DRAFT MINUTES OF THE

REGULAR MEETING OF THE TOWN BOARD

OF THE TOWN OF SARATOGA, 30 FERRY ST.,

SCHUYLERVILLE, NY

Monday, August 8, 2005

7:00 P.M.

 

Supervisor Thomas Wood opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance

at 7:00 p.m.

Roll call: Town Clerk Ruth Drumm called the roll.  Supervisor Thomas Wood- present, Councilman Bruce Cornell - absent, Councilman Charles Hanehan- present, Councilman Michael McLoughlin – absent, and Councilman Fred Drumm- present.

Also present: Town Attorney William Reynolds, Deputy Town Clerk Linda McCabe,  Assessor/Bookkeeper Catherine DeFelice, Highway Superintendent Grant Seymour, Zoning Officer Robert Hathaway, Town Attorney William Reynolds, Justice Jack Ditch, Margaret Ditch, Ted Munn, Gene Derby, Elizabeth Koval, Clarence Fosdick, Jean Driscoll, Jackie Reulet, Pat Eustis, Byron Peregrim, Michael Marchan, Nancy

VanAmerongen, Bruce VanAmerongen, Jody Harrington, Debbie Peck-Kelleher, and Marilyn Zaborek.

 

Recognitions: Resolution #05-69 commending the Turning Point Parade Committee was introduced by Supervisor Thomas Wood and seconded by Councilman Fred Drumm as follows:

WHEREAS, the Turning Point Parade Committee is composed of numerous hard working, highly motivated, dedicated, community spirited individuals from the Village of Schuylerville and the Town of Saratoga, and

WHEREAS, they devote countless hours all year long planning for the annual parade, and

WHEREAS, they have worked together coordinating 11 consecutive, highly successful parades, and

WHEREAS, the parade conducted on August 7, 2005 was the biggest and best to date, and

WHEREAS, the Turning Point Parade activities have been expanded to include activities at Fort Hardy Park including musical entertainment, a petting zoo, carnival, and fireworks, and

WHEREAS, the parade and related activities brought thousands of people to the Village of Schuylerville, and

WHEREAS, the Parade focused attention and reminded residents of the historical importance of the Schuylerville area in the American fight for freedom and independence, and

WHEREAS, the Turning Point Parade is an integral component of the renewal and revitalization efforts taking place in Schuylerville, and

WHEREAS, the parade activities bring residents of the area together promoting a spirit of community and a hometown pride, now therefore be it

 

RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Saratoga does hereby recognize and honor to the highest degree possible all of the members of the Turning Point Parade Committee for their service to the Village of Schuylerville and the Town of Saratoga, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Town of Saratoga continues to encourage and vigorously supports the Turning Point Parade Committee and their efforts.

 

Supervisor Thomas Wood - aye, Councilman Fred Drumm – aye, Councilman Charles Hanehan - aye.  Carried 3– 0.

 

Members present to receive the commendation: Byron Peregrim, Jean Driscoll, Jackie Reulet, Pat Eustis, Michael Marchan Jr., Nancy VanAmerongen, Bruce VanAmerongen, and Jody Harrington.

 

Proof of Legal Notice on 7/25/2005 having been furnished for the Public Hearing on Local Law #2 of 2005, Unnecessary Noise Ordinance, the hearing was opened at 7:10 p.m.

Debbie Peck-Kelleher, 501 Rt. 32, spoke for the law and thanked the board for all their work associated with the Unnecessary Noise Ordinance. 

Clarence Fosdick, 329 Burgoyne Rd., spoke for the concept of the law and asked for clarification on a couple of items.

 

All those wishing to speak having done so, the public hearing was closed at 7:18 p.m.

 

Approval of Minutes: All board members had received and read the minutes of the July 11th and July 12th, 2005 meetings.  A motion was made by Councilman Charles Hanehan and seconded by Councilman Fred Drumm to accept the minutes of the July 11th meeting as written. Supervisor Thomas Wood - aye, Councilman Fred Drumm – aye, Councilman Charles Hanehan - aye.  Carried 3– 0.  A motion was made by Councilman Fred Drumm and seconded by Councilman Charles Hanehan to accept the minutes of July 12th, 2005 as written.  Supervisor Thomas Wood - aye, Councilman Fred Drumm – aye, Councilman Charles Hanehan - aye.  Carried 3– 0.

 

Town Clerk’s report, July 2005: Fees paid to the County Treasurer for Dog Licenses $110.10. Dog license fees paid to the NYS Dept. of Agriculture and Markets $90.00. Fees paid to New York D.E.C. for hunting and fishing licenses $103.91. Fees paid to NYS Health Dept. for Marriage Licenses $67.50. Dog license fees to Supervisor Thomas Wood $256.90. Clerk fees to Supervisor Thomas Wood $184.59. Total State, County, and Local Revenues received were $813.00.

