REGULAR MEETING OF THE TOWN BOARD
TOWN OF GLENVILLE
JANUARY 19, 2011
AT THE GLENVILLE MUNICIPAL CENTER
18 GLENRIDGE ROAD, GLENVILLE, NEW YORK
Supervisor Koetzle called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM;
Supervisor Koetzle asked the Town Clerk, Linda C. Neals, to call the roll.
Present: Supervisor Christopher A. Koetzle, Councilmen Alan Boulant, Mark Quinn, and Councilwoman Gina M. Wierzbowski
Absent: Councilman Sid Ramotar
Also present were, Attorney Mike Cuevas, Director of Operations James MacFarland and Comptroller George Phillips and Highway Superintendent Tom Coppola.
Town Council Reports:
Councilman Quinn – “The Town of Glenville will host its Annual Winterfest on Saturday, February 5th, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm at Indian Meadows Park on Droms Road. This is a nice opportunity to get out and enjoy the park in its natural features, including snow shoeing, ice skating, I am told that the rinks are in great shape this year, cross country skiing and sledding. Event participants will again include the Environmental Clearing House, leading the public on nature walks for wild winter edibles, which I understand was quite popular last year; the Glenville Rotary providing refreshments; Freemans Bridge Sports will bring their trailer of sports equipment and give lessons and free trial of snow shoes, cross
country skis and more and the Arnold Farm and Friends providing horse drawn sleigh rides through the park, All Seasons Equipment bringing winter equipment, snowmobiles, snow blowers for display, amateur ham radio operators will be providing information and participation in sending radio grams around the world, Park Planning Commission members teaching the public about geo-cashing, a sport that combines geography, technology and treasure hunting and more and a campfire will burn throughout the day to warm the toes. Broomball games between the Town and the East Glenville Fire Department are confirmed with additional teams to be determined.”
Councilwoman Wierzbowski – “We have experienced storms over the past couple of weeks and the highway department has been doing a great job trying to keep the roads clear. We haven’t had any real problems with equipment breaking down like we had last year. Yesterday I had the pleasure of being a wing-girl for one of our plow operators and I have to tell you it was quite an education, it is not as easy as it looks.”
The following people exercised the privilege of the floor:
Josette Eramo, 16 Bartlett Place stated that cars are parking on her street after snow storms therefore the plows can not plow the road properly. She wants to know why the police do not come down her street and ticket these vehicles that are in violation of the Town Code. She continued to explain that she has called the Police Department many times but she was told that her street is not on their route.”
Supervisor Koetzle – “Councilman Boulant is the liaison to the Police Department and he is talking with the Chief on this issue and I believe the Highway Superintendent has been involved in it as well.”
Councilwoman Wierzbowski – “From my experience yesterday as a wing person, when people park in the road it makes it ten times harder to get the snow out of the road.”
Supervisor Koetzle – “I will have a letter sent to all of the residences on the street just to indicate what the town ordinance is and asking the residents to observe it first and maybe that will help.”
Dane Woodworth, 35 Harlau Drive, thanked the Highway Department for keeping our roads open and safe and thanked the board for its efforts to keep a lid on spending.
Mr. Woodworth had read in the Gazette that the Town was going to enter into a new Franchise Agreement with time Warner. He reviewed the current and proposed agreements and saw that Time Warner was only allowed to pass through to subscribers 2% of the 5% franchise fee that it pays the Town but going back almost 40 months he found that Time Warner was in fact passing through the entire 5% franchise fee to the subscribers
He read in the Gazette that the Board was set to approve the new Franchise Agreement and this new agreement continues to allow Time Warner to pass through the entire 5% franchise fee to subscribers. He asked the Board not to enter into this new agreement until the overcharge issue is resolved.
No one else wished to exercise the privilege of the floor.
Supervisor Koetzle shared the following information:
Starting today, National Grid installed the net meter that connects the town’s solar system to the grid so on the next sunny day the Municipal Center will be solar powered. The system is designed and will provide about 30 years of reliable electricity generation. This was a long road for us but it’s a really good project for us long term and I want to thank Jamie and John Hamor for all of their work on it.
Glenville and Charlton officials met to review the procedure to fully implement the agreement for the shared dog control officer services. It is now in place for a successful partnership between the Town and Charlton.
Town staff has nearly finalized implementing the payroll and health insurance changes that were approved by the Town Board and the Labor Unions at the conclusion of 2010. We do appreciate the understanding and cooperation received from all of the employees during this transition time.
The Town has submitted all the relevant documents to the engineering firm pertaining to the Town’s interest in providing water to the Global Foundries project. Commissioner Tom Coppola and his staff along with Kestner Engineering should be commended for pulling all of this together in a short period of time regarding our vast water distribution system.
