Hoosick Town Board Action – Clashes

by Bea Peterson
The Town of Hoosick Board meeting on Monday, August 12, appeared at times to be more of a political event than a Board meeting. Shouting, innuendoes, name calling and catcalls from the crowded room were all part of the proceedings.
[private]The meeting began with Town Supervisor Keith Cipperly calling for a moment of silence in memory of Molly McGovern-Hoyt.
The hubbub began during the public comment period later in the meeting.
Armory Lease Impasse
Margaret Casey asked the Board if the lease with HAYC3 had been signed yet. Councilman Kevin Allard said it had not. He said HAYC3 was being paid on a month to month basis. He said there were significant differences between the parties on the lease. While HAYC3 wants the Town to hold it harmless should something happen in the Town portion of the building, the Town also wants to be held harmless should anything happen in another portion of the building. HAYC3 doesn’t agree with this. Allard said he remembers from his experience on the Village Board that when something happened in the Town Park, the party also went after the Village for compensation. “They’ll go for the deepest pockets,” he said. Allard added that HAYC3 wanted a say on the Town’s insurer. However, by law the Town must get its insurance through competitive bidding. Allard concluded they are at an impasse.
Casey said her concern was that there was no pledge by the Town to stay in the Armory for any length of time. She recalled that when the Town wanted HAYC3 to take over the Armory, it was with the understanding the Town offices would stay there. Allard said the Town would continue to pay rent monthly without a lease.
The Broken Latch Issue
Jim Martinez said he was befuddled as to why, as a result of the “break-in,” the Board had not asked for Supervisor Cipperly’s resignation. “Does he have something on each one of you [that prevents you doing so]? The issue of the broken latch reared its ugly head again and apparently will continue to do so until Election Day.
Councilman Bruce Patire responded that at the time of the “break-in” HAYC3 was seeking the rent and additional money promised from the Town as their income was down. Board members expressed concern that HAYC3 was out of money and why was it out of money. They were also concerned about changes being made to an historic building, especially since a jackhammer was being used downstairs. Patire continued that he was with Cipperly when he opened the interior fire exit door in the floor and they went downstairs. Deputy Supervisor Jeff Wysocki said he was across the room talking to Town Attorney Joanne Monagan who said she did not want to go downstairs in her high heels. Wysocki said he went down the stairs after the others were already down there and didn’t know the door had been locked. Councilman Mark Surdam said he did not go down because the others were all looking to find something negative and he didn’t want to be part of it, so he left the building.
Patire concluded that it was when they returned upstairs they realized the door had a latch on it.
Martinez reiterated that they should not have gone down there in the first place.
Patire said that Cipperly contacted HAYC3 the next day and told them he had broken the lock on the door. They have a signed affidavit from a witness who heard the conversation. It was two days later that a complaint was submitted to the Police Department.
Martinez commended Pool Director Nick Downing for his work this summer at the Town Pool. “He is a positive role model for the youngsters,” he said.
Fran Downing asked why Mark Surdam had not completed the necessary National Incident Management Systems training which he started in 2006. Surdam responded that he had taken some of the courses, most recently in June, and Rensselaer County Director of Public Safety Kelly Paslow said the remaining courses were not mandatory. Supervisor Cipperly said he had spoken with Paslow and that was not the case. Downing hollered at Surdam, “You are a procrastinator, and I don’t want you as my Town Supervisor!”
Surdam apologized for saying last month that he did not receive an email from Supervisor Cipperly regarding the meeting to discuss the issue of employees for the Baseball Camp. He said he did receive it. Surdam also said he thought Board members set a dangerous precedent by voting to pay rent to HAYC3 at that same meeting when it was not on the agenda. Allard reminded Surdam that last year he called a meeting in the morning for the afternoon to change a salary in the 2013 budget. The discussion then became heated, and it went back and forth and Allard called Surdam a hypocrite. At the end of the meeting Supervisor Cipperly had packets for the media with copies of the entire process regarding last year’s budget and the meeting called by Surdam.
The Calmer Moments
When the minutes were being reviewed Highway Superintendent Louis Schmigel said he misspoke last month regarding the guidelines he would use for chip sealing bids. The guidelines were from the Town of Sand Lake, not Schodack.
Bids were received from the Gorman Group and Peckham Industries for chip sealing. Schmigel reviewed the bids and recommended the Gorman bid be accepted. The Board approved.
