Town of Rochester Town Board held the workshop meeting on August 8, 2024 at 6:30pm at the Harold Lipton Community Center, 15 Tobacco Road Accord, New York 12404
To View the Meeting
Livestream Broadcast on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg7ykop50cWmqPFUpgDjRSQ
PRESENT:
Councilwoman Renee Ciardi Councilman Michael Coleman
Town Supervisor Erin Enouen Town Clerk Kathleen Gundberg
Town Attorney MaryLou Christiana
ABSENT:
Councilwoman Emily Dindial Councilwoman Charlotte Smiseth
Supervisor Enouen opened the meeting and led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
ACCEPTANCE OF THE AGENDA:
Resolution # 248-2024:
Motion:Councilwoman Ciardi
Second: Councilman Coleman
The Town Board accepts the agenda, as prepared by the Town Supervisor.
Aye: 3 nay: 0 abstain: 0 motion carried
Dindial,Smiseth-absent
SUPERVISOR FINANCIAL REPORT: filed with the Town Clerk
General: $ 110,021.94
Highway: $ 317,513.50
Total expeditures:
General: $ 480,251.92
Highway: $ 168,391.78
Street lighting: $ 293.28
Capital: $ 0.00
Escrow: $ 2,580.32
TOWN CLERK/ TAX COLLECTOR:
Tax Collection: still waiting on a few refund checks to clear to close out the 2024 year for taxes.
For the month of July $ 59,803.01 was collected.
Docuware: we are in the process of creating digital file cabinets for both the Assessor’s office and the Planning and Zoning office.
LIQUOR LICENSE:
RAVENWOOD FARM INC.
579 SAMSONVILLE RD.
KERHONKSON, NEW YORK 12446
RESIGNATION:
Cindy Landon-Graham from Planning Board
HIGHWAY SUPT. REPORT:
All Chip invoices have been submitted and expecting payment by mid-September.
DEPT. UPDATES/ LIASION REPORTS:
Councilwoman Ciardi: Agriculture Committee: The Ag committee is requesting the Town board to expend their allotted budget amount to purchase signage stating right to farm that would be placed under Welcome to the Town of Rochester signs. There was also a request to add language to the Community Preservation Plan regarding right to farm.
Councilman Coleman: Parks: ribbon cutting for railtrail was well attended, even our Rec Dept. had the kids in the Summer Program attend. There were a lot of great speeches, lots of support for the trail.
Spectrum: no new updates, there has been some correspondence with the Spectrum Representative and hoping for this fall to get started.
Constabulary: The Constabulary answered 17 direct calls for service and other duties in July of 2024.
These included:
• 10 Neighbor to Neighbor and Quality of Life Complaints
• 5 Resident Traffic Complaints (Towpath Rd, Boice Milll Rd, Whitfield Rd, ,Clay Hill Rd.,Krum
Rd.)
• 2 Environmental Complaints, (Cherrytown Rd., Towpath Rd.)
• 0 New Building Department Violations
• 0 New Court Cases Opened
• 7 Court Proceedings Remain Open
• 0 Court Proceedings Closed
ZBA: 2 applications were before the ZBA one was the reprocessing of existing application the other was a area variance. There is no meeting for August.
EMS: nothing from KAFAS, Marbletown: submitted the quartly report, they responded to 100 % of the calls in the district, 95 % of mutual aid. They have 30 staff members and plan to purchase a used ambulance.
Town Clerk Gundberg: HPC: The HPC continues to work on the updates to the historic resources reconnaissance survey and working on their preservation awards for Heritage Day.
Supervisor Enouen: Planning Board: the Planning Board has a full agenda, there has been a request to have a Constable at the planning board meetings. Environmental Conservation Commission: the 3rd nature series will be on creative gardening.
Transfer station: there will be training for the Transfer Station employees on 8/21 with the UCRRA.
Website: scheduled to get finished with content this week and hope to have the website in action by September.
CEO: followed up with the Code Enforcement office on Short term rentals which we will discuss further at the discussion items.
DISCUSSION/REVIEW:
STTR CAP DATA REVIEW & DISCUSSION:
Supervisor Enouen clarified some questions the board had in regards to the STR cap last week. The Board will have to discuss the law further and decide on some changes they would like to see to the law.
SCENIC ROAD / MAIN STREET ACCORD STREET TRAFFIC:
Attorney Christiana gave an overview of the steps that would be taken if the Board decided to move forward with making Scenic Road an one-way.
