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HomeMy WebLinkAbout6.15.15 minutes.pdf Minutes VILLAGE OF CAYUGA HEIGHTS Monday, June 15, 2015 Marcham Hall BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING 7:00 p.m. Present: Mayor Supron; Trustees: Marshall, Friend, Robinson, Biloski and Woodard; Fire Superintendent Tamborelle; Superintendent of Public Works Cross; Deputy Clerk Podufalski; Attorney Marcus. Absent: Trustee Salton, Police Chief Steinmetz Call to Order: Mayor Supron called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. 1. Public Hearing on Proposed Local Law 2015-B  No members of the public wished to speak.  Mayor Supron stated for the record that the intent of the law is to halt ground-mounted installation of solar panels while the Board considers revising the Zoning Ordinance to appropriately regulate their installation. It is not that the Board is against installation of solar panels, but recognizes that ground- mounted panels need to be regulated through zoning. In the meantime, an applicant may seek a variance from this moratorium from the Zoning Board of Appeals.  Hearing closed by Mayor Supron at 7:06 p.m. 2. Approval of Meeting Minutes: Resolution #7644 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: Minutes of the May 18, 2015 Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees Meeting are approved with revisions as written in Exhibit FYE2016-23. Motion: Trustee Biloski Second: Trustee Woodard Ayes: Friend, Robinson, Marshall, Biloski and Woodard Nays & Abstentions: none Motion carried 3. Greater Tompkins County Municipal Health Insurance Consortium- Executive Director Don Barber At this time Don Barber was not in attendance. His presentation was held later in the agenda. 4. Access Oversight Committee – 2016 Budget Presenter Wies van Leuken was unable to attend due to illness. This item was reviewed later in the agenda. 5. Report of Fire Superintendent Tamborelle  Fire Superintendent Tamborelle informed the Board the summer event Movies at the Fire Station starts on Thursday, June 25. A food truck will be available to sell dinner to those in attendance. The event will be advertised on the sign outside of the Fire Station. Other advertising suggestions were discussed.  Bids on the new fire truck were opened on June 4. Only one company, KME, submitted a bid. All companies who expressed interest were contacted the week before the bid opening to make sure they did not require further clarification. Superintendent Tamborelle explained because the economy is improving there is an increased demand for fire trucks and some companies are currently filling larger orders. The new truck will match the other fire truck used by the fire department with the exception of an upgraded engine and LED lighting. The total price of the truck is $532,000. KME has offered $60,000 for the trade in of the old fire truck. Superintendent Tamborelle added that this truck was purchased 15 years ago for $182,000. If the Village pre-pays, KME will give a $17,307 discount. If the Town of Ithaca pays 1/3 of the cost, their share will be approximately $150,000 reducing the Village’s overall cost to around $304,645.00 Resolution #7645 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes the Mayor to sign the contract for the purchase of a new KME Fire Engine from Kovach Mobile Equipment at 1 Industrial Complex, Nesquehoning, PA for the cost of $454,693.00 Motion: Trustee Robinson Second: Trustee Friend Ayes: Friend, Robinson, Marshall, Biloski and Woodard Nays & Abstentions: none Motion carried  Superintendent Tamborelle discussed raising the rent for 825 Hanshaw Road to $800 on July 1st. The rent increase will support expenses and improvements. Resolution #7646 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes the rent at 825 Hanshaw Road to be increased to $800.00 effective July 1, 2015. Motion: Trustee Woodard Second: Trustee Friend Ayes: Friend, Robinson, Marshall, Biloski and Woodard Nays & Abstentions: none Motion carried  David Openshaw, the current resident, will be moving out before September 1, 2015. He currently is on a lease that has rolled over year after year. Superintendent Tamborelle will discuss the new rent amount with David Openshaw. 6. Greater Tompkins County Municipal Health Insurance Consortium- Executive Director Don Barber  Executive Director Don Barber presented the annual report for the Consortium. He also discussed information from slide print outs from a recent presentation held by the Consortium and reviewed Article 47 of the New York State Insurance Law.  The Consortium is entering its 5th year and is required to review the Municipal Cooperative Agreement to determine if any amendments are necessary. He stated amendments to the MCA will be presented to the participating municipalities in the near future.  