Town Clerk Sue Stradinger reported income from license and certificate fees, plus pool admissions of $2,816, swim lessons, $3,120, concession, $983, pool memberships, $86,5 and summer camp, $5,340 for a total of $14,642. Of that amount $13,952.97 was turned over to the Supervisor.
Town Assessor Tony Rice reported that the equalization rate for the 2013 final roll was 27.2. The figure is up from last year so assessment is slightly closer to full market value.
Union Contract
The Board went into a brief Executive Session regarding the Highway Department union contract and returned for a vote. A meeting on the contract had been held on Sunday, which Surdam did not attend. He said he didn’t have a final draft of the agreement but was willing to vote for it. The Board vote was unanimous to approve the contract. Allard said he was amazed at the quality of the health insurance they received. Supervisor Cipperly looked to the Highway Department workers in attendance and told them, “You guys do a good job.” He noted that all new employees will have to pay 30 percent of their health care costs.
Championship Signs
Supervisor Cipperly said he had spoken with Rensselaer County Legislators Stan Brownell and Lester Goodermote and the County has agreed to purchase two 4 by 7 foot signs honoring the Hoosick Falls Central School Championship teams. The Board then agreed to purchase two more signs at a cost not to exceed $1,000. Allard said he hoped the school would purchase two and then there would be one at every entrance to the Town. A sign already in place had been felled in an accident. Schmigel said he had been unable to find it. It is assumed someone took it.
During Council reports Surdam asked about the two payments of $1,300 for fencing around the pool. Town Treasurer Tyler Sawyer said the Town paid a 50 percent down payment of $1,300, then a final payment of $1,300.
It was noted that there are black bike tire marks on the newly refinished tennis courts. Surdam asked if the annual year end report had been filed with the State Comptroller. Sawyer said it had been filed. Surdam asked if he could get a copy, and Sawyer assured him he could.
Deputy Supervisor Jeff Wysocki reported that he had spoken to Ridge Harris from Congressman Gibson’s office regarding the funds due the Town from the Caretaker’s Bridge and Harris wanted him to send the whole file again. “So we haven’t gotten anywhere,” he said.
Kevin Allard handed each Board member a packet of information he and Bruce Patire had put together on improvements that need to be made to the pool area, the skating rink and the playground. He also handed out copies of a policy review he had put together melding the school and Town policies into one suitable for the Town. He noted he was handing out these documents because he didn’t want to email them.
Councilman Patire said Copeland Coating Co. will hold the price for coating the Town basketball court until October of this year. Surdam said he thought they would hold it to next year. Patire said no, until this October. Patire asked that the request for coating be put out for bid as before. The money would come from the fund balance.
Supervisor Cipperly said the fence around the pool had been replaced.
Cipperly asked that a Resolution be passed appointing Tony Rice sole assessor until 2019. The Resolution passed.
Cipperly said he had checked into an update of the phone system at a cost of $255 a month and $800 for eight phones. Another system was $20,000. The update was tabled.
Cipperly thanked Rescue Squad officers Bill Gaillard and Debbie Lohnes for the 27 hours of CPR training given to the Town’s Life Guards and Camp Counselors. He asked that the Board approve a donation of $500 to the Rescue Squad with the funds coming from the County tax revenue.
He mentioned that Cottrell’s Why Not Wine held a very nice family musical event last Saturday and commended them for it.
Local Law
Cipperly asked that Local Law #1 regarding maintenance of foreclosed properties, tabled from last month, be approved. It was. Surdam cast the only no vote.
Cipperly then asked that the bid for cutting the grass on these foreclosed properties once every three weeks at a rate of $55 an hour and $5 for every 33 gallon bag filled be approved. It was. Surdam was opposed.
Walking Tours
Town Historian Phil Leonard had another walking tour board on display. This tour goes from the Armory to Church to John Street, then Main to Elm Street and back to the Armory. He pointed out a picture of the old fire house when it had one door. When a fire call came, the horses were brought up to the building and hitched to the steam engine stored inside. When fire engines came into use the single door was changed to two doors.
The Board approved the use of the Town Park by St. Mary’s Academy for its annual Cow Plop. Set up will be Saturday, October 12, and the event will be on Sunday, October 13, from 8 am to 4 pm.[/private]