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2002-01-22 SP SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING JANUARY 22, 2002 MTG. #6 RES. 72-74 7:00 p.m. TOWN BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT SUPERVISOR DENNIS BROWER COUNCILMAN ROGER BOOR COUNCILMAN THEODORE TURNER COUNCILMAN DANIEL STEC COUNCILMAN TIM BREWER Supervisor Brower- Opened the Meeting Noted Councilman Brewer indicated that he would be late for this meeting. 1.0 RESOLUTIONS RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING GARY AUSTIN TO CARRY OVER ONE DAY OF UNUSED VACATION TIME RESOLUTION NO.: 72,2002 INTRODUCED BY: Mr. Theodore Turner WHO MOVED ITS ADOPTION SECONDED BY: Mr. Daniel Stec WHEREAS, Gary Austin, Building Mechanic in the Town's Building and Grounds Department, has requested Town Board authorization to carry over one day of unused vacation time beyond his January 23,2002 employment anniversary date, and WHEREAS, the Town Facilities Manager has recommended that the Town Board approve such request, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Queensbury Town Board hereby authorizes Gary Austin to carry over one day of vacation time, such time to be utilized by the end of January, 2002. Duly adopted this 22nd day of January, 2002, by the following vote: AYES Mr. Boor, Mr. Turner, Mr. Stec, Mr. Brower NOES None ABSENT: Mr. Brewer (Councilman Brewer entered the meeting) 2.0 DISCUSSIONS 2.1 Capital Improvement Plan Status WaterlWaste Water Supt. Ralph VanDusen updated the Town Board on the Capital Improvement Program. Noted that the Committee is made up of Mr. Harold Hansen, Henry Hess, Chris Round, Dennis Brower and myself. Department Heads, Town Board Members and the general public may submit a project, they fill out a form and submits it to the Committee... The Committee has a ranking procedure to create a preliminary ranking. Once the Committee is done the list is brought to the Town Board for their review and Town Board will give the official ranking. From the ranking a project is created and financed and construction can begin. The Committee has finished its first draft of a preliminary ranking. Noted that during the process some changes have been made in the application form and internal steps in the ranking, we have made those and met with department heads, they now have a ranking list and we have asked for more input. No additional information has been submitted at this time, early next week we will get together look through the numbers one last time and sometime in February we will be ready to make our presentation to the Town Board. Supervisor Brower-Asked for update on Moreau, E-Coli? Superintendent VanDusen-Everything with Moreau has been fine all the quality controls within the lab are fine. Spoke to the Board regarding an upcoming resolution-resolution to sign agreement between the Town and the CSEA a modification of the contract. Noted that we have been in negotiations with the Union regarding cleaning up of the contract and some flexibility in changing people's work day, their work week and noted that the Highway Dept. works through their lunch and working seven to three instead of seven to three thirty and our water maintenance crew has been asking to do that for five years and we have negotiated a deal that they are willing to give in a couple areas of things we were looking to do in exchange for them working through lunch. Reviewed the contract with the Board. Option 2 would allows us the flexibility of changing on an individual, case by case, day by day basis for specific projects of changing people's hours, say we had a valve that we had to work on and traffic was an issue and we came in at night to work on it this would allow us to do that without paying the two hour call in. Would allow people if they chose to leave at the end of their eight hours rather than staying for over time. It does give them the option if they wish and if the Department approves they could stay through the end of their regular shift to make sure the job gets done. The third section would be, we have two people involved doing locations marking out our water lines, if you are contractor digging a hole you would call an eight hundred number we have to go out and mark out where all the water lines are, during construction seasons it becomes very busy. In the past the contractor works until it is dark or beyond and that would leave a gap if our crew went home at 3 :30 then the ditch would be left open or we would pay overtime occasionally for people to stay and inspect a little bit beyond 3:30 what this allows us to do is during construction season switch those two people to working four ten hour days. This gives us the capability of giving better service to our, the people doing the work it will reduce the over time we spend by a little bit and seemed to work out well. Resolution will be brought forward at the next board meeting. 