 

Zoning Officer’s report, July 2005: 10 Building Permits, 2 C.O.’s, and 18 Building inspections, one complaint, and two social service inspections were done. A check for

$735.00 was given to Supervisor Thomas Wood.

 

Dog Control Officer’s report, July 2005: The report was read by Supervisor Thomas Wood which stated Rick Sullivan answered 32 complaints, traveled 250 miles, took 5 dogs to the shelter, issued 30 warnings, and 18 summons’ were issued. 

 

Town Court report: Justice Jack Ditch reported the following cases were closed in July: 80 Vehicle & Traffic, 13 Criminal/Penal Law, 12 DEC/ENCON, 14 Dog cases, 6 DWI, 0 Town & Village Ordinance, 3 Small Claims/Civil, 1Eviction, 2 (Case Transfers) Divestiture Forms sent to County Court, 35 hours of community service issued, 89 days of jail time issued and fees paid to the NY State Comptroller - $7720.50.  

 

Supervisor’s report: Supervisor Thomas Wood presented July 2005 balances in Town funds as follows: General A $840,518.47, General B $149,133.69, Highway Outside $209,078.44, Youth Recreation & Services $6,110.66, Highway Equipment Reserve $109,591.73, Building Reserve $798,458.82, and Fire Protection $0.00.  July revenues were $99,803.21 and expenses were $123,459.48.  The total July 2005 balance is $2,112,891.81.

 

Public comments on agenda items: No one came forward.

 

Committee reports:

Highway: Highway Superintendent Grant Seymour reported that they are working on resurfacing Burgoyne Road.  At the Hayes Road and Burgoyne Road intersection, they are cutting down the hill and raising the low spot in order to improve the site distance. Next week a company will come to reclaim the road (rip it up) and then calcium chloride will be put down in preparation for the paving.  The crews continue to mow the roadsides.

 

Landfill: Supervisor Thomas Wood asked Highway Superintendent Grant Seymour what the hours of the town dump off Hayes Road are and he responded that the dump is open for brush (not to exceed 3” in diameter) the first Saturday of the month from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. He added that it will not be open in September due to the Labor Day weekend.  

 

Insurance: Supervisor Thomas Wood reported that MVP Health Care has merged with Preferred Care, a Rochester based health plan.  He was assured that coverage’s and costs would not change.  

 

Youth Committee report: Supervisor Thomas Wood stated that Jeannie Duval, Youth Program Director, has reported that 130 children have enrolled in the Summer Swim Program and classes end August 19th.  It was also noted that Youth Day will be September 10th at Ft. Hardy Park starting at 2:00 p.m. with games, pony rides, and refreshments.

 

Buildings: Supervisor Thomas Wood reported that the seventh meeting of the Building Committee met on August 3rd.  A presentation by SD Atelier Architecture firm was given.  So far five firms have given presentations.  Supervisor Thomas Wood and Town Engineer Kenneth Martin will begin working on developing a RFP (Request for Proposals) for the architectural and engineering services needed.  The final report on the soil boring analysis was reviewed along with the comments and analysis of the town hall survey.  A further breakdown of the written comments will be done.  Publicity and ways of sharing information with the public was discussed.  Supervisor Thomas Wood attended the open house on July 30th of the new Town of Edinburg’s town hall and he provided a copy of the design to the committee. 

 

Senior Citizens report: No report.

    

Park Committee report: Supervisor Thomas Wood reported that the process of getting the deed filed for the Quaker Springs Mineral Park is moving forward. 

 

Zoning Amendment Advisory Committee (ZAAC):

Councilman Charles Hanehan reported that he is planning to meet, still trying to work around busy summer schedules.  Councilman Fred Drumm reported that his committee’s recommendations will be typed up and presented to the full committee when they meet again.  

 

Old Business:

Resolution #05-67 – Unnecessary Noise Ordinance – was introduced by Supervisor Thomas Wood and seconded by Councilman Fred Drumm as follows:

WHEREAS, the Town Board wishes to maintain the peace and quiet of the town; and

WHEREAS, the Town Board of the Town of Saratoga has held a public hearing and received input from the townspeople, now therefore be it,

RESOLVED by the Town Board of the Town of Saratoga to adopt Local Law # 2 of 2005, prohibiting unnecessary noises.  (The full text of Local Law #2 of 2005 is on file in the Town Clerk’s office.) Supervisor Thomas Wood - aye, Councilman Fred Drumm – aye, Councilman Charles Hanehan - aye.  Carried 3– 0.

