by David Flint
Two public hearings were held preceding the regular Stephentown Town Board meeting on Monday. The first concerned an addendum to the Dog Control Law and the second had to do with whether property tax exemptions should be extended to Cold War veterans. The Board took no action on either matter.
Dog Control
The intent of amending the Dog Control law was to specify that kennel charges incurred for stray dogs would be the responsibility of the dog owner and not the Town. The law already indicates that the owner must pay impounding fees, but the Town has been caught in the recent past holding the bag for keeping stray or seized dogs in a kennel. However, at the public hearing Town Justice Cyril Grant pointed out that the wording of the addendum was confusing and might in fact make the Town more responsible than before for paying the kennel charges.
On top of that, Town Supervisor Tom Sherman said he had been advised that impoundment fees and kenneling charges should not be addressed in the same law. So this matter was sent back to the drawing board.
Cold War Veterans Tax Exemptions
Town Assessor Tom MacVeigh was not present at the public hearing so the matter of Cold War Veterans exemptions was also tabled. He had earlier reported that the State had changed the rules on veterans exemptions so that Towns can now include Cold War veterans, those who served in between designated war times. If approved, the local law would allow residents who served between September 2, 1945, and December 26, 1991, or their surviving spouses, to receive a 10 or 15 percent reduction in the assessed value of their home, as the Town specifies.
Win Means noted that over ten percent of taxable properties in Town are owned by veterans. While veterans deserve some recognition he said so, too, do fire and police personnel, and he questioned whether it is prudent to extend these exemption benefits with the result that other taxpayers would have to pay more. Councilman Larry Eckhardt agreed that if someone gets an exemption, others must pay more. Joel Hunt, however said these veterans who tend to be older and on fixed incomes need a break, and Bob Burns pointed out the unfairness of granting benefits to veterans who happened to serve during designated war times, whether they were in combat or not, whereas others, such as those who served between Vietnam and the Gulf War are entitled to nothing.
Sherman wanted more explanation of the pros and cons and data on what exactly would be the impact on the tax base. Without MacVeigh present to answer questions the Board took no action in the regular meeting that followed.
Help To Get Through
The Winter
At the regular meeting Supervisor Sherman reported that the Stephentown Seniors are holding an important meeting this Thursday, September 18, at 1 pm at the Fire Hall. Representatives from the Department of Aging and other agencies will be there to speak about HEAP and other benefits that seniors and others might qualify for to help get through the winter. All are invited, not just seniors. Refreshments will be served, so those who know they will attend are asked to call Cathy Lawless at 733-6508. They are also asked to bring something for the Food Pantry.
Hammersmith Awarded Bid For Transfer Station Pads
Bids were received from contractors to construct two 10’ by 24’ concrete pads at the Transfer Station for use under roll-off dumpsters. They were asked to bid on two categories of construction, one that Sherman described as “Taj Mahal” construction and another that met the basic requirements. The Board rejected the three “Taj Mahal” bids, which ranged from $13,665 to $7,400 as too expensive and focused on the basic requirement bids. They selected the lowest bid which was in the amount of $2,620, submitted by William Hammersmith. Rejected bids came from Dave Goodermote at $7,298 and Avery Concrete at $6,800.
The 2009 Budget
Sherman said all budget requests are due by September 20. The Board will hold two budget workshops, on Monday, September 22, and Monday, September 29, both at 7 pm. A public hearing on the tentative 2009 budget will be held on Monday, October 20, at 7 pm preceding the next regular Board meeting. The goal, he said, is a flat budget, no raising of taxes, and the Board will resist offsetting expenditures with an infusion from the fund balance. He asked department heads to look closely at their needs and be prepared to explain their requests.
Sherman noted that a new State law requires the Town to attach to the budget an exemption report that will show how much of the total assessed value is exempt from taxation. According to the Association of Towns, the reason for this new requirement is because, “while exemptions serve a valid public purpose, they also erode the tax base and shift the tax burden to other property owners within the taxing district. The extent of this impact is largely hidden from view because no systematic reporting is done at the local level.”
American Indian
Heritage Month
At the request of the Fort Crailo Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Board passed a proclamation designating November as National American Indian Heritage Month.
Cash Flow Crunch
Sherman reported that the Town is currently in a cash flow crunch. Although there is a cash reserve of $302,000, there is not enough money in the General Fund right now to pay all the current vouchers. He expected, however, to receive sales tax revenue in the next two weeks, and CHIPS money should also be arriving before the end of the month.
Provost Road Problems
Cindy Rayman, owner of A Dog’s Best Friend boarding and training facility on Provost Road, complained that she has been asking for two years to have the missing Provost Road sign replaced at the intersection with Route 43. Also, she said that people are going the wrong way on that road again because the signs at the other end of the road have been moved out of their original position. People, she said, think the “Do Not Enter” sign is meant for Neil Gardner’s storage area and they don’t see the “One Way” sign the way it is now positioned. Rayman was pleased that the road was graded recently, but she said no calcium was put down after the grading and in the resulting “dust storm” her clients at the training facility could not see their dogs. Councilman Eckhardt said he would discuss these issues with Highway Superintendent Neil Gardner.
Extra Helpings Revived
Paula Dibble reported that the Extra Helpings program is back up and running at the Federated Church. Flyers and posters have been put out. She noted that there is no set income level for participation. “It works, and it’s not just for those having hard times,” she said. “It’s for all of us.”
BAR Position
The Board passed a resolution authorizing the Town Clerk to advertise that a 5-year term on the Board of Assessment Review is expiring at the end of the month. Resumes and letters of interest should be submitted to the Town Clerk by Friday, October 17.
Standard Work Day
To comply with the New York State Retirement & Social Security Law, the Board passed another resolution establishing for retirement reporting purposes a Standard Work Day of six hours for elected officials and part time employees, effective January 1, 2008.
Deposits & Spending
The Town Clerk reported she had turned over to the Supervisor the sum of $718.68 for the month of August. The distribution from the Office of the State Comptroller for the month of July was $2,555. The Transfer Station deposited a total of $8,118 for the month of August.
The Board audited and approved claims in the amount of $40,215.61 from the General Account and $83,028.20 from the Highway Account. Councilman PJ Roder questioned whether a bill from M.K.Electric in the amount of $5,389.25 for electrical work at the Town Garage was in keeping with the Town’s Procurement Policy since it exceeded $5,000. The Procurement Policy specifies that “All estimated purchases less than $10,000 but greater than $5,000 require a written request for proposal and written/fax quotes from three vendors.” In the absence of Councilman Mark Prescott who chairs the Machinery & Garage Committee, it was not clear what the original estimate was, so the Board approved the expenditure.
The Board set their next regular meeting for Monday, October 20, at 7:30 pm, to be preceded by a public hearing at 7 pm on the tentative 2009 budget.