Regular Town Board Meeting Minutes Halcott Grange June 20, 2022, 6:00 pm
Present: Deputy Supervisor Alan Reynolds,Town Councilmember Judy DiBenedetto, Town Clerk Patricia Warfield.
Call to order at 6:00 pm with the Pledge of Allegiance.
Deputy Alan Reynolds duly notes that due to the lack of members to have a quorum, a special Town Board Meeting will be held on June 27, 2022, 6:00 pm.
Meeting Adjourned at 6:01 pm.
Regular Town Board Meeting Minutes Halcott Grange
May 16, 2022
Present: Town Supervisor Innes Kasanof, Council members Alan Reynolds, Judy DiBenedetto, Eric Fronckowiak, Samantha Bouton, Highway Superintendent Russell Bouton, Town Clerk Pattie Warfield, Budget Officer Paul Tamaccio, Assessor Mark Neves. ZBA Chair Karen Rauter. MTC: Glen Faulkner, Cambria Tallman. Public: Paul and Sybil Margaritis, Scott Moroff, Ida Piperisova, Sheri Reynolds.
Call to order at 6:00 pm with the Pledge of Allegiance.
The Public Hearing for MTC presentation on Renewal of Franchise was opened at 6:07 pm by Town Supervisor Innes Kasanof: Every Town in which MTC provides cable television services for must have a franchise agreement with MTC. It has been 10 years since the initial franchise agreement was signed. A public hearing is required to allow the public a chance to voice any concerns they may have. The only changes to the new franchise agreement are some insurance wordings as per the department of public service and that this franchise agreement will be in effect for 15 years as allowed by the department of public service. The Board will need to pass a resolution authorizing the Town Supervisor to sign the franchise agreement on behalf of the Town of Halcott, which the Board will look to do at the June 20th Regular Town Board Meeting. Public meeting closed at 6:13 pm by Supervisor Innes Kasanof..
Approval of the minutes of the April 18, 2022, meeting: Motion to approve by Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto, 2nd by Councilman Eric Fronckowiak, Councilman Alan Reynolds: aye, Councilwoman Samantha Bouton: aye. Town Supervisor Innes Kasanof: aye.
Assessor Mark Neves presented his 2021 annual report to the Board.
Highway Superintendent’s Report: (A) The Town will receive $50,821.58 CHIPS funding, $13,298.82 PAVE NY funding, and $11,980.53 EWR (Extreme Weather Recovery) funding.
(B) In addition to the CHIPS, PAVE NY, and EWR funding for road maintenance and repair, the State of NY has enacted a new Pave Our Pothole (POP) Program of which $8,865.87 has been apportioned for Halcott. The reimbursement requirements for POP are the same the CHIPS, PAVE NY, and EWR programs, the Town must first pay for the repair and maintenance work done on town roads and then submit those expenditures for reimbursement. (C) The Highway Department has been pushing to get the roads ready for June paving, there is some concern that material costs will continue to rise and, by getting receipts to the State early, the Town will receive early reimbursement. Highway Superintendent Bouton informed the board that a section of Silas Lake Road needs substantial repair, the highway department would like to tear out the damaged portion of road, lay down road fabric, #3 stone and then crusher run to reestablish a good road base for topping in 2023.
Finance Chair Report: Supervisor Innes Kasanof and Budget Officer Paul Tamaccio presented the finance report for April.
Voucher Vote: General Abstract #G0522 – vouchers 75 – 80 = $1,192.79. Highway Abstract #H0522 – vouchers 81 – 90 = $19,624.54. Motion to pay bills by Councilwoman Samantha Bouton, 2nd by Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto, Councilman Alan Reynolds: aye, Councilman Eric Fronckowiak: aye, Town Supervisor Innes Kasanof: aye.
Town Clerk’s Report: Transfer Station/March: $112.00, Subdivision: $100.00, Dog License: (1) spay @ $5.00, 1 no spay @ $10.00, BP Renewal (2): 1 @ $50.00, 1 @ $100.00, Demo Permit: $25.00. The Town collected and disbursed $402.00 for the month of April.
Other Business: (A) Land Use Code Update: Everything is moving forward towards the first LUC meeting, with plans to have Zoom set up and ready to go. Karen Rauter is hopeful that members of the Planning Board and Town Board will be able to attend the first LUC committee meeting, if not in person then perhaps by Zoom. (B) The Chairman of the Greene County Legislature has asked the Town of Halcott to consider adopting a Local Law to opt out of tax exemptions for alternate energies. This opt out law would apply to commercial entities only and would have no bearing on residential properties. Certain State laws give Towns the option to participate or not. Greene County feels it is imperative to adopt a local opt out law to ensure these future tax dollars for the Town.
