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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-04-09 - TB c6/ TOWN OF ULYSSES REGULAR TOWN BOARD MEETING 4/9/02 PRESENT : Supervisor Doug Austic , Councilpeople Carolyn Duddleston, Sue Poelvoorde, Lee Scott, and Robert Weatherby, Highway Superintendent Jim Meeker, Code Enforcement Officer Alex Rachun, Town Clerk Marsha Georgia. ALSO PRESENT : Ulysses Planning Board Member/Jacksonville Community Association representative Richard Coogan, Tompkins County Representative Peter Penniman. Supervisor Austic called the meeting to order and led those assembled in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America at 7 : 30 pm. APPROVAL OF MINUTES : REGULAR TOWN BOARD MEETING 3/12/2002 Ms. Poelvoorde moved, seconded by Mrs. Duddleston to approve the minutes of the Regular Town Board Meeting of 3 / 12/2002 with corrections. Mr. Austic aye Mrs. Duddleston aye Ms. Poelvoorde aye Mr. Scott aye Mr. Weatherby aye Adopted. APPROVAL OF MONTHLY CLAIMS Ms. Poelvoorde noted that it seems unnecessary for Town Attorney Bruce Wilson to attend all the joint Town Board/Planning Board Zoning Ordinance draft review sessions. The Board agreed, Mr. Austic will discuss this with Mr. Wilson. Mrs. Duddleston moved, seconded by Ms. Poelvoorde to approve vouchers numbers 116 through 164, totaling $35 ,419 . 86 . Mr. Austic aye Mrs. Duddleston aye Ms. Poelvoorde aye Mr. Scott aye Mr. Weatherby aye Adopted. REPORTS OF REPRESENTATIVES Tompkins County Board of Representatives : Peter Penniman Mr. Penniman arrived late and reported after the matters of "Old Business" were addressed. Mr. Penniman reported that the County has made the decision to move the 911 Emergency Operations Center to a site on the Ithaca/Tompkins County Airport property. The decision was based in part on the fact that this site will be the easiest to build a new center on. Mr. Penniman also reported on a NY State Officials' meeting to work on the coordination of emergency preparation plans at the State and local levels. This was a previous concern that was brought to the forefront by the attacks on New York City and Washington D. C . of September 11 , 2001 . Mr. Penniman stated that there has been a lot of progress, at least 1 Town of Ulysses H Regular Board Meeting 4/9/2002 so far as preparedness goes, and also reported that the government is going to become responsible for some airport security. Mr. Penniman noted that Tompkins County's summer road construction plan includes parts of Waterburg and Halseyville Road. Mr. Penniman reported some very real difficulties with the County budget. The 2001 budget was well above actual spending, which has resulted in a. surplus of about $3M. These funds are the result of frugal spending policies that were implemented after the attacks of September 116'32001 . Although this surplus will be very helpful, the County still needs to cut back for the 2002 budget. Part of the need is to provide funding for capital projects, most notably, the E-9- 11 communications towers project, which will be put out for bid in a matter of a few weeks. Mr. Meeker noted that the County Highway Department is one department where budget cuts are starting to show very badly in the forms of understaffmg and inadequate care of the county roads. Trumansburg Fire Department No representative was present and no report was presented. TOWN REPORTS Highway Superintendent Jim Meeker In addition to plowing and salting as needed, Mr. Meeker reported that the Highway Department finished its gabion basket work on Maplewood Road, and installed culvert pipes on Hinging Post Road and Cold Springs Road. Mr. Meeker reported that he will be ordering the new mowing tractor very soon, and also reported that the department has plans to do some concrete work on Maplewood Road. This project will not commence immediately, but Mr. Meeker noted he will inform nearby property owners of the work before the department commences the project. Mr. Meeker also reported that there is a pile of wood-chips at the Town Barns, which residents may help themselves to for private use at no cost. 1 Mr. Austic reported that Jim Seafuse owner of the Shur Save plans to move the recycling bins at the grocery store, and has asked the Town to provide some material to put down over the dirt; where the bins will sit. Mr. Meeker agreed to provide some asphalt for this purpose, and arrangements will be made with Mr. Seafuse. Mr. Austic noted that the recycling bins do not bring revenue to either the Town or the grocery store but provide a service to area residents. Because Mr. Seafuse maintains the bins at the grocery store property, it seems only fair that the Town help with this matter. Code Enforcement Officer Alex Rachun Mr. Rachun reported that six permits were issued for three new single-family residences, two additions, and one renovation at the Franziska Racker Center. One matter was heard by the Board of Zoning Appeals, and an area variance was granted. Total construction costs were estimated at $549,000, and a total of $ 1 , 541 was collected in fees. Town Clerk Marsha Georgia Mrs. Georgia reported that the Town Clerk's office collected a total of $770. 