Citizens for an Informed Yorktown

Town Board

April 2, 2013

1. Announcements

Arbor Day. The Town’s third annual Arbor Day celebration will be Friday, April 26 at 4pm at the Patriot Garden.

Battle of Yorktown.  The annual Town clean-up will be Saturday, April 20. Residents interested in participating should contact the Refuse and Recycling Department at 245-4438.

Electronics recycling:  The Refuse & Recycling Department (formerly Department of Environmental Conservation) has scheduled specific dates when electronic equipment such as TVs and computers can be brought to the department’s office behind the police station instead of being put out with the bulk trash. Contact the department at 245-4438 for the dates, or check the Town’s web site.

2. Courtesy of the Floor

Garbage collection. Ann Kutter and George Hansen expressed separate concerns about problems they were experiencing with the kitchen trash collection. Ms. Kutter said that while the service started out okay, it was getting worse. She cited the company’s failure to pick up all the recyclables that have been left by the roadside. Mr. Hansen expressed concern that when he called the Refuse and Recycling Department with a complaint, the phone message automatically directed him to Competition Carting and he wanted to know how the Town was keeping track of complaints if they weren’t being received by town employees.

In response to both comments, Supervisor Grace acknowledged that there have been glitches since the new company took over but that they have been and are being addressed.  He said his office has been receiving complaints.  He said that part of the problem was that some residents weren’t used to putting their garbage out by 6am which is the requirement of the new company who has a different pick up schedule than the previous carter. Also, Competition Carting picks up recyclable differently, using two trucks instead of the one that the former carter used. Part of the problem, he added, was the requirements of Westchester County regarding comingling of different recyclables which he said needed to changed.

Kim Angliss Gage, head of the Refuse and Recycling Department explained that while the department’s automated message advised residents with garbage issues to contact Competition Carting directly, she said that if the person stayed on the line, they would be connected to a town employee who would take down their name and address and that this information would be forwarded to Town Board members so that they could keep track of complaints.  She also said that January and February recycling disposal reports from the County’s facilities showed no change from previous years.

Dunning Drive tree.  In response to Ed Ciffone’s concern about a “leaning” live tree that he said should be taken down for safety reasons, Highway Superintendent DiBartolo said that as the tree has withstood several storm events and the Town’s arborist has determined that it is not a hazard, his department would not take down a live tree.

3. Holland Sporting Club

In a dialogue that became contentious at times, Highway Superintendent DiBartolo criticized Councilman Patel for raising the issue about the demolition debris and Councilman Paganelli, reading from the March, 2013 DEC Notice of Violation, said that the only issue was that the Town was clearing debris without a permit.  He said the debris was not hazardous. Supervisor Grace added that the highway department workers were at the site for two days and has  “pulled out some wood debris.”   Mr. DiBartolo said that the work was finished and that he would be contacting the DEC.

When Councilman Patel asked why he hadn’t been informed about the Notice when  the town first received it, Mr. DiBartolo said he had just sent a copy of the Notice to the Supervisor that day and the Supervisor’s  assistant confirmed that Patty Cole, a highway department worker, had hand delivered a copy to the Supervisor’s office that day.

Councilman Murphy also said that the Notice was not a violation, but just the need for a permit and he reminded Councilman Patel that there were no buried oil tanks on the site.

Councilman Patel also expressed concern for the safety of town employees, noting that they had not been wearing the required protective gear when he had visited the site.  There was no response to this comment.

The  Board considered the issue of the debris removal closed.

4. Boniello rezoning public hearing

The Board unanimously approved a resolution amending the 1991 resolution that keeps the R-2 rezoning intact but eliminates the conditions regarding affordable housing and a sewer connection.

Prior to the vote, former town Planning Director Ray Arnold called the rezoning, which would allow a total of 6 units, spot zoning and he noted that there was no record of the 1991 rezoning local law although the zoning map had been changed to reflect the R-2 status.

5. Selected Resolutions (passed unanimously)

a. Police cars. Authorized the Police Department to purchase 3 cars. Funds are in the 2013 budget.

b. Sale of surplus vehicles and equipment.  Accepted the auction prices for 13 surplus items for a total of $12,942.

c. Personnel. Accepted the resignation of Paula Giglio as Assistant Court Clerk who has hired in February, 2013.