1989-11-08 410 .F'
TOWN BOARD MEETING
NOVEMBER 8, 1989
7:35 P.M.
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT
STEPHEN BORGOS-SUPERVISOR
GEORGE KUROSAKA-COUNCILMAN
MARILYN POTENZA-COUNCILMAN
RONALD MONTESI-COUNCILMAN
BETTY MONAHAN-COUNCILMAN
TOWN ATTORNEY
PAUL DUSEk -1
TOWN OFFICIALS
Paul Naylor, Kathleen Kathe, David Hatin
PRESS: Channel 8, WWSC
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE LED BY COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA
PUBLIC HEARING - REGARDING AMENDED SEWER RENT LAW
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I' ll ask the clerk, has this been advertised properly, and
.everything, is it all squared away?
TOWN CLERK DOUGHER-Yes it has.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Thank you. I' ll ask our Town Attorney, if you will, to just
please give us a brief synopsis of what this particular proposed amendment does.
ATTORNEY DUSEK-This particular amendment to the sewer law was designed to identify
3 other parcels against which sewer rents would not accrue for this year. The
properties which are affected are the properties that are, I guess, one of the
properties is hooked to the City of Glens Falls direct so therefore its not running
through our sewer system. Then there is two other properties to which sewer service
is not provided at all and it was deemed that it was not feasible to provide it
at this time, so it was thought that it wouldn't be fair to charge them a rate. —'
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Thank you. We've made several of these amendments during the
year, is that correct?
ATTORNEY DUSEK-That's correct.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-As information comes to our attention we try to do it. This
is all regarding the large Quaker Road Central Queensbury Sewer District. It's
a big animal, yet this is the second year of operation and really, for some people,
the very first time they've had an opportunity to be involved with it. We're
learning and we're trying to keep costs down as we learn but we are learning each
and every day. Is there anyone here who wishes to speak for or against this
particular proposed local law amendment?
JANICE MACKEY, Montray Road-I was just curious. I thought when the sewer system
went in there wasn't a choice of whether you can be connected to it or not.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-That's correct.
MS. MACKEY-Well how come some people aren' t connected to it?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-In the few cases that I know of where people are not connected,
there's an excessive amount of rock ledge. The cost of excavation would be between j f
20 and 35 thousand dollars for a connection. They already have operable septic 1
systems. The other situations we've run into are those people who are on the
border between Glens Falls and Queensbury, already connected to the Glens Fails
district.
MS. MACKEY-Thank you.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-You're welcome. Anyone else related to that topic?
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-. . .
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SUPERV ISO -
R BO
RGOS Mr.
Montesi
has mentioned that
land locked
be another exception. I'm trying to think if any, I don't believe o any thave might
excluded in full to date, is that correct?
Paul works on this daily.
ATTORNEY DUSEK-I think the only properties other than peculiar type of properties
that aren't being serviced at all or on the Glens Falls border line, the only
other ones that come to mind are' there was some credit
given for
There is in the works right now a g o wetlands property.
g proposal to try to redevelop the rate system
to take into consideration larger arcels that don't P on t
have any houses or development
on them but we're still working on that.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Thank you. Seeing no other hands
I' ll ask
o Board if they have any comments or questions? If not we' ll declare that public hearing
closed.
PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED
7:37 P.H.
RESOLUTION TO ENACT LOCAL LAW NUMBER 6, 1989, REGARDING AMENDED SEWER RENT LAW
RESOLUTION NO. 627, Introduced by Ronald Montesi who moved for its adoption,
seconded by Marilyn Potenza.
WHEREAS, the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury is desirous of amending the
Sewer Rent Local Law previously adopted by the Town Board on January 17, 1989,
by resolution no. 50, 1989, and further amended and adopted b
p the Town Board
y
on March 7, 1989, by resolution no. 147, 1989, and resolution no. 230, 1989, by
adding to Section 4, Part 4, one additional property against which Sewer rents
will not accrue as said property is served by the sewer facilities of the City
of Glens Falls, and add to Section 5, Part 4, two additional properties against
which sewer rents will not accrue as it is not feasible to provide the sewer to
said properties, and
WHEREAS, a copy of the proposed, amended Sewer Rent Law- with the aformentioned
amendments and all original provisions has been presented at this meeting, and
WHEREAS on November 8 1989 a
� , , public hearing with regard to the proposed amended
Sewer Rent Local Law was duly conducted,
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT
RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby enacts the proposed,
amended Sewer Rent Law, to be known as Local Law Number 6 of 1989, which will
include said new provisions, with the remaining provisions of said Sewer Rent
Local Law remaining unchanged, and the same as presently set forth, and
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that the Town Clerk for the Town of Queensbury is hereby directed to
file the said Local Law with the New York State Secretary of State in accordance
with the provisions of the Municipal Home Rule Law.
Duly adopted this 8th day of November, 1989, by the following vote:
Ayes: Mr. Kurosaka, Mrs. Potenza, Mr. Montesi, Mrs. Monahan, Mr. Borgos
Noes: None
Absent: None
LOCAL LAW NUMBER 6, 1989
A LOCAL LAW AMENDING LOCAL LAW NUMBER 2 OF 1989 ENACTED IMPOSING SEWER RENTS FOR
O
THE QUEENSBURY/QUAKER ROAD SEWER DISTRICT IN THE TOWN OF QUEENSBURY, COUNTY OF
WARREN, NEW YORK ENACTED PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 14 (F) OF THE GENERAL MUNICIPAL LAW
AND MUNICIPAL NOME RULE LAW OF THE STATE OF MW YORK
ARTICLE I
STATEMENT OF POLICY
Section 1. In order to pay costs within the Central Queens bury/Quaker Road
Sewer District including (1) all costs for the operation, maintenance, repair
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of the sewer system hereinafter defined, and all other costs including sums paid
to the City- of Glens Falls or others for sewage treatment; (2) the interest on
the amortization of, or payment of indebtedness which has been or shall be incurred
for the construction of said sewer system or part or parts thereof, for the purchase
and/or construction of sewage treatment and disposal works with necessary
appurtenances, including pumping stations, or for the cost of extension,
enlargement, replacement of, or additions to such sewer system or part or parts
thereof, in that order, and to insure the proper operation, maintenance and repair
of said sewer system. There is hereby established a Sewer Rent Law pursuant to
Article 14(F) of the General Municipal Law and the Municipal Home Rule Law of
the State of New York.
ARTICLE II
DEFINITIONS
As used in this local law, the following terms shall mean and include:
Section 1. The terms, "sewer rents" shall mean as established by the Town
Board of the Town of Queensbury within the Central Queensbury/Quaker Road Sewer
District.
Section 2. The term "sewer system" shall mean the sewer system owned and
operated by the Central Queensbury/Quaker Road Sewer District and shall include
all sewer pipes and other appurtenances which are used or useful in whole or in
part in connection with the collection, treatment and/or disposal of sewage,
industrial wastes and other wastes, and which are owned, operated or maintained
by the Central Queensbury/Quaker Road Sewer District, including pumping stations,
and sewage treatment and disposal works and all extensions, additions and
improvements, which may be made to such system.
Section 3. The term, "part", shall include all lateral sewers or all branch
sewers or all interceptor sewers or all trunk sewers and sewage treatment and
disposal works and each part with necessary appurtenance, including sewage pumping
stations.
Section 4. (a) The term, "sewage" shall include the water carried human
waste from residences, buildings, industrial establishments or other places, {
together with such ground water infiltration and surface water as may be present.
The admixture with sewage as above defined of industrial waste or other waste
as hereafter defined, also shall be considered, "sewage" within the meaning of
this ordinance.
(b) The term, "industrial wastes", shall include any liquid, gaseous,
solid or other waste substance or a combination thereof resulting from any process
of industry, manufacturing, trade or business or from the development or recovery
of any natural resources.
(c) The terms, "other wastes" shall include garbage, refuse, decayed
wood, sawdust, shavings, bark, sand, lime, cinders, ashes, offal, tar, dyestuff,
acids, chemicals, and other discarded matter not sewage or industrial waste.
(d) Provided, however, that none of the foregoing uses of the sewer system
for the items as defined may be made unless in conformity with the Town of
Queensbury Sewer Use Ordinance and all other applicable rules and regulations
of the Town of Queensbury, County of Warren and State of New York.
Section 5. Residential property shall include a building, structure or land
use designed and occupied exclusively as a human dwelling and upon and in which
no commercial activity or business use is maintained, unless such activity or
use is in compliance. with the Town of Queensbury zoning ordinance as a home
occupation. I �
Section 6. Non-Residential property shall include a building, structure _
or land use designed and occupied for any commercial activity or business use.
ARTICLE III
LOCAL LAW NUMBER 2, 1989 superseded
Section 1. This local law shall supersede, amend and repeal local law number
2, 1989 entitled: "A Local Law Amending Local Law Number 1 of 1989 Enacted Imposing
Sewer Rents for the Queensbury/Quaker Road Sewer District in the Town of Queensbury,
County of Warren, New York enacted pursuant to Article 14 (F) of the General
Municipal Law and Municipal Home Rule Law of the State of New York."
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ARTICLE IV
SEWER RENTS
Section 1. There is hereby established and imposed a scale ale of
"sewer rents"
for services rendered by the sewer system to the real property within the limits
of the Central Queensbury/Quaker Road Sewer District.
Charges pursuant to Article I, Section 1, Subdivision 1 hereof:
A. For residential properties $50.00 annually for each residential unit,'
p $2.18 per thousand gallons of water metered to such premises in excess
75,000 gallons per year.
P eas of
B. For non-residential properties $2.18 per thousand gallons for water
metered to such premises.
Charges pursuant to Article I, Section 1, Subdivision 2.
A. For residential properties $1.54 per thousand dollars of assessed
valuation, plus $227.08 per acre of land occupied by said unit on a prorated basis,
plus $50.00 per residential unit for the first 75,000 gallons of water consumed
on. said premises and $2.53 per thousand gallons in excess of 75,000 gallons, except
that in those instances in which a vacant parcel in excess of five (5) acres lies
in a vacant wetlands area as designated under the Environmental Conservation Law,
where the total acreage of the parcel for purposes of calculating the Sewer Rent
due shall be reduced by the number of areas in the designated wetland.
B. For non-residential properties $1.54 per thousand dollars of assessed
valuation, plus $227.08 per acre for each acre of land occupied by said unit on
a prorated basis plus $2.53 per thousand gallons of water consumed on said premises.
Section 2. For treatment of industrial wastes or other wastes as defined
herein if any additional treatment is required because of undue concentration
of solids or any other substances which add to the operating costs, the Town Board
is authorized to fix and determine such additional sewer rent charges therefore,
as shall be equitable, in addition to the sewer rents set forth in the preceding
paragraphs.
Section 3. Sewer rents shall begin to accrue as of January 1, 1989 for use
after that date and shall be billed as follows:
(a) Annual charges for residential properties of $50.00 per residential
unit and annual charges of $1.54 per thousand dollars of assessed valuations for
residential and nonresidential properties and $227.08 per acre of land occupied,
shall be billed in advance in the month of January of each year.
(b) Charges based on water meter readings shall be billed quarter annualiv
in advance on February 1, May 1, August 1 and November 1 of each calendar year-
based upon the water meter reading for the most recent preceding quarter calendar
year.
Section 4. Sewer Rents shall not accrue against properties within the Central
Queensbury/Quaker Road Sewer District which are serviced by the Sanitary Sewer
Facilities of the City of Glens Falls and continue to be so served. The Town
Board shall annually at its first meeting in the month of January of each year
determine properties which are so served and are determined at the present time
to be:
Property Address Tax Map No.
20 Fort Amherst Road 106-4-10
6 Fort Amherst Road 106-4-17
10 Fort Amherst Road 106-4-15
12 Fort Amherst Road 106-4-14
14 Fort Amherst Road 106-4-13
16 Fort Amherst Road 106-4-12
18 Fort Amherst Road 106-4-11
4 Patton Drive 108-1-18
9 Patton Drive 108-1-19
23 Mountain View 108-1-24.2
319 Ridge Road 108-3-17
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49 McArthur Drive 107-1-13
55 McArthur Drive 107-1-14
57 McArthur Drive 107-1-15
61 McArthur Drive 107-1-16
60 McArthur Drive 107-1-17
230 Bay Road 106-5-45
3 Patton Drive 108-1-16
Windy Hill 109-3-16
Section 5. Sewer Rents shall not accrue for the 1989 rent year and thereafter
against properties within the Central Queensbury/Quaker Road Sewer District for
which it has been determined that it is not feasible to provide sewer service
at this time. Those properties are determined to be as follows:
Property Address Tax Map No.
2 Meadowbrook Road 108-2-8
29 Meadow Drive 58-2-3
59 Meadowbrook 59-3-5.1
59 Meadowbrook 59-3-6
22 Meadow Drive 58-2-4
22 Meadow Drive 58-2-5.3
Cronin Road 46-2-20. 1
ARTICLE V
ADMINISTRATION
Section 1. All sewer rents shall be due and payable at the Office of the
Town Tax Collector.
Section 2. Bills will be sent out to all property owners by the Town Tax
Collector and the failure of any property owner to receive a bill promptly shall
not excuse nonpayment of the same, and in the event the property owner fails to
receive a bill promptly, he shall demand the same at the Town Tax Collector's
Office.
Section 3. Terms of payment: Bills will be rendered at the net amount and
will be due on the last business day of the calendar month when rendered.
1
Section 4. If bills are not paid within one (1) month from the date due,
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• penalty Qf five (5%) percent will be added to the same and if unpaid thereafter,
• penalty of one (1%) percent per month will be added until the amount shall have
been paid or until the sewer rent is levied in accordance with the Section 6 hereof,
provided however, that in the event the bill rendered is in the incorrect amount,
the bill shall be deemed rendered at the time of correction for purposes of this
section and section 3.
Section 5. Sewer use rents shall constitute a lien upon the real property
served by the sewer system or such part or parts thereof for which sewer rents
are hereby established. The lien shall be prior to and superior to every other
lien or claim except the lien of an existing tax assessment or other lawful charge
imposed by or for the state or a political subdivision or district thereof.
Section 6. The Town Tax Collector shall annually on or before the 1st day
of July, certify the amounts of all unpaid sewer rents including penalties, comput
to the first day of June with a description of the real property affected therel
and shall present such certificate to the Town Board which shall enter the saes
or an abstract thereof in the minutes of the meeting. The Town Board shall lev-;
such amounts against the real property liable therefor as part of the annual
Town tax levy, setting forth such amounts in separate columns in the annual tay
roll. The sewer rent fund shall be credited with the amount of all such unpaid
sewer rents, including penalties, and such amounts, when collected, shall be
credited to the general fund. The amounts so levied shall be collected and enforced
in the same manner and at the same time as other Town charges.
ARTICLE VI
EFFECTIVE DATE
Section 1. This local law shall take effect immediately.
PUBLIC HEARING - PROPOSED 1990 BUDGET
7:40 P.M.
NOTICE SHOWN
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-We have a public hearing on the budget, the proposed budget,
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otherwise known at this time as the preliminary budget for 1990. I would guess
there is no one here to speak about that but on the other hand I see faces I don't
see at other meetings so my guess is that we probably do have people here. I
don't want to spend alot of time other than to say that a budget message was
prepared that was quite lengthy but very honestly only touched the surface of
many of the departments and reasons for expenditures of the Town. No
way was it intended to be all inclusive. A number of items were introduced there
perhaps for the first time that I'd be more than happy to discuss. In many cases
I'm probably best prepared to discuss them because as budget officer I made the
recommendation. I made them with the idea of saving tax dollars, not spending
money and I'd be more than happy to answer that. But if you have any questions
whatever about the budget I brought most of the file with me. We' ll do our very
-- best to look up all your answers and give you the answers this evening. You may
direct your questions to me or to anyone else on the Board. Please just feel
free to raise your hand, I'll recognize you, name and address and we' ll go.
HERBERT RIEDEL, 9 Maplewood Drive, Queensbury-I'm accompanied by Fran Cartmell
who is the Director of the Greater Glens Falls Senior Citizen's Center. I'd like
talk about that budget. I want to thank you for the opportunity to talk about
it. When we did receive your letter saying you were going to reduce our funding
50% of 5,000 down to 2500 dollars, I think we were pretty dismayed about it.
We're hoping we could convince you to reconsider that cut. We know that there
aren't any such things as free lunches, but we do want to specify there are some
543 members of the Greater Glens Falls Senior Citizens Center are . from Queensbury.
This amounts to 28% of the total members being from Queensbury. When you stop
and look at the 2500 that you people are talking about funding us with now, that's
about 3% of our operating budget. Even with 5,000 which we had last year, it
was only 6% of our budget. Now when you consider 6% of the budget and you're
getting about 28% of the services, I think you must agree that this is a pretty
good buy for the Town of Queensbury. In addition to this, last year we had heard
during this that we were going to be cut out of the budget and some of the members
from Queensbury got together and drew up a petition and signed it. I think we
had some place in the neighborhood of a 160 names. I think after we had gone
through it, we found 3 or 4 of them were not from Queensbury so we took those
out so we had a net total of over 150. Granted this is last year and the original
intent of the petition was to ask you to keep the funds where they were. Legally,
I suppose, the petition means nothing but the fact that we didn't get this notice
about the cut until yesterday, we couldn't come up with another petition in less
than 24 hours if you want to be honest about it. But we do have that petition
if you want to look at it.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Alright.
MR. RIEDEL-If you wanted we could get another petition up right away. We could
probably have it in 2 weeks and I would imagine we'd get at least 150. I think
probably 200 or more than that . . . Again I ask you to reconsider the funding
to us since it does provide a very vital service to all of the senior citizens
in the ar6a including these 543 from Queensbury. Regardless of how you do come
out on this, we want to specify and make sure everybody understands that the senior
citizens from Queensbury are always welcome in the Greater Glens Falls Senior
Citizen Center. This will not effect our thinking in any way. If you have any
questions, hopefully if I can't answer them, that's why I brought Fran along.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Thank you. Before we go into that and before we let the other
Board members comment about this, I' ll mention that about 8 or 10 organizations
contacted us directly such as yourselves with a specific request. I made a very
special effort, even though we didn't make these decisions on the budget until
the end of last week, I made a special effort to get the letters out to you in
time for this. I think the library probably got a letter, Volunteer Action Center
I believe got a letter. I'm trying to think who else. I went down through the
list as best I could and I think they were all hand delivered. Big Brothers,
Big Sisters. Just to be sure you had an opportunity to see what the proposed
decisions were. At this point I' ll let any Board member respond that might want
to talk about this.
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-I would guess that the con Versati.on that I recall best when
it came to senior citizen funding was, number 1, Steve did relate in a letter
to you that the previous Supervisor, Fran Walter, had stated to the Glens Falls
Association in advance of that we were building a senior, an activity center on
site here. That that would take precedent, that would be the Queensbury Activity
Center and specifically to give a home or-=oiur senior citizens of Queensbury, our
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organization. That was 2 or 3 years ago. This year we just felt that it was
not fair to cut it totally but we're now looking at funding 2 senior citizen
activities and we felt that residents of Queensbury, obviously had a home, obviously
had an organization here in Queensbury that we wanted to fund, that we felt we
needed to take care of. We didn't want to totally cut off Glens Falls at this
point, so we reduce it to half. We felt in all fairness that should at least
let you know that we are thinking of going in the direction of having are own
senior citizens organization funded heavier, the one that's obviously in our
community. That may not make you happy and I know there is_, you said a number
of residents in Queensbury that belong to your club. That is thdir choice. I
don't know how else to recognize that. I'm sure that, my Mom is a member of 4
or 5 senior citizen clubs in Connecticut and I'm not sure I understand why except
that some of them offer different trips and different activities that interest
her. But we just felt that we didn't want to shut it off completely so we reduce
it 50%.
FRAN CARTMELL-I'm the Director of the Greater Glens Falls Senior Citizens Center.
I'm wondering if the implication of the letter is that after next year you intend
to go to zero funding. I think that we're concerned if that's the implication
that rather than cut us directly this year you're perhaps thinking in terms of
cutting us out entirely. I think it would be only fair for us to know if that's
what you're thinking is because it makes a great deal of difference to us, this
kind of money, although it doesn't seem like very much to you perhaps . . .
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Anybody on the Board wish to respond to that?
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-The only thing I can say is that we're spending tax payer's
money in the Town of Queensbury. We owe our responsibility to the people who
put us in office, like I won election yesterday.
MS. CARTMELL-That includes me sir. I think there are alot of people like me who
support both organizations.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-I'm a member of the senior citizens club in Queensbury. Our
responsibility is Queensbury. We felt that we had to do something and we have
our own center which we didn't have.
MS. CARTMELL-Well, you still didn't answer my question.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-Every year we're going to have to sit down and discuss this,
because every year we have different conditions.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I think the budget you see in front of you is proposed for 1990.
I'm sure this input is beneficial and I would imagine that we're not going to
make many., of any decisions tonight. We have another couple of weeks before the
budget has to be adopted but you're giving us things to think about. Mrs. Potenza
were you going to say something?
COUNCILMAN POTENZA-No, I think one of the things that impressed us most Fran was
the implication that you had done, at least contacted about alleviating the payment
of the Town of Queensbury. We talked during the budget hearings about reducing
that 5,000 dollars to 2500 dollars because the balance would be the financial
responsibility of the Town for the senior citizens center here in this Town.
That's for 1990. As Mr. Borgos said, I don't think there's any indication what's
going to happen after 1990.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-Eleanor, I hate to put you on the spot but do you have any
idea what the number of Glens Falls citizens that belong to Queensbury?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Would you come to the microphone and identify yourself, please,
for the record even though we all know who you are?
a
ELEANOR OUDEKERK-Coodinator of the Queensbury Center. The last update I did of
the Queensbury Senior Citizen membership totaled 776 members, 108 of whom had
a Glens Falls address.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-Thank you Eleanor.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Thank you. Any other comments from the Board about that subject?
Maybe we can keep some order to this, anyone else who wishes to speak about the
contribution or the agreement with Glens Falls Senior Citizen's Center? Okay,
thank you. Yes Mam, would you come up and state your name and address please?
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MARIANNE WALTON-I live on Trip Hammer Road in Queensbury. My questions are mainly
directed to you Mr. Borgos, being the big issue is your salary. You ran for office
in Queensbury knowing the salary at the time you ran. People went and voted for
you with faith. Over a period of time your salary has been increased considerably.
Now, the proposal is for 50,000 dollars a year. That is alot of money in anyone's
language. There's also a concept that everyone that lives in Queensbury are
wealthy. I look around this room and for the most part see, simple middle class
people like me. I already know what my pay increase is going to be next year,
it's either 4.6 or 4.7 %. The government has announced social security benefits.
The inflation rate is not 60% or 50% which would be in the bracket of what you're
asking. The inflation rate, I don't believe, is more than 7%. How do you justify
being re-elected, no one opposing you and budgeting for 50,000 dollars? I would
have run against you for 50,000 dollars.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I wish you had and I wish you had won. Let me try to answer
this question for you, I'm serious about that.
MS. WALTON-I'm very serious too.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Let me try to answer this question for you. It's really a multi
part question, probably on the minds of alot of people here. Let's go through.
Number 1, when I originally ran, even for the Town Board, it wasn't that I was
seeking to go out and find another thing to do. I did that in response to a couple
of telephone calls because we were going to a ward system and people wanted somebody
who was a bit familiar with Town Government and at that point I had been involved
for 11 years with the Board of Assessment Review and I agreed to run that year
and I won. When it was determined that the other Supervisor was not going to
run again, once again I got a couple of phone calls in the middle of the night
and I said, really, I'm quite happy as a professor at Adirondack Community College
and salaries there are finally getting up to where it's reasonable, and I'm very
happy where I am. They said, please do it because we think you do the job. . .
