The December Regular Town Board Meeting was held on December 3, 2015 at 7pm at the Town of Rochester Town Hall.
PRESENT:
Supervisor Chipman Councilwoman Chachkin Councilwoman Fornino
Councilman Spano Town Clerk Gundberg Attorney Christiana
ABSENT:
Councilman Drabkin
PLEDGE:
Supervisor Chipman opened the meeting and Lene Fornino led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
The Supervisor held a moment of silence for the victims of Colorado and California
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD:
No comments made.
SUPERVISOR UPDATES:
Supervisor Chipman welcomed Ron Lapp, District 21’s new legislator to the meeting.
NY Rising things are moving along with the community center / food pantry addition. The project is estimated at $ 339,000.00 that the Town will not have to pay for. Currently the contract language is being negotiated and we are expecting a completion date of the project to be July 2016.
Supervisor Chipman as Treasurer for the Family of Woodstock they are working on farm to table ideas for local food pantries. In the Town of Rochester alone over 36,000 meals were served last year. That is approximately 25% of the full time residents. The idea of farm to table is getting fresh produce to the families in need. Currently the members of Family of Woodstock are looking for hubs throughout the county to store the fresh produce.
The Rochester/ Rondout creek flood prevention project is expected to begin spring of 2016. The new bridge is going to be approximately 10 feet higher which will help with flooding on Route 209. The estimated cost for this project is $ 800,000.00 at no cost to the Town.
LEGAL UPDATES: nothing to report.
LIAISON/ COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Councilwoman Chachkin: HPC: no meeting held. Planning Board: The Crested Hen meeting was adjourned until next Monday. The Board is waiting on a determination from the UC Planning Board.
Councilwoman Fornino: Community tree lighting will be held on 12/4/15 at 4:30 with light refreshments served. 12/12/15 10-11:30 Senior Holiday Brunch. At the brunch the Mary Lee Friend of Youth Award will be presented to Maryann Gates. The Sue Matson distinguished Youth Award will be presented to Ann Marie Challener. 12/12/15 at 12pm will be the Children’s Christmas party with Santa.
The Thanksgiving Luncheon once again was a huge success. Approximately 75 people attended and additional meals were delivered. A big thank you the Rochester Residents Association for their $ 300 donation towards the food. An even bigger thank you to Carol, Rita, Shaye and Ashley for all their cooking, they did a fantastic job!!
Councilman Spano: Fire Company: Last month it was brought to the board’s attention that Fire District Budget was approved without holding a public hearing. The Association of Towns stated that there was no case law on this topic. The Comptroller will review it once it is received.
Supervisor Chipman: ECC: currently working on the national resource inventory project. We also won the grant for the natural resource planning.
Assessor’s Office: working on a verification project of all properties. 450 properties have been inspected since June. All exemptions are due March 1st.
NEW/ OLD BUSINESS:
ACCORD SPEEDWAY RACE SCHEDULE:
Resolution #111 -2015:
A Motion was made by Councilwoman Fornino to approve the 2016 race schedule for Accord Speedway.
Seconded by: Councilman Spano 4-0aye, motion carried
Drabkin- absent
AUCTION SURPLUS EQUIPMENT:
Resolution # 112-2015:
A Motion was made by Councilwoman Chachkin to place the following on the Auctions International website for 26 days.
