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DRAFT Regular Meeting March 8, 2004 Charlton Town Board Saratoga County New York Supervisor Acunto – Before the meeting I will open the bids on the roof for the salt shed. The following bids were open: Venbro Industries $7,579.00 6 Sarnowski Drive Scotia, New York 12302 James Edgar Roofing $6,989.00 Amsterdam Road Scotia, New York 12302 Brian Correll Contracting $5,900.00 499 N. Main Street Gloversville, New York 12078. Supervisor Acunto – It is on the agenda under Resolutions. We will discuss it at that time. Councilman Grattidge – I think it would be good if the highway superintendent reviewed them before we awarded the bid. Supervisor Acunto – This is actually a building and it is the purview of the Town Board and not the highway department. It is our decision. Councilman Grattidge – I would still like to review them before we award it. Supervisor Acunto – We will certainly do that. We will now call the March Meeting of the Charlton Town Board to order at 7:34 P.M. After the pledge to the flag, the invocation was given by Laura Linder, Town Historian. There were present:
Councilman Alan Grattidge Councilman Dorothy Mitchell Councilman Sandra Verola Supervisor Ferdinand Acunto Motion made by Councilman Grattidge, seconded by Councilman Mitchell that the minutes of the February 9, 2004 Town Board Meeting and the February 23, 2004 Agenda Minutes be accepted as received: Approved: Councilman Grattidge Yes Councilman Lippiello Yes Councilman Mitchell Yes Councilman Verola Yes Supervisor Acunto Yes ABSTRACT OF CLAIMS: The total for the Abstract of Claims was $60,613.79. Motion made by Councilman Grattidge, seconded by Councilman Lippiello. PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. Vouchers for the month were #1189-#1334. Corrections for the month of February: Voucher #1060 to Stanley Wolfe of $5.00 for zoning desk keys was changed from zoning contractual account A-8010.4 to buildings contractual account A-1620.4. Voucher #1074 to Saratoga On Line for yearly hosing fee. Town Clerk picked up $25.00 instead of $24.66 Voucher #1131 to Lowes of $426.00 for dehumidifier and air compressor for Water Department was changed from water contractual account F-8320.4 to water equipment account F-8340.2. Voucher #1148 from Warex of $541.10 for diesel fuel for highway department was changed from garage contractual account A-5132.4 to snow removal account #DA-5142.4. Voucher #1188 to NYSEG of $.92 for service to Stage Road was added to abstract. Total for the month changed from $89,096.17 to $89,097.59. Motion made by Councilman Grattidge, seconded by Councilman Mitchell, A Motion to accept the corrections to the February Abstract of Claims, be approved: Approved: Councilman Grattidge Yes Councilman Lippiello Yes Councilman Mitchell Yes Councilman Verola Yes Supervisor Acunto Yes TOWN CLERK’S REPORT: Gail Hanchar read the Town Clerk’s Report. She reported taking in $132.77. Motion made by Councilman Grattidge, seconded by Councilman Mitchell. PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR (Agenda Items): No comments. SUPERVISOR’S REPORT AND ANNOUNCEMENTS: February revenue and expenditures: General Fund – Expenditures of $56,404.03. Revenue of $19,948.39. Highway Fund – Expenditures of $63,023.51. Revenue of $76,346.82. Water District #1 - Expenditures of $5,844.54. No revenue. Water District #2 – Expenditures of $167.88. No revenue. Major expenditures: General Fund – Water District Attorney of $3,415.67, Insurance Premium of $27,778.64 and Computer Purchases and Software of $6,634.54. Highway Fund – Repairs to Equipment and including the purchase of pick up and emergency purchase of a plow of $28,083.32 and Snow Removal Contractual of $9,290.03. Water District #1 – Transmission and Distribution of $2,805.14 and Contractual of $2,003.71. Major revenue: General Fund - $19,948.39, Interest and Earnings of $6,731.25 and Fines and Forfeited Bail of $10,658.00. Highway Fund – Insurance Recovery for damaged plow of $3,643.82 and Sales Tax Distribution of $72,703.00. There has been a Notice of Claim from the day of the accident with our snowplow. They are potentially going to put a claim in against our insurance company for various reasons. There were 18 different reasons some of which included: · At the time of the crash, the Town of Charlton snowplow was stopped partially in the driving lane on the right shoulder of Stage Road and had no legitimate reason for being there since the Town of Charlton does not plow or maintain this county owned roadway. The vehicle created a hazard to me and other motorists on the roadway. They are bound by the same traffic laws and had no legitimate right to stop abruptly in the driving lane being a hazard. · Because of the sun glare, we have a duty to protect the motorists by not dispatching heavy equipment during this time of day (could not understand) since it wasn’t snowy and icy that morning. · We were negligent by occupying a portion of the driving lane with the truck that morning. We