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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-03-08-RTB Town of Ulysses Regular Town Board Meeting March 8 , 2011 * Audio version available on our webpage at www. ulysses . ny. us Present : Supervisor Roxanne Marino ; Councilpersons David Kerness, Kevin Romer, Elizabeth Thomas ; Town Clerk Marsha L. Georgia; Deputy Supervisor Sue Poelvoorde; i Attorney Mariette Geldenhuys . Absent : Councilwoman Lucia Tyler; Highway Superintendent James Meeker; and Code Enforcement Officer Alex Rachun. Others Present : Tompkins County Legislature Representative Jim Dennis ; Trumansburg Village Trustee Debbie Watkins ; Alan Carstensen; Anne Furman ; Free Press Reporter Bill Chaisson; Jane Penrose ; Judy Abrams ; John Wertis ; Diane Hillman and Michael Dineen. Supervisor Marino called the meeting to order at 7 : 00 P . M . APPROVAL OF CLAIMS Ms . Marino moved, seconded by Mr. Romer the following : BE IT RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Ulysses approves voucher # 72 through 122 in the amount of $42 , 863 . 73 . Ms . Marino aye Ms . Thomas aye Mr. Romer aye Mr. Kerness aye Adopted APPROVAL OF MINUTES Ms . Marino moved, seconded by Mr. Romer the following : BE IT RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Ulysses approve the edited minutes of February 8 , 2011 , for the Regular Town Board meeting. Ms . Marino aye Ms . Thomas aye Mr. Romer aye Mr. Kerness aye Adopted The minutes for the Special Town Board meeting of March 1 , 2011 were tabled. REPORTS OF REPRESENTATIVES Tompkins County Legislator Jim Dennis reported on the expected impact the mid-year $ 1 . 3 million cut proposed in the New York State budget will have on Tompkins County services . Trumansburg Trustee Debra Watkins reported that the Village is working on their budget. Supervisor Marino plans to attend their next budget meeting to discuss the possibility of sharing expenses for a Zoning/Planner position. Ms . Marino said that she spoke with Town of Ithaca Supervisor Engman about water availability to address the Village ' s need for a secondary backup water source . PRIVILEDGE OF FLOOR Regular Town Board Meeting 2 March 8 , 2011 Alan Carstensen asked the Board to consider another option for EMS program that would include two rescue vehicles operated by the Trumansburg Fire Department volunteers and Bangs Ambulance providing the medical transports . He noted that Newfield and Enfield are going in that direction. He is asking the Town to propose this compromise to save money. Ann Furman distributed pamphlets for the upcoming public information session for Ulysses residents on the grassroots campaign to ban heavy industrial gas drilling in the Town of Ulysses . TOWN REPORTS Planning Board Member John Wertis asked for clarification on the resolution the Town Board adopted at their Special Town Board meeting March 11 , 2011 , and any background information that the Town Board could provide . Mr. Kerness will provide this to the Planning Board . Highway Superintendent James Meeker absent . Town Clerk Marsha L . Georgia reported that a total of $ 1110 . 50 was collected in fees for the month of February. Ms . Georgia said that second notices have gone out for delinquent taxes and the water bills were also mailed . Code Enforcement Officer Alex Rachun absent . Supervisor Roxanne Marino reported : • Distributed a condensed and expanded 2011 Operating Statement from the new budget tracking system — asked the Board to review and provide feedback on which version they would prefer on a monthly basis . • Notice of 3 /21 / 11 Road Task Force meeting. • Notice of 3/9/2011 on establishing a task force on responding to the Emerald Ash Borer issue . • Confirmed that Jonathan Kanter will be attending the Planning Board meeting on March 16 , 2011 . • Met with Supervisor Engman on a final solution with the Town of Ithaca on water billing . Ms . Marino asked the Board if they would like her to follow up with the Town of Ithaca to finalize the money owed to the Town of Ithaca from back water billing unpaid and also to take a look at revising the contract. The Board authorized her to continue with negotiations . Deputy Supervisor Sue Poelvoorde reported that she brought up the issue of the timing of the traffic lights at the intersections of Rt . 89/96 and Rt. 96/Clinton Street (Rt . 