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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-03-14 - TB � • P I 1:: Cr 1 ' : U ; I I cI, • if 1 � f ,' S { ! f if f 1 ' ., . ` .. ! gip. qi , t, i�h�' 11 , _ h ,: a� f [ I_ '. .. Ill ' 11 � 1 � f ' �If , I . ,i! I� - ul,i�lc : Cr TOWN BOARD OF ULYSSES REGULAR TOWN BOARD MEETING MARCH 14, 2000 PRESENT : Supervisor Doug Austic, Councilpeople Andrew Hillman, Robert Weatherby (arrived late), and Sue Poelvoorde, Councilwoman Carolyn Duddleston absent. Highway Superintendent James Meeker. Town Clerk Marsha Georgia Also Present : Mr. Meeker, Dave Gell , Vincent Soderholm, Jean Foley, Barbara Blanchard, Brian Wilbur, Peter Penniman, Jack Miller, Lee Shurtleff, Jack Fulton, and other EMT/ Fire Personnel Supervisor Austic called the meeting to order at 7 : 30 p . m. and led those assembled in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Regular Town Board Meeting 2/08/2000 After reviewing the minutes and making minor changes to the third and fifth pages of the minutes, Ms. Poelvoorde moved to accept the minutes as given. Mr. Hillman seconded. Mr. Austic aye Mr. Hillman aye Ms. Poelvoorde aye Adopted . APPROVAL OF MONTHLY CLAIMS Mr. Austic introduced a motion to approve 2000 claims 61 - 131 in the amount of $66, 987 . 35 . Mr. Hillman moved, and Ms. Poelvoorde seconded . Mr. Austic aye Mr. Hillman aye Ms. Poelvoorde aye Adopted. REPORTS OF REPRESENTATIVES EMC Representative Jean Foley reported on the EMC ' s work in 1999, the annual report would be completed in April . Trumansburg Fire Department: Representative Jack Fulton reported 483 calls thus far in the year 2000. This figure is down from last year. The Fire Department applied for a grant in the amount of $ 15 , 000 . 00 and was granted $ 14, 000. 00 of that. The grant will go towards paying for a generator for the station. Ultimately, the generator could be hooked up to Calvary Baptist Church up the hill from the station, and would provide ($ ample support to both the station and the church. Tompkins County Board of Representative Representative Peter Penniman reported later in the meeting. Tompkins County Board of Representatives ' Barbara Blanchard reported later in the meeting. TOWN REPORTS Highway Superintendent James Meeker reported salting and snow removal throughout the month. The department hopes to resume work on the door project halted by February' s snow in March. aC Town of Ulysses 2 Regular Town Board Meeting 03/14/2000 Code Enforcement Officer Alex Rachun was not present . Mr. Austic covered the report left by; Mr. Rachun. He reported 8 projects in the month including 6 new single- family residences, 1 alteration, and 1 addition. Town Clerk Marsha L. Georgia reported $ 1 ,450. 00 collected in fees. $ 735 . 15 of this was turned over to the Supervisor. Mrs . Georgia also reported on a matter concerning the house numbers of Iradell Road. Her wish is to work with the Towns of Ithaca and Enfield to re-number the roads . The concern over the Road ' s numbers arose over the fear of confusion for 911 and local responders in emergencies. Board Menibers and Committees Mr. Hillman reported on his recent attendance at a Ulysses Joint Youth Commission meeting. He noted concern about youth space, particularly over the fact that construction will make space in the school unavailable next year. The Commission has a youth services calendar available that includes a number of new things for the year 2000 . Ms. Poelvoorde reported on her recent attendance at an Ithaca Tompkins County Transportation Council Meeting. The council requested a list of construction and zoning bridges in the Town of Ulysses. The council would like the list by April 1 , 2000 . Mr. Meeker reported sending a similar list to Randy Kuhl ' s office, which probably will make compiling the list quicker and easier. The Tourism Bureau requested the same list . Ms. Poelvoorde also attended the Association of Towns' Annual Meeting. The Association provided a number of training sessions at the meeting. Ms. Poelvoorde had literature from the meeting for the Board Members. Mr. Austic asked if there were any questions from the Town Board concerning the Operating Statement with the Finance Report. Ms. Poelvoorde asked about Workers' Compensation portion. She noted that the balance in this fund was negative and asked why . Mr. Austic reported workers' comp must have been increased and surpassed the budget ' s allocation. Supervisor' s Report Mr. Austic reported on the receipt of the Town' s Justice Gramm: in the amount of $8, 500 . 