MS. WALTON-So someone twisted your arm.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-And nobody else wanted it, true, they really did. It was a
very difficult decision for all those reasons and the increased proposed separation
from my family. But I said okay. Total salary at that point was approximately
what I was getting at the College. So I said, that's sounds good. A year ago
there was a proposal to increase the salaries a little bit more than what eventually
happened and we had a number of people come to our budget meetings and say, really
you shouldn't increase the salary on off election year because there's no
opportunity for someone to run against you. Under the law, the unfortunate part
is, we have to set our own salaries, that's the way the law is written.
Unfortunately the budget officer has to make a recommendation. Prior to making
that recommendation, I looked at the hours that I spend here or that anybody spends
here. I've got probably the best idea of what the Supervisor of this Town has
to do. I looked at the required experience and education and whatever that would
be involved for anybody to run for this office. I said, what's a fair and
reasonable number for th4t job, not for me but for the job. Also as Chief Executive
Officer of the Town it's my job, my responsibility to plan for the future and
try to line up people in positions so that we can continue to operate. I looked
at the size of this business and as proposed a 16,700,000 dollar business next
year. There's in one person in the administrative line unlike other organizations
that have multi levels of administrations. I looked at the work week which is
never less than 55 hours and typically closer to 70 and that's, I'd like to make
a point of this, all in addition to the job that is imposed by law as being a
Warren County Supervisor.
MS. WALTON-Which is additional money?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Which is additional money but I would gladly give up that
position. I offered to the Board to release from that, under the law, there's
no way out of it.
MS. WALTON-TJiis I appreciate.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Let me just continue a little more, I don't want to interrupt
you. But this job is a big job. The proposed salary that I recommended for this
position was 58,000 dollars. That is no where near what comparable work effort
would bring in the private sector for this level position. It is still below
comparable tax supported similar positions in this community and that is a fact,
we did a great deal of research in this area. It's a, I thought a fair and
reasonable
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number at 58 in my proposal. Now the Board through a great deal of discussion
during budget negotiations and workshop, saw fit to reduce to 50,000 dollars.
That does seem like alot of money to alot of people.
MS. WALTON-It is alot of money.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-It is. However, in the work place and in consideration of what
is done and everyday dealings with attorneys and accountants and many professionals
where we have to be on the ball and have a pretty good knowledge of all engineering
and legal matters, I don't think it's an unreasonable salary. I did some
statistical analysis that I do want to share with you.
MS. WALTON-What would you ask if you were President of the United States?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I have no desire to be President of the United States.
MS. WALTON-Alright, he ran to be President. You ran to be the Supervisor.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Right. When I ran 2 years ago, I knew then what the salary
would be. It was discussed in budget workshop and after election I in public
session I could have decided not to serve. This time I knew just the same time
everybody else knew that it would be 50. The election was yesterday so we
announced, I think this is interesting, we announced the proposed salary prior
to election and I obviously got 400 less votes then some other people who were
unopposed and that's a message of sorts.
MS. WALTON-All you had to do was vote for yourself and you're in.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-You' ll never know how I voted.
MS. WALTON-You talk about private industry, no one that runs for political office
ever gets paid what he could get in the private sector.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Right and maybe that's the message.
MS. WALTON-My husband was in your position for 12 years in a Town with a population
of 60,000 people. It was not his full time job and he received a 1,000 dollars
a year. It was, I'm a public servant, I ran, I'm here to serve you. When you
start getting into 50,000 dollars a year or 58,000 you are going to have unqualified
people that are going to run for the money.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-This is where we agree and disagree. Alot of people will be
attracted by the salary, most, however will be scared off by the burden of the
job. I say that not lightly. Most people will burn out in a week or less in this
position, just trying to haLiule the phone calls. Let me, I don't know what you
think of typical wages but I calculated the wage rate per hour, assuming only
a 55 hour week and at just straight time with no over time and at 58,000, assuming
it was to be 58,000 dollars, at straight time that's 20 dollars and 28 cents an
hour. Overtime, time and a half that's required by law normally, that's 17 dollars
and 85 cents an hour for 55 hour work week. Again that's a low work week. That's
at the high rate. The Board has seen fit to come up with a number of 50 which
means that the straight wage rate, I haven't calculated, is probably somewhere
around 15 dollars an hour and with overtime, it would probably be 13 dollars and
50 cents an hour, which I don't think is unreasonable.
MS. WALTON-You're counting per hour which as an elected official you shouldn' t.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS=Excuse me just a minute. What I'm trying to do is communicate
to you in `some amount that you may want to relate to, an hourly rate. You obviously
don't like the higher number and I don't want to get into a big argument about
it and we're here to listen to you. All I'm saying is that I don't believe you' ,
going to get and keep any qualified individual in this full time job for le
money than that. I think the Town of Queensbury deserves someone who has sonu� —
idea of what's going in the world.
MS. WALTON-That I appreciate. Now I have another question. Your article or
statement by you in the paper a short time ago said the budget was up 17%. I
believe that. . .
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I didn't say that. I never put a number on it.
MS. WALTON-Alright than, maybe I'm quoting the wrong person, maybe it was, you
were the one that said, people are requiring more services. I would like to know
9
what people are requiring. I don't ask for a thing. I don't know, my trash doesn't
get picked up, I pay for that. What, if it is a 17% increase, what are people
asking for?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-People are asking for expansion of water districts, of sewer
districts. They're asking for repaving of roads, they're asking for more
recreation, they're asking for better cemeteries, they're asking for all those
things we do. Better Planning Department, better Building and Code Enforcement,
more efficient tax collection, better operation of the Town Clerk's office, better
job at assessing. All those items and all those items cost money and the primary
cost of most of those items is in wages.
MS. WALTON-Okay, I have another one. 60 million dollars in new permit building
. . . this year I believe.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I think it was 53 revenue, I've got the numbers with me.
MS. WALTON-Whatever. Why can't we, the State or the Federal Government, I'm going
to balk it all together, but you can't answer for anyone else, when you have the
growth that is happening all over, more rateables, why can't a budget start to
balance itself out? Million dollar row along there, those stores, unless they're
getting a tax break our taxes should be lower because of the . . .
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-See this is the interesting part, the bottom line on the proposed
budget at this point with the preliminary budget is that there will be no tax
increase. . We're still down for the typical home in Queensbury, the typical average
home is still assessed at 100,000 dollars. There are some alot higher, some alot
lower. That amounts to 44 dollars per year. We're able to do that because of
the tremendous revenue we receive from sales tax, primarily attributable to our
tourism market. The cost of government although we're giving increased services
is offset dramatically by the sales tax revenue. So if the taxes next year for
the typical home in Queensbury, not school tax, we're talking about town, highway
and all these other things, 44 cents per thousand. Now in addition to that we
add a dollar fifty, no maybe about a dollar forty-seven for fire protection and
ambulance service. That's all the general town tax, everything else is county
and school tax.
— MS. WALTON-Alright, you can't answer for the school board, I know that. But with
the increased rateables that come in here, drive through some of your subdivisions
in your area where half million dollar homes are going up, why isn't this being
reflected on that level? My school taxes were 400 dollars more than last year.
I know you can't answer it. . .
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-That's the frustrating part, I haven't nothing to do with that.
MS. WALTON-But I still am saying, why isn't the increase helping to offset all
of these things?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Based on where you live, you are in the Queensbury School
District. I am in the Queensbury School District.
MS. WALTON-I don't have any children in school . . .
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Okay. Number 1, it's interesting because we learned something
this year in doing some research. We're wondering also why the Queensbury School
District taxes are going up with all the new construction. Number 1, we found
out a great deal of Queensbury that we didn't think was in the Lake George School
District, is in the Lake George School District.
MS. WALTON-Yes, I know.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Such as the Great Escape, such as all the new stores you talked
about, all the factory outlet malls. It's all Lake George School District.
MS. WALTON-Oh, they get that money.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-All goes to Lake George. None of that comes to the Queensbury
School District and that's where a tremendous amount of expansion is taking place,
that's the commercial expansion.
MS. WALTON-One more.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Sure.
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MS. WALTON-Who did the planning to enlarge and rebuild here?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I was waiting for that. Unfortunately I'm going to have
to. . .(tape turned) discuss in detail but if you'd like to appear at the Supreme
Court Chambers on December 18th, is that when testimony is going to begin?
ATTORNEY DUSEK-There is the date for depositions to start. I think that's it.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I think December 18th, you' ll begin to hear all the nitty gritty
details which I wish I could tell you right now but I can't.
MS. WALTON-Well than just, I'm going to just say, why do we need another Town
Hall?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-That's my proposal.
MS. WALTON-This place is not full.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-No, that's right. It's my personal proposal, it's not the
proposal of the entire Board at this point. Mostly we refer to the fact to the
building next door and the Highway Department and Court. I don't know if you've
been in the Highway or Court facility.
MS. WALTON-Hopefully never the court.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Okay good. The Court facility is unbearable. We have people
there working at a typewriter table for a desk because there's no room. Highway
Department is crammed into one end, has no room to expand. Our revised building
is already so crowded that with the new people we propose to have to bring on
in January, they' ll be in the hallways for desk operation.
MS. WALTON-But isn't it easier to add onto that building?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-No. It's not easy and it's not inexpensive and it doesn't provide
the parking because we're built to the limits of our property all the way around.
The only reason I even raised that in the budget message and obviously I'm aware _
that the newspaper said it's political suicidal, I was aware of that before I
did it. I felt the obligation to do it because there would otherwise be proposals
to enlarge the Highway Department, to enlarge the Court facility at hundreds of
thousands of dollars, to install new gas tanks and pumps in back at 50,000 dollars
or more. To make major modifications to buildings that really in my real estate
background experience, would say, would not add anything positively to the value
of this property, it would be throwing money away. So what I was saying, let' s
save that money, let's look for the future, let's try to find a piece of property,
in my opinion, find a piece of property that would be good for 50 years into the
future and let's build a conservative kind of building. A building with alot
of square footage, not an awful lot of fancy marble. That's what I was trying
to say. I believe that this property has appreciated dramatically in value as
we can see from the office building going in across the street. I think in the
market place, probably it would have to be a public bid situation, we would be
able to get a great deal of money for this entire package of property. By using
that money in the right way, we should be able to construct a facility we need
at little or no extra expense.
MS. WALTON-And you really need it?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I believe if you took a tour with us you would agree. You should
come here during the day time.
MS. WALTON-I thought it looked quite large.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-This building is nice but we don't have a meeting room anymore,
this is supposed to be an activity room for the seniors primarily. We often end
up with 2 meetings scheduled at one time so where in the Court room which will
seat about 50 people or we go over to the Queensbury High School with their good
graces or occasionally Adirondack Community College. We don' t have any space.
MS. WALTON-So you don't, the predecessor of yours figured this was going to do
it?
11
�2J
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I am aware of exactly who was involved in many of the decisions
but I really can't, I really can't. It was no great pleasure to write the budget
message to propose salary increases or to recommend having to build property,
we have enough other problems already. I just considered it part of my job and
again, I wQlcome somebody else to run.
MS. WALTON-Well you sound like you're doing a good job but I think you could earn
a little less money.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Thank you.
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-Mrs. Walton. Just so, I'm sure that the rest of the Board
can speak for themselves but I for one, I tend to disagree with Steve in terms
of a concept of selling this facility and building new. I do agree and we have
been working for the last year on negotiating for a parcel of land adjacent to,
close by to this facility so that we can come forth, I was hopeful of coming forth
to the voters this year with a proposal to buy a parcel of land. It would give
us the room to expand, it would give us some room for options. Obviously if we
had a piece of land that was next door, parking wouldn't be a problem and we could
add onto the existing building and have that land for some parking. That's what
my plan for, as one member of the Board, is for the future is to aggressively
pursue the negotiations to purchase land so that we can talk to the citizens about
what the future would bring. I really don't agree with the concept of selling
this and building new but at least . . .
MS. WALTON-But there's not enough acreage or land here right?
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-There's 22 acres on site here, we do house. . .
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Excuse me, I think it's 6 and were right up to the border on
all them.
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-6 but we house Highway and traffic, Town Hall and the Activity
Center.
MS. WALTON-It just seems after all the addition that we're turned around and hit
with, well now we might need a whole new complex again. So it makes you wonder
of what has gone wrong . . .
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-We don't believe it is our fault Mam.
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-There's alot of pushing and shoving on that concept.
MS. WALTON-All of you hit the dust when I said, who did the planning.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-That's what the lawsuit is about.
MS. WALTON-Oh, I see.
COUNCILMAN kUROSAKA-That's why we can't discuss it, specific stuff.
MS. WALTON-Oh, okay, I understand. Thank you for listening to me.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-I think you have to realize that we are amateurs, that we don't
plan a building per-sa and more than that I can not say.
MS. WALTON-Okay.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I appreciate the fact that you came here. Thank you.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-I do want to say one thing though so that you have all sides
of this picture. Steve talks about the tax rate being kept the same, it is.
By applying the greatest amount of surplus that we ever used up in one year to
apply against this budget. But there's more to the story than just keeping the
tax rate down as how we're keeping it down. Never before in the years that I
have been on this Board have we used up a surplus so fast to apply it against
the tax rate, and I do believe it should be kept stable, don't; misunderstand me,
I also wonder if maybe we can't cut expenses a little bit more so we don't have
to put quite so much of our surplus into it.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I would just like to add that last year when we did the budget,
we applied less surplus but we ended up with a proposed amount of surplus left
12
over of less than what the proposal is this year. I believe we're going to, we
ended up finally we got the counting done in January, with a greater surplus than
we had anticipated and I truly believe that in January of this year we' ll be at
or equal to or maybe slightly above the surplus that we realistically had at the
end of last year. So, although we have applied as Mrs. Monahan said, more than
ever before, we should end up in the same financial condition at the beginning
of 1990 as we were in 89.
MS. WALTON-Well I probably should apologize for one part of my complaining on
taxes and that is to Queensbury itself. I take my entire tax bill and look at
it and have a nightmare and I look at what comes in to Town Hall for here and
I believe and I didn't look at it, it was something like 65 or 75 dollars last
year.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Total Town tax.
MS. WALTON-Town tax. But then I am paying 300 and some dollars for water, 300
and some' dollars for fire and then when you pay 1750 dollars for school taxes,
you add them all up, you say, this place is killing me. But it's not right here.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I'm pleased that you recognize that.
MS. WALTON-So you do understand, I'm taking the whole tax picture and saying,
our tax rate from you alone is great but there still could be less spending.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Thank you, we' ll try to chip away in the next couple of weeks.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-I would add this too, it's a misconception on most people that
growth in homes add to your tax base. In schools that do not because it costs
so much to educate the children that are brought in that the fastest way to break
a community, is to have a bedroom community.
MS. WALTON-I agree, I know that.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-And we're looking at the results of that right now in Queensbury
School district.
MS. WALTON-But some of these new homes over in the Bedford Close area, aren't
producing any children and they're half million dollar homes.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-This is true. I hope that you' ll find most of them are assessed
for that much because they're back at what it would cost those houses to be built
in 1987. You have to keep everybody on the same tax assessing year even if they're
built today.
MS. WALTON-In other words if a builder applied for a permit, for 500,000 dollars
because that's what figure he gave them. . .
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-It doesn't mean that would be his assessing, of what he would
be assessed for. The assessor has to take that house, figure out what it would
cost to build it 1987 and that's what that house would have to go on the assessment
roll.
MS. WALTON-I see, that I didn't understand.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN=Because everybody has to be on the same year in order for it
to be fair.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-The other important part of that I believe is the fact that
most people don't realize, we're about a year behind what you see being built
and occupied and what you see on the tax rolls. The taxable value of status date
is March first of each year. January first is the assessment date. So the assessor
next year will be picking up homes that have been built and occupied this year
and we continue to see. . .
MS. WALTON-But still at the 87 figure, right?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Still at the 87 figure but you' ll see if it's a, let's say we
have 80 million dollars in building permits roughly, probably roughly 80% of that,
would really show up next year . . .
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4a 3
MS. WALTON-But possibly the full amount?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Not yet but there will be a reevaluation within the next 2 or
3 years which if it works properly should push everybody up to then 100% of then
current market value. Some people will go up more than others because they've
been lower than others and because neighborhoods change and whatever. It's not
an easy task. Then you throw in these state equalization rate which changes from
community to community and sometimes 3 or 4 communities are in one school district
with different equalization rates, makes for a major problem. Mr. Montesi just
handed me the report, a copy, so far this year we've issued 68,117,190 dollars
worth of building permits. This time last year and last year was a record, we
only had 53 million so we're 15 million ahead of our record year already.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-But again we're not talking the same set of dollars.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-No we're not talking the same dollars.
MS. WALTON-No, 80%.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-No, I mean last years, what it cost them to build last year
to what it cost to build this year but does all get assessed back at 1987.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-Steve, she asked a question about school taxes. Now I was
on the School Board 20 years ago and I got defeated so I went on the Zoning Board
for 12 years and I'm here now. But I can remember asking a question at a School
Board meeting, 20 years ago, and asked them, they discussed everything on the
budget, line item by line item and I got tired of it, when we got through discussing
they said it was mandated by the State. So I asked a question, how much of this
budget and it was a million dollars back in 1967 of that school, how much can
we discuss?
MS. WALTON-Not much.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-One Hundred thousand, 10%, the State mandates 90% of the School
budget.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-George, I don't buy that argument either because even with
mandated expenses, you can either go cadilac with those mandated expenses or you
could go kind of sensible.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-But the mandated expenses even if you go chevrolet its going
to cost you 90% of it.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-That's true but I think they could do a little better job of
. . . than they do.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-I ran for School Board, I used to learn an awful lot about
it, I got out of it because I don't want those kind of headaches.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-I always figure that's a cop out.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-This is alot more enjoyable than being on the School Board.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-We're trying to be a little bit light about this otherwise it
could be a very difficult evening.
CHRIS GRANGER-I live at 17 Meadow Drive. I just have a couple of questions about
the budget. First off, the surplus, I'd like to make a statement that, I really
feel that's a . . . to the Town of Queensbury using up such a surplus so fast
to balance the budge-t to keep taxes down. I feel there are a few things in the
tax budget that we can cut out and I think that it really needs some review.
First off correct me if I am wrong I'd like to attack one specific item and that
is the Building & Code Enforcement. I've heard through the grape vine that they
applied for a new frequency and have gotten a second frequency so that they're
all by themselves now. Is that correct?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-That's correct.
MR. GRANGER-That they're also. . .
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-That will be correct.
14
MR. GRANGER-Will be correct once the FCC approves of it and that a year ago that
they got brand new County radios, 2 channel radios, max track radios through a
County bid and that they were all new radios.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-They received new radios, not at a County bid but at State bid
prize, that's correct but the Building and Code budget is down this year compared
last year.
MR. GRANGER-But they also have cellular telephones in each one of the vehicles?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-That's correct.
MR. GRANGER-They'realso requesting for this year to put, to change those radios
now to 16 channel radios, to upgrade them?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I'm not sure, I don't remember. All I know is that they've
proposed to get a new frequency and they did get a new frequency. In fact, I
wasn't aware they were getting it, we as a Town, have been trying for years to
get frequency. Mr. Naylor would love to have his own highway frequency because
the radio frequencies are so crowded it's almost impossible to have communications.
Now we're looking at a very small expenditure, I think the total including base
and, everything, the frequency itself is like a hundred dollars but including the
base station, we need maybe, I think it's 26 hundred dollars. The reason for
the cellular phones so that all of you don't have your private business discussed
over the air waves so the scanners can hear everything that's going on. The
Building and Code Enforcement people visit specific properties and have questions
and they call back to get details. Now they could I suppose take notes and run
back to the office and run back again , "'that's quite inefficient. We found that
the careful use of cellular phones has helped save us a great deal of money.
It is correct what you're saying but the cost involved is low and that particular
department actually has a budget for next year proposed at less than this year.
MR. GRANGER-The thing that I'm saying is that I have no argument with the cellular
telephones, I have no argument with the radios they have now. The argument I
do have is taking those radios out and from what I heard, putting 16 channel radios
in so that they also have communications for the local fire departments, the local
police department and the County highway. I mean I know that there's alot of,
I know that the frequency is busy and stuff but to remove the radios from what
I've heard and to upgrade them to 16 channel radios after 1 year I think that's
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I don't believe that's happening. We have programmable radios,
they can be programed at no expense. One of the fire departments has the program
and the capability of doing that for us.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-We also have radios with interchangeable crystals too.
SUPERVISOR $ORGOS-We no longer have, we're not buying any crystal sets.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-Oh, were not?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I don't know how many we have in the Town, we don't have more
than a handful left probably. All programmable . . . Relatively, they seem like
alot of money but they're relatively inexpensive. We're looking at a 2 frequency
set for about 3 or 4 hundred dollars and I understand it cost a couple hundred
dollars to fix them if they break, but they don't break right away.
MR. GRANGER-The other thing is, I'd just like to make a statement is, are you,
in last year's budget, you're asking for a couple of executive assistance to help
you?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-It's not true. ---
MR. GRANGER-Not true.
SUPERVISOR JWNtGW-The only, it's interesting, the Planning Department has doubled
in the last 2 years, Building and Codes Department has doubled, Town Clerk's Office
I believe has doubled, the Legal Department has been built and doubled. Town
Clerk is looking at me, well 50%, for people to type the minutes. I'm getting
at something particular here. If you look through all of our departments, they've
all increased dramatically in staff. Except the Supervisor's Office has increased
15
from a half time assistant to a full time assistant and that is it. I did make
a proposal which is not in the budget that I not have assistance but they we have
some area coordinators who would help to facilitate some of the paperwork and
get the message through the pipe line to provide better service to the public.
That is not in the budget at this time. But I do think again from a management
perspective, if you look at our organizational chart, there are five people on
top and the Supervisor's the person with daily contact by I believe 19 Department
Heads. All 19 Department Heads have to come to the Supervisor who has no authority
to do much of anything then that has to go then to the Town Attorney with a
recommendation for a resolution and the resolution eventually finds itself to
this table at this meeting and the Town Board then makes decisions. It was my
recommendation that we add a couple of people half way up to be able to handle
alot of the paperwork with the Board perhaps delegating some authority to some
of those people to have it done but not as a direct assistant to the Supervisor.
MR. GRANGER-Okay, thank you.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-You're welcome.
NEAL IVERSON-I live at 25 Helen Drive, Queensbury. I would like to thank Mrs.
Walton for touching on most of things that I came here wanting to talk to you
about, specifically the new office complex that I also read about in the newspaper
and was rather disturbed in the context of prior refurbishment of the Town office
building that I also read about. I do have a couple of questions relatively to
that. You mentioned that December 18th the case against the. . .
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I believe that's the day we start depositions.
MR. IVERSON-That's when that is going to start and things will start coming out
about . . .
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I hope so, it's been very hard to sit on this for a couple of
years.
MR. IVERSON-Okay, I was disturbed to here that you're still unable to talk about
it because it does seem rather, forgive the term, outrageous to me that this should
be going on.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-We live with frustrations, that's the hardest part of this job,
time frustration.
ATTORNEY DUSEK-Perhaps I could just clarify too so that everybody understands
in the action that's Queensbury is involved in, depositions which are basically
questions, oral questions that are asked before trial under a given setting.
