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2007-11-26 MTG49 SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 11-26-2007 MTG.#49 157 SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING NOVEMBER 26, 2007 7:00 P.M. MTG. #49 RES. 504 TOWN BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT SUPERVISOR DANIEL STEC COUNCILMAN ROGER BOOR COUNCILMAN RICHARD SANFORD COUNCILMAN JOHN STROUGH COUNCILMAN TIM BREWER Representatives of Queensbury School Supervisor Stec-Opened the Meeting DISCUSSION: Queensbury School's Request For Possible Future Manor Drive Access - Dr. Howard Supervisor Stec-Queensbury School has requested this meeting to discuss their traffic studies interior and its impacts to Aviation Road. President Chris Odgen introduced the following individuals: Board Member Tim Weaver, Pat BeldEn, Theresa Middleton Assistant Supt for Curriculum, John Dwyer, Michael Sundberg, Ray Gordon, Jack LaBombard, Rob Chapman our Director of Facilities and Operations, Tom Place Assistant Supt for Business, Brian Howard our Superintendent of School and Jill Borgos is our Vice President and I am the President of the Board Also introduced Matt Flint, who was on the State Championship Cross Country Team of Queensbury we are very proud of him, these guys put Queensbury on the map all over the State. Dr. Brian Howard-Presented to the Town Board a site plan that the Board of Education adopted. Reviewed the site plan for pedestrian and vehicle traffic safety. Need a second means of egress from the campus. Clough Harbor Associates has been working on this report. Report reviewed for the Town Board. Spoke about the intersection of Aviation and Manor Drive to be used as entrance to the school property. Will need to acquire property from an individual to line up the newly proposed intersection. We would like to offer to have a joint committee with the Town and School to work on this project and them come back to the Boards with recommendations. Ifwe acquire the property to offer that property for the new intersection. Third idea would be to co-fund a study to get an idea of the costs for the intersection. Noted that they need the town's assistance to make the project work. Supervisor Stec- What is your time line on this project? Representative of Queensbury School-spoke on State Aid for the project, will have to have voter approval also. Hope to have vote next falL Councilman Brewer-Will Manor Drive remain a Town Road? Representative of Queensbury School-Yes. At the point as goes onto school property will be the school's. Supervisor Stec-Questioned how receptive the public has been to this proposal? Representative of Queensbury School-Noted the neighbors at Indian Ridge that would border this road had some concerns, we have met with them and we have tried to address SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 11-26-2007 MTG.#49 158 their concerns. There were individuals from Farr Lane that raised some questions and we took those into consideration. Councilman Strough-Spoke regarding the potential of round-a-bouts in the area of Dixon Road and Farr Lane, other locations being where the church light is, another at Manor Drive and the fourth at Potter Road. Have you considered using Farr Lane and using the school property to do that as another access and making use of that round-a-bout and eliminating one of the round-a-bouts. Representative of Queensbury School-From the school perspective looking at what will be the shortest distance and high impact hours. Using Farr Lane will take longer and congestion coming out, at Manor Drive we could turn it around more quickly and more cost effective. Councilman Strough-We would like to focus on two intersections, the Dixon and the Manor Drive intersections. Discussed funding of the projects. Councilman Brewer-Questioned if the funding for the school project would only be used internally? Representative of Queensbury School-Reviewed the State Aid formula, we are eligible for State Aid for building projects over ten thousand dollars, in or to a building and related incidental costs which can include site work. Our site work has to be associated with the building, so how far we could go into an intersection and be eligible for State Aid I think there is probably very little, we will explore that Supervisor Stec-Spoke on funding and the timing of such, also spoke to the Church on the proposal, may have to use some of their property. Councilman Strough-When we meet next week on the Dixon Road intersection we could also work a conceptual for the next two intersections and discuss the land that we will need. Supervisor Stec-I think we are all in agreement that there is a role that the town has to play here on a couple of other intersections that straddle this one. I agree the number one issue is the Dixon Road one, but we need to coordinate with your projects. Your timing may give us some flexibility to help increase the non local share for our project Spoke about the desires of the Little League and their impact on this project Representative of the School Board-Thanked the Town Board for meeting with our Board, look forward to working with you and moving forward with this. DISCUSSION: EMS (Bay Road, North Queensbury and West Glens Falls) 2008 Contracts / EMS Third Party Billing RFP