Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-07-09TB 7-9-15 Page 1 of 4 TOWN OF DRYDEN TOWN BOARD MEETING July 9, 2015 Present: Supervisor Mary Ann Sumner, Cl Gregory Sloan, Cl Joseph Solomon, Cl Jason Leifer, Cl Linda Lavine Elected Officials: Bambi L. Avery, Town Clerk Other Town Staff: Jennifer Case, Bookkeeper Ray Burger, Director of Planning Supv Sumner opened the meeting at 7:03 p.m. Cl Leifer chaired the meeting. Dryden Recreation and Youth Commission Resolution – DRYC is requesting permission to consider potential alternate sites for future recreational facilities. Cl Leifer said he will contact Stephanie Mulinos, DRYC Chair, to request more information and ask her to come to the next meeting. The Board will consider the resolution at the August meeting. Part time elected officials benefits clarification – The resolution that was made is unclear with respect to vision, dental, legal and life insurance. It seems the intent is to make the benefits the same as part time employees. The town will pay 45% rather than the current 100%. This applies to individual coverage. J Case and Cl Leifer will draft a resolution that is clearer. The board will consider postponing the effective date to first of next year. Court clerk – The new clerk has started work. The comp time needs clarification. There will be no special comp time arrangement for any employee. The intended purpose of comp time is to allow employees to help when the office is busy. An employee isn’t expected to earn comp time every week. J Case will work with Cl Leifer to draft a proposed resolution for next week. Comp time can only be accumulated after working 40 hours per week and an employee is supposed to have permission from their department head in advance. The resolution should contain the following provisions: 1. A memo will be sent to dept heads that all comp time has to be preapproved. 2. Department heads will be expected to warn and terminate employees who work comp time without permission and department heads need to be held to the same standard. However if a department head is elected, they cannot be terminated 3. Comp time should be used before vacation, sick or personal time. It is not a written rule but was the suggested protocol. 4. The Personnel Committee will work on a resolution to eliminate the vacation buy-out policy. Union negotiations will require two board members and an alternate and negotiations are expected to begin in August or September. Town Attorney – The board took a straw vote on the applicants to interview on Wednesday, July 15, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Executive Session and then the Board can discuss them Thursday night. Ed Hooks (of Thaler & Thaler) and Susan Brock and Mariette Geldenhuys were chosen to interview. Cl Leifer will contact them to schedule the interviews. RESOLUTION #104 – APPROVE ABSTRACT #7 Cl Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption: TB 7-9-15 Page 2 of 4 RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby approves Abstract #7, as audite d, general vouchers #494 through #566 ($240,339.66) and TA vouchers #44 and #45 ($3,72.01) totaling $243,611.67. 2nd Cl Solomon Roll Call Vote Cl Sloan Yes Cl Solomon Yes Supv Sumner Yes Cl Leifer Yes Cl Lavine Yes Civil Service position of senior court clerk – The position is not civil service exempt. The sense of board is to petition the state to make the position exempt and move ahead with the appointment next week. If the test is given prior to hearing from the state on the exemption, the clerk will have to follow procedure and take the test. Cl Leifer will draft a resolution to petition the state to exempt the position and provisionally appointment Gallagher. If the exemption is approved, the position will be an at will appointment by the judge, as the clerk position is. Yellow Barn Water District closing – The board will need an attorney to complete the closing process for the district. Cl Leifer would like to appoint the team of Susan Brock & Mariette Geldenhuys saying between them they had the skills necessary to take this on. RESOLUTION #105 – HIRE ATTORNEY FOR YBWD CLOSING RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby appoints Susan Brock and Mariette Geldenhuys to represent the in the closing and final acquisition of assets of the Yellow Barn Water District according to the fee arrangement described in their response to the town’s request for proposals released for town attorney. 2nd Cl Leifer Roll Call Vote Cl Sloan Yes Cl Solomon Yes Supv Sumner Yes Cl Leifer Yes Cl Lavine Yes There will be a Special Use Permit hearing next week for Ithaca Tactical Laser Tag. The board heard an initial presentation by the applicant last month. Varna Sidewalks – This project is on the Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) for 2016-2017. The design work needs to be done first and there is no funding source. $466,000 is the amount set for construction and it does not include design and engineering. The money will not be enough to complete the project and $466,000 may only cover the cost of sidewalks on one side of the road. It appears that the Town will have to front the money to do the design work and will perhaps get it back. The board can allocate those funds in next year’s budget. The scope has to be determined by the end of this year so the Town can put the design out to bid early next year. We need the design and scoping of the Varna Plan at this point so the