Town Board Meeting October 2nd, 2023
OFFICIALS PRESENT: Police Chief Maresca, Deputy Chief Hahne, Highway Supt. Dean Hassenmayer, Attorney David Bavoso.
Following the Pledge of Allegiance, Supervisor Howell called the public hearing to order at 7:30PM.
MOTION TO ACCEPT PRIOR MEETING MINUTES:
MOTION offered Councilmember Davis 2nd Councilmember Jennings that the September 18, 2023 meeting minutes are accepted as presented. All in favor: Howell, Davis, Furman, Jennings; carried.
CORRESPONDENCE:
1. Correspondence from Assessor re: 16 lot sub-division/INVOSS LLC money in lieu of parklands
2. Fully executed agreement with Orange County re: local municipalities to refer applications for certain planning and zoning actions to OCD of Planning
3. Letter from HV Water re: flushing of mains on 10/24/2023
4. Copy of proposed local law #3-2023 entitled: Amending Permitted Uses in the B-1 Zoning District
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Councilmember Davis: MH Chinese Assoc. fall festival on 10/7 11am -6pm.
Councilmember Furman: Football schedule was sent to Dean & Kathleen. ZBA meeting is 10/4 at 7pm. DMV bus is at town hall on 10/13 from 10-3:30pm. Trunk or Treat at Presbyterian church parking lot on 10/31. MH Historic Society fall event on 10/8 12-3:30pm. He will post a reminder on FB regarding the flushing of mains in Hidden Valley.
Councilmember Jennings: Next village meeting is 10/5 – he noted he will not be attending the next few meetings as he is taking a class. The networking at town hall has been completed.
Supervisor Howell: Howells fire district is hosting a blood drive on 10/3 from 2-7pm at the fire station.
HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT:
Supt. Hassenmayer spoke re: the DMV bus and trash days. He asked that the DMV bus park close to the building outside the board room as trash days brings a lot of traffic/vehicles through the parking lot. Trash days start 10/4-10/14. No drop off on the 9th due to the holiday. Still waiting on the line striper – we are on the schedule. He asked if there is a delivery date for the siding for the town hall addition. Supervisor: estimated delivery is 2-3 weeks from ordering. Supt.: the pole barn at the park is coming along. He is hoping to have it closed in by winter.
POLICE REPORT:
Chief Maresca noted that he is still canvassing for another full-time officer and same for part time officers.
VILLAGE OF OTISVILLE:
Trustee Clouse reported the tree planting was successful. Very nice crowd.
WINNETASKA:
Supervisor Howell noted there is a request from the Winnetaska road project for a partial bond release. The town engineer is working with the highway supt. to set up a progress review meeting. Once we get a report, we can make a determination.
MOTION TO APPROVE 2023-2024 SNOW & ICE AGREEMENT WITH TOWN OF WALLKILL:
MOTION offered Councilmember Davis 2nd Councilmember Furman to approve the 2023-2024 SNOW & ICE AGREEMENT WITH TOWN OF WALLKILL and authorize the town supervisor to sign the agreement. All in favor: Howell, Davis, Furman, Jennings; carried.
MOTION TO APPROVE AGREEMENT WITH EMPLOYEE #83:
MOTION offered Councilmember Davis 2nd Councilmember Jennings to adopt the employment agreement with Employee #83 as written and authorize the town supervisor to sign the agreement. All in favor: Howell, Davis, Furman, Jennings; carried.
71
MOTION TO AUDIT THE CLAIMS:
MOTION offered Councilmember Furman 2nd Councilmember Jennings approve Abstract 38 & 39:
ABSTRACT 38:
GENERAL A: #452-459 $ 9,933.14
GENERAL B: #116-117 $ 626.98
HIGHWAY: #167-170 $ 50,770.82
SEWER: #90-91 $ 404.96
ARPA: #8-9 $ 13,160.00
And
ABSTRACT 39:
GENERAL A: #460-472 $ 49,739.00
GENERAL B: #118 $ 4,935.57
HIGHWAY: #171-172 $ 21,333.70
SEWER: #92-93 $ 1,442.15.
