HomeMy WebLinkAbout11_18_2020 Transcript Special Meeting11-18-2020.mp3
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:00:00] OK, we'll get started. I'm going to call
this meeting to order this is a Special Town Board Meeting for the Town of Enfield on
Wednesday, November 18th at 6:30 pm via Zoom. Just a reminder, the meeting is being
recorded.
[00:00:13] We will start with privilege of the floor. If you would like to speak for privilege of
the floor, please use the raise your hand button. If you are calling on a cell phone, you can
do this by pressing the * 9 button.
[00:00:23] I will unmute everyone at the end to be sure, everyone who wishes to has a
chance to speak for people to the floor, please, to address your comments to the board as
a whole and you have three minutes to speak. So please wrap up your comments during
that time.
[00:00:38] Ed Hetherington is first. I will unmute you and ask you to start your video?
Ed Hetherington [00:00:55] Hi.
[00:00:55] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the
republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for
all.
[00:01:12] That's it, Stephanie.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:01:14] Thank you, Ed.
[00:01:21] OK, is there anyone else who would like to speak for privilege of the floor?
Please use the raise your hand but now or the * 9 button if you are calling in. OK, I'm going
to take a minute to unmute everyone, everyone is unmuted, so you will have a chance to
speak now if you did not get a chance.
[00:01:45] OK, I'm going to go ahead and mute everyone again. I should mute myself.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:02:02] Too much dog.
[00:02:04] OK, so the first thing is to move the consent agenda, I'd like to move the
consent agenda. Do we have a Second?
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:02:12] I'll Second it.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:02:13] OK, Ellen, can you please read the
audit claims?
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:02:28] OK. The Town board authorizes the Supervisor to
pay general fund vouchers 263 to 263 dated 11-18-2020 in the amount of $132.97.
Highway fund vouchers 177 to 177 dated 11-18-2020 in the amount of $39.60 and fire
department fund vouchers 264 to 264 dated 11-18-2020 in the amount of $931.00.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:03:08] Thank you, Ellen. Is there any
discussion on that?
[00:03:12] OK, Ellen can you call the vote?
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:03:15] Councilperson Bryant.
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:03:16] Aye
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:03:18] Councilperson Lynch.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:03:20] Aye.
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:03:20] Councilperson Miles.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:03:22] Aye.
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:03:24] Acting Supervisor Redmond.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:03:26] Aye
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:03:28] OK, so the next part of our
discussion is the fire contract. Hopefully everyone's had a chance to look it over.
[00:03:34] And I feel like Robert and I had a really great conversation with both Denny and
Greg. And I feel like our contract or our negotiations moved forward really easily and
smoothly.
[00:03:48] So at this point, I guess we should say if there's going to be any discussion
about that, but otherwise we should set a date. Well?
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:04:04] I had a little discussion other than I read it over
and, you know, looks good and we responded to it and he seemed to think it look good.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:04:15] I presume that any minor revisions that the
Enfield Volunteer Fire Company has, they had suggested a couple of minor things that I
guess related to Covid-19 and possible exigencies that they might have to cope with that
that can be dealt with later, that it won't impede our ability to schedule a Public Hearing for
as long as those matters are resolved before the hearing date.
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:04:46] I understood that so that there might be some
something that the lawyer might want to add regarding that.
[00:04:53] But I didn't see this material, so not approving the contract.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:04:59] Just so that members of the public know that
there might be some minor revisions later, but they shouldn't be substantive revisions and
they shouldn't affect the amount of financial commitment that the Town is making to the
fire company in this three year contract.
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:05:15] That was my understanding also. Mm hmm.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:05:18] Yeah. And we're going to send any
any alterations or any edits to that to the to Guy Crower, our attorney, to make sure that is
OK with them. But they should all be cemented in place before our public hearing.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:05:32] When does the contract have to be posted
online by the Town Clerk. Probably should be relatively firm by that time.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:05:42] Yeah, I believe it's 10 days. Is that
correct, Ellen?
[00:05:44] Ten days prior to the public hearing?
[00:05:51] Sorry I keep muting you by accident.
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:05:56] So a public hearing notice is 5 Days, but it needs to
be published in the paper. But we wouldn't be publishing the contract in the paper. We
would only be publishing the notice of the public hearing. That's five days. As I mentioned,
I like to do five business days.
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:06:13] So effectively, it's like two weeks from when I get the
notice to when I can get the ad in the paper and meet the legal notice requirement. Um,
generously. So but again, the actual contract, I don't know that there is a date probably
would be great to give everyone 48 hours notice. But the public hearing notice, we'll just
have that there will be a public hearing, the date and the time and those details.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:06:40] OK, I'm hoping that will have that all
ready to put up at the same time,.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:06:44] I'm sure, Ellen, that Stephanie and I will
communicate with the Fire Company personnel leadership and make sure that that's in
your possession and time for adequate posting, hopefully well in advance of the 48 hour
deadline. Well,.
