Town Board

May 14, 2019

CLOSED SESSION

Personnel: Human Resources, Police

Litigation and negotiations

OPEN SESSION

1. Traffic lights

Highway Superintendent Paganelli reported that the traffic light at Verterans Road and Commerce Street has been replaced at a cost of $29,000 and that he will be returning to the board for a $61,000 budget transfer to fund the new light at Moseman and Hanover.  The latter light is more expensive because the installation requires a new pole, controller and wiring.  The cost cannot be covered by insurance.

2. Drainage

Mr. Paganelli thanked the board for its vote last week to transfer $30,000 for drainage projects, roughly doubling the amount in the department’s budget line. Using a piece of a corroded drainage pipe to illustrate his point, he said that when the aging pipes under the road break, they cause the road to collapse and that he was trying to keep up with the need to replace the pipes before they failed.

3. The Weyant/Route 202/Reconvened Public hearing

After the applicant made a presentation of the plan, two homeowners from Hamblyn Street voiced their objection to the change in the configuration of the Hamblyn access recommended by the Planning Board. In response, the members of the Town Board appeared inclined to support the residents’ opinion and keep the access as originally designed.  In response to questions about the landscaping at the rear of the proper5ty, Mr Riina clarified issues regarding keeping some of the existing trees and installing a 6’ fence.   

In response to questions about the timing of changes to Route 202, especially as it related to the progress of the Roma Building,  Mr. Riina explained that currently the DOT is only considering The Weyant and that the widening of Route 202 along the Weyant property would take place without regard to what happens with the Roma Building.

In response to other questions, Mr. Riina said that there was capacity at the sewage treatment plant for 23 additional units, that there was ample room on site for piles of snow and that the plan’s traffic study had factored in traffic on Hallocks Mill road.

In response to Mr. Riina’s comment that household garage would be collected at each of the 23 units, a resident noted that this was the first time that refuse collection practices had been raised as part of the site plan and asked for clarification on how the units would be charged for the town service. CouncilwomAN Roker said the issue had to be looked into.

Responding to questions about the status of the Roma Building application, Supervisor Gilbert said that the applicant is currently trying to line up additional off-site parking.

The board closed the hearing and approved a  SEQRA Negative Declaration resolution that paves the way for the applicant to submit the plans to the DEP.

4.  Police Department/ Highway  radio systems

(See Town Board, 4-23-2019.) Representatives of Metrocom (Motorola) made a presentation on their system to upgrade the Police Department’s radio from analog to digital service, and also upgrade radio communications for Highway and other town vehicles used for snow plowing.

5. Energize New York

(See Town Board 12-11-2018.)  A representative of Energize New York returned to the board to discuss the group’s new Open C-Pace program that addresses the town’s earlier concern that it would be liable to pay off the loan if the property didn’t. Under the new program, the lender assumes that responsibility and the town has no administrative or financial involvement or risk. A local law is needed, however, because of the way the law is written.   The board was assured that there was no downside or risk to the town to making this low financing tool available to commercial properties to upgrade the energy component of their properties; board members appeared to accept this response. The town attorney will review the model law provided by Energize New York and may schedule another work session discussion before scheduling a public hearing on the law.

6. PanBar Realty/Aspen Road

(See Planning Board 4-8-2019.) The board agreed with the planning director and town attorney that in order to proceed, the applicant will need a variance to construct a house  that doesn’t have frontage on an improved road; Mr. Abbate advised the board that frontage on a “paper road” was not acceptable.  While the applicant was not present for the discussion, Councilman Diana left the door open for the applicant to come before the board so that it could hear from both parties.

7. Historical Society use of Nutrition Center

With no one there to answer questions about the issue, the item was tabled.

8. Selected resolutions

DEC consent order. In an item not on the agenda, the board authorized the supervisor to sign a consent order with the DEC over violations involving Lee and Hill Boulevards and the force main on Farmwalk.All three lcoations are within the Peekskill Sanitary Sewer District. As part of the settlement, the town’s sewer districts that are part of the Peekskill system will pay the $30,000 fine.

Outside legal counsel. In an item not on the agenda, the board voted to hire an outside law firm at a cost of $210/hour to handle a legal issue that the town’s current legal counsel can’t handle due to a conflict of interest. 

Enrichment Center. The board approved the terms of use for the group’s after school program at the ACCC for 2019-2010 at a cost of $5,500.