1 1995 Swenson Multipurpose Dump Body with a minimum $ 5,000 bid
1 1991 Kamatsu 60 rubber-tired Excavator with a minimum $ 12,000 bid
1 2007 1949 Orsi Visual Avent Arm Mower with a minimum $ 10,000 bid
1 School Bus with a minimum $ 500 bid.
Seconded by: Councilman Spano 4-0aye, motion carried
Drabkin-absent
CHIPS FUNDING RESOLUTION:
Resolution # 113 -2015:
A Motion was made by Councilman Spano;
WHEREAS, a reliable transportation infrastructure is vital for the safety of New York’s travelling public and its economy; and
WHEREAS, 85 percent of New York’s roads and bridges are maintained by local governments; and
WHEREAS, despite well-timed and targeted preventative maintenance treatments, the age and condition of many of our locally-owned transportation assets means that they are beyond preservation and in need of much more costly rehabilitation and reconstruction; and
WHEREAS, estimates by the State Comptroller, DOT and independent studies show a large portion of road mileage is deteriorating and many bridges in the state are rated structurally deficient and functionally obsolete; and
WHEREAS, the State Comptroller estimates that there will be $89 billion in unmet local infrastructure needs over the next 20 years; and
WHEREAS, the New York State Association of Town Superintendents of Highways commissioned its own fifteen year analysis that indicates an annual funding gap of $1.3 billion for the local system (excluding NYC) alone; and
WHEREAS, funding for our local system has been far short of what is needed and we’ve fallen further and further behind in maintaining the vast and aging transportation infrastructure over this long period with severe consequences for conditions ratings; and
WHEREAS, the New York State Consolidated Local Street and Highway Program (CHIPS) provides essential funding for every municipality in the state and is part of the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) capital program; and
WHEREAS, in the early 1990’s the Governor and Legislature created the Dedicated Highway and Bridge Trust Fund (DHBTF) to pay for the NYSDOT capital program and the Dedicated Mass Transit Trust Fund (DMTTF) to assist with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and other transit systems’ capital programs; and
WHEREAS, when the DHBTF was created, it was agreed that the NYSDOT and MTA five-year capital programs would be similar in size and would be negotiated concurrently; and
WHEREAS, through 2005-09, both five-year capital programs were similar in size and adopted within months of each other; and
WHEREAS, in 2010 the Executive and Legislature broke traditional parity and enacted a five-year capital program for the MTA but not the DOT;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town of Rochester calls upon the Governor and the state Legislature to make additional state funding and resources available at levels that accurately reflect the critical needs of local roads and bridges; and increase CHIPS funding in the 2016-17 state budget; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Town of Rochester calls upon the Governor, and members of the state Legislature to fully fund and submit a new NYSDOT five-year transportation capital plan; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Town of Rochester calls upon the Governor and members of the state Legislature to recognize the equality of roads, bridges and transit by restoring funding equality between the MTA and NYSDOT five-year programs and by voting on the plans simultaneously.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Town of Rochester Town Board HEREBY directs the Town of Rochester Town Clerk to spread Said resolution upon the official record of the Town and a certified copy sent to all of the Town’s State representatives.
Seconded by: Councilwoman Chachkin 4-0aye, motion carried Drabkin-absent
Superintendent Kelder thanked the board for their support with the two resolutions.
APPROVAL OF THE BILLS:
A Motion was made by Councilman Spano to approve the bills for the following;
Highway Fund Abstract 11 of 2015 $ 19,406.78
General Fund abstract 11 of 2015 $ 51,922.33
Street lighting $ 436.15
_____________
$ 71, 765.26
Seconded by: Councilwoman Fornino 4-0aye, motion carried Drabkin-Absent
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD:
Mike Baden was named next year’s Chairman of the Ulster County Planning Board
EXECUTIVE SESSION:
A Motion was made by Councilwoman Chachkin to enter into executive session to discuss a
Personnel matter with the Court and Planning Board at 7:45pm.
Seconded by: Councilman Spano 4-0aye, motion carried
A Motion was made by Councilman Spano to amend the previous motion to include
Mike Baden, Chairman of the Planning board and Attorney Christiana in the executive session.
Seconded by: Councilwoman Chachkin 4-0aye motion carried
A Motion was made by Councilwoman Chachkin to reconvene the meeting at 8:22pm stating no
No action taken or monies spent.
Seconded by: Councilman Spano 4-0aye, motion carried
ADJOURNMENT:
A Motion was made by Councilman Spano to adjourn the meeting at 8:22pm.
Seconded by: Councilwoman Fornino 4-0aye, motion carried
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,
KATHLEEN A. GUNDBERG
Town Clerk/ Tax Collector