Agenda Meeting Minutes

DRAFT

September 27, 2004

The meeting began at 7:30 P.M.

Those present: Fred, Alan, Dot, Bob and Sandy

Supervisor’s Report:

The September Town Board Minutes and Agenda Meeting Minutes will be approved.

Announcements:

The 2005 Public Hearing on the budget is scheduled for October 25 at 7:00 P.M. Fred will be out of town and will probably be late. As long as there is a quorum we can have the public hearing. Kathy will be here to answer any questions on the budget. We will have had our budget workshop before that.

The Town Board is meeting with the Chairman of the ZBA, the Chairman of the Planning Board, the Assessor’s Chairman and the Zoning Administrator at 7:30 P.M. Wednesday evening.

The Town Board will meet with the Historic District Commission on Monday, October 25 following the Agenda Meeting.

Dot had not contacted Sue York regarding the Newsletter because Dot felt we didn’t need her help this time. We may not need her. The articles were emailed to Tar and didn’t need to be retyped. Heather had been retyping everything to a disc. Dot is proofreading the Newsletter. We may need Sue to make calls to people who have not responded with an article. Fred suggested we get her on board.

This Wednesday a group of people will be getting together here to see if there is any interest in forming a Senior Citizens group.

Communications:

Bob VanVranken had to write a letter to an attorney in Lagrangeville, New York letting them know that we do not control Routes 147 and 67. We received a Notice of Claim from an accident.

We received a letter from Selective Insurance Company regarding a survey of the town premises with recommendations for the town park and highway garage.

Resolutions:

Motion made by Councilman Grattidge, seconded by Councilman Verola that

Resolution #87, A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE HIGHWAY SUPERINTENDENT TO ADVERTISE FOR BIDS FOR ICE CONTROL SAND, be approved:

Approved: Councilman Grattidge Yes

Councilman Lippiello Yes

Councilman Mitchell Yes

Councilman Verola Yes

Supervisor Acunto Yes

At the Town Board meeting we discussed purchasing a color printer for the Assessor’s Office at a cost not to exceed $1,057.00. We have done some checking and we know we can find it cheaper. Kathy printed prices from Office Max and Staples. Sandy has a recommendation from DAT for a Minolta 2300 DL Color Laser Printer. Sandy asked if we could table this until the Board Meeting. Bob and Sandy will discuss the purchase of a printer with someone who has more computer knowledge than they do and come back with their decision at the Town Board Meeting.

Motion made by Supervisor Acunto, seconded by Councilman Lippiello, A Motion to purchase a printer for the Assessor’s Office for a price not to exceed $1,100.00 based on the recommendation of Councilmen Verola and Lippiello, be approved:

Approved: Councilman Grattidge Yes

Councilman Lippiello Yes

Councilman Mitchell Yes

Councilman Verola Yes

Supervisor Acunto Yes

Parks:

They are trying to set up a meeting on October 7 at 8:00 P.M. at George’s home.

Fred said they will need to do something with the conditions under the playground equipment. George stated that probably what the insurance company wants is some of the new synthetic material with a brim around it. It is a special mulch that doesn’t rot.

Dot said that we need to be careful of treated lumber.

Zoning:

Dave will be at the meeting Wednesday night. He will have a fax machine for his house that came from the State Police sub-station.

Environmental Conservation Commission:

They will be meeting tomorrow night.

Sandy said that the ZBA is looking for the Cell Tower Ordinance. Bob and Bill Keniry have a copy of the Alternate Legislation from different towns. The ZBA and Planning Board would also like to have something done with that. Both are under review with Bob VanVranken. Fred will contact him. Alan stated that we have an Alternate Legislation but ours only applies for conflict of interest and we want it written so that when a member is absent, the alternate can serve on the Board. Adoption of the Cell Tower Ordinance would require a public hearing. Dave would like to review that also. If approved, it would become and appendix to the Zoning Ordinance.

Fred stated that we have a resignation letter from Joel Landis from the Assessment Review Board. Dot said his term was up anyway. It was up September 30. Fred said we will make an appointment when we do the Organizational Resolutions.

Marge Dennis submitted her resignation as Assessor effective September 30. A replacement for her position will be discussed with others.

Councilman Reports:

Alan – The Highway Department will be working on Newman Road tomorrow doing some sealing.

Saratoga County is grinding Charlton Road heading west.

