Village Board Minutes - Tentative

Call to Order: 8:00PM. Pledge of Allegiance.

Members Present: Mayor Alan Higgins and Trustee Michael Tancredi

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

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

Public Present: Jim Ray, Harold Goldberg, Tom Larison and JD

Approval of Minutes:

Minutes of Emergency Board Meeting held September 28, 2017.

Motion to approve the above minutes made by Trustee Michael Tancredi; seconded by Mayor Alan Higgins. All in favor. Motion carried.

Completed Minutes of Board of Trustees Meeting held September 11, 2017 will be submitted by Carol Ferrara by the next meeting.

Privilege of the Floor:

Mountain Drive – JD – The road has been dug up for the last 3 ½ months. It has markers around it and areas marked in orange paint. You have to slow up to go over it. Mayor Higgins – I will look into that with Charlie and find out when they intend to patch it.

Garbage – Tom Larison – People are putting their garbage out on Sunday night rather than Monday morning. Garbage is all over the road as a result of animals. Are there any violations associated with this? Is there any way we can go back to the owners of the properties to make sure these things do not happen? Maybe if there are some sort of consequences, they will make sure that renters are not leaving garbage in front of the house. Trustee Tancredi – I think some people just forgot that this Monday was a holiday and that there was no garbage pick-up. Mayor Higgins – Initially, we need to find out what properties are doing this. I will tell Charlie to take down an address so that we contact the home owner and they will be held responsible. Tom Larison – Who is cleaning this trash up? Mayor Higgins – The guys do clean up quite a bit. Tom Larison – That is a cost to the taxpayer. If you put out a notice that there is going to be a violation associated with this, homeowners could pass that along to renters. Trustee Tancredi – I like the idea of the mailing. Let people, who do rent, post it. Jim Ray – Discussed mini-dumpsters Williams used to sell. Mayor Higgins – I do not know if we have any local ordinance. The cost of a mass mailing was discussed. Mayor Higgins – I will speak to Charlie to see if he knows the repeat offenders. We can start off like that. Trustee Tancredi – We are one of the only municipalities that do pick up garbage and I am proud of that. Mayor Higgins – Do we have any way of imposing a fine, Larry? Attorney Gardner – If there is something that violates an existing law, they could be cited for littering. I will look into existing law.

Molière’s “Tartuffe” – Harold Goldberg – My wife, Daniela, is in “Tartuffe.” Friday, Saturday and Sunday performances this and next weekend.

Pasta Take-Out Dinner tomorrow night at the Hunter Fire Co. 5PM-8PM.

Announcements:

November 1st is the last day to pay Village Taxes at the Hunter Village Hall. Taxes will be relevied to Greene County Real Property Tax Service on November 2nd.

Greene County Treasurer’s Office will collect Village Taxes through the last business day in November. Payment must be in the form of a cashier’s check or money order payable to the Greene County Treasurer.

New Business:

Glen Avenue Project – Mayor Higgins – We are moving forward with the new watermain. Core & Main are the low bidders on the supplies at $9,769.59. The low bidders for the excavator and operator are Evergreen Mountain Contracting and Blue Mountain Excavation at $150 per hour but Evergreen will not charge for delivery. I would like to give them the go-ahead to get started. Trustee Tancredi – That is fine. Attorney Gardner – No resolution. A motion is fine.

Motion made by Trustee Tancredi to award to low bidders Core & Main and Evergreen Mountain Contracting. Mayor Higgins – I second that motion. All in favor. Motion carried.

Additional Park Benches – Mayor Higgins – Charles Sweet tasked to obtain costs of new benches, concrete pads and identify some new locations for the benches. We can then put them out for a sponsorship program like we did originally in the park. Kathleen Hilbert – The Gallagher’s have expressed interest in dedicating a park bench.

Worker’s Compensation – 2018 Tentative Premium.

Application for active membership in the Hunter Fire Co. No. 1, Inc. – Bruce Wenham. Resolution 2017 -059.

Water and Sewer Application – Kenneth and Maria Worth – Mayor Higgins – The Worths purchased in foreclosure and then found out that their water comes from the basement of another homeowner at the end of Pine Lane. They do not have a curb valve. They do, however, pay a water bill. Now the homeowner has turned his water off and the Worths have no water. I told them to make a decision months ago, as we will have to go across Maple Avenue and we have to pave it before the winter. Now here it is October. We can approve it or postpone it until spring. Resolution 2017 – 060.

Remove postmark language from water and tax bills – Motion made by Trustee Tancredi; seconded by Mayor Higgins. All in favor. Motion carried.

Impose service charge for returned checks – Resolution 2017 – 061.

