Berlin Supervisor Proposes Municipal Center

by Kieron Kramer
Conflicting philosophies about whether Berlin should change and grow or whether it should stay the same was the subtext of the discussion at the last Berlin Town Board Meeting on Thursday, July 9, when Town Supervisor Robert Jaeger suggested that the Town look into purchasing the Berlin Lumber Company property to use as a municipal center that would include a new Town Hall and a new Town Garage. Jaeger and the Board scheduled a tour of the property for Wednesday, July 15, at 5 pm. Berlin Lumber, located on the west side of Route 22 in Cherry Plain, has discontinued doing business, has requested a property tax adjustment from the Assessors and may even have plans to tear down the buildings on the property in order to avoid further property tax liabilities, according to Jaeger. Jaeger said that he was raising the issue now to get public input about the idea, and he strongly urged Berlin residents to contact him or other Board members about the proposal. He said that most of the reaction he had heard was positive, but Board Member Sheila Hewitt said that the same people had spoken to her and were opposed to the idea. Board Member Carl Greene said, “Public input is critical because the Board is nowhere close to a consensus.”
In most years since the mid-nineties, when Stan Goodermote was Town Supervisor the Town has been budgeting approximately $40,000 per year to deposit into a Capital Building Reserve Fund. At the time, the money was earmarked for the purchase of a property and the building of a new Town garage on the property. In fact the Town had already purchased property on Sand Bank Road for this purpose in 1989, but it proved to be an inadequate location. Since 2004, the idea of a new garage has been coolly received by the public since the abortive attempt that year to purchase property for a new Town Garage from William Craib. In December of 2004 a petition drive for a permissive referendum led by Sheila Hewitt, who is now on the Board, resulted in a referendum in February of 2005 in which the voters overwhelmingly rejected the project. It was not entirely clear whether the voters rejected the purchase because Craib had asked $10,000 per acre for the 5.5 acre lot, about $9,000 per acre above the appraised value, or whether the idea of a new garage in itself was unacceptable. In November of 2005 an architectural consultant, Butler, Rowland & Mays, was hired to evaluate where the best location for a new garage would be and to estimate the cost of the project. It is believed that the consultant’s fee of $5,200 was funded by a grant from then State Senator Joe Bruno’s office. The consultant considered the Sand Bank property, the Craib lot near the transfer station and the current garage site as possible locations with the Craib property seeming the most useful. The bottom line in the consultant’s presentation in March of 2006 was that Berlin would spend about $700,000 on the garage building as well as money to acquire property and provide access to the new building. However, at that same meeting, the Craibs withdrew their offer to sell the property, and the idea of a new Town Garage languished until this month.
The money in the Capital Building Reserve Fund, which is now around $587,000 according to Jaeger, cannot be used for any purpose without a referendum approving the expenditure if the public requests such a vote.
The 23 acre Berlin Lumber property has four large buildings on it that can be used as a municipal center. In his proposal Jaeger read a list of pros and cons for the project. One building would provide plenty of room for a meeting hall as well as offices for the various Town departments. Another building is large enough to house the Town tandem axle dump trucks and appears to have a heavy duty concrete floor for that purpose. There are three or four concrete slabs already on the property on which sand and salt can be piled. There would be plenty of parking space; the complex is centrally located in the Town, adjoins property already owned by the Town on Sand Bank Road and is close to the County Highway facility from which the Town could purchase fuel. There is enough room for a wash station or for other facilities that would provide shared services with the Berlin School District and Rensselaer County that could provide other revenue streams for the project. There is also enough room for the Town to create a park and soccer and ball fields on the property. The Berlin Lumber property is listed for $569,000 which is less than the money Berlin has already amassed in the Capital Building Reserve Fund. Therefore, no taxes would be raised for the acquisition of the property, and the project could be completed for less than the cost of the 2006 estimate for constructing the garage alone.
On the con side, Jaeger said that the Town would lose about $4,000 a year in property tax revenue and that there would be “an undetermined increase in operating expenses.” He also identified three items to be addressed before a final decision could be made. The most important is the cost of modifying the structures for use as a garage and as a town hall. He estimated this to be between $25,000 and $45,000. The housekeeping on the property has been kept up and the equipment is in good shape, he said. An analysis of the heating costs needs to be done, and the Highway Department will have to maintain the grounds, which includes plowing and mowing.