[00:07:02] I'd move to scheduled a Public Hearing on that the three year Enfield Volunteer
Fire Company contract for our December, regular December meeting, which I believe falls
on December 9? I would move that.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:07:18] I'll Second that December 9th, 2020
at 6:30 pm.
[00:07:27] Is there any discussion?
[00:07:32] OK, Ellen, would you call the vote?
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:07:34] Councilperson Bryant.
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:07:36] Aye
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:07:37] Councilperson Lynch.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:07:38] Aye.
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:07:40] Councilperson Miles.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:07:41] Aye.
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:07:43] Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:07:46] Aye.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:07:54] Sorry, it's the next step we have our
I.T. transition discussion and hopefully you've all had a chance to look over the resolution,
I guess, at this point. Well, let's let's go ahead and move the resolution and then we'll have
discussion based on that.
[00:08:13] Does that sound good? I'll move the resolution to an IT advisory committee,.
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:08:18] Second.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:08:20] OK, any discussion? I'm going to
mute myself because my dogs are so loud.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:08:28] Mentored, it all sounds like a Enfield think it's
required to have a dog in Enfield.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:08:40] Yeah, I think Stephanie created the initial
resolution to form the form the IT committee, and I had a few more paragraphs, just some
more were whereases to provide some explanation. I think that it's important that it's not
just an IT transition. I know there's been some some talk, some discussion about moving
to new email web platform. But I think what I was trying to give to a little bit more than that,
making sure that, you know, we're following as a Town, we're following best practices and
we're secure and now we're leaving ourselves open. And, you know, we're developing
plans for replacing equipment, especially as they go out of service and and as they get
older, they they may not be patchable or supported. Even as an OS. I know a lot of
computers or some of the computers are quite old. So and I believe Ellen was starting an
inventory on that so I'll work with her on that...
[00:09:50] But I think that actually forming an IT committee to look at these things and to
develop policies and plans around IT is important, including including.
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:10:02] I really appreciated your input Mike, when I
read through the additions, because while they didn't have time to look at some other
plans that I see in the past, other places that you had hit upon things we needed to
include.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:10:19] Yeah, the the question on who's who's on it, my
my plan was obviously how healthy and maybe another board member or whoever wants
to be on Ellen. Certainly a lot of a lot of the technology and a lot of the way that Town clerk
operates, especially with Williamston software and other software that she uses, that could
be a code enforcement officer, whoever wants to be a part of this committee. I think I kind
of left the membership open and flexible so that we can include people. I also didn't want
to in the resolution. I didn't want to exclude community members that may have an input
on IT policy.
[00:11:07] So I know there are members of our community that have IT experience out
there. So they may be hiding, but I know that they're there.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:11:18] I would definitely like you, Michael, to be on the
committee, and I would encourage, just as we have with other advisory committees, that
we advertise for a period of time on the Town website for people who might want to join,
we have experienced you might want to contribute their expertize to making our facilities
better.
[00:11:40] No IDA.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:11:44] And I'd also actually like to be on the
committee as well, too, since I probably will have to sign some paperwork for it and should
understand what I'm signing. But thank you so much for being willing to take the helm with
us and guide us through it, because your expertize is really helpful.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:11:58] You're welcome. I figured you'd probably want
to be on it to being the supervisor.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:12:01] So why don't we at this point designate both
Michael Miles and Acting Supervisor Redmond to be on the committee and also, of
course, Town clerk Ellen Woods.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:12:17] That sounds good and Ellen can you
do a post for that to to to announce that we have this committee and my great thanks.
[00:12:27] OK, so are we all set with this discussion on this now?
[00:12:31] And do you want to call the vote? For.
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:12:35] Councilperson Bryant.
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:12:38] Aye.
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:12:39] Councilperson Lynch.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:12:41] Aye
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:12:42] Councilperson Miles.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:12:44] Aye
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:12:45] Acting Supervisor Redmond.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:12:48] Aye. Thank you.
[00:12:51] OK, so the next thing up for discussion is the highway budget modification, and
I believe that we agreed that we would go ahead and move things within the highway
department around.
[00:13:05] Basically, he wants it taken out of his contractual line and feels that he can
make materials based on what he has there. A total of sixty one, a little over sixty one
thousand for the one employee. I gave you a breakdown in the email, so hopefully you've
been able to look over that. But is there any further discussion that we want to have with
this?
