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TOWN OF DRYDEN
TOWN BOARD MEETING
March 14, 2024
Zoom Hybrid
Present: Supervisor Jason Leifer, Cl Daniel Lamb, Cl Spring Buck
Cl Leonardo Vargas-Mendez, Cl Christina Dravis
Elected Officials: Bambi L. Avery, Town Clerk
Rick Young, Highway/DPW Superintendent
Other Town Staff: Ray Burger, Planning Director
Cassie Byrnes, Secretary to Supervisor
Amanda Anderson, Bookkeeper
Supv Leifer opened the meeting at 6:02 p.m.
Financials & Human Resources
RESOLUTION #52 (2024) – APPROVE ABSTRACT #3
Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:
RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby approves Abstract #3, as audited, general
vouchers #161 through #284 ($928,276.53) and TA vouchers #11 through #14 ($6,715.92),
totaling $934,992.45.
2nd Cl Lamb
Roll Call Vote Cl Vargas-Mendez Yes
Cl Buck Yes
Cl Dravis Yes
Cl Lamb Yes
Supv Leifer Yes
RESOLUTION #53 (2024) – APPROVE BUDGET MODIFICATION
Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:
RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby approves the following budget modification
for the 2023 fiscal year.
From To
A599 Fund Balance A9950.902 Transfer to Cap - RT Bridge 2,614.06
DA5148.1 Services Other Govt - Pers DA9950.9 Transfer to Capital Project 40,554.46
2nd
Highway/DPW Department
Rick Young asked for authorization to sell a 2012 Western Star ten-wheeler, a 2007
Volvo ten-wheeler, a 2019 Chevrolet small dump truck, and a 2008 GMC dump truck and
would like the proceeds to go to DA2665 - sales of equipment. There are also some old metal
and wooden chairs in the conference room that he would like to dispose of and/or give away.
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RESOLUTION #54 (2024) – AUTHORIZE SALE OF HIGHWAY EQUIPMENT
Cl Dravis offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:
RESOLVED, that the Highway Superintendent is authorized to sell the following
equipment:
• 2012 Western Star ten-wheel truck, VIN 5KKHALDVXCPBV8883
• 2007 Volvo ten-wheel truck, VIN 4V5KC9GG57N477074
• 2019 Chevrolet small dump truck, VIN 1GB4KVCG0KF126977
• 2008 GMC dump truck, VIN1GDE5E3G78F416645
2nd Cl Buck
Roll Call Vote Cl Vargas-Mendez Yes
Cl Buck Yes
Cl Dravis Yes
Cl Lamb Yes
Supv Leifer Yes
R Young explained that the cost of the Western Star that he was authorized to purchase
in 2022 has increased since it was ordered. The 2022 quote was $255,194.80, but because the
truck was not able to be finished until this year and due to the increased cost of materials, the
amount of increase is approximately $49,812.40. He asked the board to authorize the
additional funds.
RESOLUTION #55 (2024) – AUTHORIZE ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR TRUCK PURCHASE
Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:
RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby authorizes an additional expenditure from
DA5130.2 (FY 2024) not to exceed $50,000.00 to cover the increased cost of a 2022 Western
Star truck with plow equipment ordered in 2022.
2nd Cl Lamb
Roll Call Vote Cl Vargas-Mendez Yes
Cl Buck Yes
Cl Dravis Yes
Cl Lamb Yes
Supv Leifer Yes
R Young would like to purchase a new roadside mower with an offset flail and rotary
mower at a cost not to exceed $205,000.00
RESOLUTION #56 – AUTHORIZE PURCHASE OF ROADSIDE MOWER
Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:
RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby authorizes the purchase of a Massey
Ferguson 5711D roadside mower at a cost not to exceed $205,000.00 using funds from
DA5130.2.
2nd Cl Vargas-Mendez
Roll Call Vote Cl Vargas-Mendez Yes
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Cl Buck Yes
Cl Dravis Yes
Cl Lamb Yes
Supv Leifer Yes
R Young said the watershed reevaluation of the Virgil Creek dam needs to be done. A
few months ago, he applied for a grant to help with that expense and has been notified that
$38,700 has been awarded. Those funds will go toward engineering expenses.
DEC has not yet been in touch about replacing the dam at Dryden Lake. Supv Leifer
and/or R Young will contact them.
FIRE COORDINATOR
Chris O’Connor said he has kept the board up to date with his emails and there were no
questions from the board. He will attend a peer support training in April that is being offered
by the county in response to concerns they have seen regarding emergency responders’ mental
health, substance abuse and such things. Statistics show that suicide is now one of the
leading causes of death for firefighters.
He has been working with Alice Green to see about the possibility of getting free energy
audits and/or grants to update the heating, cooling, and lighting in some of the town’s fire
stations.