It's not a trial, it's a discovery or a way of gaining information is set to occur
that date. Now things could change, that date may become altered or whatever
but it's normally not a public trial event. There will be a trial later on if
it went that far but at the moment that's all part of the proceedings. So I just
don't want anybody under mistaken impression that everything will be concluded
that day or something. This will be something that will be on going for some
time.
MR. IVERSON-I realize that's when it's going to start. I'm interested in learning
about how this all came about.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Will this be open to the public? I believe it would.
ATTORNEY DUSEK-I' li have to check that. They generally, generally these things
are not attended by the public but certainly I can check and see if. . .
MR. IVERSON-Depositions are a matter of public record, we should be able to learn
about them.
ATTORNEY DUSEK-Well, usually it's all part of the case before it's ever filed
with the court. I' ll certainly check on that, it's just not, it's not something
that's customarily done. But if it is possible for the public to attend, certainly
I will let the Supervisor know who in turn, I'm sure will get the message out.
The other thing I would just add is that my advice to the Board members has been
not to discuss the case and it will continue to be that right up through to the
point of the trial and including during the duration of the trial because I think
it's just good sound advice. I think it wouldn't be a good idea to start discussing
things prematurely.
16
L�
point of the trial and including during the duration of the trial because I think
it's just good sound advice. I think it wouldn't be a good idea to start discussing
things prematurely.
MR. IVERSON-I agree and I appreciate that. My next concern is, none of which
you propose is in the 1990 budget then, building a new Town complex, buying 50
acres of land and building new buildings or adding onto . . .
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-That's correct. Again that was my proposal as the budget officer
and if that happened I'm sure it wodt happen yet this year so there wouldn' t be
any reflection of that whatever, certainly in the 1990 expenditures. If something
occurs in 1990, probably it would be bonded which would be the first payment we
do in 1991. If things occur later, we'd see them later, if they don't occur at
all they wouldn' t be here. So there's nothing concrete enough, it was just my
way of saying that as budget officer I recommend that we not make these other
expenditures. Mr. Naylor is hounding me for improvements in his highway space
and he just can't work over there. But I'm recommending that we not do that because
I don't believe we' ll ever get our money out of it.
MR. IVERSON-So it's save to say then that before such a thing would be acted upon
there will be another hearing which we all have the privilege of attending and
voicing our opinions on when there are more concrete things to look at and discuss.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I think we would be anxious to share with you, I certainly would,
what our thoughts are for the future, to get your input and find out what the
costs are and all those details.
MR. IVERSON-Thank you.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-You're welcome.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-I would just like to add, I share Mr. Montesi's sentiment that
really what we need to do is find a parcel of land because land is going fast
in Queensbury and land is getting more and more expensive. I really do think
we should buy the land that maybe necessary, put in the bank let's say, so we
do have that. I don't feel, personally, at this particular time we do need to
undertake a building program.
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-I think the land purchase would also be subject to a public
hearing, public review and even subject to a public referendum whereas the Town
Board decided we would like to buy this land and 5% of the voters in the Town
of Queensbury said we think that's a mistake and what we'd like to do is go to
a public vote, a public referendum. That's something that would have to happen
prior to anything else, any monies being extended.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I' ll check with our Attorney, I believe that would depend upon
on how it's financed, is that correct?
ATTORNEY DUSEK-Yes.
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-Well I'm assuming 50 acres is alot of money.
COUNCILMAN POTENZA-I think one of the concerns that I had last year was the fire
departments and how the fire departments came to, the expansion of the fire
departments that has been done in the Town within the last year. Unfortunately
we had to pay catch up because we had to plan for the expansion of these fire
departments so all within 1 year we built 3 new firehouses and that strongly
effected the tax base. I think with perhaps the purchase of land it would be,
we're doing a little more planning ahead than we did. I see nothing wrong with,
at least getting our feelers out there and let people know that we maybe interestec=
in purchasing some of land and see what happens and I think that's basically where
we stand on it, where I stand on it.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-I just wanted to add something to the comment Mr. Montesi
made. I'm not particularly glued to the site like Mr. Montesi is because you
get glued to one site, the property around here, going to Increase cost
tremendously. I think I have to agree with Mr. Borgos and shop for the best piece
of land we can get and sell this property for the best price we can and if we
can, build a new complex and move out of here into there. We can't do anything
until this all happens. I don't think it's going to happen within the next term.
I think there's too much has to be done.
17
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-There's alot of work.
KATHY ALLEN-I'm the Executive Director for the Chapman Historical Museum.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I'm glad to meet you. I've been trying to get down there.
MS. ALLEN-I came essentially to thank the Town of Queensbury for increasing our
funding for 1990 even though it was a little less than we asked for and to explain
our request came out of sort of the blue as it did, it was quite an increase of
what we've requested in years passed and to tell you what this fund will be used
for. During the past 2 years the Chapman has come a very long way. We have
stabilized our general operation budget meaning that I could keep the lights on
and the heat on pretty much with what I have already. As to the monies that we're
requesting in increases are going to things that museums do, such as increasing
programs or services. Increasing services for the handicapped and particularly
in this case we're dealing with 40,000 objects which really have been neglected
essentially in terms of curatory management since about 1967. So I've got things,
actually from the Town of Queensbury from I guess their ancestors in many of the
people in this room that are literally rotting away but I intend to save within
the next year and that is where that extra 5,000 dollars that you have allocated
. . . I came essentially just to thank you for that and to say that I hope that
You continue to support us and that you do drop into the Museum and see what we've
done because it really is startling.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Thank you. Does anyone else want to say thank you?
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-I just wanted to comment Steve, that I thought it was the neatest
thing, I walked into the Museum one day and here was this piece of needle point
done by a Queensbury resident when she was ten years old. I don't know the date
of it, probably Kathy does, the lady is buried in the Cemetery that's just a few
feet down the road from me in one of the oldest cemeteries in the Town of
Queensbury. I thought this was a neat tie in to see that name twice.
MS. ALLEN-I think it was 1811 I believe.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-Yes, Holly Beadleson is who it is.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-We're very fortunate to have the Chapman, the Hyde, the Crandall
Library, tremendous facilities.
MARGIE IVERSON-I live at 25 Helen Drive in Queensbury. To get back momentarily
to your discussion of purchasing property. At the Round Pond meetings some time
ago, it was mentioned that the Town of Queensbury owns property that can be used
for Parks and Recreation. Can any of that land be used?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I'm sure that's going to be looked at. Again, this is our 61st
or 62nd official Town Board meeting this year. We're required by law to have
12. We've been very busy with the West Mountain project, with budgets the last
couple of months. My proposal only came out officially a few weeks ago. We have
not really had time to look. I haven't personally crossed off anything.
MRS. IVERSON-But it is a possibility?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I would think we'd have tremendous opposition from anyone who
might be on the Parks and Recreation unless we took a place that certainly has
no recreation value. But certainly it's a possibility. I haven't closed my mind
to anything.
MRS. IVERSON-My taxes in 2 years have gone up 900 dollars.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Town taxes have gone down.
MRS. IVERSON-I'm just mentioning in general. . .
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I know, I know, this is the problem. This is the uncontrollable
part. I paid them too. My school taxes have grown dramatically, 95% or so state
mandated, we can debate that all night.
MRS. IVERSON-900 dollars in 2 years is alot of money.
18
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-But the Town tax, the only that this Board can handle, has gone
down with the exception of fire and ambulance service tax which has gone up.
But that's still on a per typical residence basis, still about a 100 dollars below
Bolton, Lake George and other comparable communities. So it's still a bargain.
MRS. IVERSON-I have something else too. Everyone has this in their hands and
at the risk of sounding terrible ignorant I would like you to help me interpret
some of this categorized in here. You look at some of these figures and they're
double and they're tripled and more than that.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Where would you like to start?
1
MRS. IVERSON-Well anywhere.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-The cover sheet.
MRS. IVERSON-The prior year received, the current year revenue.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-On each page, what you have are summaries of the departments.
MRS. IVERSON-As an example, the Town of Queensbury, page 9, Planning and Zoning,
prior year received 37,241.80 cents. Tentative budget, 133,650 dollars.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-That's the revenue side of the Planning. Okay.
MRS. IVERSON-It's 6 sheets in.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-We've got a couple of page 9's.
MRS. IVERSON-I mean in flipping through this you go through figures that are
doubled, tripled.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-This is the revenue side. This says that Planning and Zoning
for this year we proposed to receive, excuse me, for 1988, we received 37,241.80.
In fees paid to the Planning Department, for this year so far, based on the way
this column is titled we've received 100,500 dollars. The requested budget by
the Department head was to look toward receiving 113,680 thousand dollars in 1990
and looking at that number I said, realistically I think we'll be able to go to
133,650. Now that's the bottom line and arriving at that we had probably, in
this revenue side, probably 8 or 10 lines. In alot of these expenditures we
sometimes have 40 or 50 lines. I'd have to go back through all the pages to tell
you why I think we're going to take in more money next year. I believe it's because
already this year we've taken in a 100,500 as of October so it's telling me we're
at a higher rate plus I believe there is going to be a request from the Planning
Department to increase fees. So all other things being equal . . . (tape turned)
. . . you would have a surplus and that's why. . .
MRS. IVERSON-What does the prior year receive indicate then?
SUPERVISOR- BORGOS-That's just a computer column that for some of the department
means alot but this department said, well there must be a reason that things jump,
up. Now we were in a moratorium for 19 months. That time period would hay-=,,
included the moratorium. We came out of the moratorium and now we've shot
to a 100,500 and there's a new fee structure.
. . .-She's looking at 88.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-88 is the first column, 89 is the next column. We don't always,
we look at the previous year, we don't say well let' s add 5% to it. We look rat
this as a guiding tool to say, if there's going to be a difference, does that:
difference really look reasonable? Maybe it ought to go down and if you 1001-
at Building and Codes the expenditure proposed for 1990 are down from 89. I thin'
that's the only department however.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-Steve, I'm not sure without having the breakdown right here
where I can find fast but in that revenue's also, were some of the past through
items there like what's getting charged back to developers and the engineering,
the lawyers, that type of fees that is a block item?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Yes. For instance in the West Mountain project, the Town has
retain Environmental Design Partnership to do the environmental review of that
19
,Lfa 9
and so far to date that fee has been about 30,000 dollars, plus or minus a few
dollars. West Mountain pays the full amount of that. We have to show it as a
department expenditure. That would be revenue coming, revenue coming in from
that however still goes to a general account.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-Goes to the general funds.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-But we have to show it as the departmental expenditure.
MRS. IVERSON-Then the first figure does not indicate some sort of budget for that
particular area for the department?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-The very first figure was actual received for that particular
year in 1988.
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-You would better serve yourself to go to a page like page 19
where you have the expenditures. That happens to be Parks and Recreation, that
at least, just turn to that page, it's hard to deal with revenue, I think it's
easier to deal with the expenditures.
MRS. IVERSON-There's no . . .in the paging in here so I. . .
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-Oh, alright.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-1 can't find it either.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I have not looked at this reduced version before now.
MRS. IVERSON-I would like to know if anyone else is as confused as I am about
this.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-Steve, why don't you just start not at the front page necessarily
cause that's the . . . why don't you just start right through and try to explain
this very quickly what people are looking at.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Okay if we start, the top sheet is a cover sheet is a summary
of expenditures. Let's take a second on that. The General fund on the top page,
the proposed appropriations 6,812,470 dollars. General fund includes, believe
it or not, some of the Highway funds. The Highway's got it's own money but it
includes some of the Highway. I'll just go through my mind, it includes Parks
and Recreation, it includes the Assessor's office, it includes the Tax Receiver's
office, it includes the Town Clerk's office, it includes the Supervisor's office,
the Attorney's office, Building and Code Enforcement. . .
TOWN CLERK DOUGHER-Recreation.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I mentioned Recreation.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-Planning.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-Planning and Zoning.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Planning and Zoning and the operation of this building. All
those are administrative types of general expenditures.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-I think Steve, also the different organizations we support
like the Chapman, the Hyde.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-The Chapman Museum, the Hyde, all that's in General, all those
pages and pages and pages of those things are General. Highway is Highway.
Pineview is the Cemetery including the operation of the Crematory. We operate
the only municipally operated crematory in New York State as far as I know. The
landfill is the joint Glens Falls, Queensbury Landfill. The water funds, many
communities don't have any water districts, we have several. These are all special
districts and the people who are in those districts are the only ones who pay
for those. We then have the lighting districts, again those people in the lighting
districts pay for those. There is a big Queensbury lighting district which is
paid for by most people, it's a very large district. Then we have 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6 sewer districts. Then we have the fire protection expenditure. That's the
summary but for a total next year, 16,700,00 dollars proposed. The next page
is the Town Justice. If you look at the very top of the budget report it has
a revenue through preliminary. That means we're now preliminary budget stage,
20
430
this is the revenue so far generated, prior year received would be 1988. This
is the Town Justice Court bringing in various revenues. You should know though
although you might pay 200 dollars for a ticket if you get arrested for a variety
of things, only 10 dollars stays with the Town. Ten dollars on all those tickets
with very few exceptions, stays here. So you can figure out how many tickets
are processed by our Justices. Currently this year we've got 38,500 dollars.
The budget next year requested is 40,250, that's what means we anticipate to bring
in some more speeders, some more violators and we think it's going to go up a
bit. We said that because this year we've already got 38,500, we've got a few
months to go and think it's reasonable to expect an increase. The next page,
Tax Collection. I'd have to look at the details for these because we don't, this
is not where are taxes are reported, this is the Tax Collector's office and there
are certain revenues that come in there, primarily penalties. But there are a
number of items. Town Clerk's office, again, it doesn't make too much sense to
look at this because I believe we get 50 cents per license. You pay 20 dollars
now for a hunting license. I haven't bought one in a few years. We get 50 cents,
that's where the little fees show up.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-Excuse me. I think it's very interesting though for the people
to know how much money goes through that Town Clerk's office . . .
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-A hundred thousand dollars a week now.
TOWN CLERK DOUGHER-A month.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-A month, excuse me, a hundred thousand dollars a month.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-And this is what's kept.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-We don't get much.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-Except for the landfill because she collects the landfill tickets
too.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-The Town Attorney on page 4 of that same revenue section shows
next year proposed revenue of 27,000 dollars. Now most of this would be what
we call interfund transfers. If the Town Attorney does work for a sewer district
or a water district, that by law has to be charged to those districts, the benefit,
this would be revenue coming back. Any other situations where we can bill to
a developer the work of the Town Attorney, that would come back in there as a
revenue. Fire Marshal's office, 20,000 dollars is the anticipated payment in
state aid based upon a variety of criteria and formula the state has. You can
see last year we had 21,293. We have received according to this that's finally
come in our 20,000 dollars for this year. Our Dog Control we're expecting 7,300
dollars worth of fees.
MRS. IVERSON-So the prior year received column mearly means revenues that were
generated in 1988 toward that position, it has nothing to do with the task budget,
at what it had been before.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-That's correct.
MRS. IVERSON-Okay, that was my confusion. I was looking at it as some sort of
budget and then seeing things triple and double.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-As much as computers are great, they're short on numbers of
columns. We work with an additional column, we work with current year budgeted,
current year received. That gave us better information than prior year received.
MRS. IVERSON-I'm clear now. Thank you.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-You're welcome.
MARK BEHAN-I live at 18 Sunset Drive, Queensbury. I'm here in behalf of the
Crandall Library Board of Trustees in which I'm a member and to thank you tonight
for the very generous appropriation that you Steve and the Town Board have approved,
at least in the preliminary budget, for Crandall Library next year. It goes beyond
gratitude I think however, you need to be commended for performing, what I perceive
as a resident of Queensbury, to be a tremendous public service. The funding at
the level that which you propose for Crandall Library is a tremendous shot in
the arm for the Library and it allows Crandall to provide a certain first class
library services that people in Queensbury deserve and have come to expect. You
21
maybe interested in knowing that the growth in Queensbury, nobody knows it better
than you folks do with perhaps the possible exception of the Planning Board.
But you certainly have seen it and Crandall Library is seeing it dramatically
too. It's achieved a number of records this year. The highest circulation day
ever in the history of the Library came this year in July, there was more than
2,000 items in circulation in 1 day. This week Crandall Library will have
circulated more than 280,000 items this year. It's already surpassed what it
circulated last year for all of 1988 and that will happen this week. We're
registering and reregistering more than a 1,000 patrons a month. Now it's a
dramatic increase in Queensbury's population out of homes and it certainly being
felt at the library as well. You only have to look at the activity that goes
on in computerized card catalogue now to see what's happening. Queensbury benefits
tremendously, certainly I think the library services, obviously you share that
view by the way of making the appropriation you have. Some 43% of the items that
are circulated by the library goes out to Queensbury residents, that accounts
for about 80,000 items a year and Queensbury now would provide about 38% of the
library's fiscal support which is where it should be. On behalf of the full Board
of Trustees, I know I can say that we're all very grateful for what you've done
for the Library and thank you very much. Good for you, good for you.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Thank you. That's two. That's wonderful. That's more than
we ever had total before.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-That's one thing I learned in my travels to Salt Lake City.
A good library is something you want where ever you go. Museums are another soft
spot in my heart.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I was about to recognize someone whose been up before. Certainly,
I just asked that everyone be heard once first, okay, and then we' ll go around
for a second time.
ROBERT SHULTZ-My address is Box 177 Star Route, Queensbury, New York, 12804.
I'm here tonight as a Queensbury property owner and taxpayer and as a director
of the Tri-County Taxpayer's Association. On October 24, 1989, the Post Star
printed the complete text to Queensbury's Supervisor Stephen Borgos's 1990 budget
message. First of all, I would like to commend, publicly commend the Post Star
for printing Mr. Borgos's message. Then I would like to comment on the budget
message itself. My comments are these. Mr. Borgos, as I read along, from the
beginning of your budget message to it's end, I felt my attitude change from initial
optimism, then to skepticism and finally to pessimism and a touch of anger. I
read it again and my pessimism was reinforced and my anger grew a bit larger.
When I read the initial 15 paragraphs I reacted warmly and I had a feeling of
optimism. In your opening paragraph you said that in preparing the budget you
were considerate of Queensbury's traditions and aware of its challenges. Good,
I thought. As a person who has owned property here for over 25 years and is very
much aware of the socio-economic forces at work at all levels of government and
of our real challenges I was pleased to see that the preparer of the budget said
he was also aware of those forces and of those challenges. I was optimistic as
I read on. In the next 6 paragraphs you provided a status report on many of the
basic services which the Town of Queensbury, like all towns, has been providing
its taxpayers on a continuing basis. You mentioned that the Town has resurfaces
some of its roads, that it has added to its fire fighting capability, that it
has added value to its inventory of parks and recreational facilities, that it
has upgraded and is enlarging its drinking water supply system, that it has
addressed the wastewater situation in the Quaker Road area and that it is continuing
to provide solid waste disposal services. Good, I thought. People continue to
marry and have children, the population continues to grow and to shift and basic
services continue to be provided. Town government is performing many of its
legitimate functions, doing what the people for their health and welfare and what
the people have decided to look to their government for and for the most part
the Town is commendably putting those services on a user pays, fee basis. This
is good. In paragraph 8 you touch on labor relations and productivity. You state
`-` that the rapport with CSEA is at a high level and that management personnel are
dedicated, sacrificing personal time and comfort in the performance of their work.
Good I thought, this is as it should be. You then went on to mention that the
taxable assessed valuation stands at slightly over 1 billion dollars. You did
not mention what the taxable assessed valuation would have been if Queensbury
had not recently reassessed everyone, dramatically increasing assessed values
and taxes in a large area of Town but you did say that more than 60 million dollars
in building permits have been issued so far this year. This is good I thought.
Queensbury is realizing its share of the national economic growth which so many
towns in the region have seen during the last 6 to 8 years. Perhaps this is
22
something that would have happened anyhow. My optimism really soared as I then
read paragraphs 14, 15, and 16. You said, quote, "The tradition in Queensbury
has been for the Town Supervisor to serve as the budget officer with the concept
being that the Supervisor is in the very best position to know what is happening
town-wide, and on a County, State, national and yes, you said, even on an
international level". And you said, the current Town Board is comprised of people
dedicated to public service and concerned about the sociological and financial
pressures of the taxpayer. No decisions, you said, are ever reached in a careless
manner and the ideas of all residents are given equal consideration. I am sure
you meant to say taxpayers, not residents, since this is a budget discussion and
not an election. Thank God, I said to myself, Stephen Borgos is preparing the
budget and preparing the budget was aware of Queensbury's traditions including
the tradition of individual responsibility, the traditions of minimum public ---
employment, minimum public spending and minimum taxes. The tradition of government
services at lower cost and the tradition of dedication and hard work by its Council
and Boards whose members, like management everywhere, sacrifice their personal
time. Thank God, I thought. Not only has Stephen Borgos, as budget officer,
aware of Queensbury's traditions, he knows what is happening at the County, State,
national and international level and so he must be aware of the fact that excessive
governmental spending and growth, reckless spending at the County, State and
national levels have meant deficits and that excessive governmental spending and
deficits weakens us as a people since it saps our strength to compete in the world
causing us to move in a direction of becoming a third rate country. Thank God
I said at this point in the budget message, Stephen Borgos is going to set an
example. He must be against government becoming too activist, that is, looking
to do more than is necessary. He must be a straight shooter, no arrogance here
in Queensbury, I thought. He will not be corrupting the governmental process.
No greed here, I thought. He doesn't seem to be a man looking to make a career
out of his job as Town Supervisor or to feather his nest. Maybe he is a man looking
to make a contribution to his fellow man and to sharpen his administrative skills
before returning to the more productive side of the private sector equation, I
thought. Things are in good hands, I thought, at this point, one-third of the
way into the budget message and I was confident as I read on that I was going
to see reductions in spending and taxes. However, as I read on I began to be
disappointed. The optimism began to give way to skepticism. I read, quoting,
"the tax impact of proposed changes in staffing and services should be minimal".
What's this I said. What new staffing and services? The Town added mightily
to its staff and facilities last year. Mr. Borgos added the new position of
administrative assistant. One outside attorney was replaced by about three
paralegals, secretaries. New planners and code enforcers were added. All upper
echelon personnel were equipped with new vehicles and new office space and office
equipment. Then I read the next sentence. The proposed application of accumulated
surpluses for 1989 should result in a reasonable tax rate. What's this I thought.
This can't be. The Town of Queensbury is going to spend more than it will take
in? It's beginning to run at a deficient? It has to dip into it's hard won
surplus, rainy day fund, to meet current expenses? Is this necessary? This Can' t
be, I said to myself. Not Queensbury. This can't be true. This isn't Albany,
New York City or Washington D.C. , where deficit spending is a way of life and
the spenders are far removed from any control we might have over them and all
decisions are highly politicized. My skepticism grew. I read on. Quote, "Town
employees find it impossible to complete tasks in an reasonable amount of time.
It takes a long time to get things done. There's a constant battle with time
and priorities, the only way to resolve this problem is to increase staff. . .
Poppycock, I said to myself. Adding staff isn't going to speed up the process,
only slow it down. We aren't talking about motor vehicle registration lines or
supermarket checkout counters. There is another way to speed up the process and
to lighten up the work load. That is, make decisions faster and don't do things
you don't have the authority to do. The budget message said, you can't do something
with three people if five are necessary. I looked for an example of a task that
needed five people rather than the three to do, but no examples were provided.
More skepticism. I read on and found the budget message. . .
