Minutes of July 11, 2007

Return to Minutes Page

TOWN OF DRYDEN
TOWN BOARD MEETING
July 11, 2007

Varna Fire Department

Present: Supv Steven Trumbull, Cl David Makar, Cl Mary Ann Sumner,

Cl Stephen Stelick, Jr.

Absent: Cl Martin Christofferson

Elected Officials: Bambi L. Hollenbeck, Town Clerk

Jack Bush, Highway Superintendent

Other Town Staff: Mahlon R. Perkins, Attorney

Kevin Ezell, Zoning Officer

Jennifer Dube, Recreation Coordinator

Andy Sciarabba, TG Millers Engineers

Supv Trumbull opened meeting at 7:00 p.m., led board members and guests in the pledge of allegiance, and thanked the Varna Fire Department for again hosting a Town Board meeting. The board has previously met there for a board meeting and for an information session on the possible formation of a water district.

PUBLIC HEARING

APPLICATION OF LEE MURPHY FOR A SPECIAL PERMIT TO ESTABLISH

AND OPERATE A CANINE KENNEL AT 458 ETNA Road

Applicant Lee Murphy said this would be an upscale boarding facility with individual rooms for the dogs at his home at the corner of Etna Road and Hanshaw. Each room will be partitioned off and insulated for sound with a heated floor. This will not be a doggy daycare facility, but a place that dogs can be boarded over night. There will be ten individual suites and a potential for 20 dogs. The site plan shows that entry to the kennel will be via a drive from Hanshaw Road. The facility will sit behind the home of the applicant and his parents’ home next door. The building is 54′ long and 30′ wide. The kennel portion of the building will be on the backside, facing the wooded area owned by Cornell University. By facing it this way, applicant says there will not be anything to distract the dogs or make them bark. Outside runs will only be used during the day. The applicant’s father is retired and will assist with running the kennel.

Don Isenbarger, 435 Etna Road, said he lives across the road and believes the dogs will bark. His wife is very, very sick and needs her rest and they don’t want to hear the dogs bark. He is concerned about the peace and quiet in the neighborhood.

Mr Murphy said he and his parents they have 5 dogs and are conscientious about not letting them bark. There are other dogs in the neighborhood that bark. He and his wife have visited other kennels to see what they are like. What they are going to have is a different type of kennel. It will be well insulated with individual rooms with acoustical ceiling tiles. Mrs Murphy said if they have a problem dog it will not be allowed to come back.

D Isenbarger said he believes he will hear the barking and Mr Murphy said that they have taken everything into consideration and are taking steps to reduce the barking as much as possible.

Neighbors present from the area include D Isenbarger of 435 Etna Road, Louis O’Brien of 401 Etna Road, and Shawn Brann of 415 Etna Road.

Cl Sumner asked if this was a place people would leave their dogs when they went away for 10 days or so. Mr Murphy said yes, and that people don’t usually leave their dogs longer than that. She asked if the dogs were barking, would someone check on them and try to stop it, and Mr Murphy said yes. If a dog was a nuisance they wouldn’t have it back again.

D Eisenbarger asked if there was a town ordinance that addressed dog annoyance barking and was told there is. Cl Sumner wondered how that would fit with a business like this. Atty Perkins will look into it.

Mr Murphy said they had visited a lot of kennels in their decision making process, and one of the things that impressed him was the fact that they weren’t noisy. He has lived at this address for 6 years and between him and his parents they have 5 dogs and no one has ever complained about barking.

Mr Murphy was asked what would be in the front portion of the building and was told nothing at this point, though they may do some grooming in the future depending on how the business goes.

Roy Rizzo asked whether there would be fire breaks in the building and ZO Ezell said it would be built to code.

D Isenbarger asked if they would add on later if business was good and Mr Murphy said no, that it would not be wise to be any bigger than that. Cl Sumner said they would have to have permission to enlarge the business.

S Brann said he has two dogs down the road and he is the construction business and the way it is being built is a good idea. Mr Murphy should be given a chance. The property in the back is owned by Cornell. If Mr Isenbarger has a problem, then some buffer walls may need to be put up.

Mr Murphy explained that the outside walls will be insulated, and the inside wall dividing the kennels from the rest of the building will also be insulated. He will be using foam-insulated steel doors with insulated windows for the kennels. The building will not be visible from Hanshaw Road.

Roy Rizzo said he believes the stereos in the cars traveling the road will be louder than the dogs.

