Stephentown Town Board Action – Looking For A New Telephone System

by David Flint
The Stephentown Town Board, fed up with a malfunctioning telephone system, passed a resolution on Monday to request proposals for replacing the system. Town Supervisor Larry Eckhardt went through a long-standing list of complaints from Town officials that included constant unexplained ringing necessitating a reset of the system and loss of data, disappearing or irretrievable voice mails and breaches of privacy when voice mails are left. [private]Officials have been complaining about the system for years ever since it was installed in 2005. Requests for service from Fairpoint never seem to get it fixed adequately.
Eckhardt said he has been advised that the equipment is now so outdated that it would not be worth spending a lot of money trying to fix it. He said he had spoken recently with a local contractor and put together specifications for a new system which will be available at the Town Clerk’s office as of April 23. Proposals will be due by May 18.
Need New Dump Body
Highway Superintendent Aldie Goodermote has reported that the body on one of the Town’s dump trucks is rusted out and needs replacing. Eckhardt believes that the cost may exceed the Town’s limit on getting quotes and it is not something that needs to be replaced immediately, so he moved that it be put out to bid and the Town Clerk be authorized to advertise it. Specifications will be available by April 23. Bids are due in the Town Clerk’s office by May 18 and will be opened on May 21.
Lawn Mowing
Eckhardt said the Town Board has been very happy for many years with the lawn mowing service from Bob’s Professional Services. But auditors from the State Comptroller’s Office have noticed that the contract was never put out to bid and are strongly suggesting that it should be. According to current Town procurement policy, anything over $1,500 should be put to bid. Eckhardt said the Board may consider revising the policy so that quotes may be requested for anything up to $5,000, as other towns have done. In the meantime, to comply with the auditors’ recommendation, the Board authorized advertising for bids to cut grass around the Town Hall and at the small Town park located at the intersection of Routes 22 and 43. Bids are due by May 18 and will be opened on May 21.
Transfer Station
According to a spreadsheet provided now at every meeting by Councilman Bill Jennings, February expenses at the Transfer Station exceeded income by $3,894.87. Expenses for March are not yet available, but the shortfall may not be as bad since the Transfer Station brought in about $1,500 more in March. Revenue breakdown for March is $165 for stickers, $3,958 for bags, $1,211 for C&D, $53 for metals, $40 for electronics, $10 for propane tanks and $50 for tires, for a total of $5,497.
Eckhardt noted that summer hours will start on the Monday following Memorial Day. That means that in addition to their regular Wednesday, Friday and Saturday hours, the Transfer Station will be open on Mondays from 3 to 7 pm until Labor Day.
No Swim Program This Year
Councilman PJ Roder reported that the Youth Commission has decided there will be no swim program this year. Costs last year turned out to be a lot more than they felt the Town could afford. Commission members will visit the swim program at the Hoosick Town Pool, which Roder said is currently is charging $40 per child for two weeks. They will be sending out a notice and eliciting people’s interest in participating in that program for next year.
The Youth Summer Camp will, however, be held as usual for the full six week period, with some additional activities included. Eckhardt said it is not clear yet where it will be held. The Town would like to use the Stephentown school, but that, he said, is at this time very much “in limbo.” If the school is not available, the Summer Camp will be held either at the Town Hall or at the Fire Hall.
Roder noted that the annual Easter Egg Hunt was a big success with over 30 children participating.
Energy Saving
Kevin Carpenter asked whether the Board would be looking into energy saving methods given the high cost of heating fuel and electricity. Eckhardt responded that a grant was available from NYSERDA for installing solar panels for heat and hot water and the Board would be looking into that and other grant opportunities as well. He agreed that the Town spends a lot of money just heating the Town Hall and the Town Garage. “And who knows, after the School Board vote on May 15, we may end up with another building,” he added.
He noted, too, that a group of Town Supervisors in the County, spearheaded by Siegfried Krahforst of Petersburgh, was looking to reactivate the Town Supervisors Organization. This group has not met for 10 years, but there is still some money in its treasury, and the Town of Stephentown is keeper of the account. In the reactivated organization Krahforst will be Chairman and Eckhardt will be Treasurer. Eckhardt said that at a recent meeting they discussed applying as a group for energy saving grants and will explore the feasibility of hiring a grant writer for that purpose.
Land Use Planning
Eckhardt said that the Land Use Plan Revision Committee has submitted its proposals and the Board is in the process of reviewing them. The Town’s attorney and the County Planning Department have advised that any changes in the Land Use Regulations will require a SEQR review. County Principal Planner Linda von der Heide said, however, that the short form will probably suffice.
Town Park Tree
Millie Smith, who has volunteered to look after the flowers and shrubbery in the little Town park at the intersection of Routes 22 and 43, has reported that the 30 foot tall spruce tree in that park is looking very sick and needs to be cut down and replaced. Eckhardt said the Highway Department will take the tree down, and Smith will see if someone might want to donate a replacement tree. The Board will get quotes from local landscapers regarding planting and caring for a new tree until it gets established.
Cemeteries
Eckhardt expressed some concern about a State statute that he believes may require municipalities to take over and care for a public cemetery should the governing organization become no longer able to support the cemetery from sale of plots, donations and interest on required trust funds. There are four active public cemeteries in the Town: Garfield, Hillside, Stephentown (formerly Stephentown Baptist) and a portion of the East Nassau Cemetery.
Patricia Flint, representing the Cemetery Committee of the Stephentown Historical Society, said that the Society has been making efforts to restore and spruce up a number of the old burial grounds in the Town for which she did not believe the Town has responsibility. One that had received a lot of attention is the Denison Cemetery on East Road in North Stephentown. She praised Eagle Scout candidate David Kirsimagi, who happened to be present at the meeting, for doing an excellent job in restoring that site and raising funds to provide a sign. Board Members also recognized Kirsimagi and congratulated him on his accomplishments.
Flint also noted the work that John Scott and David Cummings had done at the old Presbyterian Cemetery on Presbyterian Hill Road, the burial ground of George Holcomb and a number of Revolutionary War and Civil War soldiers. Eckhardt agreed and said that the Men’s Club of the Federated Church had followed up on that and were continuing to clean up and restore that historic graveyard. Their next work day is scheduled for May 12 starting at 9 am. All are welcome to join in and help with the work. Flint said her Committee will seek to have Joseph Ferrannini of Gravestone Matters come that day to instruct the work group on how to clean gravestones properly and how to do simple repairs.
Deposits And Spending
The Town Clerk reported she had turned over the sum of $687.90 to the Supervisor for the month of March. The distribution from the Office of the State Comptroller, Justice Court Fund to the Town was $765.
The Board audited and approved claims in the amount of $8,285.11 from the General Account and $33,790.19 from the Highway Account.
The Board set its next Workshop meeting for Monday, May 14, at 7 pm and its next regular meeting for Monday, May 21, at 7 pm.[/private]