Public Comment: (A)Paul Margaritis asked Highway Superintendent Bouton if the work on Silas Lake Rd. takes place now, would the stone then be plowed up during snow plowing this winter and then need to be put down again in the spring. Both Highway Superintendent Bouton and Councilman Alan Reynolds assured Paul that this was the proper way to proceed with the road repair. (B) Paul Margaritis asked if there is an objective for the Land Use Code Update. Supervisor Kasanof explained that the land use code is best served if updated regularly and the Code Enforcement Officer wants to address some code issues he has encountered. (C) Scott Moroff asked if copies of all reports can be included in the monthly minutes. Town Clerk Pattie Warfield will check to see if they are required to be included. (D) Patty Kelder asked if signage could be posted to direct tractor trailers to the spring water bottling plant. Patty was informed that Greene County was contacted and made aware of the situation and that signs were requested. (E) Paul Margaritis asked what could be done about drivers speeding on roads in Halcott. Councilman Alan Reynolds explained that a sign used to record speeds was installed on Co. Rt. 3 and it only recorded one car over the speed limit, probably because the sign was readily visible. Councilman Reynolds will contact the Greene County Sheriffs Department to discuss. (F)Sheri Reynolds informed the board that she has contacted the Greene County Highway Department about dead trees that need to be taken down on County Highway 3 near Hubbard Rd. Highway Superintendent Russell Bouton spoke to the Greene Co. Hwy Dept. about those trees as well. With nothing done about the trees yet, Sheri stated will call again.
Next Meeting: Regular Meeting, June 20, 2022, 6:00 pm.
Motion to Adjourn: Motion to adjourn at 7:35 pm by Councilman Eric Fronckowiak, 2nd by Councilwoman Samantha Bouton, Councilman Alan Reynolds: aye, Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto: aye, Town Supervisor Innes Kasanof: aye.
Regular Town Board Meeting Minutes Halcott Grange
April 18, 2022, 6:00 pm
Present: Town Supervisor Innes Kasanof, Council members Alan Reynolds, Eric Fronckowiak, Samantha Bouton, Judy DiBenedetto, Highway Superintendent Russell Bouton, Town Clerk Patricia Warfield, Webmaster Greg Beechler. ZBA Chairwoman Karen Rauter, Planning Board Member Warren Reynolds.
Call to order at 6:00 pm with the Pledge of Allegiance.
Approval of the minutes of the March 21, 2022, meeting: With the following correction: the consultant cost for the land use code update will be in the neighborhood of $5,400.00. Motion to approve by Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto, 2nd by Councilwoman Samantha Bouton, Councilman Alan Reynolds: aye, Councilman Eric Fronckowiak: aye, Supervisor Innes Kasanof: aye.
Annual Reports: Webmaster Greg Beechler presented his report. The Town was used in a scam last year; set up on Indeed were phony town jobs which led to some applicants being scammed out of money. The Town suffered no liability in this due to posting on the Town website that there were no job openings posted anywhere for the Town of Halcott. The current hosting company of the Town email domain is transitioning from free email to a paid system. There are other options and Webmaster Beechler will research additional information for the board to review and decide how to proceed.
Grange Steward Bob VanValkenbugh’s report presented by Supervisor Innes Kasanof. The repairs Grange Steward VanValkenburgh listed as needed for the Grange building is a new porch including steps and railings and to replace and paint some of the bottom siding boards. He would also rebuild the small shed behind the Grange as needed.
Highway Superintendent’s Report: (A) The price for material will carry through from last year until May 31st so the highway department will act quickly to order material for road repairs and maintenance work. (B) The Highway Department continues to work on widening the far side of Silas Lake Rd. (C) Greene County has County Route 1 up for paving in 2022, also in the works are culvert replacements on both County Rt. 1 and 3. (D) The cylinder on the Mack dump body is leaking oil, a mechanic is scheduled to come and install a new one.
Voucher vote: General Abstract #G0422 – vouchers 59 – 66 = $1,609.76. Highway Abstract #H022 – vouchers 67 – 74 = $5,904.07. Motion to pay bills by Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto, 2nd by Councilman Eric Fronckowiak, Councilman Alan Reynolds: aye, Councilwoman Samantha Bouton: aye, Supervisor Innes Kasanof: aye.
Budget Officer’s Report: (A) Supervisor Innes Kasanof presented the monthly finance report.
Clerk’s Report: Certified Transcript: $10.00, Grange Rental (local) $50.00, Building Permit: $75.00, BP Renewal: $185.00, C/O Search: 2 @ $25.00 each: $50.00, Transfer Station/February: $150.00. The Town collected and disbursed $520.00 for the month of March.
Other Business: (A) Board of Assessment Review member Marta Weiss had her term end and needed to be reappointed. Motion to appoint Marta Weiss to the Board of Assessment Review by
Councilman Alan Reynolds, 2nd by Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto, Councilman Eric Fronckowiak: aye, Councilwoman Samantha Bouton: aye, Supervisor Innes Kasanof: aye. (B) The Board continues the process of appointing members to the Land Use Code Update committee. At the March Town Board Meeting, the board discussed sharing the Land Use Code meetings live via Zoom for those who can not be present. The board has also discussed recording the Zoom meetings as well. Let the minutes show that the Town Board wishes to publish recorded sessions of the Land Use Code Update Meetings, to be provided through the consultants Zoom account. (C)Councilman Alan Reynolds reports that the Elk Creek Toe Cut Project is still on the table for perhaps later this year or next year.
