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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-10-10 - TB % a DRAFT MINUTES TOWN OF ULYSSES REGULAR TOWN BOARD MEETING 10 / 10 / 2000 PRESENT: Supervisor Douglas Austic, Councilpeople Carolyn Duddleston, Andrew Hillman , Sue Poelvoorde, Robert Weatherby, Town Clerk Marsha Georgia , Code Enforcement Officer Alex Rachun , Highway Superintendent James Meeker. Peter Penniman ALSO PRESENT: Tompkins County Representative , Grace Wolf of the Trumansburg Free Press, George Kennedy Chairman of the Town of Ulysses Planning Board , Richard and Peg Coogan of Jacksonville . APPROVAL OF MINUTES : REGULAR TOWN BOARD MEETING 9 / 12 / 2000 After noting minor changes, Ms . Poelvoorde moved , seconded by Mrs. Duddleston to approve the minutes of the September 12th Regular Town Board Meeting . Mr. Austic aye Mrs. Duddleston aye Mr. Hillman aye Ms. Poelvoorde aye Mr. Weatherby aye Adopted . APPROVAL OF MONTHLY CLAIMS #402-438 Ms. Poelvoorde moved , seconded by Mr. Hillman to approve vouchers number 402-439, totaling $ 19, 056 . 23 . Mr. Austic aye Mrs. Duddleston aye Mr. Hillman aye Ms. Poelvoorde aye Mr. Weatherby aye Adopted . REPORTS OF REPRESENTATIVES : Tompkins County Representative Peter Penniman arrived late . His report was made later in the meeting . Trumansburg Fire Department sent no representative . No report was made . TOWN REPORTS : Highway Superintendent James Meeker reported work on Gorge Road including hauling shoulder material , digging ditches, and installing pipes. The department has also started to prepare for winter and is looking to do some work on the machinery that will be needed throughout the winter months. Town Clerk Marsha Georgia reported $4,417 collected in fees for the month of September, $3, 800 of this was turned over to New York State DEC for 66\ Town of Ulysses 2 Regular Board Meeting 10/ 10/2000 Sporting Licenses. Mrs. Georgia noted that Sporting License sales have slowed and are not expected to pick up again until the various hunting seasons start. An updatedicopy of Elderly Exemption guidelines will be typed up for a resolution in time for the next Board meeting . Code Enforcement Officer Alex Rachun arrived late and made his report after Peter Penniman 's Tompkins County Board of Representatives report. Mr. Rachun reported issuing 4 building permits during the month including three accessory buildings and one addition . One BZA hearing was held where a variance was granted for the construction of a garage. Mr. Rachun noted the fact that he has requested a significant budget increase and explained his need for this. Mr. Rachun explained that, in the next year, he will be going through training for an international code for building inspection . Mr. Rachun expects it will cost approximately $900 to purchase the code itself, not to mention the costs of training, etc. Initial training will be attended by both Mr. Rachun and Supervisor Austic and will be held in Dryden . Mr. Rachun noted an interesting ordinance that was brought to his attention . The Town of Danby Tower Ordinance requires any company looking to build a tower to make a $7, 500 deposit at the start of the project to cover the Town's costs for engineering and other pre-construction work. Mr. Rachun also reported on two potential building projects. He has received plans for a ;sixteen-unit (eight duplex buildings) Townhouse complex to be built on NYS RTE . 96 in the Town of Ulysses and he expects Alpha House is close to completing , and submitting its building plans. Alpha House has been working on developing plans for a new site for three to four years. Board Members and Committees : Ms. Poelvoorde reported that the Ithaca/Tompkins County Transportation Council is having a workshop on state/federal grants on October 19th. Supervisor Austic Supervisor Austic reported the purchase of a new computer for the Youth office . Related to this, he noted that he received a check from Cornell Cooperative Extension that significantly helped cover the cost of the new computer. Supervisor Austic also asked the Board to choose a meeting time for a budget workshop . After some discussion, Tuesday, October 17th at 6 p . m . was selected for a meeting time . Some of the proposed changes in the budget were noted . Health Insurance is expected to increase this year and the budget has been increased accordingly. The Titan Insurance Company has agreed not to raise the cost of the Town's insurance policy if the Town will remove the copy machine from fire insurance coverage. The Board agreed that, if the lease agreement on the copier allowed, the copier could be removed from the policy. OLD BUSINESS Highway Superintendent James Meeker reported on the Lake Street Bridge Project payment agreement. Mr. Meeker reported sending the cost breakdown of the project to Mr. John Lapman for further investigation. Mr. Meeker's refusal to sign the agreement is due to the fact that a large part of the Town 's proposed share of the costs would cover engineering expenses. Mr. Meeker has not yet heard back from Mr. Lapman . NEW BUSINESS 2 Town of Ulysses 3 Regular Board Meeting 10/ 10/2000 Budget-Schedule BUDGET WOKING SESSION : A meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, October 17th at 6 p . m . earlier in