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 ;
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■ 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
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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
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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
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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
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