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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-05-09TB 5-9-19 Page 1 of 6 TOWN OF DRYDEN TOWN BOARD MEETING May 9, 2019 Present: Supervisor Jason Leifer, Cl Daniel Lamb, Cl Linda Lavine, Cl Kathrin Servoss, Cl Alice Green Elected Officials: Bambi L. Avery, Town Clerk Rick Young, Highway Superintendent Other Town Staff: Jennifer Case, Bookkeeper Ryan McHugh, Supervisor’s Secretary Supv Leifer called the meeting to order at 6:07 p.m. TOWN CLERK RESOLUTION #88 (2019) – APPROVE MINUTES Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption: RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby approves the meeting minutes of April 11 & 18, 2019. 2nd Cl Green Roll Call Vote Cl Lavine Yes Cl Green Yes Cl Servoss Yes Cl Lamb Yes Supv Leifer Yes RESOLUTION #89 (2019) – APPROVE ABSTRACT #5 Cl Servoss offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption: RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby approves Abstract #5, as audited, general vouchers #288 through #373 ($413,946.81) and TA vouchers #42 through #43 ($3,106.58), totaling $417,053.39. 2nd Supv Leifer Roll Call Vote Cl Lavine Yes Cl Green Yes Cl Servoss Yes Cl Lamb Yes Supv Leifer Yes BUDGET MODIFICATION/FINANCIAL There is one budget mod for 2019 for 2018 historian stipend not paid in 2018, in the amount of $500.00 TB 5-9-19 Page 2 of 6 RESOLUTION #90 (2019) – APPROVE BUDGET MODIFICATION Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption: From To A1990.4 Contingency A7510.4 Historian Stipend $500.00 2nd Cl Servoss Roll Call Vote Cl Lavine Yes Cl Green Yes Cl Servoss Yes Cl Lamb Yes Supv Leifer Yes RESOLUTION #91 (2019) – ENCUMBER FUNDS The Rail Trail has asked for authorization to encumber $131,172.21 – balance of grant match money. Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption: RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby authorizes the following budget modification for the 2019 budget: From To A7110.414 Rail Trail Grants Contractual To be spent in 2019 $131,172.21 2nd Cl Green Roll Call Vote Cl Lavine Yes Cl Green Yes Cl Servoss Yes Cl Lamb Yes Supv Leifer Yes HIGHWAY/DPW DEPARTMENT Highway Superintendent Rick Young would like to purchase from NYS Landscaping & Grounds bid a John Deere XUV835M gator/4-wheeler with a cab and a dump box, not to exceed $21,413.31. This would be used on the trails. Will be decided at next business meeting. Trinitas – Bolton Point meeting – R. Young and R. Burger attended the meeting and provided data about how many breaks in the water line that goes through Varna in the past ten years. 8” main is not enough to supply the Trinitas project. If this project happens, there are other options such as putting in a tank above to provide minimum pressure. This needs to be determined prior to all the work to be done in Varna. Cl Servoss encouraged completing a grant application. R. Young recommends upsizing and putting master meter in. It would cost about $855,000 to replace with a new 12” main. Cl Servoss suggested that we replace main and then do roadwork (scheduled for 2021). If main is replaced there is no need to install a tank. Infiltration study is being done now and it makes sense to do construction at the same time as water. TB 5-9-19 Page 3 of 6 Cl Lavine asked if we shouldn’t hold off on development plans until infrastructure is in place. R. Burger - TG Miller needs to get with Hunt Engineers on what is needed for Trinitas. R. Young said Bolton Point recommends increasing the size of main. Upsizing the main would have to happen in advance of the 2021 paving. Cl Lamb - the town will do the water main and will try and get some contribution from Trinitas. Funding application (extensive) must be submitted by the Town by July 22, 2019. Supv Leifer will contact a grant writer. Freese Road Bridge – The Federal Highway Administration advised that because of Section 4f Law that they must follow, if there is an alternative being considered f or a historic structure (if we are upgrading or replacing) that has no effect on the historic structure, then the municipality must choose that alternative. In this case, the null version of doing nothing would result in the bridge being closed by the County in the foreseeable future, or the alternative #13 (twinning option) would use the existing historic bridge as pedestrian and adding a new 2-lane vehicular bridge next to it. The Board did not think it was a good option because the town would have to maintain the pedestrian bridge, as the County would not take ownership of it. The call we had yesterday call with Barton & Loguidice, the state DOT has given us another option called 13b and that is keeping the bridge exactly were it is and fencing it off against use and still put up new 2-lane bridge for both vehicles and pedestrians. In that