All in favor: Howell, Furman, Jennings, Davis. Motion carried.
DRAFT FOR PROPOSED LOCAL LAW #3-2023 ENTITLED: AMENDING PERMITTED USES IN THE B-1 ZONING DISTRICT:
Supervisor Howell: the attorney provided us a draft of the proposed local law with regard to the presentation by Middletown Carting. We have a multi-step process for that. We have to have a public hearing 1st.
MOTION TO SCHEDULE PUBLIC HEARING FOR PROPOSED LOCAL LAW #3-2023 ENTITLED: AMENDING PERMITTED USES IN THE B-1 ZONING DISTRICT:
MOTION offered Councilmember Davis 2nd Councilmember Jennings to schedule a public hearing for PROPOSED LOCAL LAW #3-2023 ENTITLED: AMENDING PERMITTED USES IN THE B-1 ZONING DISTRICT on October 16, 2023 at 7:30pm at the town hall meeting room at 1706 Route 211 West, Otisville NY, Orange County. All in favor: Howell, Furman, Jennings, Davis. Motion carried.
RESOLUTION FOR LEAD AGENCY:
MOTION offered Councilmember Furman 2nd Councilmember Jennings to be made that the Town of Mount Hope town board designates itself “lead agent” for the purpose of SEQR and declares it to be an unlisted action. All in favor: Howell, Furman, Jennings, Davis. Motion carried.
MOTION TO AUTHORIZE TOWN SUPERVISOR TO SIGN EAF:
MOTION offered Councilmember Jennings 2nd Councilmember Furman to authorize the town supervisor to sign the EAF (Environmental Assessment Form) regarding the amendment. All in favor: Howell, Furman, Jennings, Davis. Motion carried.
MOTION TO SEND 239 REVIEW TO ORANGE COUNTY:
MOTION offered Councilmember Davis 2nd Councilmember Furman to give authorization to send a 239 review to Orange County and the other agencies. All in favor: Howell, Furman, Jennings, Davis. Motion carried.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Brian Carey spoke re: Honor Flight. He received a request from someone whose husband is going on the 10/21 Honor Flight. The request was for thank you cards thanking this person for his service. They would have to be collected by Friday. He will pick them up from Kathleen on Friday. Dean: on the flight home, the veterans are all given mail call. It means a lot to the veteran. On 10/19, the board members of the OC highway supts. will be presenting a check for $60,000 to the Honor Flight. This comes from a raffle and golf outing.
Mike Meere spoke re: proposed Good Dada development that’s supposed to be joining Hidden Valley sewer treatment plant and the water. Supervisor: that was the request from the developer. Meere: when will it start? Supervisor: it has to go through the planning board stage. Meere: nobody in the development knew there was another development coming in. He asked if there will be a public hearing. Supervisor: yes, there are public notices. Councilmember Davis: it was discussed at the last planning board meeting. It hasn’t hit those stages yet. Meere: we know we took out a $1.6 million bond in 2009. We are almost at the point where it’s gonna be paid off. Maybe another 2 years. Supervisor can get the exact date. Meere: he asked about the $10,000 hook up fee. When does that money come into play? Before they start building? Supervisor: hook up fee is paid when they apply for the building permit. Meere: where does that money go? Supervisor: those fees stay within the Hidden Valley district. That’s a special district. Those funds are used only for the maintenance and upkeep of the sewer district. Meere: that’s $240,000 if I am not mistaken. Is there any relief for any of the residents that live there? Councilmember Furman: that’s kind of the game plan. When those people come in, there still has to be an addition to the plant.
