Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout12_09_2020 Transcript PH Fire Contract12092020PublicHearingFire.mp3 Acting Town Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:01:06] I'm going to open the public hearing at Aye. six thirty p.m. on Wednesday, December 9th. We are having this meeting via the Zoom platform. I would like the Town Clerk Ellen Woods to read the legal notice that was published in the Ithaca Journal. [00:01:22] We have that available. Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:01:24] Yes. Acting Town Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:01:25] Thank you. Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:01:26] This legal notice was published in the Ithaca. Journal on December 4th. 2020 notice of public hearing for Town of Enfield fire contract with Enfield Volunteer Fire Company. Please take notice that a public hearing will be held upon December nine. Twenty twenty at six thirty PM Via zoom online meeting platform. Then I give the web address or call one six four six eight seven six nine nine two three. The meeting id is eight nine three four two nine one seven to eight six password is one four eight five zero. Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:02:04] In the town of Enfield, New York. For the purpose of receiving public input and comments upon a proposed fire contract between the town of Enfield and the Enfield Volunteer Fire Company. Such fire contract is on file and available for review at the Town clerk's office for anyone desiring to review the same. The notice regarding the public hearing is also posted for public review in the window of the town hall, one sixty eight Enfield Main Road Ithaca. New York one four eight five zero. The fire contract may be accessed at Townofenfield.org/ph-firecontract. At the time and place of such public hearing, the Town board will take statements and testimony and evidence from all persons interested in the subject thereof and concerning the same, and the Town board may or will take such other action thereupon a s is required or permitted by law. All residents of the town and the general public are invited to attend this public hearing. Individuals with visual hearing or other impairments or disabilities that require or request assistance should contact Town Clerk Ellen Woods at 607-273-8256 or townhall@townofenfield.org at least forty eight hours prior to the time of the public hearing the town of Enfield website. It contains information upon how to participate in a public hearing by telephone or online comments may also be dropped off in a secure Dropbox at the town hall at 168 Enfield Main Road, Ithaca, NY 14850, mailed to the same address or email to Townboard@townofenfield.org comments must be received by five thirty pm DEC nine twenty twenty to be read at the public hearing this notices dated twelve one twenty twenty by order of the Town board. Elin Woods Town clerk Town of Enfield. Acting Town Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:04:17] Thank you, Ellen. Robert, if you have the resolution in front of you, would you like to read it? The approval of the twenty twenty one through twenty twenty three Town of Enfield fire protection contract. [00:04:30] If not, I have it in front of me. I could read it to. But if you have it handy, I know you put some effort into this as well so. [00:04:46] So sorry, that five. [00:04:53] A resolution 20, 20, No. Eight, five. Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:04:57] That's what I have given announce. Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:05:02] Twenty one, twenty twenty three, Town Enfield fire protection control. Eighty five were asked for to public hearings duly scheduled and held by the Town board. And whereas the Enfield Volunteer Fire Company and the Town have come to final agreement as to the fire contract, the form of which was presented to this meeting, and whereas a public hearing was duly called upon the approval of such contract for the requirements of Town law and all persons speaking, their act or desiring to present evidence were duly heard. Therefore, be it resolved that the twenty twenty one to twenty twenty three Town of Enfield fire protection contract be and hereby is approved and the Town Supervisor B. and hereby is authorized to sign the same four by on behalf of and in the name of the town of Enfield. I'll be I move that. But obviously we have to have a hearing first. [00:06:11] That's all. Acting Town Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:06:12] I'll Second it. Shall we have a discussion and the hearing? I would like to say that I'm really happy that we were able to come up with this contract with the fire company. [00:06:24] I was very moved to see how well organized and how well the the fire company members take care of their building and take adequate trainings. I feel like this contract negotiations went very smoothly and I'm excited that we were able to put the extra stipulation in there for extra funding, for protection of the volunteers, for extra turnout gear that had become become out of compliance. Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:06:55] I totally agree with that. I think it's wonderful. I just would note that the resolution looking at it says we're hereby authorized to sing th e same song, that you don't want to hear me sing it. But I'm really pleased with how it's gone and I appreciate the effort and cooperation that went into it. Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:07:21] Well, Virginia would know this because she was on the board at the time. And, yeah, I know that I know that Virginia was not a participant in some of the calisthenics that the Town board had to do two and three years ago, that there was a a feeling of, I guess, tension and to a certain extent on is involved in th e prior negotiations. And I want everyone to know that was not the case this year, that Stephanie and I, I think, had three, maybe four meetings with Danny and Greg. And they were very productive meetings. They were very collegial meetings. They were nobod y nobody was arguing with with anybody. Yes. We each had our own interests to represent the towns on our part and the fire companies on Greg;s and Denny’s part. But everybody got along and we struck a deal very quickly, actually quickly the quicker than I thought we would. And everybody was in agreement. And I know that I have received a couple of concerns about the cost of the turnout gear. But, you know, that's to keep our volunteers safe, the people who put their lives on the line to protect us. And it's also good legal protection, too, because if anyone should ever get hurt in the line of duty of fighting a fire in Enfield, I know the investigators would say, well, how does that turn out here? And if it was too old and if it was not up to standard, we'd have a legal problem. So it's good that we're getting this resolved. We're doing it amicably. It's a win /win agreement and I wholeheartedly endorse it. Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:09:02] Absolutely. Bob, I appreciate your partner. As people may know, my husband was very ill before he passed away. And there were there were parts of time when I couldn't give my all to the Town ward. And I regret that. But I'm glad to see that this process, as you said, went so well. I wish it could have been a fly on the wall because of past experience that I wasn't part of that heard about. So I'm so glad this went well. Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:09:32] Well, part of that, I think, also is a result of what the last fire contract put in place, which was quarterly meetings between Town representatives and fire company representatives. And that was the starting point of our negotiations when Stephanie and I were designated as the new representatives to. Participated in those discussions. Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:09:55] It's all working, working collaboratively with the pieces of government and what helps our Town be what it should be. Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:10:03] And Stephanie and I both cooperated very well on that. It was a win win agreement and we left there with smiles on our faces. Acting Town Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:10:12] If there are any residents that would like to speak, I just want to remind everybody that this meeting is being recorded. If you would like to speak at the public hearing, please use the raise your hand button. If you are calling in on a cell phone, you can do this by pressing the star button. I will on mute everyone to be sure they have a chance to speak if they would like to. Please be sure to address your comments to the board as a whole. You'll have three minutes to speak. So please wrap up your comments in that time. [00:10:43] And I'm going to go ahead and unmute you and ask you to start your video. Ann Rider [00:10:55] Trying a new arrangement here. Well, it needs a little work. I am thrilled. I can't tell you how thrilled I am to hear that this Town board is acting civilly toward the fire department. They. Interrupt their lives all the time to take care of Town residents and people passing through who don't obey stop signs at the corner, and I I'm glad I'm sitting down. I am so shocked and. Thrilled that the Town board is acting civilly towards the fire department. Thank you. Acting Town Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:11:53] Thank you, Ann. [00:11:58] OK, if anybody else would like to speak, please use the raise your hand button now or the Star nine button if you're on the phone. Councilperson Michael Miles [00:12:07] I'll I'll speak in the interim before someone else raises their hand. I agree with the previous comments. This is good because I you know, as I said, I do remember a time when the fire department was, you know, loggerheads with the Town board. Counciperson Michael Miles [00:12:25] And it's good to see this dealt with amicably and coming up with what looks like a good contract. My my only concern, and this is just really more of a technical issue with the budget, is breaking out the turnout gear out of this budget. And but I understand why that was done. And it's becau se they have to have them have the turnout gear and specifically earmarked for forgetting that we're getting that gear. [00:13:01] If anybody is looking at the details of the budget and the budget impact on this. [00:13:07] Yes, yes. Because of the turnout gear, there is an additional 10 percent budget increase in the fire district line. Councilperson Michael Miles [00:13:17] But if you take a historical look and I look, you can get this information on the on the Town website. If you look back all the way back to the 2010 budget year, the Anne. And fast forward to the projected budget year of twenty twenty two and twenty twenty three. [00:13:38] Given this three year contract, the average percent increase of the fire district line or the fire district appropriations is less than two percent per year. Councilperson Michael Miles [00:13:51] So, so you so you may be shocked that the 10 percent this year, but looking at I think 14 years of data, the average turns out to be about less than two percent increase per year, which is in keeping or less than inflation. Acting Town Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:14:11] Thank you, Michael. [00:14:12] In that line, I would like to get a shout out to the previous sorry, to the previous supervisor, Beth's McGee, because she was really the one that forced ahead with this budget and allocated that thirty five thousand into the budget for the turnout gear and realized how very important that was. Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:14:31] So I would like to say thanks to her for that, and I would like to say thanks also because I have my families personally concerns over the 57 years we lived here, at least three or four times and most recently and a couple of emergencies. So, you know, to my way of thinking, you turn out your force is essential. And there's no question in my mind that when they requested it, it should be part of our budget somewhere, somehow, for all the reasons Roberts stated, and also the feeling that they need that the appropriate gear. Councilperson Michael Miles [00:15:11] And on a lighter note, these are the same folks that are out five below like a 4:00 a.m., probably cooking chicken in the middle of winter. [00:15:20] So there's a lot of vacation just in terms of that to Tompkins. Acting Town Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:15:30] OK, I'm going to go ahead and ask you all at this point, so everybody who has not had a chance to speak will have a chance to speak now. [00:15:39] I believe everybody is asked to unmute. Town Clerk Ellen Woods [00:15:48] Yes, I would just like to say that I performed a final mail check and a check of my Drop Box, and there was no correspondence received. Was there any correspondence received on Town Board? Acting Town Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:16:02] No, not regarding this. OK, thank you. [00:16:08] OK, if anybody else would like to speak now. Please do so. OK, I'm going to go ahead and meet all again. And then I'm going to ask to, um, you folks from before. [00:16:37] OK, so this resolution has been moved and it's been seconded. Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:16:41] Is there any more discussion before we call the vote just a parliamentary procedure? Can we adopt this outside of a regularly scheduled board meeting? Can we adopt it during a public hearing or do we have to wait until we convene the board at seven o'clock to do that? Acting Town Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:17:01] Oh, that's a good question, I kind of assumed that the resolution was that went along with the publ ic hearing, but maybe we do have to wait on that. Councilperson Michael Miles [00:17:09] I think the of the regular meeting, I believe. OK, we can make a move with that. Acting Town Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:17:16] I kind of thought it was like, you know, you move it in Second it have the discussion as part of the public hearing. But perhaps I'm wrong. I should reflect a little bit closer to that question about it. Councilperson Michael Miles [00:17:26] Moving it to the very good meeting won't hurt. Acting Town Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:17:28] OK, OK, we'll go ahead and do that. Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:17:30] OK, that's a safe move. Acting Town Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:17:33] OK, that sounds good. We'll move us then into the regular meeting part. So I guess at this point our regular meeting doesn't start at seven, so we have until 7:00. And so we have a little bit of a break at this point. So go ahead and get your popcorn. Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:17:48] Should we Close the Public Hearing officially? Acting Town Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:17:49] That's a good question. I just I think I think we should probably leave the public. [00:17:58] We did say we'd leave the public hearing. Councilperson Michael Miles [00:18:00] Well, I guess we can leave it open if you want to. [00:18:04] And just so, let's go ahead and leave it open and we'll close it right before the seven o'clock meeting. You never know if somebody else is going to join that wants to say something during this time. Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:18:13] Stephanie, you want to finish the dinner? And so. Acting Town Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:18:16] I would love to finish my dinner. Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:18:17] Why don't you do it and we'll just hang tight until seven o'clock and. Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:18:23] Yep, I guess I got you. All right. Acting Town Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:18:26] And so I'll open it up a little bit before seven o'clock just to make sure. And anybody that did not have a chance to speak will will have one final opportunity before we close it, before we open our actual board meeting. Councilperson Robert Lynch [00:18:37] Thank you. Councilperson Virginia Bryant [00:18:37] Thank you Acting Town Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:18:38] All right. Thanks, everyone. [00:25:23] I can call the other board members back from the abyss out there. I'm gonna to unmute or ask to unmute folks again. Acting Town Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:25:44] OK, I'm going to unmute residents one more time just to give anybody who has not had a chance to speak or maybe came in late, a chance to speak at the public hearing before we close it out. [00:25:59] Anyone would like to speak, now's your chance to do so. Acting Town Supervisor Stephanie Redmond [00:26:06] I'm going to assume that a no, I'm going to mute all again. [00:26:20] OK. [00:26:23] All right, let's close this public hearing.