Regular Town Board Meeting Minutes Halcott Grange
June 21, 2021, 6:00 pm

Present: Town Supervisor Alan White, Council Member Alan Reynolds, Yukari Day, Innes Kasanof, Judy DiBenedetto, Deputy Bookkeeper Sheri Reynolds, Highway Superintendent Russell Bouton, Town Clerk, Patricia Warfield. Public: None.

Public Hearing: Local Law #1 2021, Prior Written Notice Statute: Towns Notice of Highway Defects: Town Supervisor Alan White opened the Public Hearing at 6:00 pm. Supervisor White asked the Board for comments or input, hearing none and with no public to comment closed the Public Hearing at 6:10 pm.

Call to Order at 6:11 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Approval of the minutes of the May 17, 2021 meeting: Motion to approve by Councilwoman Innes Kasanof, 2nd by Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto, Councilwoman Yukari Day: aye, Councilman Alan Reynolds: aye, Supervisor Alan White: aye.

Highway Superintendent’s Report: (A) The Highway Department will conduct an interview on Tuesday June 22, 2021 for the Highway Department job opening. (B) Stone and oil work has been completed on scheduled town roads with the help of Greene County which allowed us the use of 4 trucks, 1 loader and a flag person.

Voucher vote: General Abstract #G0621 – vouchers 83 –87, 89, 90 = $14,500.82. Highway Abstract #H0621 – vouchers 91 – 95, 88 = $10,698.61. Motion to pay bills by Councilwoman Yukari Day, 2nd by Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto, Councilwoman Innes Kasanof: aye, Councilman Alan Reynolds: aye, Supervisor White: aye.

Finance Chair Report: (A) Deputy Bookkeeper Sheri Reynolds presented the monthly finance report. (B) As requested by Supervisor White at the May 17, 2021 meeting, Finance Chair Innes Kasanof presented a Solid Waste Income and Expense report for to the Board for review. The report shows a deficit of $2,309.68, the difference between monies brought in for garbage disposal and monies paid out for dumping fees and salary paid to the Solid Waste coordinator.

Clerk’s Report: Building Permits: 1 @ 75.00, 1 @ 200.00, Building Permit fines: 1 @ 100.00, 1 @ 450.00, Transfer Station /Garbage: 178.00, Billy Haynes: 250.00, Dog License (2) unneutered: 2 @ 10.00 each. The Town collected and disbursed $1,273.00 for the month of May.

Other Business: (A) Greene County gives the town a large metal container box with holes cut into it for the collection of all recyclable materials such as cardboard, plastic, cans and glass. There are no dividers in the container which makes it nearly impossible to keep materials separated. While there have been no complaints from Greene County, it was discussed that perhaps the town should request a visit from someone to explain exactly how the county’s collection of the recycled materials works. (B) The Town has been actively looking for an attorney to fill the vacancy which occurred due to the retirement of Town Attorney Carey Wagner. To that end Supervisor White received a resume for consideration from Attorney Shawn J. Smith, which was then sent to each board member for review. Board members felt he would be a good fit for Halcott as he is now and has been the Attorney for numerous local Towns and Villages and is also employed as the Chief Assistant District Attorney for

Delaware County. Mr. Smith limits his practice to municipal law due to his obligations to the District Attorney’s Office. Motion to appoint Shawn J. Smith to the position of Town Attorney by Councilwoman Innes Kasanof, 2nd by Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto, Councilwoman Yukari Day: aye, Councilman Alan Reynolds: aye, Supervisor Alan White: aye. (C) The Town was informed that their request for funding from D.C.S.W for culvert replacement on Townsend Hollow Rd. and the mudslide on the Elk Creek Rd toe cut was denied. These are problem areas identified in the Local Flood Analysis. The Town will now submit paperwork seeking funding from the new Flood Hazard Mitigation Program. This may be a better fit as projects are not open to review and requests are seldom denied. Motion to have the Town Board accept responsibility as the Flood Commission for the Town of Halcott by Councilman Alan Reynolds, 2nd by Councilwoman Yukari Day, Councilwoman Innes Kasanof: aye, Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto: aye, Supervisor Alan White: aye.

Next Meeting: Regular Town Board Meeting Monday July 19, 2021, 6:00 pm.