case, the County said they would take ownership of the bridge but would do nothing with it. It would be fenced off and would “rot in place”. SHPO would approve that option. Because of information on hydraulics and such, after listening to different options, keeping the bridge in place because of the pier in the middle is not a good idea. They are now asking the state to look at option #9. Findings document would need to be updated, so board needs to discuss the options and choose one. Cl Lamb – FHA and SHPO dug in on idea of preservation. Supv Leifer suggests choosing option 9. RESOLUTION #92 (2019) – FREESE ROAD BRIDGE ALTERNATIVE #9 Supv Leifer made a motion to choose option #9 – two-lane conventional, using existing truss as a façade. (75-year life span, 20-year for trusses, 2.4 million project costs) WHEREAS, the Town Board of the Town of Dryden discussed the alternatives suggested by NYSDOT and FHWA concerning the Freese Road Bridge project; and WHEREAS, the Board’s original choice, alternative number 11, was deemed unacceptable by SHIPPO and FHWA; and WHEREAS, NYSDOT suggested alternative 13 as well as a second version of option 13 as alternatives; and WHEREAS, both options suggested by NYSDOT involve “twinning” the bridge, by constructing a new 2-land bridge adjacent to the existing one lane bridge; and WHEREAS, twinning was not seen as a viable option by the Board because in one option, 13a, the town would have to maintain the existing bridge as a pedestrian bridge at the Town’s expense and in the other option, 13b, the County would leave the existing bridge in place while closing it off to any pedestrian or vehicular traffic; and TB 5-9-19 Page 4 of 6 WHEREAS, at no point during this process has Community supported “twinning” as an alternative; and WHEREAS, “twinning” would not solve the alleged hydraulic pressures in the area; and WHEREAS, in order to move the project forward the Board was directed to choose a new preferred alternative; and WHEREAS, the Board discussed alternative number 9 and determined that it fit the Board’s objective of maintaining historical character, addressing the hydraulic pressures of the area, and constructing a bridge that will last at a minimum of 75 years; THEREFORE, it is hereby RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Dryden directs that Barton & Loguidice, DPC., amend the findings document to reflect that the Board chooses Alternative number nine (9) as the preferred alternative for the Freese Road Bridge project under the Bridge NY Grant. This option would cause a new two-lane bridge to be constructed while re-using the existing truss from the current one lane bridge as a façade. 2ND Cl Servoss Roll Call Vote Cl Lavine Abstained Cl Green Yes Cl Servoss Yes Cl Lamb Yes Supv Leifer Yes Revolving Loan Fund – Cl Lamb distributed program grant application that will be used by businesses in the community that wish to apply. The administrative work will be done by Thoma Development. Thoma will be paid from the $211,000 in total funds that we have to work with. Loan committee will review applications, consult wit h Thoma and Town Board will be final decision maker. Expects to be able to announce the program in June. Broadband Study Survey – They sent a survey monkey that is about ready. There will be a table at the rail trail event with surveys that can be completed there. The methods of data collection will include a mailing to all town residents and the survey will be available online. Rail Trail – Cl Green said they were awarded a $1.5 million grant to build the rail trail between Game Farm and Pinckney Road and to cover the cost of the crossing over Route 13 with a pedestrian bridge. There will be an RFP sent out for that bridge construction and trail finishing work. Celebration will be on Saturday between 10am and 3pm. The speeches and the driving of the golden spike will happen about 11:15am, the Mayors are coming from each village. Comprehensive Plan RFP – Planning Board has drafted an RFP for a consultant to work on the plan. It is currently being reviewed by the town attorney and the board c ould vote next week. Cl Green - Climate Smart Task Force has a target of getting points so they might qualify for help with funding rewrite of the comp plan. They will be meeting again and looking at where they are. Cl Green said we may be eligible for up to 50% of the cost because of many of the climate smart activities that we have already engaged in. County Briefing – Mike Lane announced Elsie Gutchess (former Town Historian) passed away, expect the obituary next week. TB 5-9-19 Page 5 of 6 County had budget retreat and set a goal to not exceed levy increase of 2.76% for next year. We have in our policy to put .5% of the tax levy increase into capital reserve and will increase that this year. Construction is underway at