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| Agenda Meeting Minutes March 29, 2004 Those present: Fred, Alan, Dot and Sandy. Following this meeting there will be a workshop on the Water District Fees. For the next Town Board Meeting, the Supervisor’s Announcements will include: The Department of Transportation has notified us that they have approved a request for the Town of Galway to reduce the speed limit on Consaul Road. They have extended it into Charlton. The entire road will be 40 MPH. Fred talked with Bob Van Vranken regarding the video taken at the Comprehensive Plan Workshop. Bob’s recommendation is that we either lock it up or throw it away. Some people said there was a public announcement that it would be video taped but everyone did not hear it. Fred said that Alan had had a conversation with Bob. He has given us a packet of material regarding contracts. Alan said that he had three copies of a contract regarding the bid on the salt shed roof. The Town Board should authorize Fred to enter into it with Brian Correll of Gloversville, New York. There will be a meeting establishing a timetable of when they would do the work. There will be a reminder about the Flag Day Parade and Bulk Item Pick Up dates.
An issue came up regarding a check from the insurance company regarding damage to the truck and the issue with the glare and so forth. We put in a claim for $435.97 for the tire and the rim. Their insurance company has sent us a check for $392.37 saying it is in full settlement of the claim. They are taking the position that we were partly to blame in that we were obstructing the roadway. Fred said he had spoken with counsel to see what we should do. He has given us two choices. We can send the check back and ask for full payment or we can accept the check and send them a letter saying we are accepting the check with the understanding that we are not admitting any liability in this issue. After further discussion, it was decided to take the check and have Bob VanVranken approve the wording in a letter from the Town. In regard to insurance, Fred stated he had spoken with Alan about a notice he had received stating that we had sent a claim to our insurance company for an automobile incident we had with our plow. Fred said he called the insurance company. They told him what they knew about the problem. He asked Alan if he knew anything and he said he didn’t. Fred – Ron, I need to know what has transpired with this incident that we as a Board did not get any notification on. Ron – Alan knows about it because I told him about it. There was no claim by us. I called the insurance company and told them what happened. They said they would put it on paper and keep it on file and if there was a claim from the other people they would turn it in. I called Paul back and he sent paperwork on to the insurance company that we have now. Fred – You have paper work? Ron – Just a sheet of paper like your letter. Fred – I have a letter that says that a claim has been put in by the Town of Charlton.
Ron – No. Fred – My problem is that no one on this Board knew anything about this accident until better than a week later. I am reminding you that if we have a situation like this, you have to notify Alan or somebody on the Town Board as soon as you can so that if a letter does come, like the one that did come, somebody knows what’s going on. Ron – No problem. Alan – I suggest a document that he can put in everyone’s box. A phone call would be nice followed up by a little memo. From what my understanding was, that last little snowstorm that came through, one of the waste removal companies was in the road picking up their cans and one of our trucks went around him and a mirror got clipped on their truck. The waste company apparently chose not to submit a claim. There was no claim put in on our insurance. Ron – But our insurance company was notified. Fred – Nobody on the Town Board knew what was going on. Another issue is the Vehicle Use Policy that we have talked about. I have copied everyone with the policy that we have subject to discussion. I have sent it through counsel and counsel has no problem with it. We will institute this policy effective this evening. Fred read the entire policy. Motion made by Councilman Grattidge, seconded by Councilman Lippiello, A motion to accept the Vehicle, Tool and Equipment Usage Policy, be approved:
Approved: Councilman Grattidge Yes
Fred stated we never discussed what we wanted to do about the large employee manual from the Town of Malta. It was decided to have a workshop on April 26 after the Agenda Meeting.
Communications: Fred received a reply from John Mesick in regard to the termination of the contract we had with him. He said he agrees that we don’t owe him anything.
Resolutions for Town Board Meeting: John Morgan would like a resolution passed to purchase a pipe locator. It also gives the depth of the pipe in the ground. John had quotes from three companies. His recommendation was to purchase the locator from Vellano. They are local and they will service it. A resolution to amend our sick leave policy. Sick leave will be in ½ day increments, not hourly increments. A final resolution Establishing Extension #5 to Water District #1 Pursuant to the Authority Contained in Article 12A of the Town Law.
