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2005-08-08 SP MTG37 660 SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 08-8-2005 MTG.#37 SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING MTG. #37 AUGUST 8, 2005 RES. 378 7:00 p.m. TOWN BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT SUPERVISOR DANIEL STEC-ABSENT COUNCILMAN ROGER BOOR COUNCILMAN THEODORE TURNER COUNCILMAN JOHN STROUGH COUNCILMAN TIM BREWER-DEPUTY SUPERVISOR TOWN OFFICIALS Budget Officer Jennifer Switzer Water/wastewater Supt. Ralph VanDusen Deputy Wastewater Supt. Mike Shaw Sr. Planner Stuart Baker Executive Director of Community Development Marilyn Ryba Deputy Supervisor Tim Brewer-Opened the Meeting 1.0 QCFVC NEW CELL TOWER PERSENTATION (To be held later in the meeting) 2.0SURREY FIELDS SEWER DISCUSSION Mr. John Michaels-Here on behalf of the Homeowners Association Surrey Fields, requesting an easement from the Town to run a three inch force main pipe across Town property to get to a sewer main on the Richardson Development. Noted they will also have to have an easement from Rich for that portion. The purpose will be to sewer this development. Councilman Boor-Questioned if grinders will have to be put in? Mr. Michaels-Yes. Ten pumps in the subdivision. Councilman Boor-Will this be a district extension? Deputy Wastewater Supt. Mike Shaw-A contract customer. Noted they will be billed as individual customers being metered from their water usage. Discussion was held regarding future sewer line hookup…that will have to be considered at the time of the potential hookup we will have to look at the two districts and see what the difference will be. Deputy Supervisor Brewer-There will be language in the easement that the Town will be held harmless for this pipe if anything should happen. Deputy Shaw-Yes. Councilman Strough-Are the other neighborhoods interested in connecting in are they having any problems? Mr. Michaels-Not that I am aware of. Deputy Supervisor Brewer-Will the existing system have to be abandoned? Deputy Shaw-Yes. They will be pumped of septic and probably filled with water…Water/wastewater Supt. Ralph VanDusen-Because they are a contracted entity they will not have to do a map/plan and report, just engineering and submit information for our review. Deputy Supervisor Brewer-When would this commence? Mr. Michaels-We hope to do it this fall. Unknown-Noted that there are five systems that are in various stages of failing. Town Board has conceptually agreed to the granting of the easement-awaiting details on the easements before it is accepted… UPDATE-ROUTE 9/254 Executive Director Marilyn Ryba-Will be meeting with the New York State Dept. of Transportation this week to go over the Route 9/254 project - discussion regarding the 661 SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 08-8-2005 MTG.#37 State picking up fifteen to twenty percent of the costs – that would mean that DOT would let the project; one it will take longer we would be looking at spring construction vs fall …we have added a duel turn left to Aviation Mall, there is enough room for two lanes, there is additional engineer costs for signal design. – the additional cost for engineering estimated at forty-five hundred dollars to look at the additional review, plan revisions and additional engineering costs for the left turn into Aviation Mall approximately sixteen thousand five hundred dollars, which includes drainage, alignment, signal design and report revisions. Also construction costs will increase one hundred thousand dollars. The other thing we would need to add to engineering would need a cultural resource analysis, through the State Historic Preservation Office- approximately twelve thousand dollars cost …. Noting that, that work has already started. The big advantage of DOT letting the project is that they are paying the 15 or 20 % of the costs and that saves us two hundred thousand dollars. They would do the bidding and construction inspection.. Councilman Boor-What kind of assurances do we have that they would do it in the spring if they were to pick up this additional 20%? Director Ryba-That is what I am meeting th about this week. Re: Gateway Project Memo of July 25 used map to show the proposed project…Is the Town willing to allow a small area to be used for a informational kiosk? Discussion was held if the property is large enough should it be sold to get some revenue back for the three acres that we are giving the EMS Squad for their debt payment on that property. Councilman Strough-There are other properties along Main Street for sale right now. Director Ryba-noted that a map will be prepared in regard to this area for the Board to look at in the near future. 1.0 QUEENSBURY CENTRAL’S PRESENTATION ON TOWER Representative from Qsby. Central Fire Co.-We have been looking into replacing the current tower which is a 1989 tower truck… the tower that was tried out at the Great Escape was safer, quicker and much more efficient…solicited three bids, for a One rd hundred and thirty four foot articulating boom, sealed bids received on August 3. 