Town Of Charlton: January 25, 2010 Town Board Agenda Meeting

Town of Charlton

Saratoga County

Town Board Agenda Meeting

January 25, 2010

The Agenda meeting of the Town Board of Charlton, Saratoga County, New York was held at the Charlton Town Hall and called to order by Supervisor Grattidge at 7:30pm.

Present: Councilman Gardner, Councilman Lippiello, Councilman Salisbury, Councilman Verola, Supervisor Grattidge, Town Clerk Brenda Mills, Attorney VanVranken.

Supervisor Grattidge announced that this meeting is to set the Agenda for the regular meeting of the Town Board on Monday, February 8, 2010.

APPROVAL OF ABSTRACT

A motion was made by Councilman Verola and seconded by Councilman Lippiello to accept General Fundclaim numbers1029-1059 as set forth in Abstract #102 in the amount of $10,298.55 with the condition that the check for Voucher #1059 to Davis Builders be held until the construction is finished.

VOTE: All Ayes, No Nays. APPROVED

DISCUSSION

The January sales tax was $97,397. The December mortgage tax was $16,405.05.

John Sutton of the Galway Ambulance Corp. provided the Board with three reports which gave the breakdown of the emergency calls from 2007 – 2009, listed their revenue and expenses from 2007-2009, and gave a proposed budget for 2011. The Ambulance Corp would like to set up a taxing district to collect $250,000.00. The Town Board must decide if it is in best interest of the voters, and if so the matter would go to a mandatory referendum. The Town of Galway has held a Public Hearing and now their Town Board needs to pass a resolution in order to hold a public vote. Supervisor Grattidge suggested that Attorney VanVranken review this issue and give the Town Board an opinion letter including areas of concern for the Town Board to look at. Supervisor Grattidge would like to get a mailing list of residents affected to notify them of the issue.

Supervisor Grattidge said that Dr. Phelps has resigned as Town Health Officer, and recommended Dr. Kristen Martin for the position. The Board agreed that the Supervisor should talk to Dr. Martin and if she is interested, a resolution can be done for the next meeting.

Supervisor Grattidge said the County has sent a letter saying that they have initiated a study for the speed limit reduction request on Sweetman Road.

Judge Ketchum has requested that the Town paid fax line in his home be moved to the Judges chambers. The cost of installing the line is $125 from Verizon. The equipment provider would need to do some additional work. The Town Board agreed.

The Town Clerk reported that the grant money is still delayed from the State. The Town is guaranteed 50% of the total grant. The first check of $15,800 maybe sent the first week of February. Supervisor Grattidge said that the Town Clerk’s laptop is 3 years old, and is a heavily used machine. She has mentioned trouble seeing the screen and the idea of replacing it with a desktop. Supervisor Grattidge said that the laptop could be handed down to a lesser used position.

The Historian’s office is working on the selection of a resident to be honored in June 2010 for the Saratoga County Deceased Veteran Program.

Supervisor Grattidge said that he has received a few marked up job descriptions from the employees and knows of a few more from the Highway Department. He would like to schedule a workshop with the consultant to go over them, and to get a proposal for the next project. A workshop was set up for January 27 at 4pm.

Supervisor Grattidge said that the Town Board will discuss Laura Linder’s recommendations regarding hanging artwork in the Town Hall, at their workshop on January 27. The issue has been discussed with the Town’s insurance agent.

Supervisor Grattidge said that there was an error made on 2009 delinquent water billing. The unpaid water bills get sent to the County each year for re-levy. The Assessor’s office sent the 2009 delinquent information as 2010, therefore the delinquency did not get levied on the 2010 tax bills. Kathy Hanley said that the amount could be put on the 2010 water bills but most are repeat offenders, so it may not be worth doing. Supervisor Grattidge said that he thought that the amount should show on the 2010 water bills so that people are made aware of the delinquency. Councilman Salisbury said he thinks that the Town should wait and collect in on the 2011 taxes. Councilman Verola suggested letting the amount roll into 2011 and mentioning this in the next newsletter. Supervisor Grattidge asked the Town Attorney to look into ways of handling this.