Next Meeting: Regular Meeting, May 16, 2022, 6:00 pm.
Motion to Adjourn at 7:13 pm by Councilman Eric Fronckowiak, 2nd by Councilwoman Samantha Bouton, Councilman Alan Reynolds: aye, Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto: aye, Supervisor Innes Kasanof: aye.
Regular Town Board Meeting Minutes Halcott Grange
March 21, 2022, 6:00 pm
Present: Town Supervisor Innes Kasanof, Council members Alan Reynolds, Judy DiBenedetto, Eric Fronckowiak, Samantha Bouton, Highway Superintendent Russell Bouton, Town Clerk Patricia Warfield. Public: Ida Piperisova, Scott Moroff, Warren Reynolds, Sheri Reynolds, Karen Rauter.
Call to order at 6:00 pm with the Pledge of Allegiance.
Approval of the minutes of the February 21, 2022 meeting: Motion to approve by Councilwoman Samantha Bouton, 2nd by Councilman Eric Fronckowiak, Councilman Alan Reynolds: aye, Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto: aye, Supervisor Innes Kasanof: aye.
Highway Superintendent’s Report: (A) CHIPS reimbursement to the Town is projected to be the same as last year but that has not yet been confirmed by the State. (B) The Highway Department is planning to stone and oil 3 miles of town road this season. Due to cost instability of petroleum products, the final cost to stone and oil the roads this year this will have a direct effect on the amount of crusher run to be purchased due to unforeseen increase in costs. (C) Highway Superintendent Bouton informed the Board that the lawn tractor used to cut grass at the Grange and elsewhere is old and has become unreliable, frequently not starting when needed. The Board agrees that a new mower should be purchased. Superintendent Bouton has begun pricing replacement mowers, to get something similar in size the cost is around $3,900.00. (D) The trimmer used by the Highway Department will need to be looked at. The trimmer is also used as a pole saw and it seems that the additional use has caused the shaft to strip and become worn out. The trimmer will be looked at to see whether it is worth repairing or if as new one should be purchased. (E) The Highway Department will begin filling potholes on the Town roads.
Voucher vote: General Abstract #G0322 – vouchers 44 – 50 = $12,988.67. Highway Abstract #H0322 – vouchers 51 – 58 = $4,675.10. Motion to pay bills by Councilman Alan Reynolds, 2nd by Councilman Eric Fronckowiak, Councilwoman Samantha Bouton: aye, Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto: aye, Supervisor Innes Kasanof: aye.
Finance Chair Report: (A) Supervisor Innes Kasanof presented the monthly finance report. (B) Solid Waste Collection Review: Proceeds from dumpster rental and bag collection for 2021 was $4,777.00, the budgeted amount was $3,000.00. Payments made to Greene County for hauling and dumpster replacement totaled $7,036.75 for 2021, the budgeted amount was $5,800.00. While the Town paid $1,236 more than was budgeted, proceeds were also more than budgeted by $1,777.00. In total, the Town ended up with $541.00 for 2021. (C) The Board then had a discussion as to the inequities of how people are paying for dumping their garbage at the Town Transfer Station. When the fee was first settled on, it was $2.00 for a regular 13-gallon kitchen bag. There are some who have been bringing in contractor size bags full of garbage and paying the $2.00 fee. With contractor bags having a 42-gallon capacity, it was decided the cost for these larger bags would be $6.00 per bag, to become effective immediately. Motion to increase the per bag dumping fee for bags larger than a 13-gallon kitchen bag to $6.00 per bag by Councilman Eric Fronckowiak, 2nd by Councilwoman Samantha Bouton, Councilman Alan Reynolds: aye, Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto: aye, Supervisor Innes Kasanof: aye.
Clerk’s Report: C/O Search: $25.00, Billy Haynes (Feb/March): $500.00, Transfer Station (Jan): $148.00. The Town collected and disbursed $673.00 for the month of February.
Other Business: (A) Land Use Code Update: Consultant Nan Stoltenberg came up with a list of steps to follow for the land use code update. She would like to have the ability to Zoom the meetings so those who can’t be physically present could see the meetings in real time on their computer, I-pad, tablet, etc. Her fee for working with the Town through the update process would be $5,400.00. The Board is working on the first step which is to appoint the ad hoc committee which will consist of: a town board member, zoning board of appeals chair Karen Rauter, planning board member Nan Reynolds, and 2 people from the public. Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto thought it would be good to have someone from the farming community on the committee. Supervisor Kasanof has had individuals who would like to be considered for the committee contact her and others have volunteered the names of individuals whom they feel would be an asset to the committee. The Board will look at those truly interested, discuss with them what being on the committee would entail and then address committee appointments at the next meeting.
Next Meeting: Regular Board Meeting, April 18, 2022, 6:00 pm.
Motion to Adjourn at 6:45 pm by Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto, 2nd by Councilwoman Samantha Bouton, Councilman Alan Reynolds: aye, Councilman Eric Fronckowiak: aye, Supervisor Innes Kasanof; aye.
Town of Halcott, Halcott Center, NY 
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