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-Excuse me Bob, can I? I may be impolite and you may not be
political, but you wrote a beautiful novel, would you get to the point?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Mr. Kurosaka, I'm as . . . we've let everybody speak so let's
him speak, then we' ll hear so we're never accused of shutting off anybody.
MR. SHULTZ-I read on and found the budget message saying essentially that a great
deal of research indicates that salaries at the management level are not at or
comparable wages in this area. What does Mr. Borgos mean by comparable wages
and a great deal of research? Is he saying that to compete for good employees
23
and to hold existing ones, Queensbury has to provide its personnel the types of
salaries and perks characteristic of our larger industries? Nonsense I thought.
In the private sector people and organizations can to anything they want to do
to be productive and profitable, as long as the law does not say they can't do
it. There is far more weighty decision making and accountability in the private
sector. There is more risk and more reward. Not so in government. Government
officials can only do what the law specifically says they can do. There is more
pure administration, less risk and consequently, there should be, there could
be and should be, less direct, there could be and should be more direct economic
rewards in private sector and less in government. My skepticism turned to real
pessimism and anger when I read this. Quote, "Last year at budget time, small
increases were proposed for elected officials. Although only a few people objected
to the increases, they had the common concern that the increases were proposed
at a non-election year. It was stated that major increases should generally be
limited to election years so voters could voice their objections. This year_'a
tentative budget proposes. substantial increases in salaries for all elected
officials as a method of achieving adequate compensation and in an attempt to
encourage people to seek public office". This is double talk and deceitful, I
thought. Mr. Borgos, the people aren't, weren't instructing you last year to
limit major increases to election years so people could voice their objections.
They were instructing you to limit major increases to election years so people
could vote their objections. People can voice their objections anytime, you know
that. People want to vote their objections. Your budget program does not give
them that opportunity. You apparently intend and have announced, major increases
in an election year alright, but you have done so without giving the people an
opportunity to vote their objections. You did run unopposed. The thought occurred
to me, would Steve Borgos have proposed this budget if the people could have voted
for an opponent in yesterday's election? Mr. Borgos, you finally spoke in your
message about the budget process in general and this hearing tonight in particular.
You said, "it is anticipated, that while actual dollar amounts of many proposed
budget numbers may change through Board consensus and public input, the concepts
and philosophies will remain intact". This statement shows the true color of
Steve Borgos. This is the height of arrogance and an abuse of power. What he
has actually said is, the concepts and philosophies of this budget message will
remain intact regardless of public input. The concept and philosophies of Mr.
Borgos's budget message are clear. No tax reductions. Growth in government
employment, spending and taxes. The introduction of deficit spending. No emphasis
on increased efficiency. I have these questions. Were the taxpayers wrong in
putting their trust in Stephen Borgos? Is Stephen Borgos abusing his unique powers?
Is this a return to the type of arrogance we underwent in the North Queensbury
tax hike and the South Queensbury Sewer steam roller? I recall that Caesar Borgia
was one of the great tyrants of an earlier day.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Excuse me Sir. As much as I really want you to be able to speak
about the budget so that nobody could ever say we didn't ask people or didn't
allow people to speak, I think you're really straining the issue now.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-That's what I was asking for.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I know but he was still. . .
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-I can see the people behind him.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I'm used to being called a tyrant, I guess that comes with the
job. I'm used to being called most of the other things you've called me. I can't
sue you for it because I'm a public official, you can slander me anyway you like
to. But if you would just stick with the budget message please and then I'd like
to respond briefly .and then we'll hear from somebody else.
. . .-Can I have a word please?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Yes sir.
. . .-I think we've listen to alot . . .talk from the Board members on many issues.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Could you wait just a minute? I didn't know what you wanted
to say.
. . .-I would like to say, I'd like to hear what Mr. Shultz has to say.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Right and we're going to let him continue.
24
. . .-Thank you.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I think you're near the end, I see a couple more pages.
MR. SHUTLZ-On behalf of taxpayers, we say; no more than a cost of living increase,
on top of this year's salary hikes. No new positions. No new offices. Vehicle
replacement, not new vehicles. Proper delegation of authority for decisions without
policies. Require managers to keep a trim ship and improve procedures. I say,
there is an alternative to the little tax increase and to the no tax increase
options the budget message speaks of. The alternative is the tax decrease.
Queensbury can improve its work processes and procedures. Try it. Queensbury
can avoid major spending increases. Try it. Queensbury can afford to reduce
taxes. Try it. If you as elected officials are unhappy with this, than step
aside. It is not the task of public managers to perpetuate themselves.
Dissatisfaction with the work situation is not a call to improve your lot.
Taxpayers are tired of being the patsy of this kind of public management. Thank
you.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Thank you sir. Let me just respond briefly with a couple of
comments. We' ll see if other Board members have questions for you. I think it
is only appropriate that individuals who do not know, should know, that Mr. Shultz
and I have many personal problems during the past 2 years, including a law suit
Mr. Shultz filed. I've told Mr. Shultz I wil-1 not personally talk with him in
my office at any time. He's welcome to occupy the building at any point but I
will not spend even one minute with Mr. Shultz any more. Now, regarding what
he said. You should know that you accused us of adding a new position of
administrative assistant last year which we did not. We increased from one half
to one full time. You've accused us of buying a lot of new vehicles. Last year
we did buy, not this year but last year we bought quite a few new vehicles, I
think 8 or 9. Many of the ones replaced had over 100,000 miles on them. They
were in such a state of repair that I really didn't feel comfortable with anybody
driving them from a safety stand point. They were auctioned off and the most
we got for any one was 400 dollars. You said that we've had many extra attorneys.
This is true only because of the legal burden, including your law suit sir, has
taken a great deal of time and energy. We've tried to keep general expenditures
down and specific districts down and I only wish that 10 years ago the sewer
district had been built at a 1211 percent cost to local residents instead of the
tremendous cost now. I think you have some idea of what I am talking about there. --
You've indicated that management decisions are slow and inefficient. I agree
with you and I really wish the law would permit us to do things faster. I explained
earlier this evening the law does not permit decisions by any individual. In
most cases, those are Town Board matters. I specifically wrote this message and
wrote it the way I saw it from the management perspective. I wrote it in English
so that everybody could understand it. The way I wrote it, was the way I meant
it. When you try to say that I meant something different from what I said, that's
inaccurate. That is inaccurate and I can't go further than that but to say I
wrote what I meant and the words are there. If you use the dictionary you'll
find out what they mean. I meant them the way I wrote them. Now, anyone else
on the Board have a comment?
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-I have a question. He represents, he says the Taxpayer's
Association, but kept using in the letter, I instead of we. . .
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-That's his prerogative but I understand. . .
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-I'm just wondering.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Anyone else on the Board have a question or a comment? We're
ready for the next speaker.
JOHN BOWMAN-Route 149, Lake George, New York. First of all, I was in public servi( =
for 30 years I dealt with everyone. . .came to my office. .I never received greatf
than an eight percent raise and that was for the last year I was in office. i
am sure, as this was set forth. . every position was probably raised this year
for everybody. The Town Board Members, I do not know what there . . .
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-All the way down to truck drivers.
MR. BOWMAN-Percentage wise, you can help me with this, 36 is it, 36 thousand this
year?
SUPERVISOR BOROGS-My salary this year is 36, excuse me, the salary for the position
25
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of Town Supervisor is 36, that is a better way to put it.
MR. BOWMAN-You are proposing 58?
SUPERVISOR BOROGS-I proposed 58.
MR. BOWMAN-So this is about?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-About, 60%, but so is an increase of funding from 50t to 1.00
a 100%.
MR. BOWMAN-Probably, the Councilman for instance, and I am not sure if there is
a raise in there?
COUNCILMAN POTENZA-72 to 85
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-75 to 85. . .
MR. BOWMANi(tape turned) Even though. . .
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-The Town Contract is 7% for employees.
MR. BOWMAN-1 would have no argument for 10% or even 15%, for the position of Town
Supervisor but . . .I think that is overdone.
SUPERVISOR BOROGS-You say that and you talk about percentages, do you have any
idea what the job of Town Supervisor entails?
MR. BOWMAN-Yes, I was in Queensbury politics for many, many years.
SUPERVISOR BOROGS-I know that, but, are you familiar with a big community.
MR. BOWMAN-Yes. So, what I am saying is I think you are just asking for too much
too fast.
SUPERVISOR BOROGS-I understand where you are coming from, believe me, it was not
easy for me to propose that. I may sound funny, if I decide not to run next year
_ or I die tomorrow you are going to have to find somebody to take over here and
you are not going to find someone for 36 thousand dollars.
MR. BOWMAN-Oh, I'd probably run. . .It sounds to me like maybe our councilman aren't
shouldering their responsibilities. We elect them to. . . you know they're on certain
committees, sounds like you know, if they're even a chairman of a committee or
on a committee, they're not doing their job.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-They're only working about 20 hours a week now.
MR. BOWMAN-Oh golly.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-On this job.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-Twenty to . . . depending on the week.
MR. BOWMAN-I never took the phone off my hook when I was serving the public and
I felt I was a public servant, it wasn't my private business and I never took
the phone off my hook, I never refused to talk to anybody. So you talk about
hours, I know what you're talking about I've worked those hours too.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Thank you for your comments.
NEIL FITZGERALD-I live on Farm to Market Road. I wrote some notes down here.
I was going to congratulate the two competitors on winning their championship
--' or successfully defending it, I'm not quite sure that that's appropriate now.
However. . . '
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-Thank you anyhow.
MR. FITZGERALD-My wife probably won't feel very happy to know that only ten bucks
of her fine is going to go to the Town. That's the problem with having the tail
lights out. But on a serious eye, I'd have to tell you, I'm retired so you couldn't
get me in that job that you guys have for love nor money. I wouldn't take the
abuse and certainly the price isn't right. I've been through out the State of
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New York and I've lived in many counties and many townships and I have to say,
and I've owned property in Queensbury and this area since 1953 and I've lived
was born here for one thing but then I took away
in this part of the world, I
35 years but off and on again I came back and lived here for perhaps 10 of those
years. The point I'm trying to get to is that I never had the opportunities to
really be confronted with people who I think are doing an honest job and trying
to do the best job possible. I certainly would have to say,
I'm not looking for
any favors so don't, consequently I may tomorrow but the point I'm trying to make
is that I've gone to other places and you get put down or shoved aside or else
or they don't come face to face with you and debate the issues. I think you guys
are doing a good job and appreciate the time you gave me up here and I hope, I
think you deserve what you're getting if not more.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Thank you. That's three surprises tonight. Anyone else for —
the first time?
LILLIAN ADAMSON-From Assembley Point and every now and again when you talk money
here I kind of like to come in and say a few words about it because we hurt pretty
bad up on the lake and nothing ever gets any easier and some of it has to do with
what you spend. So of course I was concerned when I saw what your salary is going
to be and I was interested to listen to your hourly figures on what it cost.
But I kind of think you were dividing into 50,000 and not dividing into 60,000.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-No, I was specifically dividing Town time into Town salary.
I didn't even begin to talk about County time, that's all totally separate. That's
a much higher hourly rate for me because I only have 5 to 20 hours a week that
I'm able to spend at the County. Most County Supervisors spend at least 20 hours
a week. I can't spend more than 5 to . . .
MRS. ADAMSON-Anyway I thought you know, this is kind of the same time that Bush
has put in his minimum wage allowance and has finally gone through and when you
just suppose what poor people get on minimum wage and what the Town of Queensbury
can afford to pay in their salaries and the increases, it looks pretty bad. For
all the complaints about the hours worked and the salaries, I don't see many people
leaving the Town because they're paid so inadequately. There are other benefits
that come with the job that come on the side that don't show up in the salary
level so that there are many other benefits in there. You know I agree that people
deserve a good wage for doing something. I think that it has to be considered
though how much the Town's people can afford to pay. I think it's a little
difficult to say we're going to have everything when some times it's not possible.
I've been to the school and have heard them say, we want the best for our children
and then I've also heard people say, my kids can't afford to come back here to
live because it costs too much now. There are, the fire you know, the fire costs
that you have encouraged and allowed, you know this catching up might be important
but Lord, it had gone from 813,000 to 1,538,000. Actually that's doubled. Our
fire taxes went from 50 dollars to over 500 dollars. I kind of think it would
be a little fairer if when you do the assessments and the taxes, if you can say,
and I'm sure you' ll tell me this can't be done, but I'd like to take my fire
assessment on my building and all the people in the Town of Queensbury pay on
their building because that's what you pay for fire protection, not on my land.
Good Lord, my house is worth one-third of what my land is and yet we have to pay
that and it's pretty darn unfair to be not only assessed incorrectly . . . but to
have to pay a fire tax that way too. I'd be hearing from the fireman about the
fact that it's been carte blanche with the fire departments they can have anything
they want instead of a lot of restrictions being placed, maybe over a period of
years you can have some of these additional things you do not have to have it
all at once. When I want to buy something for my house I don't say I'm going
to have this, this and this. I' ll say maybe this year and maybe next year, you
know I place it out as the budget as the budget can afford it. We have to realize
that there are alot more costs that are coming along. We're going to have the
burn plant that is being supported by the Town and the County and that' s going
to cost our taxpayers an enormous amount of money. So that will be an additional
one. We talked about the school and the fact that there's no control over what
the school is paid. Again, you know when I spoke about that one time in here
I was told, hey, look at the salaries that the supervisors make in the school
and that's true and that's not mandated by the State that they get the enormous
imcxea es, and so forth that they do. But when you complain about it they say,
oh no, we have to 'have the best for our c1hi.1dren and that means paying more in
the salaries to the supervisors. You're going to be looking for more land for
a building. As I recall a few years back you bought 80 acres over on the Ridge
Road and I don't know how much you've done with that. I call that the landfill
park over there. I would suggest that you take a look at using part of that if
27
4/37
you have to do anymore buying of land or before you buy it that perhaps you use
that. Of ,course I don't believe you need a new building and I wouldn't like to
see you have a new building at this point. I think that you only have to work
and see what you can do with what you have. I worked in some government buildings
and I worked in some university buildings and one of the things I noted as I walked
through the buildings is you find some departments, and I was a secretary and
I was one of the secretaries that always had to work very, very, hard but I'd
walk through other departments and I would see, gee there would be offices with
the gals would be sitting with nothing to do, bored to death, reading a book.
And sometimes when you have one department that's overloaded especially at a
particular time perhaps you can work out a sharing of some of the jobs so that
those who are not highly stressed at one particular time can help out. That way
you may be able to save some of your labor costs and make life a little more
pleasant for everyone else. I found that people in your buildings are very polite
and very sweet and very nice. I find them all congenial. You know I have no
complaints about anyone except one particular department that everybody knows
about. But I won't mention that because you have a new person and I think she's
going to be very helpful and a good person to work with so I'm pleased about that.
But I do wish that you give more consideration to what your taxpayers have to
pay in order to keep up with the plans of what you would like to do because all
these new buildings and all these new things that are coming along, aren't being
asked to pay the share that some of the old people who've been living here for
a long time are asked to pay.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Again I'd like to just respond so we're not accused of not
responding. I've fought alot of grass and brush fires in my life so things other
than buildings burn. Sometimes we stop the grass fire and keep the house from
burning. Your taxes in fire may have, I don't know particular details, your
particular case, I don't know alot about your property, may have gone from 50
to 500 dollars, it's probably after the reevaluation and you did talk about, you
said, you place the assessment. We as you know do not place the assessment, the
sole assessor for the community does, we have absolutely by law no input there.
You're aware of that so just for the rest of the public if they're not aware,
we can't do a thing about your assessments. The assessor makes that decision.
You indicated that the Town has, the Town supports the burn plant. The Town of
Queensbury to my knowledge has never taken a formal position of the burn plant.
So that is not accurate. Warren County at one point prior to the time I was on
the Board, did take an official position. I have such, they voted to support
the kind of funding mechanisms that would keep the taxes as low as possible for
that facility. I have never, ever voted in favor of the burn plant nor has anybody
on this Board because we have not ever had that opportunity. But I certainly
hear what you're saying, I understand it. I only add one more thing that while
the fire tax, the fire expenditures about a million and a half dollars, fire and
EMS, about a million and a half dollars, we should be very pleased with that because
if we continue to go the way we were going before with the loss of volunteers
at a rapid rate because those volunteers had to spend their time begging and
literally begging for money to help:, save your life and property, we wouldn't'
have volunteers and we'd be into a 10 million dollar expenditure for fire and
ambulance protection. The Town of Colonie has faced that. I believe Saratoga
now is putting on paid ambulance crews. We have very good equipment, we don't
have the finest. I have been in fire stations on Long Island that had 2 bars
and stages and whatever and they cost 3'5 million dollars fifteen years ago. We
don't have that in Queensbury and we won't have that. There's not carte blanche.
Mr. Montesi and I have sat for hours with fire service people shaving dollars
off regularly. Last year we entered into long term contracts. We have one more
year on EMS after 1990, 1991. Next year we will be negotiating for 1991 with
the fire companies. So we're aware of all these things and we understand your
assessment concerns. It would just be inappropriate because I don't have anything,
nobody here has anything to do with it to go into more details about that. I
just want to let you know we do hear those and certainly all those things in my
mind at least were considered before we reached the recommendations for the budget.
The other thing, yes we do, to the greatest amount of time, and it's hard, I keep
talking, to the greatest amount of time possible we do look for efficiencies within
the building and yes we do share people to cover lunch hours, to cover overloads,
to cover tax time. We have to have people stuff envelopes. We took a very
efficient move this year and we had all of our tax envelopes pre-printed, we
infested the County. We have over 12,000 parcels in Queensbury. We talked to
the County, we said, we're going to do it anyway, you join us or not, so the County
went ahead, agreed to do this. All County tax bills this time went out on
pre-printed forms. Before all 12,000 bills were hand stuffed in envelopes. So
we're making those efficient steps. Hopefully by next year we can get bar codeing
of our tax bills so when 500 people in one day form a line at the tax collector's
28
office, they can get out of there in a reasonable length of time. We're trying
to do those things but it takes time with a very small, slim administrative staff
with a bare bones staffing in general around here it's just difficult to get it
all done but we're trying.
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-I just want to make two comments, one to Mr. Bowman. I sit
as the Chairman of Water, Sewer, Highway and Recreation Commission. Each one
of those functions require at least one meeting a month other than the public
meetings. Paul Naylor is a very competent elected official that runs our Highway
Department, needs to have someone do the liaison work between Town Board and his
Board. So it's not unusual to find me at 7 o'clock in the morning with Paul at
Cronin Road trying to figure out how we're going to get this bridge in and get
the engineering work done before the winter. It's not unusual for us to review
as a Board the 20 miles of road that Paul paved this year. That takes a couple
of afternoons of riding around and then arguing with Betty Monahan that too much
is being done in her area and not enough in Marilyn's area but that happens.
We have a 7 million dollar sewer .project that is on going in Queensbury Central
that has required an incredible amount of time. One of the small things that
required time was tonight. Gee, who did we unjustly treat that was on the, inside
the map drawn but really was hooked to Glens Falls and we didn't know about it,
how do we get out of that, how do we get them out of that and treat them fairly.
We just put a million dollar transmission line down Quaker Road along with the
Quaker Road project that is on going and that transmission line required going
to ,bid with the engineering services, oh a year and' a half ago I guess we've been
working on it. Parks and Recreation, well, small things. We got an 80 acre park
up in Ridge Road, we designed the phase I, we got the baseball fields in, were
into the design of phase II and maybe phase III of that. But each one of those
things require one of the Board members reviewing that the department heads and
then taking that back to this Board and having a meeting with this Board because
none of us including Steve can act without the rest of the Board. So it's time
consuming, it's cumbersome. But you have to like it in order to be involved in
it. I guess the thing that is most frustrating to me that the public and perhaps
the press doesn't pick up on and I don't mean to start a fire any place else,
in someone else's back yard but whatever my salary is or whatever Steve Borgos's
proposed salary is, it's here, it's public and it's for you to review and it's
44 cents per thousand of your budget, it's 12 dollars per thousand for your school
taxes if in your Queensbury Central and I' ll be damn if anybody knows that the
Superintendent makes 75 or 80 grand a year and principals make 50,000 dollars
a year and they only work 188 days. Tell me . . . oh yes they work all year round
but I mean let's talk about that. In reality, all I'm saying is that most figures --
aren't as public as these. There were three people at the budget hearing this
year for Queensbury in school. What does that tell me? Maybe we're afraid to
go because we think our children will be chaised. I don't know what the reason
is but why is there not so much support for 12 dollars a thousandths, 1700 dollars
of my tax bill is school. Nobody goes to those meetings, nobody has any input.
Certainly, certainly there are mandated things but salaries are not. Certainly
when the school gives a 10 percent raise for 3 years in a row to everyone, that
isn't mandated, that's something that public input or outcry should be heard from.
I'm not saying don't come here, I am appreciative and I'm delighted that your
here talking to us but there's some big fish out there too that we have to look
at.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Anybody else for the first time?
MRS. ADAMSON-I wanted to respond to Mr. Montesi if I could please.
TOWN CLERK DOUGHER-Please use the microphone.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Is it a response to something he said about your. . .
MRS. ADAMSON-It's in response to what he just said.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Could you just wait a minute because other people also want
to respond: I got to treat you equally because they've been sitting here, 1,
2, 3 of them were up for a second time. Anybody else want to speak for the first
time? Mr. Tucker. Would you state your name and address for the record please?
This is about the budget. Last year you found an inaccurate budget description
for us so maybe you have that again.
PLINEY TUCKER-Queensbury. No I didn't find anything wrong. It was alot easier
last year wasn't it? It was just me here. Nuts and bolts question. Expenditures,
page 21.
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y39
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Which department?
MR. TUCKER-Expenditures, page 21. It is Planning and Zoning. Requested budget,
$135,700. Tentative budget, $167,400. Preliminary budget, $166,600.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-That's for other expenses too. You're reading one line.
MR. TUCKER-What I wanted to ask you was, requested budget, this is by department
heads?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Right. The department heads under law have to bring a requested
budget to the budget officer by a certain date, the budget officer sits with the
department head and usually with the department head right there in the room
discover some mistakes or errors or decides to make some changes and the only
place it can show up is in the tentative budget which is the budget officer's
proposal. Sometimes, this year in particular, I recommended salary increases,
primarily salary increases for individuals in particular departments which were
more than they asked for themselves. So my personal recommendation quite often
would move a department budget up by several thousand dollars.
MR. TUCKER-That's what shows on the preliminary budget?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-No that would be tentative, preliminary is after the Board now
has met with the same department heads to look at the all the same information,
we go through this twice, and this the full Board's recommendation.
MR. TUCKER-Okay. Other expenditures, what's included in that? Is that attorney
fees and. . . Planning and Zoning.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-These fees I talked about before. Environmental Design
Partnership, another consultant. This is the out going part of it. Yes, outside
consultants, attorneys, we've got pages of them in our full one. Betty do you
have the page there? Maybe you can read some of those, please.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-Yes. Okay, it's not, I can't do it all in other but I can
do . . .
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Anything with the point 4.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-A point 4? Like 411, that kind of thing? 412, 404, 403?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Yes. You should have a total point 4 that agrees with this
one.
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-Office supplies.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-Office supplies, postage, dues and registration. Postage is
up alot of course because of all the mailings that they have to do by law. Dues
and registrations, book publications subscriptions, services contracts and
warranties, like on the machines and things.
MR. TUCKER-I understand what it is.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-Advertising, conference expense, vehicle repair maintenance. . .
The legal services are up 20,000, are put in at 20,000 but that will be billed
to developers, that will be one of the pass through items.