00 and on newly acquired computer equipment . The computer equipment will be arriving shortly, and space will have to be made for it. Tompkins County Board of Representatives Rep. Peter Penniman reported on the importance 'of everyone responding to the 2000 census . 200, 000 in 1990 undercounted New York State. Mr. Penniman also requested that the Town keep the County informed concerning county roads so that the county can properly care for the roads they are responsible for within Ulysses . OLD BUSINESS Prior to the meeting, the Board opted to wait until a time when Ms. Duddleston would be present to discuss topics under Old Business . NEW BUSINESS Community Center Discussion Mr. Austic 'reported back to the Board concerning the possibility of using the old Post Office for a youth center. After speaking with Mr. Stevenson, Mr. Austic reported the possibility to be rather unfeasible. Mr. Austic reported the cost to start the youth center would be approximately $ 140,000 . 00 and felt that this much money could be invested in other youth services. If the Town so desires, Mr. Austic would be willing to try to negotiate a . lower price with Mr. Stevenson. Town of Ulysses 3 Regular Town Board Meeting 03/14/2000 Trumansburg Ambulance Mr. Austic also reported on his recent attendance at a village meeting concerning the possibility of a Trumansburg Ambulance Corp . The village is looking at the labor costs that a full-time ambulance corp. would entail . A representative from Dryden reported on how that town had started a corp. The village will discuss the matter further at their meeting on March 23 , 2000 . Tompkins County Board of Representatives' Barbara Blanchard reported on Tompkins County' s 911 -tower project . The County presently has 14 sites, a change of system to a different frequency; a trunking system will make it possible to reduce the number of sites to 9 with "increased radio coverage by end user. " The County has decided to go through with the program . Ms. Blanchard reported the County is currently • working on cost allocation options for towns and county, and the development of a procurement document which they hope will get the program rolling in the next three to four months. Mr. Austic wondered how the new system would impact the Town' s ability to contact Seneca County officials. Mr. Jack Miller noted that neighboring counties, particularly Schuyler, are looking into similar programs. Mr. Miller also noted that Seneca County Departments might be able to buy into the Tompkins County system. Mr. Austic was still concerned about the Town' s ability to contact Seneca County in emergency situations and Ms. Blanchard noted that she could ask a visitor from Clinton County coming in April about Mr. Austic' s concerns . In response to a question concerning the center of the system' s hub, it was noted that a site has not yet been determined . Mr. Peter Penniman asked about control of the system ' s line and Mr. David Gell wanted to know how the trunking system would compare to the use of cellular phones. Both questions were addressed. Mr. Jack Fulton felt the program would be well worth the amount of money that will be needed to implement it . Ms. Blanchard closed her report with cost estimate. The County is looking into grants to help fund the project, particularly in the form of Federal Safety Grants. A rough estimate cites the cost of the project not including the cost of the radios themselves to be about $8 . 5 million. Basic radios would run at about $ 1 , 500. 00, and pagers would run about $200. 00. The County has been setting funds aside in a capital improvement account since 1997 . These saved funds will minimize the impact of a tax raise for the County. Possible Grant Applications Mr. Austic reported on considerations of potential grants for a water district in Jacksonville. Three possible grants were noted; one for planning, one for low-middle income areas, and one that would provide project funds which demanded official plans with an application . Of the three, Mr. Austic thought the planning grant would prove most realistic at this time. Mr. Austic and Dianne Hillman will be meeting at the Ulysses Town Offices at 9 : 00am, on Monday, March 20 to discuss specifics of where a Jacksonville water district might be possible. The meeting will be at the Town Offices. Regarding the