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2003-10-13 SP SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 10-13-2003 701 SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING OCTOBER 13, 2003 7:00 p.m. MTG. #47 RES. 448B TOWN BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT SUEPRVISOR DENNIS BROWER COUCILMAN ROGER BOOR COUNCILMAN THEODORE TURNER COUNCILMAN DANIEL STEC COUNCILMAN TIM BREWER SUPERVISOR BROWER - Opened the Meeting 1.0 RESOLUTIONS NONE 2.0 DISCUSSIONS 2.1 CLEVERDALE STORM WATER RUN-OFF Mr. Todd Mahony- Introduced Pete Collins, and Jim Mooney of Seeley Road (used map of the area) noted years ago there was a culvert put under the road and through my property emptying into the lake at Warner Bay, noted a private property owner has placed another culvert ... concern of a lot of silt going into the lake... Soil and Water have made a recommendation to put in rip-rap pit approximately 20x20 ... where it hits the road has never been right, there is an existing concrete pit but it is not adequate, needs a new basin to be put in by the street Discussion held noting that there will have to be easements to be able to do the work... Councilman Boor-noted we want to do the project, are the homeowners willing to give the easements? Mr. Mahony-If the homeowners say yes to the easements you would be willing to take care of this project? Supervisor Brower-What I am suggesting that we would probably work with Warren County Soil and Water, they would review the situation and make recommendations to the Town, noted they assist on whatever infrastructure is required and ask us to assist with the purchasing of the materials and structures that they need to handle it. By working hand and hand we are able to do it the most cost efficiently as possible and so that it minimizes any problems with the lake quality. Councilman Boor-Requested that they talk to the homeowners get a verbal ok and then we will figure out how to legally do it and then talk to highway and deal with the Soil and Water end of it. Unknown-Asked for sample easement to show the residents... Councilman Brewer-Noted he would contact the Attorney's office for a sample. Discussion held on what portion the town would be responsible for questioned raised if the Town wanted to be responsible for the pipe that runs on private property noted section under a garage. SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 10-13-2003 702 Councilman Boor-We are essentially concerned about the quality of the lake and this is the last point where sediment can be taken out before it hits the lake that would be the point, right off the highway by use that would be the point that would be most logical to get the easement and put whatever mechanism in place. Review the tax maps to see if there are easements and if this section is on private property, if it is we need to have an easement from the property owner to do the work. Mr. Mahony-Need to know if it is on private property, need to say if they would give an easement, we need the easement done, we need a plan from soil and water, with the highway dept. will interface with the Town Supervisor. 2.2 EMS SERVICES STUDY PARAMETERS Discussion held regarding paid EMS Services Sandy Boucher-Representative of W.G.F. Emergency Squad-hard to get individuals to work in the day time hours... Representative of Keena Employment Agency-We lease the employees to the company they are actually our employees with our tax id numbers etc. West Glens Falls has no liability as far as the employees are concerned. Noted they also do payroll, provide employee benefits. A lot of the emergency squads are getting part time help because they can offer benefits a lot of guys are picking up twenty hours a week which is the minimum they need for benefits to pay for health care that might be lacking from their primary job. Supervisor Brower-What kind of benefits do they qualify for? Representative from Keena-Medical. There are nine different medical plans, at employee cost. We also do workers compo coverage. You might want to check and see if you can get a rider on your policy for the paid staff, noted that the underwriter for New York State insurance fund said they doubted it. We do the claim management and we bill you on actual payroll. Noted we are providing this for W.G.F. Supervisor Brower-What about paramedics? Sandy Boucher-One would be EMT one would be at least a level three or paramedic. There would be two staff. There is a generic figure of $10.95 per hour. Representative from Keena-Lets say you have two paid staff for sixty hours the average pay of $10.95 per hour, that ranges from $9.50 for an EMT up to $11.50 for paramedic. Gross wages to cover those hours social security medicade insurance, federal unemployment tax, state unemployment tax, workers comp., disability insurance, our administration fee, and deliver fee of the checks, that is included in your total fee for one week. Supervisor Brower-How do you come up with an administrative fee? Representative from Keena-That is based on a per check fee of $12.50. Councilman Boor-Then it is eighty dollars on seventeen hundred dollars worth of payroll. SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 10-13-2003 703 Representative from Keena-We do the payroll, the benefits, workers compo and human resources. We take total liability for the employees. Councilman Boor-What is the trail period? Representative from Keena-We have never had one, we have never had one stop. If you decide you do not want to run this program after six months or a year, W.G.F. is not responsible for paying the unemployment and getting involved in the claims management of the unemployment, we take on that responsibility. Councilman Brewer-If we go into this with an open mind saying we are going to try this for six months or whatever and we find that it does not work there is no fee for cancellation? Representative of Keena-You have to give us thirty days notice. When W.G..F signs on they sign a contract for a year, if for any time during that year they decide to get out, they need a thirty day notice. Noted there is no cancellation fee. Spoke about Fort Edward, four employees covering all the time from five am to six pm Monday through Friday. They set minimum requirements for their staff as volunteers, they still have to put in the volunteer hours to be eligible to work there. It is privilege not a right type