72
The good thing is we put almost a half million dollars of non-taxpayer money into the sewer plant. It needed a lot of rehab. Meere: that was supposed to be what the $1.6 million bond. Furman: that was to put in the plant. When I got on this board in ’19, I was handed this. There were a lot of things that hadn’t been maintained/upkept. American rescue plan money went into it also. Meere: noted the $75,000 grant from Bonacic. Furman: that replaced all the things that were broken or causing issues over there. The other part is, that plant was built to expand. When those 24 homes come on, it has to have a section put in to expand it. Meere: that plant was originally built for 300 homes. I was part of the process going back to 2009 when they were supposed to put up 50-80 homes on Hill Road. It went through the engineering and everything. You’re telling me the plant right now, we have to add on to, is that what you’re telling me? Furman: it should. Supervisor: the filtering components within the plant which has the capacity to have it but doesn’t have the filtering pieces in there now because those homes aren’t there. Those would have to be added to the plant. Meere: I understand the plant is old. It’s way beyond it’s lifetime probably 15 years ago. They put $1.6 million in for the last 14 years there’s an extra $1,000 on my taxes and everyone else’s taxes in Hidden Valley. At one point we were only paying $700. Furman: when was the last time you paid $700? Meere: 2009 probably. It was $500 when I moved up here. If you keep putting band-aids on something and you’re telling me we’re gonna expand; I’ve listened to this every time there’s something going in to that plant. What was the $1.6 million for then? Supt. Hassenmayer: I think there’s some miscommunication. There was a new plant built. It sits behind the existing old tank and that old lab building. They still exist. They use the tank in the holding area. The plant behind it was built with the $1.6 million. There’s a brand-new plant back there well 20 years old now. Meere: is the plant still acceptable to add on for the 300 homes? Supervisor: yes. Hassenmayer: the construction of the plants will hold 300 homes but in order to make it capable of more homes right now more filters need to be put into the filtering system within the inside of the plant. Meere: if I’m not mistaken, that whole process you’re talking about with the filters came back up in 2009. They added filters and everything then too. Hassenmayer: it was a big discussion for months on how many filters to put in it. How big to make the plant because there was a big proposal on Hill Road. Meere: that was supposed to knock everybody’s taxes and bring it down to somewhat decent. When everybody got thit with $1,000 for the last 14, 15, 16 years – you know it’s not good. Supervisor: I think the hard answer to your question about relief for the people that live in the district if the new homes come on, then that tax bill now that is paid by the 99 homes would be diluted by 123. It would provide some relief in that nature. Meere: it will but what I’m saying though it’s – the people have already shelled out that money. If you’re telling me it’s going to go down to below $700 what it was before, I don’t think you’re sitting up there telling me that. Furman: no. Meere: that’s something that’s gonna come up down the line that the public is gonna want to know where they stand after 2 years with that. I guess you guys are gonna control that money. You’re telling me the money is going in to expanding the tank? Supervisor: the $10,000? That goes for any expense within the sewer district. It could be the salaries of the operators of the plant, to pay the light bill or to have the sewage pumped out and the tanks need to be evacuated. Any maintenance specific to that district. Meere: what’s the cost per year to run that plant? Are the homes gonna look like the homes that were put in Hidden Valley? Supervisor: I don’t know. That’s the planning board. They’d be able to answer that. I know the proposal is single family homes. The cost for 2023 for the sewer district is $167,271. That is for the year inclusive of the bond principal and interest payment.
Paul Rickard asked who employee #83 is? Supervisor: Curtis Hahne.
Mike Meere asked where the entrance to Good Dada is going to be? Guymard or? Hassenmayer: the proposal is an entrance off Guymard somewhere between the old horse farm and the existing entries.
BOARD COMMENTS:
Councilmember Jennings asked about the Halloween curfew for next meeting.
Councilmember Furman went to Arbor Day observance at the village. It was a nice service. They planted 6 trees.
MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT:
MOTION offered Councilmember Davis 2nd Councilmember Furman to adjourn the meeting at 8:04pm. All in favor: Howell, Davis, Jennings, Furman. Motion carried.
The next meeting is scheduled for October 16, 2023 at 7:30pm at the town hall meeting room.
Respectfully submitted,
Kathleen A. Myers, RMC
Town Clerk 73