Regular Town Board Meeting Minutes Halcott Grange
February 24, 2020, 7:15 pm

Present: Town Supervisor Alan White, Council members Yukari Day, Alan Reynolds, Innes Kasanof, Judy DiBenedetto, Highway Superintendent Russell Bouton, Town Clerk Patricia Warfield, Town Tax Collector Robin White, Town Assessor Mark Neves, Town Justice Ken Williams, Town Code Enforcement Officer John Mathiesen.

Call to order at 7:15 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Tax Collector Robin White presented her annual report. Assessor Mark Neves presented his annual report.
Town Justice Ken Williams presented his annual report.
Code Enforcement Officer John Mathiesen presented his report. Town Clerk Patricia Warfield presented her annual report.

Approval of the minutes of the January 27, 2020 meeting: Motion to approve by Councilwoman Yukari Day, 2nd by Councilman Alan Reynolds, Supervisor Alan White: aye.

Highway Superintendent’s Report: (A) The Town had a new NYMIR inspector here for a safety audit. He expressed concern about the metal recycle bin location under the shed roof which is attached to the highway garage building. Should the bin contents catch on fire, he feared the garage would catch fire as well. As of right now, the bin can not be moved as it needs to be covered. He also asked the Town to hire an inspection company to inspect the boiler at the Grange Building.

Voucher vote: General Abstract #G0220 – vouchers #19 – 29 = $5,668.74. Highway Abstract #H0220 – vouchers #30 – 34 = $2,589.99. Motion to pay bills by Councilwoman Innes Kasanof, 2nd by Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto, Councilwoman Yukari Day: aye, Councilman Alan Reynolds: aye, Supervisor Alan White: aye.

Finance Chair Report: (A) Finance Chair Innes Kasanof presented the monthly finance report. (B)The AUD report has been finished and sent to the State. (C) The fire contract has been paid. Supervisor Alan White will reach out to Fire Chief Todd Wickham and ask that he prepare a Fleischmanns Fire Company annual report for Halcott to be presented to the Board at a future meeting. (D) With the books closed for 2019, the Town will be able to add $9,531.55 to the Highway Reserve Fund and $15,659.42 to the General Reserve Fund. Motion to approve the transfer of surplus funds to the Highway and General Reserve Funds by Councilman Alan Reynolds, 2nd by Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto, Councilwoman Innes Kasanof: aye, Councilwoman Yukari Day: aye, Supervisor Alan White: aye.

Clerk’s Report: Building Permits: 1 @ $250.00, 1 @ $1,080 = $1,330.00. Certificate of Occupancy Searches: 3 @ $25.00 = $75.00, Building Permit Renewal: 1 @ $50.00, Certified Copy: 1 @ $10.00. Billy Haynes (Dec. Pymt) $150.00. The Town collected and disbursed $1,615.00 for the month of January.

Other Business: (A) Peg Ellsworth of the M-Ark Project could not attend the Town Board Meeting but did e-mail a proposal to Supervisor Alan White for review. The proposal calls for the Town to hire the M-Ark Project to do the grant writing for Halcott in relation to the new Town Highway Garage.
The first stage of the proposal entails planning which is essentially building design and a cost estimate which then allows for the second stage which would be to apply for available funding to build it. The Town would apply for a planning grant from the O’Connor Foundation in the amount of $40,000.00 which Halcott would match with $10,000.00 to get the Town through the planning process. If awarded the grant, the Town would put out for an R.F.P. for consultants to do the planning with the Town. In return for the grant writing and then over-seeing the R.F.P. process, Peg Ellsworth proposed the Town pay the M-Ark Project $2.500.00. The Board will re-visit the proposal at the next board meeting to give members more time to look over the proposal for themselves. Supervisor White will try to have Peg Ellsworth at the next board meeting.

Next Meeting: Regular Town Board Meeting March 16, 2020, 7:15pm.

Motion to Adjourn at 8:25 pm by Councilwoman Yukari Day, 2nd by Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto, Councilman Alan Reynolds: aye, Councilwoman Innes Kasanof: aye, Supervisor Alan White: aye.

Regular Town Board Meeting Minutes Halcott Grange
January 27, 2020, 7:15 pm

Present: Town Supervisor Alan White, Council Members Yukari Day, Alan Reynolds, Highway Superintendent Russell Bouton, Town Clerk, Patricia Warfield. Greene County Sheriff: Peter Kusminsky. Absent: Council Members Innes Kasanof, Judy DiBenedetto.

Call to Order at 7:15 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Greene County Sheriff Peter Kusminsky: Newly elected, Sheriff Kusminsky came to Halcott to introduce himself to the Board. Some of the items discussed for the Town were increased patrols in Halcott, an issue with speeders on County Rote 3, the installation of a new data base to better route 911 calls from Halcott and creating a Senior Call-In Program in Halcott where by senior residents of Halcott (who sign up for the program) call into the Sheriff’s department between 8-10 am each day. If no call-in is received, a member of the Sheriff’s department would come to Town to check on that individual. This program already exists in other communities.

Approval of the minutes of the meeting: With the following typo correction: Councilwoman Innes Kasanof instead of Councilwoman Yukari Day where it shows up twice. Motion to approve by Councilwoman Yukari Day, 2nd by Councilman Alan Reynolds, Supervisor White: aye.

Highway Superintendent’s Report: (A) The lawn tractor used by the Highway Department for mowing by the Grange and other locations is in need of work. Given the age and condition of the mower, the Highway Department will look to purchase a replacement at some point. (B) The Highway Department will have an employee out for an extended period of time but Highway Superintendent Bouton assured the Board that the position is well covered.

Voucher vote: General Abstract #G0120 – vouchers 01-12 = $42,216.84. Highway Abstract #H0120 – vouchers 13-18 = $3,826.10. Motion to pay bills by Councilman Alan Reynolds, 2nd by Councilwoman Yukari Day, Supervisor Alan White: aye.

Finance Chair Report: (A) Supervisor Alan White presented the monthly finance report. (B) The Finance Chair has been working on the Town’s AUD report. (C) The 2020 Budget has been amended, the bottom line is the same but some amount totals needed adjustment. Motion to approve the amended 2020 Town of Halcott Budget by Councilman Alan Reynolds, 2nd by Councilwoman Yukari Day, Supervisor Alan White: aye.

Clerk’s Report: Building Permits: 1 @ $80.00, 1 @ $340.00: $420.00, 1 Flood Plain Development Permit: $250.00, 1 BP Fine: $250.00, 1 C/O Search: $25.00, Garbage Money(Sept-Dec): $403.00. The Town collected and disbursed $1,348.00 for the month of December.

Other Business: The Catskill Mountain News Newspaper is currently not publishing and with no committed time to restart, the Town needs to find another paper to use as the “official” Town of Halcott newspaper. Supervisor Alan White recommended the Mountain Eagle as a replacement. Motion to amend the Town of Halcott Organizational Document to list the Mountain Eagle as the official Town of Halcott paper by Councilman Alan Reynolds, 2nd by Councilwoman Yukari Day, Supervisor Alan White: aye.

Next Meeting: Regular Town Board Meeting, February 24, 2020, 7:15 pm.

Motion to Adjourn at 7:50 p.m. by Councilwoman Yukari Day, 2nd by Councilman Alan Reynolds, Supervisor Alan White: aye.