CLERMONT TOWN BOARD MEETING

 

November 6, 2006

 

The Clermont Town Board held its regular meeting on Monday November 6, 2006.  Those present were Supervisor Banks, Councilman Harned, Councilwoman Lent, Councilman Staats and Councilman Nolan. Others present were Paul Doherty, Judith Neary, Robert Desmond, Ray Tousey, George Davis, Bruce Unson, Larry Saulpaugh, Dianne O'Neal, Charles Larsen, Nan Leonard, Bram Moreinis, Billy Cole, Rebecca Sethi, Dagmar Payne, Richard Roth of the Independent and others.

 

Supervisor Banks opened the meeting with the salute to the flag. A motion was made to approve the minutes of the October 2nd and October 16th meetings by Councilman Nolan, seconded by Councilman Harned.  All in favor.  So carried.

 

Councilman Nolan asked if there are draft copies of the minutes available prior to the meeting.  Councilman Harned responded that they are usually not published until approved.

 

COMMUNICATIONS:

 

Northern Dutchess Paramedics – Letter of 10/4/06 requesting a rate adjustment for 2007 of $49,000, an increase from $24,500.  The other towns in the coverage area have been paying $15,000 Taghkanic, $45,000 Germantown, $65,000 Livingston and $14,000 Gallatin. The total from all the towns would go from $163,500 to $238,000.  Supervisor Banks has met with these town supervisors and they will meet again on November 14 at 7:00 P.M. in Germantown with Northern Dutchess.  Presently, the money is included in our County taxes and charged back to the towns. Some suggested negotiating based on response times or find another way to provide service to area.

 

The VFW Post will present a flag to the Town on Veterans Day, Saturday, November 11th at 2:30 P.M.   Councilman Nolan would like to see the plaques upstairs in the Community House, which honor our veterans of past wars, preserved. 

 

Town of Milan notices of public hearings on proposed Local Laws entitled Freshwater Wetlands and Watercourse Protection on November 4th at 10:00 AM and on permitting vending of refreshments from stands in the Hamlet and Highway Business Districts on November 13th at 6:45 P.M.

 

Received distribution of Star Administrative aid payment of $574.94 from Office of Real Property Tax Service.

 

Terms, which are expiring at the end of this year, are John Gall, Board of Assessment Review, Laurence Saulpaugh, Planning Board and Robert Desmond, Zoning Board of Appeals.  Also, one year terms of Mary Helen Shannon, Planning Board secretary and Linda Dousharm, Zoning Board of Appeals Secretary.  Notices will be posted and sent

 

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to the newspaper for anyone interested in applying. 

 

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation letter on recent changes in tax codes for charitable giving.

 

Columbia Land Conservancy – Hudson River Valley Rural Design Guidebook and Planning a future for farms in the Hudson Valley pamphlet.

 

Columbia County Health Dept. to Building Inspectors regarding a conference on the Intro to Lead Hazard regulation at 325 Columbia Street on January 26, 2007 from 9 AM to 12 PM, snow date February 2, 2007.

 

Conference on Comprehensive Planning in Rosendale on December 14, 2006.

 

Lecture at Albany Law School on Municipal Law on Friday, November 10, 2006 at 3:00 P.M.

 

Town Clerks report for October – Checks for Trust and Agency in the amount of $1500 and General Fund for $1,863.39.  A motion to accept by Councilman Harned, seconded by Councilman Nolan.  All in favor.  So carried.

 

OLD BUSINESS:

 

Supervisor Banks informed the board that C.T. Male will begin work on the twenty acre parcel north of the town hall on Tuesday, November 7th, removing railroad ties, telephone poles and dirt.  They will mark areas with yellow flags where test wells will be punched in and orange flags will mark magnets with GPS sightings, which will be dug with escavator.   Dagmar Payne asked where railroad ties will go.  They will be taken to Queensbury or further north.  Once digging begins, test wells will be installed.  There will be public meetings scheduled to inform the public on any findings conducted by C. T. Male.

 

Councilman Nolan asked about the streetlighting proposed for Route 9G and County Route 6.  The Clerk reported that the cost would be approximately $180 per year or $15.00 per month.  A letter or resolution is needed to notify National Grid.  A motion was made by Councilman Nolan, seconded by Councilman Staats to install a streetlight at County Route 6 and Route 9G, across from the State Park.  All in favor.  So carried.

 

Councilman Nolan asked about window repair at Community House.  Councilwoman Lent will give this in her report.

 

Councilman Nolan asked about the transfer to pay for the paving of Moore Road.  Supervisor Banks reported that he is waiting for $13,000 to come in from the State and of using funds from snow- personal service to make up the rest.  He will be looking at this.

