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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-03-10TOWN OF GROTON — MINUTES OF TOWN BOARD MEETING TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015 AT 7:30 PM THE TOWN HALL, 101 CONGER BOULEVARD Those present: Richard B. Gamel, Deputy Supervisor Ellard L. Sovocool, Councilperson Kelly Smith, Councilperson Sheldon C. Clark, Councilperson Victoria Monty, Attorney for the Town Also present: Don Scheffler, Stefanie Books Jacobs, Rick Nelson, Ed Neuhauser, Dan Carey, Glenn Morey, Julie Graham, Joe Graham, Charles Rankin, Richard C. Case, Jr., April Scheffler. MOVED by Deputy Supervisor Gamel, seconded by Councilperson Sovocool, to approve the minutes of the February 10, 2015 meeting as presented. Ayes - Sovocool, Smith, Clark, Gamel Vouchers for the General Fund in the amount $39,270.62 of were presented for audit. MOVED by Deputy Supervisor Gamel, seconded by Councilperson Smith, to approve the General Bills for payment. Ayes - Sovocool, Smith, Clark, Gamel Vouchers for the Highway Fund in the amount $51,861.73 of were presented for audit. MOVED by Councilperson Clark, seconded by Councilperson Sovocool, to approve the Highway Bills for payment. Ayes - Sovocool, Smith, Clark, Gamel Monthly Reports: Charles Rankin, Bookkeeper - Submitted monthly reports for the Board's review. The annual report for the Town has been filed with the Town Clerk and the Office of the State Comptroller. One transfer was requested. RESOLUTION #15-023 - 2015 BUDGET TRANSFER MOVED by Deputy Supervisor Gamel, seconded by Councilperson Sovocool RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby approves the transfer of grant funds received for the Town Justice Court to the Justice Court expense fund. General Fund, Town Wide: From: Revenues, Justice Court Grant, A3089 ..................... $2,550.00 To: Expenditures, Justice Court, Grant Funds, A1110.41 ...... 2,550.00 Ayes - Sovocool, Smith, Clark, Gamel Nays - Resolution Passed Town Board Minutes Page 2 March 10, 2015 Gary Coats, Code/Fire Enforcement Officer - Was not present, but had submitted monthly reports for the Board's review. Richard C. Case, Jr., Highway Superintendent - Contrary to some people's belief, we have not hit every mailbox in the Town of Groton. It's been a long month and a half and the fellows have worked hard. Our salt consumption is 125 ton over what we've contracted to buy. That doesn't mean the budget is in any dire straights and I will tell you more about that next December. Diesel fuel, we've used more but the price has been down a little bit, so we are at status quo and nothing to worry about. Kelly brought up a question in the bills about the glass we replaced in the excavator. I can't tell you how old it is, but it got to the point that they couldn't see out, so it was a safety factor to replace it. The truck, cab and chassis that we are waiting for has been manufactured and between where it was manufactured and Rochester and then will go the snowplow fabricators. Mike Neville has completed his probation period and has done a great job and I would ask for a raise for him. RESOLUTION #15-024 - APPROVE RAISE FOR MIKE NEVILLE MOVED by Deputy Supervisor Gamel, seconded by Councilperson Sovocool WHEREAS, Mike Neville has completed his 90 -day probationary period, now therefore be it RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby approves a 50 -cent and hour raise effective March 2, 2015. Ayes - Sovocool, Smith, Clark, Gamel Nays - Resolution Passed Deputy Supervisor Gamel - Said that the Highway Department did a great job pushing back the snow banks and keeping the roads, especially Salt Road from becoming impassable during the recent snow storms. Superintendent Case - Said that they do not get paid for that under the snow and ice removal contract with the County, but he felt that it needed to be done. April L. Scheffler, RMC, Town Clerk/Tax Collector - Submitted monthly reports for the Board's review. Robin and I attended a TSSERR meeting today, the electronic records group that we have with Tompkins County. They are in the process of scanning records for the Villages now and are applying for a new grant with plans to start scanning the court records of the Towns. We also heard about how the County and City of Ithaca is using Laser Fiche, which is the basis of the records program, to create forms and streamline some of their services. I am going to be sending Robin down to some additional meetings and training to learn about setting up forms and we have lots of ideas how we can use this. The annual agreement with Gadabout Transportation Services was dropped off at my office the other day. It is for $5,100 as budgeted. So I would ask for a resolution to approve that. Since Gary isn't able to be here tonight, I said I would bring up the subject of truss stickers. He talked to you last month about the new law requiring truss stickers being placed on new construction so that firemen are aware of the type of construction before entering a burning building. I think he gave you a copy of the law and some pictures of the stickers. We have talked it over and would like to have the stickers available here and make them part of the building permit process with an additional fee when a building requires a sticker. Our reasoning is that they are currently unavailable except by special order and then Grossmans was the only local place that we found that would order them. We got a sample to have here and it cost $18.35. Robin did some online research for the cheapest place to order them and if we order what we think we might use in a year or so, they would cost $11.13 each. If a person were to order just one from the same place, they would pay $22.12. We had a certificate of occupancy held up this month because a person wasn't able to find a sticker. Having them here would make it easier for Town