Motion to Adjourn at 6:40 p.m. by Councilwoman Innes Kasanof, 2nd by Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto, Councilman Yukari Day: aye, Councilman Alan Reynolds: aye, Supervisor Alan White: aye.

Regular Town Board Meeting Minutes Halcott Grange
April 19, 2021, 6:00 pm

Present: Town Supervisor Alan White, Council Member Alan Reynolds, Yukari Day, Innes Kasanof, Judy DiBenedetto, Deputy Bookkeeper Sheri Reynolds, Highway Superintendent Russell Bouton, Town Clerk, Patricia Warfield. Public: Scott Moroff.

Call to Order at 6:00 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Approval of the minutes of the February 22, 2021 meeting: Motion to approve by Councilwoman Innes Kasanof, 2nd by Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto, Councilman Alan Reynolds: aye, Councilwoman Yukari Day: aye, Supervisor Alan White: aye.

Approval of the minutes of the March 15, 2021 meeting: Motion to approve by Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto, 2nd by Councilwoman Innes Kasanof, Supervisor Alan White: aye. Abstain: Councilwoman Yukari Day, Councilman Alan Reynolds.

Highway Superintendent’s Report: (A) While the Town was using the rented chipper to see if the machine was something the Highway Department wanted to purchase, the radiator stopped working. The company picked up the machine, fixed what was wrong and the chipper is once again here in Halcott. Highway Superintendent Bouton is happy with the chipper’s capabilities and Supervisor White asked board members for a motion to accept the bid price of $23,700 and purchase the chipper. Motion to accept the chipper bid price and purchase the machine by Councilman Alan Reynolds, 2nd by Councilwoman Innes Kasanof, Councilwoman Yukari Day: aye, Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto: aye, Supervisor Alan White: aye. (B) The Town will receive $8,867 in PAVE NY funds, $7,787 in Extreme Weather Funds, and $38,848 in CHIPS funds. The Highway Department will begin working on roads scheduled for repairs and maintenance then move on to repairs and improvements to the town roads hardest hit by severe winter weather. In addition, the Highway Committee will work on assessing the integrity of some alternate town access roads for emergency ingress and egress and outline a plan for improving one of them. (C) Highway Superintendent Russell Bouton shared with the board that the Town Highway employee Paul Krickhahn has given notice that he will be leaving his position. The Town will begin the process of hiring a new highway employee.

Voucher vote for February 2021: General Abstract #G0221 – vouchers 20-28 = $2,698.95. Highway Abstract #H0221 – vouchers 29-36 = $5,425.02. Motion to pay bills by Councilman Alan Reynolds, 2nd by Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto, Councilwoman Innes Kasanof: aye, Councilwoman Yukari Day: aye, Supervisor Alan White: aye.

Voucher vote for March 2021: General Abstract #G0321 – vouchers 37-47 = $2,232.93. Highway Abstract #H0321 – vouchers 48-52 = $2,516.19. Motion to pay bills by Councilwoman Innes Kasanof, 2nd by Councilwoman Yukari Day, Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto: aye, Councilman Alan Reynolds: aye, Supervisor Alan White: aye.

Voucher vote April 2021: General Abstract #G0421 – vouchers 53-61, 66 = $1,615.62. Highway Abstract #H0421 – vouchers 62-65 = $6,964.07. Motion to pay bills by Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto, 2nd by Councilwoman Yukari Day, Councilwoman Innes Kasanof: aye, Councilman Alan Reynolds: aye, Supervisor Alan White: aye.

Finance Chair Report: Finance Chair Innes Kasanof presented the monthly report.

Clerk’s Report: Building Permit 1 @ $300.00, 1 @ $100.00: $400.00, BP Renewal 2 @ $50.00: $100.00, C/O Search: $25.00, Dog License 1(neutered): $5.00. The Town collected and disbursed $530.00 for the month of March.

Other Business: There have been individuals perpetuating a scam by using certain contact information found on the Town of Halcott web site to post fake jobs listings or solicit job seekers with phony job offers on certain websites such as Indeed and Linkedin. A notice has been posted on the Halcott website alerting all site visitors looking for additional job information of the scam.

Next Meeting: Regular Town Board Meeting, May 17, 2021, 6:00 pm.

Motion to Adjourn at 6:41 p.m. by Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto, 2nd by Councilwoman Yukari Day, Councilwoman Innes Kasanof: aye, Councilman Alan Reynolds: aye, Supervisor Alan White: aye.