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minutes 9 pages

A Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, NY was held on Monday, September 19, 2011 at the Municipal Building, Van Wyck Street, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520. Mayor Wiegman Trustee Gallelli Village Manager Zambrano Trustee Schmidt - absent Village Attorney Staudt Trustee Murtaugh Treasurer Bullock Trustee Raskob 1. CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Wiegman called the meeting to order at 8:05 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 3-0 with 2 absent. $ 50,920.81 Water Fund 1,462.50 Sewer Fund 1,913.99 Capital Account 17,258.79 Trust & Agency 2,310.50 Total $ 73,866.59 3. PRESENTATIONS: a) Dr. Rizzo, Toughman Triathlon organizer, presented to the Village a flag of honor commemorating 9/11 which was signed by all the athletes and he thanked the Board for their support; $270,000 was raised this year; this year ran smoothly because it was a coordinated effort. b) Refuse collection route study prepared by Malcom Pirnie: DPW Superintendent, Marco Gennarelli, gave an overview of the history of the evaluation. Bob Matarazzo and Jessica Palladino, from the firm of Malcom Pirnie, reported on items within the scope of the work; they concluded that the operation is very efficient; they did come up with some recommendations for future focus. Trustee Murtaugh stated that this report shows that Croton is doing better than any private sanitation service in Connecticut; he saw in the recommendations a possible change in the fee structure for bulky items. Mr. Matarazzo replied that Croton would be better keeping bulk item pickups on an appointment basis for $25.00 as it is now. Trustee Raskob stated that there is a $22.38 per house cost for refuse collection and asked what other municipalities have charged. Mr. Matarazzo replied that some charges are up to $47.50. He added that Westchester County enacted the separation law and violations were issued; recycling rates throughout the county have also gone up; some Regular Board Meeting September 19, 2001 municipalities in Westchester County do pickup bi-monthly. Mayor Wiegman asked, in general, what do we pay in a typical year. Mr. Matarazzo replied that figure is about $936,000 per year. Mayor Wiegman stated that organic yard waste is a significant crunch of our solid waste and asked if there are general recommendations about fall leaf pick up. Mr. Matarazzo replied that it goes back to an education program; every ton of organics that can get out of the program is a savings; Cornell University says it is more efficient to use mulching mowers. A resident asked if they looked at special pickups with the automatic equipment to pick up the waste barrels. Mr. Matarazzo replied that this works in municipalities where there are wide streets; in Croton, with on-street parking and narrow streets, it would be hard to use this equipment. Marco Gennarelli added that the expense to change over to this type of equipment is not cost efficient. A resident stated that he’s seen that mechanism in North Carolina and it is terrible if the barrels are not positioned in the center of the street as described by Trustee Raskob. Mayor Wiegman stated that this report will be available to the public. Marco Gennarelli commented on some recommendations that he might consider such as an inventory of dumpsters; reducing how often we collect recyclables is not a step in the right direction; previously organics were shipped to Putnam County; his analysis shows that the County program was very much preferable, we saved quite a bit of money and labor; this Fall, leaf pickup will offer just one option for collection of loose leaves which will be vacuumed this year and that will save money. 4. PUBLIC HEARING: Public Hearing to consider Local Law Introductory No. 1 of 2011 to amend Section 15 of Chapter 197 of the Code of the Village of Croton on Hudson revising requirements for snow and ice removal from sidewalks within the Village. Trustee Gallelli made a motion to open the Public Hearing; second by Trustee Raskob, approved unanimously: Discussion: Mike Mamone, 19 Young Ave., asked what rationale was used to determine why Cleveland Drive is included in the law. Trustee Murtaugh replied that in this section the homes are separated by a great difference and there is a high volume of children; there was an agreement years ago between the Village and the School District in order to put a sidewalk in. Marc Albrecht, 191 Cleveland Drive, asked if the change is now for adjoining property; he thinks the village needs to work closely with homeowners especially regarding the time frame; we do shovel but the trucks come and are plowed in again; please consider some intersections without sidewalks which seem to become impossible to plow. Superintendent Gennarelli replied that it depends on how much room there is between the sidewalk and curb, sometimes the snow does get pushed up onto the sidewalk; he suggested that residents wait until the Village completes its plowing operation; regarding intersections, his guys are told to push back the corners which are later done again which might not be until the next day; a smaller piece of equipment will be used for clearing sidewalks. Village Manager Zambrano stated that this request came from many parents with children who walk to school; after the 18 hours, residents Regular Board