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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-05-14-RTB Town of Ulysses Regular Town Board Meeting May 14, 2013 Audio available at www. ulysses . ny .us Present : Supervisor Elizabeth Thomas ; Councilpersons Lucia Tyler, Nancy Zahler, David Kerness, and Kevin Romer; Environmental Planner Darby Kiley ; Highway Superintendent James Meeker; Town Clerk; Marsha Georgia; and Attorney Mariette I Geldenhuys . Others Present : Town Historian Nancy Dean, President Jacksonville Association Diane Hillman and Free Press Reporter Louis DiPietro Supervisor Elizabeth Thomas called the meeting to order at 7 : 00 p . m. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Ms . Thomas amended the current agenda to add the following : executive session, audit and Grassroots advertising . The Board unanimously approved . APPROVAL OF CLAIMS Ms. Thomas moved, seconded by Mr. Kerness the following : BE IT RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Ulysses approves the previously examined vouchers # 157 through 207 in the amount of $95 ,957 . 96 . Ms . Thomas aye Ms . Tyler aye Ms . Zahler aye Mr. Kerness aye { Mr. Romer aye Adopted APPROVAL OF MINUTES Ms . Thomas moved, seconded by Mr. Kerness the following : BE IT RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Ulysses approves the minutes of the Special Town Board meeting of April 29, 2013 and the Town Board Working meeting of April 30, 2013 as corrected. Ms . Thomas aye Ms . Tyler aye Ms . Zahler abstained Mr. Kerness aye Mr. Romer aye Adopted TOWN REPORTS Planning Board / Zoning Officer Darby Kiley gave the following report : Planning Board - At the May 7 meeting, the Planning Board continued the review of language changes to the Zoning Law, Article III Administration, focusing in on Site Plan Review. They will likely finish this review at the next meeting . BZA - did not meet in April Ad Hoc Zoning Committee- The committee is meeting two times per month. Regular Town Board Meeting 2 May 14, 2013 At the April 11 th meeting, the committee discussed driveways and parking, dock square footage, and boat hoist size. At the April 25th meeting, they discussed principal building and building footprint and tree removal . At the May 8th meeting, they discussed moorings, setbacks in Unique Natural Areas, and tree removal . A page that includes supporting documentation of the lakeshore and conservation zoning process is now available on the town website (http ://ulysses .ny. us/boards/board- lakeshore-ad'-hoc/lakeshore -FAQ/ ), and includes a Frequently Asked Questions document specific to the lakeshore concerns . Stormwater - The Stormwater Coalition met in April : a wetland mapping proposal was approved for $ 5 ,000 in funding from previous grant funds . The coalition has been discussing options for public education with inserts or advertisements in the local newspapers . The MS4 Annual Report will be presented at the May 20th Water Resources Council meeting (start time 4 : 15 PM at TCAT) . The Count Soil and Water Conservation District compiles the information from each of the municipalities for a joint report, which is due to the State in June. ITCTC - The ITCTC has been developing a 2014-2018 Transportation Improvement Program based on federal funding sub-allocations from NYSDOT Region 3 . A public meeting to review, discuss, and accept comments on the draft TIP has been scheduled for Thursday, May 23 , 2013 , 6 : 00 to 7 : 30p.m . , at the Borg Warner East Conference Room in the Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E. Green St. , Ithaca, NY. The deadline for public comments is June 14, 2013 . Comments may be submitted any of four ways : at the public meeting, by mail to the ITCTC at 121 E . Court St. , Ithaca, NY 14850, email, or by calling 607-274-5570 . http ://www. tompkins-co . org/itctc/ Ms . Kiley reported briefly of the Ledger property on McKeel Road and will provide more information at a later date. REPORTS OF REPRESENTATIVES Town Historian Nancy Dean Ms . Thomas. thanked Ms . Dean for her years of dedicated service to the Town in her capacity as Town Historian. The Town appreciates all she has done and hopes she will continue to assist the new Town Historian. Ms. Thomas said that the Village would be interested in sharing a Historian with the Town and may sit in on the interviews . Ms . Dean said that she would be able to assist the new historian and help in the interview process . Ms . Thomas suggested a committee could interview. Ms . Thomas and Ms . Dean will head up the committee and if any Board members are available they may join. Ms . Thomas asked Ms . Dean to take the first crack at some questions. Ms . Zahler thought maybe a summary of their activities have been and what experiences. When we have that information a date will be set for interviews and then a recommendation will be given to the Board . PRIVILEGE OF FLOOR Jacksonville Association President Diane Hillman said that there is much concern about a property in Jacksonville on Rt . 