MR. TUCKER-Some of it will, right?
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-Some of it will come back in . . .
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-This particular item is one that we figure will be all pass
through. Travel insurance, that's on their vehicle. Training and education,
miscellaneous contractual. The big one is engineering services, will be 100,000
dollars which will be from the developers hopefully in an escrow account to pay
any engineers that we have to hire to look at their projects and make sure that
this project is developing in a manner that will be a benefit not harm to the
Town.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Let me just add, that that money is there in what's technically
known as an appropriation. The only way we can ever spend money is through
appropriation either in the original budget or an amended budget. Doesn't mean
30
440
we're going to spend that much. It means that we think probably at some point
we're going to have to take out that much for a variety of purposes, so it's there.
Hopefully we won't that much.
MR. TUCKER-Can this be considered a legal Town expense or would this come back
from?
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-We have to put it in as an expense but it will come back in
as an income, but not in this same budget. It goes out under the planning but
comes in under general funds.
MR. TUCKER-Yes, right, I understand that.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-That's why it doesn't balance on this particular page. There's .�
consultant fees. Remember last year we had to work on the Master plan. That
was in the one last year. This year there's a composed new one that we do a study
of all lake water sheds to show the inter acting affect, that would be Glen Lake,
Sunnyside, Round Pond, the whole water shed area there, so we can find how the
water is moving. When we do something over here, how far isit going to affect?
There's money been put in for that. That is all the items that are in that.
MR. TUCKER-Highway Superintendent, page 29. Personal service . . . I know what
Mr. Naylor is proposing.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-This is part of the general fund. This is not the Highway budget.
So this is where is salary appears for the general fund and gets charged to my
account.
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-The Deputy Supervisor is in this?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-The Deputy Superintendent would be here.
MR. TUCKER-What I'm talking about is, the current budget was a 100,500 and we're
going to a 154,400. I'm just wondering, is it increasing the salary for personnel
in the Highway Department.
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-We're not sure where, one of the items Pliney that we've talked
about, is this where the inspector of, okay, there is a position that came out _
in the newspaper that Queensbury might be looking for an inspector of things.
What we thought we would like to propose in this budget was that Paul had some
concerns about grade, roads, and he needed an inspector, so we put one in this
budget that's why it's different from what he, different from last year because
there is another person in there and then there's some salary increases. We also
put one of these inspectors in the Water Department because laying pipes, making
sure there put to grade and stuff. So that there are two inspectors that we have
proposed to put on board this year. One being in the highway and I think it's
a part time position that we recommended and one for Water, again another part
time position.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I can tell you exactly who those personal service people are
but you see there is the total of the Superintendent of Highways, the Deputy
Superintendent of Highways, the Part Shop Foreman, the Administrative Secretary,
the Clerk and the Construction Supervisor, part time. It's the total of all those
people. That doesn't begin to address the mechanics, the meo's, the heavy equipment
operators, that's a whole separate part of the budget.
MR. TUCKER�Yes, I understand. Not to labor on this subject but I thought we had
a conservation about, I know what Paul is talking about, problems that there running
into in some of these developments and stuff, and I thought there was some talk
about that we might get, I know when I build a house, if that goes up it makes
me guarantee my work and material for a year. I know that some of the problems
that this guy is discovering and the Water Department is discovering, is after
they've accepted these developments. I'm just wondering why the Town couldn't
require, no reflection on Mike Woodbury but just as a developer that he'd be
required to guarantee the work that he does and then turns over to the Highway
Department and the. . .
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-They do.
MR. TUCKER-You know, I hate to use the word spy. I'm going to tell you something.
I'm in the building game. I work with the Building Department. If I wanted to;
I'm going to tell you right up front, if I wanted to put the skids to them, you
31
can do it. You got to be honest about it.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-Fortunately your the type of person. . .
MR. TUCKER-Well, you know where I'm coming from.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-I know where you're coming from, I've seen your houses.
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-What we require presently Pliney is, it's interesting, we require
as built plans and that's what we get. The problem that we're finding is that
Mr. Jones gives us an as built and he says, here's the way we built it. Some
where along the line Paul says, you know that's a little bit different than I
think the Planning Board. . .So we go back to the Planning Board and say, what did
the Planning Board tell them they could do? Well this is the way the Planning
Board envisioned it, this is what they engineered but they didn't build it the
way they were supposed to but we got the as built the way they did build it.
(tape turned) . . .I know specifically it was built the way we said we wanted it.
It's great to get the as built plans but the as built sometimes are wrong. There
not what they originally proposed. So we're trying to stop that by saying, we're
going to be involved from the process right from the beginning. When that guy
grades that road or he puts the first 12 inches of gravel down, we're going to
take a siting on that, we're going to know what we're going to accept what they're
proposing to do.
MR. TUCKER-If I remember correctly the original idea that was talked over here
the night that it was brought up, was and I hate to use the word but that's all
I can think of, was spy, this guy was going to be wondering around to see what
he could see.
SUPERVISOR, BORGOS-I don't remember anybody saying that so I don't want to be
accused. . .
MR. TUCKER-Now wait a minute, the word spy didn't, but am I wrong?
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-No, he's going to be wandering around making and ensuring that
we're getting what we, what the contractor says he's going to give us.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Construction inspector. . .
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-Not only in that but in water. Did you ever see a guy put
in a grade stake in and lay a pipe? I mean you know if you hold it up, it's . . .
I mean you can grade it where you want to grade it.
MR. TUCKER-What I'm saying Ron is that you're going to have problems with that.
These people are going to know it in one or two years or three years. If a pipe
is laid 2 foot . . .
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-We know that, that's what we're finding now.
MR. TUCKER-But then if these developers are going to be held responsible for this
kind of stuff, you don't have to have somebody out there checking. If they've
got to guarantee their work, if they're putting in a 155 lots, the Town Board
can say or the Planning Board can say, you people are going to have to guarantee
the work that you're going to do put this development together for 10 years.
I can bet you a 10 dollar bill right now if you tell them that, the work is going
to be done right.
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-Paul what's the development that we ran into off of Luzerne
Road where we have the water hydrants . . .
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Go up to the microphone and answer that please.
PAUL NAYLOR, Highway Superintendent-I think Tuck's been around long enough to
know, we started in a couple of developments that were nothing but woodchuck holes
and he knows where we're coming from. He's seen it himself. I've made decisions
out in the field that I shouldn't have. . .I probably shouldn't have. I was probably,
one time, Ron you know it, certain engineer around Town said to the Planning Board
when I was not here one night, that Naylor runs a by-I construction company.
He pulls up and says, change this, change that. What the hell do we need the
Planning Board for? I got real upset over that. I do make alot of decisions
on the field. Tuck knows that, he's been with a few times when I've made them.
I think they've been good decisions. I didn't go back through the Planning Board,
{ 32
I've been chaised for that, many a times. As you know Bet, you're one of the
ones that gave me the shot because I didn't go back through the herd of turtles,
start all over again and stop everybody from building houses. Bottom lute, that's
what we're talking about. Why I need somebody? Right now, there' s 30 some odd
guys that I don't want to say I baby-sit with but I try to keep busy and there's
alot to do. There's garbage along the side of the road we do in our spare time.
I wish I had 500 prisoners to do it, even if we bought their meals next year,
maybe you could get 500, get a couple of bus loads and let them run up and down
the road and pick up the garbage. Right now, for an inspection I know we joked
about it in our meetings, you got to give me 24 hours to get to you. Tuck knows
I sneak through them at 10 o'clock at night. I sneak through them at 5 o'clock
in the morning. I sneak through them alot. But I've tried to be upfront and
honest with the guys that, are building the road and we had to start, I think it
was last year, that I won't allow only one person to talk to me. Because it's
easy to go out and talk to a contractor and we get it squared away. It's 2 foot
off grade, we got to match it, the other road guys, no big deal. Well the engineers
crying because he wasn't called, he didn't get his 200 bucks because he wants
to draw the line 2 foot up. He wants another 150 bucks so he can go back and
draw the plans. So on and so on it goes. This extra guy that is going to be
out there, hopefully will save me alot of hours running on the road so I can get
alot of other things done. He's going to help me alot. As you know I've got
an older gentleman that helps me now part time. He's not getting any younger.
Everyday he gets so he don't want to be around as much anymore. I'm going to
miss him. I hope he lasts alot longer. I hope he lasts till he's a 110. I hope
he stays until I retire but I don't think he's going to and there's going to be
a big hole. As you know, spoke a few minutes earlier, 7 years ago proved it' s
previous supervisor, before all you guys were here, got us all together and said,
Mr. Naylor, pick a 5 year game plan. I said good, I'm going to pick a 5 year
game plan for a new building. That was 7z years ago. I'm still in the same room.
My secretary is in the same room. My Deputy is in a little cubbyhole. I can't
go in and talk to him because he's got the furnace up through his office. I can't
stand it in there that hot. It's hotter than hell in here now. Since I've been
operated on my circulation is better. What the hell was your question anyway?
MR. TUCKER-Why you needed all that help.
MR. NAYLOR-I just told you . . . He knows where we're at, I've got to do it myself
and I can't do it, I'm only one guy. _-
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Mr. Tucker do you have any further comments or questions?
MR. TUCKER-A couple more. Highway Budget.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Highway Budget again? Specifically Highway or the same page
or do you have the real value. . .
MR. TUCKER-No, we're over in the expenditures and it's equipment, 255,000 dollars.
What's it for?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Equipment, we have, vehicles, heavy equipment, radios, tools.
Do you want to read it off Betty if you have it right there?
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN- Pliney, its2 one-ton dump trucks, a tandem single axle, radios
were sixty-five hundred aid two for 75 hundred, which came to a total of 255,000
dollars.
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-We're replacing one truck, the single axle was replacing which
truck, 1967 or ?
MR. NAYLOR-If the Town keeps growing, never, we keep throwing them into service.
As you know last year when one . . . rotted after we lost that new truck, Steve
didn't like the color of it because the rust was showing through.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-Actually we're usually pretty mean to him Pliney we didn' t
even cut him on that item at all.
MR. TUCKER-What's that?
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-That item there, and usually we chop him.
33
qy3
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-We have the break down per item if you want to know what a one
tandem dump truck costs?
MR. TUCKER-No.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-96,000 dollars, just to let you know we don't just toss numbers up.
MR. TUCKER-People have been asking Tucker questions. What's all the equipment he's buying?
Right.
AIR. NAYLOR-Dump trucks cost a 100 grand.
AIR. TUCKER-1 know.
AIR. NAYLOR-78 thousand for a small dump truck but that's with snow plow, wings, standard,
the whole 9 yards.
AIR. TUCKER-Landfill, expenditure. From 600,000 to I million.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Okay, again you've got to remember the concept of the way the budget
is working and the State Municipal Law. We have to appropriate anything we plan to spend
and we're planning to put in more money for landfill closure and that's where that shows up.
We want to put aside more for the imminent closing of the landfill. So in order to he able
to put over there, we've got to show it as a budget expense.
MR. TUCKER-Question, is that coming out of the special fund?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-No, that will come out of the landfill fees.
AIR. TUCKER-1 mean can we go back here a year or so or two years ago and went from a
buck and a half to 2 dollars.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Yes.
MR. TUCKER-And the fifty cents was for ...
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-What is it Steve, 700 again this year will have ... is it 750 thousand
dollars that's going to be in that fund?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I don't remember. I don't think it's quite that much but it's a big
-` number.
MR. TUCKER-400 is coming out of the general tax fund?
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-No, well yea, coming out of the Landfill ...
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-It's coming out of the Landfill revenue, we're _going to set aside that
for the closure.
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-Part of the increase was specifically designated to go towards
the closure.
MR. TUCKER-1 think it was 50 cents or something like that.
COUNCILMAN POTENZA-That's right, half of whatever.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-But don't forget we're probably looking at the minimum of 4 million
dollars and probably-by now it's climbing every day, more higher and higher and higher to
close that landfill for the State.
AIR. TUCKER-Maybe they'll drop a bomb on the State and we'll get out of it cheaper.
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-Part of that expense comes back to us in revenue, what we charge
the City of Glens Falls for the use of that landfill.
T AIR. TUCKER-A question for the Town Attorney, and don't glare at me, because I've been
asked this too. Are you just strictly full time for the Town of Queensbury?
A T TOR NE Y D USEK-1 am full time for the Town of Queensbury.
AIR. TUCKER-1 didn't hear that, I've heard so many stories.
ATTORNEY DUSEK-No, I would be happy to tell you that I have no outside practice, that
was part of the agreement that I made with the Board. That I devote all my energies to attending
the various Board meetings, Planning Board, Zoning Board meetings and strictly Town of
Queensbury. Full time, more than full time actually...
MR. TUCKER-One short message to the Board. See that the first sergeant over there gets
her raise. If anybody deserves it, it's that lady right there.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Well if we've got to cut back, she's got to go first. She's one tremendous
person.
MR. TUCKER-Thank you.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-To help you just a minute in closure fees coming out of that expense
this year, we plan on putting 500,000 dollars in the closure fund this year. --
MR. TUCKER-That's drawing interest?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Oh yes, set aside, separate fund. Some as the developer's fees which
have been segregated, there all special accounts. We're really modernizing and updating
out accounting procedures so that we hopefully soon will know where everything is and exactly
what's there.
MR. TUCKER-That might be a good idea.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-... you don't know what's in the bank book it's difficult. First time
people, yes sir, Mr. Brewer.
TIM BREWER, Condleberry Drive-I was just curious, when you brought up Mr. Naylor having
an assistant, I remember, I don't know, was it a month ago or two months ago that you brought
it up, and you didn't think it was feasible to do that, to have the assistant. I was just curious
as to...
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-That's correct. At that time there were four department heads standing
in front, each wanted a full time person, I said, personally didn't think that was reasonable.
But the budget provides for is money for a part time person as needed, specifically there.
Now maybe that will change but at least it's in the budget and will permit us to accomplish
that if that's the way we decide to go.
MR. BREWER-1 was just curious, are both of those people in the Highway budget? ---
SUPERVISOR BORG OS-That is one person and is in the ...administrative budget.
COUNCILMAN POTENZA-One is in Water and one is in Highway.
MARGARET BOROUGH, Lynfield Drive, Queensbury-I'm no mathematician but I do know
that we have lived and paid taxes in the Town of Queensbury for 24 years. When we began,
my husband was employed full time and part time. That is no longer so obviously. We've
tried to be good citizens. We've tried to be good contributing citizens. I'm probably an extreme
example of volunteers but this year have given more than three months in volunteer services
and, well primarily cultural but also environmental as you know and I'd like to thank you
for your responsiveness.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-You're welcome and notice that even though that field has been mowed
it's been mowed in compliance with DEC regulations and we had the senior wild life biologist
out there with us and we're going to preserve and protect the butterflies.
MRS. BOROUGH-1 would very much appreciate that. I'm also involved in church work. But
I find it disheartening that our income goes such a short way for what's seems to me to be
so much output and ... when, and I certainly don't mean to belittle what your job entails, I
wouldn't' want it.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-That's what everybody says.
MRS. BOROUGH-But I would like to ask you with all due respect to consider seriously the
impact on the all citizenry, all the taxpayers but especially the retirees of who all every
community 1 think depends heavily on much of the volunteer work that is done that makes
a community, what makes other people want to live here. What made us perhaps to begin
with although we didn't appreciate it at the time. I'd like to ask you seriously to reconsider
the proportionate increase in your income proposed as compared with ours which are going
backwards if anything. Thank you.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Thank you. Again this, I don't know how to say this, I spent 30 years
as a fireman and I've had to go on inactive status because I can no longer attend the meetings
because of this job. I've certainly not going to want to take credit for alot of things but I
have been at least involved with saving the Town of Queensbury very large dollars during
the past 2 years. Amounts for beyond the actual cost of my salary. Doing things that I didn't
have to do, but I happened to be in the right place at the riqht time. I was willing to ask
for things that brought money to the Town. i've been a bit Involved and we've announced
and I hope you've heard it today, but Americade will be back this summer, we thought we
were going to lose that. The tax, the sales tax dollars directly to the Town of Queensbury
from that one event, between 50 and 70 thousand dollars. That took alot of extra work over
many months quietly behind the scenes and it's finally been announced this afternoon that
there supposed to come to Queensbury for 1990. 25,000 people for a week who will spend
omewhere in excess of 7 million dollars while they're here. Didn't have to do that but in
rying to keep everybodis taxes down, generate more revenue and if you were to multiply
--t or ... 7 million dollars the Adirondocks generates 2J to 5 times more than that in actual
revenues as you go through the multiplier stage. So were looking at 15 to 35 million dollars
of revenue generated by that one event. So I think it was worth whiled time spent. Those
are the kinds of things that are done by all members of the Board, all members in local government.
But you could easily just close the door at 4 o'clock and go home and just let it go somewhere
else. But we're not doing that. We're trying to keep the revenue flowing, to keep taxes down.
Again you'll see I think that your Town tax as such has dropped with the exception of the
fire and ambulance tax.
AIR. NAYLOR-1 know it had nothing to do with our till in a certain way, but how come the
County is charging us a penny? Is that a 100,000 dollars...?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-That was a surprise for all of us and we're the only Town, Village
or City in the County, to go up, it's going up a penny proposed. I've already made a formal
statement at a budget meeting for the at the County Board level and I will be more making
statements at the public hearing. Again, I'm recommending to the budget officer that he'd
be more realistic and anticipate what sales tax revenue really will come in. He's anticipating
50 percent of reality from last year. I think he can go more than that which would have the
impact of reducing everybody's tax. Now, why are proportionate share has gone up while
everyone else has gone down because mathematically it shouldn't' work that way. It's a good
question. The Board has discussed retaining our accounting firm to go and take a look at
that. I'll be presbnting a proposal later.
ti1R. NAYLOR-Should have saved that much on the Quaker Road project right?
=SUPER VISOR BOR GOS-We are way under budget. We'll be having press releases, way under
budget on the Quaker Road water transmission main which is a separate district but still
the impact on the citizens would be that the water tax would be that much less because we're
able to go out and save several hundred thousand dollars compared with the engineer's estimate.
MR. NAYLOR-1 just have a problem with a penny.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-1 also have a problem with that.
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-The question that Paul was asking is that one penny per thousand
on a billion dollar assessment and if I _get the numbers right, is that a 10,000 dollar or a 100,000
dollar short fall? 1 mean for them to charge us a penny, was there a short fall of 100,000
or 10,000?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-1 didn't look at the numbers yet. A// I did was 1 saw the statistic,
I haven't analyzed it.
COUNCILMAN MONTESi-I looked at them applying 5 million dollars in surplus to the budget
and I said, well gee if they 5 million, 100 thousand...
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-That's 10 thousand dollars.
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-10 thousand. So somebody is trying to give you a message.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Its a million thousand and one penny per would be 10,000.
MR. TUCKER-You've been a bad boy up there or something?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I don't always agree with everyone else. I guess kind of like you and
say what I think that way. I don't think in anyway its intended to, but I had some questions
.mathematical and I'm hoping somebody has made a mathematical error.
AIR. TUCKER-1 think there was something in the paper the other day that you people are
going to ask them point blank questions about Queensbury's share of ...
SUPERVISOR BORG OS-Yes and we're concerned.
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-It's a very deep subject.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-We could go on for hours.
MR. TUCKER-1 know that, I know that.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-If you want to just call me and we'll set up an appointment next week.
...-Part of that surplus belongs to Queensbury residents.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Yes, we're talking about surplus but we're also looking at I think other
estimates of next years sales tax revenue which would end up again in surplus but I'm saying, —�
why even collect it because we know best how to spend our own dollars as citizens. I'd rather
spend my own money that let government spend it for me. if we know up there that government
is projecting an under amount, a less amount of revenue that I really anticipate, that means
they're taking my money right now and they're going to tell me best what to do with it and
I don't like that.
MR. TUCKER-When they said flat, they meant that we're going to get what they got last
year?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Well see this is interesting because last year was such an exceptionaly
good year, that flat this year is wonderful. The Town of Queensbury sales tax revenue for
the third quarter actually went up like 10 percent over the best ever year possible.
MR. TUCKER-This year?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-This present year, so I thinks that wonderful.
MR. TUCKER-If your's did, their's did, didn't it?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-No comment. I know what my taxes ore.
MR. TUCKER-What do you mean no comment?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-All I know is what our tape says. It's 10 percent up.
BARBARA BENNETT-Just a brief comment. When you wanted a raise from 36,000 to 58,000,
that's 22 thousand. 22 thousand in a raise is more than most woman make in a whole year
and then you want it in a raise. That's more then we'll ever make.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-More than clot of men make in a year too. All I'm saying is that
from a management perspective, if you want to be able to attract, to run for this office,
somebody who is able to handle this kind of work, that's the kind of money you've got to look
at. There are people who disagree with that. The proposal is for the position, not just for
me. I wish somebody else would have run. I just think it'd be just wonderful. I'd love to go
in, pull another lever. The fact is they didn't. I know it's a big dollar. I think once the number
is up there then we can stabilize and look at the same raise everybody else gets. I think that's
right. But it's very much underpaid for the position the way it is. I don't feel uncomfortable
telling you that. The more I explore it throughout the community the more I think I should
have asked for more but... okay, I've been asked for the third time for a short break, three
minutes and then will get Mr. Adamson will be first. I'm sorry to do that.
CHARLIE ADAMSON, Assembley Point-No relation what so ever to the previous Adamson
that spoke, except that she is my wife. Let me ask a question if I may. Did you imply earlier
that the announcement on this new salary, propose salary scale of 58 or 50 thousand dollars,
was in place in time to allow a competition to run against you?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-That's an interesting question. Technically, anybody up to the last
minute could have run a write in.
MR. ADAMSON-Although, let's be realistic, Steve.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Realistically it was not there. Realistically, it was not held back
intentionally. Realistically, we don't get to budgets until August, September. Realistically,
i didn't come any where near coming up with an answer to that until the day before the deadline.
AIR. ADAMSON-Okay. So my proposal, my question, another question. Did you think of taking
4q7
the heat off yourself by appointing a committee of...
SUPERVISOR BORG OS-Yes i did.
MR. ADAMSON-Respective Town members that would study this and make a set of recommendations
which the Town Board could then...
SUPERVISOR BORG OS-Yes I did.
MR. ADAMSON-1 realize the responsibility maybe yours' but the point is that it is yours' when
they make that decision.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-1 actually made a list of individuals that I felt would be fair and.reasonable
and so forth but to be very honest with you we got caught up with in so many other meetings,
I just got ...I've spoken to Kathleen about the committee and calling it together. I knew there
would be allegations that I hand picked them and whatever. But just didn't get there. So
1 said ...
MR. ADAMSON-I'm delighted to hear that you have done this. I hope it is balanced in terms
of professions and the parties ...
SUPERVISOR BOR GOS-The committee never met, you have to understand.
AIR. ADAMSON-1 realize that. Because what I'm about to say is I do not think that this sort,
your salary raises should go into effect this year. I think you should appoint this committee,
it should work next year and you should make your decision in time about a year in advance
of the next election. I think this is the fair time to do it. I'm delighted ...
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-That's what everybody said last year.
MR. ADAMSONrWeil this gives you plenty of time. You've got an assistant who knows who
the committee members are and they can do it. I do not think that this has been thought
out properly and i don't think there has been enough input on it. I think it is unfortunate,
i sympathize with your point few but I also am fighting the unbelievable high salaries in the
Lake George School district for this new superintendent up there. Part of the reason that
he should be willing to work there and you should be willing to work is the area. That is worth
several thousand dollars in terms of a salary. That is my own belief.