 

Supervisor Thomas Wood noted that Councilman Charles Hanehan has met several times with Nate Darrow to discuss the proposal for the Purchase of Development Rights on his property at 1174 Route 29 that has been ongoing since 2000. A decision on the proposal was needed by August 1st.  Councilman Charles Hanehan reported that Nate Darrow’s proposal has been changed many times and in its present form is not acceptable to David Behm of the NYS Dept. of Agriculture and Markets Farmland Protection Board.  The funds earmarked from the NYS Dept. of Agriculture and Markets Farmland Protection Board for the purchase will be retained by NY State.  Possibly it could be looked at again in the future.  Supervisor Thomas Wood and Councilman Fred Drumm thanked Councilman Charles Hanehan for all his work on the PDR project.

 

New business:

Supervisor Thomas Wood announced that a Budget Workshop will be held on Thursday, August 25th at 6:30 p.m. and that Department Heads should look at their needs for the next year. 

Supervisor Thomas Wood announced that Historian Sean Kelleher’s Historical Records Grant was approved for $9,856.  Resolution #05-68 was introduced by Councilman Charles Hanehan and seconded by Councilman Fred Drumm as follows:

WHEREAS, the Town of Saratoga has been awarded a Historical Records Grant from the Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund in the amount of $9,856. 

WHEREAS, the Town of Saratoga is the lead agency on behalf of a cooperative which includes the Towns of Saratoga and Stillwater and the Villages of Victory, Schuylerville and Stillwater and the grant funding will support planning and inventory of the historical records in the various municipal Historians' offices. 

WHEREAS, the grant provides for the hiring of a Historical Records Management Consultant, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Saratoga appoints Field Horne as the Historical Records Management Consultant for up to 8 days at $350 per day as provided  in the grant.  He is an expert in the field and will provide training, development of policies and procedures for historical record storage, develop a need assessment and a program plan, and will help with the close out reporting.  Supervisor Thomas Wood - aye, Councilman Fred Drumm – aye, Councilman Charles Hanehan - aye.  Carried 3– 0.

 

Resolution #05-70 was introduced by Supervisor Thomas Wood and seconded by Councilman Fred Drumm as follows:

WHEREAS, the Town of Saratoga has agreed to administer the Lakes to Locks Passage Saratoga Pocket Parks Grant, Contract # DO17673, Workplan PIN: 1SB1.02.121

and

WHEREAS, documentation has been provided to verify services provided May 3, 2005, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Town of Saratoga pay invoice number 14635 in the amount of $1,885 and invoice number 15311 in the amount of $2,285 for a total of $4,170 from account A 7150.4 Special Recreational payable to Shannon-Rose Design, 65 Clinton St., Saratoga Springs, NY.  Supervisor Thomas Wood - aye, Councilman Fred Drumm – aye, Councilman Charles Hanehan - aye.  Carried 3– 0.

 

Resolution #05-71 a transfer of funds, was introduced by Councilman Fred Drumm and seconded by Councilman Charles Hanehan as follows: 

WHEREAS, the Town Board of the Town of Saratoga recognizes the need for a fund transfer to cover additional expenses incurred by the town for attorney fees, therefore be it

RESOLVED by the Town Board of the Town of Saratoga to transfer $2,304.49 from the Contingency Account # A1990.4 to account # A1420.4 - Town Attorney, to cover the additional expenses incurred for litigation.  Supervisor Thomas Wood - aye, Councilman Fred Drumm – aye, Councilman Charles Hanehan - aye.  Carried 3– 0.

 

Communications

Supervisor Thomas Wood read a letter from Principal Thomas Martin of the Schuylerville Jr.-Sr. High School thanking the town board members for their personal award donation.

 

Privilege of the floor:

Marilyn Zaborek, 387 Burgoyne Rd., voiced many concerns about Planning Board procedures and non-compliance with zoning regulations.  She added concerns over non-protection of wetlands and building codes being neglected.

 

Councilman Charles Hanehan asked Town Attorney William Reynolds if he had reviewed the sample resolution regarding Eminent Domain.  He replied that the taking of land for economic development is up to local boards.  Eminent Domain will be included on September’s agenda for further discussion. 

 

Upcoming Meetings:

v     Budget workshop – Thursday, August 25th at 6:30 p.m.

v     Building committee - Wednesday, September 7th at 6:00 p.m.

v     Town Board Agenda meeting – Thursday, September 8th at 7:00 p.m.

v     Town Board Regular meeting - Monday, September 12th at 7:00 p.m.

 

Audit the Bills: Per abstract 08/08/2005 (8G): General A $54,417.14, General B $2,823.77, Youth $1,307, (8H): Highway Outside $4,033.79, for a total expense of $62,581.70.

 

A motion to adjourn at 8:30 p.m. was made by Councilman Charles Hanehan and seconded by Councilman Fred Drumm.  Supervisor Thomas Wood – aye, Councilman Fred Drumm – aye, Councilman Charles Hanehan – aye. Carried 3 – 0.

 

Respectfully Submitted,

 

 

Ruth Drumm

Town Clerk

 

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