2005, of the three companies only one replied back, from Roberts Nickles Fire Equipment the sole bidder- payment up front $997.440., or one million thirty nine thousand paid upon delivery, looking at a year to manufacture the truck. There will be a 4% discount off the purchase price if down payment or pre-payment is made within thirty days of the order or contract date. Noted they have spoken with Glens Falls National and expect a 3.25% interest rate…Deputy Supervisor Brewer-Questioned how much they are expecting on the old tower? Rep. of Qsby. Central Fire Co.-Between a hundred and five and two hundred thousand. Discussion held regarding –Fly Car- ordered through State Contract, sixteen thousand dollars cheaper- noted that the dealership sold all the 05’s, noted they will supply an ’06 at ’05 cost, will be here in November or December. Budget Officer Switzer-Is there a minimum that has to be put down? Rep. of Qsby Central Fire Co.-I do not believe so. Deputy Supervisor Brewer-Would like to see a demo on that tower… Discussion on budgeting…Rep. of Qsby. Central Fire Co. – borrowed a million at 4% over 15 years the annual payments would be a little over ninety-two thousand dollars. ..we have our building mortgage reduced down to a monthly payment of eleven thousand eight….that will mature in November of 2009…as will another debt will mature in November of 2009 on truck 315. Councilman Boor-Questioned if there were any other big ticket items coming up? Rep of Qsby. Central Fire Co.-I cannot see us doing another replacement on another engine, 316 was in 1989 originally we had looked at 2009 but I think with the tower we will push to 2010. Deputy Supervisor Brewer-Questioned how much would you have to borrow when you get money for the truck and the truck fund? Rep. of Qsby. Central Fire Co.-around 200,000. The one truck that will need to be replaced will be the brush truck…suggested that the sixty thousand be left in the truck fund and take the money that we sell the truck for and turn around and pay down the debt. The payment on eight hundred thousand dollars over fifteen years at 4% the payments would be fifty nine hundred dollars a month, seventy one thousand dollars. Noted that a letter has been sent to Great Escape soliciting financial backing, have not heard back from them. Deputy Supervisor Brewer-Will this give us a higher rating? Rep. of Qsby. Central Fire Co.-It possibly could… the tower truck was designed around the needs of our district. Deputy Supervisor Brewer-We will speak to Supervisor Stec th and a tentative date for the public hearing would be September 12. 662 SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 08-8-2005 MTG.#37 3.0 REBATE 2006 DISCUSSION Budget Officer Jennifer Switzer-Reviewed for the board the financial status of the Town. 2004 audited financial statement – Seven million five hundred and thirteen thousand three hundred and thirty eight dollars unreserved fund balance - three point six million dollars in capital reserve…noted there are other smaller reserves approximately one half a million dollars The Board needs to decide what percentage of an operating budget do you want to have as a fund balance. Councilman Boor-For me it would be 18%. Anything above the 18% give back of the sales tax revenue. Budget Officer Switzer- Do you want that to include the 3.6 million dollars in reserves or over and above the reserve? Councilman Boor-Noted he would like to see 15-18% cushion, lets say our budget is twenty million dollars and at 18% lets say four million that is what I think we should retain and if we have more than that we give it back. Deputy Supervisor Brewer-I would say you dwindle it down so that you are consistent with your rebate. Budget Officer Switzer-Noted that the sales tax estimates is at 4% increase after 2006 per year, noted that is what it has been the average over the past five years. Councilman Strough-We almost have to look at this on a year to year basis. For the sake of consistency if you worked out a formula for the rebate based on this year and a safe projection for next year you could do something that would not jeopardize the town such as giving away a million dollars a year. We have to be careful that the one million dollars a year may not be something that the public is going to get every year. Councilman Boor-when will we get the benefit of the re-val? Budget Officer Switzer-That will be in 2006, but with the benefit comes the increase liability to the Town Taxpayers for the County side of it, so not only are we going to get increased sales tax we would be liable for almost a million and a half dollars more in County tax, that is based upon the 2005. If you leave the rebate where it is you are going to have some taxpayers who are going to end up paying more, the tax rate may be about the same but there are going to be paying more because their properties went up. Deputy Supervisor Brewer-Last year it reduced the county tax ten