CLERMONT TOWN BOARD

NOVEMBER 3, 2014

PUBLIC HEARING

REGULAR MEETING

The Clermont Town Board held the public hearing on the Preliminary 2015 Budget on November 3, 2014 at 6:45 P.M. at the Town Hall. Those in attendance were Supervisor Raymond Staats, Councilman Robert Desmond, Councilman Kris Gildersleeve and Councilman Evan Hempel. There were seven others present in the audience including Richard Pawluk and Roger Rekow of the VFW and Reporter Katie Kocijanski from the Register Star.

Supervisor Staats opened the public hearing for the Preliminary 2015 Budget. Supervisor Staats reported that there is no tax increase in this budget. The tax rate is at 50.06% per thousand and this is due to the total assessment for the town value declining. If your assessment goes up there will be an increase, if it stays the same, there is no change and if it goes down, there will be a decrease. The total of the budget is $643,236.00. It is an increase over last year, the main difference is that $30,000 was budgeted for a storage shed at the highway garage, which will be funded from the reserve fund and Con Ed funds. The changes in the General Fund appropriations and revenues and the Highway fund appropriations and revenues were discussed. Some of the highlights were the Supervisors line increase, which is a raise for the bookkeeper. The Highway Superintendent did receive a raise and the highway full time employees did receive a 1 ½% increase. The Veterans Services did increase by $300 for the American Legion and the VFW. The Highway Fund did have most of the monetary changes in the General Repairs, Overtime, Improvements used for road repairs, Machinery, Brush & Weeds used for fuel, Snow Removal for sand and salt, Capital Reserve.

COMMENTS: None

A motion was made by Councilman Desmond, seconded by Councilman Hempel to close the budget hearing. All in favor. So carried.

The Supervisor opened the regular meeting with the salute to the flag and apologized for having to leave the meeting early last month for a family emergency.

MINUTES: A motion was made by Councilman Desmond to accept the minutes as submitted, seconded by Councilman Gildersleeve. All in favor. So carried.

TOWN CLERK’S REPORT: The Town Clerk read the October Town Clerk’s report and presented the Supervisor with a check for the General Fund in the amount of $1,761.56 and for Trust and Agency in the amount of $855.20. A motion was made by Councilman Desmond, seconded by Councilman Gildersleeve to accept the Clerk’s report. All in favor. So carried.

CORRESPONDENCE:

• The Supervisor gave a copy of the Budget and Revenue report to the Board for the period ending October 31, 2014.
• The Village Green Committee will be having the Election Day Dinner on Tuesday, November 4^th at the Community House. The Clermont Fire Department will be holding a Penny Social on Sunday, November 9^th at the Route 9G Firehouse.
• The VFW of Southern Columbia Memorial Post 6398 will observe Veterans Day with ceremonies in Germantown, Livingston and Clermont to present the town with a new American Flag at 11:30 A.M. on Tuesday, November 11^th. Richard Pawluk and Roger Rekow of the VFW were present at this meeting.

• There was nothing for the website this month.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

• PARK: There are two new picnic tables at the park. Councilman Desmond observed some sinkage of the rubber tiles at the swing site and will be keeping an eye on it.

We will be putting up a new flag for the town hall and a new rope, which was broken by the wind. Germantown telephone will be helping us out.

OLD BUSINESS:

• BRIDGE UPDATE: At the last public works meeting on the vote to proceed with rebuilding Binghams Mill Bridge, the committee voted it down, in spite of the Supervisors work to get it opened. Livingston and Germantown Town Boards were, over all, in favor of opening the bridge. The Supervisor brought this to the county and they passed a resolution unanimously by seven present to reopen, two were absent. With the petitions against opening it, they put it off for another month. Information was brought back to the committee, from town boards, fire departments from Clermont and Livingston, petitions with125 signatures to open it, and the County traffic safety board recommending it be opened. Five members voted against it, and the Supervisor feels this was politically motivated. He will try to get a turnaround on the road, and hopefully there won’t be a delay in fire department or ambulance services. Councilman Desmond said he has been looking at other bridges and it is an embarrassing to see all the bridges closed and detour signs around the county. He wonders if we can get a list of the bridge repair/replacement priority. Councilman Desmond has had people ask how a public road can be closed.Supervisor Staats and Supervisor Guzzi will continue to work on this.