SUPER VISOR BOR GOS-That's why we live here.
MR. ADAMSON-Okay, right. So I realize, let's get this in some sort of system into this where
it doesn't all come from one Board which is all republican. I think that is a big thing. I realize...
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Do you know something? Can I say something?
MR. ADAMSON-Yea.
SUPERVISOR BOR GOS-When I make recommendations to who should be on what committees
or boards, very honestly, very bluntly and again probably because of time and actually ...
MR. ADAMSON-I'm not talking about the Board.
SUPER VISOR BOR GOS-1 don't know which party people are enrolled in unless somebody like
yourself or Mr. Tucker, who is politically active, whose out there. I don't know, I don't care,
I don't look at registrations. People want to meet in my office, I don't look at the book.
It makes no difference to me for any purpose.
MR. ADAMSON-If you're appointing a committee on salaries, it probably should make a difference
to you.
SUPER VISOR BORGOS-But it doesn't, I would take, I would recommend people who are respected.
MR. ADAMSON-Well, okay, but to do that but also in terms of look a little bit about other
pressures. I think that you should. I like Mr. Montesi's idea about adjoining property on this.
i think that should be looked into. I want to ask a question, I think I know the answer. Did
— any of you that were involved in these buildings foresee this squeeze on property and buildings?
You can't answer ...
SUPER VISOR BOR GOS-1 can not tell you that.
AIR. ADAMSON-Okay. Technically on the trash burning plant, I believe Mrs. Walter was
clearly for it?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-1 can't speak for my predecessor.
AIR. ADAMSON-Well she ran the committee that was recommended it, the County committee
that recommended it. I understand she didn't call any meetings but she did run the committee.
I think she was for the plant. I just want to say one other thing which probably is premature
but might tie into the committee that you might recommend, that you might establish...for
salary. i grew up, I was born in the House of the Blind on Ridge Street. I lived in Glens Falls,
1 live on Assembly Point all my life. I look at this area and I think the possibility of my grandchildren
growing up here. I would like to ask the Town Board when it gets some time to exercise a
little vision here down the road. You probably have but you probably haven't _got time tonight.
You probably haven't had much time discussing things in the last year or two, but look at
this area from the point of view of where how you would like it working. Having lived here
al/ my life I see no doubt ...absolutely none what-6o-ever then in a quarter of century's time,
Glens Falls and Queensbury should be one political unit. If you have to take the time to do —
it, because you've got people who might hurt unless you rather...
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-We've already got two alternate names. Either Glensbury or Queensfalls.
We're already working on that.
MR. ADAMSON-Queensfalls. Lillian and I vote for Queensfalls, we both thought of it at
the some time.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Just so you don't think it hasn't been thought of.
AIR. ADAMSON-Okay. What I wanted to do, what 1 want you to do is to get together as to
appoint the committee along with O'Keefe and begin discussing this. Because I think this
has direct bearing over the next few years on what we're here for tonight. On the fire, the
police (tape turned) ...has things that Queensbury doesn't have. The library we've already
covered. It's got the hospital and also and I think it may have some possibilities for low income
housing. The downtown area for example which might be a great asset to Queensbury, to
the area. I don't think Queensbury, as far as I know does not have any low income ...
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-Affordable housing.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Generally from what you're saying. 1 can't divulge slot of things
but generally from what you're saying, I'd swear you've been attending meetings I've been
at and listening to phone conservations. So all these things are happening in various forms
and we're much attuned to that but until such time as it's packaged, it can't be brought to...
MR. ADAMSON-In 1961 1 resigned from the Central Intelligence Agency because I didn't —'
like being told, 1 could only talk about what, I need to know basis. What you're telling me
it's a need to, I can't talk about these things because 1 don't know ...
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-It would be defeating the objective to discuss ahead of time many
of the details of things that are being considered because they undoubtedly be misinterpreted
and misrepresented. At some point before any action is taken it would be the subject of a
public meeting. But alot of things are happening and I just can't wait to be able to tell you
about clot of them. It would make this evening much more bearable.
AIR. ADAMSON-Well I think some of it ought come out because it has a direct bearing on
what we're doing here now.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Absolutely and I really wish it could and I hope in the next few weeks
we'll see some of it.
AIR. ADAMSON-This isn't tied in with the suit is it?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-There is some things I just can't talk about.
COUNCILMAN MONA HA N-Charlie, 171 only say this much that 1 am going to the breakfast
on affordable housing and I will be making a statement during that seminar on affordable
housing.
AIR. ADAMSON-Okay. Does it involve Glens Falls? —
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-Well it's going to involve the whole area.
COUNCILMAN MONTESi-Charlie, one of the things that I was asked and although i ran unopposed,
I did listen to a meeting, and one of the questions came up, ...asking about the possibilities
of that, and I said that in all honesty 1 remember a long time ago, maybe 8 or 10 years ago,
when I think it might have been Ben Patrick who then was president of the chamber or something,
y� 9
proposed the unification. It was a little premature because a whole multitude of questions
come up. If you were to look at this very objectively other than water or sewer or landfill
sharing at this point. One of the questions, one of the big questions that has to be asked and
• study has to be done, a legal study is, when you go from a city to a town or do you _go from
• town to a city? There's cost effectiveness going one way or the other. Obviously they say,
state law says, if you're a city, you have to have sidewalks and sewer and water for every
resident. Well that could be an impossibility in terms of dollars for the Town of Queensbury
with 220 miles of road. Perhaps we have to go from a town to a town.
MR. ADAMSON-1 don't expect this is going to be easy.
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-And I don't have those answers but you know, very, very briefly,
what I said to this constituent was that I would be very, very interested in a proposal that
would do some of this initial study so that we get a feel of where we're going and if there's
some place to go. If we get the provincialism of do we have one mayor, two supervisors,
— one chief of police, that's a rather provincial part of it. The big thing.is, what's the cost
effect of this and what kind of federal dollars do we gain or lose by going one way or the
other.
MR. ADAMSON-How about getting one of the departments at SUN to, one of the professors
down there...
COUNCILMAN AIONTESI-It's a major study with a lot of questions that have to be answered
before you can even start addressing which way you want go.
MR. ADAMSON-But you've got to start asking the questions and you've got to have some
sort of formal arrangement that starts process.
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-You've got to have both communities wanting to do this.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-It's almost impossible...
COUNCILMAN POTENZA-Can I ask just answer one question to Mr. Adamson. It truly is
the morning after the night before for me, okay, and I did have opposition. So did Mr. Kurosako.
So there wasn't a golden opportunity if different people in the Town wanted the Board to
be changed. The fact that the Board is totally republican...
AIR. ADAMSON-It's not your fault.
COUNCILMAN POTENZA-Just like yesterday...
MR. ADAMSON-I'm not saying that it is your fault. I'm just saying that it is a fact and it
does influence possible interpretations. That's all.
COUNCILMAN POTENZA-That's true. I'll agree with that, it is a fact.
AIR. ADAMSON-Right and we would like to change it and maybe what's going now will help.
Thank you.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Thank you sir. Anyone else for the first time?
DAVID BENNETT-I live on Stewart Road in Queensbury. I just want to comment a little
bit on the proposed increase in wages for the people. True, maybe the job deserves a little
more than what it pays but I feel and I think alot of people feel that, I'm not a mathematician
but just quick figure, it's pretty close to 40 percent even at 50,000 dollars. I certainly would
enjoy the opportunity to tell my boss I would like a 40 percent raise.
SUPER VISOR BOR GOS-Well then tell him.
MR. BENNETT-1 can tell him...
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-1 asked my bosses for what amounted to 60 for the position and they
said, no you can't have it.
AIR. BENNETT-It isn't going to happen but I think it's a little bit out of line. Perhaps down
the road a ways. Everybody from Town governments to State governments, Federal governments,
everybody wants pay raise. The Federal government really wanted a pay raise way up.
COUNCIL MA N'K UR OSAKA-They got one last year or the year before, remember?
MR. BENNETT-i know.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-Sooner or later you did it. We're not doing it that way.
MR. BENNETT-You don't get a vote on it either do you George? You don't get a vote on
whether they get one or not either.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-No you don't. We try not to do it that way.
MR. BENNETT-It's just that, the idea that somewhere's down the road, this is going to catch
up with people's taxes. It's got to, somewhere down the road. You've been holding taxes
pretty good in this Town. 1 appreciate it and I think everybody in the Town appreciates it.
Somewhere down the road it's going to catch up with everybody. Here, everywhere. I hope
you understand that.
SUPERVISOR B OR G OS-Wi thout trying to teach here. What you say is true assuming, there's
a favorite phrase that ... all other things being equal. We're trying to be sure that not all
other things are equal. We're trying to make things happening. We're trying to make things
happen in a positive way to generate more economic growth. To bring industry into this community.
To generate more tax revenue. To reduce our expenditures. To become more efficient.
We've gone to computers instead of the ...That kind of move is beneficial. I don't think all
things are going to be equal in Queensbury. I think as the weeks come about, we're able to
talk about Americade today, I think you're going to see alot of other major announcements
and there going to say, you know, maybe they have been doing their homework. It would
be alot easier for all of us had these things been able to come out sooner. But you're going
to be able to see I think significant cost savings, significant new policies with in just, maybe
as little as a few weeks. Then I hope that you'll understand some of the behind the scenes
work.
MR. BENNETT-1 do Steve.
SUPERVISOR BOR COS-And actually saves you money, slot of money.
MR. BENNETT-You said it yourself of heard, the fact that I've heard from a man that was
in your position years ago, the some thing. I can make more money in the private sector...
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-No question about that, the temptation is very great.
MR. BENNETT-And what are doing here?
SUPERVISOR BQRGOS-That's a good question.
MR. BENNETT-Thank you.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Your welcome. Now I guess we're in our second turn around. You
were first, first time, so you are first, as a second speaker.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-You look like you're getting pretty tired.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-We just starting. We've got another couple of hours of work 1 guess.
JANICE MACKEY-1 sure wish I hadn't wasted my first question.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-1'm sorry.
MRS. MACKEY-1 know, a few points to touch on. Just a comment. Who in this world is really
paid what the worth? My husband spends many hours that he is not paid for. Salary employees
many times spend many hours without having overtime pay. I understand your position. I
know you work like a dog. But the public service job that you know, public service does not
pay like private sector. My father taught for many, many years and he could have made alot
more money but he was interested in education. You've got to put your priorities in, that
has to figure in to the salary and I think many people expect that that figures into the salary.
I could stomach a raise in increments alot more than this 40 percent that we're talking about.
1 almost laugh at the 40 percent that you, 1 know he's way up so that once it's widdled away,
he might end up with what he wants. You've got to figure that in to some degree, I'm sure,
and maybe that's why you started at 58,000.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-No, very bluntly, 1 asked for 58 because I thought the position was
worth it. I still think that.
AIRS. MACKEY-Well, you probably put in enough hours to make it worth that but these other
things have to be factored in. If, I know you had the problem not having an opposing person
to run against and so no one is left to take the job, but, you know if you don't like the job,
go to the private sector and make the big bucks. The bigger bucks.
-4sli
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-It's definitely an alternative.
AIRS. MACKEY-Well it's one that has to be brought out and I'm sorry that you don't feel that
you're paid as much as you need to be but I think for the public...
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Please understand that it's my recommendation for the position of
supervisor. I happen to be here right now. Maybe in a month from now, I won't be here.
Whoever you're going to have to get, has to be paid enough to attract somebody tPho can do
the work.
MRS. MACKEY-I understand that. I think your's is very low, I do agree with you there. But
' think 50 is too much all in one swoop. I think that you need to think about 2 or 3 year increment.
'eople are _going to be much more agreeable to something like that. I'm just saying instead
)f this big chunk, why don't you work it up a little bit, because 1 agree it does need to be
raised. But these other things have to factor in. On the issue of building a new Town complex,
why don't we just find an area for maybe the court system and let the building department
expand into where the court system is? It seems, I'm sure alot of these things have been
discussed and I'm sure it was brought up just to start the discussion a little bit more in public
way. But alot of the sediment I here as I'm sure alot of what your feeling tonight is, build
a new town, we just finished it.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-it would have been much easier for all concerned not to even mention
it before this hearing and just bring it out early next year. The idea was in order to justify
the department head and to other people why I didn't propose to spend big dollars next year
on the old building, I thought it only fair to tell people up front. It would have been politically
very easy not to say a word about it. Just sneak it in later. 1 don't think that's the right way
to do things. I'd rather have it up front, let's talk about it.
AIRS. MACKEY-The other question I have about that is that if you are in litigation over this
building, I know you can't discuss it, but if it's for structural problems, whose going to buy
a building that's been in litigation?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-1 can't tell you all the details. Suffice to say that the concerns that
you've shared and we have would cover all the many things that have been talked about tonight
in different proportions.
AIRS. MACKEY-We'll have to wait on that 1 guess. I would like to comment too that 1 do
notice that the roads are very nice in nueensbury. It's nice to see tax dollars being spent
_where you can see it with your eyes. But I must say also that I think and comparing states
now so I'm in a different state, compared to many areas we have wonderful roads and I don't
think that we need to have perfect roads. So we need to temper it some if, sorry, I know
he's sitting right next to me, but ...
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-We're repairing some of those junk roads we accepted 10 years
ago.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-He's a perfectionist.
AIRS. MACKEY-1 know.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I've been asked to clarify something. We have to be absolutely sure
to tell you these buildings are not unsafe. So just so you don't think that it's something like
that.
MRS. MACKEY-No, I'm not worried that they're unsafe but I just, the thought of just selling
this place off and building a whole new place and the idea that it would not cost somewhere
down the road, is ridiculous. it's like, I think i'll go buy another house but I'll figure out a
way that it's not going to cost me anything.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Do you know how many people move to this community because they
bought a house somewhere for a 100 and they sold it for 400...
MRS. MACKEY-1 know. I'm fortunately not one of those.
SUPER VISOR BOR GOS-But they sold it for 400. They came here, bought one for 200, they've
got 200 in the bank. They've got a brand new house, they've got 200,000 dollars in the bank.
MRS. MACKEY-Don't tell me about it, I see it all the time.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-But what I'm saying, that's the way, it is possible.
Not after it's built.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Not this moment it isn't.
MRS. MACKEY-I'm very skeptical about that. Also thank you for the contribution to the
library. 1 think that's great and I think that's been neglected in the past. My last question
is with this budget that we have, I didn't have a chance to look through the whole thing, I've
been listening, but what are we doing about recycling? What kind of money are we putting
towards any kind of recycling program? We keep talking about closing the landfill and ...
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Okay, recycling in Queensbury very bluntly was slowed down when
the County decided that it wanted be a County operation a year and half ago. It's still going
to be a County operation and all legislation as I understand it has been passed that way. I'm
about at the point where I'm so frustrated that I'm going to propose that we do something
more and better and whatever. We're still trying to cooperate with the County and if we
go off as a splinter group somewhere we have to perhaps defeat the County operation. I'm
a tremendous fan of recycling. I believe in composting, I don't like to burn everything. So
we're working on alot of things right now. Again, some things you may see within the next
4 to 6 weeks. I said a year ago, I said 2 weeks. Well things take time but we're getting closer
now. We do recycling newspapers. We don't bury the metal anymore, it's taken away. We
don't bury tires.
MRS. MACKEY-I'm talking more about public information. Come on everybody, let's get
this going, let's save our Town. Who cares if the County is taking so long to get things going,
we better do it ourselves. That kind of approach.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-That's called duplication of effort. That's the problem, that's the
frustration.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-1 was talking to Betty Little today, the County Supervisor because
it happened to be my day to go up to the landfill with the engineer while we were doing water
testing and stuff up there—and she came up to discuss the recycling. I wasn't aware that
they've already put out a pamphlet on recycling that they've been distributing through 4H
and stuff like that. I have not seen the pamphlet but I understand there is a pamphlet out.
MRS. MACKEY-Well I've talked with Mrs. Little many times and I've talked with the guy...
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-She's a little frustrated...
MRS. MACKEY-Well I know and i've talked with the guy whose been hired to get it going
and I've offered my help several times and no ones ever called to me to distribute pamphlets
or and seems like it's being brought down in the bureaucratic process and I just don't see why
we couldn't as a Town, I was just going to say why we couldn't as a Town, I don't know, even
create the spirit. Not necessarily do all the pamphlet printing, that kind of thing that might
be duplication and effort but I'm thinking more of a PR push.
COUNCILMAN POTENZA-1 agree with you Jan. I think the Town, I think the citizens of
this Town are ready to recycle.
MRS. MACKEY-1 don't know if they're ready. I think it's going to be difficult to get everyone
going.
COUNCILMAN POTENZA-1 think they are ...the motivation is there...just the vehicle to
do is not there. I think it stands, you know we, it's very frustrating waiting for the County
to make, to give us a time to go ahead and move on this thing. It's gotten to the point now
where, I've just about said, let the Town carry the ball and we're going to run with it because
we're sick of just treading water so to speak.
MRS. MACKEY-I sure like to see it go.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-1 think if you look around, you know, Warren County should be
a leader and actually Washington and Saratoga Counties seem to be much further ahead then
we are towards the recycling plans.
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-They'll get on the band wagon when they finally get the tipping —
fees for this trash plant in place and then everybody suddenly realizes the cost of burning.
All of sudden we'll be very strong evidence of recycling.
SUPER VISOR BORGOS-Don't forget the County has come to us and Jim Coughlin has asked
for his budget, aproposal to bring in some bins to recycle glass and a number of items. But
the big problem is, if we go on our own, we're talking about a i of million, } million dollar
expenditure or more for facilities for storage areas for people.
X53
MRS. MACKEY-We can do things like encouraging composting.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Absolutely.
MRS. MACKEY-We can do things like pushing the idea of the newspaper...
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-But it doesn't have to be the Town doing that.
MRS. MACKEY-Some of the people are still just throwing newspapers away.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-We've sent out press releases, we've advertised, we've publicized,
now some other community groups. I know the rotary budget just started, rotary recommended
recycling as their new program and they're going out to push. School groups could push, library
groups could push. Everybody can push for recycling. I don't know if we have to wait for
the Town to do those kinds of things. We need to wait for the Town or the County for big
things, for a place for a market to consolidate things, to package things.
MRS. MACKEY-1 still think we can dump it in piles somewhere. Dump all the glass in a pile
and wait until someone will take it even.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-That's what we are about to do at the County level with containers
and they can be taken away.
MRS. MACKEY-But even, you know, getting people to think in terms of separating their garbage.
That's going to take all the time. All the beginning stages could be pushed without the actual
hardware to do all the program and whatever.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-There is a problem sometimes with recycling. We have to pay
to have that scrap metal hauled away and the tires hauled away.
MRS. MACKEY-I understand that. Actually we're getting clot of different things to do with
tires now too.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-Alot of people scream because we have to raise the budget for
hauling stuff away.
MRS. MACKEY-1 understand that.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-It chews up the landfill budget.
AIRS. MACKEY-1 understand that but there still are other things that should be done.
COUNCILMAN kUROSAKA-We all consider the concept of recycling no matter what the
cost is because it's still cheaper to pay a small amount to recycle the stuff then to remanufacture
from raw material.
MRS. MACKEY-And it's also much, much better for the environment.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-It sure is...
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-I heard a figure, you are a 100 percent right on, especially with
the environment, I heard it being down at the Association of Towns, I really couldn't believe
it but I guess it's a true figure that 35 percent of the volume that goes into a municipal landfill
an average municipal landfill in the State of New York is represented by leaves and grass
types. You know, it's almost ludicrous type of figure because you would say, why would we
be filling out landfill with something that is actually biodegradable.
AIRS. MACKEY-Even food garbage...
COUNCILMAN M0NAHAN-Your right Ron, today was a perfect example to see the loads
of leaves coming in and of course half of them were in plastic bags so that makes it work
because plastic bag won't be able ...
_... You want to point out just one thing with you leaves and grass...
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Excuse me just a minute, you have to wait your turn. I'm sorry, I'd
love to let you go but...
MRS. MACKEY-1 just want to make the point that i feel like we're lacking in that area and
I'm glad to know that things are being thought of and that there's enough frustration building
that maybe we'll start something on our own. I'd like to see some of this money put into things
like recycling.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-i did see an unique thing in an add someplace and this will go
in your home, where you have 4 bins stacked right up on top of eochother. Have you seen
that, where the glass goes in one, the newspaper in another.
AIRS. MACKEY-That's what everyone needs to get in their homes to start it.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-And the trucks will be sectioned in order to take those type of
things too in that way.
MRS. MACKEY-Thank you.
COUNCIL MAN*KUROSAKA-Thanks for coming.
BOB SH UL TZ-George asked earlier why.I used the word I and we, the term we. I introduced
myself tonight as both a property owner and taxpayer in Queensbury and as Director of the
Warren County Taxpayers Association...I spoke in both capacities. You chose and responded
to my comments on your budget message, to bring up the fact that we've met in court. It's
true. We met in court after, just a brief comment for the record, we met in court after my
simple right of property ...
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Okay, I'm going to stop you now because that's been resolved in court
at least part of it and I don't believe it belongs here. As Chairman of this meeting I'm going
to tell-you that you may not speak about that, okay?
MR. SHULTZ-It's over Steve. The court case is over and I won it.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Did you, you heard what I just said. If you wish to speak about the
budget, you may, if you don't, sit down.
MR. SHULTZ-Steve, you raised it. You seemed to have objected to my comment, my characterization
of a particular quote of yours in your budget message as tyrannical. It is tyrannical for you
to say that given the budget this public hearing tonight, given, numbers may change but concepts
and philosophies including introduction of deficit spending ... philosophy that that will not
change, that that will remain intact.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-You're taking something out of context. The beginning of that sentence
says.
AIR. SHULTZ-1 can quote you...
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Read the beginning where, is to believe...
MR. SHULTZ-Let me read it to you.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-I've got it right here infront of me.
MR. SHULTZ-1 will read it to you.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Read the whole sentence.
MR. SHUL TZ-It is anticipated while actual dollar amounts in many proposed budget in the
numbers will change through Town Board consensus and public input, the concepts and philosophies
of this budget will remain intact.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-The key word is anticipated. If you understand what that word means,
it doesn't say it will. It said it is my belief, it's my message and I'm anticipating that that
will stay intact and that's a true statement. It's my anticipation. I may be wrong but it's
my anticipation.
AIR. SHULTZ-You, responding to many comments tonight, you held out the promise, you said
there's lots of news coming out, lots of cost reduction, lots of revenue increasing and everything,
etcetera. Why isn't all of that reflected in the budget?
SUPERVISOR BOR GOS-Because it's not fact yet.
MR. SHULTZ-Well, will our taxes go down if we realize any of these cost...
SUPERVISOR BOR GOS-O f course.
MR. SH UL TZ-reductions and revenue increasing that you're referring to?
qSS
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Absolutely and if things happen within the next 2 weeks they'll be
able to go down immediately before the budget is adopted. That will be good. If these things
happen as the year progresses, that means revenues will exceed projections, cost will be below
projections, we'll end up with a greater surplus next year. That's what people call it, it's
a fund balance. The following year we'll have a lower and lower tax rate if those things happen
as proposed. But it's inappropriate and improper to anticipate things of that magnitude that
have not occurred. We know somethings are going to go up just by projections and trends.
But it's inappropriate to anticipate certain other cost savings and revenues if things are not
yet in place to make that happen.
