Agenda Meeting Minutes

DRAFT

November 29, 2004

The meeting began at 7:30 P.M.

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

The bills were reviewed. A bill from Steve Caine for the rental of the church was pulled and also a bill from Nan Stolzenburg.

Agenda for the Town Board Meeting will include the approval of three sets of minutes --- October Town Board Minutes, tonight’s Public Hearing and Agenda Meeting Minutes

November expenditures and revenue

November Web site activity

Town Hall will be closed December 24 – December 27. It was decided that even though the Town Hall is closed on Monday, December 27, we will hold the Agenda Meeting that evening. Vouchers will be approved on December 28 and January 3.

The Organizational Resolution Meeting will be held at 3:00 P.M. on January 3.

An Organizational Resolution Workshop will be December 8 at 7:30 P.M.

The paperwork needs to be submitted to appoint a Delegate to the Assoc. of Towns Meeting in New York City. Fred isn’t sure if he will be going. The Association of Towns Meeting is February 20-23, 2005. Sandy will let Gail know tomorrow if she can go.

At the December 13 Town Board Meeting Paul Vosburgh will speak on how the new town hall project is going and bring a design of the building. Sandy and Gail will get an article together for The Gazette.

At one time it was proposed that the option of cluster developments be removed from the Subdivision Regulations. Sandy wants to see us take action on this. Based on the Friedman development, she feels that residents spoke loud and clear on how they felt about clusters and bypassing the 2-acre zoning. She thinks we should definitely do something about the clusters. We should either completely eliminate them from the subdivision regulations or require both the Town Board and the Planning Board to have a majority plus one vote (a super majority) in order to allow them. Fred said that to do anything to modify that would require a public hearing. Alan said that the people working on the Comprehensive Plan would like to get more of their work completed before we acted on this. Alan would like to give them another couple more months to see if they have some preliminary recommendations. The Comprehensive Plan Committee felt it was still something that they wanted to have as a tool for the planning end of it. Fred asked if representatives from that group could come to the public hearing and be on the record. Alan said they could if they are ready. Dot said that basically they are just at the preliminary Vision Statement. They want to try and get that pulled together tonight. After that they would start working on recommendations for implementing it. Sandy asked if it wasn’t their goal to develop the town the way the residents want it developed. If that is the case, the majority of residents clearly do not want clusters. Fred suggested that we wait another month. Dot said the meeting tonight was to give us an idea about time-tables, etc. It was decided to put it on hold for another month. If the Comprehensive Plan people feel they are ready to give a presentation, we can set it up for a public hearing.

Ray Black stated that some of the Planning Board members have very strong feelings about clustering as well. Ray would like to get an advisory opinion from the Planning Board to the Town Board. Fred said he would like a recommendation but would also like to see it on the record at a public hearing.

Communications:

We received a letter from DOT acknowledging receipt of a speed reduction request.

We received a letter from the Planning Board expressing their concerns about Stage Road.

We received a letter from the Saratoga County Public Works Commissioner in reply to the Stage Road concerns.

We have received a letter of resignation from Peter Schrader from the Board of Assessment Review. We now have 2 vacancies.

We received a letter from NYS Department of Health regarding the water supply inspection that they did on the water system.

Resolutions:

We will have a resolution to adopt Local Law #1 of 2004

Resolutions:

Motion made by Councilman Grattidge, seconded by Councilman Verola that

Resolution #101, A RESOLUTION TO TRANSFER FUNDS, be approved:

Approved: Councilman Grattidge Yes

Councilman Lippiello Yes

Councilman Mitchell Yes

Councilman Verola Yes

Supervisor Acunto Yes

Ray Black thanked the Board for their support in getting a clerk for the Planning Board and also their support of proposed changes to the subdivision review process and regulations, etc. They will be having some workshop sessions in December and January regarding changes and proposals. Fred stated they will need a public hearing. He would like a complete packet of all changes.

Bob said there has been very little response to the addition of names to the Veteran’s Recognition Board. They will be meeting again.

The Town Board members will travel the town roads with Ron on December 7

at 3:30 P.M.

The Park Committee has been looking at the possibility of ice skating in the park. Caldwell Banker will be ordering a bench for one of the parks in memory of Jewel Richardson.

Jim Waite from the Charlton Snowmobile Club asked permission to run the snowmobile trail as they did last year. They will put up signs stating the trails are closed in the village from midnight to 6:00 A.M.

Sandy stated that Paul Vosburgh will be here for the December Town Board Meeting. He would like us to decide which style we will go with. He has given us a price breakdown on a 1 ½ story vs. a 2 story. The 1 ½ story building will be approximately $150,000.00 more than the 2 story and it will take up a lot more of the lot. The survey that the public completed at the last Town Board Meeting showed that a majority of people liked the Georgian Colonial over the other designs. That is the design he is recommending.

Alan said he is concerned about having a 2 story building with offices on the second floor and public access to them. He is not ready to commit to a 2 story building at this time. He would like to have Mr. Vosburgh make a public presentation on December 13 and then let the Board digest it before they make a commitment to go ahead. Sandy asked if the Board wanted Mr. Vosburgh to bring a rendering of a 1 ½ story and a 2 story. It will cost a lot more to do that. She said what she was hoping for was for the audience to be able to see what the 2 story building would look like in relationship to the other buildings in the district. Do we want to do that with a 1 ½ story and a 2 story? Mr. Vosburgh has done measurements of the existing buildings and feels strongly that the 2 story would look the best in the hamlet. Fred stated that there would be an elevator that would give access to the second floor and we would have less roof to deal with. Alan said that his concern with the layout for the 2 story building was that on a Tuesday evening, with building department on the second floor, the whole first floor is deserted. People are coming in and having to go upstairs. Sandy said the floor plan still needs work but in order to move forward, we need to determine which design we want to go with.

Motion made by Councilman Verola, seconded by Councilman Mitchell, A Motion to accept the 2 story Georgian Colonial as the exterior design for the new town hall, be approved:

Alan said he would like to see the 1 ½ story on the table when Mr. Vosburgh makes his presentation. Dot said it would take up a lot more of the lot. Sandy said it would be a lot more money. Sandy is concerned that the 1 ½ story will not be esthetically pleasing. Will a 1 ½ story fit into an area where the majority of the buildings are 2 story buildings? If we are trying to keep an historic look that some of the other buildings have, Sandy doesn’t see it as a 1 ½ story. Alan would like the 1 ½ story to be considered before we totally walk away from it. He feels it has quite a few advantages over the 2 story. Sandy said the architect’s recommendation is that we build the 2 story Georgian Colonial. She feels we should listen to his professional advice. Bob said he is concerned about the way the 1 ½ story is spread out across the lot. It is 170 feet long. Alan said it is a 275 foot lot which leaves 50 feet on each side of the building. Dot said we also will need room for driveways.

Approved: Councilman Grattidge No

Councilman Lippiello Yes

Councilman Mitchell Yes

Councilman Verola Yes

Supervisor Acunto Yes

Sandy will get back to Mr. Vosburgh and have him focus on the Georgian Colonial and let him know that we are not satisfied with the placement of the offices inside the building and see if he can meet with the Board after the meeting.

Bob asked how the Personnel Manual was coming. Gail said all changes had been made. The Board members want to review it while Bob VanVranken is reviewing it.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 P.M.

Respectfully submitted,

Gail Hanchar

Town Clerk