Board Minutes Page 3 March 10, 2015 people. Most importantly, Gary could make the sticker as part of the final inspection, take it with him, and make sure that it gets placed properly. Since it is an issue of safety for firemen, we feel this is the way to go. So, we would like to ask you for a resolution for an additional building permit fee, where needed, to cover the cost of the sticker. After some discussion, the following resolution was passed: RESOLUTION #15-025 - ADDITIONAL BUILDING PERMIT FEE WHEN TRUSS TYPE STICKERS ARE REQUIRED MOVED by Deputy Supervisor Gamel, seconded by Councilperson Sovocool WHEREAS, Section 382-b of the Executive Law provides that any person utilizing truss type, pre- engineered wood or timber construction for the erection of any new residential structure, for any addition to an existing residential structure, or for any rehabilitation of an existing residential structure, shall, upon application for a building, include on the permit application that truss type, pre-engineered wood, or timber construction is being utilized, and WHEREAS, Section 3 82-b of the Executive Law further provides that as a condition of the final receipt of a certificate of occupancy or certificate of completion, a sign or symbol designed and approved by the Code Council shall be affixed to the exterior of the structure, now therefore be if RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby approves an additional building permit fee of $12.00 for any building that requires a truss type symbol as required by Section 3 82-b of Executive Law. Ayes - Sovocool, Smith, Clark, Gamel Nays - Resolution Passed Victoria Monty, Attorney for the Town - Had nothing to report. John Norman & A. D. Dawson, Town Justices - Were not present. Councilperson Kelly Smith as Representative to Joint Youth Program - Youth track is in jeopardy because they don't have anybody to run the program. Youth baseball and softball will be starting on March 21St at the high school gym with baseball having the first part of the day and softball having the second part. The Cabin Fever Festival went over fairly well. The chicken barbeque sold out; the downtown businesses didn't do so well; and the high school did very well with an estimated 150 - 170 people there in the afternoon and approximately 160 people roller skating that night. Summer concert series is 90% done with one date left to fill. They will be advertising for summer job posting later this month. We will only have one movie night this year. The deadline for the summer programs booklet is May 1 st Glenn Morey, County Legislator - County versus Town government has been a learning experience. I've been assigned to Government Operations, Facilities and Infrastructure, and everyone is on the Budget Committee. Privilege of the Floor: Dan Carey - Urged the Board not to pass the proposed resolution on the agenda in support of the Owasco Watershed Lake Association enhanced restoration actions program. He feels that the intent would have a direct impact on agriculture. Rick Nelson, Owasco Watershed Lake Association (OWLA) -Was there to ask for support their efforts to acquire some money in the current State budget negotiations to implement actions to help the Town Board Minutes Page 4 March 10, 2015 lake. The past year has not been good for Owasco Lake with blue algae blooms and excessive weed growth. The main culprit is phosphorus. It comes from many sources, agriculture is one, stream bank erosion, and ditches that aren't holding the water back. The focus of their funding is going toward non-ag projects. They have joined with the Whole Farms Best Practices Partnership run by Doug Young to address the nutrients loss that farms have. They have some stream bank stabilization projects starting as well as a holding pond project in the Owasco Flats to capture phosphorus. They are not anti-ag, but have partnered with ag and others to try to reduce and reverse the degradation of the lake. Deputy Supervisor Gamel asked how their current plans would specifically affect farmers in the Town of Groton. Mr. Nelson said that they are going to provide some funds to Doug Young to implement his new manure spreading boom that he has developed to spread manure on growing plants rather than before or after the growing season. Deputy Supervisor Gamel said that wouldn't be helping our Town of Groton farmers. Mr. Nelson said that the apparatus is available to rent and that Mr. Young also has new tilling apparatus that does not churn up as much soil as conventional tilling and he is trying to make that available. Councilperson Smith asked if they had been conducting stream monitoring of the Inlet from Groton. Mr. Nelson said that they have and whether they get the funding or not, they will be increasing their stream monitoring this summer. Mr. Carey said that he thinks the ultimate goal is to regulate agriculture. He said that he knew that one of the goals was to stop the spreading of manure during the winter months, which puts a financial burden on the farmer to build long term storage costing around half a million dollars. He would rather see money go to Soil and Water, Cooperative Extension, and the Farmland Protection Board as these agencies are experienced in working with agriculture. They have the staff to do these things and he doesn't think it's necessary for community members to organize and go to Albany to try to get this money. RESOLUTION #15-026 - SUPPORT OF THE PROPOSED OWASCO WATERSHED LAKE ASSOCIATION (OWLA) ENHANCED RESTORATION ACTIONS PROGRAM MOVED Councilperson Smith, seconded by Councilperson Sovocool WHEREAS, OWLA has requested an allocation within the 2015 NYS budget to support a range of critically important Lake restoration actions referred to as the "OWLA Enhanced Restoration Actions Program"; and WHEREAS, this OWLA program is designed to rapidly reduce the loading of phosphorus