Village Board Minutes

Call to Order: 8:05PM. Pledge of Allegiance

Members Present: Mayor Alan Higgins, Trustee Michael Tancredi and Trustee Geri Marino

Also Present: Kathleen Hilbert, Clerk/Treasurer and Larry Gardner, Village Attorney

Absent: Charles Sweet, Public Works Superintendent and Dominick Caropreso, Building Inspector/Code Enforcement Officer

Public Present: Todd Murphy, Waste Water Treatment Plant and Harold Goldberg.

Approval of Minutes: Motion to approve minutes of Board of Trustees Meeting held December 11, 2017 and minutes of Board of Trustees Emergency Meeting held December 14, 2017 made by Trustee Marino; seconded by Trustee Tancredi. All in favor. Motion carried.

Privilege of the Floor:

Hunter Mountain Ski Trail Expansion – Harold Goldberg discussed the upcoming public hearing for this ski trail expansion to be held at 7PM on Wednesday, January 17, 2018 at the Town of Hunter encouraging The Village of Hunter Trustees and residents to have some presence at said meeting.

Residential Rentals – Harold Goldberg: I feel that these residential rentals are businesses. They use more of the infrastructure – water, sewer and roads. Shouldn’t the Village make some money from these businesses? Mayor Higgins: Discussed the Town of Lexington’s Registry for VRBOs, Air B&B rentals, etc. Trustee Tancredi: Discussed deed covenants regarding short-term rentals and Homeowners’ Association roles and enforcement.

New Business:

No Village Registration Day. Resolution 2018-001.

Election Polling Place and Hours. Resolution 2018-002.

Procurement Policy – Needs to be revised by resolution. Board will review this and other procurement policies. Tabled.

Village of Hunter Refuse Bag Law – Local Law No. 7 of 1992. – Revise and rename via local law. Mayor Higgins: I looked at this last month and we can easily revise this law. It just needs to be cleaned up and brought up to the times. This law already states penalties and if violations are unpaid the amounts will go on the tax bill. Take a look at this so that we can add terminology or make any necessary changes. Then we can schedule a public hearing on this to amend this law and rename it. Trustee Tancredi: We should also include in this law something about placement and concealment of dumpsters and the planning board process.

Repeal Dumpster Law LL#02-87 Adopted 12/22/08 – Mayor Higgins: We touched on this last month. This no longer applies to anything. We will have a public hearing and repeal this law.

NYS Insurance Fund Refund – $99.84.

Water Complaints – Discussions were held. Mayor Higgins: Scott Brandi – Will discuss again with Joe Myers. Maria Worth – Will reach out to John Giordano. Michael Osterer – Trustee Tancredi: The curb key is on but Bob Green states that is has been broken for years and it is shut off in the building. Mayor Higgins: The curb valve is our responsibility. Do not bill. Clerk Hilbert – I have spoken to Attorney Gardner regarding the fact that there is nothing in the water use law for theft of services. We have water users that have curb keys and turn the water on themselves. Trustee Tancredi – Maybe we should put some language in our water use law that states there is a $10,000 fine for tampering with our equipment. The language should be, “there is a $10,000 fine for theft of services.”

Sewer Operating Fund – Move funds from an account with excess to cover accounts that are over budget. Mayor Higgins – Todd and Kathleen will go over the budget. We need to give them authorization to move funds to cover the cost of postage and mail box rental. Do I hear a motion to allow them to make these adjustments to the sewer operating account? Trust Tancredi: I make the motion. Trustee Marino: I second it. All were in favor. Motion carried. Resolution 2018-003.

Mayor Higgins: Todd, would you be opposed to having a mail box if you are on the mail route? Todd Murphy: No, not at all.

Old Business:

Safety Coordinator and Safety Committee – Establish coordinator and committee to meet quarterly at a minimum. Tabled from December 11, 2017. Tabled again.

Letter to Trash Offenders – To be reviewed by Attorney Gardner and approved by the Board at tonight’s meeting. Trustee Tancredi – We do not have anything.

Park Benches – New locations and quotes for benches and concrete slabs. Charles Sweet is not here to give us his findings for new locations and quotes. We would like to have this information because we have people that are interested.

Correspondence:

Planning Board Public Hearings – Three public hearings scheduled for 7PM, Thursday, January 25, 2018. Florescu – Minor Subdivision. Jagerberg – Proposed site revisions. Hunter Peaks – Major residential subdivision and site plan.

