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2015 Town Board Minutes > Town Board Meeting - October 19, 2015


TOWN BOARD MEETING

October 19, 2015 Page 1 of 3

 

The regular meeting of the Richfield Town Board was held on Monday, October 19, 2015, at the Richfield Town Hall.  The meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM by supervisor Enjem.  Other board members in attendance were Bond, Eckler, Palumbo, and Snyder.

 

A public hearing on a “Local Law Imposing a Moratorium on Certain Industrial Land Uses Within the Town of Richfield” was cancelled due to changes made in the document.

 

Motion to pay claims as presented by Enjem, second by Palumbo.  Bond – yes, Eckler – yes, Palumbo – yes, Snyder – yes, Enjem – yes.

                                                A General                                $  2,477.63

                                                B General                                $       47.31

                                                DA Highway                           $  4.172.43

                                                DB Highway                           $ 87,728.51

                                                SL Street Lighting                  $        84.73

                                                H Wind Project                       $      638.75

                                                                        Total                $100,807.69

 

Motion to approve minutes of the September 21, 2015, and October 5, 2015, meetings by Enjem, second by Bond.  Bond – yes, Eckler – yes, Palumbo – yes, Snyder – yes. Enjem – yes.

 

Rod Sluyter updated the board on the Wayne L. King Memorial Pavilion project.  The committee has raised enough money to start the project this fall and anticipates completion in the spring. There will be no cost to the town.  The committee needs to present the plans to the Planning Board.  The supervisor suggested the committee provide the town with a bond in case all the money is not raised.  Sluyter stated that the individuals have made commitments in case the money is not all raised.  The supervisor would like a letter to that effect.  Board member Palumbo asked that the proposed area be staked out for the board to see.

 

Tamer Osman, Delta Engineering, did a short presentation on a possible replacement for the Ann Street Bridge.  His design to replace the bridge with one the same size as the closed one will cost approximately $98,000.00, and $14,000.00 for engineering fees.  There will also be fees for surveying, boring, guard rails, and paving.  If the town wants a two lane bridge it will cost more, Osman will get the town an approximate price for two lanes.

 

Keith McCarty, County Rep. –county budget is up, sales tax is down; money is being held for the Manor; the highway fund balance is gone; sheriff’s office contract is up; highways and buildings budgets have been cut; there may be some layoffs; solid waste recycling costs are up, there is some concern we may be getting a lot of recyclables from towns bordering Otsego County; the solar project is a go, but not as big as originally planned so as not to need new transmission lines; a 911 director has been hired; a new codes officer has been hired to replace Neil McManus, who quit.

 

 

TOWN BOARD MEETING

October 19, 2015 Page 2 of 3

 

Dan Sullivan, Comprehensive Plan Committee – stakeholder meeting will be conducted 10/27/2015.  Four focus groups will meet in the Village Library.

 

Highway Superintendent Kress reported that the Volvo has had the new stainless steel box installed and the new pickup has been delivered.

 

Motion by Snyder, second by Eckler, to appropriate funds from the Highway Equipment Reserve Fund for the purchase of a new 2016 Ford F250 Pickup with a Fisher 9 ½ foot V Plow at a cost of $31,325.00 and to appropriate funds from the Highway Equipment Reserve Fund for the purchase of a new Air Flow – 14’ Stainless Steel Body at a cost of $51,558.00. A Permissive Referendum legal notice will be placed in the Daily Star for both these appropriations.  Bond – yes, Eckler – yes, Palumbo – yes, Snyder – yes, Enjem – yes. The toolbox/fuel tank was transferred from the old pickup.

 

Motion by Eckler, second by Snyder to declare the 2009 Pickup as surplus.  Bond – yes, Eckler – yes, Palumbo – yes, Snyder – yes, Enjem – yes.  Motion by Eckler, second by Snyder to allow  advertising the truck on “Auctions International.”  The town can set a minimum price and act on it in November.  There is a $30.00 fee for pictures and a video.

 

OSHA training will be held at the fire house on Wednesday, other towns usually attend; this satisfies our annual training requirement.  Board member Eckler asked about the status of the small claims case brought against the town.  Highway Superintendent Kress and a NYMIR appointed attorney attended the hearing in the City of Oneonta Court.  We are still waiting for the judge’s decision.

 

The clerk asked the board to not delay action on an alarm system for the town.

 

Planning Board Chairman Urtz reported that he has had no further word from Sandy Mathes concerning a solar project.

 

Old Business

 

The supervisor will meet on Friday with a representative from NYSEG to look at our lights again.

 

Library Board President Michael Marmet addressed the board on the $6,000.00 requested from the town for the operation of the library.  At the present time village taxpayers pay 75% of the operating budget.  Patrons are 45% from the village, 45% from the town, 10% other.  Village residents pay a disproportioned amount for the library.  The library board is not looking to increase the overall budget, but will lower the village portion by the amount received from the town.  Board member Palumbo asked what the town has contributed in the past.  At one time it was $1,000.00/year, increased to $3,000.00 a number of years ago.

 

 

 

TOWN BOARD MEETING

October 19, 2015 Page 3 of 3

 

The supervisor reviewed changes made to the budget. Sales tax deposited through September amounts to $63,007.42.  There was a discussion between the board and bookkeeper about sales tax revenue, when some of it was deposited and to what account.  Eckler said the September Profit & Loss shows $10,684.35 in A1120, County Sales Tax, the bookkeeper said there is no sales tax in an A fund.  Palumbo asked to get a ledger printout of the checks.

 

Motion by Enjem to move the Tentative Budget to be the Preliminary Budget.  Palumbo recommended no second to that motion.  He feels the board has not paid enough attention to the fund balance amounts, they should be reviewed.  Palumbo asked for a five year report of fund balances.  The board will meet again on Monday, October 26, 2015, to work on the budget.

 

New Business

 

Board member Eckler briefly discussed the two quotes we have for an alarm system.  Fargo Alarms Systems, $3,695.00 plus $20.00 per month monitoring fee; Central Security Systems, $3,450.00 plus $35.00 monitoring fee.  Both of these quotes are for the basic system, any additional add-ons will be extra.

 

Motion to adjourn at 8:10 PM by Enjem, second by Bond.  Bond – yes, Eckler – yes, Palumbo – yes, Snyder – yes, Enjem – yes.

 

 

 

________________________________________

Monica Harris, Clerk

 

 

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