will be having a water district workshop on March 29 following the Agenda Meeting to discuss water district fees. Regarding the Article 78 proceeding, Supervisor Acunto has signed the necessary papers for their return to Judge Nolan. We are awaiting a decision from the court. There has been some concern about the Code Enforcement Officer having a backup when he is not available. Dave LaFountain will be able to serve as Rick Moon’s backup if necessary. All of the Fire Departments have been notified. The Historical Society is planning on having a summer band concert in July or early August. They are requesting some financial support from the Town not to exceed $300.00. The Board agreed that the Supervisor would be authorized to talk with the president and tell them that we would support it to the limit of $300.00. It may not be as high as that. Supervisor Acunto met with Estella VanDerzee today regarding the Veteran’s Recognition Board. She has over 50 names to add to the Board which will require an extension. Supervisor Acunto told her to get some prices and to move along as quickly as possible. We would like to try and have this in place by the Memorial Day ceremony. Estella has not received any information from anyone who has served or is serving in Afghanistan or Iraq. The Adopt A Soldier Project is continuing to move forward very well. Dr. Verola has donated three cases of eye drops. We will need and executive session for personnel matters following this meeting. COMMUNICATIONS: There has been ongoing communication between the Superintendent of Schools and Joe Ritchey, the County Highway Superintendent. The bottom line is that there are no markings for road glare. The DOT Road Manual does not allow any signage for environmental conditions. The Superintendent of Schools will be trying to designate specific areas along that route as “School Bus Stop Ahead” sites. They will be working with the County. Letters have been distributed to the Board from Dick Lupi and Lewis Morris expressing their feelings on the issue of lighting in the hamlet. We received a letter from the Galway Ambulance Corps asking that we submit a letter of support. They are in the process of upgrading their NYS Certification for Advanced Life Support. Motion made by Councilman Grattidge, seconded by Councilman Verola, A Motion authorizing the Supervisor to write a letter in support of the Galway Ambulance Corps for obtaining their ALS Certification, be approved: Approved: Councilman Grattidge Yes Councilman Lippiello Yes Councilman Mitchell Yes Councilman Verola Yes Supervisor Acunto Yes We received a letter from the NYS Office of Technology. They are asking to act as Lead Agency for the State Wireless Network. This is part of their SEQRA obligation. If we want to be Lead Agency we must notify them. We do not want to be Lead Agency. We received a letter from the Saratoga County Office of the Aging regarding a program called RSVP Calling. This is a telephone reassurance program that addresses the loneliness of homebound seniors in Saratoga County. They are looking for volunteers who would like to participate with phone calls or in-home visits. We received a letter from the Saratoga County Department of Public Works notifying us that they will soon begin reconstruction of County Road 51, which is Charlton Road. They will be working from Route 50 to Goode Street and from Jockey Street to Route 147. Preliminary clearing work will begin soon. The standard roadway consists of two 50-foot lanes with paved shoulders. The alignment of the highway will remain approximately the same. However, to properly reconstruct the highway, the drainage system must be rebuilt and the clearing of trees within the County right of way may be necessary. Tree removal may also be required to eliminate roadside hazards. Any trees needing removal will be marked in advance. If anyone is concerned about any particular tree that will be marked for removal, contact the County Highway Department. All residents along the road will be receiving this letter. We received a letter from the Burnt Hills Ballston Lake Business and Professional Association inviting us to participate in the Flag Day Parade which is scheduled for June 10 at 7:00 P.M. Any members of the Town government family are invited to walk with us. ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER: We think we have a squirrel or a raccoon upstairs in our storage area. Lee will be setting a trap tomorrow afternoon. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: Steve Caine reported that he gave each Town Board member a color-coded schedule showing where we are and where we plan to go. It is flexible. He also passed out the critiques that were collected at the end of the seminar on Saturday. “Since the last Town Board Meeting Deborah has worked extremely hard, with the help of others, to gather and provide Nan information required for the “Scan the Environment” phase of the planning process. Deborah handed over a tremendous amount of information to Nan after the last meeting. During her digging for information, it became clear to Deborah and subsequently to me that we need to look into doing a possible additional study on the protection of our town’s ground water, especially since it is such a sensitive and critical component of our environment. I think she has talked briefly with Fred and Sandy and will undoubtedly talk with you, Bob. She plans to further explore this idea and consult with Marv and Bob. It would probably cost money. It would be very cost effective to do this in parallel with the comprehensive planning effort. At last Monday’s CPSC meeting: The CPSC decided not to contract for a Generic Environmental Impact Study – would have been $3,500.00. A required SEQR at the end of the Comprehensive Plan ensures that nothing recommended in the plan would have a detrimental environmental impact. We consulted with the ECC and Planning Board chairs, and neither one has a compelling need for a GESI. Also decided not to contract for Photo Simulations. Used for evaluating streetscapes and building designs. Still discussing whether to contract for an Imaging Preference Survey ($975) used to objectively evaluate the visual preferences of our townspeople. Most in favor because it is another means of objectively documenting what our townspeople want and do not want, but we are still discussing it. Started our deliberations on the content of the town-wide written survey. We want it to be specific enough so that we can document exactly what our townspeople want and do not want, but we do not want to make it too complex or long, where folks may hesitate to take the time to fill it out. We will mail one copy to each home address. Gail will have extra copies in the Town Clerk’s Office. If a family wants another copy, Gail will give it to them. We will keep a record of who got any extra copies. Maria McCulloch, Deborah Herrin, Jim Leupold and Midge Dube are a subcommittee that is working to further refine the survey this week and will consult with Nan. We hope to reach closure on it with the entire committee at our next meeting on April 5. Held a very successful Town Wide Vision Workshop on March 6 at the Charlton Freehold Church. · Most participants the consultant has had – between 75-80. We had ten tables of 8-10 folks working in a small informal group setting. · Purpose was to evaluate through a fast-paced, open ended, brainstorming method what townspeople do not like and how they would suggest fixing it and what they like about our town and how we should go about keeping those features. The second part of the exercise involved each group creating a vision for what a perfect Charlton to them would be like in 10-15 years. At the end of the exercise each group reported their results. · Through the reports we could see the beginnings of a process to uncover and document the things our townspeople hold dear and what they would like to see enhanced over the coming years. Some of the items mentioned in the visioning reports were: (Preliminary only and one person’s perception of the meeting. My views on this are not meant to be an agreed, official representation). The desire to: q preserve Charlton’s rural, historic character q preserve farming, its heritage and way of life q preserve open space and protect the environment q preserve our historic buildings and the town’s cultural ties with its early American past q have any further development respect the town’s current sense of history, rural character and building design q have Charlton be a special and unique place we all identify with and feel part of q have a central meeting place and an identifiable town center q have an indoor meeting and recreational facility that meets the needs of all ages and a broad range of recreational interests q walk and bike safely q have housing, not just for the comfortable or wealthy q have provisions for senior citizens – housing and programs q have a well run, open government that provides for services, health and safety at a reasonable price Participants filled out a critique at the end of the workshop. Questions established the opportunity to rate the workshop’s presentations, set up, the facilitator (Nan), the experience at the tables, how well the purposes and goals of the workshop were explained and the overall satisfaction with the experience. Ratings were on a scale from 0-5, with 5 being the best. Just but a few gave a 5 across the board. One person said, “I have never given all top ratings to any seminar before. (He or she did this time.) Another gave Nan a 6 on a scale of 5, and the overall experience a rating of 7. There were a few 4s given and even less 3s. As you can see on your schedules, the major focus of the planning process for the near future will be to continue, through various methods, to gather and document through different means things our townspeople want and do not want for Charlton’s future in 10-15 years. Next are coming:
