Town Board
May 12, 2020
1. Appointments/Resignations
· Conservation Board: Appointed Justin Pruyne.
· Recreation Commission: Appointed John Campobasso as a regular member and Thomas Dunn as the alternate. (Note: this is the reverse of what was listed in the agenda.)
· Zoning Board. Anthony Tripodi, a former member of the board, was appointed again.
· ABACA: Mark Connelly resigned after serving on the board for 25 years.
2. Teatown/Public hearing for general maintenance wetlands permit
(See Town Board 2-25-2020.) The permit, which is good for five years, will cover the currently proposed work to repair a dam, dredge a wetland and use a specific herbicide to remover an invasive species. There were no public comments and the advisory boards all supported the application. In response to Councilman’s Lachterman’s suggestion that some of the dredged soil could be used on a Huntebrook Road athletic field, the applicant advised the board that because the dredged soil will contain seeds of invasive plants, it is being considered toxic and will be disposed of as if it were contaminated soil. The hearing was closed and the board will review the proposed approving resolution.
3. Old Logging Road/Public hearing on wetlands and stormwater permits
(See Town Board 2-25-2020.) There were no public comments. The advisory boards were supportive of the application and the applicant agreed to move the temporary stockpile of soil as suggested by the Planning Board. The hearing was closed and the board will likely vote on the approving resolution at its next meeting.
4. Financial update
Town Comptroller Patricia Caporale advised the board that based on current projections, sales tax revenue may come in at $2.5 million less than budgeted and mortgage tax revenue $500,000 less. Revenue from court fines is also expected to come in under budget projections. The town collected 90% of the April taxes that were due. The town has no plans to furlough any employees and will do all it can to prevent that from happening in the future.
The release of the annual audit has been delayed pending a required confirmation from a lawyer.
5. Par 3 golf course/Shallow Creek update
Park Superintendent James Martorano advised the board that the operator of the planned golf course was close to finalizing the documents that have to be submitted to the DEC. No work can proceed on the golf course until the DEC has issued the required permit. While the operator is responsible for preparing the documents and securing the permit, because the site is town owned land, the town was issued the violation notice for not having the permit. The operator will have to submit his plans to the town for review and sign off before they are submitted to the DEC. In response to Mr. Tegeder’s comments about the need for the operator to get Planning Board approval for the restaurant’s parking plan, the operator advised the board that he would returning to the Planning Board shortly.
6. Monarch butterfly migration
Greg Brown discussed a multi-faceted plan he has been working on in conjunction with the Garden Club, Teatown and other organizations to make Yorktown a “Monarch Butterfly Friendly Town.” After outlining a series of proposed measures that would track the butterflies and encourage the planting of butterfly friendly plants, he was advised that given the town’s financial situation, the board was not ready to make any commitments towards funding any of the possible initiatives. The board advised Mr. Brown to prioritize his plans before returning to the board and Councilwoman Roker suggested that Mr. Brown look into soliciting donations.
7. Featherbed Lane subdivision/ sewer line
Mr. Quinn advised the board that he hasn’t been able to touch base with the county Health Department about the town’s proposed solution to the low pressure sewer line. In the meantime, he is continuing to work with the town attorney and Planning Department on proposed amendments to the town’s sewer code to include provisions for low pressure lines.
8. Herbicide use in town parks
Park Superintendent James Martorano advised the board that the town only used organic herbicides in town parks. No pesticides. He will present a plan to the board on how his department plans to notify residents when the applications are made, including posting something on the town web site and also posting signs at the appropriate sites.