MR. SHUL TZ-Sharing your enthusiasm for these cost reductions and the revenue increases
and we look forward to the tax reductions. Ron, you mentioned when people begin the tipping
fee increases, when they begin to recycle, contracts that Warren County and Washington
County have signed, say that if they and there's a guarantee minimum amount of trash and
if that weight isn't there because it's pulled out for recycling, the tipping fees will go up.
So less will mean more under those circumstances. There is a wrongness disincentive to recycling
under that program, so it won't happen.
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-Bob, one question that you raised and I never looked at it from
the point of view that you are because 1 thought of myself as fiscally conservative. We talked
about a deficit budget, deficit in the sense that we are applying surplus to balance the budget.
I've served on this Board for 4 years and one of the big arguments that this Board has every
year and obviously you could see Betty had some concern that Steve has applied more surplus
this year than we have in the past. But for the 4 years that I've served and the 2 years prior
to me serving when I just came to Town Board meetings, it has been a policy because we
have more sales tax revenue than we anticipated in growth cycle, that we always applied
a portion of that surplus to keep taxes the same or reduce taxes. I never really looked at
deficit spending but I would say that we have a history behind us now, of six years of doing
that. I guess I'm taking exception in the fact that you think of it as deficit spending and I
think of itas ...
MR. SHUL TZ-The concept of having a rainy day fund as to the sound concept of swings in
the economy...
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-That is where we have our argument. For instances, is 2 million
dollars too much or a million dollars enough. Is 500,000 not enough when we're making the
application of this...I'm sure that to me 16 million dollars to the County is too much. As
Steve points out, I'd like to have that money to work with myself and not someone else. So
we have had some real arguments here in the Town. Is 2 million dollars too much as a rainy
day fun?
MR. SHUL TZ-What percentage of your surplus, the rainy day fund is being used to keep the
taxes ...what percent?
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-1 would have to defer the percentage to Steve. My problem with
that Bob is, i do not like to go into that surplus so deep because my feeling is, I think there's
a change in the economy coming from everything that I read. 1 think some of the things that
have been going up in this Town such as income, are going to level off. We're running our
budget roughly 34, 35 percent on sales tax revenue. If we ever lose that amount of sales
tax revenue and have to make it up by a direct tax to the people, 1 want to do it in the years
when they're already purty because they're working shorter hours, they're jobs are getting
tougher, pay is getting cut, that's why I would like to see enough surplus there so that I can
be sure that we're going to enough for I'd say a 2 year leveling down and not have to raise
taxes at the time and I don't want to raise them this year, I'd rather cut expenses. But I
certainly don't ever want to spend so much of the surplus that we're in trouble when the economy
levels down and we have to hit people at a time when we should not be hitting them. That's
the basis of my philosophy.
MR. SHUL TZ-And I agree with the 2 things that you've said one that the it should be there
for a rainy day and two, cut expenditures, cut spending. I don't see that. I see enormous
make up ... the percentages I have not gotten the answer to yet. It is large, ...1 see very
sever increases in overall spending...a tax increase will ... I do not see tax reduction...can
reduce taxes...
SUPER VISOR BOR COS-(tape turned) Planning and Zoning, Town Attorney the whole thing.
AiR. SH UL T Z-You have to look...
SUPERVISOR BOR COS-You think that is too much money?
MR. SH UL TZ-Yes.
K
4s(o
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Then I think you are living in a fantasy world.
MR. SHULTZ-You are living in a fantasy world, if you think that ...is isolated you take a
look at the financial pressures that individuals are under and what is coming, all levels of
government are spending far too much, they are now talking seriously Steve, do not interrupt,
a thousand national sales tax.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Let's not blame the national economy problems on this.
MR. SHUL TZ-What you are doing here is just a part of what everyone is doing.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-But, it is not happening here.
MR. SHULTZ-You are contributing to it. --
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-That is your opinion and you are entitled to your opinion.
MR. SHULTZ-Taxes are going up.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-No they are not. They are staying the same.
MR. SHULTZ-You are spending much of your surplus.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Anyone else wish to speak?
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-I have been asked by some of my constituents, Pliney has probably
asked to, why don't you apply more to the taxes, to keep our tax rate down. That is what
we are doing.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-What surplus is in ... really excessive sales tax revenue, unanticipated
sales tax revenue from this year, from last year, other years and that happens to go in that
fund called surplus. In order to keep the tax rates down we apply it. We could just save and
save and save it, we have to have a cloud burst to ever have to use it. That's where that
is...It's still more than substantial, it's more than adequate. I feel very comfortable, the Town
is very, the credit rating if we have to borrow, we can borrow at a very low interest rate.
It makes sense to keep money in people's pockets instead of keeping it here.
DON CLEMENTS-I live on Luzerne Road, Queensbury. I've lived here 65 years. I haven't
seen a heck of alot of decreases in taxes ... but if the Town keeps the taxes the same or increase, —
doesn't really matter. I retired in 1986. My total taxes for that year were 825 dollars. This
year those taxes were 2,203 dollars. You might say that you've reduced taxes but according
to my figures from your tax bill from 1986 my Town tax went up in 87, it went up in 88 and
it went down 2 dollars last year. I don't see where that's much of a decrease in my total taxes.
If you're going to continue with spending that you are anticipating and this has been the way
for the last 65 years, it's never really gone down, what are we going to do? You're going
to make me come here to the Town Board or to the School Board or to the County Board
and beg to get a reduction in my tax. You give me a big deal of it, you give me a 26 dollar
reduction in my veterans of which I never applied for until this year. I never thought i had
to. i thought it was my duty to pay my share of the taxes. So I get a 26 dollar reduction
and I get a water rate, water taxes which I don't even have water. I paid water tax the first
year that the water district was formed. Water district came in but I was told that I couldn't
apply for a water hookup ...
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-If you live in a water district 1 believe you are entitled to a hookup.
Is that correct? I'll ask our Town Attorney.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-You have to pay for it.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-You have to pay the connection charge but you are entitled to it.
MR. CLEMENTS-The year that the water was put in I couldn't get it because the line was
put through to late to apply for.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Anytime now you can certainly do it. _
MR. CLEMENTS-In 86 there was no water tax, we didn't have a water district. In 87 they
had a water district formed, the line wasn't put in. We didn't get any water but I got a water
tax of 187 dollars. In 88 the line was in, I still don't have water, not that I want it. I paid
3,000 dollars for my own water. My tax went up to 385 dollars and you say that the taxes
haven't gone up. But maybe the Town tax hasn't but the water tax went up. I don't have
water. The fire taxes went up. I do have fire protection. The County tax went up. The
y5?
Town tax went up except in the matter of this year for a 2 dollar, we got a 2 dollar reduction
in taxes.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-And that was the first budget that this Budget Officer has proposed
and for the coming year it should stay the some.
MR. CLEMENTS-The school tax is a big, and you say, you haven't raised taxes. Somehow
the Town is responsible for the assessments on our property. In 1986 I had a 12,900 dollar
assessment. In 1989, 1 got an 86,000 dollar assessment.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-That's a bit more than average for the revalue. I believe that would
have been 5 times, you would have been around 62,000 if you were typical.
MR. CLEMENTS-I don't think I'm over burden much more than other people. I've talked with
other folks and theirs have equally gone up. So you can stay up here and you can say that
--the taxes in the Town haven't gone up, but I'm still paying 2,203 dollars in 89, for the 825
dollars that I paid when I retired. I haven't got that kind of increase in my pay. I don't ever
expect to get it. I don't want it to tell you the truth. But I don't want to continually have
to beg for a 23 dollar veterans exemption on my property or whatever the County might allow
you on your Town, I don't know, you got to earn, what 15,000 or so to get an exemption.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-There's a new sliding scale that's been...
MR. CLEMENTS-Yea, it's sliding alright.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Well it's the maximum the State allows. See what you've got to understand,
the veterans and the other exemptions, we have no control over other than to be alert enough
to see that they are there and enact them locally. We've done that.
MR. CLEMENTS-But what I'm saying Steve is, all these years, 65 years, maybe I haven't paid
taxes all those years but my folks have, these little bits that you're handing out to us in the
form of exemptions, don't mean peanuts when you come up with a 2,000 dollar increase in
your total taxes.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-But that is awfully unfair of you to blame this Board for that
when the bulk of that is ...
MR. CLEMENTS-!'m not blaming this Board entirely. I'm saying for the past 65 years this
is happening.
—COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-I agree with you and I've lived here in the Town for as many years
as you have and a few longer.
MR. CLEMENTS-Right.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-But, I don't know how but some way, I think the body of people
in Queensbury have got to get to that school, that everything isn't going to be pie in the sky.
I took that budget of theirs apart last year and analyzed it for the rate of inflation that they
show themselves, and for their per pupils that they have per year, and they've gone way out
of kilter when you start analyzing that budget.
MR. CLEMENTS-Well all I'd like to soy to the Town Board is somewhere along the line I'm
going to have to make a decision. Either I'm going to stay living in the Town of Queensbury
or I'm going to hove to get out because I can't afford, I'm making a pension from the Post
Office which I retired after 30 years of service, that doesn't increase. if I have to continue
with 2,000 every 5, well every 3 years increase on my taxes, somewhere along the line I'm
going to leave the property that I've had for these 65 years.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-I agree with you. So why don't groups start manning together
and puts some pressure on that School Board to hold those taxes where they ought to be.
AIR. CLEMENTS-I'm saying that my assessment is not made by the School Board.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-It's not made by this Board either.
MR. CLEMENTS-I'm not saying it is made by you. It's made by an assessor though isn't it?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-We've just recently appointed a new assessor.
MR. CLEMENTS-The Town of Queensbury assessor.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-I would hope Don that...
.w
AIR. CLEMENTS-What did you folks have to do with reassessment, anything?
SUPERVISOR BOR GOS-Nothing.
MR. CLEMENTS-Who decided to reassess?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-State regulation, all we did was pay the bill, that was it. This Board
has nothing more to do ...
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-The State of New York said that every 10 or every 12 years you
have to a reevaluation and it has to be a full evaluation.
AIR. CLEMENTS-Okay, I took the full evaluation back in 86.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Did you challenge your assessment as you can?
MR. CLEMENTS-No, I did not challenge my assessment because I came up here at the time
I wanted to challenge my assessment and there was one question on the form that I would
not answer and I don't think it's anybody's business.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-It's a State form again.
AIR. CLEMENTS-Its a State form, I'm getting tired of being told everything is a State form.
SUPERVISOR BOR GOS-That's a fact.
AIR. CLEMENTS-You people have access to State people.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-That's correct.
AIR. CLEMENTS-You have Town Associations.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-That's correct.
MR. CLEMENTS-You have assessor's who are talking with State people all the time.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-That's correct.
MR. CLEMENTS-What is your idea of, are you going to sluff it off and say it's a State deal?
Y.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-If you knew how many times a day or a week that the attorney and
I speak with State people about so many subjects and get stone walled, doors slammed in
our faces. I got to the point where 1 even said to the State person, I'm paying your salary,
I want an answer. He said, we just work slowly.
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-Mr. Clements, what was the one question on the State form that
bothered you?
MR. CLEMENTS-I'm not going to tell you.
COUNCILMAN MONTESI-Oh, okay.
MR. CLEMENTS-Because I told them, it was none of their business.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-No, we don't want the answer, we want to know the question.
MR. CLEMENTS-I'm not going to tell you the question either. It's immaterial. I'm saying
that you've got to start someplace either with you people. Where are we going to, where
am I going to get, I'll tell you how for you get going down to the State, as you've already said,
you get nowhere going to the State. You go down to that Albany office and you can dilly
around for months before you even see a person.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-1 know it.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-But we can't ...
COUNCILMAN POTENZA-And we have the some doors slammed Mr. Clements. 1 mean,
ce a&a*Ar-h affect gaiag to Voi*' State Representatives truly as we ak,>going tea arm's
Representatives.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-Don, we can't try to get a question that you think that is unfairly
44SI
asked on the questionnaire if you ...
MR. CLEMENTS-1 want to get my assessment down to a level that I can afford to live in
the Town of Queensbury the rest of my life and if it keeps going up like it has, I don't care
whether you people can make a change in it or if the State can make it, I'm going to have
to move.
COUNCILMAN•MONAHAN-As I have said before, this is a big problem with Queensbury being
a bedroom community. The only thing that will change this picture right, if we get enough
industry and commerce in here, yes it is, if do your...
MR. CLEMENTS-Betty, I can recall back, many, many Town Boards that have told me the
same thing and I've been told by most everyone of them, if you will...
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-I disagree with you because I remember fighting with Town Boards
before I came on here who thought alot of houses were good for a Town and I said, I'll show
you in black and white where you're wrong...
MR. CLEMENTS-1 remember one of the men who was running for election telling me that
if we allowed a mall in here that our taxes would go down. This I don't know, 20, 30 years
ago.
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-The first one came in in 1962.
MR. CLEMENTS-Okay...
COUNCILMAN KUROSAKA-1 helped build it, that's why I know.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-My only answer to that and I wasn't here for all those meetings, my
only answer to that was, whatever the burden is now, would be greater without the mall,
without the shopping centers, without all the industry that you have.
MR. CLEMENTS-Yea, I know.
SUPER VISOR BOR GOS-I t would be much, much greater because they've brought in the sales
tax.
MR. CLEMENTS-Also do you consider that perhaps that those malls and those industries,
they were supposed our lower taxes so much weren't here, that we wouldn't be needing the
services that you people are providing for, raising taxes?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-To some extent...
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-Not really Don, because it's your houses that are making your
services are much more than your industry and your houses are spread out so you're talking
those services for a longer ways.
MR. CLEMENTS-1 can't see where the industries and the businesses that you've allowed to
come here with all your zoning and al/ your planning, I can't see where they have helped reduce
my taxes. And that's what I get every time I guy wants me to vote for them, if we do this,
we'll have lower taxes.
A'
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-Don, I think you only have to look at the sales tax revenue in
the budget. Sales tax is probably paying ...
MR. CLEMENTS-Whose paying the sales tax Betty?
COUNCILMAN MONA HA N-You're paying some of it. You're going to be paying sales tax
no matter where you are.
MR. CLEMENTS-1 haven't seen a tax that's ever been put into effect, whether it's in the Town
of Queensbury, the State of New York or the United States, that's ever been rescinded.
There is no way that you people whether it's you on the Town. level or the State level or the
United States level are going to do anything as long as you've got more access to tax money.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-Don, if you didn't have your mall here you'd be shopping say in
South Glens Falls and they would be getting your tax dollars. You're going to shop someplace
and you're going to pay sales tax in New York State because it's a State law, that collects
sales tax. Therefore you might better be paying it to your own community and reducing your
own taxes and also in this area we're kind of fortunate in the fact that we have alot of people
outside this community shop and they're either tourist or people coming in just to shop, who
are also leaving a good number of sales tax dollars here.
�Lo
AIR. CLEMENTS-Does that reduce my taxes?
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-It will reduce your taxes ...
MR. CLEMENTS-It never has. Betty I've got my taxes right here.
COUNCILMAN MONA HA N-Okay, but I'm just saying, figure out...
AIR. CLEMENTS-It never has reduced my tax.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-Figure out what your taxes would be if you didn't have that sales
tax line in there against your taxes.
MR. CLEMENTS-1 won't take up anymore of your time. I'd like to ask you one thing. Will
there ever be a time, with you people on this Board now, you're here what for 2 more years?
Do you ever see a time that perhaps someone like myself could come up here and have you
tell us that we're going to have a reduction in our overall taxes?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Yes.
COUNCILMAN M0NAHAN-1 think we can tell you that on the Town level. I can't speak for
the...
MR. CLEMENTS-;Peanuts.
COUNCILMAN K UR OSA K A-Can't tell you about the County and School.
COUNCILMAN MONAHAN-How can we speak, how can we speak...
MR. CLEMENTS-Town level is peanuts.
COUNCILMAN MONA HA N-That's right, how can we speak for the School?
AIR. CLEMENTS-You people get 44 dollars, the County comes up and Steve you're on the
County, you come up with a reduction and the County comes up with an increase. What does
that do?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-You read the Town minutes, you see who spoke in favor of pushing
those taxes down and whose going to speak again at the public hearing in favor of it, and
you're looking at him. I disagree...
MR. CLEMENTS-My County taxes in 1986 were 24.96, this year they were 82 dollars.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-1 disagree with the fact that they should be high. I agree with you.
I'm one vote.
MR. CLEMENTS-When are we going to try spending a little less money?
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Please come to the County public hearing on November 21st. Nobody
ever shows up at the County level. The whole room is empty.
MR. CLEMENTS-1111 tell you something, if it takes the kind of treatment that people have
gotten here tonight on the County level, I can understand why they wouldn't be there.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-See, now I was just about to say, I've been very pleased that so many
people have come out and we've been letting everybody say what they wanted to. There are
some Town Boards, even the State recently conducted a hearing that say, you have 2J minutes,
say what you want, we're not going to answer anything. I think we've been having an exchange
of information that's been beneficial. I'm proud of that. I can't think of any place, I was
pulled off the stage in Lake George by an ENCON guy with a pistol strapped to his side, told
me my 4 minutes was up and that was it. 1 think we've had a great open session tonight.
AIR. CLEMENTS-1 think that about that time Steve, they should make a change in that guy
that's wearing that pistol. --
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-1 agree with you. But his boss and the commissioners were there
and they told him to enforce the rule. Thank you. Anyone else for the second time?
MRS. MACKEY-Can I make just a comment? I don't come that often, as often as I should
like many people. One thing that might make newcomers like myself a little uncomfortable
is some of the, well come on up, we know who you are. Because I don't know who alot of
46 t
these people are and if I see their name in print some time I'd like to know whose saying things.
So, just as a newcomer that's a comment I'd like to make.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Thank you. I hope you comeback often and we'll know who you are.
MRS. MACKEY-I'll try, but I don't always have a baby-sitter.
COUNCILMAN MONA14AN-But you always have to give your name when you come to the
microphone for the girls who are doing the tape.
MRS. MACKEY-Janice Mackey.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Out of 30,000 residents we've seen probably 45 or 50 here tonight
and only about 15 or so we're people who haven't been here regularly. I wish more would
come.
MRS. MACKEY-It might encourage people to come back if they didn't feel like outsiders
amongst the group that already knows each other.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Well, come back more often, we'll get to know you better.
MRS. MACKEY-It's just a comment.
SUPERVISOR BORGOS-Lost time anybody? Seeing no hands, we'll end the budget hearing.
PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED
11:00 p.m.
Letters on file regarding Budget
Marietta Roy
7 Belle Ave.
Queensbury, N Y
Bedford A. McCune
18 Meadow Lane
Queensbury, NY
RESOLUTION TO ENTER QUEENSB UR Y BOARD OF HEALTH
RESOLUTION NO. 628, Introduced by Ronald Montesi who moved for its adoption, seconded
by Marilyn Potenza.
RESOL VED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby adjourn and enter as
the Queensbury Board of Health.
Duly adopted this 8th day of November, 1989, by the following vote:
Ayes: Mr. Kurosaka, Mrs. Potenza, Mr. Montesi, Mrs. Monahan, Mr. Borgos
Noes: None
Absent: None
RESOLUTION TO SET PUBLIC HEARING ON APPLICATION FOR VARIANCE OF SANITAR Y
SEWAGE DISPOSAL ORDINANCE
RESOLUTION NO. 48, Introduced by Marilyn Potenza who moved for its adoption, seconded
by George Kurosako.
WHEREAS, the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury is, by operation of Law, the Local
Board of Health for the Town of Queensbury, and as such, is authorized under Section 5.035
of the Sanitary Sewage Disposal Ordinance of the Town of Queensbury, to issue variances
to such Ordinance, and
—WHEREAS, Frank W. England and Kathleen V. England have applied to the Local Board of
Health of the Town of Queensbury for a variance from certain standards of the sewage disposal
ordinance set forth in Section 3.030 (B), such standard providing among other things as follows:
WASTEWATER WELL OR TO STREAM DWELLING PROPERTY LAKE GEORGE
SOURCES SUCTION LAKE OR LINE AND TRIBS.
LINE (a) WATER COURSE
u n n n n rr
Seepage Pit 11 ° It It 1501
It It It 11 It It
and,
WHEREAS, Frank W. England and Kathleen V. England have indicated a desire for a variance
to place a seepage pit 100 feet from Lake George,
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT
RESOL VED, that the Local Board of Health for the Town of Queensbury will hold a public
hearing on November 20th, 1989, at 7:30 p.m. at the Queensbury Activity Center, Bay at
Haviland Road, Town of Queensbury, Warren County, New York, to consider the application
for a variance of Frank W. England and Kathleen V. England for a separation of 100 feet from
the seepage pits to Lake George, on property situated on Hillman Road, Queensbury, New
York, and bearing a tax map no. of Section 12, Block 3, Lot 34. 1, and at that time all persons
interested in the subject thereof, will be heard, and
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that the Town Clerk of the Town of Queensbury be and is hereby directed and
authorized when in receipt of a list of neighbors within 500 feet of the subject property, to
publish and provide Notice of said Public Hearing as may be required by law, and authorized
to mail copies of said Public Hearing Notice to the adjoining neighbors.
Duly adopted this 8th day of November, 1989, by the following vote:
Ayes: Mr. Kurosaka, Mrs. Potenza, Mr. Montesi, Mrs. Monahan, Mr. Borgos
Noes: None
Absent: None
RESOLUTION TO ADJOURN QUEENSBURY BOARD OF HEALTH
RESOLUTION NO. 49, Introduced by Ronald Montesi who moved for its adoption, seconded
by Betty Monahan.
RESOL VED, that the Queensbury Board of Health hereby adjourn and enter as the Town Board
of the Town of Queensbury.
Duly adopted this 8th day of November, 1989, by the following vote:
Ayes: Mr. Kurosaka, Mrs. Potenza, Mr. Montesi, Mrs. Monahan, Mr. Borgos
Noes: None
Absent: None
OPEN FORUM
No one spoke.
COUNCILMAN POTENZA-Noted the Fund Raising Breakfast being held November 17th at
7:47 a.m. at theQueensbury to support holding the New York State High School Girls Basketball
Tournament in the area.
TOWN CLERK DOUGHER-Recognized Elva McDermott who recently served as an election
inspector for the 50th year.
RESOLUTIONS
RESOLUTION APPROVING MINUTES
RESOLUTION NO. 629, Introduced by Marilyn Potenza who moved for its adoption, seconded
by George Kurosaka.
RESOL VED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby approve the Minutes
of August 18th, September 15th and 18th, October 3rd, 16th, 19th, 23rd, 24th, 26th and 30th.
Duly adopted this 8th day of November, 1989, by the following vote:
Ayes: Mr. Kurosaka, Mrs. Potenza, Mr. Montesi, Mrs. Monahan, Mr. Borgos
Noes: None
Absent: None
RESOLUTION TO APPOINT TOWN PLANNER
RESOLUTION NO. 630, Introduced by Betty Monahan who moved for its adoption, seconded
by Marilyn Potenza.
WHEREAS, the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury, pursuant to section 20 of the Town
Law of the State of New York, has the authority to employ such employees as are necessary
to manage Town of Queensbury business, and
WHEREAS, the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury is desirous of creating the position
of Town Planner in the Planning Department,
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT
RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby creates the position
of Town Planner in the Planning Department of the Town of Queensbury and,
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that John Goralski's appointment as Town Planner, with an annual salary of $24,500,
is hereby approved and ratified.
Duly adopted this 8th day of November, 1989, by the following vote:
Ayes: Mr. Kurosaka, Mrs. Potenza, Mr. Montesi, Mrs. Monahan, Mr. Borgos
Noes: None
Absent: None
.__RESOLUTION TO TRANSFER FUNDS
RESOLUTION NO. 631, Introduced by George Kurosaka who moved for its adoption, seconded
by Betty Monahan.
