CLERMONT TOWN BOARD MEETING

 

September 5, 2006

 

The Clermont Town Board held its regular meeting on Tuesday, September 5, 2006.  Those present were Supervisor Banks, Councilman Harned, Councilwoman Lent, Councilman Staats and Councilman Nolan. Others present were Paul Doherty, Elizabeth Maher, Judith Neary, Charles Larsen, Robert Desmond, Ray Tousey, George Davis, Rebecca Sethi, Harry Brooks, Richard Roth of the Independent and others.

 

Supervisor Banks opened the meeting with the salute to the flag.  A motion was made to accept the minutes of the August regular meeting on 8/7/06 and the special meeting on 8/21/06 as presented by Councilwoman Lent, seconded by Councilman Harned.  There were no questions or corrections.  All in favor.  So carried.

 

Supervisor Banks introduced John Behan of Behan Planning Associates who developed the Hamlet Vision Plan.  Councilman Nolan emailed several questions expressed at the 8/21 special meeting, specifically, sewer and water districts, transfer of development rights and purchase of development rights.

 

Mr. Behan thanked the Town Board, Committee Chair Rebecca Sethi and the steering committee for their hard work.  He is encouraged by what is being embarked upon.

He spoke about the following:

·        Official Town maps which lay out where a building, park, road will go, and working with landowners to develop a road system. 

·        Water and Sewer districts which are created and funded by those who live in the special district. 

·        Transfer of Development Rights, owner of property does not want to develop but transfers development rights to a developer.

·        Purchase of Development Rights – owner retains ownership of land but receives funds to use for development.  There are grants and funding available to landowners for this purpose.

There was much discussion by those present on the lack of services, how to pull all this together, creating walkable communities, continued workshops to get more people involved and with farmers, who is going to pay for these studies, developing a coordinated plan for roads.  It was suggested that starting with an official map might be the first step, coordinating with landowners.

 

A motion was made by Councilman Nolan to accept the Hamlet Vision Plan by Behan Associates, dated June 2006, seconded by Councilman Harned.  All in favor.  So carried.

 

CORRESPONDENCE:

1.      Town Clerks report for August – Checks in the amount of $1,922.07 for the General Fund and $423.08 for the Trust and Agency for escrows.  A motion was made to accept by Councilman Harned, seconded by Councilman Nolan.  All in favor.  So Carried.

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2.      Letter from C.T. Male that fieldwork will begin in three to four weeks.  The area has to be cleared out of brush, etc. 

3.      Chairwoman Rebecca Sethi had to leave the meeting.  She has left the final report for the Musser Fund Grant of $7500, which partly funded the Vision Plan.  She also left a completed application for the $25,000 Rural Initiative implementation grant with an unsigned letter of support to the Musser Fund from Supervisor Banks.  This was mailed on September 2, as the deadline for filing was September 5th.  It was motioned at the August 21st meeting to write the letter of support for the grant, however Supervisor Banks has to sign the letter and Councilwoman Lent is the grant writer for the Town.  Supervisor Banks wants the present steering committee dissolved.  The Vision plan will not get thrown away.  There will be appointments made for a new committee with some members the same and some not.  Ray Tousey asked that this be discussed, board voted to support it (* Correction:  Delete ‘it’; Add ‘the application’) and bring it in on the 5th with conditions.  Councilwoman Lent has checked the Musser Fund website and these grants are not free money.  There are matching funds attached and Councilwoman Lent could not write the grant without the boards approval.  There was also mention of private funds being collected of up to $2,000 from individuals on the committee, which according to our attorney is illegal and unethical.  Councilman Nolan had heard about the contributions, but thought it was unethical and should not be done.  Gregory Fingar, who was on the committee did not have any knowledge of the grant and was not contacted by the committee.  The application will be rescinded.

4.      Superintendent Potts has contacted Senator Saland requesting that Clermont be considered for the Multi-Modal Program which will reimburse up to $13,860 for bridge and road construction, repairs or enhancements.  If received, this will help defray the cost of repaving Moore Road.  The Consolidated Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) will reimburse $53,740 of the total cost of $87,000.