Jaeger’s plan is that the Town Hall will become the Court House, Court is held there now, and can be maintained by funds from the Justice Fund which, he said, can provide $30,000 per year per court to maintain court buildings. In fact the Board spent some time at this meeting looking at the carpet samples from Green Mountain Commercial Flooring in Bennington and accepted their bid for $2,500 for carpeting the Town Hall. In the unlikely event that full underlayment is needed, the cost may rise to $4,096. The carpeting will be paid for by a Justice Fund grant acquired by Town Justice Joe Rechen.
In conclusion Jaeger said, “Am I crazy? Let me know.” He was immediately obliged by Ricky Palmer who argued that moving the Town Hall “will ruin the downtown which is already dying; let’s make an effort to revitalize the downtown,” he said. “How much does the Highway Department really cost us,” he asked. Essentially arguing for the status quo, he said that the rental of the space at Cowee’s answered the Highway Department’s need for garage space. At present the Town pays Cowee’s $300 per month to rent garage space. Of course, Cowee’s could raise the rent, decide to use the space itself or might even go out of business, which would leave the Town dump trucks out in the cold again. It was asked if the current Town Garage could be expanded. The answer is that there is not enough acreage there and what there is is too close to the river. It was suggested that if a new garage project happens, the old garage should be rented out since it may have environmental clean up issues that would have to be resolved before a sale.
At the end of the discussion Jaeger reiterated that any expenditure from the Capital Building Reserve Fund would have to be approved by a referendum. “A town of this size has only one chance to make this kind of major improvement,” he said. And he added, “If the Town does not have a desire for a new garage, they can decide to have a referendum to release the money for other [capital improvement] purposes.” For the record, Jaeger said that he and his wife Kathy, who are both licensed real estate associate brokers, did not take the listing for Berlin Lumber as it would be a conflict of interest. “That would have been a real plum,” he added. Pamula Gerstel, Planning Board Chair, told Jaeger, “I commend you for stepping out and looking at something new.”
Cell Towers
In another issue that will change Berlin, Vic Lewin, a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, reported on the pre-application meeting held June 18 for the cell tower proposed by Mariner Tower to be built on the property of Doug Goodermote on the west side of Route 22 in Cherry Plain. Two balloon tests have been scheduled for the site – one on July 17-19 and one on August 2-4. An audio recording of the ZBA meeting supplied to this reporter by Julie Harrell contained interesting facts about signal propagation and other technical issues described in very understandable terms by Chris Ciolfi of Mariner Towers. There was also a revelation at the beginning of that meeting when ZBA Chairman Don French announced that there was an AT&T tower on Goodermote Road, which runs off Bly Hollow Road, near the County emergency services tower that was built before the Town had either a moratorium or a cell phone tower law in effect. So Kent Goodermote, who asked why people could get AT&T signals in the valley, and several others, who claimed that there already was a cell tower in Berlin, during the numerous meetings in which this topic came up – well, they were right all along.
Regarding the cell tower to be constructed by Verizon on Satterlee Hollow Road, Jaeger announced that the approval process for that structure cost $16,542.74. This money is to be paid to the attorney and the engineer representing the Town’s interests and to the stenographer. Verizon had put up a $7,500 bond to pay these expenses as required by the Town law and will now be billed for the remaining $9,042.74.
Dog Drama
In order to make public a complaint by a Berlin resident and to show that it had been addressed, Supervisor Jaeger read a letter from a resident of Green Hollow Road complaining about the noise from her neighbor’s property that she described as constant dog barking. The dogs are owned by Walter Doty. She further accused Dog Control Officer Doug Goodermote of neglecting her complaints and then testifying on Doty’s behalf when the matter finally came to Court on June 17. In response to the letter, Goodermote began a narrative that was both hilarious and disturbing. He described that he had visited the scene several times as had NY State Trooper Dwyer. They asked Doty to move his dogs “out back” which he agreed to do even though in their four visits in one week they couldn’t hear any barking. “I can’t find one thing wrong, let her take him to court,” the Trooper said, according to Goodermote. “If you want to see a fiasco you should have been there that night,” Goodermote said. At one point, according to Goodermote, the woman said, “He mows his lawn on purpose.” And he added, “I don’t know anyone who mows their lawn by accident.” He said the complainant gave the Justice the finger at the end of the proceedings. A chagrined Jaeger said he was only trying to make the point that Goodermote had addressed the issue.