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:13:28] We want to move a resolution expressing our
intent to do that tonight, or do we want to just hold off and do the budget transfers in
January?
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:13:39] Usually the budget modification is in
January, I think as long as he knows that we're willing to do that, then I think he's OK with
it. It sounded like to me anyway when I talked to Buddy.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:13:48] So in other words, it's our intent to do that so
that he would not take steps to terminate his fifth employee before year's end. That's my
concern.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:14:00] Yes. It is not planning on moving
them, as far as I know. I mean, you know, we talked to him a little bit about what lines he
would take it out of. And so hopefully you've all seen the email from him regarding this
delay or agreement.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:14:14] Based on your calculations.
[00:14:16] Stephanie, I had come up with a resolution of intent, but it doesn't need to be
entered, doesn't need to be voted on. If you don't believe it's necessary. I ask the
sentiment of the board, do they think that a resolution of our intent to do this in January is
advisable?
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:14:35] If I drew it up, I think we should go
ahead and do it. Yeah, there's no harm in it.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:14:39] OK, I can I can submit this and I can email a
copy to you, Ellen. So you have the text of it. I just it's a rough thing and you may want to
amend it.
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:14:48] Yeah. Since it wasn't posted, maybe you could just
read it. All right.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:14:53] Resolved upon the recommendation of the
Highway superintendent that the Enfield Town Board hereby expresses its intent to add its
first meeting in January, twenty twenty one transferred sixty one thousand five hundred
dollars from twenty twenty one highway department budget line D. A. 5110.4 general
repairs, road maintenance contractual to those other funding lines in the highway funds,
general repairs, road maintenance budget so as to preserve a fifth full time employee
subordinate to the highway superintendent within the Enfield Highway Department.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:15:44] Second,.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:15:45] Yes,.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:15:46] Sorry, is.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:15:47] There another sentence to it, if you want to, not.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:15:51] Sure, go ahead.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:15:53] That it is the board's further intent that this
reduction in the general repairs road maintenance contractual account will be addressed
through a reduction in contractual materials purchases during twenty twenty one. And that
and said reduction that is to be reflected in the road maintenance agreement to be
submitted by the Highway superintendent and subsequently authorized by members of the
Town board for calendar year twenty twenty one. And I so move.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:16:29] that's good Robert.
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:16:31] Second
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:16:34] Any other discussion?
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:16:37] I put that in there, that second paragraph four,
to make it clear that what we are doing is we are not expanding the budget beyond what
we authorized, we are going to be essentially doing probably less road paving and road
maintenance next summer in exchange for having a fully staffed highway department on
staff year round. That is the Highway superintendent recommendation and I defer to his
advice. But we may not be able to do quite as many roads as we had planned in twenty
twenty one. And you can just blame covid-19 for that.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:17:19] You never know, we might get some
good chips funding back to my line.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:17:27] It's been a difficult year with covid-19.
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:17:29] That's a very difficult and I don't want Buddy
crew to feel like one of them is going to lose their job, especially going into the holiday
season after the end of a difficult year that, you know, I want them to know that we have
their back.
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:17:47] Now, I agree with that horrifying thought.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:17:50] This is an happy ending to a problem we had
this year and I'm glad it's being effectively resolved.
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:18:00] I thank you for to.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:18:06] There's no further discussion. Ellen,
do you want to call the vote?
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:18:10] Councilperson Bryant.
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:18:12] Aye.
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:18:13] Councilperson Lynch,.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:18:15] Aye.
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:18:16] Councilperson Miles,.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:18:17] Aye.
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:18:18] Acting Supervisor, Redmond,.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:18:21] Aye
[00:18:24] So I skipped right over the Councilperson, Supervisor discussion, so let's go
ahead and have that now.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:18:33] I asked to put this on the agenda. I may be
opening up another can of worms here, but I was wondering if there any kind of movement
or any kind of resolution to getting to a full complement of a board. What are the options at
this point?
[00:18:50] I'm not sure what the legal options are and whether a Guy has given any input
on what our options to fill this out. Maybe others can get me up to speed on the legalities
of how we do this, including the Supervisors' position, and also that the remaining Town
Board member that would, if we do fill a Supervisor position.
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:19:15] Well, I would like nothing better than to have a
full Board.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:19:22] So my understanding is that we'd
have to have the Supervisor position filled before we can do the Councilperson positions
and we need to do that before the end of December.
[00:19:31] Otherwise we have to move to a special election, which I personally won't vote
in favor of because it would cost the Town thousands of dollars and it would literally be
nine months until the following election, and it would probably take months before we
could even get a Special Election organized in place. So I don't support the idea of having
a Special Election in 2021 for those reasons.
