Town Board

September 3, 2019

Absent: Alice Roker

CLOSED SESSION

Personnel: Highway Department

REGULAR SESSION

1. Announcements

Unpaid taxes: The town has initiated foreclose proceedings for property owners owing a total of $2.95 million in unpaid county, school and town taxes.

Fire inspections: The town is considering hiring a part time fire inspector after an investigation following the failure of an alarm to sound when a sprinkler was activated.

Hallocks Mill Sewer extension: Supervisor Gilbert said he hoped the petition to create the new sewer district would be circulated in the fall.

2. Appointments and resignations

Parks & Recreation; James Martorano Jr was appointed Superintendent of Parks and Recreation and Christopher Soi resigned as recreation supervisor.

Highway: a laborer was appointed

3. Courtesy of the Floor

Hilltop Service Station: Mark Lieberman reminded the board, for the third time, about the requirement that the property owner install additional trees. He said that when he raised the issue in the spring, Councilman Lachterman advised him that the planting would have to wait until the fall.

Ivy Knoll Playground. A resident thanked the board for the improved condition of the playground but altered the board to the continuing signs of drug abuse in the park. In response, Supervisor Gilbert said he would ask the new superintendent of parks and recreation to look into the issue which has been a long standing problem. One possibility was installing signs indicating that the area was under video surveillance.

Jefferson Valley rezoning. In response to a question about when the applicant would return to the Town Board with additional information about the proposed multi family development, Supervisor Gilbert explained that the project was applicant driven and that it was up to the applicant’s own timetable to provide the information requested by the board.   Questions were also raised about whether there was a market for the rental units in Yorktown.

Tree Law. Concerned about the delay in preparing a revised version of a new tree law, Elise Graham, speaking for Advocates for a Better Yorktown, said she hoped the issue would be taken up at the next work session so that a public hearing could be scheduled on the new version. In response, Supervisor Gilbert and Town Attorney Abbate said that staff was working on a revised draft but that the agenda for the September 10 work session was already filled; the next work session will be September 24.

McDonald’s upgrade. (See Planning Board, 8-12-2019.) In a matter currently before the Planning Board, Howard Frank raised questions about the Fire Advisory Board’s request and that the applicant to install a fire hydrant on the property as part of the upgrade.  Councilman Diana said he would be meeting with the Fire Board to discuss the issue.

4. Public hearing on no parking on Commerce Street

The board opened and closed a hearing and approved an amendment to the Vehicles and Traffic law banning parking on both sides of Commerce Street between Starbucks and the Fire House.  As explained during the hearing, it appeared that prohibiting parking on that portion of the street was an oversight.  All speakers at the hearing supported the ban for safety reasons.  Highway Superintendent Paganelli explained that the ban would be enforced with a combination of signs, possibly painting the curb and issuing traffic tickets.

5. Selected resolutions

Budget transfers for Water Department:  $10,000 to purchase additional water meters and $10,500 to cover overtime.  The funds were transferred from other budget lines.

Budget transfers for Parks Department: $7,578 for the purchase of cab utility vehicle and $8,651 to purchase a dump trailer. Both transfers were from the departments’ “parks contractual” line.

ACCC rental fee. Waived the rental fee for the gym for the American Red Cross blood drive during the October street fair.