Review Supervisor Stec-2008 Rescue Squad Contracts - Paid Staffing discussion and RFP for Third Party billing focusing on electronic PCR's PAID STAFFING DISCUSSION EMS Representative-Discussed hiring an administrator, noted the big problem is West has had the control, the reason they took on the responsibility is that nobody else wanted to but no one else was asked to do it We feel it should be an impartial person that doesn't belong to either of the squads. We have had problems getting our payroll to Keena, I think a lot of people feel that they have the control and that has brought up animosity. EMS Representative WGF-Noted it was their company that came before the Town Board regarding paid staffing, and they have been doing the scheduling, payroll and liaison with Keena. Noted there was some problems with payroll with North Queensbury but they have been fixed. We have asked for ajoint meeting with the squads several times over SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 11-26-2007 MTG.#49 159 the past few years but that has not worked out, we have tried to make things easier, budget wise we have come to the town and asked for different amounts of money, we looked at it as increasing staff on slow term basis to move them up in rates instead of jumping from one amount up two dollars an hour and North Queensbury chose to do differently so some of their people are getting paid more than the rest of the people that are working in the Town of Queensbury. We do not feel that is right, that has caused animosity. We have shirts that were purchased for paid staffing and we offered them to NOlih Queensbury, they do not want to wear them it has become a nightmare and not what it was supposed to be. Councilman Sanford-In 2006 paid staffing two hundred and twenty seven thousand three hundred and ninety dollars the requested amount for 2008 four hundred and forty six thousand eight hundred and seventy six dollars, that is close to a hundred percent increase in paid staffing. EMS Representative WGF-We put two options in there that we would not have to go with both, one to increase health benefits for the people working for EMS, give them vacation, some kind of personal time. Originally it was meant to be a per-diem job, and hire the administrator in there also. It was a per-diem job but as we all know that are in EMS and in other agencies that are doing paid staffwe are certainly not in the level of payment that we are giving these people, we were looking at other options to give these people in lieu of money. Supervisor Stec-Pmi of that was also additional staffing and an administrator. The additional crew was something that two squads were looking at lets n1l1 some transports and increase the revenue it is a needed service but not criticaL After our conversation last week you are more comfortable with the three sixty number which represents keeping the staffing level where they are with a bump in the hourly rate, it does not include an administrator but it is something we need to talk about EMS Representative- We are looking not to increase the paid staff but to give them a better level of situation. We need an administrator to n1l1 the paid staff, no one can do it on a part time basis. Supervisor Stec-In 2007 we budgeted and provided three hundred and forty two thousand the number that we are kicking around now three hundred and sixty dollars, which is the three forty two adjusted for inflation, it does not add staff it doesn't create any full time jobs or an administrator. Are we in agreement to leave the paid staff at the level that they are now with the hourly rate changing a little bit? The other question is the administrator position, what guarantee is there that the three squads would listen to that person? EMS Representative-There is no guarantee. Supervisor Stec-Not counting paid staffing the total for the three squads in 2005 was four hundred and forty thousand, the total in 2007 is almost six hundred and nine thousand in two years almost a fifty percent increase. EMS Representative-Need an administrator that has a past history that knows how this is going to work, knows how to save the town money, and yet can work with all of us. Supervisor Stec-Noted that the million dollars that we are talking about is off set by six hundred fifty plus thousand in revenue so the net is raised in taxes. Your proposed budget is thirty percent higher than last year and overall your budget has been going up a lot faster than any other town department, but the good news is the amount to be raised by taxes is two thirds off set by the bill for service. Your appropriations have gone up drastically and I think the Town Board feels it is more than we think it should. But the amount to be raised by taxes over the last five years is lower than it was five years ago because of that revenue. There is good news here too. EMS Representative-It costs money to nln these operations, our paid staff is doing a terrific job we need an administrator to oversee the paid staff, not to nln our operations to SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 11-26-2007 MTG.