Resolutions: Fred – There was a transfer of money in January from Municipal Savings to Building Reserve. I thought we had passed a resolution. Motion made by Councilman Verola, seconded by Councilman Lippiello that Resolution #60, A RESOLUTION TO TRANSFER FUNDS FROM MUNICIPAL SAVINGS TO BUILDING RESERVE $99,703.00 TO TAKE EFFECT ON JANUARY 5, 2004, be approved:
Approved: Councilman Grattidge Yes
Fred read the proposed resolution to purchase software for the zoning office and tax collector. Fred - If we pass this resolution, we will be having to put down approximately a $5,000.00 deposit now for the software. We will bill the rest of it in the 2005 budget. We would be incurring a $5,000.00 unbudgeted expenditure for 2004. Motion made by Councilman Verola, seconded by CouncilmanGrattidge that Resolution #61, A RESOLUTION TO APPROVE A $5,000.00 UNBUDGETED EXPENDITURE FOR THE YEAR 2004 FOR COMPUTER SOFTWARE FOR THE ZOINNG OFFICE AND TAX COLLECTOR, be approved:
Approved: Councilman Grattidge Yes
Fred - I received an email from Peter VanKeuren of Crooked Street. It was a request for a volume count and speed study to be done on Crooked Street. He does work at DOT. I wrote back to him saying, “Traffic volume counts and speed studies by DOT are done by DOT after submittals of speed reduction requests from residents. Is your email a request for a speed reduction on Crooked Street? A speed reduction request will be sent by the Board to the County Highway Commissioner for forwarding to DOT”. He wrote back and said that this was, in fact, a request for a speed reduction. I told him I would accept this email as a request for a study for a speed reduction. If he has any future documentation that he wants to add to the request, he will get it to Gail as soon as possible. The general practice has been that when we do get requests for speed reductions that we automatically send them to the county and the county sends them to the state and we wait to find out what is going to happen. On Crooked Street from Swaggertown to Komar the speed limit is currently 40 MPH. From Komar to Stage Rod it is 30 MPH. Sandy said she feels that it is a reasonable request as there are a lot of new homes going up on Crooked Street and a lot of children playing. Motion made by Councilman Grattidge, seconded by Councilman Verola, A Motion to process the request from Mr. VanKeuren, be approved:
Approved: Councilman Grattidge Yes
We received a communication from John Tasse for permission to attend a one-day workshop in Albany. Alan said he had spoken with Sandy and Fred right after the last Planning Board Meeting and saw copies of the brochures. He felt it was very expensive for a one day seminar and seemed to get the same consensus out of at least a couple of the board members. He called Ray Black and told he didn’t think the board was interested in that particular seminar although we do encourage Planning Board members to attend certain seminars that are put on. Mr. Keniry had indicated at the last Planning Board Meeting that he had ordered the seminar on CD discs and he would be willing to share those with anyone who is interested. The materials from this seminar will be available. Sandy asked if this was given by lawyers. John said he believed that was the case and that is why Bill has the documentation already. He said a lot of these meeting are worthwhile because interaction with the crowd is where you learn things. John said he was not asking for mileage or food. Sandy said that what she liked about this particular seminar is that it is not just people from the State. You have discussions with private property owners and lawyers. John said the key thing that attracted him to this conference was the classes on Comprehensive Planning and the tools to implement Comprehensive Planning. He hasn’t seen that presented (could not understand). Fred said that there was no money put in the budget for this kind of conference this year. We do send Planning Board members to the annual Planning Federation Conference. They do get an opportunity in that respect. He agree with Alan that we not honor the request. John Tasse - You just spent $5,000.00 on training and software for the zoning office that wasn’t in the budget. How is this different? Fred - The board has seen fit that they want to spend the $5,000.00 in regard to software for computerizing the two offices. John Tasse – You don’t even know what the software is, I don’t think. Fred – I believe we do know the software. Sandy – It is software that will enable them to more efficiently do their job. Forms are in the software. John – My question is who makes it? But that’s fine.
Resolution: Motion made by Councilman Grattidge, seconded by Councilman Lippiello that Resolution #62, A RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT THE BID FROM BRIAN CORRELL TO INSTALL THE METAL ROOF ON THE SALT SHED, be approved: Fred stated that Alan will have a pre-construction meeting with Mr. Correll and make sure all the “t”s are crossed. After that meeting he will sign the contract. Alan said he has spoken with Mr. Correll and told him we would like the job done in April and that wasn’t a problem. Alan will finalize the schedule with him. It should take less than a week to do the job.
