TOWN OFF WATERTOWN
MUNICIPAL BUILDING
REGULAR MEETING
APRIL 9, 2015
TOWN BOARD MEMBERS
JOEL R. BARTLETT, SUPERVISOR – STEPHEN L, RICH, COUNCILMAN – PAUL V. DESORMO, COUNCILMAN – DAVID D. PROSSER, COUNCILMAN – TIMOTHY McATEE, COUNCILMAN
Councilman Desormo offered a prayer, and Supervisor Bartlett led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Supervisor Bartlett called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM and called for a roll of members present. All members were present. Legal Counsel Joseph W. Russell was present at the meeting.
MOTION # 29
Supervisor Bartlett moved to accept the minutes of the March 12, 2015 meeting. Councilman Rich seconded.
Ayes All
MOTION # 30
Supervisor Bartlett moved to accept the minutes of the Joint meeting with the Planning Board and the Town Board held April 6, 2015, as presented. Councilman Prosser seconded.
Ayes All
Supervisor Bartlett opened a public hearing on the proposed Public Lighting District formation in the Industrial Park.
Mr. Rick Gefell asked what the cost of the public lighting district would be. He was asking on behalf of Purcell Construction..
Supervisor Bartlett said that although he did not have the actual costs yet, the total cost would be spread to all the property owners in the park. He gave some examples of the costs of other lighting districts in the Town.
Supervisor Bartlett closed the public hearing on the proposed Lighting District, and opened the floor for anyone else wishing to address the town board on any issues.
No one chose to speak, therefore Supervisor Bartlett closed the floor to the public.
Supervisor Bartlett acknowledged receipt of the Town Clerk’s Report and the Ambulance report for the Month of March 2015.
RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN OF WATERTOWN TOWN BOARD (the Board:) ENDORSES AN APPLICATION TO THE NEW YORK STATE ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY BY THE JEFFERSON COUNTY LOCAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
MOTION # 31
WHEREAS, the Jefferson County Local Development Corporation has, as its mission, the furtherance of economic development activities, and
WHEREAS, one of the major considerations when developing or sustaining businesses in Jefferson County is the higher cost of energy, and
WHEREAS, the Jefferson County Local Development Corporation has been attempting to address ways of reducing costs for local business and to enhance our competitive position for attracting new business, and
WHEREAS, The Jefferson County Local Development Corporation has evaluated methods by which the Corporation can best address specific ways of generating and managing energy through the use of Micro grid technology, and
WHEREAS, the Jefferson County Local Development corporation has hired ENTECCO, LLC to assist that Corporation in development and deployment of this Micro grid technology, and
WHEREAS, The Jefferson County Local Development Corporation in concert with ENTECCO Inc, an energy consulting company, has determined that without additional financial assistance, this development and deployment will be virtually impossible, and
WHEREAS, NYSERDA‘s most recent program, part of a state-wide effort to address energy issues by providing seed money through the NYPrize program focuses on development and deployment of the technology being sought by the Jefferson County Local Development Corporation.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE TOWN OF WATERTOWN BOARD That: it strongly endorses the application of the JEFFERSON COUNTY LOCAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION in its submission of an application to NYSERDA to seek development funding to assist in the development and deployment of Micro Grid Technology for Jefferson County.
Supervisor Bartlett moved the foregoing resolution and Councilman Desormo seconded.
By roll call vote of the Town Board the resolution was duly adopted.
Supervisor Bartlett Aye
Councilman Rich Aye
Councilman Desormo Aye
Councilman Prosser Aye
Councilman McAtee Aye
l
MOTION # 32
Whereas, the Disabled Persons Action Organization has requested a grant of Town Bed Tax Revenue to be used to underwrite promotional expenses relating to the organizations 2015 Summer Concert Series, a series of concerts that brings thousands of tourists to the area, and
WHEREAS, the may tourists who visit the area to attend these concerts spend tourism related dollars at shopping malls, stores and hotel rooms each year, and
WHEREAS, the DPAO provides the Town with zip code tracking information which demonstrates that over 50% of concert attendees are from out of the County area and these dollars spent by the tourists are an important source of tourism related revenues shared by local businesses, and
WHEREAS, funds are available for appropriation for this purpose within the tourism promotion account in the Town 2015 Budget.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Town of Watertown Town Council authorizes a grant of $27,500.00 of Town Bed Tax revenue to the Disabled Persons Action Organization for the purpose of underwriting the Organizations promotional expenses relative to the 2015 Summer Concert Series.
Supervisor Bartlett moved the foregoing resolution and Councilman Prosser seconded.
By roll call vote of the Town Board the resolution was duly adopted.
Supervisor Bartlett Aye
Councilman Rich Aye
Councilman Desormo Aye
Councilman Prosser Aye
Councilman McAtee Aye
MOTION #33
WHEREAS, by order of this Board dated March 12, 2015, a public hearing was scheduled for April 9, 2015, at 7:00 PM, to consider the establishment of a lighting district to encompass the Jefferson County Industrial Park within the Town of Watertown, pursuant to a certain map, plan and report filed with the Town Clerk, and
WHEREAS, the order scheduling the public hearing was duly posted and published as required by law, and on April 9, 2015 at 7:00 PM, a public hearing was held to consider all persons interested in the establishment of a lighting district to encompass the Jefferson County Industrial Park.
