Stephentown Town Board Action – Reversing Gears

by David Flint
The Stephentown Town Board had to reverse gears on an action they took last month to finance the purchase of a new dump truck. Town Supervisor Larry Eckhardt said that a legal opinion requested from the Board’s attorney, Craig Crist, revealed that errors were made in approving a financing agreement with the First Niagara Bank for the cost of the 2014 International tandem axle dump truck and its plow and sander equipment. [private]The problem was basically that the Board had failed to get competitive comparisons of interest rates. To correct the situation Crist advised in an executive session that the Board drop the lease purchase arrangement they had planned and instead go with a bond anticipation note. This would also save the Town some money, probably about $4,000, as it is expected that the annual fixed rate of interest on such a note would be less than one percent whereas the lease purchase interest rate with First Niagara would have been 2.9%.
The Board accordingly retracted the previous resolution and passed a new one authorizing the purchase of the truck and equipment at a maximum cost of $193,845 and the issuance of up to that amount in serial bonds. The Town Supervisor was authorized to negotiate and execute the necessary arrangements for the issuance of the bonds. The term of the bonds can be no more than five years, but the Board expects to pay them off within three years. Eckhardt said there are numerous financial institutions the Board could deal with on this and the First Niagara Bank could be one of them.
Bella Terra Festival Returning
The Bella Terra Music Festival will be returning to Stephentown at Gardner’s Field Thursday, August 15, to Sunday, August 18. Event owner Jeffrey Schneider and Operations Manager Jason Weeks presented an overview of plans to the Town Board. Volunteer staff will begin setting up on August 12, and the gates will open on Thursday at 9 am. There will be music on the Main Stage from 3 pm to 10:45 pm on Thursday, with after hours programming going to 12:45 am. After hours events will be inside a tent and directed away from the main part of town. The Main Stage schedule for Friday and Saturday is noon to 11 pm, with after hours extending until 3 am. Music on Sunday is from noon to 9 pm with programming events concluding at 10:30 pm.
Schneider said that in a further effort to mitigate after-hours noise they will also be trying something new this year – silent disco with headphones. “That’s gotta be pretty weird,” observed Eckhardt. “Yeah, it’s actually pretty comical,” Weeks said, “But then when you put the headphones on you actually click right into it.”
Weeks said there will be an emphasis on security and the organizers will make sure the event ends when it is supposed to. Ingress to the event will be altered this year to ensure that there is no backup of traffic onto Route 22. Bella Terra has their own EMT staff, but they will also plan and coordinate with SVFD EMS Chief Rick McClave. There will also be a 24 hour Community Hotline set up this year so that townspeople can notify organizers immediately if there are any issues they should know about. Schneider said, too, that they would make every effort to direct food vendors to local sources and that other equipment such as portable toilets will be rented or purchased locally if possible. A general staff meeting will be held sometime prior to the event, and Town Board members will be notified of the time and place.
Elementary School Time Capsule To Be Dug Up
Responding to concerns expressed earlier about a time capsule buried in the front lawn of the Stephentown Elementary School by fifth-graders on June 14, 1984, the Town has agreed to have the Town Highway Department excavate the capsule, which is actually a full size burial vault. This will be done on Saturday, June 8, at 10 am. Members of that fifth grade class have made efforts to make fellow class members aware of this, and a number of them plan to be there when the vault is dug up. Victor Lewin of Cherry Plain, who was class teacher at the time, will also be invited to attend. Consensus has not been established yet regarding whether the capsule will be opened at this time, set aside for some period awaiting a grand reopening or put back in the ground somewhere until 2034, the originally intended 50th anniversary.
Transfer Station Report
Eckhardt said a rambling unsigned email was received complaining about not being able to dump brush at the Transfer Station. Transfer Station Supervisor Agnes Hoffman reported that someone had wanted to dump logs on the brush pile but was told nothing with a diameter of over three inches was permitted. An exception is made only for the Highway Department, which maintains the brush pile until a controlled burn is scheduled in conjunction with the SVFD. Councilman PJ Roder suggested that some logs might be accepted in the C&D bin but there should be a charge for that.
Hoffman said that ERCSWMA has mentioned tentative plans to go “single stream” with recyclables, meaning that paper and cardboard would be mixed together with plastic and glass and metal cans. The Board seemed not inclined to go along with that as they are looking to October 2014 when the Town’s contract with ERCSWMA expires. They have expressed the intention in the past of dropping ERCSWMA at that time. Joel Hunt suggested they could then join a State contract for trash pickup and go with County Waste or some other hauler, eliminating dues and other costs of the Eastern Rensselaer County Solid Waste Management Authority.
At Hoffman’s request the Board passed a resolution authorizing advertising for the position of a second Substitute Transfer Station Attendant.
Other Business
Highway Superintendent Aldie Goodermote will be coordinating the buying and installation of signs and posts to better mark handicapped parking at the Town Hall and the Fire Hall.
Eckhardt will meet with Fire Commissioners to arrange the transfer of the function of issuing burn permits from the Fire Department to the Town Code Enforcement Officer who has regular officer hours and would be more easily accessible.
Eckhardt and Goodermote met with the Town’s insurance agent to go over liability coverage and update valuation of vehicles and equipment. A quote for updated coverage will be provided.
A New Streetlight
A new street light at Madden Road and Route 43 will be ordered from NYSEG. The Fire Department has been particularly concerned with this because the darkness in that area can be a huge problem when Provost Road is used as a detour.
The property that the Town purchased across the road from the Town Hall has been resurveyed and the grass mowed. Councilman Bill Jennings reported that the Library has been notified that the grant they applied for, that helped purchase the property, has been approved.
Specifications are being prepared to bid out work to repair the Bert Hager Road bridge. A special meeting may be necessary to meet seasonal restrictions on working in the creek
Deposits & Spending
The Town Clerk turned over the sum of $1,051.17 to the Supervisor for the month of April. The distribution from the office of the State Comptroller, Justice Court Fund to the Town was $1,412.13.
The Transfer Station deposited a total of $6,056 for the month of April. Councilman Jennings reported that this is about $1,000 more than the income for April of 2012.
The Board audited and approved claims in the amount of $26,864.99 from the General Account and $38,487.68 from the Highway Account.
Upcoming Meetings
The Board set its next workshop meeting for Monday, June 10, and its next regular meeting for Monday, June 17, both meetings to start at 7 pm.[/private]