13 South) at the Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council Planning Committee meeting as requested by Ms . Thomas . The New York State Department of Transportation manages the lights and they will be looking at the timing of the lights this year. Ms . Poelvoorde met with the Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation District staff to identify tasks they will help the Town complete related to the stormwater regulations . Town Board Members and Committees Mr. Kerness reported on the Lake Shore Zoning Committee and their progress . Ms . Thomas reported on the following meetings : • Attended School Board to request the Youth Department be allowed to use the School parking lots for a fundraiser at during the Grassroots Festival • Community Science Institute annual meeting • Council of Governments Task Force on gas drilling • Upcoming meeting in Cooperstown on "how to apply local controls to shale gas industrializing" • Resource binder on Natural Gas Exploration & Development from Tioga County, New York ( copy will be printed for Board ' s information) • Cornell Economic Impact study using Pennsylvania information Regular Town Board Meeting 3 March 8 , 2011 • TCCOG — Ms . Thomas will be out of town for the next two meetings on 3/24 and 4/28 and asked another Board member attend in her place • Tompkins County Animal Control report • Emergency Preparedness update • Cooperative Extension work on energy conservation grant activities • TC3 offering government efficiency grant OLD BUSINESS Road Assessment Study (Towns of Enfield, Caroline, Ulysses) Ms . Marino said that Ulysses was part of a three-town effort to put out a Request for Proposal (RFP) to do a "Road Assessment Study" that will gather data on our the existing conditions of the Town roads that will be used to work towards developing a Road Use Agreement Law. Two engineering firms were interviewed . At the last meeting of the working group they were still processing the options proposed by the firms and they also discussed the option to use the Cornell Local Roads intern program . Ms . Marino summarized that using the intern program to do an assessment of the Town ' s 36 miles of roads and input the data into the computer would cost roughly $4, 800 - $ 12 . 00/hr. working full-time for six to seven weeks . This program would require having Highway Supervisor Meeker on board as the intern will work closely with the Highway Department . Ms . Marino said that establishing a database of the road conditions is highly recommended for a variety of reasons, e . g . capital investment plan, capital infrastructure inventory. She has heard this from many sources at a several meetings on the Roads topic . Ms . Marino said that she believes this is a worthwhile thing to consider. The Town did budget money this fund to complete the task. Ms . Marino will meet with the Highway Superintendent and review the intern option with him . Ambulance and Emergency Medical Services Request For Proposal (RFP) Mr. Romer reviewed the newest version of the draft RFP with the Town Board. It was the general consensus of the Town Board to allow Mr. Romer to mail out the RFP to service providers for comments only. Cleaning Contract The Board discussed the contract and asked Ms . Georgia to advertise the position . Ms . Georgia said that Ms . Porter wants to continue cleaning but needs some clarification on the contract. Clarification of Town Board Resolution to Planning Board The Planning Board had not received a copy of the resolution adopted by the Town Board at the special meeting held March 1St. Mr. Kerness will follow up with this and make sure that all PB members receive a copy with some clarification . NEW BUSINESS 4 Resolution to NYS on Youth Services Cuts Ms . Thomas moved, seconded by Mr. Kerness the following : REQUESTING NEW YORK STATE TO MAINTAIN FUNDING STREAMS FOR YOUTH BUREAU AND FURTHER URGING ELIMINATION OF COMPETITIVE BID FUNDING WHEREAS , Governor Cuomo has submitted his proposed 2011 -2012 Executive Budget recommending the development of a Primary Prevention Incentive Program (PPIP), and Regular Town Board Meeting 4 March 8 , 2011 WHEREAS , this proposal actually slashes the current allocation of funding for Youth Development and Delinquency Prevention (YDDP) , Special Delinquency Prevention Program (SDPP), and Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) , by 50%, and WHEREAS , this proposal eliminates these funding streams and offers the distribution of funds on a competitive basis to counties, resulting in the elimination of funding to many rural counties, thereby promoting inequities in prevention and positive youth development services across New York State, and WHEREAS , the proposed competitive bidding process will also result in a loss of local planning and control , and WHEREAS , the aforementioned proposal will dismantle the current youth bureau system, structure and funding streams, and will be especially detrimental to all municipal youth bureaus , and WHEREAS , current youth development and prevention services are provided through a fair and equitable formula-driven allocation through the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, and WHEREAS , the current funding through youth bureaus structures ensure appropriate local monitoring, evaluation and accountability, and WHEREAS , youth development, prevention and intervention are essential for critical services to children and youth, and WHEREAS , if adopted, this portion of the Executive Budget would result in the minimal loss of over $ 200, 000 of youth services dollars for Tompkins County, and WHEREAS , if adopted, New York State will be abandoning its long-time national leadership and partnership in