Alan will call a state engineer at DOT regarding solar lights. Dot said there are some in Middle Falls. It was mentioned that there was a problem finding the intersection of Route 67 and Sweetman Road. Anything that intersects a county or state road, we would have to go to the municipality for the approval. We could place them on intersections on our roads. Fred will call Joe Ritchey to find out how this would be handled on state and county roads. Fred said he understands that if the light hangs over the road, it is a municipal obligation. If the light overhangs toward the property, it is the property owner’s responsibility.

Dot – The Historic District Commission members are planning to meet with the Town Board following the Agenda Meeting on October 25.

Dot said that since Linda LaRue will have here records at the Town Hall this year, the Town Hall phone number will be the number that will be used to reach Linda. Linda will need a voice mail extension here. Dot has spoken with Kathy regarding equipment that Linda will need. It was decided that Kathy will contact Linda and find out what her immediate needs will be for January and work it out so the costs will come from the 2005 budget but the equipment will be here before the end of this year. Fred said he knows she wants a rolling cart, a desktop PC and possibly a chair. Vicki and Linda will work out where Linda’s equipment will be in the Assessor’s Office.

Dot asked if the Town Board was going to take another look at the roads this fall. She asked if how we budget for the roads would make a difference. Alan said it seemed like the list Ron submitted wasn’t the list that was talked about last fall. Alan will clarify that with Ron. It was decided that if it was necessary to look at the roads, we would do it in October. DeGraff Road and Dawson Road are on the list. Fred said Dawson Road will be a problem because it is a CHIPS road. It can’t be touched until 2006. Dot said that Ron has Root Road, Lasher Road and Shadick Road on the list and asked if they were the same situation. Alan said that normally there is one CHIPS road and two that aren’t CHIPS road. Alan will clarify the roads with Ron.

Bob –Nothing at this time.

Fred said we do have the maps for the subdivision. There are two copies in the Planning Board file and John Morgan has a copy. We have to be careful about the lot next to the one that is being built right now. The Planning Board put on the map an easement to bring water to that lot but the town never took an easement. The last thing we want to do is have an easement.

Dave LaFountain -That is an easement for the owner of that parcel. It is not a town easement. It looks like an easement between the property lines.

Fred - What if that can happen all over the place where I can go to my neighbor and say give me an easement and I can get water?

Dave - The town’s responsibility stops at the curb box anyway.

Fred – But only if the land is on a transmission line and that lot is not on a transmission line.

Alan – The lot that is granted the easement is on a transmission line. When the Planning Board granted the subdivision, that lot was granted an easement across Guido’s lot to access water. Guido bought that lot knowing there was an easement written into the subdivision. The Town is only responsible at the curb box.

Fred – If we are going to take that position that somebody can go to their neighbor and get an easement, then we are going to have to grant them water?

Alan – It is on an individual basis.

Fred – First of all go back to that Planning Board. That Planning Board never went to any Town Board to get permission. These are water extensions. We went through this horror of public meetings and all kinds of things. I think it is a lot that needs a careful look at if the issue comes up that the purchaser of that lot thinks that they are automatically going to be granted water because it is shown on a map that no Board, and there are no minutes that I am aware of, approving that. I have some major concerns of granting water to that lot only because a Planning Board without going to a Town Board said you can get an easement and have water on that lot.

Dave – It will be an issue at some point. There is a problem with the westerly portion of a lot. The owner of the lot is into the minutes right now trying to find out what the logic was and how to get it reversed. The owner wants to put a pole barn on the corner piece. The subdivision doesn’t allow it but there is some confusion as to whether that is when it was a 5 lot subdivision or when it went to a 4 lot subdivision and the note never got taken off. They have question upon question as to why they can’t build over there. At this point I have formally told them they can’t and they are trying to find out how they can.

Fred – You have a signed mylar that says you can’t do it.

Dave – I told them to come in and look at the meeting minutes and try and get some logic as to why it is there and find out who they have to talk to about getting it reversed.

Alan – It was one of the conditions of the subdivision. That is why it is probably not something they could even get a variance on.

Dave- The ZBA is not going to overturn the Planning Board.

Alan – The Planning Board issued the subdivision on these conditions. I assume they looked at the map before they bought the lot with those conditions on the map.

Fred – I find it amusing that some of the most outspoken people when we talked about Capital Realty, were the people involved in granting water to a subdivision without getting permission from the Town Board.

Alan – They had the Town engineer sitting at the table the whole time.

Fred – It is interesting that several years later they took a different position.

Sandy said that she will be getting a group together that are computer experts.

The Town Clerk is authorized to put the abstract together for the Town Board Meeting.

Dot asked if the question that came up with John Morgan regarding the water fees was resolved. Bob said it is being retyped.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 P.M.

Respectfully submitted,

Gail Hanchar

Town Clerk