The Village of Hunter
Minutes of The Village Board of Trustees Meeting held July 10, 2017
Call to Order: 8:00PM. Pledge of Allegiance.
Members Present: Mayor Alan Higgins, Trustee Michael Tancredi, Trustee Geri Marino
Also Present: Attorney Larry Gardner, Charles Sweet, Public Works Superintendent and Kathleen Hilbert, Clerk/Treasurer
Public Present: George Quinn, MaryLou Quinn, Leita Becker, Ron DeMarton, Jim Ray, Carl Giangrande, Kathleen Giangrande, Karen Wright, Anita Ayres and Keith Holmquist
Appointment: Mayor Higgins – I have decided to appoint Geri Marino to fill the vacancy that was created by my becoming the Mayor. Resolution 2017 – 045.
The oath was administered.
Approval of Minutes:
Minutes of Board of Trustees Meeting held June 12, 2017
Minutes of Emergency Meeting held June 12, 2017
Motion to accept the above-listed minutes made by Trustee Tancredi; seconded by Mayor Higgins. All in favor. Motion carried.
Privilege of the Floor:
Karen Wright expressed concerns about bank below her home. Feels it will impact her property. Mayor Higgins looked at site. Dominick Caropreso looked at the property also. Mayor Higgins – The Village’s jurisdiction is over the construction on the house – not the change of the landscape. It is a civil matter between both parties. Trustee Tancredi – Exactly. I also went down there. We all concur. He did not excavate onto your property. We cannot control what someone does to their own property. Mayor Higgins – There is a next step but only if you choose to take it. It has nothing to do with the Village. Attorney Gardner – There is no remedy here. It would be a civil remedy. Take your engineer’s professional opinion and give to your attorney.
Leita Becker did not understand why she did not get a water bill for January. The billing process according to the water law was explained.
Mayor Higgins – I spoke to Joe Meyers of the Water Department. I think we should look into bringing things up to the times and see what metering might cost. Doing a metered service in the future would be one way of making things fair for all the homeowners in the Village. Also, as far as conservation goes, when you do not meter the water, any idea of people conserving water goes out the window. Today’s meters are cellular driven. We will see if there is grant money for this purpose. We would like to make rates fair for everybody based on their usage. The benefits of metering were discussed and the cost will be reviewed.
Trustee Tancredi – Relatively speaking, I think the water is still pretty inexpensive. We had so many problems before we took the system over. We have no transmission, quantity or quality problems.
New Business:
Risk Assessment/Safety Audit – Plan of Action. Mayor Higgins – We need to implement a Risk Management plan. We will address next month.
Paid Family Leave – Attorney Gardner will prepare language for resolution for us to opt out. Tabled until next month.
Cedarwood Engineering – Mayor Higgins – We have received detailed billing but it seems that four hours is excessive to reconcile a one-page abstract. We have to watch this closely. Trustee Tancredi – We will request the scanned reconciliation to be e-mailed to us in addition to the DEP. We need them to meet deadlines for the budget.
Assistant Director – Increase in starting salary to $13.00 per hour. Resolution 2017 – 046.
Fire Department – Application for use of the Pavilion for the Hunter Fire Department’s annual picnic on September 10, 2017. We need a motion and vote to waive the fee, which we do every year. Motion made by Trustee Tancredi; seconded by Trustee Marino. All were in favor.
Initiate letter from the Board to the Fire Department demanding gas receipts or we will cancel the fuel credit card. Cash will be used to purchase gas and will be reimbursed when a receipt is handed in. If we pay a bill we need a receipt as per the Auditors.
Initiate separate letter from the Board to the Fire Department stating they need to contact Joe Myers of the Water Department before the testing of hoses and using of fire hydrants. We had complaints regarding water pressure and water quality. The water department and residents need to be made aware of such testing.
Park Bench – Carol and Charles Munafo previously dedicated a park bench to their father. They would like to dedicate another to the memory of their son. There is an undedicated bench. Continue to research and keep the Munafo’s in the loop.
Lifeguards – We need a resolution to approve the hiring of the lifeguards and their rates. Resolution 2017 – 047.
Summer Camp Counselors – We need a resolution for the hiring of counselors and junior counselors and their rates. Trustee Tancredi – The people listed on here are all counselors. Junior Counselors do not get paid. They are volunteers in terms of community service. Clerk Hilbert – Federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour and state minimum wage is $9.70 per hour. As a municipality, we can follow the federal guidelines but we have been paying more than the federal minimum wage. Trustee Tancredi – Pay new counselors $8.75 per hour and returning counselors receive a twenty-five cent raise each year. Resolution 2017 – 048.
Delaware Engineering – There have been instances where someone has called Delaware Engineering to do some work in the Village and we received the bill. There was no authorization to have them bill us. Let them know who is authorized to request work. Trustee Tancredi – Absolutely. Any work requested of Delaware Engineering should come from you as the Mayor.
Old Business:
Appraisals – Attorney Gardner requested additional information from the Mayor on lot 164.10-1-15. Mayor Higgins – It is a building lot for one building and it does have sewer and water.
Correspondence:
Waste Water Treatment Plant – 5/11/2017 Facility Compliance Inspection – all items were found to be satisfactory.
