HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-06-08TB 6-8-17
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TOWN OF DRYDEN
TOWN BOARD MEETING
June 8, 2017
Present: Supervisor Jason Leifer, Cl Daniel Lamb, Cl Linda Lavine,
Cl Deborah Cipolla-Dennis, Cl Kathrin Servoss
Elected Officials: Bambi L. Avery, Town Clerk
Rick Young, Highway/DPW Superintendent
Other Town Staff: Ray Burger, Director of Planning
Supv Leifer opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m.
RESOLUTION #83 (2017) – APPROVE ABSTRACT #6
Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:
RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby approves Abstract #6, as audited, general
vouchers #338 through #404 ($617,091.33) and TA vouchers #12 and #13 ($4,395.82), totaling
$621,487.15.
2nd Cl Servoss
Roll Call Vote Cl Cipolla-Dennis Yes
Cl Servoss Yes
Cl Lamb Yes
Supv Leifer Yes
HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT UPDATE
Highway Superintendent Rick Young asked for approval to purchase two used dump
trucks with plows and wings from the Village of Minoa. One is a 2014 Western Star with 5,900
miles outfitted with plow attachments, wing and head plow for $125,000. The other is a 2005
International diesel with a wing and plow attachment for $25,000 with probably less than
50,000 miles. Both vehicles are in good condition and the only reason they are for sale is the
Village of Minoa downsized. This would leave us with a spare truck in the case of breakdowns.
He will be getting rid of truck 8 and will probably send it to auction. (Cl Lavine arrived) He
doesn’t intend to purchase trucks at all next year, but does want to replace a grader. He would
also like to purchase a dump box for truck 14. The current one is not working correctly. The
cost is $45,800 off the Onondaga County contract. Tracey Road Equipment will install the
dump body and go over the whole system. $45,800 is the estimate, but he believes it will
probably come in less than that because the lines are not that bad.
With respect to the bridges project, Barton & Loguidice have been in contact with Doug
Mills and expect to have a scope of work tomorrow or Monday. Once the state signs the
contract a public meeting can be scheduled in Varna. Supv Leifer said he wants an answer to
the question about a single lane on Freese Road. R Young noted there was another accident at
that bridge last week. He noted that the state regulations said if there hadn’t been any
accidents reported it would be able to remain one lane, and this is not the first accident there.
Supv Leifer asked whether the highway/DPW equipment list had been sent to his office
yet for insurance purposes. R Young said he will add the radios to the list and send it.
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R Young said he is applying for grants from NY Rural Water for Yellow Barn and the
water/sewer project in Varna. He understands the force main project is about ready to go out
for bid.
There was discussion of a recent claim of tree cutting within/without the road right of
way, whether there was basis for the claim and possible use of a camera for before and after
pictures in the future. Cl Servoss said she visited the site in question and didn’t see evidence
of anywhere near 60 trees being cut down. R Young noted that he had been there in the winter
with the Varna Fire Department removing trees from the road.
RESOLUTION #84 (2017) – APPROVE HIGHWAY/DPW PURCHASE
Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:
RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby approves the purchase of:
2014 Western Star dump truck with wing and plow attachments for $125,000;
2005 International diesel dump truck with wing and plow attachments for $25,00 0;
Dump box for $45,800 off Onondaga County bid.
2nd Cl Cipolla Dennis
Roll Call Vote Cl Lavine Abstain
Cl Cipolla-Dennis Yes
Cl Servoss Yes
Cl Lamb Yes
Supv Leifer Yes
Cl Lamb asked about the cost of maintenance of trails. They need an estimate of the
expense of maintenance for new the portion. Bob Beck and R Young will discuss it.
Next week’s agenda:
Public Hearings – Cortland Road Sewer rates; CDBG CFA grant application.
Tiny Timbers Conservation Easement – Buzz Dolph has a five lot subdivision in Ellis
Hollow and one of the lots is a conservation area. He was originally going to donate it to
Cornell, but it isn’t proceeding fast enough. He is now going to donate it to the town and the
town has to go through the process of accept ing the easement. Next week the board will need
to schedule a public hearing. The board set the hearing for July 20 at 7:05 p.m.
Supv Leifer explained the public hearing for the CDBG CFA grant is to apply for
$50,000 for a planning and infrastructure study. This will provide information necessary to
apply for other grants. We having had this information updated in several years.
Dryden Community Center Café – Supv Leifer said the town will contribute ($50-$100)
to them so they can say the town sponsors their music and fall under our ASCAP and BMI
licenses. Supv Leifer will look at the contract with the Café in 2016 and t he board will vote
next week.
Borger Station/Dominion – Supv Leifer said they are reaching out to Gary Abraham of
the Town of Pendleton. They denied a permit on the basis that DEC had denied an air or water
permit. The town was immediately sued and has not yet gone to court. They believe it will be
dismissed they no longer have a standing because the project is not being done because DEC
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rejected it. Gary Abraham would be a good person to consult with because of his experience on
related matters. Cl Lamb said he has a call in to Tony Ingraffea.