the meeting . Tompkins County Representative Peter Penniman made his report. Mr. Penniman reported that a forum on aging is tentatively scheduled and left several brochures for seniors to place in the Town Clerk's Office . The Board of Representatives' work on the topic of seniors reflects the fact that the "baby boomer" generation will mean a vast increase in the number of seniors in the near future. Mr. Penniman reported that he is fighting tax increases for this year. As of right now, a tax increase is estimated at 6% of last year's budget . In response to a question from Mr. Rachun , Mr. Penniman reported that the County is looking into hiring an engineer to avoid the need to hire out for all of its projects. Mr. Penniman also reported that the County Historian has requested that the Town hire an assistant for Town Historian Esther Northrup . The assistan could attend meetings when Esther is unable to . Water District Update : No new information has been turned in concerning the Sinko Water District. More signatures have been turned in for a petition for a Jacksonville Water District. Supervisor Austic reported meeting with Town of Ithaca Supervisor Cathy Valentino to discuss the water rate from Bolton Point. The Supervisor is hoping to get a letter from the Town of Ithaca saying that the project would be beneficial to the Town of Ithaca as well as the Town of Ulysses. By making an inter-municipal agreement, the project would receive a higher rating for loan approval . The position of the Town of Ulysses tank would save the Town of Ithaca money. Ithaca has agreed that, if the Town of Ulysses will build a pump, Ithaca will operate it and will provide Town of Ulysses residents being served by Town of Ithaca water at the same price that Town of Ithaca residents receive water. Assemblyman Luster also told Supervisor Austic about the possibility of a sizeable grant . To be eligible for this grant, a Water District would have to consist of the approximately 370 households outlined in one of the possible plans for a water district. At present, the Town is working to get higher ratings for loan approval on the project. In closing , Supervisor Austic spoke with Richard and Peg Coogan, representing the Hamlet of Jacksonville, about timing public information meetings. It was decided that a public information meeting would be scheduled early next year. Supervisor Austic also reported a call from a resident on Rabbit Run Road concerning a request for water on this road . Zoning Amendment: A proposal for Zoning Ordinance Amendments has been drawn up by Town Attorney Bruce Wilson and reviewed and altered according to the wishes of the Town Board and Planning Board . Supervisor Austic asked if the Board desired to schedule a public hearing . Mrs . Duddleston felt it would be better to save money at the present and hold off on a public hearing until the Planning Board put forth a proposal to amend the whole Zoning Ordinance instead of holding several public hearings to consider amendments to the Ordinance section by section . Ms. Poelvoorde noted that a Ordinance-wide amendment proposal is a long ways away from happening . Supervisor Austic again asked if the Board desired to schedule a public hearing . After some discussion, a public hearing was set to follow the public hearing for the budget on November 8t. The public hearing for the budget is scheduled to start at 7 : 00 p . m . , the hearing for the proposed Zoning Ordinance amendments was 3 Cbr5 Town of Ulysses 4 Regular Board Meeting 10/ 10/2000 scheduled to follow the first at 7 : 10 p . m . The hearings are to be held at the Town Hall . Other: Time Warner Cable : The Town's agreement with Time Warner is due for renewal . Time Warner has extended the contract for six months pending further action on the part of the Town . Recreation ( Partnership : The new Recreation Partnership agreement, which the Board looked at previously, came up for vote. After briefly reviewing some of the changes ! between the new agreement and the old, Mrs. Duddleston moved , seconded by Ms. Poelvoorde to accept the new agreement. Mr. Austic aye Mrs. Duddleston aye Mr. Hillman aye Ms. Poelvoorde aye Mr. Weatherby aye Adopted . The Town also had to appoint a member for the governing board of the Partnership . As there were no volunteers on the Board , and as Michele Vonderweidt of the Joint youth Commission had volunteered for the position, Mr. Weatherby moved , seconded by Mrs. Duddleston to appoint Mr. Vonderweidt as the Town representative to the Recreation Partnership board . Mr. Austic aye Mrs. Duddleston aye Mr. Hillman aye Ms. Poelvoorde aye Mr. Weatherby aye Adopted . HEARINGS FROM GROUPS & INDIVIDUALS: No comments were heard . CORRESPONDENCE : Supervisor Austic called attention to an intermunicipal water meeting at Wells College on the evening of October 26th. Mr. Austic informed the Board that he planned on attending the meeting and invited others to carpool . ADJOURNMENT: Mr. Hillman moved , seconded by Mr. Weatherby to adjourn . Mr. Austic aye Mrs. Duddleston aye Mr. Hillman aye Ms. Poelvoorde aye Mr. Weatherby aye The meeting was adjourned at 8 : 55 p . m . 4 To o f Uly sses 5 34 Regular Board Meeting 10/ 10/2000 Respectfully submitted , Marsha L. Georgia Town of Ulysses Clerk MLG : kI 5