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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-06-24-WTBI TOWN BOARD MEETING Town of Ulysses June 24, 2014 Audio of the minutes are available on the website at ulysses.ny.us. The meeting was held at the Ulysses Town Hall at 10 Elm Street, Trumansburg. PRESENT: Supervisor- Liz Thomas Board members- Rich Goldman, John Hertzler, Nancy Zahler, David Kerness Clerk- Carissa Parlato 2nd Deputy Supervisor- Michelle Wright OTHERS PRESENT: Jean McPheeters (Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce), Paul Mazzarella (Ithaca Neighborhood Housing (INHS)), Ben Carver (Village of Trumansburg liaison) at 7:43pm, Darby Kiley via phone at 9:45-9:50pm Notice of Town Board meetings are posted on the website and clerk's board. Ms. Thomas called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. GENERAL BUSINESS: APPROVAL OF MEETING AGENDA RESOLUTION 2014-127: BE IT RESOLVED that the Ulysses Town Board approve the agenda for the June 24, 2014 meeting with the following changes: add an executive session under new business, and a recognition of Rod Hawkes. Moved: Ms. Thomas Seconded: Mr. Kerness Ms. Thomas aye Ms. Zahler aye Mr. Kerness aye Mr. Goldman aye Mr. Hertzler aye Vote: 5-0 Date Adopted: 6/25/14 APPROVAL OF MINUTES: June 10, 2014 RESOLUTION 2014-128: 2 BE IT RESOLVED that the Ulysses Town Board approve the minutes for the June 10, 2014 meeting as edited by Ms. Zahler and Ms. Thomas, and the minutes of June 10, 2014 Public Hearing on the proposed zoning map change. Moved: Ms. Thomas Seconded: Ms. Zahler Ms. Thomas aye Ms. Zahler aye Mr. Kerness aye Mr. Goldman aye Mr. Hertzler aye Vote: 5-0 Date Adopted: 6/25/14 PRESENTATION — NYS Health Care Exchange — Jean McPheeters Ms. McPheeters, president of the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce, is trained as a Health Access Navigator for the Affordable Care Act. She gave a brief overview of the Affordable Care Act as it pertains to small businesses and municipalities. Ms. McPheeters shared that the town could opt to stop offering health insurance to employees and increase salaries instead. This would mean that the town would not participate in the county health insurance consortium any longer. Possible outcomes of this action would be: • Increased payroll taxes for the town • Greater social security and retirement benefits for employees An ACA tax credit for employees It was noted that the future of the ACA is unpredictable; it is dependent on the administration Other information shared by Ms. McPheeters: • The ACA offers "metal" level plans: bronze, silver, gold, platinum. The silver plan is the most popular as the system seems geared to encourage people in this direction. • By law, people cannot pay insurance costs that exceed 9.5% of their income. Businesses can be fined if their employees' contribution exceeds this. • The open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act is Nov. 15- Feb. 15. • A "cafeteria plan" an allowance given to employees to spend on "a la carte" benefits as they see fit. PRESENTATION — Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services (INHS)- Paul Mazzarella Ms. Zahler introduced Mr. Mazzarella and noted the board's support for additional low income housing opportunities for its residents. INHS offers low-interest loans and subsidies to assist with first-time home buying, energy upgrades and other home improvements, and homebuyer education. They also buy and refurbish affordable homes. Mr. Mazzarella shared talked about INHS: 0 The agency has expanded. • For the past 5-6 years, the agency has served not only the City of Ithaca, but the entire county. They may expand into Cortland County. • They have worked with Ulysses residents in the past. • Better Housing of Tompkins County and INHS may merge. • They are funded through state and federal grants, but have also built up their own pot of money through lending programs. • INHS also builds and manages rental properties. • They prefer to revitalize home that are accessible to services. Ms. Thomas discussed Jacksonville revitalization and the need for affordable housing. Ms. Zahler shared a resident's idea of turning the old church in Jacksonville into affordable housing. Mr. Mazzarella encouraged the town to apply for a federal Community Block Grant, or HOME grant, in partnership with INNS. These grants are available annually. Mr. Kerness inquired as to whether INHS has ever worked with municipalities who have acquired homes and then conveyed them to INHS to fix up and sell. Mr. Mazzarella responded in the affirmative and also noted that the timeline for such a project is about a year. UPDATE FROM Mr. Carver: • New sidewalks- volunteers will put in some smaller section on Whig Street geared to benefit kids walking to school. • The deer management program will likely take place for a small amount of time, be very targeted, and include bow and arrow hunting. • There was a miscommunication between the village fire department and the Town of Hector resulting in the village owing more money than they had originally planned. OLD BUSINESS: PERSONNEL POLICY UPDATE — comparisons of health insurance options (30 min) Ms. Thomas shared that the firm (PSHR) that we are working with on the personnel policy has not followed up. Ms. Zahler and Ms. Wright compiled and discussed some health insurance information: • The various plans offered by consortium • A comparison of 2 consortium plans along with a private option. • Suggested next steps • Proposed guiding principles for policy decisions Mr. Goldman expressed interest in the town's ability to offer a subscriber and spouse plan. Ms. Thomas noted that the board also needs to consider the costs to employee for copays, etc. Ms. Zahler reiterated need to be aware of the impact of changes on the lower paid staff. The group decided to continue discussion of this issue at the next meeting. POLICE AGREEMENT - The board discussed the draft