• PARK UPDATE: Someone was seen tearing up the lawn and parking area at the park. The neighbors saw them and the police were able to catch them. They have been arrested and charged.
• BROWNFIELD FUNDING: The Supervisor said that there is a deadline for filing for funds from DEC to cleanup the contaminated property. We submitted an application and they are requesting another resolution, which was read, giving the Supervisor the authority to sign. This is an opportunity to receive funding of about $650,000, matched by 10% from the town. We are able to use donated or in-kind materials and we can do this at little or no cost. We have been waiting for several years to have this done. Our attorney has reviewed this resolution and we do have money in the budget for expenses. Councilman Desmond’s understanding is that you can get reimbursed for what the cost is for materials used. We have more than enough fill to offset. A motion was made to approve Resolution #43 of 2014 by Councilman Desmond, seconded by Councilman Gildersleeve. All in favor. So carried.

NEW BUSINESS:

• TOWNBOARD: A vacancy was created on the Town Board by the resignation of Edward Kahle. There are two people who are interested. The board will hold interviews on Thursday, November 13^th at 6:30 and 6:45 P.M. The appointment will be at the December meeting to start January 1, 2015.

• SALES TAX REVENUE: The Supervisor received a check for third quarter sales tax in the amount of $91,675.10, which is about 6% above what was received last year. In next year’s budget, we budgeted based on this years receipts. It is anticipated that the mortgage tax revenue is going to come in low this year.

• BUDGET FOR 2015: A motion was made by Councilman Desmond to accept the 2015 budget as reviewed, seconded by Councilman Gildersleeve. All in favor. So carried.

• APPOINTMENT TO BOARD OF ASSESSMENT REVIEW: A motion was made by Councilman Desmond to reappoint John D. Halterman, IV to the BAR, term to expire September 30, 2019, seconded by Councilman Gildersleeve. All in favor. So carried.

Councilman Desmond said that one member on the BAR may have to resign because he works out of state and one member of the ZBA may be resigning. If anyone is interested please contact the Town Clerk, Supervisor or Town Board member.

SUPERVISORS REPORT:

• COURTHOUSE: There will be a dedication of the Courthouse on November 14^th at 2:00 P.M. The project has been completed and was done very nicely.
• PINE HAVEN: The bids are being reviewed for privatization of the nursing home. He will keep us advised when he has more information.
• OCKAWAMICK SCHOOL: At a public auction, the highest bidder was $500,000.00, which is below the appraised value. The supervisors are enthusiastic about getting rid of this property. When this property was purchased, the board was to give two acres of land for a future town hall to the Town of Claverack. They were going to plow and maintain the property. Now that we are selling it, the Supervisor does not think we should give Claverack two acres because we won’t get any shared services from them and county taxpayers dollars paid for Ockawamick. He will not be voting for giving Claverack the two acres. The foreclosures for 2009 were just processed. The Supervisors should get this project moving because we are loosing money on back taxes as it is.
• The Commissioner of Public Works term has expired and the position will not be filled. The Commissioner oversees Solid Waste, Highway and Engineering. Supervisor Staats thinks that these departments need department oversight and that this is bad decision.
• GINSBERGS: Ginsberg’s would like land from the County for expansion. The land was purchased with county funds. Supervisor Staats feels that there should be some agreement for payment for the land.

• Supervisor Staats thanked the Village Green Committee and Tami Connolly for putting on the Election Day dinner and the Election Inspectors for their time on Election Day.

ABSTRACTS:

• A motion was made by Councilman Hempel to approve General abstract #11, vouchers #284 to 315 in the amount of $5,199.86, seconded by Councilman Gildersleeve. All in favor. So carried.

• A motion was made by Councilman Gildersleeve to approve Highway abstract #11, vouchers #118 – 126 in the amount of $5,437.98, seconded by Councilman Hempel. All in favor. So carried.

• A motion was made to approve Trust and Agency abstract #3, voucher #4, in the amount of $132.00 by Councilman Desmond, seconded by Councilman Hempel. All in favor. So carried.

PUBLIC COMMENT:

Roger Rekow asked if the proposed buyer of Ockawamick School is a taxpayer and will it go back on the tax roll. The Supervisor said that it is.

A motion was made by Councilman Desmond, seconded by Councilman Gildersleeve to adjourn.

Respectfully submitted,

Mary Helen Shannon, RMC

Town Clerk