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DRAFT Regular Meeting November 10, 2003 Charlton Town Board Saratoga County New York
After the pledge to the flag, the invocation was given by Town Clerk Gail Hanchar.
At the regular meeting of the Town Board of Charlton, Saratoga County, New York held at
Councilman Alan Grattidge
Motion made by Councilman Grattidge, seconded by Councilman Mitchell that the minutes of the October 14 Town Board Meeting, the October 27 Public Hearing on the Tentative Budget and the October 27 Agenda Meeting be accepted as received:
Approved:
ABSTRACT OF CLAIMS:
General Fund: Abstract of Claims totaling $23,732.27. Motion made by Councilman Grattidge, seconded by Councilman Schroeder.
Highway Fund: Abstract of Claims totaling $21,534.28. Motion made by
Water Fund: Abstract of Claims totaling $1,417.57. Motion made by
Vouchers for the month were #1060-#1166.
TOWN CLERK’S REPORT:
Gail Hanchar read the Town Clerk’s Report. She reported taking in $172.83. Motion made by
PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR: (Agenda Items):
No comments.
SUPERVISOR’S REPORT AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:
October revenue and expenditures:
Major expenditures:
Major revenue:
The Town Hall will be closed tomorrow for Veterans Day and November 27 and 28 for the Thanksgiving Holiday.
ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER:
Quiet month.
ASSESSORS:
Marge Dennis – On Wednesday, we were informed that the Town of Ballston is going to an annual update program. We were on a tri-enniel update program along with the Town of Ballston who shares our school district. We did our major town wide reval. this year and then in three years we would update that. They are going to a six-year plan with an annual update program. At this point, the state started talking to us as well for us to go onto an annual update program. The reason is that the preliminary numbers for our equalization rate show it down to 90-91%. All of the work that we just did to bring it to 100%, because of the fluctuation in the market, we dropped down to 90-91% which means there is greater chance of inequity when it comes to each individual property owner paying the school levy. I would like to recommend it would be to our benefit to also do a six-year annual update program for the town which would make us at 100% every year. It would be less time consuming and less energy for us to do the annual update with the fluctuating market like this than to do a three-year tri-enniel. We are going to have Appraisal Consultants come back in and do an update which means they will run some reports and do some additional training with us to do the update program. Once they run the report, it will be on the assessors and they will take over. In a six-year period, we will have to see every property. We will have to do a field review on every property over a period of six years. We may not be reviewing your property this year but over a six-year period we have to. If anyone has a change of assessment, they will get a mailing and then have the opportunity to speak with one of the assessors.
Councilman Grattidge – Do you anticipate “trending” where you will see neighborhoods that go up more than others? If you see larger properties going up faster than smaller properties on an annual basis, you will look at them?
Marge – You would look at the whole town and you see where values are changing or are not equitable. If values are dropping and the bottom falls out of this market then assessed values would come down. We will look at the entire town and see where values have changed and where the trends have changed, if there are trends, and then we will look at those neighborhoods that those changes have taken place and then reassess in that neighborhood. It doesn’t necessarily mean it is in a price bracket neighborhood. It may be historical homes or subdivision homes depending upon what the market is telling us.
Lee Bramer – You mention comparisons in the Burnt Hills Ballston Lake School District. What about in the Galway School District?
Marge – This would put us in a better standing with Galway. At this point, the Town of Galway has not submitted any proposals to do a reval. project. They haven’t done a reval. project in the last two years and they are not proposing one. When we are at 100%, for some reason the levies seem to be more equitable.
Jim Leupold – Edwin Drive - Are you guaranteed to stay at 100% if you do the six year plan or could there be a chance where you could re-evaluate certain properties and still stay at 91%?
Marge – There is never a guarantee. The state does their analysis and we do our analysis. When we do our analysis, we want to make sure we are at 100% as well but there is never a guarantee just like there wasn’t a guarantee when we did the town-wide reval. last year. This update is not a guarantee but it is more likely that we will be at 100%.
Dick Lupi – Beechwood Drive - Is there still a payback by the State on a per lot basis?
Marge – What I understand at this point is it is still in effect for us for the full year of 2004 at $5.00 per parcel. In the past it has been that for the next five years, we will get $3.00 per parcel but there is no guarantee that after 2004 that will be there.
Dick asked something about maintaining the roll.
