by David Flint
There were no reports of murdered pigs. The Supervisor had no run-ins with bears. There were no accusations of malfeasance, misfeasance or nonfeasance. It was just business as usual at the Stephentown Town Board on Monday evening, October 20. “We’re just boring here in Stephentown,” said one member of the Board, greeting this reporter. [private]It’s true, over the past five years the Town Board has pretty much just attended to business without much controversy, in contrast to some other towns in the area. If things are not all that interesting, maybe that’s a good thing?
The Budget
The Board has started considering the 2015 Budget. “It’s going to be a real challenge this year to stay within the 2% cap,” said Town Supervisor Larry Eckhardt. Although the price of diesel fuel has come down slightly over the summer, Eckhardt said that the overall costs of fuel and electricity and asphalt have been way up this year. Required contributions to the State Retirement System have turned out to be substantially higher than what was budgeted. Social Security payments are up too. Then there are bridges that need repairs or replacement. The Board at this meeting paid bills totaling almost $178,000 for the bridge on Bert Hager Road that crosses a dried up brook. Most of that they hope to be reimbursed from FEMA, but the cost to the Town will still be about $40,000, and other bridges are on the list for attention.
The Board passed a resolution setting a public hearing on the 2015 Preliminary Budget for Monday, November 3, at 6:30 pm. It is expected the Preliminary Budget will be adopted at the regular meeting on Monday, November 17. It must be turned in to the County by November 20.
Transfer Station
Eckhardt said the Transfer Station is one of the few encouraging notes in the budget outlook as it is beginning to show some promise in getting costs under control. Councilman Bill Jennings confirmed that the Transfer Station expenses and receipts are well within the amounts estimated in this year’s budget. The facility still runs a deficit, but it’s about $50,000 now versus 70 to 80 thousand just three years ago. The increases in fees for garbage bags and for dumping construction & demolition waste has helped. Jennings said the increases have not caused any fall-off in customers.
There is more that can be done but that awaits the end of the current contract with the Eastern Rensselaer County Solid Waste Management Authority (ERCSWMA) in October of next year. Jennings said the Board would prefer to go it alone without ERCSWMA, but it is willing to negotiate if more reasonable rates can be had from the Authority. He noted that the Town of Berlin’s transfer station will soon be negotiating a new hauling contract. Whatever new hauling fees they come up with will be of interest to Stephentown, and whether ERCSWMA can lower their fees to match will be a question to be considered. “We will be looking hard at all the options,” Eckhardt said, “including curbside pickup.
Who Owns This Dump?
In a curious twist, it turns out that the Town may not own one of the 24 acres that the Transfer Station sits on. A resolution they now passed seeks to remedy that. Apparently a one acre parcel at the entrance to the facility is under someone else’s ownership and is now scheduled to be taken by the County for unpaid taxes. Transfer Station Attendant Agnes Hoffman noticed a handbill to that effect posted on a tree.
The resolution requests that the County transfer the lot to the Town after the County takes over the title, and it authorizes payment to the County in the amount of the taxes owed. Eckhardt said that the property will definitely be surveyed to determine ownership, but the Board wanted to be on record requesting the transfer in the event that it is proved that ownership of the parcel is in another name and the parcel is in fact being sold for taxes.
Roads And Signs
There was general agreement that new road surfaces on Routes 22 and 43 as well as Newton Road and other Town roads have made for a much more pleasant driving experience. Paula Dibble asked where are the signs welcoming people to Stephentown. Some lamented the fact that all of the old signs that once welcomed people to the “Only Stephentown On Earth” have been stolen. It would probably do no good to try replacing them again, but attractive welcome signs less enticing to thieves could be designed. Tom Quimby also suggested historical markers for noteworthy sites. Eckhardt said he would look into it.
School For Entrepreneurs
Nick Malnati, a Stephentown resident, business consultant and CEO of North Star Analytics, informed the Board that he would like to lead a project that would provide mentoring for entrepreneurs seeking to start up a new business. He said he was looking around for a building to house the non-profit venture. One of the locations he will be considering is the former Stephentown Elementary School.
Snowplowing Contract Awarded
Two bids were received on the contracts for snow removal at the Transfer Station and the Town Hall. Jacob Frederick of Pittsfield asked $125 for plowing the Transfer Station and $55 for plowing, sidewalk shoveling and salting at the Town Hall. Terry Sykes of Stephentown wanted $135 for the Transfer Station and $60 for the Town Hall.
After some discussion the Board unanimously decided to award the contracts to Terry Sykes. Comments included that they preferred to keep the money local, that Sykes has done a good job of plowing at the Library, the Fire Station and elsewhere in town that he has good references, that he has multiple vehicles and equipment for accomplishing the job and that it is convenient to have someone close by.
Assessment Settlement
The Board authorized settlement of a property tax dispute allowing the assessment of a property owned by James G. Doyle to be changed to a value of $167,400. Settlement discussions commenced following Doyle’s starting a tax certiorari proceeding challenging his assessment. The actual form of the settlement agreement must be approved by the attorney for the Town in consultation with Tom MacVeigh, the Town Assessor.
MacVeigh noted that according to law the Assessor is always right, unless proven wrong. It is the function of the Board of Assessment Review (BAR), he said, to sit in judgement in the case of a conflict between the Assessor and a taxpayer. The BAR reviews the assessment and can recommend a lower assessment.
There are two vacant positions on the Board of Assessment Review, one expiring on September 30, 2018, and the other expiring September 30, 2019. The Board passed a resolution authorizing the Town Clerk to advertise for these positions.
MacVeigh said that the BAR normally meets only one day a year. The number of assessments challenged have for a number of years been only one or none, but this year was the busiest ever. Next year, he said, due to the planned full revaluation, the BAR might meet for a full week.
Energy Program
Eckhardt reported that the NYS Association of Towns will be providing a Municipal Energy Program, a sort of buyers group for purchasing electricity. He said he would look into the rates. He noted that the Town’s bill for street lights alone, 33 of them, comes to over $600 per month.
Deposits & Spending
The Town Clerk turned over the sum of $1,842.61 to the Supervisor for the month of September. The distribution from the Office of the State Comptroller, Justice Court Fund was $1,317. The Transfer Station deposited a total $7,165.
The Board audited and approved claims in the amount of $11,573.19 from the General Fund and $299,728.36 from the Highway Account.
The Board set a public hearing on the 2015 Budget for Monday, November 3, at 6:30 pm, its next workshop meeting for Monday, November 10, at 7 pm and its next regular meeting for Monday, November 17, also at 7 pm.[/private]