[00:19:56] But, you know, I'm kind of just letting this ride the way it's going to ride at this
point.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:20:03] Michael, we should make sure you get a copy of
Guy Krogh's Communication to our Town Board on October 5th. And it answered a lot of
questions that we board members and shortly after both. Well, I guess it was after right
after Supervisor McGee resigned. It was before Councilperson Mahaffey resigned, which
is, of course, the position that you were filling now. But we ought to send you a copy of
that. I can send you a copy of his answers to our questions, which may bring you up to
speed on that. And that might better inform you.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:20:42] Yeah, that would be helpful. I don't know what
his communication was. That's the executive session of that sort of a public document.
Public document. Yep, yep, I'd be happy to receive that, since Stephanie is both a board
member and the acting supervisor, that position?
[00:21:05] Well, from my understanding, we have to either. You know.
[00:21:12] Vote on a new supervisor position or vote for someone, whether it's Stephanie
or other. And that and if it is definitely that opens up a board member, but if it isn't, then do
I understand this correctly?
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:21:29] Mm hmm. Yeah, basically the the
new supervisor would be taking up the fifth seat or I would be the supervisor. And there
have been open 5th seat.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:21:39] And ultimately, I believe that, Stephanie, you
are making the Supervisor McGee salary right now, correct? You are earning that.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:21:46] Correct.
[00:21:47] And I technically could be taking on the Councilperson salary as well, since I'm
doing both positions technically, but I've declined to take the Councilperson position
salary.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:21:57] Thank you.
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:22:01] I would allow us to fill that seat with someone
who that we really had a hard time voting for. I barely feel it's worthy of serious
consideration to come to a full board with someone that we have already talked to and
listened to and feel would be qualified.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:22:22] And also and there's only two of us that actually
applied for it. So the question is, is the position was open again, we want to open it up,
back up again. Are you satisfied that James is the person?
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:22:37] I really like to have James on our
board. I think he offers a lot of perspective, prospection perspective onto the end of the
discussion and it shows a more inclusive policy within the Town board.
[00:22:50] And I am really glad that you're on our board.
[00:22:54] I'm very happy with your qualifications. But there's something to be said for the
fact that you're qualified because you're allowed to be on the board. And we've never had
a black man on the board before, so how could we have a qualified black man for the
board? So that's that's an interesting you can stop at the discussion of, well, he's not
qualified or you could take that discussion further as to why do we have a situation where
we have a man that's not qualified and what can we do about it to create a different
dynamic?
[00:23:20] But that's that's a whole discussion,.
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:23:23] Whole discussion.
[00:23:24] But it's a very worthy one.
[00:23:26] And I once personally,.
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:23:28] I really feel we need to revisit it.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:23:33] Why don't we schedule a discussion of this
matter for our December meeting? It will be the last opportunity we have to do that, as I
understand it from the attorney's perspective, because he would he says that after the end
of the year, we can't as a board, elevate one of our own to that position. It's then left up to
either the governor to call a special election or it's up to the courts to fill that position. So
our hands are somewhat tied after year's end. But we do have a December meeting. It
would give an opportunity and we could post this early so that the public is aware of this.
So if they want to weigh in on it, they can. And then we can have a further discussion of
this at our December regular meeting. Sounds like a good idea.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:24:22] Would it be potential action item at that point?
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:24:24] It could be a potential action item.
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:24:27] It would have to be. That makes sense.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:24:30] That's pretty much that's going to be close to
the end of December unless there's another one after that. But that's getting close to the
holidays as well to.
[00:24:40] And so.
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:24:42] So I just wanted to clarify, there's a potential legal
question in addition, which is if any action at the December 9th meeting was to create
another vacancy on the board, would we only have until December 31 to fill that vacancy?
That's a legal question.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:25:00] I would recommend that we consult Guy Krogh
about that. He's the only one who could answer that question effectively.
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:25:07] And I just wanted to bring up one other legal
questoin I have.
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:25:11] I just wanted to bring up one other legal question I
have, which I, I thought I would want to ask the board if they were going to take any action
on the December 9th meeting to revisit the issue of whether it's appropriate for a Deputy
Supervisor to have like an employer/employee relationship on a five person board.
[00:25:34] I would suggest that, like, I don't disagree that work has to be done. And that
could be like an assistant to the supervisor.
[00:25:42] But creating an employer/employee relationship on a five person board can be
problematic.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:25:48] Between who?
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:25:49] Between any anyone the Supervisor is paying.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:25:53] Another, or if the Supervisor were to
choose a deputy that's on the board, which is typically happened in the past, because
often the person of the other people in the Board know what's going on. So they're they
make a good deputy.