Youth Commission
Tammy Osterhout reported that 32 kids have registered for the summer Arts and Recreation Program offered by the Berlin Youth Commission. The attendance averages about 20 kids per day since summer school, vacations and boy scout and girl scout activities draw kids away. There are five counselors which gives a ratio of 4 to 1. They are “having a lot of fun,” she said and are doing a lot of recycling projects such as taking computers apart and making art projects out of them. Osterhout needs about three more old computers for this activity. “This is a really good group of kids this year,” she said. There are still openings for the swim program, she said, and interested parties should call her at 658-2924.
Osterhout expressed a public thank you to Jen Burhans and Grafton Hills Bottled Water for donating water and a cooler for the three weeks of the Youth Commission activity. She also thanked Audrey Vanderhoef and Kelly Lewin who sold hot dogs at the Berlin July Fourth Parade and raised $150 dollars to give to the Youth Commission.
Osterhout, whose program takes place in the Watipi Building, reported on the various problems with that building. There is no electricity in the outlets in the north end of the building and there is still a leak in the closet. Jaeger said that there was a hole in the roof over the closet. “You can see daylight,” he said. The Board decided that the request for proposals for electrical work at the Watipi Building that was discussed last month would include these new problems as reported by Osterhout.
Other Business
Both water districts are running smoothly. Jaeger and Water District #2 Supervisor Jim Winn have been researching the cost of a metering system for that district. Drive-by, electronically read meters will cost about $101 each whereas a meter that is manually read costs $57.50. Jaeger pointed out that in the long run the electronically read meters will save the Town money in labor costs. The Board will continue to examine the meter question as the budget period approaches. Jaeger has asked all departments and parties to submit their budget requests by September 30.
The Board held its June workshop in the Cherry Plain Polling Place which had been aired out for the meeting. Cindy Brewster did her appraisal on Thursday before this meeting and Jaeger said it was musty. He said it was a much larger space than he thought and still thinks it could be a good location for the Town archives.
Planning Board Chair Pam Gerstel reported that the subdivision application by Northeastern Cave Conservatory, Inc. to divide property containing a cave from the property of Robert and Ellie Bentley was rejected because a written right of way from Bentley was not available at the meeting on June 25.
Southeast Hollow Bridge Work Postponed
Highway Superintendent Jim Winn has been unable to purchase the giant culvert that will be used to replace the bridge on Southeast Hollow Road that was red-flagged by the NYS DOT last year. The County engineer has not yet provided the final culvert dimensions. Because of the delay and the timing of the bidding process it would be late August before the work could begin. The DEC regulations require that work in waterways end by September 15 so Winn has suggested that the Town go ahead and bid the culvert and buy it now. He thinks the current price will be the cheaper. Then the Department can assemble the culvert so that it is ready for the start of the project next June when the DEC will allow work in waterways to proceed. The bridge has been monitored by the engineering firm of Anthony Erdman which has reported no change in the load bearing or safety of the current bridge. Winn thinks the DOT will have no problem if the work is postponed until next summer.
Supervisor Jaeger proposed that the next section of sidewalk to be replaced should be the section on South Main Street running from just above the Sweeners’ house north to Anne Maxon’s house. He also announced that Courtney Hakes had been chosen out of four candidates to be the new Justice Court Clerk replacing Gloria Adams. Hakes will begin work on September 1.
Board Member George Shuhart announced that there will be a fire hydrant flush on August 4 at 7 pm.
Board Member Jim Saunders missed this meeting due to illness. Town Attorney Donald Tate was also absent. Jaeger announced that the Tates had a baby boy on Monday evening.
Parade Kudos
Jaeger had begun the meeting by thanking the July Fourth Parade Committee for an excellent parade. He also thanked Sylvia Thompson for her work on the flower barrels that line the route and the Highway Department for putting up the flags at the last minute. Jane Fitzgerald, who has been a member of the Parade committee for many years, ended the meeting by thanking everyone for their hard work on the Parade.