Supervisor Grattidge discussed with the Board, the idea of holding a mandatory referendum vote for sole Assessor. He feels that the vote should be in the spring, as the issue is still fresh in people’s minds, many people are interested in this issue. It would be fair to existing Assessors if they know what the vote was going to be as there is extensive training that they are in the middle of taking. They would not have to go out of town to take the training if there was going to be a sole assessor. Also, if we stay with the system that we have, there is going to have to be a candidate that runs for election. Interviews would have to be done by Committees and petitions are done in June. If we could settle this issue in May, then we would know what direction to go in. There is adequate time between now and May to have informational meetings and put information out for people to look at as far as the differences between the 3 elected as opposed to a single assessor. The last reason is if the vote was for a sole assessor, and was done in May, that would give the Board time to find and interview candidates, but if we wait until November, that does not give very much time.

Supervisor Grattidge said he would like Attorney VanVranken to draft a resolution for the next Board meeting that would set up a date for a Public Hearing. Attorney VanVranken said that if the Board so chooses, the resolution would have to indicate that you want to change from 3 elected to 1 appointed and then state that the

resolution was subject to a Public Hearing and a referendum. The Board would hold the Public Hearing, and if the Hearing was affirmative, then the Board could approve the resolution subject to the referendum. The referendum can’t be held any sooner than 60 days.

Dates were discussed for a possible referendum vote. Councilman Verola said that she completely supports letting this issue be voted on by the people, but she would prefer waiting until November. One reason is the cost of the election, and it gives more time to let people get educated. She would support May if there was no other alternative. Councilman Lippiello said that regardless of when the election is held, the people need to be presented with information, and it is the responsibility of the Town Board. Councilman Salisbury said that he does not feel that there is time between now and May to have three informational sessions, and personally, he is not in favor of doing it in May and would prefer to do it in November, if we do it at all. Councilman Lippiello said that he is torn, he understands the Supervisor’s reasons for doing it in May, but his biggest concern is public perception – why are they in such a rush to get this done? I don’t want people to think that we are squeezing them to get this done. Supervisor Grattidge said that this is an important enough issue that this should be a stand alone election, and three months should be ample time to get information out to the public.

I think that it is grossly unfair to the public to put this matter off and mix it in with other elections.

The Board discussed the possibility of other months than May for a vote and the cost of holding an election.

Attorney VanVranken said that it should be clearly understood, as the Board has been down this road before, that all of this is academic unless at least 3 of you support absolute resolution to go to a single appointed assessor. This is not a resolution to ask the voters for something. This is a resolution showing that the majority of this Board wants a single appointed Assessor starting January 2011, but with the understanding that they want a mandatory referendum. So it would be open to the electorate to determine whether or not the majority of the voters chose to support it. I want to be clear that that is where this starts. If you don’t get through that, then this goes nowhere. Councilman Gardner said that his position has not changed. He is opposed to a sole Assessor. Supervisor Grattidge asked that the Town Attorney draft a resolution for the February meetings, however Councilman Verola will not be present to vote at the February 8^th meeting and Councilman Lippiello will not be present at the February 22^nd meeting. The issue was tabled.

Supervisor Grattidge said that a resolution for the 4-ton weight limit signs should be done at the February 8^th meeting.

Supervisor Grattidge said that the Saratoga County Animal Shelter is doing a fundraiser to support the shelter. They are selling brick pavers for $50 and the money will be used to support their operating room.

Councilman Verola said that the Historic District Commission has recommended that the name of the old Town Hall be changed to the Charlton Community Center.

A motion was made by Councilman Verola and seconded by Councilman Lippiello to officially name the old Town Hall, the “Charlton Community Center”.

Vote: All Ayes, No Nays. APPROVED

Councilman Verola said that the Planning Board is having a workshop on February 4^th.

Supervisor Grattidge said that there will be 2 Public Hearings for the ZBA on February 9^th at 7:15pm and 7:45pm.

Supervisor Grattidge said that the Ag Task Force will have a meeting at 6pm on February 8^th, before the Public Hearing at 7pm.

MOTIONS, RESOLUTIONS AND AUTHORIZATIONS

A motion was made by Councilman Lippiello and seconded by Councilman Verola that Resolution No. 54 – A

RESOLUTION SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR ADOPTION OF THE TOWN OF CHARLTON FARMLAND PROTECTION PLAN AS AN AMENDMENT TO THE 2007 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND DECLARING THE TOWN OF CHARLTON TOWN BOARD LEAD AGENCY UNDER SEQR be approved.