75 in fees during the month of March. Of this, $607 was turned over to the Supervisor. Mrs. Georgia reported that she has had to register with NYSDEC to be a seller of sporting licenses. This is a new requirement and is associated with the implementation of the "DECALS " on-line sales program, which is anticipated to begin taking place this summer. Mrs. Georgia noted that this program will require several additional pieces of equipment, to be provided by the state, so the Town Clerk's office counter space will probably have to be rearranged. 2 Town of Ulysses rb Do Regular Board Meeting 4/9/2002 Board Members & Committees Mrs. Duddleston reported that she will be attending a Fire Department meeting on April 11 `h. Ms. Poelvoorde reported on the "Government Awareness" meeting that was hosted by the Jacksonville Community Association with presentations by the Tompkins County Planning Department. There was a good turnout for the meeting, and discussion was SI mainly about the functioning of local government . Ms. Poelvoorde reported that the in- process revision of the Zoning Ordinance was also discussed. Supervisor No questions were posed. NEW BUSINESS Water District #3 Mr. Austic reported that the $500, 000 grant has finally been fully processed. The Town requested and received about $80,000 of the funds. Mr. Austic also reported that two public hearings are scheduled concerning the property on Woolf Lane in the Town of Ithaca. The Town of Ithaca Planning Board will consider subdivision approval of the Town of Ulysses' purchase of a small parcel, and the Town of Ithaca Board of Zoning Appeals will consider an area variance for the Woolf Lane Property, which will not be large enough to be a legally conforming building lot. Also related to the Woolf Lane property, Mr. Austic noted, is the finding by Town of Ulysses Attorney Bruce Wilson of a deed restriction disallowing any non-residential use of the property on Woolf Lane and the surrounding subdivision. The Town of Ithaca has expressed approval of the planned pumping station as a "residential use" . The Town Attorney is and will be looking into this t' matter, and will keep Supervisor Austic up to date. L. Latest Draft of Revised Zoning Ordinance Mr. Austic asked if all Town Board members had received copies of George Frantz's latest draft of the revised Ulysses Zoning Ordinance . All had received copies of the document, and Mr. Austic noted that he believes Mr. Frantz has made the changes between the previous draft and the new one clear. Cayuga Lake Watershed Network Intermunicipal Organization Mr. Austic noted that he received a letter asking the Town of Ulysses to approve the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network's Restoration and Protection Plan. Noting that the Board had never received copies of the plan to review, the Board agreed that they would table action on the Plan until everyone has obtained a copy of the Plan and had a chance to review it. At this time, Tompkins County Representative Peter Penniman made his report, noted under the heading of Reports of Representatives. NEW BUSINESS ill Personnel Policy : Health Insurance Reimbursement Mr. Austic stated that he would like the Board to consider amending the Town of Ulysses personnel policy in regards to the payment of health insurance reimbursements. The present policy states that full-time employees who waive their claim to Town-paid health insurance are entitled to receive one-half of the amount that the Town would pay for their health insurance, paid subject to taxes as a payroll adjustment in the last paycheck of the year. Mr. Austic reported that one employee has asked if this could be paid quarterly instead of annually. After brief discussion, Mr. Weatherby moved and Mr. Scott seconded the following resolution: 3 Town of Ulysses 6.) Regular Board Meeting 4/9/2002 Be It Resolved, that the Town of Ulysses hereby amends