Varna is working to develop a class on physical fitness for all town firefighters. One of
their members works as a physical therapist and one is a personal trainer.
Cl Lamb asked how the sign up is going for the upcoming strategic planning session
paid for by the town. A save-the-date has been sent out to the departments and town board
members. He has not had a lot of responses, and asked representatives of the departments
present to respond.
Fire Contract Discussion – Supv Leifer said that last month the departments
presented their counter-contracts to the board. The board has reviewed them but this is the
first time they have talked about them. He noted that Brooktondale is a fire district, so that is
a little different. The contracts presented to the board were not just the same terms as
Brooktondale. The first paragraph was different than what has always been there. He would
like to see clauses on participation in strategic planning and participation in the SAFER grant
and working with the town to make the reimbursements. C O’Connor is helping to submit the
information for the reimbursements. He understands the departments want townwide training
set up by C O’Connor, but there needs to be cooperation between the departments and the
coordinator so as not to duplicate trainings. The contracts could say to cooperate with the
coordinator to schedule training among the departments. With pretty much any contractor the
town works with there is always a mutual termination clause that requires 30 days’ notice. He
understands the departments don’t want things in the contracts that relate to operations and
there are little differences between the departments (Neptune & WB Strong are village
departments) but the general terms should be the same.
Mark Bell, Dryden Fire Chief, said the first paragraph was changed because, as it was
previously written, if they are already tied up on a call, they would still have to respond. That
isn’t always possible. They may not have personnel available to respond to a second call. They
don’t want to be held to that if it simply isn’t possible. They will call for mutual aid if
necessary. Cl Lamb suggested alternative wording: “unless the company is engaged” instead of
“previously engaged.”
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Cl Lamb suggested only referring to the town in the contract and not specific staff
members of the town.
With respect to strategic planning, M Bell said the departments have discussed it and
propose changing it to a town-wide strategic plan pertaining to the fire service and presented
proposed wording for the contract. The thought is the departments and the town board would
devise a plan for moving forward. Once the plan is in place, departments will live by it and
expect the town to.
Comments during discussion:
• That is a decision to make as a plan is developed. Each department may have different
steps to take toward the goal depending on the strengths and opportunities of the
different groups.
• It is a parallel in the same way that the town contracts individually with the
departments and the departments operate individually.
• If an overall plan is developed, the departments will still have to develop individual
plans.
• The town needs to know what the goals are for the coming year when the board
develops its budget. There has been an information gap. The town doesn’t know what
the goals are, what the means of meeting the goals are, what a department considers its
assets. All those things go into a strategic plan.
• The idea of doing it together is good, but the town needs to see individual plans as well.
• The departments are looking at a 5–10-year plan, and it seems the town wants
something that looks ahead to next year and what happened this year.
• The departments would like to establish a long-term common goal and avoid the year-
to-year contract discussions.
• They would like to develop a plan in the same way the town develops a plan for a
hamlet, then look at ways individual departments will help to accomplish it.
• The strategic plan will provide more information.
• There has been great progress made this year.
• The departments already have a lot of planning in place in regard to supplies and
equipment.
• A strategic plan will cover more; there is a different outcome when you engage in
strategic planning.
• A strategic plan will have short-, mid- and long-term goals; different departments have
different equipment and resources.
There was more discussion about strategic planning as part of the contract, including
when that might be due and how comprehensive it might be. The training will provide the tools
to develop a strategic plan. Supv Leifer suggested language to the effect that a strategic plan
would be developed with a town-wide view and involvement of the town board. Each
department would also develop a strategic plan specific to their department. The due date of
90 days for the individual plans was discussed and it was agreed that they would be due by
September 1.
M Bell said the town departments have come a long way in the past year or so and are
working together better. They’d like an opportunity to build on that. It was suggested that
perhaps each board member could serve as liaison with a department.
Supv Leifer said the board is concerned with knowing that each department will be able
to provide service to its area considering potential development of property.
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A department member expressed concern with a 30-day cancellation clause.
There is agreement that #17 will contain provisions for collaborative strategic planning
and individual strategic plans. The completion date will be September 1. The language was
reviewed.
Language regarding participation in the SAFER grant and working with the town will be
contained in #18. The treasurer for WB Strong Fire Dept said she would provide monthly
reports for the board.
Language that departments will coordinate and cooperate with the fire coordinator on
trainings will not be in the contract. Departments are already providing many training
courses. It was noted the coordinator can look into trainings that aren’t otherwise offered, can
secure speakers on grants, standardized sexual harassment and other topics. He could also
secure CFR training, bailout training and help secure funding for training.
The board agrees to one annual payment. Contracts will be prepared and sent out
tomorrow.