of environment. They always have four because of the transfers. Noted if you use soft billing to nursing homes and the jail you can end up being able to fund this program. Councilman Brewer-You have to be careful about the billing portion of it, I do not think I would like to try that. Sandy Boucher-I explained that we needed to wait on the billing thing. Councilman Brewer-I would prefer to do the program and see if it is going to work and keep track of calls. Councilman Boor-How is the determination made if it is good or bad? Representative of Keena-We probably have sixty to seventy percent of the calls during the day between six am and six pm. Councilman Brewer-Requested copies of that information. Sandy Boucher-That is the time period that we have shown in anywhere in New York State and anywhere in the world basically shows that the volunteers are lacking in the day time because of the work hours. My goal is to have the Captain where it would be one of our Board Members my self or one of the line officers working together put a schedule up. Fort Edward fills it in per diem, volunteers are signed up for this time during the month which you sign up ahead of time so lets fill in the slots. Knowing that there is always going to be two people on during the day. Do we always need two people paid during the day, may be not, may be there is going to be a volunteer paramedic on we do not need to pay another paramedic for that day but we will have them available if we need them. Councilman Brewer-Who picks the employees the people that get to work I do not want to see favoritism. Sandy Boucher-No different than the position I hold at the Civic Center, I have friends that work there but they are still my employees they do not get any SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 10-13-2003 704 favoritism. The only way it will work is being non bias person. The Board will chose or whoever is qualified. Unknown-We have to go out side our own organization to get enough people to fill this. Councilman Brewer-In my own mind that would be a good program it would reward you, you have the opportunity to make a little money doing what you would normally anyway. Unknown-This ALS crew if there was an ALS call up here in Bay Ridge district these guys could roll, it is not just tied to W.G.F. Dist. if I get a call in this end of town these guys will come with their crew to provide the care that is needed if Bay Ridge gets out these guys will back off and stay in service for another call in town. Sandy Boucher-My goal is to do a monthly schedule. Supervisor Brower-What other emergency squads do you cover currently? Representative of Keena-Currently we are in Fort Edward we are in the process of five more. I am doing this with four other groups. Sandy Boucher-Noted there was another agency doing this and they have dropped out. Luzerne is paying people, Corinth is paying people, Empire is paying people, Empire has a lot of people that are not working every day. Representative of Keena-You have to go into this knowing that people are going to get upset, other volunteers are going to get upset until the wrinkles get worked out. Councilman Brewer-Noted transports are secondary in my mind. Unknown-Noted the Empire handles a lot of the transports. Representative of Keena-Noted that is where Fort Edward makes a lot of their money with the second crew. They do not bill as much as Empire. Councilman Brewer-I think that paid portion of it has to come at a different point than this, because I would not want to see us funding this and then you guys doing transports and charging for that. Councilman Brewer-We should be talking about where the money will come from to do this pilot program for six months. Supervisor Brower-We should look at this as a business if we are going to do it we should plan on billing for services during that trail period. Sandy Boucher-I do not think you are going to be able to do that. Supervisor Brower-How will this affect first responder calls right now that the fire companies assist with? Sandy Boucher-They certainly will. Supervisor Brower-When fire companies respond with first response do they ever roll fire trucks? Sandy Boucher-They roll fire trucks. SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 10-13-2003 705 Unknown-WGF rolls a utility van as does Central most of the time. Representative of Keena-There is twenty five percent of the State right now that has paid staff. Supervisor Brower-What is the average response that you currently have for ems calls? Unknown-Will give you that information. Sandy Boucher-I have a goal of January to state this. Discussed financing the pilot project and how dollars are expended requiring approval by resolution from the Town Board. Unknown-What are you looking for in an RFP? Councilman Boor-We are looking for the best location of services given growth patterns within the Town, we may want more, we don't know what to ask for that is why we are going to the professionals. Supervisor Brower-It is important the we get as much information as we possibly can before we make a decision. Sandy Boucher-I want to go back to the membership and say that Marv Lemery and Gary Scidmore and going to help you write an RFP. Councilman Brewer-Absolutely. Supervisor Brower-Noted the demographics of our population is getting older, in seven years a third of our population will be senior citizens. Discussion held regarding meeting with Marv Lemery and Gary Scidmore, tentative date of next Wednesday. Sandy Boucher-If I go and work with John on a handbook and all this stuff and then we get to the point to sign a contract when you approve this how do we make it a resolution? Councilman Brewer-I will bring this up Monday night as a topic and we will discuss where we will get the money and how much. I am hundred percent in favor of doing it, six month trail period to start. RESOLUTION ADJOURNING TOWN BOARD MEETING RESOLUTION NO. 448B, 2003 INTRODUCED BY: Mr. Roger Boor WHO MOVED FOR ITS ADOPTION SECONDED BY: Mr. Daniel Stec RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby adjourns its Special Town Board Meeting. Duly adopted this 13th day of October, 2003 by the following vote: SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 10-13-2003 706 AYES: Mr. Boor, Mr. Turner, Mr. Stec, Mr. Brewer, Mr. Brower NOES: None ABSENT: None Respectfully submitted, Miss Darleen M. Dougher Town Clerk-Queensbury