grants, the Jacksonville Association is working on an income survey. Update on Jacksonville Situation Recent tests showed no MTBE present in sites tested . The DEC has taken over the matter of the environmental clean up beyond the Mobil Corporation ' s agreement . The Mobil Corporation will be responsible for fulfilling its agreement and will have to perform any contamination tests requested, but are not responsible for further environmental clean-up . There has been some talk of the corporation tearing down the • houses it purchased after the spill, and the board discussed this matter. Mr. Austic felt the land without the buildings would be worth more to the town than the land with the houses on them, citing the fact that the buildings are very run down, and would require a good deal of work before they could be resided in. Water District Formation (surrounding Village of Trumansburg) A certain Brian Cutler has asked about the possibility of obtaining village water for a new home he wishes to build on South Street extension. In response to the matter, Mr. Austic spoke to the village officials, who reported that there would need to be a water district in g‘g-Th Town of Ulysses 4 Regular Town Board Meeting 03/14/2000 order for Mr. Cutler to get village water. Mr. Austic informed the board that this may or not be a very complicated matter involving old lines. He did see a potential district consisting of houses and other sites just on the outskirts of the village. This water district would primarily be for sites that already have village water, but are outside of a water district. This idea may or may not prove to be realistic. Possibility of Changes to Present Zoning Ordinance Ms. Poelvoorde spoke to the Board about the ordinance, which the zoning and planning boards are currently developing. The boards' hopes are to set up a temporary, short-term ordinance to be in effect while a more permanent one is developed . Mr. Austic brought up a specific regulation being considered for the ordinance. Said regulation would establish a 5 -acre minimum for new home sites in the Town of Ulysses. Mr. Austic announced that he had spoken with Mr. Bruce Wilson about this regulation, and reported on the results of their discussion. Because, a five-acre minimum would anger many residents, Mr. Wilson thought such a regulation should be laid out as a subdivision rule. Other Appointment to the Zoning Board of Appeals With the resignation of Mr. Russell Carpenter from the Z . B . A. , Mr. Austic addressed the board ' s need to select a new person. Two candidates referred from the Planning Board are under consideration and an ad for applications will be placed in the Ithaca Journal and the Free Press. HEARINGS FROM GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS There were no hearings at the Board meeting. CORRESP I NDENCE Mr. Austic received an idea for a Jacksonville water source that would use a well in Jacksonville. Mr. Austic spoke with an engineer concerning this idea, and reported to the board. A project of this sort would cost some $600, 000 . 00, and would serve about eleven homes in Jacksonville. With grant support it would levy just over $500 . 00 on each IPtaxpayer, without, it would cost over $800. 00 per/person. Mr. Austic announced the receipt of a contract from the Cooperative Extension. With the approval of the board, Mr. Austic signed the contract for $33 , 005 . 00. The Board needs to find a Planning Board member for a seat on the Tompkins County Planning Federation, or look into an alternative member. Mr. Austic informed the board of his receipt of a letter from Martin Luster to the Attorney General of the state of New York. A flier was received concerning an informational meeting on the Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway. The meeting will explain the Byway, and will be held on Wednesday, March 29 at the 6 Mile Creek Winery on Slaterville Road . Mr. Meeker reported on a request from New York State Senator John R. Kuhl Jr. for information concerning bridge projects. Mr. Meeker sent information on the Lake Street Bridge, as well as an older bridge located on Cold Springs Road. ADJOURNMENT The motion to adjourn came from Mr. Hillman, the second from Mr. Weatherby . Mr. Austic aye Ms. Poelvoorde aye Mr. Hillman aye Mr. Weatherby aye Meeting adjourned. - 1 Town of Ulysses 5 Regular Town Board Meeting 03/14/2000 Respectfully submitted, Marsha L. Georgia Ulysses Town Clerk MLG: kc