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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-03-08-RTB TOWN OF ULYSSES REGULAR TOWN BOARD MEETING MARCH 8, 2005 PRESENT : Supervisor Doug Austic , Town Councilpeople Lee Scott, Robert Weatherby; and Don Ellis; Roxanne Marino absent ; Town Clerk Marsha Georgia; Highway Superintendent James Meeker; Deputy Richard Coogan absent . Others Present : Attorney Bruce Wilson, David and Susan Means, and Ruth Kahn Supervisor Austic called the meeting to order at 7 : 30 pm, and led those assembled in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America. APPROVAL OF MINUTES : RBM 1 /11 /05 AND 2/8/05 — STB 01 /12/04, 1 /20/05, 2/10/05, 2/15/05, AND 2/26/05 — WATER COMMISSION MTG. 12/17/04 Mr. Scott moved seconded by Mr. Weatherby to approve the minutes listed above as edited. Mr. Ellis stated that he would approve the minutes to get them off the agenda. Mr. Austic aye Mr. Scott aye Mr. Weatherby aye Mr. Ellis aye Adopted . APPROVAL OF CLAIMS i Mr. Ellis moved, seconded by Mr. Weatherby to approve the previously examined voucher numbers 72 through 127 in the amount of $ 36, 130 . 93 . Mr. Austic aye Mr. Scott aye Mr. Weatherby aye Mr. Ellis aye Adopted. REPORTS OF REPRESENTATIVES • Peter Penniman — absent • Trumansburg Fire Department Representative — absent • Planning Board Chairman , John Wertis — absent TOWN REPORTS Highway Superintendent James Meeker reported that he has been salting and plowing, hauled some stone and busy doing maintenance of equipment for the month of February through today, other than that they have been chasing snow flakes . Code Enforcement Officer Alex Rachun — absent Supervisor Austic read Mr. Rachun ' s report that he had issued three permits for the month of February 2 for single-family homes and 1 for an addition . Mr. Ellis stated that it would be very helpful if Mr. Rachun could include some history with his report. Regular Town Board 2 03/08/2005 Mr. Austic said she could pass that on to Mr . Rachun. Mr. Ellis said he could stop by and talk with Mr. Rachun regarding what additional information he would like to see in the report. Town Clerk 1V�arsha L. Georgia report a total of 00 month of February District and she distributed $619 . 18 to the supervisor for mo y fees and $ 12 fees . Mrs . Georgia 'hale another payment to Tompkins County Budget he amount an Finance on 1 fhe 2005 Tax Warrant of $30 ,000 and a payment to Mr. Austic in February penalties . Mr. Austic finalized the water meter reads today. Mrs . Georgia calculate and mail water bills to ) istrict #3 and District #4 . A total of 129 meters were read. Board Members and Committees Mr. Ellis said he had contacted an editor, Persephone Dolinger. Ms . Dolinger is a very experienced editor who has worked with municipal documents and comes highly recommended. Ms . Dolinger is available to start on the Town' s zoning immediately. She does have other commitments, but overall Mr. Ellis feels that she could work within the Town' s schedule . Ms . Dolinger is asking $ 35 per hour and has the time to look at the document, but she feels that it would be under $ 800 . Mr. Austic said that he would have Mr. Coogan print a clean copy from his computer when he returns to work on Monday. Mr. Ellis said that he could stop by and print the file from M . Coogan' s' s she computer woce Mr. Coogan ■ was away on vacation and Ms . Dolinger ha s r days that on the editing this week. Mr. Ellis said that a call to Mr . Frantz would also make a lot of sense to see that all changes were included in the file. Mrs . Georgia said that she had talked to Mr. Frantz today and she is making an appointment with him to go over the changes that were made to the Zoning Map . Mr. Ellis asked Mrs . Georgia to email him when she made an appointment with George to go over the map . Mr. Austic will call Mr. Frantz Wednesday March 9th to see if Mr. Frantz has completed the assignments requested by the Board. Supervisor Douglas Austic reviewed his financial report that was previously distributed to the Board. Mr. Ellis asked about the inter-fund transfers . Mr. Austic explained that inter-fund transfers were monetary exchanges within the funds (i . e . such as transferring from the General Fund savings to the Reserve Fund) . Each year the Town Board budgets $ 5000 to the Building Fund as well as money to DA Equipment Fund. This money must be transferred out of the regular savings account and credited to the p ro P er Reserve Fund. Deputy Supervisor — absent A Regular Town Board 3 03/08/2005 OLD BUSINESS - Audit Mr. Schoen of Ciaschi , Dietershagen, Little, Mickelson & Company dropped off the correspondence that was copied to the Board Friday night after closing at 4pm and distributed to the Board members in their baskets . Mrs . Georgia emailed everyone to advise receipt of this information . Mr. Austic had previously emailed the agenda for tonight ' s meeting and at that time nothing had been received from Mr. Schoen . Mr. Austic asked if it was the pleasure of the Board members for him to have Mr. Coogan forward this information on to the two other firms that he has that might give a price to the Town. The general consensus of the Board was to get the prices and than it may be able to act on at the April Town Board Meeting . Mr. Ellis entered