[00:26:06] But there are political questions around that issue as to are they being strong
armed into voting a certain way in order to remain the deputy? There's all sorts of. Maybe
ethical issues around that, so that could be a discussion that we have to.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:26:30] Fundamentally change the nature of that
position.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:26:32] It was my understanding that the deputy and the
deputy in the past has always been someone to fill in in the case of the supervisor and
supervisor cannot perform the duties or needed or without it needed to run a meeting as
such. And it was very nominally paid for with less than a thousand dollars per year for that
position. And now.
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:26:57] That is what it was in the past.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:26:59] And now we've changed that to more of a part
time position with the pay. Now, it's I think at ten thousand dollars funding might change
the nature of that relationship, whereas now not just the deputy that can step in case the
supervisor or Acting Supervisor is not available now, it becomes that relationship more of
that relationship.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:27:23] I think there are towns that do it either way. And
even in my brief tenure on the Enfield Town board, we've done it two ways because the
previous supervisor first had this nominally paid deputy supervisor who once was a Town
board member, then stepped off the board and continued for the first part of this year as
deputy supervisor while not being a board member. And then the supervisor made a
change in midyear to elevate the Councilperson Redmond to deputy supervisor. And so
both of those circumstances, as far as I know, are legal. I have not heard from Guy Krogh.
Either one is uncalled for, certainly not not illegal as far as the state law is concerned, or
whether he would have let us know about that.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:28:17] But ultimately, the board will vote on whoever
that deputy is.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:28:20] The supervisor gets to appoint
whoever they want to be. Their deputy isn't much like the town clerk appoint to be the
deputy.
[00:28:28] It's an appointed position by their person that.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:28:32] The Town board gets to create the position of
deputy supervisor. The Town board gets to set the salary for the deputy supervisor, as we
did earlier this year. However, it's a discretionary appointment by the supervisor. The
supervisor gets to choose his or her deputy and other members of the Town board have
no say on it.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:28:54] Yeah, I remember I remember us doing this in
twenty sixteen when I think right.
[00:29:01] That's that became the deputy.
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:29:03] That's right. And I remember that also.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:29:05] I don't remember whether it was.
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:29:08] A very nominal amount.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:29:12] Yeah.
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:29:12] So I was just going to note for the point that the the
supervisor in Ulysses does employ several assistance to the supervisor. So that's like a
legislative aide. And so that's another. So it's conceivable that it could be split into two
positions. And I wasn't trying to imply that like a supervisor would not need an additional
some additional help.
[00:29:38] So that is definitely worth considering. And then. Yeah, that's it.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:29:45] Now, I haven't read through all the transcripts,
but I take it that part of this position is is also filling administrative duties, not just acting as
a deputy.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:29:56] Yes, that's true. When I was when I
was acting as the deputy for for Beth's, I did all sorts of things like the finding statement
and things like that for the comprehensive plan. And I think it's really helpful to have
somebody who's involved at that level also just as a backup, as a signer on accounts and,
you know, to know the know where everything is with the process of different payments
and vouchers and sign of forms and and being involved in the county level with different
policies that we have to enact. So I think it's really helpful to have somebody in that
position.
[00:30:34] And it's just a safeguard for our Town, if you like,.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:30:37] OK, to put in the budget.
[00:30:40] I guess I want to say that given the reduction of the highway person, the
supervisors line, I think Supervisor McGee, including the supervisor and the deputy,
increased almost 50 percent for that line from 2020 to 2021 budget. So and I guess the
optics looks kind of bad when you do that. At the same time you're turning in the budget to
let's, you know, another employee, you go.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:31:12] So I understand what you're saying,
but it's really important to look at the salaries that we're talking about here. You know, the
salary for the for the supervisor is only twenty four thousand compared to almost forty
thousand dollars for a highway person. And there are different job descriptions and
different things involved there. But it really also does show a pretty large discrepancy in
the pay there so that there's that issue.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:31:39] And also there's the issue of just the
overall budget of the Town, whether it's. I feel like so much is spent toward the highway
department that a lot of the Town needs get neglected and there's been issues within the
town of residents saying, oh, they cut too many of my trees or they plowed, you know,
when there was only a quarter inch or they did too much ditching. And so I think part of
Beth's reasoning for switching this around was to pull back on some of the issues with the
highway department and maybe say, oh, well, maybe we don't need to be spending that
much, but we do need the outside of the community building replastered and painted. We
do need the paving in front of the community building dealt with.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:32:21] There's all sorts of issues on the
general side of the the general fund, the general side of our budget that have been
neglected. And there's a lot of social services right now that are needed within our Town.
