Town Board
5/19/2020
EXECUTIVE SESSION
Litigation and negotiations with assessor and town attorney
REGULAR SESSION
1. Announcements
Covid-19: See the town’s web site and/or the video of the meeting for a list of updates.
Junior Lake Pool. The pool will be closed for the 2020 season because of a construction delay issue.
2, Town revenue updates
Highway Superintendent Paganelli advised the board that the town hasn’t received its yearly CHIPS money yet. A total of $460,000 was budgeted. The money is usually received in in April.
Supervisor Slater reported that the town was notified that $150,000 in 2019 state aid to municipalities was “clawed back” in the town’s most recent sales tax payment.
3. Teatown dam repair program
(See Town Board, 5-12-2020.) The board approved the general maintenance wetland permit. Teatown is still reviewing options for how and where to dispose of the dredged soil. If the soil will be trucked out, then Teatown will work with the Highway Department so as not to inconvenience neighbors and/or damage town roads.
4. Old Logging Road/Stormwater and Tree permit
(See Town Board, 5-12-2020.) The board approved the permits.
5. Madison Court/Public hearing on stormwater and tree permit
(See Town Board 2-25-2020.) The applicant says that 11 trees are to be cut but it was noted that the trees have already been cut down. Mr. Paganelli said he would visit the site to count how many trees were cut down. This led to a discussion of whether there were any penalties in the Tree Law for having cut down trees without an approved permit. Mr. Quinn advised the board that the applicant was prepared to pay $1,700 into the Tree Fund as mitigation for the 11 cut trees and disturbance to a portion of the woodland on the site.
Susan Siegel, the person writing this summary, citing provisions in the Tree Law dealing with woodland disturbance, asked the board to adjourn the hearing so that the board could reconvene a hearing originally held in July, 2019 that would amend the Stormwater Law so that it was consistent with the Tree Law’s provisions for disturbing woodlands of 5,000-10,000 sf. While Mr. Tegeder acknowledged the need to pass the amendments, he advised the board that this application could be addressed by the Tree Law. Without addressing the issue of the Stormwater Law amendments, the board voted to adjourn the hearing but did not discuss its next steps.
6. Pan Bar, Buckhorn Street/ Public hearing on stormwater and wetland permit
The applicant plans to build a single family house on the site that would replace the previous house t that was destroyed by a fire and demolished. The parcel is all wetland and wetland buffer and has a stream in the rear. The applicant has a DEC wetlands permit. The Conservation Board raised several questions about the area of disturbance, the need for mitigation and whether one of the four trees to be removed was a specimen tree. Mr. Tegeder suggested that the house be moved closer to the road in order to leave more room for a reasonable backyard. In response to a question from Susan Siegel, the person writing this summary, it was explained that the plan did not involve any disturbance to a woodland. Ms/ Siegel did, however, remind the board that, like the Stormwater Law, the Wetlands Law needed to be amended so that it was consistent with the Tree Law. The board closed the hearing.
During Courtesy of the Floor, Mark Lieberman asked for a status report on the fluoridation project. In response, Mr. Quinn explained that construction had not stated because of New York Pause but that the contract6or was taking care of required paperwork behind the scene. He also advised the board that the state grant, which already has one extension, would expire at the end of May and that he has verbal, but not written confirmation that it will be extended again. The board, however, expressed concern over the state of New York’s finances and whether the state would reimburse the town for expenses once construction starts.
WORK SESSION
8. Reboot Yorktown
Representatives of Thompson and Bender, the firm the town hired last year to create a branding program for the town, presented an outline of a plan to encourage NYC based businesses to move to Yorktown. The plan would target businesses whose executives live in Westchester and be motivated in part by a desire of businesses to relocate their back office operations north of the City. The plan, a combination of mailings, digital ads and PR, would be carried out over three months, starting in mid-June, at a cost of $40,000. The proposal has the support of the Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Association who urged the board to move quickly and before other towns launched similar plans. While the board was concerned about the cost of the plan, it was also noted that sometimes, one has to spend money to make money. Modeled after the company’s project in Yorkers that featured the mayor in many of its outreach communications, there was some concern over whether Supervisor Slater could or should be featured in the ads which could be construed as being political and therefore not a legal use of town funds. The board said it would “digest” what it had heard and come back with a decision.
9. NYSEG/LED lights
In a follow up of a December 17, 2019 discussion, the board agreed to participate in a program with NYSEG to replace existing street lights with LED lights. Highway Superintendent Paganelli explained that while the program will cost Yorktown $19,820 for the first year (the cost of the unused life span of the existing bulbs), after that the town would save about $34,000 a year, and possibly more, as the LED lights are more efficient. The board will pass a resolution to proceed with the project next week.
10. Flag pole at Veterans Memorial Park
In response to safety concerns that the existing flag pole (close to the intersection of Veterans Road and Maple Hill Street) required walking up a grass slope that sometimes was wet, the board agreed to relocate the pole to a nearby level site. The cost is estimated at $700-$900 assuming that the parts of the existing pole can be reused.
11. Covid-19 safety changes at town buildings
Margaret Gspurning, the department head in charge of town buidlings, explained the multiple changes being made in town hall and other town buildings to create a safe environment for employees and the public who need to enter the buildings. At town hall, only the front entrance will be open and a greeter will be stationed in the lobby to assist visitors and monitor traffic on the stairs. Accomdoations will be made for disabled persons. Plexiglas is being installed in some departments.
12. Railroad Station update
Mr. Tegeder gave the board an update on the renovation plans. He anticipates that the work will be completed in a couple of weeks. While the approved plan included an alarm system to detect an open door, he is investigating a video security system. He advised the board that he suggests that a boardwalk be built along a portion of the building’s perimeter in order to protect the building’s windows sills from water damage. As the work was not included in the approved plan, additional town funds would be needed and he suggested that this could be an item for a future capital budget.
13. Covid-19 community signs
Mr. Tegeder showed mock ups of “We’re In This Together” signs thanking first responders. The signs, which wold be in the town’s hamlets, would be displayed as banners on the light poles. A second thank you sign that would include space for residents to sign their name was also shown. Supervisor Slater said he would also like to see a sign or banner congratulating the 2020 high school and college graduates. Mr. Tegeder will price out the various possibilities.
14. Featherbed Lane/Low Pressure Sewer System
Mr. Quinn advised the board that he has a meeting with the county Department of Health on Wednesday to review a draft of how the town’s sewer code would be amended to accommodate the subdivision’s low pressure sewer system. Once the DOH has commented on the draft, he will return to the board for a discussion.
15. Hallocks Mill Pump Stations
Mr. Quinn advised the board that the county Department of Health has given its approval to the changes made at the Jefferson Park and Jefferson Valley pump stations. The contractors can now complete the final work at the new stations. Once the new pump stations are operational and tested, the old pump stations can be demolished. He anticipated that the construction project could be closed out September 1st.