Executive Director Don Barber reviewed the Orientation Manual provided to participating municipalities. The manual may be viewed at: http://tompkinscountyny.gov/files/healthconsortium/Resources/Final%20Orientation%20Manual.pdf  Mayor Supron explained that the Department of Public Works employees remain on the New York State Teamsters health insurance plan because they offer insurance for those employees at a cheaper rate. The Consortium did offer a considerable savings for the Police and Non-bargaining unit employees.  Mayor Supron informed the Board that in 2017 on account of the high quality insurance offered to Village employees the Village will be charged a penalty tax. 7. Access Oversight Committee – 2016 Budget (Exhibit 2016-024)  Presenter Wies van Leuken was unable to attend due to illness. Mayor Supron presented the committee’s budget recommendations on her behalf. She explained that the public access operations are funded through 2 reserves 1) a small add on to each Time Warner Cable subscribers monthly bill 2) .5% of the Village’s franchise fees. One reserve pays for the public access staff and the other pays for their equipment.  Mayor Supron noted there has been a decrease in Time Warner Cable subscriptions. Consequently, there has been a decrease in available funds.  Mayor Supron responded to a question by Trustee Woodard as to whether the Village has a choice in approving the recommendation. Mayor Supron explained the funds do not come from the Village and that the Board is only authoring the Access Oversight Committee use of the funds collected by Time Warner.  Trustee Robinson asked how much money is currently in the public access reserves. Attorney Marcus explained in recent years this has been disputed. Mayor Supron further explained that while Time Warner collects the fees, they do not separate the funds. The Access Oversight Committee then must contact the Village Clerk’s office to find out the amount of franchise fees Time Warner has paid to the Village and therefore how much should be available in their reserves. The exact amount available in the reserves is unknown. Resolution #7647 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The 2016 Access Oversight Committee budget recommendation resolution in the amount of $12,500 is hereby approved. Motion: Trustee Friend Second: Trustee Woodard Ayes: Trustees Biloski, Friend, Robinson, Marshall, and Woodard Nays & Abstentions: none Motion carried 8. Privilege of the Floor  No members of the public wished to speak.  The Board revisited issues regarding tree removals on Cayuga Heights Road discussed during privilege of the floor at the last meeting. Superintendent Cross explained the delay of the cuttings as NYSEG has yet to remove a guide wire. The contractor has asked permission to wait and start the cuttings after NYSEG has completed this task. Superintendent Cross will contact NYSEG to urge them along and expects the work to be completed by this time next month. Mayor Supron asked if the property owner could still pursue legal action to prevent their removal. Attorney Marcus indicated that he had not received any communications threatening legal action. 9. Report of Mayor Supron a) Proposed Local Law 2015-B  Mayor Supron stated there will need to be modifications to the Village’s Zoning Ordinance and this task should be started quickly. The Board discussed with Attorney Marcus and Superintendent Cross specifics that should be addressed such as setback requirements and size limitations for ground solar panel installations.  Attorney R. Marcus confirmed that the proposed local law is a Type II action exempt under Section 617.5(c) item 30 of SEQR. Resolution #7648 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: Proposed Local Law 2015-B, a local law to establish a moratorium on the installation of solar energy facilities on the ground is hereby approved. Motion: Trustee Biloski Second: Trustee Robinson Ayes: Trustees Biloski, Friend, Robinson, Marshall, and Woodard Nays & Abstentions: none Motion carried b) Procurement Policy (Exhibit 2016-26)  The recent NYS Comptrollers audit report stated the Village needed to produce an updated Procurement Policy. Mayor Supron stated the policy can be a “living document” and be modified on an as needed basis. Department heads need to be diligent in following the policy and assist the Board in determining when such modifications need to be made.  Trustee Robinson and Woodard reviewed and made changes to the current policy. Trustee Robinson stated the main issue is that the policy in place was not being followed and discussed the revisions made to the policy. The new policy reflects the actual practices in use as well as a system of checks and balances the State wanted in place.  