And I'd really like to see a lot more going toward the Grange or the E.C. C. or the fire
company and things like that that are in need in our town and have been neglected.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:32:45] So I think it was more than just, you
know, I think I think it got slated, unfortunately, in a really negative political way as like a
vindictive thing, which people often do to women who disagree with them, unfortunately.
But I feel like it's it's really just an overall look at the budget and coming up with a plan on
how we want to move toward the future. And I am really happy with how it turned out in the
sense that Buddy was able to find that money within the highway budget to keep his extra
person instead of having to take that from the general side. And, you know, we have a
fund balance policy for the highway department that has been overspending year after
year and is now almost non-existent. And we'll be lucky if we have twenty thousand dollars
in the highway fund balance and it should be over two hundred thousand dollars. So
there's definitely issues with with finances on that side of the budget. And I think that the
long term issue or the long term thought was to pull back on the amount that the highway
is doing overall.
[00:33:50] And so I'm kind of leaving that up to Buddy to figure that out on his side of the
budget. But I do feel very strongly that that that needed to be reshuffled or reevaluated.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:34:03] Yeah, I'm just beginning to look at downloaded
the last 10 budget years or so. That's only been a week, so I haven't really got a chance to
go too deep into them. So I'm trying to and I would like things to settle down a bit. So that's
like like the fire department's three year contract. There is a there's a certain percentage
increase for a year. It's regular. It's known that you can deal with the budget. You know, it'd
be nice to get to the level that of swings back and forth and the budget. So things are
regular and it doesn't really become political that it just now is like, oh, here's here's a I'm
not sure what the number is. But here is like a highway department. No, we should budget.
Here's a reasonable number and we'll try to increase that like a certain percentage each
year. Same thing with the general fund and also what we can actually with the fire district
as well.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:35:00] But I just I'm just sorry, go ahead.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:35:03] I've just begun to look at this, so I, I really can't
draw any conclusions yet or even have a solution to to these problems.
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:35:12] I think we're headed in a much better direction
right now with, you know, examining the budget as we move forward and with what is done
to find a way to keep this person within his budget.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:35:29] Yeah, I do worry about the materials budget
because, you know, Buddy does take care of the roads pretty well and it hasn't gone
unnoticed by me. I live on Aiken Road and Aiken Road is sandwiched between two county
roads, Waterburg and Podunk, which have been really just disintegrating. So he takes
care of the roads better than the county takes care of the roads out here. And I know
Virginia, you live nearby and you know, Podunk is still it's still a mess. It's disintegrating it
and disappointed that the rest of the county can do is a rough road sign up. And so I do
appreciate Buddy attention to the roads that Town. And we have a lot of roads and we
have very limited budget. So but I do worry about the materials. I don't know enough about
what Buddy does. I don't want to micromanage what Buddy does. But I do worry that that
level of service that it does to the roads will I mean, if it is taken away from some of these
budget lines will affect that.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:36:33] I am hoping that overall, the twenty
twenty one budget will or the twenty twenty two budget really will be will be much better.
We're going to have hopefully have this big solar farm coming in that will produce a lot of
permit fees for us that will feed into the Town in the community host agreement, that will
give money to the Town and hopefully we won't have as many covid expenses or, you
know, money taken out of our budget via the CoVid expense.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:37:02] And hopefully that will be that's an improvement
to the Town. That's not creating like an industrial area that's going to be off the road. It's
not even really going to be seen very much and it's going to be some green space around
it. So, look, you know, I was watching the presentation of a couple of meetings ago, and it
seemed pretty by Norbut, you know, I know I don't want to get off track off topic here,.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:37:28] But most of the farmland is going to be
preserved.
[00:37:32] So it's not going to look that much different, at least from the road frontage. It
will be back there, but it will it will not take away much agricultural land. It will not take
away much green space, and it will add to the Town tax revenues in the process.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:37:50] So hopefully, you know, when I was on the
Bordentown 16, I, you know, I felt bad that we spent so much time on the wind project that
I didn't really get a time to really understand the budget as well as I should have. So for
me, just starting that process, even now, trying to understand the budget, see where we've
come from, and maybe we can normalize this thing and it be regular out to this.
[00:38:14] So so we give Buddy what he needs and the Town gets what he needs and that
this can can be resolved and we have a good year.
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:38:22] I think the boards is in a much better place to
do exactly that. OK. As you approach the New Year and the year we've got and we have
been in the past, I've seen an uptick of ability to really examine the budget and set up
some policies for reservists and so forth that we may not be able to support. That's just a
just a better set up in management and oversight and planning.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:38:53] I think that one of the biggest things
in the budget coming up is this Salt barn contract that we have because we really only
have until twenty, twenty three to make a 50 percent match for that. So we really have to
be putting away as much money as we can. And really that goes back to Buddy because
he wants a larger salt barn than what we had originally intended. And that's going to cost
us significantly more. So the more we can put away for that, the more of a match we can
get. And if we can put three hundred thousand dollars away, then we have a six hundred
thousand dollar Salt barn and we would get Buddy. But, you know, like I said, I don't know
how much we're gonna be able to do that if we continue to put money toward different
things.