Next Wednesday on the 26th at the Glendale Home at 6:30 pm there will be a sub-committee meeting of the County Legislature regarding the future plans for the facility.
Regarding Time Warner Cable, I think Mr. Woodworth did a good job and we will be tabling the agreement tonight. We were hopeful that is would have been addressed by now and that is why it is on the agenda. The longer we wait the less of that enhanced revenue we get.
I was scheduled to present an award to the Glendaal Elementary School for winning the “Take Me to Vote” contest sponsored by the League of Women Voters but I had to reschedule due to the school being closed because of the storm.
Rotary ziti dinner is February 4th at the Senior Center on Worden Road.
On February 5th the Navy Cadets are moving from Albany to the facility here in Glenville. I will be part of the welcoming ceremony; you are all welcomed to attend as well. We welcome the Navy Cadets with open arms.
The check from Verizon that we talked about for sometime where they over billed us for years at a tune of $15,696.96, the check has been received. Thank you to George.
Unfortunately the reporter from the Gazette is not here and I really think he needs to hear what is going on with Open Stage Media. The editorial today was not fair; it did not represent all of the facts of what is going on in this situation with Open Stage Media.
I would like to take a few minutes to clarify just a few things. First of all we must understand that the City Council made a unilateral decision to switch from SACC (Schenectady Access Cable Council) TV to Open Stage Media. We were never consulted, we were never asked of our opinion, and we were never even informed that this was going to happen, it just happened, although we are supposed to be partners in this, it just happened. The only time Open Stage Media engaged the Town of Glenville was when they came to us asking for financial support, after the fact, the deal was already done. As I understand it, Open Stage Media always indicated to the Schenectady City Council that they will not kick
anyone off for lack of financial support, ever.
In the meetings we had with Open Stage Media that was conveyed to us over and over again, we would like you to support us financially but we won’t kick you off if you don’t. That was always talked about throughout all of the talks.
The Gazette editorial missed a lot of it. To show our good faith, to go back again and just indicate our signal for channel 17 & 18 coming out of Saratoga County, 16 comes out of Schenectady, which has always shown our Town meetings. Open Stage Media moved it to channel 17 so our residents currently do not see our meetings and they do not see the County Legislature meetings. To show good faith there has to be an investment in switching the signal out of Saratoga County to Schenectady County so that we can view channels 17 & 18 and see our meetings again.
We believe that we should not have to bear that cost since this decision was made in a vacuum, independent of our input. Somehow they expect us to pay the $12,000 to do this upgrade. In good faith we offered to go ahead as part of this agreement and make that $12,000 investment even though we didn’t have to do that with SACC TV no other town in the county has to do that and no other town in the county will even put up that kind of money. We offered it and Open Space Media came back and said that no, that doesn’t count, we want operational money. We don’t want investment or capital improvements for operational money.
What I think is being lost in this discussion is that we can easily show content on the Saratoga system on channel 17. We can tell our residents to turn on channel 17 at a certain time and you would see our Board Meeting. Our County Legislature will have to do the same thing, if our residents want to see it. So as responsible representatives of the taxpayers why would we pay additional money into a system that we don’t have to pay into, we are already getting it free. I am not sure I understand why that would be asked of us.
I also asked Open Stage Media for a clear business plan to tell us what their needs are and what our contribution is paying for exactly because I am a little concerned that first they come and ask for what would amount to .45 per rate payer, which is significant and now we are down to $5,000 or we will take anything just show us some investment in the system.
So, my question is what is the money being used for, what do you need if you are kind of all over the map on what you are asking for we don’t have a clear view of what that is going to be.
Phillip Morris, after I have talked to him has indicated that he will come to a Board meeting and make that presentation. I welcome him to do so.
I think the editorial did not address why Glenville is being treated differently here then the other towns. No other town has been pressured into this, no other town has even been approached and asked for money to support it but for some reason just because our contract is up the spotlight is put on the Town of Glenville and we are asked to step up and make a contribution that no other town has been asked to. We have been treated unfairly; our residents cannot currently see the board meetings. I believe they have been disenfranchised from their right to public access and no one is doing anything about that.
I would like to remind all of the interested parties including the Gazette, that we are not in the business of just handing out money because someone needs it, because someone wants it or because someone thinks it’s really fair if we did it. We are in the business of protecting the tax payer’s dollars and we have to continue to do that until a business case is made, until it makes sense for us to invest in the system I don’t understand why we would go forward with it. I will be talking to the editors tomorrow at the Gazette for all the good that will do and try to educate them a little bit more.”