NOW, on motion duly made and seconded, this Board makes the following determinations:
1. The notice of public hearing was duly published and posted as required by law and is
Otherwise sufficient.
2. All property and property owners to be benefited by the lighting district are included within the limits of the proposed lighting district.
3. All of the property owners and all of the property located within the proposed lighting district are benefited thereby.
4. The establishment of a lighting district to encompass the Jefferson County Industrial Park pursuant to the map, plan and report on file in the office of the Town Clerk, as more particularly described on the attached Schedule (A) and upon which the public hearing was held on April 9, 2015, is in the public interest.
5. The establishment of a lighting district to encompass the Jefferson County Industrial as described in the map, plan and report, is hereby approved.
6. This Resolution is adopted subject to a permissive referendum.
The forgoing resolution was offered by Supervisor Bartlett and seconded by Councilman McAtee. Upon a roll call vote as follows the motion was duly adopted.
Supervisor Bartlett Aye
Councilman Rich Aye
Councilman Desormo Aye
Councilman Prosser Aye
Councilman McAtee Aye
MOTION # 34
WHEREAS, the Watertown Jefferson County Area Transportation Council (WJCTC) is the Metropolitan Planning Organization designated by the Governor of the Sate of New York for the City of Watertown and surrounding area in Jefferson County, with the responsibility of developing and maintaining both a Regional Transportation Plan (RPT) and a transportation Improvement Program for the areas federal aid eligible highway and public transit facilities, and
WHEREAS, the Council was established in 2014 when the population of the Watertown urbanized area exceeded 50,000 as determined by the 2010 Census and mandated by the Federal Highway Administration, and
WHEREAS, the geographic area for transportation planning includes the Town of Watertown under the adjusted urbanized area boundary and is a stakeholder in the planning and administration of the Stakeholders group, and
WHEREAS, the WJCTC requires the appointment of a representative to represent the Town of Watertown as a member of the Local Stakeholders Group which is comprised of one representative from each of the seventeen Towns and Villages within the Urbanized WJCTC boundary.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Town Supervisor is hereby appointed as the Town of Watertown representative to the WJCTC Local Stakeholders Group.
Supervisor Bartlett moved the foregoing resolution and Councilman Desormo seconded.
Ayes All
MOTION # 35
WHEREAS, the Town is in receipt of a request to supply supplemental funding to the Rhode Community Center to assist in the Community Centers purchase of food for the centers food bank program which feeds many of the poorest in the community, and
WHEREAS, many of the Towns citizens are recipients of the food products provided free of charge to the poor as a means to obtaining nutritional food and maintaining a healthy diet, and
WHEREAS, the donation or grant of $5,000.00 to the Rhode Center will be matched at a ratio of 9 to 1 from other stated and federal sources and provide additional leverage for the Centers purchasing power, and
WHEREAS, funds for this purpose were allocated within the fiscal year 2015 Budget.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, a grant of $5,000.00 from the programs for the Aging budget account is hereby authorized.
Supervisor Bartlett moved the foregoing resolution and Councilman Rich seconded. Upon a roll call vote as follows the motion was duly adopted.
Supervisor Bartlett Aye
Councilman Rich Aye
Councilman Desormo Aye
Councilman Prosser Aye
Councilman McAtee Aye
MOTION # 36
Supervisor Bartlett moved to pay the following abstracts as audited.
General Vouchers # 68 to 70 Total $ 10,223.52
Highway Voucher # 58 to 58 Total $ 16,950.67
Spec. Dist. Voucher # 22 to 22 Total $ 2,491.80
General Vouchers # 71 to 87 Total $ 8,604.17
Highways Vouchers # 58 to 71 Total $ 9,879.88
Spec. Dist. Vouchers. # 23 to 29 Total $165,021.31
Councilman Prosser seconded the motion.
Ayes All
MOTION # 37
Supervisor Bartlett called for an Executive Session at 7:20 PM for the purpose of
contractual negotiations with Verizon and disciplinary action concerning town employees.
Councilman Prosser seconded the motion.
Ayes All
Supervisor Bartlett reconvened the meeting at 7:33 PM.
Supervisor Bartlett said that he had received a request from Diane Russell asking for a donation for a senior citizen bus trip. It was the consensus of the Board not to award any money for this purpose.
Supervisor Bartlett said that he had a request from several people who had to run their water during the cold spell. He was told that they would pay for the water but they would like an installment plan to pay for the usage. Supervisor Bartlett said that they were willing to pay for the water over time. Other board members were in agreement.
Councilman McAtee stated that someone had approached him, said that they had hit a pothole and did some damage to their tire. They asked if there was any recourse against the town.. Mr. Bartlett stated there would not be. Mr.Maguire stated that that incident was not on a town road.
MOTION # 38
Councilman Prosser moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:40 PM. Councilman Desormo seconded.
Ayes All
__________________________
Catherine M. Rich, Town Clerk
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