The Village of Hunter
Minutes of The Village Board of Trustees Meeting held June 12, 2017
Call to Order: 8:00PM. Pledge of Allegiance
Members Present: Mayor Alan Higgins and Trustee Michael Trancredi
Also Present: Larry Gardner, Village Attorney and Kathleen M. Hilbert.
Public Present: Anthony Figiel, Ron DeMartin, Jodie Larison, Tom Larison, Ana Cianciola and Jim Ray
Approval of Minutes:
Public Hearing held May 8, 2017
Board of Trustees Meeting held May 8, 2017 – Carol does not specify in Resolution 2017 – 032 as to whether expenses need to be submitted in 30 or 60 days. Clerk Hilbert to review tape and make that correction.
Public Hearing held May 22, 2017
Special Meeting held May 22, 2017
Privilege of the Floor:
Anthony Figiel – Did that property ever get put on the market? Trustee Tancredi asked Attorney Gardner the status of the appraisal ordered last year. Attorney Gardner will have the appraisal results well in advance of the next meeting and they will be discussed at the next regularly scheduled meeting. Mayor Higgins – In answer to your question, it has not been put on the market. Anthony Figiel – After looking into renovating, the cost would be too much for a temporary deal. I do not know what the next step is. We are thinking about writing the Town a letter about getting more money. I am in favor of building a new fire house.
Country Festival – Jodi Tom Larison gave positive feedback. Set up was better. The clean-up was on a better scale than last year.
Mayor Higgins – There was a problem with egress traffic on Sunday night. Sunday night is the main night when flaggers are needed. That is when the majority of the crowd leaves. There were no flaggers. Trustee Tancredi – Where were the cops on Sunday night? Mayor Higgins – We need to come up with a solution to this problem. Tomorrow I will speak with Greg Seeley and Daryl Legg and we need to get this resolved before next Sunday. Traffic was backed up. We would not have been able to get emergency vehicles through.
Crosswalks – Jodi Larison brought up the fact that people are driving though Main Street at 50 miles per hour. Asked about crosswalks like in Tannersville. Mayor Higgins – To me, it comes down to enforcement. I would rather have a sign coming into The Village in both directions that makes people believe that they will be held responsible and give a couple of tickets out. Trustee Tancredi – I like the idea of slowing traffic down in The Village. Tom Larison – The signs in the road in Tannersville are an obstacle so you are inclined to slow down to make sure that you are not going to hit anyone.
New Business:
The Chazen Companies – Mayor Higgins – Letter containing five questions regarding hooking up water at Lester Tanner’s properties – Hunter Peaks. Trustee Tancredi – Have they come in to pay their past-due bills yet? Mayor Higgins – Let’s check on that and speak to Paul with the Planning Board. Clerk Hilbert – When the Board denied their most recent water application at the May 22, 2017 meeting, we were not aware of the fact that the Planning Board had approved another subdivision of a 1.2 acre lot on May 18, 2017. We have not seen minutes from a Planning Board Meeting since February 23,
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2017. Mayor Higgins – There is no Tax ID Number. They need to give us a complete application. We are going to need to see some plans on that as far where they want the water run because they were saying the water main goes across the street. It does not. It goes up to the water tower. They are going to have to submit some plans on how they intend to hook up to the water. Have they given the $5,000 to go into escrow? Trustee Tancredi – And there is an additional $1,000 due for the building permit. There will be no action until the past due balance owed to The Village is paid.
NYS Act to Amend the Multiple Residence Law in relation to prohibiting the short-term rental of private dwellings. Harold Goldberg, Planning Board requested this be put on agenda pursuant to e-mail from Chuck Tomajko. Trustee Tancredi – This is pending legislation. Attorney Gardner – It may or may be adopted. This is not yet law. Trustee Tancredi – There is no action to be taken as this is not a law. Attorney Gardner – What was submitted is only a memorandum in support of the legislation. Mayor Higgins – Tabled until legislation is passed. We can decide if we want to opt in at that time.
