Documents

minutes 10 pages

A Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, NY was held on Monday, December 5, 2011 at the Municipal Building, Van Wyck Street, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520. Mayor Wiegman Trustee Gallelli Village Manager Zambrano Trustee Schmidt Village Attorney Feldman Trustee Murtaugh Treasurer Bullock Trustee Raskob 1. CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Wiegman called the meeting to order at 8:00 p.m. Everyone joined in the Pledge of Allegiance. 2. APPROVAL OF VOUCHERS: Trustee Gallelli made a motion to approve the vouchers as follows, subject to review by the Audit Committee. The motion was seconded by Trustee Murtaugh and approved with a vote of 5-0. $1,441,687.30 Water Fund 64,834.47 Sewer Fund 5,624.52 Capital Account 102,151.11 Trust & Agency 5,459.19 Total $1,619,756.59 3a. PRESENTATION: Dr. Izzo, Chair of the Toughman Triathlon, presented a DVD and a commemorative book of the race recently held in Croton. Mayor Wiegman accepted the gifts on behalf of the Village. 3b. Nextel Public Hearing. Trustee Schmidt made to motion to adjourn the Public Hearing to January 3, 2012; second by Trustee Raskob, approved with a vote of 5-0. 4. CORRESPONDENCE: Village Manager Zambrano read the following correspondence (full text available at the Village Office): a) A letter from Dave and Dinah Davidson, Croton residents, thanking Marco Gennerelli and the DPW staff for their assistance during the recent storm. Village Trustees Board Meeting December 5, 2011 b) A letter from Susannah Johnston, Croton resident, regarding skateboarding in the Village and requesting a place designated for skate boarding. Village Manager Zambrano stated that the problem is that the skaters are building ramps, etc. and there is a danger to themselves and the general public. Mayor Wiegman suggested allowing skating at the Farmer’s Market area when the market is not there. c) A letter from Piet Boonstra, President, Croton Historical Society acknowledging the passing of Village Historian Mary Lambruschi and a recommendation of the new appointment of Dorothy Dymes Pezanowski. Motion to approve the appointment was made by Trustee Gallelli, 2nd by Trustee Schmidt and approved with a vote of 5-0. Ms. Pezanowski was present and thanked the Board for this honor. d) A letter from Paul D. Smith, P.E., NYC DEP, regarding an update of the reconstruction of the New Croton Dam Project. e) A letter from Jack Wood, Program Manager, NYS Dept. of Taxation and Finance, regarding the Tentative Railroad equalization rate which is set at 3.71 for 2012 from 3.32 in 2011. f) A letter from Richard A Keil, Program Manager, NYS Dept. of Taxation and Finance, regarding the Tentative Special Franchise Assessment. g) A letter from Robert Hoch, Director, Government Affairs, Cablevision, regarding the elimination of duplicate channel positions. h) A letter from Robert Hoch, Director, Government Affairs, Cablevision, regarding News 12 Traffic and Weather Channel change of channel. i) A letter from Robert Hoch, Director, Government affairs, Cablevision, regarding elimination of the Universal Sports Channel from their broadcast basic tier. 5. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION (agenda items): a) James Moore, 56 Irving Ave., commented on the brown water problem on Cook and Irving Ave. and also the acquisition of the Gouveia property. b) Roseann Schuyler, Olcott Ave. commented on the minutes being approved by the Board tonight. c) Bob Wintermeier, 43 Radnor Ave., addressed skateboarding in the Village and Verizon FIOS. d) Ginny Calcutti, Hunter Place, commented on the appointment of the new Village Historian and the Village’s liability if they were to allow skateboarding at the Municipal Place property. 6. PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS: a) On motion of TRUSTEE RASKOB, seconded by TRUSTEE GALLELLI, the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, New York with a vote of 4-0 (Trustee Murtaugh was absent for the vote): WHEREAS, on August 27, 2010 the Village and ELQ Industries entered into an agreement for the asphalt paving and cold milling work in the Village , and Village Trustees Board Meeting December 5, 2011 WHEREAS, this contract was for a one year term expired on August 31, 2011 and WHEREAS, additional work scheduled for the end of August 2011 was postponed due to Tropical Storm Irene, and WHEREAS, the additional work was completed past the contract date, and WHEREAS, ELQ Industries and the Village verbally agreed to extend the contract to October 31, 2011, and NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: that the Village Manager is hereby authorized to extend the agreement with ELQ Industries to October 31, 2011 for the asphalt paving and cold milling work within the Village. b) On motion of TRUSTEE GALLELLI, seconded by TRUSTEE SCHMIDT, the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, New York with a vote of 5-0: WHEREAS, the Village Board of Trustees has received a special permit application from Megan Guinee for an accessory apartment located at 91 Truesdale Drive; and WHEREAS, the property is located in a RA-25 District and is designated on the Tax Maps of the Village as Section 79.09 Block 5 Lot 6, and WHEREAS, prior to application to the Village Board for a special permit, a front yard variance and a variance to increase the perimeter of the