96 that has several industrial containers in their front yard. Ms . Kiley said that she is aware and has send out a letter. TOWN REPORTS s ' Regular Town Board Meeting 3 May 14, 2013 Town Attorney Mariette Geldenhuys gave an update on the Dryden and Middlefield cases . (Audio available at www. ulysses .ny . us) Highway Superintendent James Meeker reported the activities of the Highway Department for the month of April . Mr. Meeker said that the Seneca Road Bridge project has had some delays and will begin construction later this week. Mr. Meeker has not received any information back about the sidewalks and will keep the Board updated . Mr. Meeker purchased a new used backhoe at an action he attended and stayed under the price the Town had allocated . Town Clerk Marsha Georgia reported that the total fees for the month of April collected were $2010 . 00 and of that $ 1 ,286 . 74 was turned over to the Supervisor with the monthly report. Ms . Georgia will be doing water billing tomorrow. Code Enforcement Officer Alex Rachun is not in attendance, he left his monthly report with the Board. Bookkeeper Mary Bouchard previously distributed the operating statement for April . She discussed with the Board as to which format of the report they would like to see . She can print a general report or a more detailed one . The general consensus was that she could provide the extended report quarterly and the general one monthly. If any Board member needed something different they could let her know. Ms. Bouchard will be having Pay Checks report vacation, personal time, and sick time on the employees pay checks. Supervisor Elizabeth Thomas reported : • distributed the sales tax report received from Tompkins County • Fire and alarm system being installed on May 16`h in the Town Hall • Mainstay has been contacted to fix minor things in the Town Hall • Outside lights have been ordered • Village of Trumansburg is negotiating with Taughannock Park for water and they are doing some updates on their sewer system • Village of Trumansburg is asking for a $ 10 an hour increase for Court Security — she will check with other agencies • Working on Association of Towns by-laws • Attending a meeting with the SPCA director • 22 residents have provided their email address to have the next newsletter be sent to them electronically; the Board also said they would prefer it emailed NEW BUSINESS CLOHING ALLOWANCE HIGHWAY The Board discussed providing a clothing allowance to employees of the Highway Department. There were some concerns and questions that Mr. Meeker will clear up and report back at the next meeting . SURPLUS EQUIPMENT Ms . Thomas moved, seconded by Mr. Kerness the following resolution : BE IT RESOLVED that the following equipment and items belonging to the Town of Ulysses are no longer of use to the Town and either little or no retail value and as such can be either disposed of or donated in an environmentally responsible way. 1 . Hewlett Packard, printer, Scanner, Fax Ml522NF, Serial Number CND822KOMN (on inventory but bought by NY Court Systems) Regular Town Board Meeting 4 May 14, 2013 2 . Computer Monitor that the Ulysses youth brought in. 15inch full size Dell model E770s SN : MX-02010V-47605 =08T-BTRK 3 . Cannon flatbed scanner H12275 SERIAL NUMBER SGH45065 Ms . Thomas aye Ms . Tyler aye Ms. Zahler aye Mr. Kerness aye Mr. Romer aye Adopted REQUEST TO DECLARE RDSGEIS INVALID Ms . Thomas moved, seconded by Mr. Kerness the following : Urging New York State to Declare Invalid the RDSGEIS for High Volume Horizontal Hydraulic Fracturing WHEREAS the Town of Ulysses has participated faithfully in the process of developing the New York State Generic Environmental Impact Statement on high volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing and WHEREAS the Town of Ulysses has closely studied the issue of high volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing and has determined that natural gas drilling is not in the best interest of the Town and WHEREAS nonetheless gas drilling in other municipalities may well have a detrimental effect on the Town of Ulysses and WHEREAS it has been learned recently that three firms — Ecology and Environment Inc . , Alpha Geoscience, and URS Corporation - hired by New York State to work on the Revised Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement were closely involved with the Independent Oil and Gas Association of New York (IOGA), a lobbying and advocacy organization for the oil and gas industry and WHEREAS such involvement with a lobbying and advocacy organization raises serious questions about the three firms ' ability to maintain an