Ř A Town-wide written survey sent out in April. It will include directed questions, as opposed to open-ended ones, that try to further define and document exactly what our townspeople want and do not want. I should emphasize here that we will be listing a broad range of possibilities from what most might consider extremely attractive to things just the opposite which many or most would likely strongly oppose. What we need to find out and document is the level of support or opposition townspeople have to the potential full range of desirable or undesirable alternatives. Knowing accurately what people do not want is just as important, maybe more so for potential legal challenges in the future, as knowing what people want. Ř Probably an Image Preference Survey that objectively documents our townspeople visual preferences by showing pictures of buildings and landscapes, etc. Ř Interviews with officials and citizens that will add future detail of what our desires and concerns are and the forces that may be affecting our town’s future, and Ř Focus groups, such as farmers As mentioned in the Workshop, thanks to the Town Board for supporting a process that is grounded on a grass roots/bottom up approach; one that bases future planning on what is determined through listening to and documenting the voice of the people.” Councilman Lippiello – That was a very, very well done mini-session. Three hours flew. You did an excellent job. There were some obvious points that people were making with the comments from the groups. Steve Caine – There were some wonderful things that don’t even cost money that came out. Supervisor Acunto – I ditto the same comments as Bob. It was a very profitable morning. People on the Town Board have to be cognizant of potential liabilities. What is the intent of that video because the question is, did everyone know the pictures were being taken? Steve Caine – I don’t know. Dennis volunteered to do it. I just got it. If there is ANY concern at all………. Supervisor Acunto – Privacy. That’s my only question. Laura Linder – It was announced at the beginning. It was called to everyone’s attention.
Supervisor Acunto – That is all I need to know. Steve Caine – I don’t want to endanger the process or put any taint on it. If there is the possibility of that………………… Supervisor Acunto – Do you have any idea what will be done with that tape? Steve Caine – The only thing I can image would be that people who weren’t there could listen to it and watch it and see what happened. Supervisor Acunto – Would you hold on to it until I can get Bob VanVranken’s take on it? I think it is a great idea, personally, but we have to be concerned about someone’s privacy. Marv Schorr – I agree with Laura. There was something said right at the beginning of the workshop about him videotaping it. Steve Caine – I haven’t even seen it to say it is a fair representation of what went on. Councilman Verola – It was a wonderful meeting and I was impressed. I came away with very good feelings about the process which I didn’t have going into it. CONSTABLES: For the month of February there were 29 patrols, 6 911 calls, covered 2,400 miles, issued 32 tickets along with l DWI and investigated 2 accidents.
There was a workshop with the Town Board and the Town Attorney regarding the recommendations that the ECC made on the Getty Station on Stage Road. There will be a Brownfields Workshop dealing with new legislation on March 23. Marv stated that he would like to attend. It will cost $45.00. Motion made by Councilman Verola, seconded by Councilman Grattidge, A Motion authorizing a representative from the ECC to attend the Brownfields Workshop on March 23 and the town will pay the cost of $45.00, be approved: Approved: Councilman Grattidge Yes Councilman Lippiello Yes Councilman Mitchell Yes Councilman Verola Yes Supervisor Acunto Yes The Road Side Clean Up and Tree Give Away will be May 1. They would like as much participation as possible with the Road Side Clean Up. EMERGENCY PLANNING COMMITTEE: They are planning to meet on March 29 at 7:00 P.M. in the Fire House next door. Dean is trying to compile a list of all members. He is looking into grants. HIGHWAY: They have been busy with snow and ice removal. They are working on a few maintenance projects in the shop. HISTORIAN: Thanked the Fettke’s for sending her the meditation about barns. We are loosing barns in our town. One barn is scheduled to be burned down soon. If anyone knows something like that that is happening, let the historian know and she would like to take photographs so we have a record before the building is destroyed. Laura spent 6 ˝ hours at the Town Hall last Wednesday evening with Deborah Herrin putting together a historical profile of Charlton for the Comprehensive Plan. Laura stated that Frank Lafforthun and historians before her had done a fantastic job of documenting things in our community. Laura was asked to write a description of our town for the Saratoga County Directory of Officers because our supervisor is (could not understand). This weekend Preservation 2004 is being held in Saratoga Springs. This program is for professionals and non-professionals. The