 

OLD BUSINESS:

 

·        Councilwoman Lent has estimates for further work at the Community House.  Replacing the kitchen floor, $2400, $5400 for the second floor ceiling, $800 additional structural repairs and $4500 gutter work.  Funds for these projects could come from the Con Ed fund.  If we have people to do the work, with materials Marilyn Kaplin will donate her time and certify the project.  The total of the projects is $13,100 and the Village Green committee has committed proceeds from the barbecue to replace the kitchen floor.  The work on the siding and roof project is complete and she will let Ms. Kaplin know.

·        The windows are in need of replacement/repair and in May there is an Office of Parks and Historic Preservation grant available for exterior work.  Councilman Nolan still cannot balance the Con Ed fund with the balance sheet given to him by Supervisor Banks.  It is $25000 off.

 

 

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·        Councilman Nolan asked about the following issues:

1.      Resolution – Red Wing Properties- Multiple property owner/combined coordinated review

2.      Resolution Re: Semi-annual or annual meetings with adjoining towns.

3.      Review definition of low volume roads by Highway Superintendent.

4.      Streetlighting at 9G and County Route 6  - The Clerk has contacted National Grid regarding a streetlight and there would be a monthly charge added to our streetlight bill.  If there is no pole at the intersection there would be additional costs, but she has checked and there is a pole on the north side of Route 6.

5.      Resolution #8-06 supporting implementation of air monitoring system.

 

A letter will be written to Laurence Saulpaugh, our representative on the Traffic Safety Board regarding streetlighting, if warranted, at intersection at State Route 9G and County Route 6.  A motion was made to write the letter by Councilman Nolan, seconded by Councilman Staats.  Those in favor were Councilman Nolan, Councilman Staats, Councilwoman Lent, Supervisor Banks.  Councilman Harned was opposed. 

Passed 4 to 1. 

 

NEW BUSINESS:

 

Supervisor Banks reported that the current bookkeeper, Christine Van Ort wishes to resign and that his wife, Bea Banks will replace her.  Stephanie First of our accounting firm will be helping her out. 

 

There will be two budget workshop meetings on Tuesday, September 12th and Tuesday, September 19 at 7:00 P.M. at the Town Hall.

 

A resolution will be prepared to transfer money to cover the balance of the cost of paving Moore Road.

 

A motion was made by Councilman Harned, seconded by Councilwoman Lent to adopt Resolution #13-06 which confers the benefits of Section 18 of the Public Officers Law to town officers and employees.  A roll call vote was as follows:

 

            Nolan – aye                  Lent – aye                    Staats – aye      Harned – aye

            Banks – aye                             All in favor.  So carried.

 

On the proposed resolution regarding multiple property owners or specifically Red Wing Properties, Councilman Nolan agrees that Red Wing be deleted and insert (* Correction: Insert ‘Multiple) ‘property owner’. This will be forwarded to our attorney for review, as it was written by Councilman Nolan and has not been reviewed.  The resolution regarding meetings with adjoining towns will also be sent to the attorney.

 

 

 

 

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A motion was made by Councilman Harned, seconded by Councilwoman Lent to approve Trust and Agency abstract #8, Voucher #15 in the amount of $212.50.  All in favor.  So carried.

 

A motion was made by Councilman Harned, seconded by Councilwoman Lent to approve Highway abstract #9, page 1, vouchers #84-89 in the amount of $3,311.30.  All in favor.  So carried.

 

A motion was made by Councilman Harned, seconded by Councilwoman Lent to approve General abstract #9, page 1 & 2, vouchers #227-244 in the amount of $l,463.64.

All in favor.  So carried.

 

A motion was made to adjourn by Councilman Harned, seconded by Councilwoman Lent at 9:55 P.M.  All in favor.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Mary Helen Shannon

Town Clerk