objective viewpoint on an issue with such an important impact on the residents of New York State and WHEREAS the content of the Revised Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement is therefore called into question Now therefore be it RESOLVED the Town of Ulysses calls upon the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Governor to declare invalid the Revised Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement and FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution be sent to Commissioner Joseph Martens of the Department of Environmental Conservation, Governor Andrew Cuomo, Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton and Senator Thomas O ' Mara. Ms. Thomas aye Ms . Tyler aye Ms . Zahler aye Mr. Kerness aye Mr. Romer aye Regular Town Board Meeting 5 May 14, 2013 Adopted REVIEW LIAISON POSITIONS The Board reviewed the liaison positions that were adopted at the Organizational meeting in January and made some modifications . The following is the amended list : Supervisor Appointments A . Highway Department Kevin Romer B . Trumansburg Village Board of Trustees Nancy Zahler/alter. David Kerness C . Personnel David Kerness D . Health Insurance Consortium Board Lucia Tyler E. Planning Board and Board of Zoning Appeals David Kerness F . Fire Department Kevin Romer G. County and other Emergency Management Kevin Romer H. Town Court David Kerness I . Trumansburg Ulysses Youth Commission L . Thomas/alter. Nancy Zahler Town Board Appointments • A . Planning Board Chairperson Ken Zeserson B . Board of Zoning Appeals Chairperson George Tselekis C . Clerk for Planning Board and Board of Zoning Robin Carlisle-Peck � Appeals D . Board of Assessment Review Cheryl Thompson, David Means E . Tompkins County Environmental Management Lucia Tyler Council (EMC) F . Tompkins County Water Resources Council Bill George & Darby Kiley (WRC) G . Tompkins County Stormwater Coalition Darby Kiley H. Trumansburg Ulysses Youth Commission Reps Sharon Bilotta and vacant I . Recreation Partnership representative Durand VanDorn J. Tompkins County Youth Services Board Vacant K. Ithaca/Tompkins County Transportation Darby Kiley Council Planning Committee L . Ithaca/Tompkins County Transportation Darby Kiley Council Policy Committee M . Tompkins County Council of Governments L . Thomas / alter. N . Zahler N . Tompkins County Area Development Nancy Zahler O . Fair Board liaison Kevin Romer P . Historian Nancy Dean Regular Town Board Meeting 6 May 14, 2013 Q . Water District Advisory Board Chairperson Diane Hillman R. Tompkins County Animal Control Lucia Tyler S . Cayuga Lake Water Shed Intermunicipal Org. Darby Kiley USING THE TRUMANSBURG FREEPRESS FOR LEGAL ADS The Board previous discussed this with Ms . Kiley, Zoning Officer and she felt that seeing that the Free Press is a weekly paper it would not be that convenient . Ms . Georgia said she sometimes publishes the legal ads in both the Ithaca Journal and Free Press when it is an important hearing. Grassroots Advertising Ms. Thomas said that the Town had never advertised in their program in the past. Septic Systems The Board discussed the subject raised at the last Board meeting in reference to pollution on the lake. Mr. Kerness questioned can we, should we do anything about that. Ms . Thomas said that she was glad to hear the Village is doing some fixes and she knows they are required to get a full engineers report about their sewage treatment plant. On the part of the Town there are the septic systems and she thinks we should pick that back up again. Mr. Kerness will re-look into this. Also will look into becoming an Involved Agency with DEC for the monitoring the Village system . Upcoming Meetings Supervisor Thomas said that topics be discussed at the TB Working meeting of May 28 , 2013 are the following : • Personnel Policy • McKeel Road property • Some point we need to talk about the Ambulance District • Will have information about the audit • Bring forward the Hazard Waste resolution that is being looked at at the State level • Septic systems Rescheduling August Town Board Meeting The Regular Town Board meeting of August 13 , 2013 was cancelled and rescheduled to August 20, 2013 . Also the working meeting of August 27`h was cancelled . Executive Session Ms. Thomas moved, seconded by Mr. Romer the following : BE IT RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Ulysses moves to go into executive session to discuss matters related to the appointment, promotion, demotion, discipline, or removal of particular personnel . The Board unanimously approved and adjourned to executive session. The Board closed the executive session and reconvened the Regular meeting at 10 : 07 p .m. and adjourned at 10 : 08 . Respectfully submitted, Regular Town Board Meeting 7 May 14, 2013 Marsha L . Georgia Ulysses Town Clerk { I