The Seneca Falls Town Board Held a Regular Monthly Meeting on Tuesday, October 2, 2012

SENECA FALLS TOWN BOARD REGULAR MEETING OCTOBER 2, 2012

The Seneca Falls Town Board held a regular monthly Meeting on Tuesday, October 2, 2012 in the Town Hall Meeting Room, 81 W. Bayard Street.

Present were Supervisor Donald Earle; Councilpersons Duane Moore, Susan Sauvageau and T.J. Casamassima. Also present were Patrick Morrell, Attorney for the Town; James Spina, Commissioner of Parks & Recreation; Steven Turkett, Zoning Officer; Donald Wood, Highway Superintendent; Cynthia Loncosky, Assessor; Stuart Peenstra, Police Chief; Patrick Cafolla, Water & Sewer Superintendent; Jeffrey Rowe, Town Engineer and a Member of the local media.

Supervisor Earle called the Meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. Board Member Emil Bove was absent from the Meeting; the Pledge of Allegiance followed.

Petitioners:

Penny T. Lincoln – Parking Issues: Penny Lincoln stated she resides at 37 Fall Street which is on the corner of Ovid and Fall Streets. She has lived there for 1 ½ years, and during that time, she has witnessed people parking where there is a sign that says “No Standing”. Ms. Lincoln has called Police and talked to Supervisors of Villager Construction. She said ignorance of the Law is no excuse for not enforcing or not adhering to. She mentioned that in the DMV regulations and Test booklet, parking regulations are clearly defined. “No Standing” means you cannot park there.

Ms. Lincoln said she has also called Police about parking under the Fall Street Bridge. She has witnessed people disregarding the No Parking signs all the way from the Town Gazebo to Bull’s Run. Ms. Lincoln is asking as a solution that the sign be removed that says “No Standing” and one replaced that says “No Parking at any time”. She is also asking that this Law be enforced.

Gail Fletcher – Cleanup of Sampson Creek: Gail Fletcher of 52 Sackett Street stated she is here with friends and neighbors that share a Creek which has been presented before this and other boards probably over the last ten years without resolution for a cleanup. They recently had a neighbor at the southern end of the Creek who took matters into his own hands and gone forward with the cleanup situation at his own expense. She presented pictures of the Creek to the Board

Mrs. Fletcher proceeded to describe some of their experiences with property damage and flooding of their property over the past ten years, such as replacing their sump pump approximately five times, homeowners insurance being cancelled twice as the result of the flooding of the Creek, and a storage shed no longer of use due to the rotting of the floor as a result of the flooding of the Creek. Mrs. Fletcher requested the Board’s support and resolution for this problem.

Mr. Earle stated the Board has had a number of concerns about that and will definitely take it under advisement and see what the course is to find a solution. He added the DEC and Corps of Engineers should be involved, and the Board will see what is the best solution.

Dana Allen – Office Lease Proposal: Dana Allen stated he and his wife own the Academy Square Office Building which is about 42,000+ square feet and has 28 offices and a gym and auditorium. He received notice that they will lose one of their largest tenants, and space will be open a few months from now. Mr. Allen petitioned the Board to consider their offer, and invited the Board to visit the facility.

Mr. Allen stated their proposal is to provide 4,254 square feet of office space with 11 separate offices, two private baths and two public baths for $4,880.00 a month; plus the gymnasium space for $650.00 per month for a total of $66,360.00 a year – a savings of $24,575.00. Mr. Allen mentioned some of the items the rent included which are utilities, water and sewer, plowing, maintenance, painting and carpeting if needed after the current tenants vacate the space.

Mr. Allen stated as a side bar, he and his wife would like to fully retire; the building is for sale. He added it’s a good investment – for $650,000.00, the Town could own it. He said it is an option, and is 94% full at this time; the tenants would help to offset any ownership costs that the Town might have with the building.

Mr. Earle thanked Mr. Allen and said the Board will consider his proposal.

Jane Lischak – Water and Sewer Rates: Jane Lischak, a lifetime resident and Real Estate Associate Broker, stated she has had several phone calls from Clients from the former Village and Town who are shocked about their water and sewer bills nearly doubling. She said some residents of the Town who are also in the Bridgeport Sewer District are paying both Town water and sewer and Bridgeport water and sewer. As she understands it, until the debt is resolved in 2019, those in the Bridgeport Sewer District must pay for maintenance and repair of their pumping stations. Those in the District are also paying for the maintenance and repair of everyone else’s in the Town through their water and sewer bills. Ms. Lischak asked why they are paying twice – once through

their tax levy and once when they pay their quarterly water and sewer bill. She said their sewer rate should be reduced to eliminate the maintenance fees for the rest of the Town until such time as the Bridgeport Sewer District debt is satisfied.