into the record an email he received from Ms . Marino , which is as follows : Good Monday morning Doug, In the short discussion we had at the end of the TB meeting Tuesday regarding the March 8 RTB meeting, I specifically brought up the audit issue as an item I thought was important for all board members to be present for a discussion and decision on . This has been a drawn out and sometimes contentious discussion, and Board members have been waiting for more information several times along the way (this time, the quotes on the full audit procedure from both Mr. Shoen 's firm and one or two other firms) . Since the Board did not even have this information available for review until the weekend (if we read our email and could get in to pick it up) and because we have waited this long for all the information we need to make a decision (if indeed we have the quotes from other firms, that wasn 't indicated in Marsha 's message), I am re-stating the request I made at the meeting last Tuesday, that a discussion and decision on the audit be tabled until all members of the Board can be present. As you know, I feel strongly about this specific issue, having raised it and done some research into it with the Comptrollers office. And in general, I believe that in the spirit of cooperation and good representative government, when any Board member feels strongly about an issue and has introduced it or researched information on it, the member(s) should be present for discussions and a vote by the Board on such issue, unless there pressing deadlines or other extreme circumstances which preclude it. We do not have those circumstances in this case. The Board can always schedule a short, focused meeting on this topic if Board members present at the RTB meeting on Tuesday feel this discussion can 't wait until April, having waited this long already. The meeting last Tuesday was long and so you may not recall the details of our discussion just before it ended, but when I raised potentially important items for the March 8 meeting and my concerns about missing that meeting, you did indicate to me that the Board wouldn 't be deciding anything on the audit when I brought it up as a potential topic (the agenda was not out then) . Thanks very much for hearing and respecting my thoughts on this issue, 4 Regular Town Board 03/08/2005 Roxanne Other Mr. Ellis stated' that there is the business of the sidewalk of the TRA Development. Mr. Ellis said that he had contacted Mr. Brown about his response about giving a price for maintenance of a sidewalk at the TRA apartment complex. Mr. Ellis nod him that he was sorry that he was asked to give 'a price of maintenance when there Mr. Austic had asked a couple of contracts to estimate cost of winter maintenance on a sidewalk if it was built at the TRA complex , because it was Mr. Austic ' s understanding that was one of Mr. Ellis ' s concerns . Mr. Ellis feels that the sidewalk construction should not be dropped and that the cost could be usedl as bargaining point for a trade with TRA for something else . Additionally , the Town should not lose the opportunity to have TRA pay for a sidewalk because it may be needed in the future . Mr. Scott asked if the Town had received any documentation in reference to the last Planning Board appointment. Mrs . Georgia stated that Ms . Marino presented a file, which contains a document from the Board ofElections and an email from the attorney at the Association of Towns . Mrs . Georgia said that when listening to the tape of that meeting it was her understanding that Mr. Hammond was going to supply a "letter of intend" of returning to reside in Ulysses . Ms . Marino took the tape to listen to see if this was her understanding. (Attorney Wilson stated that a tape should never leave the office . ) Mr. Weatherby asked Mr. Scott if he felt he had got an answer to his question? Mr. Scott said that part of the information is here and the other part will be coming. Mrs . Georgia said that she is not sure that any more is coming. On another topic Mrs . Georgia asked Mr. Ellis if he still had the original copy of the audit for several years ago? Mr. Ellis stated he did and would return it to the office . NEW BUSINESS Discussion of Zoning Review Progress Previously discussed under Board Members reports by Mr. Ellis . The next scheduled meeting for review of the sub-division is set for March 17 , 2005 at 6 : 30 PM and Mr. Austic has promised to bring pizza. The Board stated that the map is finished and George has to make the changes . The Board discussed SEQR for the Zoning Law that was previously done by Mr. Frantz that the Board reviewed . The general consensus that no significant changes have been made in the document but the Board will have Mr. Frantz review the SEQR form . Attorney Wilson stated that it is called a generic SEQR and he also said that Mr. Frantz should review it. Regular Town Board 5 03/08/2005 Other None heard . PUBLIC COMMENTS No comments heard from the public . CORRESPONDENCE No correspondence to review . ADDITIONAL ITEMS No additional items . ADJOURNMENT Hearing no further business to discuss Mr. Weatherby moved, seconded by Mr. Scott to adjourn the meeting . Unanimously approved and meeting was adjourned at 8 : 35 PM Respectfully submitted, Marsha L. Georgia Ulysses Town Clerk MLG : mg