[00:39:36] But hopefully in this year's budget, we'll have a hundred thousand dollars to set
aside.
[00:39:40] Is the salt open now, to the elements?.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:39:43] It is and always has been, and it's
very close to the stream. So that's, it's an issue.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:39:48] Buddy tells me he buries the salt in the
sandpile. There's a big sandpile back of the highway barn. And right now the salt is buried
in the sand, which isn't the best way to do it. But it does limit the amount of leaching that
the that the salt will do. I mean, if you expose the soil to the rain, it's also going to melt and
it's going to be going away.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:40:11] So he buries it in the sand, which isn't the best
way to do it. I think 2020, we've got to move on the salt barn some way. And you, Michael,
are I think, very good with figures and you want to deep dove into the budget. And one of
the questions we have to resolve in 2021 is how we're going to finance the salt barn. I
would given the fact that money is almost free these days in terms of interest rates, I would
consider bonding a substantial portion of the cost simply because the interest rate is near
zero right now.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:40:49] Yeah, it's true, we could move ahead
a lot faster that way.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:40:53] That that's that's an option.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:40:55] But of course, that that adds more debt to the
Town that is responsible for that puts it puts the camera on the road. But but we do that
with vehicles and houses personally, too. So, you know, that's an option. Is is creating a
municipal bond for that.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:41:11] That's something we can study early in 2021
and reach a decision on how we want to finance it. I think we ought to go ahead with it
next year now.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:41:20] So I would be interested in, you know, and and
like say I want to kind of get a head start on the budget since I know we just we just
passed it. I would not even though we probably have an amended budget in January, but
never too soon. No, no. It's good. Good to get a handle on it. So when we get the budget,
say things like, oh, yeah, this whole thing, we to we got this.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:41:45] That's so. Is there any more
discussion on the Councilperson Supervisor positions?
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:41:51] Just as we put it on the agenda for DEC night,
then have a further discussion on it, maybe we'll have some action.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:41:59] And I would say, you know, if people have
ideas, bring ideas or propose resolutions, you know, at this point, you know, we need to
elevate Stephanie to the position or to appoint someone else so either of them have
complications.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:42:17] And I think we need that legal clarification as to
whether if once we, let's say, were to take one of our Councilperson and put that person in
to the supervisor's position and Aye. Councilperson position opened up. If we have any
amount of leeway before we have to fill that Councilperson position or if that two has to be
done before year's end, I don't know the answer.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:42:45] OK.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:42:48] So at the beginning, I forgot to ask if
anybody has any additions to the agenda, and I actually did want to touch quickly. Are you
guys all set with this discussion? Sorry, I didn't mean move on, so I just wanted to touch on
quickly.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:43:04] I had sent out an email prior to the
two hour meeting tonight from Renovous and it had an image of their site plan on it. She's
going to send me numbers, so I haven't gotten any further with this. But I just wanted to let
you all know that the back lot that's on there, the option one, which I had been vying for,
she actually said was going to be significantly more expensive, like over ten thousand
dollars more expensive for the trenching to get up to where the panel is. So she gave us a
couple of other suggestions. So I'll be sending those on to you as soon as I get them from
her.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:43:42] But I'm glad you brought that up, because I
looked at that, too, and said if those panels are going to be weigh in back at the highway
barn, it's going to be a long way to bring the power up to the road to merge it with the
NYSEG line. And I also I looked at option two, which is across the driveway from the
highway barn, but I wondered if that was going to be preclusion, if we wanted to at some
future time, long in the future for a town hall there or something like that, if that was the site
where that was going to be. There was some earlier discussion, I thought, when this was
first being proposed of putting the panels, let's say, between the highway barn and Route
three twenty seven. But that doesn't seem to be considered now for whatever reason.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:44:36] So Buddy really does not want us to
use this space, but if you see on that design, there is a little outline where they would
prefer to put it by the meter.
[00:44:46] And so that would be that would be the preference by Renvous. But I think
Buddy would not want it there due to just you know, he has his trucks going through there
a lot and he stores a lot of materials there. So I'll talk to him further. And hopefully he can
be at our DEC meeting, but be ready to make some decisions that are DEC meeting about
where we want this to be, as far as finalized,.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:45:10] What is the timetable right now in construction?
