governor George Pataki, on behalf of the State of New York, and Mayor Rudolf Giuliani, on behalf of New York City, following the aftermath of the World Trade Center bombing. There being no further business Councilman Sovocool moved to adjourn, seconded by Councilman Scheffler at 8:45 PM. Unanimous. Colleen D. Pierson Town Clerk