Supervisor Enouen stated that she would like to have a community meeting with those that live in the surrounding area. The Board also discussed what professional services would be needed.
DEJAGER SUBDIVISION:
This is subject to a conservation easement. Attorney Christiana took the board through the process of what would need to be done.
COMMUNITY CENTER BACKYARD CLEAN UP:
The Board agreed that the goal is to have the debris cleaned up and fencing replaced during this budget cycle. Supervisor Enouen stated she is going to work with Highway on getting it cleaned up.
MICROSOFT LICENSES:
Councilman Coleman stated that he has been in touch with Fisch solutions on migrating over to Microsoft 365. The board can discuss what levels they want. Attorney Christiana suggest a change order to the contract with Fisch.
COMMUNICATIONS POLICY/ PROTOCOL:
The Board discussed possible external communications with the public. Quarterly newsletters, robo calls and tele texts were mentioned as possible ways to communicate better with the public.
STAFF POSITIONS:
Supervisor Enouen discussed with the Board a position of Municipal Code officer for weekend staff hours. This is a position the Town has but currently isn’t funded in the budget but the Board can work on finding the funds in the budget for the position.
OTHER MATTERS:
The Board discussed the request of a constable at the Planning Board meetings.
AUTHORIZING THE SUPERVISOR
Resolution # 249-2024:
Motion: Councilman Coleman
Second: Councilwoman Ciardi
The Town of Rochester Town Board authorizes the Town Supervisor to authorize the presence of a Constable at the Town Planning Board at the request of Chair.
Aye: 3 nay: 0 abstain: 0 motion carried
Dindial, Smiseth-absent
RESOLUTIONS:
TOWN BOARD MEETINGS:
Resolution # 250-2024:
Motion: Supervisor Enouen
Second: Councilman Coleman
The Town of Rochester Town Board reorganizes the monthly meeting schedule as of September 2024 so that the meetings scheduled for the first Thursday of the month will be the monthly Workshop Meeting and the meetings scheduled for the second Thursday of the month will the Regular Business Meeting. The actual meeting dates scheduled at the organizational meeting will remain the same. The monthly Audit Meeting will remain as scheduled.
The remaining 2024 Monthly Workshop meeting dates shall be held on the first Thursday of each month at 6:30pm at the Harold Lipton Community Center, 15 Tobacco Road, Accord, NY 12404, and requests the Town Clerk to post legal notice of such meeting schedule. Exception to this shall be October 2024, which will be held on the first Tuesday: Sept. 5, 2024; Tuesday Oct. 1, 2024; Nov. 7, 2024; and Dec. 5, 2024.
The remaining 2024 Monthly Regular Business meetings shall be held on the second Thursday of each month at 6:30pm at the Harold Lipton Community Center, 15 Tobacco Road, Accord, NY 12404, and requests the Town Clerk to post legal notice of such meeting schedule: Sept. 12, 2024; Oct. 10, 2024; Nov. 14, 2024; and Dec. 12, 2024.
Aye: 3 nay: 0 abstain: 0 motion carried
Dindial,Smiseth-absent
SHORT TERM RENTAL NON-OWNER OCCUPIED PERMIT:
Resolution # 251 -2024:
Motion:Councilman Coleman
Second: Supervisor Enouen
The Town of Rochester Town Board sets the short term rental cap for the 2025 calendar year at zero, this cap doesn’t apply to existing permits holders or owner occupied. Renewal permtis are not subject to the cap as per section .
Aye: 3 nay: 0 abstain: 0 motion carried
Dindial,Smiseth-absent
TIME AND ATTENDANCE QUOTE AWARD AND CONTRACT:
Resolution # 252 -2024:
Motion: Supervisor Enouen
Second: Councilman Coleman
The Town of Rochester Town Board selects ADP to provide the time and attendance services and authorizes the Town Supevisor to sign the sales agreement between ADP, One ADP Boulevard, Roseland, NJ 07068 and the Town of Rochester, 50 Scenic Road, Accord, New York 12404 in the amount of $ 2353.20, in accordance with the terms set forth the applicable Sales Order for the following services:
• ADP Time and Attendance.
Aye: 3 nay: 0 abstain: 0 motion carried
Dindial,Smiseth-absent
ADJOURNMENT:
Motion: Councilman Coleman
Second: Councilwoman Ciardi
The Town of Rochester Town Board adjourned the meeting at 8:20pm.
Motion carried
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,
KATHLEEN A. GUNDBERG
TOWN CLERK