Sewer Budget Transfer Requests – We are in the first month of our new fiscal year but will go overbudget due to cuts and changes made by Stacey Eggers of Cedarwood which were not approved by this Board. Mayor Higgins – We need to do interfund transfers. We knew this would happen. There is money in the contingency account except we will be using a different account before we go to the contingency account because contingency is 100% Village funded. These items that are over budget are 80/20. Trustee Tancredi – This is not acceptable. We should not be put in this position. Mayor Higgins – These are things that will be brought up to Tom Stalter of NYC DEP. Trustee Tancredi – We should not be put in this position moving forward. Mayor Higgins – Right. The timeline is really the problem. We have to get on Cedarwood and really be strict with our deadline because our deadline comes and goes and then they finally submit the budget two weeks after it was supposed to be adopted. We really have to get on them.
Postage – The budgeted postage amount was brought down to $150. This month ½ postage amount for Sewer Bills and Receipts totals $338.56 which is $188.56 over budgeted amount. Postage for Town Sewer Bills, which are mailed August l, is estimated at $28.98. Postage for Town requested receipts is not estimated. Actual amount we will be over budget this month is $217.54. Request transfer of $225.00 from G8130.55 Sewer Maintenance and Utilities – Plant Office Supplies to G811015 Sewer Administration Postage. See Resolution 2017 – 041.
Office Supplies – Line item G811032 Sewer Administration Office Supplies was eliminated. This month, costs for paper and envelopes for Village Sewer Bills is $141.95 and we will be generating Town Sewer Bills for mailing on August 1. Actual amount we will be over budget this month is $141.95. Request transfer of $150.00 from G8130.55 Sewer Maintenance and Utilities – Plant Office Supplies to G811032 Sewer Administration Office Supplies. See Resolution 2017 – 042.
Sewer Problem on Pine Lane – Trustee Tancredi – We have an unresolved sewer issue at 186 Pine Lane – Victor Magnotti. I told Garzone to send the bill to The Village. There was nothing in the lateral. The main left the lateral. The banks have collapsed between the house and the lake. The lateral was actually 2 ½ feet above the sewer main. The sewer main has dropped and bowed at the same time. Fred Grober was here. We have a copy of the video tape. When Victor built the house, he put in two six-inch drains on either end of the house draining the property open to daylight to the lake. When we put the sewer mains in, our contractor just buried those things. Mayor Higgins – When they dug through those to put the sewer main in perpendicular to those, the storm water now just goes into the sewer main trench, creating hydraulic pressure, which is probably why the bank collapsed. Attorney Gardner – But it is an isolated thing at that site. It is not systemic to that sewer line. Trustee Tancredi – I am not sure.
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Mayor Higgins – Fred Grober wants to come up the bank away from that collapse. We will have to get a copy of the plans submitted. We will have to have a special or emergency meeting. We will have to review the plans and go over prices. Trustee
Tancredi – There is a new problem. When I got home, I got a message from Vic Magnotti that it is backed-up again. Clerk Hilbert – Is our Sewer Department aware of this? Trustee Tancredi – I have no idea. Look, I have a job. Clerk Hilbert – I am only asking because our Sewer Department advised Donna Endy that this was the homeowner’s problem. Mayor Higgins – Tomorrow I will have that section flushed out. Jodi Larison – Where is this pipe? Trustee Tancredi – It runs all the way around Dolan’s Lake from east to west, then it ties into the culdesac at the end of Pine Lane. Jodi Larison – So it’s at the edge of the lake. Trustee Tancredi – It is ten feet off the edge of the lake. Then it goes down to the culdesac and from the culdesac it goes down between two properties to Maple Avenue straight out to a pump station. Jodi Larison – Vic has moved all his dirt around, built a beach, he has all his heavy equipment on top of that pipe. Trustee Tancredi – The real problem there is tile drains from his foundation and some other additional problems that I have talked to him about. There is water coming out from the west of that trench. Mayor Higgins – There are some storm water issues there too. I will ask Fred if he can get with CWC. Jodi Larison – Every time there is heavy rain, it comes over the culvert and it goes into our garages, so can we deal with digging out the culvert? It which would be a lot less costly than replacing Vic’s pipe. Mayor Higgins – We can take a look at that as a separate thing and do that too. Trustee Tancredi – One of the real problems there is if you look up at the entire mountain, all the water is coming down off of that hill and those two log cabins are in the lowest spot. It is like a collection point. Jim Ray – Mike, it is Lake Edward not Dolan’s Lake.