When asked how long it would take to construct the building, Mr Murphy said it would take about 3 days to construct the building, and then it would take about six weeks to be ready to open. He would like to open in September or October. They will have water and septic service and have spoken with the Health Department about septic requirements. The business name will be “Almost Home”.

At 7:25 p.m. Supv Trumbull and Cl Sumner said this hearing will be left open until the next board meeting because board members would like to talk to other kennel owners and their neighbors and further check with the legal aspect of dog noise.

Atty Perkins asked whether the County had completed their §239(l) and (m) review and K Ezell said they had.

Martha Robertson remarked that the SPCA and other kennels are located in the Town of Dryden.

Peter Schug said he used to live next to the SPCA and didn’t notice any noise.

PUBLIC HEARING

SITE PLAN REVIEW APPLICATION OF CAYUGA PRESS TO CONVERT A PORTION OF

1779 HANSHAW ROAD TO A GOLF SIMULATOR FACILITY

Supv Trumbull said this is an application to convert a portion of 1779 Hanshaw Road to establish a simulator golf facility, bar and grill and accessory retail space.

Peter Schug said they are talking about renovating space for a tenant to put in that business. The rest of the building is vacant and he would also like preliminary approval, with notification and regular approval, for the rest of the space as well. They will try to make it other retail-type space so that the use is similar.

Four Seasons Golf is a golf-simulating company where you go and basically play a round of golf in a computer simulator. There will be several simulators in the space. It is an entertainment/retail type of business. They will sell items in the pro shop and give lessons. They will have a snack bar for light foods. The business owners intend to work toward getting a liquor license.

There will be no change in the footprint of the building. This business will occupy about a third of the space of the building.

ZO Ezell said any change in use of the building has to go through a site plan review. This is a change from the printing business to a retail/restaurant classification.

Atty Perkins said the MA Zone this parcel is located in enumerates 15 uses for site plan review. Retail is not one. The reason he has to have a special permit is any use not specifically enumerated in the MA Zone is allowed by issuance of a special permit. This matter was advertised as a site plan review application and it should be a special permit application, because the site is not going to change. SEQR may not be required.

There will be between 6 and 12 employees eventually, beginning with 3 or 4.

Atty Perkins said there is a jurisdictional problem and notice problem, and applicant will need to file for a special permit application. The matter should be handled correctly so there is no question about whether the board had jurisdiction to grant a special permit.

At 7:40 p.m. the board continued the hearing to next month. Cl Sumner asked for whatever information applicant has for the remainder of the building at that meeting.

Cl Makar asked how many employees were in the building before it was vacated and P Schug said there over 70 that worked two shifts. Cl Makar said their pay scale was probably higher than that of retail and P Schug said he was unsure what that rate was. Cl Makar said these will probably be lower paying jobs than were there previously, and one of the things discussed at the time Cayuga Press was moving to Cortland was trying to rent the space to someone who would bring in manufacturing jobs and higher wages instead of less than $10 per hour jobs.

P Schug said they did try to do that and it would have been better for them to rent the whole building to one manufacturer, but unfortunately they were unable to get anyone interested. Cl Makar asked when they started looking for a tenant for the space and was told a few months before they moved out. He wants to make sure the people know that Cayuga Press has done some work to get a similar business in the space.

1st ANNUAL DRYDEN DASH

Melanie Deemer, advisor for the Dryden High Student Council, introduced Sebastion Bouchard, President, Christina Perkins, Vice President, and Josh Benjamin of the Executive Committee, all of whom will be seniors next year. They have organized a First Annual Dryden Dash race to be run through the Village of Dryden and out to Dryden Lake. They have approval from the Board of Education and the Village of Dryden and are here today because their route goes over some town roads. Board members were presented with packets detailing the event and the route. One of their goals is to do something that will bring the high school and the community closer together. All of the proceeds will be donated to the Make A Wish Foundation.

The event is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, September 30, 2007, during Homecoming Week. They’ve chosen Sunday because timers are generally available on Sunday and because there will likely be less traffic. They have received assistance and advice from Evan Kurtz, a board member of the Finger Lakes Runners Club. He has also arranged for them to borrow some equipment for day to defray expenses. The event is covered under the School’s insurance policy.

In addition to the 5K run, they are doing a kids fun run (sidewalks only) to get the elementary and middle school students involved. Home base for the race is at the Dryden Elementary School and locker and shower facilities will be available, as well as the cafeteria area and restrooms. They are planning to have lots of volunteers to help and the fire department will have emergency personnel on site. They will contact retired policemen to help deal with the roads on that day. Because this is a “first race” a lower attendance than normal is expected.