the airport and for the DOT facility. Hoping for a $10,000,000 grant for this project. Items on the highway schedule: • Pave Sheldon Road, • Chip seal projects on part of Sheldon Road, North Road, Ringwood Road, Midline Road and some of Harford-Slaterville Road, • Bridge at Etna Lane for repair. Census – M. Robertson appointed a full count committee to publicize the census for next year, so we can get everyone counted that live in Tompkins County. M. Lane will chair that committee. Reporting will be online and that will make it difficult. A correct count matters financially to municipalities. Libraries, schools and community centers will need to be involved, there may be people travelling with laptops to assist residents that do not have internet. Will also need help from our towns and villages as well. Cl Lavine stated they had a meeting last night at the Ellis Hollow Community Center and one of the issues raised was whether it is in the interest of the County to help fund a new community center, which could include planning to rent out as a wedding venue. M. Lane stated we would need to approach their planning department to see if that fits into any category for funding. Cl Green – County announced $50,000 capital grant from the county for Rail Trail. M. Lane thanked R. Burger & Supv Leifer – began reviews of the consulting groups for the Route 13 corridor study from the Village of Dryden to Warren Road. Have some excellent firms and will be interviewing 4. It will be a good process. Tomorrow night is the opening of the Tompkins County Center for History and Culture from 5pm to 7 pm. The building will house the museum and quite a few offices of not-for- profits. The County was able to do this from funds collected from the casinos. Cl Lamb inquired about the AIM funding/internet sales tax the County must help collect. M. Lane unsure of new process, there are a lot of ifs right now. Wind Law – J. Kiefer – clarification for Planning Board – last July the Town Board asked the Planning and Conservation Boards and the Agricultural Committee to collectively work on wind ordinance and you mentioned small commercial. The Conservation Board drafted a law and handed it to the Planning Board. Planning Board will probably consider at our next meeting. We are looking at wind turbines that one can put on their site that will deliver electricity up to the amount of electric that is used on the site. The draft does not address small commercial, not intended to produce electricity to sell. Cl Lamb - apply to both residential and commercial if it is under a certain height. We want to allow and encourage wind power but not have it go through the special permit process. J. Kiefer - Draft does allow it by right, but not a commercial enterprise. Allow to be built as an example to be sold in the community (wind turbine manufacturing test sites). Not wind farms. J. Kiefer- Small scale wind up to 25 KW intended to supply the residence/business on the property. Because current language is by right and allowed in all zones. Installing to sell electricity is different than putting one in to supply your home. Discussion ensued regarding: TB 5-9-19 Page 6 of 6 • sizes, • apartment buildings, • turbines • putting up a turbine large enough to produce electricity to sell • special use permit would be required if you are putting in a turbine that exceeds your own use. Public hearings – none this month. NEW BUSINESS Compensation Study – Cl Green - Team is not ready for compensation study presentation yet. South Hill Rec Way – Supv Leifer - NYSEG is ready to work with the towns and county and give a license to use the property. Dryden and Caroline have the smallest areas and Danby has the most. There will be a meeting at the end of the month with town supervisors and county planning. Supv Leifer will report in June. SolarFarmsNY – Cl Lamb – They have a mailer prepared regarding the limited time offer. Mailer is ready to go out next week and the extended time to sign up will be mid-June. Teamsters Contract – Supv Leifer and R. Young will meet with them at 10:00 a.m. on Monday. Ellis Hollow Community Center – Cl Lavine - we might want to consider what role the town board may want to play in this. EHCC will fundraise and this will result in enhanced property values in that area of town. Can the town pay for grant writing for the EHCC? Facilitate any groups with seed money for expertise for grant applications? Supv Leifer- these are private organizations and the Town would not be able to pay for the grant writer. They would need to find their own grant writer. There being no further business, on motion made, seconded and unanimously carried, the meeting was adjourned at 8:02 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Bambi L. Avery Town Clerk (Transcribed by Chrystle Terwilliger, Deputy Town Clerk)