by Alex Brooks
The Petersburgh Town Board meeting this month began with a statement from Petersburgh resident Tom Berry accusing the Board of violating their purchasing policy and buying materials from favored suppliers when lower cost alternatives were available. Specifically he referred to diesel fuel and heating oil that the Town has been buying from HL Fuel when the same materials, according to Berry, can be had on County Contract from Main Brothers Oil company at a lower price. [private]He also said sand and gravel purchased from William Hammersmith and from W.E. Dailey in 2014 were not legally purchased according to the Town’s purchasing policy. Berry said the Town informed him on April 4 that these materials were being purchased on the County Contract, but when Berry obtained the County Contract, he found neither Peckham nor Hammersmith on it.
Berry was quite aggressive in putting forth these claims, saying that Supervisor Krahforst should be held personally accountable for excess cost the Town has paid for diesel or heating oil when lower cost suppliers were ignored. He asked that vouchers for gravel purchases which violate the Town’s purchasing policy not be approved or paid by the Town Board and that such purchases become the personal financial responsibility of Highway Superintendent Ray Harrison. Although he did not specifically threaten legal action, he seemed to be doing so with such phrases as “the law has provided ample machinery…to compel the Board to meet its obligations,” and giving “notice” to the Town Board that should they fail to follow Town purchasing policy, they can be held accountable under “the laws of NY State.”
Town Board Member Neil Geary said he was personally offended at the accusations being thrown at the Town Board and the Supervisor. He said he doesn’t mind constructive criticism, but the implication that the Town Board is not dealing with the procurement issues raised by Berry is unfair. He said he has only been on the Board a few months, but he has been impressed with the dedication of his fellow Board members and the Supervisor.
Supervisor Krahforst said he has been reviewing the materials that Berry has brought to the Town Board meetings, and he has been “investigating a lot of things,” but he said these issues are complicated, and there are many considerations involved. He said that when he gets all the answers, he will present his findings publicly. He said that from what he has learned so far, he believes, “Ray is using the best materials for our roads.” He said many of the road specification information given to the Town last month by Berry supports the methods and materials Harrison has been using.
Sean O’Donovan, owner of Petersburgh Sand & Gravel, also complained about the Town purchasing policies. He said he finds it offensive that the Town has gone out of its way to drive around his gravel pit to buy more expensive materials from further away. He also alleged that the Town is paying 71 cents per gallon more for diesel fuel than they can get it “on contract.”
When asked after the meeting about this latter claim, Supervisor Krahforst said he is still looking into it. He said when he took over as Supervisor, he was told that HL Fuel gave a slightly better price than others so he stuck with the company, but now that people are saying there are cheaper alternatives, he is reviewing what offerings are available.
Transfer Station Response “Not Favorable”
Supervisor Krahforst said he had received a response from Berlin about rent for use of the Berlin Transfer Station, which he described as “not favorable.” He said he is still gathering information and when he has identified all the alternatives he will present them publicly and solicit input from the citizenry about what path the Town should take on garbage disposal. But he declined to discuss the matter until he has finished gathering information.
Highway
Highway Superintendent Ray Harrison said his new truck, a 2012 International 7500, has broken down again and it has been at Delurey’s for about a week. The truck was stalling frequently with what Harrison believed was an electrical problem, but he didn’t have any word yet on when the truck could be repaired. He said the truck is still on the extended warranty that the Town bought so the repairs will not be a financial problem for the Town.
Ethics Board Report
The Board of Ethics was asked to look into possible nepotism in Petersburgh Town government and produced a report looking into several instances where nepotism was charged. The Code of Ethics says, “Family members of a municipal employee may not serve or be hired in positions whose duties conflict or appear to conflict with the duties of the official. The Ethics Board looked at four particular situations. The first was Ben Krahforst being hired as Water District Superintendent while Siegfried Krahforst was Supervisor. The Ethics Board suggested that someone on the Town Board other than Supervisor Krahforst read the Water District reports when Superintendent Krahforst is not there to read them himself.
The second was Denise Church being on the Town Board when her husband Tim Church is Vice Chairman of the Planning Board. The Ethics Board suggested that Denise Church recuse herself when the Town Board deals with any Planning Board business.
The third matter was whether there is any conflict if Ray Harrison is Highway Superintendent and his wife Emily Harrison is Tax Collector. The Ethics Board concluded that there is no conflict there.
The final matter they took up is the question of Ray Harrison being Highway Superintendent and Steve Harrison being his Deputy and Mike Harrison being on the Highway crew. The Ethics Board said, “As they are all related and have been in their current positions for several years, it can be said that they are grandfathered into the previous code. But the Town Board should also be made aware that in the case of Raymond Harrison not fulfilling his term of office, the Town Board will hold a special election (if possible).”
Water District Report
Superintendent Ben Krahforst said three leaks were found this month. Two were shut off at the roadside curb shutoff because they were vacant buildings, and one was repaired by the homeowner on his property. Before the leaks were found, the Town was using about 30,000 gallons per day, and since they have been repaired, it is using between 17,000 and 18,000 gallons per day. Krahforst also said he can’t get the generator started so it will have to be looked at.
Building Code
New Building Inspector Martin Conboy asked the Board to bring the Building Code up to date. He said the Petersburgh law is less restrictive than “the State Code which I follow.” He said local codes can be more restrictive than State Code but cannot be less restrictive. The Board agreed to bring the Building Code up to date, but they must hold a public hearing before doing so.
Handicap Accessibility
The Town has received a letter from David Alderman asking it to make improvements to the accessibility of the Town Hall and the Veterans Memorial Hall. He said the entryway sidewalk is uneven, and the elevator in the Town Hall makes loud noises. Supervisor Krahforst said the Town could not afford to pour a new sidewalk at the front entry, but he asked Ray Harrison to fix the uneven concrete sections of the sidewalk, which was done the next morning. Krahforst said the elevator in the Town Hall works fine; it just makes a lot of noise, which can’t be helped.
Other Matters
Krahforst said the Town received a letter from its insurance agent, Lee Pollock, saying that the Town had a gap in its insurance coverage in the area of Employers Liability, and it could be fixed with an additional policy costing $1,263 per year. Krahforst said this was a surprise and there is nothing in the budget for this. The Board agreed to consult the Town Attorney before making a decision on what to do about this.
The Board will be seeking bids next month for sand and gravel suppliers and for the mowing of Town properties and cemeteries.
Krahforst did have one piece of good news. He said the State funding for CHIPS highway aid has been increased by about $40 million statewide and Petersburgh will be getting $9,903 in additional aid for road improvements.[/private]