TOWN BOARD MEETING, TOWN OF MOUNT HOPE, November 20, 2017
The town board meeting of the Town Board of the Town of Mount Hope was held at the Town Hall on 1706 Route 211 West, Otisville, NY on November 20, 2017 at 7:30pm with the following present: Supervisor Chad Volpe, Councilman Matt Howell, Councilwoman Janet Sutherland, Councilman Dominick Cambareri & Town Clerk Kathleen Myers. NOT PRESENT: Councilman Brian Carey
OFFICIALS PRESENT: Highway Supt. D. Hassenmayer, Chief Rickard, Attorney D. Bavoso.
Supervisor Volpe called the meeting to order at 7:30pm following the Pledge of Allegiance. Supervisor asked for cell phones to be turned off/silenced.
MOTION TO ACCEPT PRIOR MEETING MINUTES:
MOTION offered by Councilman Howell 2nd Councilman Cambareri to accept the minutes from the 11-09-2017 meeting as submitted. All in favor: Howell, Volpe, Sutherland, Cambareri; carried.
CORRESPONDENCE:
- Police dept budget modifications (2)
- Building department monthly reports March 2017 through October 2017
- Memo to amend mower grant amount from last meeting
- Middletown Humane Society contract for 2018
- Police dept monthly reports for Sept 2017 & Oct 2017
- (3) snow guard quotes for police garage building
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Supervisor Volpe: Brian Carey is on vacation.
Councilman Howell reported the comprehensive plan committee is having their public hearing on 11-27-17 at 7pm at the senior center on Baker Street. Atty. Bavoso added that the committee has their public hearing then the town board has to have their public hearing before adoption.
Supervisor Volpe thanked Councilman Howell for doing the Veteran’s parade.
Councilwoman Sutherland: no report.
Councilman Cambareri sewer district is getting quotes for needed repairs.
HIGHWAY DEPT:
Supt. Hassenmayer re: (sewer) they’ve applied for the application to open the street to connect the new main to connect the new houses off Hill Road. The roof was 2/3 stripped today. Green With Envy showed up there about 9am. He gave them a truck to dump shingles in & speed things up a little. We’ll probably have a bill for disposing them. Supervisor asked if Dean was coordinating with them for the materials. Supt stated that Green With Envy would deal with them directly. They’d probably be working through Thanksgiving. He spoke re: the mower grant quote. He was given the wrong copy. It had the correct date. The unit model number has changed and the price went up. It’s a John Deer turbo series III. The actual price is $53,574.29. The grant was $50,000. The rest is out of our budget. He reported the light towers were ordered. They should be here before the end of the year. He would like to buy a Kawasaki Mule to use at the park for collecting garbage and the workers to get around the park with weed whackers. He gave board members a picture of it. The person is asking $4,000. He gave 4 or 5 prices that he got offline that seems to be in line with what’s there. He would like approval to purchase a 2004 Kawasaki Mule for the park out of the park budget. Councilman Cambareri asked if Dean has looked at the unit. Supt. Hassenmayer stated yes, he was actually hired to get it running. It’s owned by a couple that used to have a camp over the mountain. He passed away about a year ago and the unit has sat since then. It actually runs very well. It’s been serviced. Councilwoman Sutherland asked him if he did all the work on it. Supt. Hassenmayer: yes. She asked if the work was done here. He stated no. The unit is here now but the work was done at home. Councilman Cambareri asked if there was enough in the park budget for this. Supt. Hassenmayer stated yes.
MOTION TO AMEND RESOLUTION MADE NOV. 9, 2017 FOR MOWER PRICE:
MOTION offered by Councilman Howell 2nd Councilman Cambareri to amend the price of the John Deere to $53,574.29 of which $50,000 is in a grant from Senator Bonacic. All in favor: Howell, Volpe, Sutherland, Cambareri; carried.
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MOTION TO APPROVE PURCHASE OF 2004 KAWASAKI MULE 3010 4X4:
MOTION offered by Councilman Howell 2nd Councilman Cambareri to approve purchase of 2004 Kawasaki Mule 3010 4X4 for $4,000. All in favor: Howell, Volpe, Cambareri; Nay – Sutherland; Motion carried.
FIRE DEPT:
Supervisor Volpe stated that the report was read at the last meeting. Councilwoman Sutherland asked if he got a copy of the report and asked for a copy of it. He stated that Kathleen has it and absolutely.
POLICE DEPT.:
Chief Rickard spoke re: budget modification for grant reimbursement. The basement project is underway. 90% is actually done. Hope to be done next week. They have an old bar light that is used and has a little value. He spoke with Tony Coppola who would like the bar light possibly in exchange for 4 new tires from a car similar to ours. We have no use for the light. Atty. Bavoso stated that we would have to surplus then donate the light bar to the village and they would do the same for the tires. Chief Rickard received 3 quotes for the snow guard for the roof. Frank Stevens $4430, D&D Gutterworks $5,460 & Alpine Roofing $8,280. He recommends Frank Stevens for $4430.
MOTION TO AMEND POLICE BUDGET MODIFICATION MADE ON APRIL 3, 2017:
MOTION offered by Councilman Cambareri 2nd Councilman Howell to approve the amended modification as follows:
Increase General A3389 by $10,000 then increase Police Contr. A3120.4 by $10,000. (This is for the NYS Livescan Grant.) All in favor: Howell, Volpe, Sutherland, Cambareri; carried.
MOTION TO APPROVE POLICE BUDGET MODIFICATION:
MOTION offered by Councilman Cambareri 2nd Councilman Howell to approve the following:
Increase General A3389 by $4,044.48 then increase Police contr. A3120.4 by $4,044.48. (This is for the NYS Police Protective Grant.) All in favor: Howell, Volpe, Sutherland, Cambareri; carried.