from the streams and tributaries of Owasco Lake; and WHEREAS, Owasco Lake has experienced a rapid degradation in water quality as evidenced by on- going water quality studies of the lake, increased aquatic vegetation growth, and multiple cyanobacteria blooms, some of which were highly toxic; and WHEREAS, the proposed Restoration Program will provide funding for capital expenses included in the design, planning, installation, and monitoring of various phosphorus reduction mechanisms and techniques in the buffer areas adjacent to streams and tributaries; and WHEREAS, OWLA'S mission is to restore and protect the water quality of Owasco Lake and in consideration of existing data showing the negative impacts of nutrient loading from non -point sources and various land uses adjacent to the streams and tributaries of the watershed, Town Board Minutes Page S March 10, 2015 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town of Groton is fully in support of the proposed OWLA Action Program as described generally in the attachment to this resolution and urges all NYS legislative representatives representing this area to do all that can be done to secure funding for this program. Ayes - Sovocool, Smith, Gamel Nays - Clark Resolution Passed Discussion took place between Joe Graham and the Board on the health insurance benefit for retirees. Originally, it was set up that a retiree who wished to stay on the Town health insurance would have 25% of the premium paid by the Town. Later, when people had to buy supplemental insurance, it was decided that the Town would pay up to $110.00 towards the supplemental. At some point the 25% was deleted from the Highway Contract and $110.00 inserted. At one time $110.00 was equal to 25% of the Town insurance but is much less than 25% now. After discussion, it was decided to table the issue until next month when they Board has additional information and dollar amounts from the bookkeeper. RESOLUTION #15-027 - SET DATE FOR LOCAL ASSESSMENT REVIEW MOVED by Deputy Supervisor Gamel, seconded by Councilperson Sovocool RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby set Thursday, May 14, 2015, from 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm, for the Local Assessment Review (Grievance Day). Ayes - Sovocool, Smith, Clark, Gamel Nays - Resolution Passed RESOLUTION #15-028 - APPOINT LOCAL BOARD OF ASSESSMENT REVIEW MOVED by Deputy Supervisor Gamel, seconded by Councilperson Clark RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby appoints Jack Miller, Fran Sovocool, Elizabeth Conger, Kelly Smith, Town Supervisor or Deputy Town Supervisor as the Local Board of Assessment Review. Ayes - Sovocool, Smith, Clark, Gamel Nays - Resolution Passed DECLARE APRIL AS FAIR HOUSING MONTH MOVED by Councilperson Smith, seconded by Councilperson Sovocool WHEREAS, in accordance with the Title VIII Fair Housing Policy of the Civil Rights Act of1968 and the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 and, WHEREAS, the Month of April 2015 has been designated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office as Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity as Fair Housing Month, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Groton hereby declares and proclaims April 2015 as Fair Housing Month in the Town of Groton. Ayes - Sovocool, Smith, Clark, Gamel Nays - Resolution Passed Town Board Minutes Page 6 March 10, 2015 RESOLUTION #15-030 - TOWN HISTORIAN TO ATTEND CONFERENCE MOVED by Deputy Supervisor Gamel, seconded by Councilperson Sovocool RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby approves the payment of expenses for the Town Historian, Rosemarie Tucker, to attend the annual Association of Public Historians of New York State Conference being held April 9-12, 2015 in Corning, NY up to $500.00 as provided in the 2015 Budget. Ayes - Sovocool, Smith, Clark, Gamel Nays - Resolution Passed Announcements: ➢ Flyer from Senator Seward for a free Senior Scam Prevention Forum on March 19 at Southworth Library in Dryden ➢ Planning Board - March 19 at 7:30 pm ➢ Zoning Board of Appeals - March 25 at 7:00 pm A discussion took place on the vacancy that existed in the Town Supervisor position due to the resignation of Glenn Morey as he was elected to the position of County Legislator. Councilperson Clark said that the Republican Committee had met and made a recommendation for the appointment. Councilperson Smith's position was that she had been left out of the decision. Deputy Supervisor Gamel said that he had called her and told her about the recommendation. RESOLUTION #15-031 - APPOINT TOWN SUPERVISOR MOVED by Councilperson Clark, seconded by Councilperson Sovocool WHEREAS, Glenn Morey submitted his resignation as Supervisor of the Town of Groton effective February 17, 2015, now therefore be it RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby appoints Donald Scheffler as Supervisor of the Town of Groton for a term to expire December 31, 2015. Ayes - Sovocool, Clark, Gamel Nays - Smith Resolution Passed Councilperson Smith - Asked who would be assigned to the Ethics Committee as well as other committees and assignments that had been held by Glenn Morey. It was thought by the Board that this would need to be reviewed, and she requested that these decisions be made together as a board. RESOLUTION #15-032 - AUTHORIZE SUPERVISOR TO SIGN CDBG GRANT DOCUMENTS MOVED by Deputy Supervisor Gamel, seconded by Councilperson Sovocool RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby authorizes the Town Supervisor, to contacts and any other necessary documents required for the implementation of the Community Development Block Grant. Ayes - Sovocool, Smith, Clark, Gamel Nays - Resolution Passed There being no further business, Councilman Sovocool moved to adjourn, seconded by Councilman Smith, at 8:32 pm. Unanimous. April L. Scheffler, RMC Groton Town Clerk