building was applied for from the Zoning Board of Appeals; and WHEREAS, the Zoning Board of Appeals granted a 5.19 foot front yard variance and building perimeter variance for a potential accessory apartment, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The Village Board hereby refers to the Village Planning Board, the special permit application for a report back to the Village Board from the Planning Board in accordance with Village Law. Discussion: Trustee Schmidt stated that he would like a review of the accessory apartment law. c) On motion of TRUSTEE MURTAUGH, seconded by TRUSTEE RASKOB, the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, New York with a vote of 5-0: WHEREAS, the Village Board approved, as part of the fiscal year 2011-2012 capital budget, Village Trustees Board Meeting December 5, 2011 funding in the amount of $30,000 for the Police Department to purchase a new four-wheel drive vehicle, and WHEREAS, due to an increase in the cost of the new vehicle under a New York State contract the amount necessary to purchase the vehicle is $33,000. NOW BE IT RESOLVED; that the Board of Trustees authorizes the Village Treasurer to transfer $3,000 from the Contingency Account number A1990.4000 to the Capital Account number H3120.2010.12234. d) On motion of TRUSTEE RASKOB, seconded by TRUSTEE GALLELLI, the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, New York with a vote of 5-0: WHEREAS, the Village Treasurer wishes to open both sides of the General Fund budget to record the receipt and subsequent disbursement associated with insurance recoveries; amending the 2011-2012 General Fund budget as follows: GENERAL REVENUE Increase A1000.2680 $2,031.00 GENERAL EXPENSES Increase A7140.4140 $2,031.00 NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Village Treasurer is authorized to amend the 2011-2012 General Fund budget to reflect these changes. e) On motion of Trustee Gallelli, seconded by Trustee Murtaugh, the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, New York with a vote of 5-0. WHEREAS, the Treasurer has analyzed the 2011/12 year to date budget and recommends the following budget transfers as detailed below, NOW THEREFORE be it resolved that the Village Treasurer is authorized to make the following amendments to the 2011/12 budget to reflect these changes: GEERAL FUD INCREASE Dept Item Amount A1110 1,435 A1230 1,100 Village Trustees Board Meeting December 5, 2011 A1355 A1410 A1420 2,500 A1440 A1440 A1450 A1620 A1620 4,600 A1640 16,625 A1640 1,200 A1650 1,960 A1910 1,310 A1960 1,865 A3120 A3120 A3120 1,370 A3189 A3310 5,600 A3410 A3410 2,875 A3410 A4540 8,800 A4540 A4540 A5010 A5010 5,300 A5010 A5110 13,940 A5140 11,270 A5140 10,100 A5142 A5182 9,370 A5183 134,000 A5650 A5650 1,150 A6410 A7020 A7550 A8090 102,000 A8090 3,000 A8140 24,600 A8140 A8140 1,356 A8160 81,456 A8170 23,728 A8560 51,000 A8560 21,000 Village Trustees Board Meeting December 5, 2011 A8760 A9010 77,800 A9060 11,000 Total Increases $ 642,403 DECREASE A1110 1,435 A1650 1,000 A1355 A1440 A1440 A1620 4,575 A1990 32,598 A3120 A3120 1,370 A3189 A3410 3,060 A4540 A5010 A5110 514,198 A5650 1,180 A6410 A7020 A7550 A8090 3,000 A8140 1,400 A9015 73,852 Total Decreases $ 642,403 WATER FUD INCREASE Dept Item Amount F1320 F1650 7,900 F1650 2,100 F1910 F1920 F8310 23,000 F8310 F8310 F8310 F8320 16,100 F8320 26,000 F8340 12,250 Village Trustees Board Meeting December 5, 2011 F9010 5,617 F9045 F9060 F9060 Total Increases $ 95,927 DECREASE F1320 F1650 9,800 F1990 20,511 F8340 65,458 Total Decreases $ 95,927 SEWER FUD INCREASE Dept Item Amount G1320 G1650 1,655 G1910 1,955 G9010 G9040 Total Increases $ 4,095 DECREASE G1990 4,095 Total Decreases $ 4,095 7. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION (non-agenda items): a) Michael Goetz, 19 Irving Ave., questioned the elimination of the use of leaf bags and the destruction of curbs by the vacuuming of leaves. b) John Ghegan, 54 Young Ave., a member of EMT medical services, spoke about the availability of training for teens to assist the EMS. Village Trustees Board Meeting December 5, 2011 c) Brendan Smith, advisor, Croton Youth Group, gave a detailed overview of the EMS Youth Group activities and their recruitment of members. d) Ginny Calcutti, Hunter Place, spoke about the acquisition of the Gouveia property, the brown water issue, the sea wall for the Croton Yacht Club, the cost of the EMT and the fly car from Ossining. e) Michael Mamone, 19 Young Ave., commented on the popularity of drinking water, adding chemicals to the water and borrowing money to replace pipes. f) Mark Dickey, Croton EMS, reported on the EMS membership recruitment efforts and the EMS Youth Group. g) Roseann Schuyler, on behalf of LOGIC, commented on a FOIL request that was denied and any imminent contract awards or negotiations for sale of the Katz property. h) Bob Wintermeier, 43 Radnor Ave., commended Village employees for their work during the October snowstorm, recognition of service to the Village and recognizing Maria Cudequest for her service, the recent election certification, planning for the budget cycle. i) Mike Mamone, 19 Young Ave., spoke regarding the street sweeper and state regulations requiring cleaning of the streets. 8. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Trustee Murtaugh made a motion to approve the minutes of the Regular Board Meeting held on October 17, 2011 as corrected. Trustee Gallelli seconded the motion. The Board approved with a vote of 5-0. Trustee Raskob made a motion to approve the minutes of the Regular Board Meeting held on November 7, 2011 as corrected. Trustee Gallelli seconded the motion. The Board voted approved with a vote of 5-0. 9. REPORTS: Village Manager Zambrano reported on water-related issues, the recent water forum and gave an update on the process; an update of FAQs for the water project will be put on the Village web site. Mr. Zambrano reported that Annette Birnbaum was inducted in the Westchester County Senior Citizen Hall of Fame. Mr. Zambrano reported that he and the Police Chief attended an award ceremony hosted by AAA; the Village was again awarded gold status for pedestrian safety. Treasurer Bullock reported that the finance department is working on utility billing which will be going out Dec. 15th. Village Trustees Board Meeting December 5, 2011 Trustee Schmidt reported that on November 17th the Croton Coalition had its 2nd vigil in Vassalo Park; it was well attended; he complemented the students of Croton HS who put the event together; they had songs and poems; local businesses supported the event also. Trustee Schmidt thanked Carolyn Whiting for doing an art project which is on display in the Municipal Building. Trustee Schmidt asked about the status of the deer situation and asked if we have gotten a report from the committee which was going to come up with other suggestions to handling this problem; he added that the coyote population has also jumped up quite a bit and asked the committee to provide that deer report. Trustee Schmidt reported that the Business Council of the Hudson Valley Chamber put out small trees which have been decorated by merchants; he thanked the Village staff for their work getting the trees in the barrels. Trustee Schmidt thanked the Croton Fire Dept. for supplying the fire trucks for the Santa candy distribution. Trustee Raskob stated that the deer have eaten many of the small trees in his backyard; there was an article that there will be a shortage of acorns which may cause less deer in the area. He stated that the budget has gotten so tight, they are looking at small issues, but he does see spending money on fixing the brown water problem; he suggested that residents can install a water softener which takes a lot of the scale and heavy things out of the water; the Board takes this water issue very seriously and they are working on it. Trustee Gallelli reported that Annette Birnbaum was acknowledged for her volunteerism. She reported that the Seniors are planning their annual Christmas party; there are now 162 members in the Senior Club. Trustee Gallelli questioned if the 2% tax levy cap is restricted in our case to the general fund or does it also apply to the water/sewer fund. Ms. Gallelli clarified that there was a report that another municipality found out it was also the water/sewer fund, but they had a water district which makes a difference. Trustee Gallelli announced that Wednesday is the 70th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day; this is a tremendously important date in history and she has not found any ceremonies commemorating that day; she suggested taking some time to read or listen about that day. Trustee Murtaugh reported the Village has done everything they can do regarding the installation of FIOS. He congratulated Ms. Pezanowski for her appointment to the Historical Society. Trustee Murtaugh stated that the letter from the Davidsons was a kind gesture and it is recognized that the DPW does deserve their thanks; it is during those hard times, that we thank them for their service. Trustee Murtaugh reported that the accountants gave an unqualified bill of good health to the Village finances despite the difficult times, the Village is in a healthy state; the fund balance is at 24% of the budget; they pointed out that our preemptive move to pass a law to override the tax cap if necessary was a wise move; we’ve been scaling back for several administrations and this tax levy cap could not have come at a worse time. Mayor Wiegman stated that the trick is to mulch leaves, not bag or drag them, and he did this at his residence in 2 hours on Sunday. Mayor Wiegman reported that we are collaborating with a number of Westchester communities on how to lower electric costs; there will be a discussion Village Trustees Board Meeting December 5, 2011 on Dec 8th, 4 to 6 pm in Cortlandt Town Hall which is open to the public. Mr. Wiegman announced that the Sustainability Committee is in need of a new chair. Mayor Wiegman, regarding the audit, commended the Village staff, key department heads, Treasurer Bullock and Village Manager Zambrano for their diligence; the end of 2010-2011 fiscal year, Village expenses went down 8% from what was budgeted; we also came in under budget the year before; revenues went up higher than anticipated partially due to the ambulance service, sales tax revenue sharing with the County and the parking lot has fully rebounded with the daily lot bringing in about 40% of the unanticipated parking lot revenues. Trustee Raskob made a motion to adjourn. Trustee Murtaugh seconded the motion; approved with a vote of 5-0. The meeting was adjourned at 10:35 pm Respectfully submitted, ___________________________________ Phyllis A. Bradbury, Secretary ___________________________________ Village Clerk