Trustee Biloski asked what the annual review requirement entails. Mayor Supron explained the Clerk & Treasurer would review the policy annually and report to the Board. If it is found the policy is not being followed, the behavior or the policy would need to be changed. Mayor Supron stated there are several policies that are mandated to be reviewed annually. She also explained a recent PESH audit discovered that while the Village Workplace Violence Policy was in compliance, a program was not in place to ensure the policy was being followed. Once a program was in place, a routine survey was sent out to Village employees regarding their work environment. This survey uncovered a hostile work environment at the Department of Public Works. This prompted personnel changes at that facility.  Mayor Supron stated it has been discussed with TCCOG how difficult it can be for municipalities to keep up with mandated policies. As part of TCCOG’s shared services effort, it has been suggested that the county provide guidance to municipalities on maintaining policy compliance. Resolution #7649 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The revised Procurement Policy is hereby approved as presented to the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees and will go into effect as of June 15, 2015. Motion: Trustee Robinson Second: Trustee Woodard Ayes: Trustees Biloski, Friend, Robinson, Marshall, and Woodard Nays & Abstentions: none Motion carried c) Shade Tree Advisory Committee Report (Exhibit 2016-27)  Scott Howard appointment – Scott Howard is a Village resident who has been participating with the Shade Tree Committee, but has not attended the last several meetings. Mayor Supron would like to hold off on his appointment until he has attended more meetings. It was brought to the Board’s attention that he owns a tree planting business. It was discussed if this could possibly present ethics issues. Mayor Supron explained he would not have the authority to approve tree purchases on behalf of the Village. The Board discussed whether there would be an issue if the Village conducted business with companies who used Scott Howard as their supplier. Mayor Supron stated she would speak with Laurie Johnston, the Village labor attorney.  Mayor Supron read the Shade Tree Committee Report provided by Village Forester André Bensadoun. Since the last Board meeting, Superintendent Cross has solicited quotes for tree remediation and maintenance for the Silver Maples on Cayuga Heights Road. He received quotes from 2 of the 3 companies he requested bids from. Limb Walker Tree Care was the lowest bidder for both tree remediation and maintenance. Resolution #7650 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The Board of Trustees hereby authorizes the issuance of a purchase order to Limb Walker Tree Care for the scope of work as identified in Lee Dean’s report for the remediation of the 6 additional Silver Maple trees on Cayuga Heights Road. Motion: Trustee Woodard Second: Trustee Robinson Ayes: Trustees Biloski, Friend, Robinson, Marshall, and Woodard Nays & Abstentions: none Motion carried d) Emergency Management Plan  Mayor Supron recognizes this is a task that needs to move forward. Trustee Woodard has incorporated the edits from Attorney Marcus into the plan. Chief Steinmetz has said a command center needs to be established and the necessary forms need to be put into place. Therefore in the event of a disaster people know where to go and how to document.  Empire Safety Group submitted a bid of around $10,000 to assist in finalizing the plan. The decision would need to be made if there is in fact a substantial amount of work that needs to be done that would warrant the services of an outside contractor.  It was noted there are several municipalities that are without an emergency management plan.  State grant funding is available for natural disaster relief for municipalities that have plans in place. Without a plan in place, the Village could be penalized.  After attending a meeting hosted by Tompkins County a trustee discovered it is advised to have 3 levels or coordination in the event any one person is not available.  Superintendent Cross mentioned that the Board and certain staff members need to be certified in the New York State Emergency Management System. Online courses are available to obtain certification. e) Zoning Review Committee Update  The committee continues to meet every 2 weeks to revise the Village zoning laws. They have finished reviewing the residential and commercial sections. Currently the committee is working on the special sections of the zoning code. They have yet to review the storm water, terms and definitions sections. The committee hopes to have the draft completed by the end of the summer. Once finished, the draft will be reviewed by the Board, the Village attorney, and then presented to the public. 