WHEREAS, certain departments in the Town of Queensbury wish to transfer funds because
of a lack of funds in certain accounts, and
WHEREAS, the Town Supervisor of the Town of Queensbury has reviewed the department's
requests for transfers of certain funds and has approved the same,
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT
RESOLVED, that the following funds be transferred in the following manner:
Assessor's Office
FROM: A0951355409 TO: A0951355408 AMOUNT: 600.00
(Conference Exp.) (Advertisement)
A0951355441 A0951355414 300.00
(Gas) (Travel)
A0951355404 15.00
(Dues/Registrations)
—"Building & Codes
FROM: A2158070420 TO: A2158010205 AMOUNT: 2,600.00
(Zoning Insurance) (Radios)
Town Clerk
FROM: A 1455132308 TO: A 1451620408 AMOUNT: 2,000.00
4(a4
(Capital Gas Disp Sys) (TOB Advertisement)
Fire Marshal
FROM: A 1753410409 TO: A 1753410401 AMOUNT: 100.00
(Conference Expenses) (Office Supplies)
Highway
FR Ohl: A3255010405 TO: A3255070404 AMOUNT: 25.00
(Books, Publ, Subs) (Dues/Registrations)
A3455182430 A 3053310416 3,500.00
(Street lights, Util) (Signs)
A3455182430 A 3053310430 500.00
(Street Lights, Util) (Traffic Control, Util)
D 1655 1 104 13 01655130202 2,500.00
(Legal Services) (Vehicles)
D1655130420 D1655130202 3,500.00
(Insurance) (Vehicles)
D7655130422 D1655110464 1,500.00
(Operator Training) (Stone)
D1655130442 D1655110464 2,300.00
(Inter Dept. Contractual) (Stone)
D1655130441 D1655130451 300.00
(Gas) (Radio Repairs)
D1655110422 D7655130482 250.00
(Training/Education) (Uniforms)
D1655110422 D1655130206 150.00
(TraininglEducation) (Tools)
Planning
FROM: A2258020440 TO: A2258020401 AMOUNT: 1,500.00 --
(Misc Contractual) (Office Supplies)
Recreation
FROM: A2059950903 TO: A2057310440 AMOUNT: 4,000.00
(Transfer Pks & Rec) (Misc Contractual)
A 205 73 10203 A 2057310441 400.00
(Computer Hardware) (Gas)
A 2057310456 A2057310441 200.00
(Bus Usage) (Gas)
A2057310456 A 2057310401 100.00
(Bus Usage) (Office Supplies)
A 2057310456 A 205 73 10409 100.00
(Bus Usage) (Conf Expenses)
Receiver
FROM: A0651330201 TO: A065 1330 1 13 AMOUNT: 450.00
(Office Equipment) (Deputy Receiver)
A0651330408 " 300.00
(Advertising)
A0651330412 " 250.00
(Printing)
A0651330440 " 100.00
(Misc. Contractual)
A2351990440 it 1,200.00
(Contingency)
Water
FROM: W1 2758340143 TO: W1 2758310408 250.00
(PT Laborer B) (Advertising)
W1 2758340432 W1 2758340205 1,070.00
(Service Materials) (Radios)
W1 2758340432 W1 2758310408 242.00
(Service Materials) (Advertising)
W1 2758340432 W1 2758310401 500.00
(Service Materials) (Office Supplies)
W1 2758320153 W1 2758340205 1,000.00
(Building Maintenance) (T & D Radios)
Duly adopted this 8th day of November, 1989, by the following vote:
Ayes: Mr. Kurosaka, Mrs. Potenza, Mr. Montesi, Mrs. Monahan, Mr. Borgos
Noes: None
Absent: None
Discussion held on propose Amendment of Local Law No. l0, 1987. Councilman Monahan questioned
if the Planning Department should have been notified of this proposal.
Town Council noted that this was a change in the map references required by the state. During
the discussion it was noted that the Planning Department was going to review this proposal.
RESOLUTION SETTING PUBLIC HEARING ON THE AMENDMENT OF LOCAL LAW NO.
10, 1987- FLOOD DAMAGE PREVENTION
RESOLUTION NO. 632, 1989,lntroduced by Mr. Ronald Montesi who moved for its adoption,
seconded by Mrs. Marilyn Potenza:
WHEREAS, the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury is desirous of amending the Local
Law No. l0 previously adopted by the Town Board on September 22, 1987, by resolution no.
303, by amending Section 3.2 to read as follows:
3.2 BASIS FOR ESTABLISHING THE AREAS OF SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD
The areas of special flood hazard have been identified by the Federal Emergency Management
Agency in a scientific and engineering report entitled "Flood Insurance Study Town of Queensbury,
New York, Warren County" dated January 16, 1984 with Flood Insurance Rate Maps enumerated
on Map Index No. 360879 0001-0035 dated July 16, 1984 and with accompanying Flood Boundary
and Floodway Maps enumerated on Map Index No. 360879.0001-0035 dated July 16, 1984.
The above documents are, hereby, adopted and declared to be a part of this local law and
are filed at the Building and Codes Enforcement Office, Queensbury Town Hall, Queensbury,
New York,
and
WHEREAS, a copy of the proposed, amended Local Law Number l0, 1987 - Flood Damage
Prevention Local Law with the aforementioned amendment and all original provisions has
been presented at this meeting, and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to hold a public hearing with regard to the proposed amendment
to Local Law No. l0,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOL VED, that a hearing be held by the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury on the
proposed amended Local Law Number l0, presented at this meeting on December 4, 1989,
at 7:30 p.m., in the Queensbury Activities Center, Bay at Haviland Road, Queensbury, Warren
�lO
County, New York, at which hearing parties in interest and citizens shall have an opportunity
to be heard as to whether Local Law No. 10 as amended, shall be adopted by the Town Board
of the Town of Queensbury, to include said new provisions, with the remaining provisions
of-said Local Law Number 10 remaining unchanged, and as the some are presently set forth,
and
BE IT FURTHER,
RESOLVED, that the Town Clerk for the Town of Queensbury is hereby directed to publish
Notice of the aforesaid public hearing at least ten (10) days prior to the time such hearing
is to be held the newspaper officially used by the Town of Queensbury for such notices, and
Duly adopted this 8th day of November, 1989, by the following vote:
Ayes: Mr. Kurosaka, Mrs. Potenza, Mr. Montesi, Mrs. Monahan, Mr. Borgos Y
NOES: None
ABSENT:None
RESOLUTION ADOPTING AMENDMENT TO RULES AND REGULATIONS OF PLANNING
BOARD
RESOL UTION NO. 633, 1989,Introduced by The Entire Town Board
WHEREAS, the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury, pursuant to Section 272 of the Town
Law, is desirous of approving an amendment to the Planning Board's rules and regulations
entitled "Special Temporary Rules Applicable to Applications for Site Plan Approval or Preliminary
or Final Plat Approval," and said amendment is presented at this meeting, and
WHEREAS, John Goralski, Town Planner, prepared an environmental assessment form with
respect to the proposed amendment and the Planning Board has considered same and determined
that the proposed amendment will not have a significant effect on the environment, and
WHEREAS, on October 17, 1989 the Planning Board held a public hearing with regard to the
proposed amendments,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby approves the proposed
amendment to the Planning Board's rules and regulations entitled, "Special Temporary Rules
Applicable to Applications for Site Plan Approval or Preliminary or Final Approval."
Duly adopted this 8th day of November, 1989, by the following vote:
Ayes: Mr. Kurosaka, Mrs. Potenza, Mr. Montesi, Mrs. Monahan, Mr. Borgos
NOES: None
ABSENT:None
RESOLUTION TO SET PUBLIC HEARING AMEND ORDINANCE NO. 23 EXEMPTING RESIDENTS
OVER 65 YEARS OF AGE
RESOLUTION NO. 634, 1989,lntroduced by Mrs. Marilyn Potenza who moved for its adoption,
seconded by Mr. George Kurosaka:
WHEREAS, the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury has been authorized by the New York
State Legislature to increase the income limitation for the partial exemption from Town
real property taxes for persons 65 years of age and older, and
WHEREAS, the Town of Queensbury, by Ordinance No. 23, Section 2 (b), provides for a 50%
exemption from Town taxes for owners 65 years of age and older, whose income does not
exceed $12, 025.00 per year, and --'
WHEREAS, a proposal to amend Ordinance No. 23 has been made whereby Section No. 2,
paragraph b, would be amended to 1)raise the income level below which owners can qualify
for the exemption to $12, 025.00 per year, and 2) to add a new Section No. 3 to increase the
maximum income eligibility level authorized by law and the aforesaid proposed amendment
to the extent provided in the following schedule:
ANNUAL INCOME PERCENTAGE ASSESSED
VAL UA TION EXEMPT
FROM TAXATION
More than $12,025.00 but
less than $12,625.00 45 per centum
$12,625.00 or more but
less than $13,225.00 40 per centum
$13,225.00 or more but
less than $13,825.00 35 per centum
$13,825.00 or more but
less than $14,425.00 30 per centum
$14,425.00 or more but
less than $15,025.00 25 per centum
$15,025.00 ore more but
less than $15,625.00 20 per centum
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOL VED, that a public hearing be held concerning the proposed adoption of an amendment
to Ordinance No. 23 increasing the income limitation for those eligible for such exemption
and adding new paragraph no. 3, increasing the maximum level of income for which exemptions
are allowed pursuant to the schedule referred to herein above, and that said public hearing
be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Activities Center of the Town of Queensbury, New York, on December
4th, 1989, at which time all persons interested in the subject matter thereof will be heard,
and
- '3E IT FURTHER,
____?ESOLVED, that the Town Clerk be hereby directed and authorized to publish and provide
notice of said public hearing as may be required by law.
Duly adopted this 8th day of November, 1989, by the following vote:
A YES: Mr. Kurosaka, Mrs. Potenza, Mr. Montesi, Mrs. Monahan, Mr. Borgos
NOES: None
ABSENT:None
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RESOLUTION TO SET PUBLIC HEARING ON LICENSE TO OPERATE A TRANSIENT MERCHANT
ANDIOR SOLICITOR MARKET-A MER ICA DEIGREA T ESCAPE
RESOLUTION NO. 635, 1989,Introduced by Mr. George Kurosaka who moved for its adoption,
seconded by Mrs. Betty Monahan:
WHEREAS, Ai61ERICADE, with the consent of the Great Escape, has made application to
the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury for a license to operate a transient merchant
and/or solicitor market, in accordance with the provisions of Local Law No. 2 of 1985, which
license if granted and approved shall remain in effect until one (I)year from the date of issuance
and which license will be personal to the applicant and not assignable, and may thereafter
be renewed upon payment of the annual license fee without hearing, and
WHEREAS, the Town Clerk of the Town of Queensbury is in possession of said application,
and
WHEREAS, pursuant to said Local Law No. 3 of 1985, it is necessary for the Town Board of
the Town of Queensbury to conduct a hearing on the application, not less than 14 days nor
more than 60 days from the date of receipt of said application by the Town Board, and
WHEREAS, pursuant to said Local Law, notice is to be given to the applicant and owners
of the property within 500 feet of said applicant by regular mail and notice is to be published
once in a newspaper having circulation in the Town of Queensbury not less than 7 days before
the date of the hearing.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby authorizes and schedules
a public hearing on the aforesaid application, which public hearing shall occur on Monday,
November 20 at 7:30 p.m. at the Queensbury Center, and
BE IT FURTHER,
RESOLVED, that the Town Clerk of the Town of Queensbury is hereby authorized and directed
to publish the notice of hearing presented at this meeting in the official newspaper for the
Town of Queensbury and mail said notice by regular mail to the owners of property within
500 feet of said applicant.
Duly adopted this 8th day of November, 1989, by the following vote:
Ayes: Mr. Kurosaka, Mrs. Potenza, Mr. Montesi, Mrs. Monahan, Mr. Borgos --
Noes: None
Absent: None
COMMUNICATIONS
Bid Opening - regarding wheel loader.
Contractor Sales Non-Collusive $61,900.00
P.O. Box 12010
Albany, NY
State Equipment Non-Collusive $140,000.00
912 A lbony-Shaker Rd
Latham, NY
Town Clerk-The Landfill Superintendent has recommended the bid be awarded to Contractor
Sales.
RESOLUTION ACCEPTING BID FOR PURCHASE OF WHEEL LOADER FOR TOWN OF QUEENSBURY-C
OF GLENS FALLS LANDFILL
RESOLUTION NO. 636, 1989, Introduced by Mrs. Marilyn Potenza who moved for its adoption,
seconded by Mrs. Betty Monahan:
WHEREAS, the Town Board of the Town of Queenshury, in accordance with the provisions
of Section 10.E of the General Municipal Law, advertised for bids and received bids for the
purchase of a used diesel powered wheel loader for the Town of Queensbury - City of Glens
Falls Landfill, and
WHEREAS, Contractor Sales submitted the lowest bid for the purchase of a used diesel powered
wheel loader for the Town of Queensbury City of Glens Falls Landfill, and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby approves and authorized
the awa,••' = 'l a bid for the purchase of a used diesel powered wheel loader for the Town
of Queensbury - City of Glens Falls Landfill to Contractor Sales, upon execution of all necessary
contract documents between the parties, and
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that the amounts due Contractor Sales, pursuant to the terms of the contract
shall be paid for from Account Nos.:
J 12658160.204 and J126589950.901
)uly adopted this 8th day of December, 1989, by the following vote:
_ . i yes: Mr. Kurosaka, Mrs. Potenza, Mr. Montesi, Mrs. Monahan, Mr. Borgos
Noes: None
Absent: None
RESOLUTION TO APPROVE AUDIT OF BILLS
RESOLUTION NO. 637, 1989 Introduced by Mr. Ronald Montesi who moved for its adoption,
seconded by Mr. Stephen Borgos:
RESOLVED, that the Audit of Bills showing on abstract November 8, 1989, numbering 89
24348 and 89 004570 and totaling $258,224.31 be and hereby is approved.
Duly adopted this 8th day of November, 1989, by the following vote:
Ayes: Mr. Kurosaka, Mrs. Potenza, Mr. Montesi, Mrs. Monahan, Mr. Borgos
Noes: None
Absent: None
RESOLUTION CALLING FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION
ZESOLUTION NO. 638, I989,Introduced by Mrs. Marilyn Potenza who moved for its adoption,
seconded by Mrs. Betty Monahan:
RESOL VED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby moves into Executive
Session to discuss the following litigation, land acquisition, professional services of a specific
individual firm, personnel and contract.
Duly adopted this 8th day of November, 1989, by the following vote:
Ayes: Mr. Kurosaka, Mrs. Potenza, Mr. Montesi, Mrs. Monahan, Mr. Borgos
Noes: None
Absent: None
RESOL UTION TO RECONVENE
RESOL UTION NO. 639, I989,lntroduced by Mrs. Betty Monahan who moved for its adoption,
seconded by Mrs. Marilyn Potenza:
RESOL VED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby moves into regular session.
Duly adopted this 8th day of November, 1989, by the following vote:
I yes: Mr. Kurosaka, Mrs. Potenza, Mr. Montesi, Mrs. Monahan, Mr. Borgos
Noes: None
Absent: None
RESOLUTION TO APPOINT PLANNING BOARD MEMBER
RESOL UTION NO. 640, 1989,1n traduced by the Entire Town Board:
WHEREAS, there is presently a vacancy on the Planning Board for the Town of Queensbury
due to the expiration of the term of Hilda Mann, and
WHEREAS, the Town Board has the authority to fill the vacancy created by the expiration
of the term of Hilda Mann,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby appoints Carol Pulver,
of Queensbury, to serve as a member of the Planning Board, for a term to commence immediately
and to end on September 30, 1996.
Duly adopted this 8th day of November, 1989, by the following vote:
Ayes: Mr. Kurosaka, Mrs. Potenza, Mr. Montesi, Mrs. Monahan, Mr. Borgos
Noes: None
Absent: None
RESOLUTION TO APPOINT PLANNING BOARD MEMBER
RESOLUTION NO. 641, 1989,lntroduced by Entire Town Board.
WHEREAS, there is presently a vacancy on the Planning Board for the Town of Queensbury
due to the resignation of Victor Macri, and
WHEREAS, the Town Board has the authority to fill the vacancy created by the resignation
of Victor Macri,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOL VED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby appoints Nicholas Coimano,
of Queensbury, to serve as a member of the Planning Board, for a term to commence immediately
and to end on October 1, 1993.
Duly adopted this 8th day of November, 1989, by the following vote:
Ayes: Mr. Kurosaka, Mrs. Potenza, Mr. Montesi, Mrs. Monahan, Mr. Borgos --1
Noes: None
Absent: None
RESOLUTION TO APPOINT PLANNING BOARD MEMBER
RESOLUTION NO. 642, 1989,lntroduced by Entire Town Board:
WHEREAS, there is presently a vacancy on the Planning Board for the Town of Queensbury
due to the resignation of Frank V. DeSantis, and
WHEREAS, the Town Board has the authority to fill the the vacancy created by the resignation
of Frank V. DeSantis,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOL VED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby appoints James W. Hagan,
of Queensbury, to serve as a member of the Planning Board, for a term to commence immediately
and to end on September 30, 1991.
Duly adopted this 8th day of November, 1989, by the following vote:
Ayes: Mr. Kurosaka, Mrs. Potenza, Mr. Montesi, Mrs. Monahan, Mr. Borgos
Noes: None
Absent: None
RESOLUTION TO APPOINT ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS MEMBER
RESOLUTION NO. 643, I989,lntroduced by the Entire Town Board:
J4
WHEREAS, there is presently a vacancy on the Zoning Board of Appeals for the Town of Queensbury
due to the expiration of the term of Daniel Griffin, and
WHEREAS, the Town Board has the authority to fill the vacancy created by the expiration
of the term of Daniel Griffin,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOL VED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby appoints Bruce Carr,
of Queensbury, to serve as a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, for a term to commence
immediately and to end on November 30, 1994.
j Duly adopted this 8th day of November, 1989, by the following vote:
Ayes: Mr. Kurosaka, Mrs. Potenza, Mr. Montesi, Mrs. Monahan, Mr. Borgos
Noes: None
Absent: None
RESOLUTION TO APPOINT RECREATION COMMISSION MEMBER
RESOLUTION NO. 644, 1989,lntraduced by the Entire Town Board:
WHEREAS, there is presently a vacancy on the Recreation Commission for the Town of Queensbury
due to the resignation of James Lettus, and
WHEREAS, the Town Board has the authority to fill the vacancy created by the resignation
of James Lettus,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby appoints John Carusone,
of Queensbury, to serve as a member of the Recreation Commission, for a term to commence
immediately and to end on March 8th, 1991.
Duly adopted this 8th day of November, 1989, by the following vote:
—Ayes: Mr. Kurosaka, Mrs. Potenza, Mr. Montesi, Mrs. Monahan, Mr. Borgos
Noes: None
Absent: None
RESOLUTION RETAINING THE SERVICES OF EDWARDS, WILLIAMS, MCMANUS, RICCIARDELLI
& COFFEY, P.C. FOR TAX REVIEW
RESOLUTION NO. 645, 1989,lntroduced by Marilyn Potenza who moved for its adoption, seconded
by George Kurosaka.
WHEREAS, the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury is desirous of retaining the services
of Edwards, Williams, McManus, Ricciardelli & Coffey, P.C., for the purposes set forth in
their letter proposal dated November 7, 1989,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOL VED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby retains the services
of Edwards, Williams, McManus, Ricciardelli & Coffey, P.C., in accordance with the terms
and conditions set forth in their letter dated November 7, 1989, and
BE IT FURTHER,
RESOL VED, that the bill for services shall be paid from the budgeted account.
Duly adopted this 8th day of November, 1989, by the following vote:
Ayes: Mr. Kurosaka, Mrs. Potenza, Mr. Montesi, Mrs. Monahan, Mr. Borgos
Noes: None
Absent: None
RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE SETTLEMENT OF A CERTAIN PENDING ARTICLE 7 TAX
ASSESSMENT REVIEW CASE
RESOLUTION NO. 646, Introduced by George Kurosaka who moved for its adoption, seconded
by Betty Monahan.
WHEREAS, a certain Article 7 Real Property Tax Assessment Review Case has been commenced
against the Town of Queensbury, and
WHEREAS, the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury has reviewed the tax assessment review
case with the legal counsel for the Town of Queensbury, such counsel having made a recommendation
to the Town Board,
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT
RESOLVED, that the following case be settled with respect to the 198911990 assessment
rolls as indicated and as follows:
5-1-30 - James Collier and Patricia A. Collier - to be assessed at $120,500.00 - 1989/1990.
Duly adopted this 8th day of November, 1989, by the following vote:
Ayes: Mr. Kurosaka, Mrs. Potenza, Mr. Montesi, Mrs. Monahan, Mr. Borgos
Noes: None
Absent: None
RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE SETTLEMENT OF A CERTAIN PENDING ARTICLE 7 TAX
ASSESSMENT REVIEW CASE
RESOLUTION NO. 647, Introduced by Marilyn Potenza who moved for its adoption, seconded
by Ronald Montesi.
WHEREAS, a certain Article 7 Real Property Tax Assessment Review Case has been commenced
against the Town of Queensbury, and
WHEREAS, the Town Board has reviewed the tax assessment review case with the legal counsel
for the Town of Queensbury, such counsel having made a recommendation to the Town Board,
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT
RESOLVED, that the following case be settled with respect to the 1987 assessment roll as
indicated and as follows:
98-5-3. 1 - Grand Union Company - to be assessed at 1.2 Million (1987, 1988 and 1989).
Duly adopted this 8th day of November, 1989, by the following vote:
Ayes: Mr. Kurosaka, Mrs. Potenza, Mr. Montesi, Mrs. Monahan, Mr. Borgos
Noes: None
Absent: None
RESOLUTION TO EXCLUDE CERTAIN PROPERTIES FROM PAYMENT OF OPERATION
AND MAINTENANCE FEE FOR THE CENTRAL QUEENSBURY QUAKER ROAD SEWER
DISTRICT FOR THE YEAR 1989
RESOLUTION NO. 648, Introduced by Marilyn Potenza who moved for its adoption, seconded
by Ronald Montesi.
WHEREAS, the Town of Queensbury previously contracted for and arranged for the installation
of sewer pipes and facilities for the Central Queensbury Quaker Road Sewer District, and
WHEREAS, it is necessary, in furtherance of the installation of said sewer pipes and facilities
for the Central Queensbury Quaker Road Sewer District, to provide for grinder pumps in
order to serve certain properties within the District, and
WHEREAS, said grinder pumps will not be available during the 1989 year,
X73
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT
RESOLVED, that, in light of the inability to provide service to certain properties within the
Town of O.ueensbury due to a lack of grinder pumps for the year 1989, the Town Board of
the Town of Queensbury hereby relieves those properties of paying charges due for operation
and maintenance expenses of the said District; annexed hereto is list of properties affected.
Duly adopted this 8th day of November, 1989, by the following vote: .=
Ayes: Mr. Kurosaka, Mrs. Potenza, Mr. Montesi, Mrs. Monahan, Mr. Borgos
Noes: None
Absent: None
List of properties affected- on file.
On motion, the meeting was adjourned.
RESPECTFULL Y SUBMITTED,
DARLEEN M. DOUGHER
TOWN CLERK
TOWN OF QUEENSBURY
'1Y
1