agreement with the village to grant police powers to the village police. They made some changes which will be forwarded to the Town Attorney, who will work with the village attorney. A resolution will be put forth at the next meeting. WATER DISTRICT MANAGEMENT CONTRACT Ms. Thomas shared updates: The town may enter into a contract with Bolton Point to take over several management aspects. However, there will still be tasks that the town will be responsible for (like daily testing) that will require having a truck. The current truck needs to be replaced. Ms. Thomas offered another option of joining the water commission. This might change the testing requirements. Ms. Zahler inquired about the fees associated with joining the commission. Mr. Hertzler inquired about hooking up to the Village of Trumansburg's soon -to -be -expanded system. Ms. Thomas will contact Tim Steed at Hunt engineering to explore grant and loan possibilities. Mr. Hertzler will research grant opportunities for TTHM remediation. The discussion will be continued at the next meeting. PARKS AND RECREATION ZONING CLARIFICATION The board made some edits to the draft proposal of the Local Law to amend Parks and Recreation Zone before passing the resolution for to hold the public hearing. RESOLUTION 2014-129: RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Ulysses accepts the proposed Local Law for amending the Town of Ulysses Parks and Recreation Zone for purposes of the public hearing, RESOLVED that the Town Board hold a Public Hearing on August 12, 2014 at 6:30 p.m. at the Ulysses Town Hall, 10 Elm St, Trumansburg, for the purpose of hearing public comment on the proposed amendment to the Town of Ulysses Park and Recreation Zone, and RESOLVED that the proposed Local Law be sent to Tompkins County Planning Department for the 239 review, and RESOLVED that the Town Clerk shall arrange for publication of notice of the public hearing in the Ithaca Journal at least ten days prior to the public hearing. Moved: Ms. Thomas Seconded: Mr. Kerness Ms. Thomas aye Ms. Zahler aye Mr. Kerness aye Mr. Goldman aye Mr. Hertzler aye Vote: 5-0 Date Adopted: 6/25/14 AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE — resolution to form a committee RESOLUTION 2014-130: WHEREAS, on February 26, 2013 the Town of Ulysses adopted an Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan; and WHEREAS, the Town of Ulysses Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan was subsequently reviewed and approved by the Tompkins County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board and has been approved by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets; and WHEREAS, the Town of Ulysses Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan lists as a Primary Implementation Strategy to "Establish by resolution an Agriculture Committee to assist the Town Board in implementation of the Plan and to generally advise the Town Board on matters impacting agriculture in the Town of Ulysses", and designated that the Agriculture Committee will work with Town staff, as well as with County and State agencies and organizations that support agriculture and land conservation; Now therefore be it RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Ulysses hereby establishes the Purpose, Structure, Operational Parameters, and Membership of the Town of Ulysses Agriculture Committee Section 1 The purpose of the Agriculture Committee is to advise the Town Board and other Town agencies on matters pertaining to the preservation, promotion, and ongoing operation of agricultural activity and enterprises in the Town of Ulysses. As described in the Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan Section 6, the Agriculture Committee will work with Town Staff, Cooperative Extension, and other knowledgeable organizations and individuals to strengthen the agricultural economy, to improve public understanding of farming, to establish appropriate tax policies that support agriculture, and to enhance land use policies to better protect farmland. Section 2 A. Committee; Personnel; Appointment; Organization. There is hereby established in the Town of Ulysses a permanent committee to be known and designated as the "Town of Ulysses Agriculture Committee" which shall consist of citizens appointed by the Town Board representing a broad range of agricultural experience. The committee shall consist of nine (9) individuals who are engaged in farming, agri-business, an agriculture -or agriculture support- 2 related vocation, or generally knowledgeable about land use planning and / or agricultural land conservation, or own large tracts of agricultural land in the Town. One of the committee members may be a farmer in the Town of Ulysses who owns or rents farmland in Ulysses but does not reside in the Town; all other members of the committee shall be Ulysses residents. The committee make-up consists of one (1) agricultural support/marketing; five (5) farmers, one (1) landowner with leased land, and two (2) open seats. A Town Board member will serve as an ex -officio membership shall consist of representatives from the Town Board, Planning Board, Town Staff, and Cornell Cooperative Extension and will only be eligible to serve on the committee while he/she holds the Town office. The voting members of the said committee first appointed, shall serve for terms as follows: three (3) appointees for one (1) year terms; three (3) appointees for two (2) year terms and three (3) appointees for a three (3) year term. Thereafter, all appointments shall be for terms of three (3) years and vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term only. The members of the committee shall receive no compensation for their services. The committee shall organize within sixty (60) days after the appointment of its total membership for the remainder of that calendar year and thereafter annually and select from among its voting members a chairperson and such other officers as it