RESOLUTION NO. 45-2011
Moved by: Councilman Boulant
Seconded by: Councilman Quinn
Whereas, the Town of Glenville Small Business and Economic Development Committee (SBED) was created by the Glenville Town Board in 2009, with the authorizing legislation specifying that seven members be appointed for a two-year term, and
Whereas, the Small Business and Economic Development Committee has been a valuable resource to the Town of Glenville, its businesses and residents in promoting and assisting commercial development in the town, and
Whereas, the Town of Glenville wishes that the SBED continue to provide guidance and support to the Town of Glenville’s economic development efforts,
Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved, that the following members are hereby appointed to the SBED for a term from January 19, 2011 through December 31, 2012:
James Martin 30 Bancker Avenue, Scotia
Amy Aldrich 123 Saratoga Road, Glenville
Kelly Olson 1750 Vley Road Ext., Glenville
Jon Sosnowski 7 Glenridge Road, Glenville
Edward Capovani 832 Church Road, Glenville
Richard Schlansker 8 Valleywood Drive, Glenville
Town Board Liaison – Alan Boulant
Ex – officio – Leesa Perazzo – The Chamber of Schenectady County
Mark Storti – Schenectady County Economic Development and Planning
And, Be It Further Resolved, that James Martin is hereby appointed as Chairman for the period from January 19, 2011 through December 31, 2011, and
Be It Yet Further Resolved, that the Supervisor of the Town of Glenville is hereby authorized to make the appointment of the seventh member of the committee upon consultation with the Chairman of the SBED and the liaison to the committee, Councilman Alan Boulant.
Ayes: Councilmen Boulant, Quinn, Councilwoman Wierzbowski and Supervisor Koetzle
Noes: None
Absent: Councilman Ramotar
Abstentions: None
Motion Carried
Supervisor Koetzle – “Item #8 on the agenda is a resolution executing the cable television franchise agreement.”
Motion to table the resolution executing the cable television franchise agreement made by Councilman Quinn; Seconded by Councilman Boulant
Ayes: Councilmen Boulant, Quinn, Councilwoman Wierzbowski and Supervisor Koetzle
Noes: None
Absent: Councilman Ramotar
Motion Carried
RESOLUTION NO. 46-2011
Moved by: Councilman Quinn
Seconded by: Councilman Boulant
WHEREAS, in order to maintain a safe and efficient fleet of vehicles to meet the public safety needs of the Town, the Police Chief wishes to purchase two marked replacement police vehicles and also recommends that one of the vehicles to be replaced with the greatest mileage be declared as surplus property, and
WHEREAS, the purchase of said vehicles is provided for within the current approved 2011 police budget,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Chief of Police is hereby authorized to purchase two marked police vehicles at a total cost not to exceed forty-seven thousand two hundred five dollars ($47,205.00), as per New York State Contract #PC64893 Item #2; and that both vehicles be charged to account 02.00.3120.2000 (Equipment) as set forth in the approved 2011 budget; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that of the vehicles being replaced the one with the highest mileage be declared as surplus property after the receipt of new replacement vehicles and after the transfer of necessary equipment therefrom; and that the remaining vehicle be converted to an unmarked police vehicle; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that such surplus vehicle shall be offered for sale upon such terms and conditions as the Chief of Police may direct with all proceeds credited to account 02.00.2660.0000(Sale of Vehicles).
Ayes: Councilmen Boulant, Quinn, Councilwoman Wierzbowski and Supervisor Koetzle
Noes: None
Absent: Councilman Ramotar
Abstentions: None
Motion Carried
RESOLUTION NO. 47-2011
Moved by: Councilman Boulant
Seconded by: Councilman Quinn
BE IT RESOLVED that the Monthly Departmental Reports for December, 2010 as received from the following:
Assessor Department
Dog Control
Highway Department
Justice Department
Section 8 Housing Payments
Town Clerk's Office
Water & Sewer Department
be, and they hereby are accepted, approved for payment and ordered placed on file.
Ayes: Councilmen Boulant, Quinn, Councilwoman Wierzbowski and Supervisor Koetzle
Noes: None
Absent: Councilman Ramotar
Abstentions: None
Motion Carried
RESOLUTION NO. 48-2011
Moved by: Councilman Boulant
Seconded by: Councilman Quinn
BE IT RESOLVED, that the minutes of the regular meeting held on December 15, 2010, the special meeting held on December 22, 2010 and the year-end meeting held on December 29, 2010 are hereby approved and accepted as entered.
Ayes: Councilmen Boulant, Quinn, Councilwoman Wierzbowski and Supervisor Koetzle
Noes: None
Absent: Councilman Ramotar
Abstentions: None
Motion Carried
Supervisor Koetzle asked for a motion to adjourn; motion to adjourn was moved by Councilwoman Wierzbowski; Seconded by Councilman Boulant, everyone being in favor the meeting was adjourned at 8:04 p.m.
ATTEST:
______________________________
Linda C. Neals
Town Clerk
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