Approved: Councilman Grattidge Yes
Fred said he received several requests for more surveillance on Cook Road because of speeding. He has written a memo to our police agency, the sheriff and the state police asking for added patrols in that area, particularly during commuting hours.
Councilman Reports: Sandy - She would like to get going on the town hall. Alan said we have had some very constructive meetings. We are continuing to move forward. He would like to see us get some conceptual drawings in the next few months. Fred asked if we were close, if not there already, at looking at another architect. Sandy and Alan have toured the hamlet with an architect. Sandy said this man is from a small firm and seems like “a good fit”. She will attempt to set up a meeting with him on Tuesday, April 6 at 4:30 P.M. at the Town Hall. There is another architect that Alan will be making contact with. Bob – Nothing at this time. Alan – Party in the Park Meeting on Thursday, April 8 at 7:30 P.M. in the Historical Society Building. Alan received a call from John Helmeset with a concern regarding the road conditions on Featherbed Lane. It has gotten quite soft and the bus had a problem getting up the road. John Helmeset – This is his third year on Featherbed Lane. Ron has been good. Every time his wife has called Ron has come right up and fixed it but it has always been on a repair basis. The basic problem is that the road base has deteriorated. Each winter it has gotten a little worse. It is a dirt road. This year it is pumping and running from shoulder to shoulder. The sub-base squeezes around your tires like toothpaste. It isn’t passable for emergency vehicles in that condition. As the sub-base gets shot it will deteriorate faster and faster. He would like to know what we could do on a more permanent basis to fix it. Ron – It needs work. It is all according to how much money we have to go on a dirt road. It isn’t a thru road. It is a seasonal road from Galway up. Fred – What do you feel needs to be done up there? Ron – I have got to put some money in the base. Alan – I think we should ask Ron to start working up some figures on what it would cost to redo some of the sub-base and to work on the drainage along there. If this money isn’t already budgeted in the budget we will have to take a look at where we can shift some money from or have it as a priority or do it in phases. Fred – Or not do one of these other roads that he has planned. How long before you can put something together? Ron – Maybe this week. Probably by the end of next week. Alan – Why don’t you report back at the next Agenda Meeting. You can’t do work when it is muddy out anyway. We need to start a discussion of where we are going to go with this thing. I think the worst is over. John – It has stabilized down. They’ve put down a lot of gravel. The frost heave is gone and it is dried up. It is passable. We definitely have some time to plan it and do it right. If we put this off much longer, we will have a real liability. Alan – The important section is from Route 67 up to David’s driveway. That is where the majority of the houses are and where the bus turns around. That is the place where we should concentrate our work. Sandy reminded the Board that they were going to go around with Ron and look at the roads. They could look at Featherbed when they do that. They will plan on Monday, April 5 at 4:30 P.M. Dot – The deadline for the newsletter is April 8. Alan will prepare an insert.
Fred explained that the Abstract of Bills is taking a different process. The Town Board is auditing bills prior to the Agenda Meeting. We pulled some that needed clarification. Motion made by Councilman Verola, seconded by Councilman Grattidge, A Motion authorizing the Town Clerk to develop an Abstract of Claims to be given to the Bookkeeper, be approved:
Approved: Councilman Grattidge Yes Vouchers for the month were #1335 - #1409. The next audit of the bills will be on April 26 at 10:00 A.M. Dot said that she was unable to reach Doris about the bill from LandWorks that was pulled. She was able to reach Mr. Keniry about the bill from him. There were several questions about materials. That one can be included in the vouchers. Bob said that if we get clarification on the LandWorks voucher and we approve it so that it can be paid, can we do that at something other than an Agenda Meeting? It was decided we could not. Gail stated that she had received and email from Ann Marie Przybyla, our Regional Records Advisory Officer and from County Clerk Kathy Marcione asking the Town Boards within Saratoga County pass a Resolution of Support for Elimination of the Sunset Provisions of the Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund and the Cultural Education Fund. The Town of Charlton has received $3,582.00 in grants and Saratoga County has received $446,420.00 in grants. A resolution will be passed at the April Town Board Meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 P.M. Respectfully submitted,
Gail Hanchar
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