the Town personnel policy regarding the payment of 50% health insurance reimbursement for Town employees who waive Town health insurance. The policy shall now be amended so that employees receiving this benefit may opt to receive their reimbursement either quarterly or annually. Mr. Austic aye Mrs. Duddleston aye Ms. Poelvoorde aye Mr. Scott aye Mr. Weatherby aye Adopted. Plan for Highway Capital Improvement Mr. Austic stated that Mr. Meeker is working on a plan, in accordance with a previous Board discussion, to use surplus sales tax revenue to repair more of the Town's 36 miles of roads each year than is currently planned. Mr. Austic noted that Mr. Meeker previously figured out that it costs the Town between $40, 000 and $50,000 to repair each mile of road, and that the Town typically repairs between one and two miles of road per year. Mr. Austic stated that it would be good to double the miles that are repaired each year, and that this would mean allocating an additional $ 100,000 in sales tax revenues annually. Mr. Austic also noted that it might be wise to plan on addressing a whole block or road at a time, rather than spreading the improvements over scattered roads. The Board and Mr. Meeker briefly discussed this idea in general, noting particularly bad stretches of road as well as the Waterburg bridge. The consensus was that Mr. Meeker should develop a plan that would add one to two miles of road repair to the number currently repaired annually. Village of Trumansburg Water/Water District #3 Connection Mr. Austic reported that there will be a meeting between Town and Village officials and the Barton & Loguidice engineer on Thursday, April 18`h, to discuss the linking of the Town of Ulysses Water District #3 and the Village of Trumansburg water system. The two systems would be connected via a Ulysses Water District 43 pipeline running from ISA Babcock to the Village of Trumansburg water line, the purpose of which would be the provision of a secondary water source for the Village of Tnumansburg and its water districts. Other Mr. Austic asked if everyone had received a copy of the guidelines for development drawn up by the Vital Communities Initiative. Board members should prepare their comments for next time. Mrs. Duddleston noted that some of the guidelines seem to contradict each other-for example, growth patterns consisting of increased residential and commercial development with decreased population. Mr. Austic also noted that the Board should prepare any comments on the Cayuga Lake Waterfront Development Plan. Mr. Austic reported that the Town Board has received the resignation of Heather McDaniel from the position of the Town's Environmental Management Council representative. Mr. Austic called the Board's attention to the memo received by the Town clerk from Suzanne Etherington, the regional archival officer. Ms. Etherington has written to inform the Ulysses Town Board of a plan to change the source and means of funding and reduce the amount of funding available for the NYS Education Department's Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund grants. The Town of Ulysses has benefited from these grants with previous grants as well as two current ;rants. The Board agreed 4 Town of Ulysses Regular Board Meeting 4/9/2002 that it does not seem that this change would be beneficial, but that it would be good to look into this matter further. The matter was tabled . Mr. Rachun reported on recent business of the Joint Youth Commission. Of significant concern to the Youth Commission was the fact that there will be no at-school youth programs this summer. The children will have to be shuttled between Taughannock Falls State Park and the Trumansburg Fair Grounds. To relieve the difficulty of this increased cost that was not at all provided for in the youth budget, Robert Witte, of the Cornell- -11 Fingerlakes Credit Union, together with matching funds from the Tompkins County Trust Company, has provided some funding for the basketball program, making this program possible. The school grounds will not be available due to construction. HEARINGS FROM GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS None were heard. CORRESPONDENCE No new correspondence was discussed . ADJOURNMENT Hearing no further business, Mrs. Duddleston moved, seconded by Ms. Poelvoorde to adjourn the meeting. Mr. Austic aye Mrs. Duddleston aye Ms. Poelvoorde aye Mr. Scott aye Mr. Weatherby aye The meeting adjourned at 8 : 55 pm. Respectfully Submitted, Marsha L . Georgia Ulysses Town Clerk � ! via.,, MLG:k1 5