MOTION TO SURPLUS OLD POLICE LIGHT BAR & DONATE TO VILLAGE:
MOTION offered by Councilman Howell 2nd Councilman Cambareri to surplus the old light bar and donate it to Village of Otisville. All in favor: Howell, Volpe, Sutherland, Cambareri; carried.
MOTION TO ACCEPT QUOTE FROM FRANK STEVENS & SONS FOR THE SNOW GUARD ADDITION TO POLICE BUILDING:
MOTION offered by Councilman Cambareri 2nd Councilwoman Sutherland to accept the quote from Frank Stevens & Sons for the snow guard addition for the police building in the amount of $4,430.00. All in favor: Howell, Volpe, Sutherland, Cambareri; carried.
VILLAGE OF OTISVILLE:
Trustee Loeven reported that on 12/7 the Patriot Tree lighting will be held at 5:30pm. Light refreshments at village hall after. 12/9 at 4pm is the village tree lighting. The Presbyterian Church is having choral rendition, Santa will come at 5:30. Refreshments at firehouse after.
7 PEAKS:
Supt. Hassenmayer: the top of Spruce Road which is in Sullivan county – all that water comes off that mountain into the development down there (Whispering Hills). Back when we had some major storms 12-15 years ago, there was a lot of damage from the run-off. Since then with FEMA’s help we have upsized all the pipes but there was a study done at the time by our engineering firm that the piping was put in to handle a 15 year storm. The ridge is being cleared for a solar project it could severely affect that development. Councilwoman Sutherland asked where this development is. Hassenmayer: top of the mountain at the top of Spruce Road by Upper Road. Supervisor: even though the work is not being done in Mount Hope it will still affect us quite a bit. He hopes that we will get updates as they happen. Bavoso: apparently they submitted an application for a different project. He will contact their attorney and get information. He will email board with information.
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CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING:
Supervisor advised that the Tree Lighting will be held on 12-1-2017 at 6:00pm. Having a problem securing a Santa. Discussion on suit size.
GRANT FOR WALKING TRAILS:
Supervisor Volpe spoke re: grant for walking trails off Mount Hope Avenue. There’s 5.5 acres. We received the paperwork today. It’s fully funded.
SURPLUS:
Supervisor Volpe spoke re: re-categorizing the surplus accounts. They need a board resolution to change the name of the fund. He hopes to have it ready for the next meeting.
MOTION TO APPROVE MIDDLETOWN HUMANE SOCIETY CONTRACT FOR 2018:
MOTION offered by Councilwoman Sutherland 2nd Councilman Howell to approve the contract with the Humane Society of Middletown. All in favor: Howell, Volpe, Sutherland, Cambareri; carried.
POOL BUILDING COLUMNS:
Supervisor Volpe hopes to have ready for the next meeting the 2nd part of the pool building columns.
MOTION FOR AUDIT OF CLAIMS (ABSTRACT #23):
MOTION offered by Councilman Howell 2nd Councilwoman Sutherland to approve the following bills:
GENERAL A: #682-702 $ 171,314.42
GENERAL B: #95-97 $ 16,435.42
HIGHWAY: #177-184 $ 83,257.97
SEWER: #96-97 $ 1,034.19
All in favor: Howell, Volpe, Sutherland, Cambareri; carried.
COLOR COPIER:
Supervisor Volpe advised that he went with Toshiba for the color copier for $7,237.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION:
Alison Miller spoke re: old school tricky tray. It was a huge success. She thanked everyone who came. She may have a Santa for the town tree lighting. Supervisor asked her to explain the Amazon Smile. She explained you have to use the school committee link to make the purchase and Amazon a % of the purchase you make is donated to the old school organization. Supervisor would like to link it to the facebook page.
Ken Pinkela asked Supt. Hassenmayer: he went to planning board meeting about Falun Gong expansion. They’re starting to pave. Do you have to come and do a water shed or water run-off evaluation/mitigation? Atty. Bavoso: The engineer would have been the one to oversee it. Pinkela: engineer would have asked the highway supt. to do it? Bavoso: it’s likely that the engineer would have done it themselves. Hassenmayer: problem is with MS-4 the highway supt. is very involved in it. The problem is – how are we notified? That’s why it’s the engineering firm at the planning board level. Pinkela: explained the issue with their paving and the run-off now coming to his property. He’s lost 3 acres of property due to this.
Kathie Yedziniak asked about the sign law. Supervisor has a problem with it after reading everything. You can’t just pick political signs and that’s what he has an issue with. She asked if we can limit the size of the signs. Atty. Bavoso is looking into it and it will probably be folded into the zoning part of the comprehensive plan.
BOARD COMMENTS:
Supervisor Volpe: spoke re: Hill Road hook up to HV sewer. 6 years ago was the 1st house built in there and they never paid the hook up fee. Discussion ensued. It’s $6000 to hook up – just don’t know when they would pay. Atty. Bavoso: it should be paid prior to receiving a CO. Highway Supt. thinks it should be attached to the building permit. Supervisor is fine with that.
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Councilman Howell asked how this would be set up. Atty. Bavoso will check with the engineer and thinks that it can be done by a simple resolution.
Councilman Cambareri: thanked Matt for the parade.
Councilman Howell: thanked everyone who participated in the parade detail. Healey Chevrolet donated some vehicles. Minisink JROTC, Boy scouts, girl scouts, VFW, American Legion, Town & village were represented, & Howells & Otisville fire companies.
MOTION TO ADJOURN MEETING:
MOTION offered by Councilman Cambareri 2nd Councilman Howell to adjourn the meeting at 8:07pm. All in favor: Howell, Volpe, Sutherland, Cambareri; carried.
The next meeting is December 4, 2017 at 7:30pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Kathleen A. Myers, Town Clerk
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