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:45:13] I think they're going to probably wait
a while for the construction phase, but they would just like to get this part decided so they
can do their actual design of the system, which.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:45:24] We're talking next Spring now to put the panels
up.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:45:26] Probably likely at this point,.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:45:29] But we're all that's that's no problem with the
funding or the NYSERDA grant or anything like that. We still got that much time?
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:45:36] Yeah, I think we're OK with that. I
mean, I'll clarify with them and make sure we have that done by their deadlines.
[00:45:41] But anyway, is there anything else. Sorry, what was that?
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:45:47] I said they have been very flexible. They have.
And I sort of, you know, good.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:45:54] Is there any are there any other
additions that anyone wanted to add to the agenda?
[00:45:59] Sorry, I didn't said before.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:46:00] That was the only one you've already. We've
already answered it.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:46:04] OK, and then the last one is this plan
for operations, the event of a declared public health emergency involving a communicable
disease. So this was recently sent to me from Guy.
[00:46:16] We just have a new a new plan that we need to enact. And I've been working
on this the past couple of weeks and I've gotten this far with it. And the only thing that I
didn't fill out is you'll notice on the very end they're asking about housing. And I was just
going to say something like, you know, we expect them to house at their own residence,
kind of something along those lines.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:46:45] But if anybody wants to go through
that plan and have any make a swing at any edits, go ahead and do that.
[00:46:53] And you can get me at its back and I'll send that in or we will try to get a
resolution to adopt this plan for DEC meeting.
[00:47:03] If that sounds good,.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:47:04] Is that our deadline which our deadline on.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:47:07] Well, you know, it's interesting
because they they signed this September seven, technically, that's when Governor Cuomo
signed it. And if you look at the the action, I sent you two different links. If you look at one
link where it actually talks about the him signing it and whatnot, it says that we have 90
days, which would be the end of November or early December. But if you look at the other
one, it says we have until April to file this. So interesting, about 50 days and and until April
to finish it. So I think we should just move this through as quickly as possible and adopt it.
And I'm hoping that we can have it adopted at our December meeting.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:47:53] I want to notify. How were you notified that you
get an email from the Comptroller or is that or did Guy tell you this? Or?
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:48:02] Guy told it.
[00:48:02] Yeah, Guy sent me the information about it. So I just I actually just grabbed stuff
from our ROOP plans from before and sort of put them into this format.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:48:12] Because we're not going to keep up on what
we're supposed to do.
[00:48:15] I'm glad that Guy was on top of it so he can let us know what we're legally
obligated to do.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:48:22] So, yeah.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:48:27] Put it on the agenda for December and we'll act
on it and we can collaborate on it before then so that we have all the I's dotted and T's
crossed well in advance of that.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:48:38] OK, so that's it for the Agenda, are
there any announcements?
[00:48:48] You're quiet, I don't know why, because you're not muted.
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:48:52] I better.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:48:55] Go ahead.
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:48:56] So Halsyville and Iradell the County is going to be
the county is going to be working on that intersection. That is Monday and Tuesday of next
week. And I am going to put it on the website, but I am also going to use the SWIFT 911
System to put it out. It's a good practice test of it.
[00:49:17] So just expect that to be coming and then that's it.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:49:24] Is this going to be your first SWIFT
911?!!
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:49:26] It is. It is!
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:49:27] Ooo. That's exciting
[00:49:29] It's going to go to some landlines, so hopefully it works for people
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:49:35] I wanted to ask where we gather for the
NYMIR meeting on Friday.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:49:44] At Town clerk, first at 10, and then
we'll go over to Highway after that.
Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:49:48] Oh, and then the Town Hall Alarm, I would like to
deploy that starting tonight.
[00:49:55] So everyone should have received a code. But if you need to have any more
information about that, just give me a call of I definitely have materials I can send and talk
anyone through it.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:50:10] OK.
[00:50:11] OK.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:50:13] If there's nothing,.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:50:14] With the NYMIR inspection, is Virginia assisting
Stephanie with that, because we always have that situation where we can't have 3 board
members there at once.
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:50:24] So we had signed up.
[00:50:26] So I would do it and I will do it.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:50:28] OK, I don't know who's who's going to be doing
it. Just wanted to see.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:50:33] Yep, yep, Virginia said that she
would come along so.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:50:37] Good. Thank you.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:50:39] All set for that on Friday.
[00:50:41] OK, does anybody want to make a motion to adjourn?
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:50:45] I will move to adjourn.
Councilperson Michael Miles [00:50:47] Second.
Acting Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:50:48] All right, thank you. Have a good
night, everyone.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:50:51] Thank you.
Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:50:52] Happy Thanksgiving.
[00:50:54] Oh, yes.
Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:50:55] Happy Thanksgiving.