M Bell provided a report on Neptune’s recent activity. In January they answered 26
calls with an average of 7 firefighters per call. Average en route time was three minutes and 16
seconds and average on scene time was 8 minutes and 22 seconds. He clarified that the times
reported right now may not be completely accurate now that the status buttons are gone. The
dispatchers now have to manually manage that. Depending on how busy they are in the
dispatcher office/call center and because of human involvement, there may be some variance.
An example of a recent event was given.
In February they had 28 calls with an average of 8.5 firefighters per call. The average en
route time was 3 minutes 4 seconds, and the average on scene time was 7 minutes and 30
seconds.
All departments use the same reporting program, so reports should be pretty much the
same.
Consultant for Zoning Law Update – R Burger said a year ago the Town Board tasked
the Planning Board with doing a zoning law update as a follow-up to the comprehensive plan
update. They developed an RFP and were not successful in the first round. There were six
responses to the RFP in the next attempt after narrowing the scope. After an interview process,
the Planning Board has recommended entering into a contract with Community Planning &
Environmental Associates. The amount for services is not to exceed $13,375. The deliverable
would be an analysis in August.
Cl Lamb said he was part of the selection committee and it was an exhaustive process.
They were all strong applicants and he believes they have made a good choice.
Resolution #57 (2024) – SELECTION OF CONSULTANT TO REVIEW AND RECOMMEND
UPDATES TO THE TOWN ZONING LAWS
Cl Dravis offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:
WHEREAS, the Town Board requested that the Planning Board manage and execute a general
update to the town zoning laws, subdivision laws and design guidelines via Resolution #73
(2023) adopted March 16, 2023; and
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WHEREAS, resolution #73 (2023) further requests that the Planning Board engage the services
of a consultant to prepare the update, and to complete and deliver the draft update to the Town
Board; and
WHEREAS, a Request For Proposal (RFP) for Phase 1 of this update, an analysis and
recommendations regarding the Town Zoning Laws was issued on November 6, 2023 with a
deadline of January 16, 2024; and
WHEREAS, six proposals were received and evaluated by the Planning Board; and
WHEREAS, a Planning Board subcommittee met to interview the top three selected firms and
presented their findings to the entire board; and
WHEREAS, in a meeting on February 22, 2024 the Planning Board voted to approve a
recommendation that the Town of Dryden engage the firm Community Planning and
Environmental Associates (CPEA) to be the planning consultant for this work.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town Board selects CPEA to perform the work
of reviewing the town’s comprehensive plan, zoning laws, subdivision laws and design
guidelines for the purpose of recommending updates to the Town zoning laws according to the
terms set out in the RFP and the consultant’s proposal, and authorizes the Town Supervisor to
execute a contract with CPEA, and that said contract be in a form approved by the Attorney for
the Town; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the contract shall require the Consultant complete and
deliver the final report detailing their review and proposed changes of zoning laws to the Town
Board according to the terms set out in the RFP and the consultant’s proposal.
2nd Cl Buck
Roll Call Vote Cl Vargas-Mendez Yes
Cl Buck Yes
Cl Dravis Yes
Cl Lamb Yes
Supv Leifer Yes
Local Law regarding Solar Installations – Supv Leifer said as it is now, if a company
wants to put a solar array in a taxing district, they have to give notice to the jurisdiction. The
taxing district then has 60 days to respond regarding taxation. Having this local law in place
would put the applicant on notice that a PILOT agreement would be mandatory. Materials will
be made available and the board will set a public hearing next week.
Agriculture Advisory Committee Appointment -
RESOLUTION #58 (2024) – APPOINT AG COMMITTEE MEMBER – ANTCZAK
Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:
RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby appoints Doug Antczak to the Agriculture
Advisory Committee for a term to expire December 31, 2025.
2nd Cl Lamb
Roll Call Vote Cl Vargas-Mendez Yes
Cl Buck Yes
Cl Dravis Yes
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Cl Lamb Yes
Supv Leifer Yes
Planning Board Appointment -
RESOLUTION #59 – APPOINT PLANNING BOARD ALTERNATE – GRIFFIN
Cl Dravis offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:
RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby appoints William Griffin as a Planning Board
alternate for a term to expire December 31, 2024.
2nd Cl Lamb
Roll Call Vote Cl Vargas-Mendez Yes
Cl Buck Yes
Cl Dravis Yes
Cl Lamb Yes
Supv Leifer Yes
Supv Leifer reported that the agreement with David Makar is being revised after some
issues were discussed. The supervisor has the authority to sign that agreement when it is
read. Cl Lamb would like a memorandum of agreement of what the town expects his duties to
be. The board could discuss that and after discussion prepare a press release.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:22 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Bambi L. Avery
Town Clerk