Ms. Lischak asked for an explanation as to how the 1.6 times sewer charges of the water bill was determined and what exactly it covers. She said in this economy, it is not the time to start raising fees of any kind in such a manner that the Board has done; to raise water and sewer fees in such a drastic measure all at once is financially burdensome. From a Real Estate standpoint, the increase in water and sewer rates is hurting property values in this area, and are driving people to think twice about living in the Seneca Falls area.

Ms. Lischak stated the Community is looking at the Board to make decisions that will benefit the Community as a whole with the 2013 Budget. There are several areas where money can be saved, and we can become a more efficient Town – isn’t that what the objective was when the Village dissolved.

Mr. Earle stated some of those answers will be looked at and researched at the Budget Workshops. The Board has already (without the Budget Workshops) reduced the Bridgeport Sewer District in the Tentative Budget by $21.00. He said there were definite reasons for the increase and they are very valid reasons; unfortunately, it was done all at once because it had not been done since 2003. Mr. Earle stated in the future, the Board will continue to look at where it can streamline and pare back.

Stanley Praszkowitz – Water & Sewer Rates and Finances: Stanley Praszkowitz mentioned the grants he has talked about relative to grants from New York State for dissolved communities, and said the Town has received the first two; the other two grants the Town has not received and thinks it’s important to apply for these. He said given the fact that all communities in NYS have to upgrade water and sewer systems, Seneca Falls, as a dissolved Community, is in a most advantageous position because it is eligible for State grants which can be used to offset such things as water and sewer rates.

Mr. Praszkowitz mentioned the water and sewer rates, and said the huge increases on water and sewer have put the Citizens of Seneca Falls in much financial pain. There are other ways to pay for water and sewer updates other than rates that are so high; grant money is one way, and using money in the reserves account is another way – use reserve monies and then pay it back with user fees that have been lowered over a period of time.

Mr. Praszkowitz said we have two choices; lower budget and taxes and possibly obtain money from NYS and use it to offset some of the increases or have higher budgets, higher taxes and no grant money. He hopes the Board will choose to lower budgets and lower taxes, and try to get State money; otherwise, we will not fulfill what dissolution is all about.

Mr. Earle thanked Mr. Praszkowitz, and assured him the Board is looking at all his ideas.

Presentation – Karl Hagen, 2011 Audit: Karl Hagen of the Bonadio Group presented a draft audit report of the Town’s financial statements for the year ending December 31, 2011. He noted no material weaknesses were found in Internal Control over financial reporting of the Town. In the Financial Statements, there were no audit adjustments resulting from the Audit. Their audit opinion on the financial statements is an unqualified opinion, which is what you want to hear – it’s a clean opinion of the Town’s financial statements.

Mr. Hagen stated they were pleased with the Staff’s preparation for the Audit. The Staff of the Town were all very helpful and cooperative during the performance of the Audit procedures. Accounting records were organized and presented to the Auditors on a timely basis.

Mr. Hagen noted that the net assets decreased by $14,855 during the year. The assets of the Town’s primary government exceeded liabilities by $13,572,809. The Town recognized total general revenues of approximately $4,119,000 which includes $3 million from the Host Community Agreement; property taxes accounted for $760,000.00. The Town’s long term debt decreased by $39,000.00 during 2011; there were no additional borrowings. The General Fund reported an increase in fund balance in 2011 of approximately $159,000. The fund balance is now at $7 million, and it does include restrictions for capital purchases of $2.4 million and tax stabilization of $3.4 million.

Mr. Hagen stated going into 2012, trends, opportunities and challenges are: the successful incorporation of new services into the accounting systems and records of the Town resulting from the dissolution of the Village; valuation and determination of the disposition of the Village’s capital assets; continual growth in pension, healthcare and post-employment costs and continued pressures to appropriately manage the growth of taxes in upcoming years and maintaining compliance with Tax Levy Cap Legislation.

Approval of Minutes:

A motion was made to approve the minutes of the regular monthly Meeting of September 4, 2012 by T.J.

Casamassima and seconded by Don Earle. No questions. Motion carried 4 ayes, 0 nayes.

Reports:

Dog Control Officer: The Dog Control Officer’s report states that six dogs were impounded and three redeemed; eleven Appearance tickets were issued, and three dogs are still being held. A total of $30.00 in fees was collected and turned over to the Town Clerk.