Old Business:

Scribner’s Catskill Lodge, LLC – 9/20/2017 letter from Attorney Lubow. Mayor Higgins – This needs to go before the Planning Board for review so that it can then go the Code Enforcement Officer/Building Inspector. Harold Goldberg – We will review at our next meeting on October 26, 2017.

Water and Sewer Application – Hunter Peaks, LLC – Mayor Higgins – this pertains to the second house they want to build. This was previously tabled. Jeff Prince stated that Chazen gave Joe Myers a set of plans on how that water would be connected. Joe Myers has not seen this. Our water department has not been notified properly. I mentioned this to Jeff Prince and he states they are no longer seeking the approval at this time. DEP advised that they must wait until the major subdivision is complete. Tabled and keep the check with the application. Harold Goldberg – If you get the minutes from last Thursday’s meeting, some of your questions will be answered. Kathleen Hilbert – We have not received the Planning Board minutes from Carol Ferraro.

Correspondence:

Facility Compliance Inspection – 9/22/2017 letter from NYC DEP. All items found to be satisfactory.

Correspondence (continued:)

Sam’s House – 9/28/2017 e-mail from Louis Natole read by the Mayor. This is a civil matter. Attorney Gardner – Code Enforcement Officer/Building Inspector to perform a code violation inspection.

Residential Assessment Ratio – 9/29/2017 letter from Office of Real Property Tax Services. The Commissioner of Taxation and Finance has determined the Residential Assessment Ratio for The Village of Hunter to be 62.68.

Catskill Watershed Corporation – Notice of Preliminary Decisions of the Catskill Watershed Corporation 10/4/2017. Approved a Future Stormwater Program application by Conestoga Investments, LLC for additional reimbursement of $176,505.13 for constructions costs for total funding not to exceed $219,839.03. This is the former Forrester.

LED Street Light Conversion – 10/6/2017 e-mail from Real Term Energy. Charles Sweet to meet with RealTerm Energy and obtain costs. Also look into obtaining any applicable grants.

Financial Reports:

1. Deputy Treasurer’s Report – Summer Camp
2. Bank Reconciliations
   Water Operating Account
   July 31, 2017
   August 31, 2017Sewer Operating Account
   July 31, 2017

Bills:

Account Voucher Nos. Abstract

General Fund V-158 to V-186 V-5
Sewer Operating G-91 to G-111 G-5
Water Operating F-62 to F-75 F-5

The above vouchers were audited and ordered paid.

Resolutions:

Resolution 2017-059
Approval for Active Membership in The Hunter Fire Co. No. 1, Inc.

Motion made by Mayor Higgins; seconded by Trustee Tancredi

RESOLVED that The Village of Hunter Board of Trustees approves Bruce Wenham of 25 Annfield Row Pvt. Dr., P. O. Box 458, Hunter, New York 12442 for active membership in The Hunter Fire Co. No. 1, Inc.

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 2017-060
Approval of Water and Sewer Application – Worth

Motion made by Trustee Tancredi; seconded by Mayor Higgins

RESOLVED that The Village of Hunter Board of Trustees approves the water and sewer application submitted by applicants Kenneth and Maria Worth, for property identified as Tax Map No. 164.5-7-1, which is in The Village of Hunter at 97 Maple Avenue, with the understanding that the actual cost of the connection is paid by the property owner.

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 – 061
Service Charge for Returned Checks

Motion made by Trustee Tancredi; seconded by Mayor Higgins

WHEREAS General Municipal Law § 85 authorizes municipalities to impose a fee for checks received for payment which are dishonored and returned for insufficient funds and may also require future payments to be tendered in cash or by certified or cashier’s check;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that The Village of Hunter Board of Trustees establishes a $20 service fee for dishonored and returned checks to be collected and enforced in the same manner prescribed by law for the collection of the account for which the check was tendered.

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 2017-062
Creation of the Appointed Position of Deputy Clerk/Treasurer

Motion made by Trustee Tancredi; seconded by Mayor Higgins

RESOLVED that The Village of Hunter Board of Trustees created the Appointed Position of Deputy Clerk/Treasurer.

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 2017-063
Appointment of Deputy Clerk/Treasurer

Motion made by Trustee Tancredi; seconded by Mayor Higgins

RESOLVED that The Village of Hunter Board of Trustees appointed Suzanne Hartman to the Appointed Position of Deputy Clerk/Treasurer at a weekly salary of $525.

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.

Adjournment:

A motion was made to adjourn the meeting by Trustee Tancredi; seconded by Mayor Higgins.

Transcribed by:
_____________________
Kathleen M. Hilbert
Clerk/Treasurer

17-10-09 minutes tentative