Citizens for an Informed Yorktown

 

Town Board

February 19, 2013

 

 

1. Fluoridation

Councilman Paganelli reported that he will be meeting with the consulting engineering firm to review options for the new fluoride system at the Catskill treatment plant.  He said his goal was to install a new system that would last more than 10 years. He also expressed some concern that the new system would cost more money than originally thought, but he did not specify any numbers.  Whether the new equipment will be housed in a separate building will be determined by the engineers.

 

2. Courtesy of the Floor

a. Election campaign equipment. Gregory Krasov discussed equipment that would enable candidate campaign literature to be viewed by blind people. He asked that candidates voluntarily use the equipment which he hopes to sell. Town Clerk Roker said that voting equipment for disabled was selected by the county Board of Elections.

 

b. Emergency notification system. Susan Siegel (the person writing this summary) asked questions about the status of the Town’s emergency notification system that was used earlier in the month. The Supervisor did not respond to her questions.

 

3. Public hearing  regulating self storage facilities in C-1 commercial zones

The Board voted 5-0 to adopt the proposed “cross reference” amendment to  the recently enacted amendment, with the additional change that the facility could be open until 11pm so that the closing time was consistent with another section of the Zoning Code.

 

During the hearing, former Planning Director Ray Arnold argued that the existing code was “convoluted” and that instead of the requirements controlling self storage in C-1 zones referring the reader to another section of the Code (self storage facilities in industrial zones), it made more sense to have all the requirements in one section of the Code.  In response, current Planning Director Tegeder and Town Attorney Koster said that the change could be made either way but that it was a conscious choice on the part of staff to make the cross reference rather than repeat redundant text. Mr. Arnold noted that some of the requirements in a C-1 zone were different from those in the M zones, and everyone agreed that there were no more M zones in the Code (they are now “I” zones, for industrial uses.

 

As part of the discussion, it was generally agreed that the entire Town Code needed to be updated, a process that Supervisor Grace called a “monumental task” that he hoped to begin in the next few months.  He said that when he speaks to potential developers, he tells them not to look at the Code but rather tell him what they want. Mr. Tegeder said he was already working on changes to the industrial zone sections of the zoning code. Mr. Arnold said that he had already done some work identifying sections of the entire Town Code in need of review/amending.

 

4. Personnel

a. Appointment:  Paula giGiglio was appointed assistant court clerk at a salary of $48,485. Ms. Giglio has been working at the position on a provisional basis for a year and a half pending the civil service exam.

 

b. Resignation: The Board accepted the resignation of Michael Almonti , a laborer in the Parks & Recreation Department.

 

5. Bid awards

a. Highway truck: The Board voted 4-0-1 to award a bid to Diehl & Sons, dba New York Freightliner, for $119,181 for the purchase of a single axle truck chassis and stainless steel cross memberless body.  Councilman Patel abstained from voting on the grounds that he hadn’t been given sufficient information about whether the truck was a “want” or a “need.”  When Supervisor Grace and Councilman Murphy said that the truck was needed to replace a vehicle that was no longer safe, they suggested Councilman Patel visit the Highway Department and look for himself at the truck that had a hole in it. In response, Councilman Patel said he had received an email  advising him he wasn’t welcome in the garage. Councilman Paganelli added that it was up to Board members to gather information about what equipment was needed; it wasn’t the department head’s responsibility to provide the information to Board members.

 

b. Turf tiger zero turn lawn mower. Five bids were received for the lawn mower and Councilman Murphy wanted to award the bid to Rich’s Quality Lawnmower  Service, a local company whose bid was $20.72 more than the lowest bid from Ossining Lazn Mower Service.  When Town Attorney Koster said she’d like to provide the board with advice in an executive session  prior to taking a vote, the Board waived confidentiality and she proceeded to advise the Board that the “best value” procurement law passed last year did not apply and there  was no justification for not awarding the bid to the lowest bidder.  Initially, the Board said it would postpone the vote until it had more information, but after Parks & Rec Superintendent Brian Gray advised Councilman Paganelli in a phone conversation that the mower was serviced in house and that distance wasn’t an issue, the Board voted 4-1 to award the bid to the lowest bidder. Councilman Murphy voted no.

 

c. Turn grass collection mower. Without any discussion, the Board awarded the bid to Precision Mower & Power Equipment, for $13,500, the lowest of seven bids.

 

6. Selected Resolutions  (passed unanimously)

a. YCCC: A 2013 lease at the YCCC for the Bright Beginnings Pre-School Learning Center

 

b. NY-NJ Trail Conference.  A Memorandum of Understanding that provides for the Conference to continue its work  planning, developing, maintaining and protecting of the trails on Town-owned land.

c. Litigation. In an item not on the agenda, and at the very end of the meeting, the Board voted to hire the Town’s outside labor counsel, Bond, Schoeneck & King, to represent the Town in litigation. After the Board quickly voted to adjourn the meeting without a second Courtesy of the Floor, which was not shown on the agenda, the Board was asked “what litigation” and a Board member explained that it was the lawsuit filed by two police officers who cared for the police dogs.