Citizens for an Informed Yorktown

Town Board

April 16, 2013

Pre-session open discussions

1. Sign issue/Tea Temptation

Supervisor Grace advised the Board that the owner of Tea Temptations on Route 6 in Mohegan lake wants permission for a 90 day temporary sign so that more people will be aware of his location.  He said businesses will die if the Town doesn’t do something.  When Councilman Bianco said he thought that the Town’s sign law had provisions for temporary signs, Town Clerk Roker said she would look into it.  

When Councilman Bianco said that the business had picked a “bad spot,” Councilman Paganelli said that the Town can’t be responsible for that but that the owner needed “instant relief.”  As part of the discussion, Councilman Murphy said he had problems with ABACA’s prohibition of phone numbers on signs and Supervisor Grace said there was a proliferation of signs at the Route 118/Underhill Avenue intersection. When he suggested that an ad hoc committee be formed to look into signage, Councilman Bianco said the signage issue should be put on a work session agenda.

2. Winery wetlands permit

Town Clerk Roker advised the Board that she couldn’t refer out the Winery wetlands application because Mr. DeChiaro still owed the Town $1,500. (It was not clear what this was owed for.) She said that Mr. DeChiaro had been advised of this last week.   Councilman Bianco said that the Town needed to check on the status of the Winery wetlands issue with Bruce Barber and suggested that the tentatively schedule public hearing on May  be postponed.   (Note: After the meeting,  CIY checked with the Engineering Department and learned that Mr. DeChiaro had applied for a wetlands permit on January 15, 2013 and, at the time, made a partial application fee payment of $300. The permit was not issued because he still owed $1,500.) 

3. Ethics issue

Councilman Bianco asked his fellow Board members if they had any conflicts with Mr. Ciarcia or his firm doing work for the Town or as the engineer for the Winery. Councilman Murphy said he had no problem and no one else responded to Councilman Bianco’s question.

The Board then went into closed session.

Regular Meeting

1. Parks & Recreation

During his opening announcements, Supervisor Grace talked about the previous week’s presentation about parkland and park and recreation projects. (See below.)   Referring specifically to Granite Knolls, he said that the Town would be doing a master plan for the site that should be completed within a few months.  In addition to the two full size lacrosse fields that have been seeded, the plan calls for a new 90’ baseball field  below the lacrosse fields with a new parking area.  The advantage of having a master plan, he said, was that when certain unexpected resources become available, such as the Route 202 fill, the Town will/would have a project ready to go that could utilize the resource.

He said he hoped the planned dog park at Sylvan Glen could be completed during this calendar year.

2. Tax bills

Councilman Bianco reminded residents that if they paid their taxes through their bank, they could get a free copy of their bill at the Tax Receiver’s office so that they could see exactly what they were being taxed for.   He added that while the 2013 total town tax that included special districts and other charges went down for 99% of the taxpayers, he wasn’t sure if the Board could repeat that for 2014. In response, Councilman Murphy said, “we can.”

3. Personnel

Appointed Patrica DeMarsh as a provisional senior clerk in the Building Maintenance Department at a salary of $50,170. (Ms. DeMarsh has been the part time building manager for the YCCC.)

4. Courtesy of the Floor

a. Arbor Day: Two speakers reminded the community about the Town’s  upcoming Arbor Day celebration, April 26, 4pm at Patriot Garden (off Underhill Avenue, behind the skateboard park).

b. Special district taxes. Susan Siegel (the person writing this summary) asked the Board for an update on the status of the study of how the refuse, water and Hallocks Mill sewer districts are charged for services they receive that are paid for by the general fund.  The Board did not respond to her comments,

5. Public hearing on Stony Court parking

The problem is how to stop Lakeland High School students from parking on Stony Court, a cul d’sac with six homes that have short driveways. After considering different options and getting input from three of the six homeowners and the Town’s public safety officer, the Board closed the hearing and voted to designate the first 100 feet  of the street coming from Stony Street as No Parking, and restrict parking in the cul d’sac to prohibit parking on school days between 7am-2pm.  Supervisor Grace characterized the new law as a hybrid that addressed the safety issue at the narrow entrance of the street and convenience of the residents in the wider cul d’sac.

6. Bid awards

Bid awards were approved for water district maintenance materials, T-shirts and uniforms and camp buses for the Parks & Recreation Department, dry cleaning services for police uniforms and laboratory testing  services for the Yorktown Sewer Department.

7. Selected resolutions passed unanimously

a. Authorized the comptroller and a senior account clerk to attend Finance School

b. Authorized the Supervisor to sign an agreement to provide recreational services for developmentally disabled individuals through Nor-West Regional Special Services Program.

c. Signed an agreement with Cortlandt to continue using the Roa Hook Road solid waste transfer station.

d. Put 26 surplus items highway department vehicles and equipment up for auction using Auctions International.