Facility Compliance Inspection of The Village of Hunter Wastewater Treatment Plant – All items found to be satisfactory.

Joint Public Hearing (Towns of Jewett and Hunter) – Development of additional ski trails, access road, parking area, ski lift, storm water features and change in use to ski area. Attorney Gardner to find out why we were not notified by the Town of Hunter. This joint public hearing to be held 7PM on Wednesday, January 17, 2018 at the Town of Hunter.

NYC DEP Notice of Determination of Non-Significance.

NYCOM Winter Legislative Meeting – February 11-13, 2018.

Bills:

Account Voucher Nos. Abstract

General Fund V-260 to V-290 V-8
Sewer Operating G-162 to G-169 G-8
Water Abstract F-133 to F-142 F-8

The above vouchers were audited and ordered paid

Financial Reports:

Fire Budget vs. Actual – In November, the Board of Trustees advised the fire company of continued violations of the procurement policy. Clerk/Treasurer advised fire company of expenditure concerns and requested that the fire company submit expense projections to the Board of Trustees at the December 11, 2017 meeting. Clerk/Treasurer has provided the fire company with updated budget and appropriation figures as they were not keeping records of same. The fire company did not attend the December meeting nor submit expense projections. Of the $92,676 budgeted, approximately $8,600 remains to be appropriated.

Water Operating Account – Bank Reconciliation November 30, 2017.

Trash bag reconciliation – December, 2017

Resolutions:

RESOLUTION 2018-001
Registration of Voters

Motion made by Trustee Tancredi; seconded by Trustee Marino

WHEREAS New York State Election Law § 15-118(3) provides that villages may abolish registration day so long as the Board of Trustees adopts a resolution, at least sixty (60) days prior to the village election, setting forth that there will be no registration day.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, The Village of Hunter Board of Trustees provides that there shall not be a village registration day for The Village of Hunter Elections.

This resolution shall be effective for all elections in the Village and shall remain in effect until such time as this resolution is repealed.

Only those persons registered to vote with the Greene County Board of Elections prior to the tenth day before the Village Election shall be eligible to vote.

The foregoing resolution was put to a vote and was carried unanimously.

Mayor Alan Higgins voting – yea
Trustee Michael Tancredi voting – yea
Trustee Geri Marino voting – yea

The resolution was thereupon declared duly adopted.

Resolution 2018-002
The Village of Hunter Election
Election Polling Place and Hours[Pursuant to New York State Election Law § 15-104(3b)]

Motion made by Trustee Tancredi; seconded by Trustee Marino.

RESOLVED that The Village of Hunter Board of Trustees orders the polling place for The Village Election of Tuesday, March 20, 2018, be the Hunter Village Hall at 7955 Main Street (Route 23A), Hunter, New York 12442 and orders the polls be open from 12:00Noon to 9:00PM.

The foregoing resolution was put to a vote and was carried unanimously.

Mayor Alan Higgins voting – yea
Trustee Michael Tancredi voting – yea
Trustee Geri Marino voting – yea

The resolution was thereupon declared duly adopted.

Resolution 2018 –003
Sewer Budget Modification
Appropriate Funds from Line Items with an Excess to Line Items with a Shortfall for Sewer Operating Fund for Fiscal Year 2017/2018

Motion made by Trustee Tancredi; seconded by Trustee Marino.

RESOLVED that The Village of Hunter Board of Trustees authorizes the Clerk/Treasurer to move $50 from G8130.2 Maintenance and Utilities-Capital Outlay/Plant Equipment to G811015 Sewer Administration-Postage.

The foregoing resolution was put to a vote and was carried unanimously.

Mayor Alan Higgins voting – yea
Trustee Michael Tancredi voting – yea
Trustee Geri Marino voting – yea

The resolution was thereupon declared duly adopted.

Executive Session: Attorney Gardner requested we enter into Executive Session to discuss current litigation. Motion made by Mayor Higgins, seconded by Trustee Tancredi. All were in favor. Motion carried.

Mayor Higgins: We have reconvened after executive session. Do I hear a motion to adjourn?

Adjournment: Motion to adjourn made by Trustee Tancredi; seconded by Trustee Marino. All were in favor. Meeting was adjourned.

Transcribed by:
______________________________
Kathleen M. Hilbert
Clerk/Treasurer

18-01-08 minutes tentative