The Town of Rochester Town Board held the workshop meeting on November 7, 2024 at 7:30 pm at the Harold Lipton Community Center, 15 Tobacco Road Accord, NY 12404.
To View the Meeting
Livestream Broadcast on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/@townofrochester4383
PRESENT:
Councilwoman Renee Ciardi Councilman Michael Coleman
Councilwoman Emily Dindial Councilwoman Charlotte Smiseth
Town Supervisor Erin Enouen Town Clerk Kathleen Gundberg
RESOLUTIONS :
ACCEPTANCE OF AGENDA:
Resolution # 305-2024:
Motion: Supervisor Enouen
Second: Councilwoman Smiseth
The Town of Rochester Town Board accepts the agenda as prepared by the Town Supervisor with the addition of adding a budget discussion, Attorney for the Town report, discussion on the ambulance committee review report,and override of UCPB required modifications.
SEQRA REVIEW AND DETERMINATION:
Resolution # 306-2024:
Motion: Supervisor Enouen
Second: Councilman Coleman
The Town of Rochester Town Board classifies Local Law K of 2024 as Type I under SEQRA.
ROLL CALL VOTE:
Councilwoman Ciardi aye
Councilman Coleman aye
Councilwoman Dindial aye
Councilwoman Smiseth aye
Town Supervisor Enouen aye 5-0 aye, motion carried
REVIEW PARTS 2 AND 3 OF EAF AS PRESENTED:
Motion: Councilwoman Smiseth
Second: Councilwoman Dindial
The Town of Rochester Town Board adopts parts 2 and 3 of the Environmental Assessment Form and determines that Local Law K of 2024 will have no significant adverse impacts on the environment, and,therefore, an environmental impact statement need not be prepared.
ROLL CALL VOTE:
Councilwoman Ciardi aye
Councilman Coleman aye
Councilwoman Dindial aye
Councilwoman Smiseth aye
Town Supervisor Enouen aye 5-0aye, motion carried
BUDGET DISCUSSION AND REVIEW:
Supervisor Enouen stated to the Board that review of budget changes will be done at the 11/14 meeting. Meeting starts at 6:30pm. Please review the budget and bring ideas to the meeting.
ATTORNEY FOR THE TOWN REPORT:
Attorney Christiana stated that all documentation has been submitted for the Accord LLC( granary), TOR Planning Board vs. Martin and Bruck. Attorney Christiana stated she spoke with legal representation of the Hidden Forest estates LLC assessment case and the attorney was unaware of the decrease in assessment so hoping there will be a withdrawl to the case.
AMBULANCE IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT BUDGETS:
Councilman Coleman read into the records the findings from the Marbletown and Rochester Ambulance Advisory Committee
Marbletown: The Advisory Board unanimously decided that the Town Board of the Town of Rochester should allocate funds to pay Marbletown Ambulnace for their third quarter 2024 request and decided that the Town Board should allocate in the 2025 Town Budget the monies requested by Marbletown Ambulance for its 2025 budget.
Rochester: the Committee has been meeting since March of 2023. Membership in the committee has fallen from the original five to the current three. Over the time the committee has been seated it has met in person four times +/-, had extensive dialogue on the phone, text, and email. Committee members have also attended many Town Board meetings. Over this time committee members have been frustrated by the lack of responsiveness from KAFAS and limited feedback/direction from the Rochester Town board. Still, the committee has continued to interface with one another, KAFAS representatives and the Town Board.
KAFAS is getting out for calls at a level far better than in March of 2023. The introduction of paid staffing is the difference. During this same timeframe information has come to the committee in fits and starts. Until just recently ther was not a clear financial document. While there have been documents presented with the addition of a professional bookkeeper to the KAFAS team, there are still significant question marks. For instance, it is troublesome that the projections for the 2025 have KAFAS drawing $ 297k from “ general savings”. How is this sustainable?
The Committee is providing these recommendations at this time.
1. Funding for the year 2024 should be limited to the third and forth quarters of the year( $ 94,500). These monies cover the period in which financial and call volume documents have been provided by KAFAS on time. The remaining money should be used to offset the 2025 budget request.
2. Funding for 2024 should not be remitted until a contract for the year has been signed. Deadline for this; 12/15/2024.
3. The requested budget for 2025 should only be accepted when a signed contract has been received. Deadline for this should be 1/31/2025.
4. The Town Board should seek clarification of the budget document for 2025 that KAFAS submitted. It’s of great concern to the committee that, based on the document, KAFAS headed for insolvency. A long term solution to Rochester’s needs for ambulance service requires that the provider is financially stable.
5. The committee recommends that a requirement of the contract should be that a seat on the KAFAS Board of Directors be reserved for an elected Town of Rochester Council member.
6. The Town Board should consider consolidating the two EMS committees into one. This would serve to simplify communication, scheduling and reporting.