project can move forward. Ray Burger would like to narrow the focus and complete what we have funds for. The Zoning Board of Appeals rulings from their July 7 meeting included: TB 7-9-15 Page 3 of 4 A sign variance for a 2’ set back for a church a sign but not a variance on the 24 square foot sign area they had requested. The right of way is 15 feet already so the sign will definitely be far enough back. A variance was approved for an elder cottage in the front yard on Yellow Barn Road. It is 300 feet back from the road and well blocked from view by trees. The varian ce is logical in this instance. A variance was approved for a solar array that had been positioned too close. The location was based on information located on the back of the building permit applications which stated the set back had to be 70 feet from the center line. It should be 25 feet from the right of way; the right of way is 90 feet in this area. They will put up vegetative screening. The information on the back of the permit application has been corrected. R Burger and the board discussed a topsoil stockpile situation in Varna at the intersection of Freese and Rt 366. Nick Bellasario is stockpiling for Cornell. There is a question about whether they have a permit to do this. The board may ask for a specific date for removal. They do meet the stormwater requirements for topsoil and have the silt fence up. TG Miller did a quick review and they are in compliance. The problem is the history and pattern of use on the site. The board would like to make it clear that they have to establish a schedule and stick to it. Cl Sloan asked R Burger to look into a situation with Otis Philips on Wood Road. Supv Sumner asked R Burger to write up a brief summary of the activities over the past several years on that site. It was noted that the Town of Dryden does not have a fill ordinance, but perhaps should consider adopting one. There is concern about the ditching done on Baker Hill Road and the possibility of it killing trees. Cl Leifer has contacted Highway Superintendent Rick Young via email on this matter but has not heard back. There appears to be a fill situation in the Route 13 Yellow Barn area. They will need a DOT driveway permit and SWPPP and put up a silt fence and stabilized the drive entrance. Dryden Lake Park – The Village of Dryden will be drilling a well near the Lake and DEC wants one document for both town’s use of the property for a park and the village well. In the meantime there can be a letter of understanding that existing agreement will extend until the new one can be prepared. Jason Leifer will be contacting the Village Mayor regarding this. Because the Director of Planning will be purchasing property in the Town of Dryden and has concerns regarding his future business with the Planning Department as a resident rather than the Planning Director. He is concerned about the appearance of a c onflict of interest and has submitted a proposed resolution for the Board to consider next week. Solar Tompkins – Cl Lavine will find out what the group is looking for in terms of a financial commitment from the Town. Cl Leifer will have a TCCOG update for the board next week. Wind presentation – will be scheduled for August. Cl Lavine will do this. DRYC – Stephanie Mulinos will be at the next meeting to explain what they looking for in terms of the resolution they recently passed. TB 7-9-15 Page 4 of 4 Planning Board – They would like to be charged with looking at infrastructure current infrastructure laws and regulations. The Board will discuss this further next week. Supv Sumner noted that the Planning Board already has a fully occupying assignment. Road Management Plan – The Comptroller’s Office is looking for this as a result of the audit last year. The Highway Dept has new software and needs to input data. The plan will be to use the program for maintenance, scheduling and funding requests. The Board discussed a policy to include right of way training and stormwater training. Cl Leifer will share sample highway management plans he has found. The board needs to set a time frame for response to the Comptroller. Budget – The board is currently about a month behind on the schedule it adopted. Supv Sumner will send a memo to department heads in an attempt to catch up and get a second draft. Cl Leifer will work with Highway and DPW to get their budget request submitted. The board briefly reviewed a project for town homes at 902 Dryden Road and F orest Home Drive. There is some concern with the location of the drive on to Forest Home and collision by cars turning right onto Forest Home. They will be asking for a special use permit. It is on the agenda next week for initial presentation to the town board. Supv Sumner had a note from Dan Ramer about approving a resolution for the special joint commission of IAWTTP. She will follow up with him tomorrow. West Dryden Road pipeline – Cl Leifer has shared an email from Chris Denton and minutes of the pipeline meeting that was sent out. He asked the Board to please review these and later discuss whether to follow any of these suggestions. He will also be asking the Planning Board to weigh in. He expects the earliest vote would likely be September. We also need an attorney to weigh in on this. There being no further business, on motion made, seconded and unanimously carried, the meeting was adjourned at 9:09 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Bambi L. Avery Town Clerk