Vicki Hayner – We don’t know what the State will do three years from now so we can’t say that that will be there. In the past it has been there so that in three more years it would be if we did a town-wide reval. but we can’t tell you that unconditionally.
Marge – If the payback is there is 2005, it would be at $3.00.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN:
Steve Caine – We are doing our best to keep the town informed on what is going on. We are posting updates on the web site. We also mailed an update to all the folks who volunteered to be on the committee. A heartfelt thanks from Deborah and myself to all the folks who did volunteer. If they were not selected to be on the committee, there are things like sub-committees. We are planning to have the first meeting in January. Everyone in town is invited to come. We will be having a meeting of the Steering Committee in December to get to know each other.
HIGHWAY:
They have been busy picking up leaves and branches. They have been getting the winter equipment ready. There have been a couple of men out because of injuries. Ron asked for permission from the board to hire a contractor to lift the trusses into place so they can get the salt shed closed in. It will cost around $2,500.00 for the crane and the men to do the work.
Motion made by Councilman Grattidge, seconded by Councilman Schroeder, A motion authorizing Highway Superintendent to spend up to $2,500.00 to get a crew to complete the truss project, be approved:
Approved:
Supervisor Acunto – I received a call from Assemblyman Tedisco’s Office this morning. The Town of Charlton will be getting another grant in the amount of $10,000.00 for next season. We have already earmarked the road that it will be used on which will be Newman Road.
HISTORIAN:
This month is NYS History Month. Hugh Farley has given us a booklet of Testing Your Knowledge of Local History.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION COMMISSION:
The Commission has been working on the report for the abandoned gas station on Stage Road. We hope to get it to the Town Board by the next Town Board Meeting. Marv would like to have the Town Attorney look at it because it does involve legal issues. They will invite him to their meeting on November 25.
HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION:
They have been having regular monthly meetings. There are new signs at the east and west ends of the hamlet. Now they are looking at period lighting for the district. They will be having a meeting with one of the town lawyers to decide whether it would be feasible for the whole town to (could not understand) or just the responsibility of the hamlet.
PARK COMMITTEE:
The park is ready for winter thanks to the town highway crew.
WATER:
Everything is running smooth. We are getting ready for winter. There was a problem in the pump house with drainage. John is working with the county on it.
LIBRARY:
They are continuing with policy review.
ZBA:
There were two cases for the month of October that Ray Black handled. They were for Weise and Roeter. They do not have any cases for November and will not be meeting. They will be meeting in December to clean up anything before the end of the year.
ZONING:
There is no report. We need a resolution for the computer as the computer for the zoning office crashed.
ZONING ORDINANCE REVIEW COMMITTEE:
They are continuing with monthly discussions and making progress.
PLANNING BOARD:
At the next meeting they will handle the subdivision for the Richardsons.
RESOLUTIONS:
Motion made by Councilman Schroeder, seconded by Councilman Mitchell that Resolution #84, A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING PREPARATION AND FILING OF A NEGATIVE DECLARATION FOR THE HISTORIC MAIN STREET IMPROVEMENT PLAN, be approved:
Approved:
Motion made by Councilman Schroeder, seconded by Councilman Mitchell that Resolution #85, A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE MAIN STREET IMPROVEMENT PLAN, be approved:
Approved:
Doris Stauffer presented the final plan to the members of the Town Board. She thanked Dorothy Mitchell, Liaison, for a wonderful job and the Town Board for working together to promote this.
Motion made by Councilman Schroeder, seconded by Councilman Grattidge that
Supervisor Acunto – Before we do that, based on the comments of the assessor’s office and the meeting that Dot and I had with the assessors, the present budget stood at $1,700,295.00. There is a need to make adjustments in assessor’s personal services and assessor’s contractual which amounts to $16,010.00 which brings the final budget to $1,716,305.00.
Motion made by Councilman Schroeder, seconded by Councilman Lippiello that Resolution #87, A RESOLUTION TO APPOINT VIRGINIA DECAPRIA AS ASSISTANT ZONING ADMINISTRATOR TO SERVE AT THE PLEASURE OF THE TOWN BOARD, be approved:
Approved:
Motion made by Councilman Schroeder, seconded by Councilman Lippiello that
Approved:
Motion made by Councilman Grattidge, seconded Councilman Schroeder that Resolution #89, A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE HIGHWAY SUPERINTENDENT TO PURCHASE A ROAD SANDER, be approved:
Approved:
Motion made by Councilman Grattidge, seconded by Councilman Schroeder that
Approved:
Motion made by Councilman Schroeder, seconded by Councilman Mitchell that Resolution #91, A RESOLUTION TO PURCHASE COMPUTER HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE FOR THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR’S OFFICE, be approved:
Councilman Lippiello - Which computer? We had two sheets, one on a Dell and one that Craig Jones recommended. Which direction are we going?