Old Business:
Work Place Violence Policy Mayor Higgins – We tabled this at our April 10, 2017 meeting. We do have a Work Place Violence Prevention Policy Statement that we adopted in 2010 and then we have a letter here from 2014 that says the same thing except that it is not in the resolution format so I was thinking we should re-adopt the Resolution #32-10. See Resolution 2017 – 043.
Correspondence:
Department of Health – Magnuski complaint. Both Mayor Higgins and Trustee Tancredi separately visited the 114 and 145 Pine Lane properties. These properties are adjacent to two properties which really are an issue. The properties in Mr. Magnuski’s complaint are as close to pristine as you can get. The garbage is secure. There is nothing there. Trustee Tancredi – This is really upsetting. If he is a little annoyed with his neighbor and does not like them for whatever reason, that is all just personal baloney and I do not want any part of it. I went up there and looked at this immediately upon receipt of this letter. If there is a problem, I am willing to deal with the problem but don’t feign a problem.
Equalization Rate – Certificate of the Final State Equalization Rate for the 2017 Assessment Roll – The State Office of Real Property Tax Services established a final State equalization rate of 67.65 for The Village of Hunter.
Catskill Watershed Corporation – Notice of Preliminary Decisions of the Catskill Watershed Corporation. Resolution No. 3089 – The CWC Board of Directors approved a Future Storm Water Program application by Conestoga Investments, LLC in an amount not to exceed $34,333.90.
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Resolutions:
Resolution 2017 – 041
Appropriate Funds from G8130.55 Sewer Maintenance and Utilities – Plant Office Supplies to G811015 Sewer Administration Postage
Motion made by Trustee Tancredi; seconded by Mayor Higgins
RESOLVED that The Village of Hunter Board of Trustees transfer funds in the amount of $225.00 from G8130.55 Sewer Maintenance and Utilities – Plant Office Supplies 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
The resolution was thereupon declared duly adopted.
Resolution 2017 – 042
Appropriate Funds from G8130.55 Sewer Maintenance and Utilities – Plant Office Supplies to G811032 Sewer Administration Office Supplies
Motion made by Trustee Tancredi; seconded by Mayor Higgins
RESOLVED that The Village of Hunter Board of Trustees transfer funds in the amount of $150.00 from G8130.55 Sewer Maintenance and Utilities – Plant Office Supplies to G811032 Sewer Administration Office Supplies.
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 – 043
Work Place Violence Prevention Policy Statement
Motion made by Trustee Tancredi; seconded by Mayor Higgins
WHEREAS New York State Labor Law 27b requires all public employers to establish a written Workplace Violence Prevention Policy; and
WHEREAS The Village of Hunter adopted a Workplace Violence Prevention Policy Statement known as Resolution #32-10 effective May 10, 2010; and
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
Section 1. That The Village of Hunter Board of Trustees has reviewed Resolution #32-10 Workplace Violence Prevention Policy Statement.
Section 2. That said Workplace Violence Prevention Policy remains in full force and effect.
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.
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Bills:
Account Voucher Abstract
General Fund V-1 to V-41 1
Sewer Operating G-1 to G-34 G-1
Water Operating F- to F-18 F-1
The above vouchers were audited and ordered paid.
A motion was made to go into Executive Session by Mayor Higgins, seconded by Trustee Tancredi.
Mayor Higgins – We are reconvening after our Executive Session:
Motion to give authorization to pay the Garzone bill for the imaging of the sewer lateral made by Mayor Higgins, seconded by Trustee Tancredi. Mayor Higgins – The bill is to be paid out of Sewer O&M. When we go into repairs, Fred Grober feels the city should pay 80% and The Village’s 20% should be an insurance claim. All in favor. Motion carried.
The Village of Hunter will be paying Tammy Schumacher for Holidays as set forth in our policies for office workers.
Matthew Edwards obtained his CDL license and will be receiving a pay increase of $1.00 per hour starting the next pay period.
A motion was made to adjourn the meeting by Trustee Tancredi, seconded by Mayor Higgins.
Minutes transcribed by:
_____________________
Kathleen M. Hilbert
Clerk/Treasurer
June 12, 2017
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Tentative Minutes