courses are credit courses being offered. On March 24, Bern Forester, a preservation pioneer in the 1950’s and an RPI professor, we be speaking in Troy after being out of the area for 30 years, on what preservation has been done since he has been gone. NYS Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has published a book entitled New York State’s Historic Preservation Plan 2002-2006. It is an incredible tool that outlines all the various agencies and organizations that are involved in preservation work. It has information regarding funding and grants. Russell Shorto has published a new book, “The Island at the Center of the World” about the history of the founding of New York State. He will be speaking at the NYS Library in Albany on March 24 from 5:30 P.M. – 7:30 P.M. Laura had three or four genealogy requests this month. On March 31 there will be a “Family History in the Capital Region Seminar” for archivists at the Albany County Hall of Records. Laura will be attending that meeting as Charlton was part of Albany County before it was changed to Saratoga County. The February Charlton Historical Meeting was on genealogy. This coming month Rick Reynolds will be speaking. He is the DAR Outstanding Teacher of American History for the Year 2003. He will be the Grand Marshal for the Founder’s Day Parade. The Association of Public Historians Annual Meeting will be at Silver Bay. Laura will attend that. Laura has been working with our County Clerk representing Saratoga County on the Capital Region Archives Dinner Committee. Through working on that Laura has been asked to sit on the panel for the NYS Archives doing their three year strategic planning. Laura gave a three-hour class for Schenectady County Community College last week on Archeology and the use of Documentation in Archeology. HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION: Doris Stauffer stated how much she and Deac enjoyed the Comprehensive Plan Workshop held on Saturday. She said it was wonderful to see the people of Charlton there working together. It was a joy to see that the Historic District and the history of the town is important to the residents. The Historic District Commission is having a meeting in March. They are circulating petitions and hopefully going forward with their master plan. LIBRARY: Councilman Lippiello said he was away for the last month’s meeting. They are beginning long term planning. PARKS: George has put in a request for materials for the volleyball court and baseball field. He has been in touch with Ron to do some of the installation work in house. Motion made by Councilman Grattidge, seconded by Councilman Mitchell, A Motion authorizing the Park Committee to proceed with the purchase of equipment for the park, be approved: Approved: Councilman Grattidge Yes Councilman Lippiello Yes Councilman Mitchell Yes Councilman Verola Yes Supervisor Acunto Yes PLANNING BOARD: They will be having a meeting on Monday, March 15 at 7:30 P.M. RECORDS ADVISORY BOARD: Laura stated that we are searching for an inventory of our town possessions. That inventory was done a year or two ago. The only one we can find was done 10 years ago. This means that we are paying the person to do the inventory to do it all over again. We all need to work together to keep track of where our town records are located. TOWN HALL: We have had a couple of workshop sessions. We have been talking to folks who are in the business. We had quite a productive meeting with a man who does archival storage for the Adirondack Research Center in Niskayuna. We will continue to gather information on what we really need when we do choose a direction for design. WATER: Nothing major to report. Councilman Lippiello and John Morgan will be meeting with Jim Mitchell to put some values to the materials that the water district system has such as tanks, lines, pumps. We can use that figure to calculate the Fee Schedule. Supervisor Acunto asked if when they meet with Jim if they would be getting values for the insurance company as the insurance company questioned coverage of contents in buildings within the water district and the value of the buildings. ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS: They are scheduled to meet tomorrow night. ZONING: For the month of February they issued 4 permits, 1 CO and collected $165.00. ZONING ORDINANCE REVIEW COMMITTEE: They met last month with the Town Attorney. It was a very good meeting. We are getting down to the end of the list of potential changes that we started with. We may not present our information to the Board until the Comprehensive Plan Committee does its work. The alternative to that would be that we could present it to the Town Board when we finish knowing that you aren’t going to take any action on it until the Comprehensive Plan Committee completes it’s work. Supervisor Acunto asked how the Committee would feel about holding some kind of informational meeting. Marv stated that that was part of their plan. They know what a “hot potato” zoning ordinance changes