HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-11-12 - PH TOWN OF ULYSSES
PUBLIC HEARING
11 /12/02
PRESENT : Supervisor Doug Austic, Councilpeople Carolyn Duddleston, Sue
Poelvoorde, Lee Scott, and Robert Weatherby, Town Clerk Marsha Georgia.
ALSO PRESENT : Michael Lunger, Tern Hoppenrath, Jack Decker, Grace Woolf, of the
Trumansburg Free Press .
Supervisor Austic opened the public hearing at 7 : 00 pm .
Mr. Austic noted that the public hearing was duly advertised . No comments were heard .
Ms . Poelvoorde moved to close the public hearing, Mrs . Duddleston seconded .
Mr. Austic aye
Mrs . Duddleston aye
Ms . Poelvoorde aye
Mr. Scott aye
Mr. Weatherby aye
The public hearing closed at 7 : 10 pm .
Following the public hearing, Mr. Austic described the process that must come before
construction for the Water District may begin .
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TOWN OF ULYSSES
REGULAR TOWN BOARD MEETING
11/12/02
PRESENT: Supervisor Douglas Austic, Councilpeople Carolyn Duddleston, Sue
Poelvoorde, Lee Scott, and Robert Weatherby, Town Clerk Marsha Georgia, Highway
Superintendent Jim Meeker, and Code Enforcement Officer Alex Rachun.
ALSO PRESENT: Grace Wolf of the Trumansburg Free Press, Richard Coogan of the
Jacksonville Community Association and the Ulysses Planning Board, Christian
Boissonnas, representative to the Tompkins County E . M. C. , and Linda Wagner, of the
Cornell University Center for the Environment .
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Regular Town Board Meeting 10/8/02, Public Hearing
10/8/02, Public Hearing 11/6/02
Mrs. Duddleston moved and Mr. Scott seconded to approve the minutes as corrected.
Mr. Austic aye
Mrs. Duddleston aye
Ms. Poelvoorde aye
Mr. Scott aye
Mr. Weatherby aye
Adopted.
APPROVAL OF MONTHLY CLAIMS
Mr. Weatherby moved and Ms. Poelvoorde seconded to approve monthly vouchers
421 -481 , totaling $40,332 . 50.
Mr. Austic aye
Mrs. Duddleston aye
Ms. Poelvoorde aye
Mr. Scott aye
Mr. Weatherby aye
Adopted.
REPORTS OF REPRESENTATIVES
Linda Wagner-Cornell University's LEAPE (Locally-led Education and Action for
Protecting the Environment)
Ms. Wagner noted that LEAPE is an organization, developed at Cornell, and funded by
the Tompkins County Foundation. LEAPE is devoted to making connections between
municipalities and water-conservation resources, and funding covers implementation in
four Tompkins County municipalities per year for four years. LEAPE is an educational
computer program that provides information on several water conservation issues,
including non-point-source pollution, septic systems, and Turf Management. Sharon
Anderson, the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network steward is the primary authority in
charge of implementing the program. Ms. Wagner explained that, if the Town of Ulysses
wishes to participate, a GIS program that deals specifically with a major issue that is of
concern to the Town of Ulysses will be provided for the Town. The Town could opt to
include the Village of Trumansburg in the training process. Training consists of.two
events, with a meal or snacks provided . Each training session typically lasts three-to-four
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hours. In order to participate in the LEAPE program, the Town of Ulysses would need to
appoint a liaison. The Town may direct its training schedule and format, but a training
group size of 7- 15 is ideal. The question was asked whether or not the LEAPE program
interfaces with other programs? Ms. Wagner stated that LEAPE allows limited
interfacing.
The Town agreed that LEAPE sounds useful and Mr. Austic will get in touch with
Sharon Anderson, of the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network concerning an issue to be
focused on and a training schedule. The Board tentatively agreed that the first training
session should be set for some time in the first part of January.
Trumansburg Fire Department
No representative was present and no report was presented .
Tompkins County Representative Peter Penniman
Mr. Penniman was not present and no report was presented.
TOWN REPORTS
Highway Superintendent Jim Meeker
Mr. Meeker reported the Highway Department mowed roadsides, helped the Towns of
Ithaca and Enfield with shoulder work, and hauled shoulder material .
Code Enforcement Officier Alex Rachun
Mr. Rachun reported that four building permits were issued during the past month: three
for additions and one for a new single-family residence. Estimated building costs totaled
$305 , 000, and $750 was collected in fees. One area variance request was heard and
approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals.
Mr. Rachun also reported that he conducted two chimney fire inspections and that he will
be meeting with the architectural firm who will be doing the new construction for
Cornerstone Recovery Service (formerly Alpha House).
Town Clerk Marsha Georgia
Mrs. Georgia reported her office collected $3 , 873 . 75 in fees during the month of October.
Of this, $660. 94 was turned over to Supervisor Austic. New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation should be " sweeping " , or electronically debiting, $3 , 045 .44
of September's revenue from the account for its share of revers ues from the DECALS
Sporting License sales program from that month.
Board Members and Committees
No reports were heard.
Supervisor
No questions were heard on the Supervisor's Financial Report. Mr. Austic asked Mr.
Meeker about his plans for bridgework labor in 2003 . Mr. Meeker stated it would not be
as much as it was this year, and that he therefore does not need to increase his budget for
this.