Supervisor Acunto – There is also a third piece of correspondence received today that Craig Jones left at my home this evening. Everyone should have it. It is dated November 9 about his analysis after I asked him to review the proposals because of the difference in price and the emails that I have given to each of you as to what was going on between Craig and Leslie. You have two estimates. The one that is $3,162.00, that is the bookkeeper’s estimate from Craig using the Premio computer and the other is the $2,008.00 which is the Zoning Administrator’s equipment. There is the correspondence from Craig as to his analysis. He is still recommending that we purchase the Premio and the necessary peripherals.
Councilman Lippiello – Why don’t we table this. I would like to move that we table this until we are clear as to which way we are going. I would much prefer to go with his suggestion. The printer seems almost unnecessary considering we have a fax across the hall and the multi-purpose printer across the hall. We have three copiers in the building and the digital camera, the assessors office does have one. I can’t see a need for buying a second one of those.
Supervisor Acunto – We have a motion and a second on the floor for discussion of this one. For a motion to table, we would have to vote this down and then go to the second motion to table.
All in favor of the motion to purchase the hardware and software for the zoning administrator’s office:
Approved:
Councilman Schroeder – It is going to fail but I would like to say that we could work out the details. It says by state contract. We need to authorize the money so we can get a computer in there. We could certainly figure out which computer is going to be ordered without tabling this motion. We need to authorize the money, then we have as much time as we want to order it.
Councilman Lippiello – We need to clarify that that estimate includes the camera and the multi-purpose printer/scanner/fax. I just can’t see including those in the purchase.
Supervisor Acunto – If we have a motion to table, we can set a date which would be the next Town Board Meeting and then we can have a discussion at the Agenda Meeting and have Leslie and Craig here.
Councilman Lippiello – I move to table this.
Supervisor Acunto – Is there a second?
Councilman Grattidge – Second.
Supervisor Acunto – There is no need to have a vote on a motion to table so it is tabled until the December Meeting.
Councilman Schroeder – We are going to table the motion for tonight and we will look at it when?
Supervisor Acunto – Discuss it at the Agenda Meeting and then determine whether we want a resolution for the December 8th meeting.
Motion made by Councilman Grattidge, seconded by Councilman Schroeder that
Councilman Schroeder – What is the $6,000.00 Contingency for Safety Inspections Contractual?
Kathy Hanley – We were in deficit this month for (could not understand) to get us through to the end of the year depending on what happens.
Approved:
COUNCILMAN REPORTS:
Councilman Schroeder – Congratulated Gail, Ron, Bob and Fred on their election and Virginia for her appointment. Condolences to residents who have lost family members this past month.
Councilman Grattidge – Condolences to the Richardsons and Palmers.
Councilman Mitchell – Expressed condolences to the Richardsons, Palmer, Schwem and Suits families. They have all had a loss within the last 10 days.
Councilman Lippiello – Condolences to all those families and a thank you to all the veterans in town who have served in the military and those who are currently serving.
Supervisor Acunto – My sentiments on all of the comments regarding the losses we have had in this town. It has been a heavy hit for Charlton with many fine members of our town that will be missed.
PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR:
Ken Crotty – Newman Road – I am curious to know what is happening with the new town hall.
Supervisor Acunto – We are still attempting to get the architect back here to meet with us to determine where we are going from here. Dot has been trying to make arrangements.
Councilman Mitchell – I don’t really have anything more but I will continue on that.
Supervisor Acunto – Certainly the Board wants to move along one way or the other on that topic.
The next Agenda Meeting will be November 24 at 7:30 P.M.
The next Town Board Meeting will be December 8 at 7:30 P.M.
After everyone had the opportunity to speak who wished the meeting was adjourned at 8:25 P.M.
Supervisor Acunto – We will be meeting at 8:30 P.M. for a public hearing.
Respectfully submitted, |
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