can be. He feels that providing information to the public is very important in making them aware of what is going on and getting their input. RESOLUTIONS: COUNCILMAN REPORTS: Councilman Verola – Nothing to report. Everything has been covered in the department and committee reports. Councilman Grattidge – There will be a Party In The Park Meeting on March 11 at 7:30 P.M. at the Town Hall. Alan will contract the Historian, Highway Superintendent and Park Chairman to ask them to attend. In the last Town newsletter there were questions regarding a couple of items. Bulk Item Pick Up has been provided to help residents remove unwanted items. Most people appreciate the service and a very few take advantage of it. This year you may put out a total of 5 items. We are not trying to curtail people’s need to get rid of stuff but we don’t want to be an attic and basement cleaner. Brush Pick Up has also been changed. This year it will be twice a year during the months of April and October. You will need recyclable bags for leaves. We will pick up brush if it is left with the cut ends to the road and grind it to mulch. Mulch will be available by contacting the Highway Superintendent. Councilman Mitchell – It was great to see so much participation in the Comprehensive Plan Workshop. She hopes that everyone will participate in the survey. It is very important. We will be getting ready for another newsletter soon. Dot stated that she and Doris attended the Preservation Seminar last year and found it very worthwhile and are going again. Deborah Herrin is also interested in attending. Councilman Lippiello – Nothing additional. Supervisor Acunto thanked Dr. Verola for the eye drops. The response to the “Adopt A Solider” has been amazing. He thanked the residents for participating. PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR: Marv Schorr said that he spoke with Joe Miranda again about the possibility of the Household Hazardous Waste Pickup like we had three years ago. Participation from the Town of Milton is critical for that because about ˝ of the material that came in was from Milton and they paid ˝ of the money. There is no money in their budget this year for it. Joe is starting to detect some desire to have it next year. He suggested that our supervisor talk to his supervisor about that. Marv suggested that we could work on something for next year. Supervisor Acunto stated that Galway is interested in joining with us. Dick Lupi asked if the County gave any indicated when they would be working on Charlton Road. Supervisor Acunto said it would be a summer project. When it starts would depend on the schedule the commissioner sets up. It is a reconstruction, not a resurfacing. They will not be closing the road. Dick said that in looking through the Town Board Minutes for February there was a report by the Historic District Commission about a meeting with Mr. Ritchey stating that he would need a resolution from the Board. Dick asked for clarification about what the meeting was. Doris stated that Dot Mitchell, Deac, Ron Gavin and herself attending the meeting. She had called Fred to ask if he would be able to help set up a meeting. They spoke with Mr. Ritchey about putting in street lights, a walking path and our taking over the road vs. their keeping it as a county road. Doris said they came to the conclusion that day that it would be easier to keep it as a county road and have the county take care of it. Doris felt that he understood what they were looking for. Mr. Ritchey said he would like the Town Board to make a resolution that would pertain to the type of work that we would like to do. We need Mr. Ritchey’s approval if we are going to start the grant process. We would like the Town Board to give us permission to at least pursue a grant. We have to have a contract signed with a grant writer. Basically, we are asking the Town Board to support this. Dick Lupi – When you talked with Mr. Ritchey about the improvements on the road (could not understand) Doris - There are pros and cons. If we took over the road there are things we could do without getting anyone’s permission but as long as the county is willing to maintain the road and work with us, I think that is the ideal solution. He said he felt that could be worked out. Laura mentioned that she forgot to mention that this is Women in History Month. Mary Callaghan was from Charlton and was a principal and teacher at the Charlton Academy from 1880 until it closed in 1912. The next Agenda Meeting will be March 29 at 7:30 P.M. at the Town Hall. Motion made by Councilman Grattidge, seconded by Councilman Lippiello, A Motion to adjourn to an executive session for personnel matters, be approved: Approved: Councilman Grattidge Yes Councilman Lippiello Yes Councilman Mitchell Yes Councilman Verola Yes Supervisor Acunto Yes After everyone had the opportunity to speak who wished, the meeting was adjourned at 9:00 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Gail Hanchar Town Clerk
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