 

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Councilman Nolan will be replying to our attorney Andrew Howard on land use issues resolutions sent to him last month, as he has some suggestions. 

 

Councilman Staats had no old business to report on.

 

Councilwoman Lent reported on the window repair at the Community House.  At last months meeting it was left to her discretion to have the repairs made up to $1500 for the window.  Superintendent Potts took care of it temporarily as well as some other windows, which were broken in the Community house and at the garage.  LaTorre construction estimated $1800 to repair one window but authorization was only for $1500.  There are others, which can do this kind of custom period work if the board desires.  A motion was made by Councilman Harned to increase the authorization to $1800 for the repair of one window.  Seconded by Councilwoman Lent.  All in favor.  So carried.

 

Councilwoman Lent also reported that the display stands are finished for the tools to be put on display at the Community House, which Anne Poleschner has and a mannequin purchased for display of clothes.

 

The Keep Farming Committee, chaired by Councilwoman Lent, meets on the fourth Friday of each month at 7:00 P.M.  Tentative committees have been set up.  There will be a regional meeting, which will be attended by Carol and Judith Neary. 

 

The Zoning Review Committee meets on the third Thursday of the month.  In October a public comment session was held on changing the Residential Agriculture district from one acre to two acres or more.  Councilwoman Lent wants to know the board’s pleasure on whether to hold another public comment period or a public hearing.  Charles Larsen, speaking for members of the ZRC, thinks we should move forward and hold the public hearing.  Councilman Harned thinks we should go ahead with the public hearing.

Councilman Nolan commented on density issues and that we would be segmenting if we did not include other density issues in this zoning amendment.  He would like the attorney’s opinion as to whether or not this is segmentation, based on SEQRA, in relation to density when other issues of density have been brought up.  Councilwoman Lent and Councilman Harned stated that there were other issues, which the committee discussed, not necessarily related to density.  Councilman Harned asked if Councilman Nolan is saying that because we want to change the RA1 to RA2, that we need to do something with the hamlet and other districts, as well.  Councilman Nolan reiterated that he would like the attorney’s opinion.  Councilwoman Lent asked if Councilman Nolan’s question is ‘because other density issues, which were not recommended by the ZRC, were brought up by people, that because this board moves forward on the RA1 to RA2, it could be considered segmentation’.  Councilman Nolan will write up his concerns and send them to Councilwoman Lent to forward to the attorney.

 

 

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Bob Desmond stated that the issue at hand is to change the RA1 to RA2 and has been supported by a petition and survey; the committee was appointed to look at this issue

and voted unanimously to recommend this to the board.  The board should move on this issue. Supervisor Banks stated that the committee was charged with looking at one issue, the acreage in the Residential-Agriculture district.

 

Councilman Nolan is not opposed to change in the RA district, but there are other density issues which have been on going.   Copies of the minutes of the zoning review committee are available the next day after a meeting if anyone wants copies.  There were other residents of the hamlet who asked whether the hamlet would be increased to one acre. 

 

Councilman Harned reported that the election for five Fire Commissioners would be held on Tuesday, December 12th from 6:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M.  Registered voters interested in appearing on the ballot must submit a notarized letter of intent to the Fire District Secretary by Tuesday, November 21st.  Judith Neary was appointed to be the Elector to supervise the election. A legal notice will be published in the Register Star and also in the Independent and Daily Freeman.

 

As reported last month, the website has reached its capacity when the Behan Report was added to the site.  Valstar provides the space as a community service, increasing the size would be $10 - $15 per month.  Bram Moreinis suggested looking at how much space the report used and buying that much more.  Councilman Harned will look into this.

 

A motion was made by Councilwoman Lent to accept the 2007 budget, seconded by Councilman Harned.  There was no discussion.  A roll call vote was held:

            Harned – aye; Lent, aye, Staats, aye, Nolan, aye – All in favor.  So carried.

 

A motion was made by Councilman Staats, seconded by Councilwoman Lent to approve the Highway abstract #11 in the amount of $5,546.70.  All in favor.  So carried.

 

A motion was made by Councilwoman Lent, seconded by Councilman Staats to approve Trust and Agency abstract #10, vouchers #22-26 in the amount of $743.45.  All in favor.  So carried.

 

A motion was made by Councilman Harned, seconded by Councilwoman Lent to approve General Fund abstract #11, pages 1,2,3, vouchers #271-304 in the amount of $14,939.88.  All in favor.  So carried.

 

A motion was made to adjourn by Councilman Harned, seconded by Councilwoman Lent at 9:00 P.M.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Mary Helen Shannon

Town Clerk