Volunteer Firefighter Enhanced Cancer Disability Benefits – Mayor Higgins would like to support NYCOM in asking the Governor to veto the bill. It would be impossible to stay within the 2% tax cap if you ever had to absorb the costs of these death benefits. It would bankrupt a small village. Draft a letter.
Correspondence (continued:)
Botti letter dated July 7, 2017 requesting adjustment and refund. He is requesting that we adjust from two commercial stores to one with three residentials upstairs. He is not entitled to a refund but adjustment will be granted. Send copy of resolution to Cedarwood Engineering. Trustee Tancredi – We need to have some type of paper trail that goes to Cedarwood so that these changes are reflected in the preparation of next year’s budget. Clerk Hilbert – I will write a letter to Cedarwood and include a copy of the resolution and then follow-up. Trustee Tancredi – Right, but moving forward, we need to generate a permanent type of form, whenever this happens. The Building Inspector needs to be closely involved in this process. He needs to have a detailed file on occupancy limits. Mayor Higgins – The follow-up is the important part. Resolution 2017 – 049.
Richard Harty – Expressed concerns to Clerk about 30,000-gallon water fill-up of a pool. There are pools at 13 and 58 Division. Four apartments in one residence on Division Street. Mayor Higgins – These all have one water charge – the same water charge he is paying. It does not make your water bill seem fair so we are going to look into meters. We are going to get some prices. I am going to get Joe Myers on it. We will see if we can do this.
Civil Service Commission – States that Fireman Custodian is not a Civil Service approved title – the approved title would be Cleaner. Do I hear a motion? Trustee Tancredi – I make a motion to change David Hartman’s title to the Civil Service approved title of Cleaner. Trustee Marino – I will second the motion. All were in favor.
Financial Reports:
- Sewer O & M Contingency CD – Matures 7-14-2017. The Board of Trustees gave Clerk/Treasurer permission to renew at .25%.
- Botti Dr/4 Seasons M&R Restricted CD – Matures 7-14-2017. The Board of Trustees gave Clerk/Treasurer permission to renew at .25%.
- Bank Reconciliations
Water Operating Account
May 31, 2017
June 30, 2017Sewer Operating Account
May 31, 2017 - Trash Bag Reconcilation – Not submitted
Bills:
Account Voucher Nos. Abstract
General Fund V-42 to V-83 No. 2
Sewer Operating G-35 to G-55 G-2
Water Operating F-19 to F-34 F-2
The above vouchers were audited and ordered paid.
Resolutions:
Resolution 2017-045
Appointment of Trustee
The following appointment was made by Mayor Alan Higgins:
Geri Marino, Trustee (Term Expiration 4/18)
The foregoing appointment was put to a vote and was carried unanimously.
Trustee Alan Higgins voting – yea
Trustee Michael Tancredi voting – yea
The Mayor’s appointment was thereupon declared approved.
Resolution 2017 – 046
Increase in Assistant Director’s Starting Salary
Motion made by Trustee Tancredi; seconded by Mayor Higgins
RESOLVED that The Village of Hunter Board of Trustees approves the increase in starting salary to $13.00 for Assistant Director, Abbey R. Angle.
The foregoing resolution was put to a vote and was carried unanimously.
Mayor Alan Higgins voting – yea
Trustee Michael Tancredi voting – yea
The resolution was thereupon declared duly adopted.
Resolution 2017 – 047
Approve Hiring and Wages of Lifeguards
Motion made by Trustee Tancredi; seconded by Trustee Marino
RESOLVED that The Village of Hunter Board of Trustees approves the hiring of the following Lifeguards at the wage rates specified:
Name Rate of Pay
Christopher J. Bezuyen $14.50 per hour
Joy C. Forbis-Speth $13.50 per hour
Michael M. Plattner-Taylor $13.50 per hour
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 2017 – 048
Approve Hiring and Wages of Summer Program Counselors
Motion made by Trustee Tancredi; seconded by Trustee Marino
RESOLVED that The Village of Hunter Board of Trustees approves the hiring of the following Summer Program Counselors at the wage rates specified:
Name Rate of Pay
Ariana Creech $8.75 per hour
Luke Tancredi (returning) $9.00 per hour
Mateusz Joblonowski $8.75 per hour
Maria Jones $8.75 per hour
Griffin Thorpe $8.75 per hour
Lacie Arp (returning) $9.00 per hour
Brandon Parqueze $8.75 per hour
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 2017 – 049
Commercial EDU adjustment for 7730 Main Street Tax Map No. 164.11-01-15
Motion made by Trustee Tancredi; seconded by Trustee Marino
RESOLVED that The Village of Hunter Board of Trustees agree to adjust the property owned by Sestillio Botti, known as 7730 Main Street, Tax Map No. 164.11-1-15 from two Commercial EDUs to one Commercial EDU.
The foregoing resolution was put to a vote and was carried.
Mayor Alan Higgins Abstained from the vote
Trustee Michael Tancredi voting – yea
Trustee Geri Marino voting – yea
A motion was made to go into Executive Session by Mayor Higgins to discuss personnel.
Mayor Higgins – We are reconvening after our Executive Session. At this time I appoint Geri Marino as the third Assessor.
Adjournment:
A motion was made to adjourn the meeting by Trustee Tancredi; seconded by Trustee Marino.
Transcribed by:
_____________________
Kathleen M. Hilbert
Clerk/Treasurer
17-07-10 minutes tentative