2.2 Escalating Insurance Cost Comptroller Henry Hess-Reviewed the increasing costs for insurance for the Town... underlining coverage's basic liability, basic property. Last year costs 165,000 this year 195,000 public officials the cost for five million in coverage went up from 21,000 to 25,000 The umbrella coverage went from 23,000 to 55,000 ten million dollars in coverage. Presented to the Town Board a break down of insurance costs by department. ... discussed public officials insurance-noted it will cost 10,000 to receive another five million, five million over ride on underlying coverage's in recent years we have carried another five million umbrella on top of it totaling ten million in umbrella coverage an additional five will cost an additional fifteen thousand... if you were to chose between the two excess policies the public officials if you saw the need for it would be less expensive but your exposures are less but your umbrella excess your biggest liability is automobile we have a million on each one so that diminishes the need for this excess umbrella coverage ... that is truly optional. Board agreed to go back to the five million coverage on each. 2.3 Appointment of Safety Officer Supervisor Brower-Noted that the Town has a safety committee and safety is an important aspect, one of the things we have been trying to stress is safety awareness in every employee so we can reduce the amount of cost in workdays and reduce our exposure to workmen's compensation claims and injuries. Noted that the Town has improved its safety record over the last couple of years but we still have a ways to go. Spoke to Chris Jones about the possibility of him being the safety officer for the Town, he felt that he was burdened with work that still needed to be done as far as commercial inspections, although he has a deputy they are behind and he did not feel that he could do an adequate job as safety officer. Noted that Mr. Jones felt that it would be a full time job.... Supervisor Brower indicated that he felt Mr. Jones would do a good job and he also felt it could be accomplished on a part time basis. Asked the Board if they knew of anyone else that could do the job? WaterlWastewater Supt. VanDusen- Spoke to the Board regarding the safety committee, noted the need for a written safety plan town wide...Comptroller Hess-Noted the Committee is looking for a safety officer. . . noted it would not be a one man show there is a structure under him to do the administrative type of things. . . noted that they do have a budget. Councilman Brewer-Spoke to the Board regarding the sanding of the Highway Area.. .to be handled by Chuck Rice or the Highway Dept.? Noted he will look into it... Supervisor Brower-Noted there is extra work for Mr. Jones with no addition pay... but I feel he is the ideal guy for it he has had the experience, he does a fine job as Fire Marshal and I think if I have the Board's backing I can say the Board would really like you to do this. Councilman Stec-Requested that the Supervisor speak to Mr. Jones indicating what the Board expects, such as organizing meetings, have a topic a month we are talking a few hours a month, he will probably have a hard time doing that but we are not looking for all the way we are looking for a start a step forward. Mrs. Barbara Bennett -Questioned if there is a place for public comment during special board meetings? Supervisor Brower-I certainly will provide one. Mrs. Bennett-Questioned if the Town was required to send insurance out to bid? Comptroller Hess-No. You have to do it on a cycle but it is not specified how often you have to do it. It is a financial service, insurance purchasing is considered a financial. It is very much like banking services. Supervisor Brower-Noted deferred compensation has to be bid every five years, by State Law. Councilman Brewer-Noted Councilman Stec and myself went to the Land Conservancy Meeting RE: Animal Land Property that land would have to be purchased at market value noted they would have to have insurance which would amount to a 1,000 per year for liability which was not budgeted.. . they suggested that rather than the Town funding the land conservancy with a budget and then give the money back to us the money would be better spent letting them manage the land. Noted that DEC has a program where we can have a contract that they would manage the land the town would maintain ownership, then they could use the money they have in their budget for things like outreach, other land, programs for the school, they are trying to get easements so they can connect four hundred acres together. . . Councilman Boor-That sounds good it if is legal. Councilman Stec-Requested that this be run by Town Counsel. Comptroller Hess-Noted that they would still have to carry liability insurance... Councimlan Brewer-Requested that the Board look into this... RESOLUTION CALLING FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION RESOLUTION NO. 73,2002 INTRODUCED BY: Mr. Daniel Stec WHO MOVED FOR ITS ADOPTION SECONDED BY: Mr. Theodore Turner RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby moves into an Executive Session for Personnel Matter and Contract Matters. Duly adopted this 22nd day of January, 2002 by the following vote: AYES: Mr. Boor, Mr. Turner, Mr. Stec, Mr. Brewer, Mr. Brower NOES: None ABSENT: None RESOLUTION ADJOURNING EXECUTIVE SESSION AND SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING RESOLUTION NO. 74,2002 INTRODUCED BY: Mr. Daniel Stec WHO MOVED FOR ITS ADOPTION SECONDED BY: Mr. Daniel Stec RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby adjourns its Executive Session and Special Session. Duly adopted this 22nd day of January, 2002 by the following vote: AYES: Mr. Turner, Mr. Stec, Mr. Brewer, Mr. Brower, Mr. Boor NOES: None ABSENT: None Respectfully submitted, Miss Darleen M. Dougher Town Clerk-Queensbury