A motion was made to accept the Dog Control Officer’s report by Duane Moore and seconded by T.J. Casamassima. No questions. Motion carried 4 ayes, 0 nayes.

Zoning Officer: Mr. Turkett stated the Board has a copy of Permits issued for the former Village and Town Permits. Town Zoning Permits issued during the month of September are Permit #2468 issued to C.J. Farney, 2699 Lower Lake Road, deck; Permit #2469 issued to Chriss Good, 3239 Lake Road, roof; Permit #2470 issued to Rodman Lott & Sons Farm, 2973 Route 414, commodity shed; Permit #2471 issued to Nathan Hoover, 3005 Noble Road, garage; Permit #2472 issued to Cayuga Nation, 2527 Route 89, siding/windows; Permit #2473 issued to Bill Sweeting, 2791 Farron Road, hot tub; Permit #2474 Void; Permit #2475 issued to James Lawes, 2263 Lower Lake Road, replace windows/2 doors; Permit #2476 issued to Westlake Development (Advance Auto Stores), 2400 Route 414, signs; Permit #2477 issued to Donald O’Connor, 2690 Farron Road, barn demolition; Permit #2478 issued to Jim Lawes, 2263 Lower Lake Road, roof; Permit #2479 issued to Robert Harner, 2123 Pumphouse Road, greenhouse and Permit #2480 issued to Ken Cook, 2702 Lower Lake Road, roof.

A total of $398.00 was collected from the issuance of these Permits, and 78 Zoning Permits have been issued to date for the year 2012.

Zoning Permits issued for properties in the former Village are Permit #31403 issued to David Krieger, 95 Mynderse Street, siding/windows; Permit #31404 issued to Tim Pagano, 10 Mechanic Street, siding; Permit #31405 issued to Judy Homrighouse, 39 Maple Street, fence; Permit #31406 issued to Soukhaya Bouanesombath, 5 Briarwood Circle, shed; Permit #31407 issued to Anna Dunham, 10 Maynard Street, repair fence; Permit #31408 issued to Michael Pickard, 37 Maple Street, fence; Permit #31409 issued to Arthur Miller, Jr., 41 Seneca Road, replace door; Permit #31410 issued to Janet Summers, 60 Bridge Street, demo porch/steps; Permit #31411 issued to Kevin Bunce, 5 Throup Street, roof; Permit #31412 issued to Phil Liberatore, 205 Ovid Street, family room/sunroom; Permit #31413 issued to Anthony Rapa, 9 Patricia Drive, fence; Permit #31414 issued to Marjorie Hood, 20 Tyler Avenue, replace deck/stairs; Permit #31415 issued to Mike Vergamini and Pat Standish, 39 Chapel Street, porch roof; Permit #31416 issued to Vittorio Porretta, 5 Patricia Drive, roof; Permit #31417 issued to Bronislaw Smura, Jr., 7 Patricia Drive, roof/shed; Permit #31418 issued to Michael Iannone, 285 Fall Street, roof; Permit #31419 issued to Dancing Bear LLC (Nice n Easy), 205 Fall Street, demo canopy/remove 2 gas tanks; Permit #31420 issued to Mary Lee Miller, 6 Joanne Avenue, roof; Permit #31421 issued to William Gladis, 69 Mynderse Street, fence; Permit #31422 issued to Cayuga Nation, 3122 E. Bayard Street Ext., porch/steps; Permit #31423 issued to Goulds Pumps, Inc., 242 & 260 Fall Street, parking (Per ZBA); Permit #31424 issued to Dan Trosser, 3 Seneca Lane, remodel porch; Permit #31425 issued to Jeff John, 7 Boardman Street, extend garage; Permit #31426 issued to Andrew Dellefave III, 64 Chapel Street, siding; Permit #31427 issued to Michael Borys, 84 Garden Street, storage shed; Permit #31428 issued to Bill and Christeen Plate, 20 VanRensslaer Street, addition; Permit #31429 issued to Ed Zmuda, 7 Joanne Avenue, roof; Permit #31430 issued to Dennis Pysnack, 37 Auburn Road, roof; Permit #31431 issued to Stephan Skinner, 48 E.Bayard Street, remodel front porch; Permit #31432 issued to John Wilkie, 43 Shamrock Avenue, residence; Permit #31433 issued to Wyatt Nicholson, 48 Walnut Street, fence; Permit #31434 issued to Randall Jansen, 19 Carol Avenue, roof; Permit #31435 issued to Steven and Wendy Sandroni, 7 Carol Avenue, storage shed/siding; and Permit #31436 issued to Seneca Cayuga ARC, 204 Ovid Street, siding.