percent this year with the re-val with the school tax going up eight or nine percent people are going to be taking a hit and if we can do One million two hundred and fifty thousand in one year to bail them out until we know what we are going to do, then I say do it. Budget Officer Switzer-Our apportionment of sales taxed increased from 32.6% to 37.9 %. Councilman Boor-Everybody that does a re-val gets hit hard that year. Councilman Strough-We are going to get more in sales tax but pay more in County tax and they are also going to be paying more in school tax because the State Formula is based on the value. Does the average taxpayer come out as a loser? Councilman Boor-I think so. Councilman Strough-Should we throw the re-val out? Deputy Supervisor Brewer-You can’t, you have to do that. Councilman Boor-You do not have to. Councilman Strough- If the average taxpayer comes out a loser in all of this are we better off throwing the re- val out? We should sit down and do an analysis. Deputy Supervisor Brewer- If we do the One million two hundred and fifty thousand and we end up throwing the re-val out the window then it is a better benefit, you know school taxes are going up 8% in Queensbury, so it effected me 10% last year my taxes are going to go up it might effect me five or six to the good. Councilman Strough-If the school district loses even more in State Aid than they did last year which was five or six hundred thousand in that area and lose even more State Aid because of the re-val this year. I would like to talk to the school, have they done an analysis? How much school aid are they going to lose, what does it mean? Deputy Supervisor Brewer-I will stand firm with one million two hundred and fifty thousand. Councilman Boor-Forget the fund balance, if you were to take balance we would have just for this year what would it be? Budget Officer Switzer-In 2005 anywhere between eight hundred thousand and a million dollars. Councilman Boor-If you took the seven point five million over ten years and added so you take a percentage and then for the first ten years you add a portion of this so the seven point five goes away in ten years. Is that a reasonable way to do it, that way you have ten years if sales taxes goes up it improves but you have ten years of pretty steady return. Budget Officer Switzer-That is something that I can work out it is how you as a board wants to … Councilman Boor-I picked ten years because they want a re-val every ten years. Lets divide it up over ten years to get rid of the seven point five and lets look at what we are making on an annual basis and come up with a figure, that is an easy way to do it. Councilman Strough-Are there other ways to redistribute this fund balance, some people 663 SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 08-8-2005 MTG.#37 say you pay the library? Deputy Supervisor Brewer-No. Councilman Strough-Can you pay the water or … Budget Officer Switzer-No, because they are all special districts. Discussed time table-Councilman Boor-requested some feed back from the Budget Officer… Budget Officer Switzer-Noted she would do some percentages over ten years…Councilman Strough-Requested an impact analysis on the re-val, Lets go with a one point two five million dollar rebate this year what would be the over all impact. Councilman Boor-We are going to give a rebate and it is going to be a large one but lets th not just do it on the 15 for some stupid reason, I would rather have as much th information as I can and maybe we can do it on the 15. Deputy Supervisor Brewer- Lets see what information the Budget Officer can get back to us this week. DISCUSSIONS HELD Councilman Boor-Questioned if a joint Article 7 was filed last week. Budget Officer Switzer-The Great Escape-we received a letter asking for blessing for EMS, they are looking for first responder status, not looking for transport; they want the ability to do a certain amount of treatment at the park itself. They need the blessing of the town because they are within the town. Councilman Boor-Who would be responsible to see that the are up to date? Budget Officer Switzer-That would be their own responsibility. Once they are given this status they themselves would become part of Mountain Lakes they would have to go through quality assurance. Deputy Supervisor Brewer-Would we still respond at the Great Escape? Budget Officer Switzer-Yes. Councilman Strough-How will the effect our billing? Budget Officer Switzer-No effect. Noted that they cannot become a transporter in the Town of Queensbury. RESOLUTION ADJOURING TOWN BOARD MEETING RESOLUTION NO. 378.2005 INTRODUCED BY: Mr. Roger Boor WHO MOVED FOR ITS ADOPTION SECONDED BY : Mr. John Strough RESOLVED , that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby adjourns its Special Town Board Meeting. th Duly adopted this 8 day of August, 2005 by the following vote: AYES: Mr. Boor, Mr. Turner, Mr. Strough, Mr. Brewer NOES: None ABSENT: Mr. Stec Respectfully submitted, Miss Darleen M. Dougher Town Clerk-Queensbury