Meeting September 19, 2001 are notified and given enough time to clear the sow and ice which begins at the end of the snowfall. Ginny Calcutti, 19 Hunter Place, stated that the private contractors plow onto streets just where the village has already cleaned and this should be addressed. Trustee Gallelli stated that the law does say you are not allowed to pile snow into the street. Trustee Raskob made a motion to close the Public Hearing; second by Trustee Murtaugh; approved unanimously. On motion of TRUSTEE GALLELLI, 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 4-0 with one absent: WHEREAS, the Village Board wishes to amend Section 15 chapter 197 of the code of the Village of Croton on Hudson revising requirements for snow and ice removal from sidewalks within the village; and WHEREAS, Local Law Introductory No.1 of 2011 has been drafted to reflect these changes; WHEREAS, a Public Hearing was held and closed on September 19, 2011, NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: that the Village Board of Trustees hereby adopts Local Law Introductory No. 1 of 2011 amending Section 15 chapter 197 of the code of the Village of Croton on Hudson revising requirements for snow and ice removal from sidewalks within the village, which upon adoption will become Local Law No. 4 of 2011. 5. CORRESPONDENCE: Village Manager Zambrano read the following correspondence (full text available at the Village Office): a) A letter from Yvonne Martinez, resident, thanking the Village for help that was give to people on Brook Street. b) A letter from Sandy Galef, NYS Legislator, regarding stopping unsolicited mail. Village Manager Zambrano stated that he will look into this to see if anyone from the Village signs up. c) A letter from Alecia Baley, NYS Power Authority, with an update of 2012 electricity rates for Westchester County Government customers. d) A copy of a letter from Dan Ahouse, Cablevision Government Affairs, which he sent to NYS Public Service Commission regarding a change in service of the Tennis Channel. e) A letter from Support Connection regarding their 17th annual walk which will be held on October 2, 2011 at FDR Park, Yorktown. f) A letter from Tom Urtz, Shoprite, requesting assistance bagging groceries on September 21st for their “Help Bag Hunger” event. Regular Board Meeting September 19, 2001 6. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION (agenda items): a) Bob Wintermeier, 43 Radnor Ave., regarding Sandy Galef’s letter, mentioned that he is not opposed to receiving junk mail because we need the US postal service. Mr. Wintermeier, regarding the Village Manager’s contract, recommended the Board to defer a vote to next meeting; no record of that contract is available to review or comment on and he has questions about what is included in the contract. Village Manager Zambrano replied that the contract, by law, cannot be available until the Board has approved it. Mayor Wiegman stated that they did take public feedback based on the current contract and it is reflected in the new proposed contract. Trustee Murtaugh added that it was through Ms. Calcutti’s meeting that the Village Manager previously wrote his own contract and that has been improved based on her comments; this is a Board matter that must be decided on a Board level. b) Pat Moran, Penfield Ave., stated that she foiled the proposed contract and was told it had to be approved before being released. Ms. Moran urged before voting on this tonight to get legal counsel; she understands that there have been executive sessions discussing this contract. Mayor Wiegman replied that they have had executive meetings discussing Mr. Zambrano’s contract. Ms. Moran stated that she believes that the benefit package has to be discussed in public, not in executive session and is subject to foil. c) Roseanne Schuyler, Olcott Ave., read a prepared statement regarding open government; stating that she has learned that the audio file of work sessions will not be available on the Village web site as the board meetings are; tonight’s agenda includes items that have no public record of having discussions which she believes is not open government. a) 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 4-0 with one absent: WHEREAS, at the work session of August 22, 2011, the Village Board was presented with a Recruitment and Retention Budget by Croton EMS Lt. Mark Dickey on behalf of the Croton EMS membership, and WHEREAS, such presentation and budget included a comprehensive plan to recruit new member and retain the existing membership, and WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees agreed to fund an amount not to exceed $16,500 for the Croton EMS Recruitment program, and WHEREAS, the Village Board requests that all expenditures related to the Croton EMS Recruitment program be coordinated with the Director of Emergency Management and the Village Manager. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: that the Board of Trustees authorizes the Village Treasurer to transfer $16,500 from the Contingency Account A1990.4000 to Account A4540.4030. Regular Board Meeting September 19, 2001 Discussion: Trustee Gallelli stated that although there is a maximum amount, it is understood that this will be spent in an incremental way based on the success of each stage. Trustee Murtaugh stated that Trustee Schmidt mentioned during the meetings that some techniques EMS mentioned may not be the most effective way; some objections were raised and EMS changed the objectives; any volunteers we get will offset the cost of the paid EMT personnel. Mr. Dickey was available to answer questions and spoke about his possible recruitment measures and some classes that may be available in conjunction with the Recreation Dept. Trustee Gallelli added that at budget time last year, because there was not a plan for recruitment, their budget was reduced drastically but they were told to come back if they did develop a plan. b) On motion of TRUSTEE GALLELLI, 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 4-0 with one absent: WHEREAS, as a result of excessive flooding due to hurricane/tropical storm Irene, many areas of the Village flooded causing severe damage to our infrastructure, and WHEREAS, one the hard hit areas was Dailey Drive near Route 129, and WHEREAS, the flooding caused a sink hole to form near the storm drainage pipe and has compromised the road bed in the area around the sink hole, and WHEREAS, it was necessary for the Village to make the repairs as soon as possible in order to restore the road and prevent additional damage which could result in greater expenses if left unattended, and WHEREAS, written quotes were requested from three contractors to perform the work on an emergency basis, and WHEREAS, W.D. Excavation and Contractors, Inc. provided the lowest quote in the amount of $11,250.00 and subsequently were authorized to perform the necessary work, and WHEREAS, the cost of the work was not included in the 2011/2012 budget. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: that Village Board of Trustees authorizes the Village Treasurer to transfer $11,250 from the Contingency Account number A1990.4000 to account number A8140-4000 to cover the expenses not budgeted for in fiscal year 2011/2012. 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 4-0 with one absent: Regular Board Meeting September 19, 2001 BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees hereby approves the attached employment contract between the Village and Abraham J. Zambrano and further authorizes the Mayor to execute the contract on its behalf. Discussion: Village Manager Zambrano summarized existing and new agreement changes such as the gasoline allowance was removed from the contract, except where needed for Village business; he will now get a car allowance, severance pay has been reduced; clothing allowance for employees, which is part of the benefit package, is being researched. Trustee Murtaugh stated that they had two in-depth meetings about this contract; all five members were present; all agreed changes made to the contract were in the best interest of the Village. Trustee Raskob stated he has had the pleasure of observing Mr. Zambrano running the Village and from what he has seen, he does a very good job and we are getting what we pay for. Trustee Gallelli stated that she was here when Mr. Zambrano was originally hired and they established the contract which we now agree on the amendments; we have had a good manager for 3 years and she is looking forward to having him continue. d) On motion of TRUSTEE MURTAUGH, 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 with one absent: WHEREAS, the Village’s cable channel provides important information to the residents; and WHEREAS, the video messaging system that enables the scrolling of messages on the cable channel is broken and needs to be replaced; and WHEREAS, Cablevision has loaned the Village the equipment need to continue service; and WHEREAS, Cablevision is not responsible for the replacement of this equipment; and WHEREAS, the Village’s Cable Technician has recommended the purchase of the Memo Video Messaging System by MagicBox, Inc. at the cost of $2595.00; and WHEREAS, MagicBox Inc. is the only wholesaler that produces this product; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: that the Village Board of Trustees hereby authorizes the Village Manager to purchase the Memo Video Messaging System by MagicBox, Inc. in the amount of $2595.00, AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: that the Village Board authorizes the Village Treasurer to transfer $2595.00 from Contingency Account #A1990.4000 to Publicity Account# A6410.2000 e) 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 with one absent: Regular Board Meeting September 19, 2001 WHEREAS, the Village as property owner and the Croton Yacht Club as lessee will be applying for a boating infrastructure grant to design and build a bulkhead replacement system along the yacht club’s riverfront shoreline; and WHEREAS, this is a federal program administered through the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation; and NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: that the Village Manager is hereby authorized to apply for a boating infrastructure grant, in conjunction with the Croton Yacht Club, for the design and bulkhead replacement system. 8. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION (non-agenda items): a) Ginny Calcutti, 19 Hunter Pl., stated that her comments are not about people, but about non-union benefits. She added that Mr. Zambrano had no expiration date in his current contract. Regarding the clothing allowance, she stated that she does not approve of clothing allowances except for the nature of their job; it is hidden in the budget under contractual. Ms. Calcutti questioned the $500 per month for a car and why Mr. Zambrano has been getting his gas reimbursed; he is supposed to get his gas at a Village facility. Discussion followed on gas allowance and use of the Village gas pump for Mr. Zambrano’s privately owned car, clothing allowances and the dental plans. b) Michael Mamone, 19 Young Ave., stated that, regarding reintroduction of chemicals into our water system, he has a lot of facts about the chemical treatment; we should not compare water systems in other communities because ours is different. He stated that we were told that because of the state of our water, it would not lend itself to this program working effectively; brown water problem will be solved by changing water mains. He stated that running water for 60 seconds will deliver pure water; let people know this. Mayor Wiegman responded that Chasen representatives will be coming in and suggested a public session be devoted to their reports rather than at a board meeting. Mr. Mamone stated that FASNY was recently granted a lot of money for volunteer firemen, but there may be grants available to EMS. c) Bob Wintermeier, 43 Radnor Ave., stated that Chasen, among others, has said zinc orthophosphate is safe; it is used to prevent brown water and prevent against lead used in older homes; a Virginia Inst. of Technology expert said that zinc orthophosphate is safe; rather than let people continue to experience brown water, put the zinc orthophosphate in; add it as soon as possible. Mr. Wintermeier stated that comments about the benefits plan are made as citizens; they are not taking pot shots at employees who are doing a great job. d) Michael Mamone, 19 Young Ave., gave a rebuttal about zinc orthophosphate referring to a recent newspaper article; if this does happen, would it be legal to have a separate spigot installed at Black Rock by-passing the chemicals and people could bring water home in containers. Regular Board Meeting September 19, 2001 9. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Trustee Murtaugh made a motion to approve the minutes of the Regular Board Meeting held on September 6, 2011 as corrected. Trustee Raskob seconded the motion. The Board voted approval with a vote of 4-0 with one absent. Trustee Gallelli made a motion to approve the minutes of the Executive Session held on September 12, 2011 as corrected. Trustee Murtaugh seconded the motion. The Board voted approval with a vote of 4-0 with one absent. 8. REPORTS: Village Manager Zambrano reported that there was a debriefing about the storm; they concluded that they did relatively well but a few things were learned from it; he will be meeting with the Fire Dept. and would like to meet with the Red Cross; he attended a meeting in White Plains on how to apply for funding; 31 counties have been declared disasters from Hurricane Irene; a pot of money will be allocated to Westchester County; he will be working with the Treasurer, Fire Dept. and EMS to bill the hours. Mr. Zambrano stated that he will have a debriefing with organizers of the Triathlon to plan for next year. He reported also that he attended the Fire Dept. inspection last week; the equipment looks well; the Fire Dept. takes pride in what they do; there are a large number of volunteers who do a great job; many members of EMS were at the Fire inspection. Mr. Zambrano thanked the Board for their support and for approving his contract; he made a commitment to the Village Board and residents; he will try to be available to everyone as much as possible; his goal is to keep communications open. Trustee Raskob reminded residents that it is its getting dark earlier; please look out for children in the streets. Trustee Gallelli reported that this community has businesses that have supported seniors in a big way and for the senior picnic last week, Shoprite provided food, etc. once again and helped with serving; they have contributed food also for many other functions during the year. Trustee Gallelli reported that she also attended the Fire Inspection and it’s a pleasure to be with the firemen and see the pride they have. Trustee Gallelli reported that she attended the 9/11 Memorial service in Town Hall which was very well attended; it was a very memorable commemoration. Trustee Murtaugh urged residents to join Croton EMS; volunteering is strong in this community; there are various ways to get into EMS; perhaps this new recruitment program will bring up the personnel levels. Trustee Murtaugh stated that, regarding the potential of adding chemicals to our water, he encourages all residents to attend the meeting when the consultants come and express your opinions; the County may insist that this be done; he expects that this discussion will be held in October Mayor Wiegman reported that a special event was held yesterday at Monteverde Restaurant for the 9/11 Memorial; there was quite a large attendance. Mayor Wiegman stated that he is going to Regular Board Meeting September 19, 2001 Albany tomorrow for the NYS Conference of Mayors to sit in and learn how other municipalities are going to be working with the State mandates and tax levy law. Trustee Raskob made a motion to adjourn. Trustee Gallelli seconded the motion; approved unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 10:55 pm Respectfully submitted, Phyllis A. Bradbury______________ Phyllis A. Bradbury, Secretary __________________________________ Village Clerk