OLD BUSINESS
Consider Budget Adoption
Mr. Austic prefaced by reporting that final figures for the Town's insurance will increase
to $ 19, 778 . 00 and that Workers' Compensation has not been finalized, but the maximum
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11/12/02
cost the Town can anticipate is $ 17, 863 . Mr. Austic recommended putting these figures
in the budget. Workers Compensation will be divided as follows: A fund : $2, 144, B fund :
$ 179, DA fund $8,038, DB fund $7, 502 .
After brief discussion, Mrs. Duddleston moved to adopt the 2003 budget with the above
figure changes.
Mr. Austic aye
Mrs. Duddleston aye
Ms. Poelvoorde aye
Mr. Scott aye
Mr. Weatherby aye
Adopted.
Other
No other matters of "old business" were discussed .
NEW BUSINESS
Consider Proposals from Town of Caroline Supervisor Don Barber
The Board briefly discussed a proposed resolution sent by Don Barber, Town of Caroline
Supervisor, urging a high cap for the level and amount of Medicaid support that comes
from municipal property tax collection. The Board reviewed the proposed resolution, and
agreed with a letter, also from Mr. Barber, urging that they strike the fourth "Whereas ",
which reads, "Whereas, the NYS Legislature is one of only two states using the property
tax as a revenue source for its Medicaid costs, " from the resolution.
Mr. Weatherby moved the following resolution, seconded by Ms. Poelvoorde :
Whereas, property tax is a regressive revenue source because it is not based on the ability
to pay, and
Whereas, Counties, Towns, Villages, Cities, and School Districts use property tax as their
main revenue source, and
Whereas, the New York State Legislature is indirectly using the property tax as a revenue
source when it mandates that Counties pick up half of New York State's Medicaid costs,
and
Whereas, the New York State Legislature, in 2002, unilaterally added to the services
covered by the Medicaid program without the consent of County governments which pay
one quarter of the Medicaid tab, and
Whereas, Medicaid costs are increasing at a much faster rate than the growth in the
property tax base, and
Whereas, this rapid, uncontrolled increase in Medicaid cost results in Counties having to
choose between reducing appropriations for programs that are their basic responsibility,
increasing property tax rates by double-digit percentages, or both increasing property tax
rates and decreasing services, and
Whereas, Towns, Villages, and Cities are forced to pick up some of the cost of reduced
services in their own budgets, putting even more pressure on the property tax burden
because of Medicaid,
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town of Ulysses demands the New
York State Legislature cap property tax support of Medicaid payments at a maximum of
2002 levels, or more preferably, remove this burden entirely from the property tax, and
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Regular Town Board Meeting
11/12/02
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Town of Ulysses urge; the New York State
Association of Towns to add this resolution to its list of resolutions to be considered at
the 2003 annual meeting, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Town Clerk is directed to send a certified copy
of this resolution to our representatives in Albany and to Jeffrey Haber, Executive
Director of the New York State Association of Towns.
Mr. Austic aye
Mrs . Duddleston aye
Ms. Poelvoorde aye
Mr. Scott aye
Mr. Weatherby aye
Adopted.
Fire Budget
The Board had new information concerning the Fire Budget .
Appointment to TCMOA Planning Coalition
After some discussion, the Board agreed to appoint Mr. Austic as the Town Board
representative to the Coalition and to appoint Mr. Coogan as the Planning Board
representative.
The group will organize at the next Tompkins County Municipal Officials Association
meeting.
Tompkins County Appointments
After brief discussion, Mr. Weatherby moved to recommend the County appoint Jack
Fulton as the Town's representative to the Tompkins County Fire, Disaster and EMS
Advisory Board and also recommend the appointment of Jason Fulton as the alternate
representative to this Board . Ms. Poelvoorde seconded.
Mr. Austic aye
Mrs. Duddleston aye
Ms. Poelvoorde aye
Mr. Scott aye
Mr. Weatherby aye
Adopted.
Gerald VanOrden-Water Request
Mr. Austic reported receipt of a letter from Mr. Gerald VanOrden of South Street. Mr.
VanOrden drilled a well on his property and built a house after having success with the
well . One week after he moved into the house, the well went dry. Subsequent drilling
efforts have failed to produce a fruitful well . Mr. Austic stated that he has written a letter
to the Village of Trumansburg urging the Board of Trustee's to allow the VanOrden's to
connect to Village water, in lieu of the hardship of their situation.
Jacksonville Community Association
Mr. Austic noted that the archaeological digging around the site of the Dann House did
not reveal any significant artifacts in the area the lines are to be laid.
HEARING FROM INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS
Mr. Coogan noted that he attended a class on the SEQR process .
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No other comments were heard .
CORRESPONDENCE
Mr. Austic called the Board's attention to the receipt of a map from Sharon Anderson,
which includes the Town of Ulysses in an urban district for Storm Water Management.
State requirements mandates a storm water management plan for areas surrounding State
or Federal lands. The map indicates one such area currently exists within the Town of
Ulysses, perhaps Dubois Road . Mr. Austic will look into finding a more detailed map .
Mr. Austic noted that he has researched several energy suppliers in anticipation of
NYSEG ceasing to be our energy supplier and has found that the differences in price
from one company to another are minimally different, but the bottom line is everyone's
bill will increase. Mr. Austic advised going with NYSEG Solutions.
ADJOURNMENT
With no further business, Mr. Weatherby moved and Mr. Scott seconded 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
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