#49 160 oversee the paid staff, he can be an employee a paramedic. We need these things to provide the level of health care that this town deserves. EMS Representative-Half of us are volunteers there is no way we can manage this thing as a volunteer unit, I do not have the time. We need to include an administrator into this plan. We are n1l1ning this on a seven day a week basis. Councilman Sanford-I do not dispute your need for an administrator, I think you have made a good case for that, all of you. The Town adopted a budget for one million dollars the difference between requested and budgeted is three hundred and fifteen thousand dollars, there has to be some kind of a compromise. We need to hear from you how close you can get to the one million dollar budget number and then how much we need to deviate from that to come up with a compromise amount, and within that amount to have an administrator. We as a Town have to have a better appreciation from your points and I would like you to come in and do what you can do, individually or collectively in terms of coming back, include your administrator. Supervisor Stec-We have given you a ball park budget and how would you carve it up to get down to that? Want to arrange a meeting with me to go over the budgets, requested totals on calls for each of the last five to ten years, I suspect that the rate of call volume has increase more than inflation and population compounded. EMS Representative-Would like to have the Town consider allowing the EMS Squads to sign contracts with other areas such as Fort Ann, similar to what Empire does with us. EMS Representative-Would like to have the current and future Town Board Members come to a station and see what we do and what the operations are, it is an education piece that has to go along with the budgets. Supervisor Stec-The EMS third party billing the RFP you have not had a chance to look at it but while we are here is there any comment regarding this? EMS Representative-Noted this will increase our revenue. Not satisfied with the present company. Councilman Elect Ronald Montesi-What is the job description of the administrator and is that a full or part time job? Supervisor Stec-We have not settled on anything, we have talked about it conceptually. Councilman Elect Montesi-Where would he work out of? Supervisor Stec-Noted he could be a Town Employee, ... what guarantee is there that the three squads will listen to the administrator? EMS Representative-Requested that each EMS Squad have a member as part of the process of selecting an administrator. Supervisor Stec-There had been talk of administrative consolidation of the three squads under one board of directors. Councilman Strough-Noted at one time it was suggested to have an administratorlEMS person. . . DISCUSSION: West Glens Falls EMS Supervisor Stec-We had paid you in your budget more money than you needed for debt because we did not know exactly when your start time would be on your building, so you have more money available to you in debt and you want to apply it to 07' operations and we had some questions? SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 11-26-2007 MTG.#49 161 EMS Representative WGF - Went through plan for this year there are specific items identified as excess insurance costs for one thousand six fifty there was excess vehicle repairs for seven thousand two eighty two, also had to incur costs of one thousand fifty dollars to connect to municipal sewer, another item unpaid changes was fifteen thousand dollars to the architect, I am asking of the forty thousand twenty eight thousand two twenty two be applied to our operating account and apply the remaining eleven thousand seven, seventy eight or so to the loan to pay down the debt with Adirondack Tmst That is our request Supervisor Stec- The Board is in agreement will have a resolution at next Monday's Meeting. DISCUSSION: Warren County 2008 NYS Fire Chiefs Convention Occupancy Tax Funding Request Supervisor Stec-Use of the Town Occupancy Fund for the NYS Fire Chiefs Convention The last two years the County has used a hundred and fifty thousand dollars of County Bed Tax Money toward the Fire Chiefs Convention, then they went and established the policy where they did not want to be in a position where they had to give every other big item solicitor ie Americade a hundred and fifty so they set a cap at fifty thousand dollars. In the mean time, the Fire Chief s need a hundred and fifty thousand to make it work. The County will ask the Town's to provide a pro-rated portion to make up the other hundred thousand our share being twenty one thousand one hundred. A few of the Towns have reported back, like Bolton at ten thousand and Lake George ten thousand, their pro rated share would be twenty thousand, apparently not every town is going to shell out the full hundred, I voted no on this resolution not because I don't think that we should do it but I think that the whole hundred and fifty should come from the County. Town Board Agreed RESOLUTION ADJOURNING TOWN BOARD MEETING RESOLUTION NO. 504. 2007 INTRODUCED BY: Mr. Roger Boor WHO MOVED FOR ITS ADOPTION SECONCED BY: Mr. Richard Sanford RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby adjourns its Town Board Meeting. Duly adopted this 26th day of November, 2007 by the following vote: AYES: Mr. Boor, Mr. Sanford, Mr. Strough, Mr. Brewer, Mr. Stec NOES: None ABSENT: None Respectfully submitted, Miss Darleen M. Dougher Town Clerk-Queensbury