may deem necessary. Said committee may establish rules of order and should meet at least twice annually. Additional Committee meetings will be set according to its rules of order and as needed to complete tasks and meet its general responsibilities. The Agriculture Committee shall report to the Town Board at least annually on its activities and interface with other boards or agencies as may request its assistance. B. Assistance. The Agriculture Committee may request technical assistance and/or specialized advice from any resource it may deem appropriate, including but not limited to other local residents; other Town of Ulysses officials; Tompkins County Planning; Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation; Tompkins County Agriculture and Farmland Protection Board; Finger Lakes Land Trust; American Farmland Trust; New York Agricultural Land Trust; and NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets. The Town Board shall authorize a clerk to assist with committee work. C. Funds for Committee Operations. As a citizen advisory committee, the Agriculture Committee may not authorize any expenditure of Town funds or enter into any contract arrangements for payment of services. Funds necessary for proper committee operation or technical assistance may be requested by the committee from the Town Board and, in accordance with customary procedures, the Town Board may authorize such funds and approve the expenditure thereof, and execute contracts in support of approved expenditures. Section 3 Responsibilities of Committee. In accordance with the Town of Ulysses Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan, the tasks of the committee may include (not listed in order of priority): 1. Recommend methods, review proposals, and develop plans for the implementation of the goals of the Plan and, report their findings to the Town Board. 2. Develop an annual work plan, in accordance with Section 6 of the Plan, "Maintenance of the Plan". As deemed necessary, work with the Town Board to amend and update the Plan. A formal review of the document should be considered every five years. 3. Monitor trends in agriculture and local farming activity and determine existing issues facing farmers and those in related endeavors and recommend reasonable and desirable solutions to the Town Board. 4. Monitor local development so as to identify future issues and pressures on agricultural land, and recommend reasonable and desirable solutions to the Town Board to preserve such lands. 5. Identify opportunities to help promote direct marketing and commodity marketing opportunities for local farmers and to expand value-added agricultural operations in the Town. 6. Identify methods whereby the Town Board, County or State governments can encourage existing farmers to continue in active agricultural operation, and that can help connect people interested in farming with available farmland in the Town of Ulysses. 7. When requested by the Town Board or other agencies engaged in and environmental review of proposed private or public development and/or infrastructure projects, provide input regarding the impacts on agriculture of such projects. Study and comment on proposals by local, county, state or federal governments that may impact on local farms and farmlands, including zoning and other land use policies. 8. Inform local farmers that the Agriculture Committee exists and can offer advice and assistance in many cases, and invite participation in Committee activities. Facilitate the local presentation of educational programs by Cooperative Extension and other experts. 9. Encourage and assist applications to farmland preservation programs and, when such applications are submitted provide input into the review thereof. 10. Encourage appropriate conservation strategies, best -practice, and sustainable agricultural activities. 11. Address any other issue referred to it by the Town Board or other local agencies having to do with agricultural related activities. 12. Recommend to the Town Board reasonable and desirable changes to this listing of responsibilities. Moved: Ms. Zahler Seconded: Ms. Thomas Ms. Thomas aye Ms. Zahler aye Mr. Kerness aye Mr. Goldman aye Mr. Hertzler aye Vote: 5-0 Date Adopted: 6/25/14 EXECUTIVE SESSION: RESOLUTION 2014-131: N. RESOLVED that the Town Board enter executive session at 10:17pm, for matters relating to the appointment of a particular person. Moved: Ms. Thomas Ms. Thomas aye Ms. Zahler aye Mr. Kerness aye Mr. Goldman aye Mr. Hertzler aye Vote: 5-0 Date Adopted: 6/25/14 Seconded: Ms. Zahler The board retuned from executive session at10:46pm. NEW BUSINESS APPOINTMENT OF PLANNING BOARD CHAIR RESOLUTION 2014-132: RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Ulysses appoints John Wertis as the Chair of the Planning Board for the remainder of 2014; and RESOLVED that the Town Clerk notify Mr. Wertis of the appointment. Moved: Ms. Thomas Ms. Thomas aye Ms. Zahler aye Mr. Kerness aye Mr. Goldman aye Mr. Hertzler aye Vote: 5-0 Date Adopted: 6/25/14 Seconded: Mr. Kerness APPOINTMENT OF PLANNING BOARD MEMBER RESOLUTION 2014-133: RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Ulysses appoints David Blake as a full member of the Planning Board to fill out the term of Rod Hawkes; and RESOLVED the term shall expire in December 2016; and RESOLVED the Town Clerk shall notify Mr. Blake of this resolution 6 Moved: Ms. Thomas Seconded: Mr. Goldman Ms. Thomas aye Ms. Zahler aye Mr. Kemess aye Mr. Goldman aye Mr. Hertzler aye Vote: 5-0 Date Adopted: 6/25/14 Ms. Thomas expressed thanks to Rod Hawkes for his long record of service, and his even- temperedness. Ms. Zahler will alternate with Mr. Goldman as the Planning Board liaison. PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR: (no comments submitted nor spoken) ADJOURN: Mr. Goldman made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 10:51 pm, seconded by Ms. Thomas. Respectfully submitted by Carissa Parlato, 7/1/14