7. The Committee will meet quarterly in 2025 to review financial reports. The Committeee will provide a report to the Town board via the Supervisor within two weeks of it’s meeting.
8. The committee should meet with KAFAS and the Town board once per year, during budget season.
Formally defining the committee’s role and structure as we move into a new year will help to provide direction and to streamline the work.
Respectfully submitted,
Bea Haugen-Depuy, Michael Meoli and Joe Vitti
The Board had a brief discussion and agreed to decide at the next Town Board meeting how they want to move forward with the KAFAS contract.
DISCUSSION / REVIEW POSSIBLE RESOLUTIONS:
Planning Board vacancies: there will be a discussion in executive session.
CT MALE LANDFILL MONITORING CONTRACT:
Resoluiton # 307-2024:
Motion:Councilwoman Dindial
Second: Councilwoman Ciardi
The Town of Rochester Town Board approves the CT Male Landfill monitoring contracts.
Aye: 5 nay: 0 abstain: 0 motion carried
ULSTER COUNTY PLANNING BOARD COMMENTS FOR LOCAL LAW K-2024:ZONING MAP:
Recommendations
Business or “B” Zoning District
As proposed, the Town’s zoning statute seeks to foster growth around the existing hamlets of Kerhonkson and
Accord. However, as there are existing businesses along much of the Route 209 corridor, an overabundance of
it is zoned “B.” As long as the 209 corridor is zoned in such a fashion, it will foster urban sprawl and draw
potential commercial uses away from the hamlet areas. It is also noted that the area from the Northeastern
town line with Marbletown and 209 West to Pine Lane in the Winfield Kyserike Road/CR-6 area are all zoned
“B.” This area is mainly rural or residential and would be more appropriately zoned to match that land use
type rather than create an opportunity for further development disconnected from the Town’s hamlet areas.
Other examples can be found elsewhere along Route 209, where the “B” use type does not match the
underlying existing use and does not meet the goals of the Town Comprehensive Plan or new zoning statute.
Required Modifications
The area from the Town of Marbletown, Town line to Pine Ridge Lane, would be more appropriately
classified as part of the Town’s local agricultural or Agricultural Business zoning districts.
Furthermore, a review of existing land uses is recommended in the area where Lucas Tpke connects
to Route 209 and Whitfield Road. Those parcels that contain existing residential are also
recommended to be removed from the “B” district to a zoning category that matches their existing
land use type. A similar review along the Route 209 corridor should be undertaken to ascertain
whether parcels are more closely linked to the local agricultural or agricultural business categories
with a focus on directing the development of the Town to the Town’s Hamlet areas.
OVERRIDE REQUIRED MODIFICATIONS OF THE ULSTER COUNTY PLANNING BOARD:
Resolutions # 308 -2024:
Motion: Councilwoman Smiseth
Second: Councilman Coleman
The Town of Rochester Town Board overrides the required modification of the Ulster County Planning Board pertaining to proposed local law k of 2024 for areas discussed over a 3 year process and these particular areas will be addressed at another zoning review.
Aye: 5 nay: 0 abstain: 0 motion carried
AMBULANCE DISTRICT COMMITTEE:
Supervisor Enouen discussed parts of the meeting that was held regarding the ambulance advisory committee and explained how the Town board 2was never clear on the charge of the committee, there was a lot of clarifying of what is expected of the committee. The Board will draft a resolution creating 6 points that the Board is looking for the advisory committee to review; 4 quarterly reports, annual budget and annual contract.
It was agreed that the Supervisor will be the point of contact or recipient of the records and will coordinate with the committee to streamline communication flow.
Councilwoman Smiseth: I want to take a better look at what was received. The proposal for paying 2 quarters is fine with me, it’s a happy medium. I appreciate the efforts but the contract was not fulfilled.
Councilwoman Ciardi: agreed and would like to improve on the communication.
Councilwoman Dindial: I like the proposal but I also agree with the work was done they showed up to calls.
Supervisor Enouen: I want to see improvements moving forward with meeting on the financial portion of the contract, historically it has been difficult. I worry if we only provide them with 2 quarters pay that may be a shortfall to their budget in 2025.
The Board agreed to review what was received and make a decision by the next board meeting.
11/14/2024 Business Meeting Agenda Review:
– Proposed local laws
– Ambulance contract
– Budget discussion and possible changes
EXECUTIVE SESSION:
Motion: Councilwoman Smiseth
Second: Councilwoman Dindial
The Town of Rochester Town Board enters into executive session at 8:47pm for the purpose of discussing planning board applicants for vacant position.
Motion: Councilwoman Smiseth
Second: Councilman Coleman
The Town of Rochester Town board reconvenes the meeting at 9:03pm with no action taken nor monies expended.
ADJOURNMENT:
Motion: Councilman Coleman
Second: Councilwoman Dindial
The Town of Rochester Town Board adjourns the meeting at 9:03pm.
Motion carried
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,
KATHLEEN A. GUNDBERG
TOWN CLERK