Supv Leifer said if we don’t have a case we won’t be able to use Stu Berg’s list and may
need to take more of diplomatic public relations type tact. The board also needs to determine
how much this may cost and how much the town is willing to spend.
Stu Berg’s list will be on agenda for next week. Draft #2 is on the website and needs to
be changed to the final version. S Berg said it has been sent through various list serves. It is
presented as something that really needs to be done to address pollution and for the health of
community. He suggested that the town push hard for the things with a shorter payback.
There is no reason for them not to do these things.
Cl Lamb said an upgrade of emissions may open up an opportunity. These types of
things have been done on other sites. No compressors here have an oxidation catalyst, but it
has been done on other sites. He understands they are open to a discussion to upgrading the
old compressors and using the oxidation catalyst but see it as a separate track from New
Market. Here they did not plan on doing emissions related work. Stu Berg said they are
changing the dehydrators and they have leakage and there is a section on the dehydrator
improvements they could do. Cl Lamb said Borger is willing to come here quarterly a bit early
before board meetings for updates.
Budget – Supv Leifer said he will start drafting the supervisor’s budget at the end of
June then send to department heads. He is trying for a zero use of fund balance in the A fund.
Employee reviews will be done by August so they can be taken into account in September and
October. The preliminary budget in September may have placeholder numbers for salaries. He
wants to take whatever time we need to get through the budget this year. Depending on how
things go through the year we may shift more sales tax to the A fund. All the little savings that
have been done (insurance premiums and such) add up. There has been a savings on salaries
in the rec department. He noted that since the board passed a resolution last year about living
wages, he thinks we should actually act on that and it will affect everything across the board.
The personnel committee is working on new form for the employee review process. Supv Leifer
said final salaries will not be set until the reviews are in. There will be the cost of living
increase and the reviews will determine whether there is anything on top of that.
Teamsters Agreement – Supv Leifer noted that all highway employees will now
contribute toward health insurance premiums. As far as compensation goes, it adds about
$15,000 a year to what we pay out for all the employees. The board will vote on the new
contract next week and highway will vote after that.
Unsafe Building at 473 Bone Plain Road – R Burger reported there was a court
appearance this month and the matter was adjourned until July 12. With the new
amendments to the law, they will be preparing reports on this property and 107 Morris Road.
The board will see the reports after they are reviewed by the attorney. This is a process where
there will be a compliance order and a plan. If the board adopts the plan, it will set a public
hearing and proceed. It may actually work quicker than the court process. The cost of any
demolition will be added to the property owner’s tax bill if not paid timely directly to the town.
Solar Applications – Ray Burger reported that the revised applications are in and will
be evaluated this week by TG Miller. They will be posted to the web and sent to all boards
tomorrow. The letter from the Army Corps of Engineers has not yet been received. The local
office says we may have that by next week. When that letter comes in TG Miller will declare a
complete application and the new material will be reviewed. He expects to be able to decide by
June 26 when to hold public hearing. The board agreed that they may hold the hearing instead
of the agenda meeting on July 13.
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Baptist Church, 138 Virgil Road – They are planning a 4700 square foot addition and
that requires a special use permit in that district. The application packet is on the web and the
hearing was scheduled for July 20 at 7:05 p.m.
Paris Climate Accord resolution – The county passed this and Supv Leifer will bring
that resolution to the board next week.
Revolving Loan Fund – Cl Lamb reported the students sent him the document this
afternoon and he will forward it to board members. The board can approve it next week,
appoint a committee, and get it up and running this summer.
CAFO resolution - Cynthia Brock sent out a resolution being considered by the City of
Ithaca. Cl Lavine said this is an important issue considering things such as phosphorous
runoff. We should find out enough to be able to say that we aren’t making any commitment
but are interested and not quickly committing. The Ag committee meets on the 14th and can
give an opinion and the Town Board can address it next Thursday.
Other items
Cl Lavine said she saw on the news that there is a likelihood that President Trump will
come up with tariffs against Chinese solar panels that would make solar twic e the price in
America and that is something to try to race against. Cl Lamb said there is a US solar
company pushing for that.
Supv Leifer noted that Cornell received a grant ($400,000) for industrial hemp and will
probably be growing that in their research fields. Cuomo is pushing that as economic
development for New York State.
Pat Brunner of the Etna Fire Department approached Supv Leifer at a chief’s meeting.
They have been working on redefining the Fire Marshall’s duties and give him more authority.
The Supervisor will figure out whether we need to change town law and get more information
on this.
Vickie Bland is concerned with the corner of Scofield Road and Route 34B and that
emergency response has to come from Dryden when that location is closer to Lansing. There
was discussion of getting a flashing caution light as you approach the intersection.
There being no further business, on motion made, seconded and unanimously carried,
the meeting was adjourned at 8:36 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Bambi L. Avery
Town Clerk