10. Report of the Trustees No members of the Board had anything to report. 11. Report of Chief Steinmetz (Exhibit 2016-028 a, b, c)  Chief Steinmetz was not able to attend; there were no questions on his submitted report.  Trustee Biloski reported on the Public Safety Committee’s considerations of body cameras for the police department. They are waiting to see how the City of Ithaca proceeds with their program. There is a possibility that additional costs would be incurred due to the purchasing of the equipment and monitoring of the data. Mayor Supron pointed out, at the very least, it would change how the police officers allot their time as they would need to upload and categorize their footage. 12. Report of Superintendent of Public Works Cross  Superintendent Cross recognized the Department of Public Works crew for their assistance with the Centennial Celebration preparations.  The Board was updated on the progress of the Kendall at Ithaca expansion project. He has reached a level in the enforcement and inspection process where the owner is now obligated to provide continuous on-site third party inspection reports. Mayor Supron asked about the Planning Board’s decision regarding dirt removal issues. Superintendent Cross explained there were two parts to consider; the current large dirt piles from the construction and a new grading plan. The new grading plan would reduce the dirt piles after the job is complete. This plan would spread the dirt over a large surface area of no more than 2 feet higher than the original plan submitted to the Planning Board. This was deemed as a minor adjustment and therefore did not require an official amendment to the site plan review.  Superintendent Cross is currently working with a summer intern, Jikun Lian, who is a student at Cornell. He is concentrating on fulfilling the storm water management requirement to map the Village storm water sewer shed. They are both working with the Town of Ithaca and the Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation District.  A seasonal worker has been hired for the Department of Public Works crew. The individual, Tyler Goodrich, is only able to stay on until the end of the summer before returning to school in the fall. A replacement will be needed to finish the approved 20 week position duration. There was not a large source of applicants for the position.  Mayor Supron has revised the job description for the Assistant Supervisor of Public Works position and is waiting to hear back from Steve Estes at Tompkins County Personnel. The changes need to be approved by the County. Once approval is received from the County, Mayor Supron will have the position reviewed by the Public Works Committee before the position is posted. 13. Report of Clerk & Treasurer  Deputy Clerk Podufalski reported that the Clerk’s office is currently collecting tax payments and delinquent water and sewer payments. The last day to pay tax bills without penalty is June 30. Clerk Mangione and Deputy Clerk Podufalski attended the recent Tompkins County Health Care Consortium presentation as mentioned by Executive Director Don Barber. Resolution # 7651 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: Abstract #18 for FYE2015 consisting of General Fund vouchers 975- 1027 in the amount of $69,120.88 is approved and the Treasurer is instructed to make payments thereon. Motion: Trustee Woodard Second: Trustee Biloski Ayes: Trustees Biloski, Friend, Robinson, Marshall, and Woodard Nays & Abstentions: none Motion carried  Trustee Friend noticed on the voucher for ThyssenKrupp Elevator a 3% discount would be applied if the entire year’s contract was paid in full. This reduced the voucher amount by $92.86 Resolution #7652 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: Abstract #1 for FYE2016 consisting of TA vouchers 1-5 in the amount of $15,138.54 and General Fund vouchers 1-211 in the amount of $281,667.37 is approved and the Treasurer is instructed to make payments thereon. Motion: Trustee Friend Second: Trustee Woodard Ayes: Trustees Biloski, Friend, Robinson, Marshall, and Woodard Nays & Abstentions: none Motion carried 14. Report of Attorney Attorney R. Marcus had nothing to report. 15. Adjournment  The water meter issue at 206 Overlook will be discussed at the next Board meeting when Clerk & Treasurer Mangione is available to provide final figures. Mayor Supron will contact property owner, Mellissa Pollock, and explain the delay.  Mayor Supron adjourned the meeting at 9:10 p.m.