youth prevention, intervention and development services, as articulated in Article 19 -A of the Executive Law, and WHEREAS , the Town of Ulysses believes that providing services and programs for children and youth is an investment, not only in delinquency prevention, but also in the development of all our young people, in all ways thus enriching our society and nation as a whole, and RESOLVED , on recommendation of the Health and Human Services Committee, the Town of Ulysses hereby requests Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature maintain the current youth bureau funding streams, albeit with proportionate reductions, and eliminate the concept of competitive bid funding, RESOLVED , further, That Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature be directed to uphold Article 19-A of the Executive Law and to maintain the current youth bureau system and structure which is in the best interest of the 26,000 children and youth of Tompkins County and of the children and youth of New York State as a whole, RESOLVED , further, That the Clerk of the Legislature is hereby directed to forward a certified copy of this resolution to Governor Cuomo , Assembly Speaker Silver, Senate Majority Leader Skelos, Chair Senate Children and Families Committee Senator Savino , Chair Assembly Children and Families Committee Assembly Member Paulin, Senator O'Mara, Senator Nozzolio , Assembly Member Lifton, and the New York State Association of Counties. SEQR ACTION : TYPE II-20 Ms . Marino aye Ms . Thomas aye Mr. Romer aye Mr. Kerness aye Adopted Regular Town Board Meeting 5 March 8 , 2011 Resolution on Priority and Timeline for Zoning Action Mr. Kerness moved seconded by Ms . Thomas the following resolution : Resolution to set High Impact Industrial (HII) And Office, Technology and Mixed Use (OTM) Zoning Law As the Town Board ' s First Priority WHEREAS , the Feb . 8th presentation by the Ulysses Gas Drilling Board of a resolution to prohibit high-impact industrialization was accompany by an eloquent out pouring of community support, and WHEREAS , a petition with 1047 town signatures asking the town board to ban hydrofracking, and WHEREAS , the resolution in question which proposes an amendment to our zoning law which will prohibit high-impact industrialization will have more weight if passed PRIOR to the DEC finalizing the Supplemental Environment Impact Statement governing Hydrofracking which is planned for June 2011 , and WHEREAS , the Town Board has adopted a three-part plan for considering all zoning changes currently before it and the resolution in question was given first priority, BE IT RESOLVED, that a detailed schedule (attached) governing consideration of this resolution be given first Priority and adopted by this Board at today special sessions . 1 . Planning Board (PB) Review, comment recommendations 3/2 — 3 /21 SEQR Part one Draft 3 /22 — 3/22 2 . HII & OTM Mapping First Draft 3/ 12 — 3/ 15 Second draft 3/ 16 — 3/22 Final Mapping 3/22 — 4/ 12 3 . Town Board review and comment 3/ 1 — 3 /8 Update HII & OTM with PB and TB comments 3 /22 — 4/20 4 . Legal review, comment and recommendation HII &OTM zoning document 3/ 1 — 3/ 16 Map and SEQR 3/21 — 4/ 12 5 . Other Reviews County (239) 5/ 1 — 6/ 1 Village of Trumansburg* 5/ 1 — 6/ 1 Town of Enfield* 5/ 1 — 6/ 1 Town of Ithaca* 5/ 1 — 6/ 1 County Health Dept * (informal) 5/ 1 — 6/ 1 Ag & Market* (informal) 5/ 1 — 6/ 1 6 . Update HII &OTM and TB approval as required 6/ 1 — 6/6 * Zoning Law, Map and SEQR sent with memo stating Ulysses intends to be lead agency 7 . Public Hearing Letter to Land owners (Not required) Public Notification 6/8 Public Hearing 6/ 14 8 . TB Update and Approve HII & OTM 6/ 14 - 6/23 Regular Town Board Meeting 6 March 8 , 2011 9 . Submit HII & OTM to the State for Review and Approval 6/24 — 7/25 10 . HII & OTM Zoning becomes law 7/26 Ms . Marino nay Ms . Thomas nay Mr. Romer nay Mr. Kerness aye Defeated *Note : A timeline was adopted by the Town Board at the January 25 , 2011 Special Town Board meeting. Cayuga Lake Triathlon Approval Letter Request Ms . Marino reported that she received a request from the Cayuga Lake Triathlon committee for a letter of approval from the Town of Ulysses to use public roads in the Town ' s jurisdiction for the bicycling portion of their triathlon . The Board authorized Ms . Marino to go ahead with this letter. Agenda Items for Upcoming Meetings Ms . Marino had distributed to the Board, at the beginning of the meeting, a suggested outline for upcoming meetings but with time constraints it was not discussed . Public Comments Michael Dineen spoke in favor of Mr. Kerness ' s resolution and timeline and asked for a sense of the Board ' s priority. All of the Town Board members present commented that the updating the zoning law is a priority for them . Hearing no further business Ms . Marino moved, seconded by Mr. Romer to adjourn the meeting. Unanimously approved and meeting adjourned at 9 : 55 p . m . Respectfully Submitted, Marsha L. Georgia Ulysses Town Clerk MLG : mlg