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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-09-08-TB car TOWN OF ULYSSES REGULAR TOWN BOARD MEETING SEPTEMBER 8, 1998 PRESENT: Supervisor Douglas Austic; Councilpeople Robert Weatherby, Peter Penniman ; Town Clerk Marsha Georgia ; Highway Superintendent James Meeker; CEO Alex Rachun ; ABSENT Councilwomen Carolyn Duddleston and Councilman Andrew Hillman . Others Present: Free Press Reporter Ann Brewer; Ann Stover; David Kline; Peter Demjanec; Tom Reitz; Fernando De Aragon ; Lonnie Hammond and State Trooper Ed Abruzzo . Supervisor Austic called the meeting to order at 7 : 30 PM and led those assembled in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America . REPORTS OF REPRESENTATIVES County Board Representative Peter Meskill, absent . Trumansburq Fire Department No one in attendance . Director of Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council Tom Reitz introduced Fernando Dearagon , the new Director. Mr . Dearagon passed around a print out of "What is a MPO'? and explained that it stands for Metropolitan Planning Organization . ITCTC was formally designated as the MPO for the Ithaca Metropolitan Area . It is structured at three levels . The foundation of the MPO is the Central Staff, which is charged with performing the administration, technical and professional services necessary to carry out the program requirements . The core is the Transportation Planning Committee and they are responsible for coordinating and managing the area's transportation planning activities and providing technical advice and recommendations to the Transportation Policy Committee . This is composed primarily of elected officials representing the principal units of local government within the urbanized area . Additional members include representatives from the NYS Department of Transportation , the Federal Highway Administration , the Federal Transit Administration , and Cornell University . ISTEA's metropolitan planning requirements include the several Long Range Plan requisites . Some of these criteria are : • The plan must address as least a twenty-year planning horizon ; • The plan must be reviewed and revised at least every five years; • The plan must consider the long-range land use plan , the environmental resource plans, and overall social , economic, and energy conservation goals of the area ; is The plan must identify pedestrian walkway and bicycle transportation facilities; • The plan must consider the socioeconomic, environmental and financial impacts of the overall plan ; brb Regular Town Board Meeting 2 09-08-98 ■ The plan must demonstrate a multimodal, systematic approach in addressing both current and future transportation demands of both persons and goods; • There must be adequate opportunity for public official and citizen involvement in the development of the plan before it is approved by the MPO . In summary, the role of the MPO is to facilitate a "continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive" intergovernmental transportation planning process that is sensitive to the needs, resources, and characteristics of the metropolitan area . The funds are Federal and there is about two billion in source money . Local bodies distribute the monies to local projects . This fall there will be guidelines and he will let local governments know of these . He will be setting up a half day seminar to talk about the enhancement program and what the State looks for, what the application looks like, what assistance can be obtained from the County and to develop the grant application . There is a 5-year program for roads, and a 20 year long range program, along the line of goals and objectives, where we want to go with transportation in the County rather than projects specifically. They meet monthly and anyone is invited to attend meetings . NYS POLICE OFFICER EDWARD ABRUZZO Officer Abruzzo stated that periodically the State Police attend Town meetings to see if there is any input from Town Board Members . Occasionally Board Members get complaints from the public regarding problems and they just want to let everyone know that they are there to help. Previously he had gotten a complaint about speeding was set up and three troopers problems wrote tickets . Hell asked if anyone enforcement problems or concerns he would be happy to address them . Y e had any other Mr. Austic stated that one concern mentioned about a month ago is the speed limit of 30 miles per hour to be extended from the Village line to Taughannock Park Road so that people going into T-Burg Shur Save may make that turn safer. Officer Abruzzo stated that there is a couple of different ways to approach that. One would be petition the State DOT. They are sometimes very reluctant because they try not to over regulate the highways . Probably the best away to do it is the Town Board draft a letter that would go to the County Highway Department and from there he would take it to the State . The State Police do road hazard reports . Ulysses Planning Board Report Chairman Ulysses Planning Board Member Peter Demjanec has been asked by the Planning Board to come before the Town Board and request three things : - A joint meeting with the Town Board for the purposes of reviewing a draft of "Site Plan Review" - Request permission to take the draft to the Town Attorney as soon as it is prepared for his review and hopefully have it back before the joint meeting - Request permission to schedule a public hearing to be held by the Planning Board at the end of this month for the purpose of getting some public feedback before the Town Boards public hearing Regular Town Board Meeting 3 09-08-98 The Town Board agreed to meet with the Planning Board Tuesday September 15th, 1998 at 7 : 00 PM . Mr. Austic stated that he had sent a copy to Attorney Bruce Wilson . The Town Board has no problem letting the Planning Board hold a public hearing . This was set for September 23rd and the public hearing for the Town Board was set for October 6th, 1998 . Mrs . Georgia will request the 239I/ m from Tompkins County Planning Board . APPROVAL OF MINUTES Previously distributed copies of the minutes for the Regular Town Board Meeting of July 14th, 1998, the Regular Town Board Meeting of August 11th, 1998 and a Special Board Meeting of August 17th, 1998 . Hearing no objections or changes Mr . Weatherby moved seconded by Mr. Penniman to approve the minutes as presented . Unanimously approved . APPROVAL OF CLAIMS After review of the vouchers Mr . Penniman moved seconded by Mr. Weatherby to approve for payment claims # 301 through 322 in the amount of $6, 132 . 04 . Hearing no objections the claims were unanimously approved . TOWN REPORTS Highway Superintendent, James Meeker reported that they have hauled a load of stone, been doing work on Pennsylvania Ave . They have got a bridge deck on Cemetery Road and got it installed and paved . Have been helping to pave up to Enfield and helped the County to some paving on Krums Corner. Working on pouring some concrete for a box culvert on Reynolds Road . Town Clerk, Marsha Georgia reported that the total fees collected for the month were $4,843 of that $938 . 33 to the Supervisor along with the monthly report. About $3600 was sent to the DEC for sporting licenses . Cornell Cooperative Extension is doing teleconferences again . The first is Thursday, September 10th, 1998 on the Year 2000 Computer Problem . The second is set for Thursday, September 24th, 1998 on budgets and finance matters for Cities and Villages . They will broadcast both of these programs on Time Warner Cable TV . The September 10th program will be on Channel 53 from 6 : 30 p . m . to 8 : 45 p . m . The September 24th program will also be on Channel 53 from 6 : 30 p . m . to 8 : 30 p . m . Tapes from previous broadcasts are available to barrow if anyone is interested . State Legislation was passed where tickets that are sold for raffles for profits below $30, 000 they would have to get a simplified license which is just being registered here in the Town Clerks Office but then they would have to verify their statements of whatever they made to the State . Code Enforcement Officer, Alex Rachun reported that August 10th through September 8th he has issued 6 permits and had 1. house start. Board of Zoning Appeals met twice and issued two area variances . Has a request from David Kline to amend his PUD . He currently has a boat shop and wants to change it to a custom cabinet and furniture shop that would connect to another building . Mr. Rachun stated since this was such a minimal alteration to this developmental district that he took the liberty to ask Town Attorney Bruce Wilson whether an amendment to the PUD was in order . Mr. Wilson felt that yes it was but that the process could be streamlined with the Town Board and have this amended without the process of going through the Planning Board . Mr. Rachun stated that he would like to be on record that he spoke to the chairman of the Planning CbCD Regular Town Board Meeting 4 09-08-98 Board and he suggested that he would like to stay as it has in the past with the process going from the Planning Board to the Town Board . The Board decided they would let the Planning Board review this and recommend to the Town Board . BOARD MEMBERS and / or Committees Mr. Penniman reported that the Economic Development Plan should be done by the end of the year or sometime this winter. The comments should be coming back to us around then . SUPERVISOR FINANCIAL REPORT Supervisor Austic reviewed the report. No questions were heard . OLD BUSINESS GRASS ROOTS/ FAIR BOARD, RESIDENT CONCERNS At the last Board meeting there was a resident that requested that the concerned residents meet jointly with the Fair Board and the Town Board . Mr. Weatherby stated that he mentioned this to a few of the Fair Board members and they have no problem having such a meeting . Gerald Reynolds is the President and Mr. Austic will call him up and arrange something . They will hold off until they are finished with the public hearings that are coming up . APPROVAL OF CAYUGA LAKE WATERSHED NETWORK MEMBERSHIP Mr. Austic stated that this had been previously approved when the Board approved the vouchers for payment tonight because a claim for the $30 membership was in those vouchers . NEW BUSINESS THUNDERING WATERS ART CENTER, SPONSORSHIP Linda Fizzary the owner of Thundering Waters Art Center on Taughannock Blvd . has approached Supervisor Austic in regards to the Board endorse her for a grant application to the County's Art Program . The Town Board has done this previously for another art grant and similar to what the Board did for Cayuga Nature Center. She has three different programs . Mr. Penniman moved seconded by Mr. Weatherby the following ; RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Ulysses endorses Thundering Waters Art Center in their attempt to apply for the Decentralization Grant Program for Tompkins County. Mr. Austic aye Mr. Penniman aye Mr. Weatherby aye Adopted NEW BUDGET YEAR Mr. Austic has distributed the budget work sheets to the department heads and organizations . He has asked for them to be returned to him be the 20th of September. He will do the tentative budget and have that to the Town Clerk by Regular Town Board Meeting 5 09-08-98 the 30th of September so she can distribute copies to the Board . Mr . Austic does not feel that there so be any major increases . HEARING OF GROUPS / INDIVIDUALS None Heard . CORRESPONDENCE None reviewed . ADJOURNMENT Hearing no further business Mr . Weatherby moved seconded by Mr . Penniman for adjournment. Hearing no objection the meeting was adjourned at 8 : 30 PM . Respectfully submitted , Marsha L. Georgia Ulysses Town Clerk MLG : mg