Jack Bush, Highway Superintendent, said it sounds like something he would be in favor of and asked Ms Deemer to meet with him when he returns from vacation.

FIRE DEPARTMENTS

Natan Huffman welcomed the board to the Varna Fire Department.

CITIZENS PRIVILEGE

Stan Marcus, of Yellow Barn Road, said there is an old school house located at the corner of Mt Pleasant Road and Baker Hill Road. It is falling into disrepair and he said it might be good to work with the owner or ask him to donate that corner to the Town. If the owner doesn’t want the building it could be moved to another location and the history of the building preserved.

Simon St Laurent said he understands the owner attended school there and has not been interested in selling the property. The Historical Society has also noticed that it appears to be deteriorating more rapidly and they would also like to see it preserved.

Cl Sumner suggested there may be some grant money available for a project like this. S St Laurent said there is no water or power to the property and the owner is using it for storage. He will bring it to the attention of the Historical Society again.

Art Berkey, 1205 Ellis Hollow Road, thanked the board for meeting on the west side of town. On behalf of the Varna Community Association, he thanked the board for its contributions to the community centers.

He said he has experienced difficulty driving on Thomas Road and asked about having it striped. The road is striped on the portion that is outside the town, and A Berkey suggested some quid pro quo in a situation like this.

He is also concerned with the striping on Game Farm Road, which is worn badly on the Ellis Hollow Road and Varna Road ends.

A Berkey said that recently the sides of the road were mowed and he appreciates that. Previously the grass was so high it was difficult to see when pulling on to Ellis Hollow Road and asked perhaps something other than mowing could be done to remove the grass.

J Bush said Thomas Road is on the list to be striped this year. There was a problem last year and the vendor under the county bid never did get to the Town of Dryden. He has been in contact with them and confirmed that Dryden is on the list to be done this year. He is aware the Town of Caroline portion is striped.

Martha Robertson said that all of Game Farm Road will soon be a county road and they are hoping to repave it this summer. The County is working with the towns to take over this road.

Don Scutt, of Palmear Road, said he like the idea of rotating the town meetings to different locations but also looks forward to larger space in the new town hall, and suggested perhaps six months of meetings could be held at the town hall and six months could be held in other locations.

He is a member of the Dryden Recreation Commission and they have some open seats on the Commission and are looking for people to fill those seats. Recreation will be a big issue in the Town. Currently there is talk of west side and east side of the town, and recreation does have long range plans. He said they would like to come through with ideas for recreation. He suggested people with ideas or concepts should contact any board members, himself, or Dan Schmoehe, the current Chair of the Recreation Commission. They are interested in long range planning and would like people to serve and/or attend meetings with their ideas.

Art Berkey suggested the commission contact the community centers, and D Scutt said they would be doing that. He also suggested the community centers could send someone to the Commission meetings. M Robertson suggested the Commission could put a note in the newsletters that the community centers have.

Cl Sumner thanked the Recreation Commission for inviting her to their meeting last night and the tour of the new TC3 Facility.

D Scutt said the Commission meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Town Hall. They invite the community and are in need of a few members, some help, manpower, and fresh ideas.

Martha Robertson read a note from Howard and Erica Evans: “We have been disappointed with the failure of the Road Supervisor to be helpful in collecting “storm debris” with the excuse that Dryden is such a huge town. The issue has been a long-standing one, with his claim that the Town is too large for him to offer a ONE-TIME pickup. It has been a mild winter with obviously little overtime! His answer has been that he has a chipping weekend and we can hire someone to transport stuff there. Actually we get mighty little for our taxes!”

J Bush said they did not have a chipping weekend this year because of the storm damage. Any place that called in, they did pick up along the side of the road.

M Robertson said Bob Keene had called her today very upset about the work on Dodge Road.

There was some discussion about experiences with storm-damaged trees along roads. Cl Sumner said near her house trees that had fallen into the road had been cut and dragged onto the side of the road. They were not taken away immediately. Stu Berg said the Town of Dryden has been excellent in taking care of downed trees on Hickory Circle.

J Bush said they don’t want to get into doing this on a regular basis, but every year it seems there is a storm that downs some trees, and while the Department is doing their work along the roadsides, they may pick up debris along side the road when they go by. They don’t want to encourage people to go out and trim their yards to the point where it takes four months and two new people to take care of it.

HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT

J Bush said he knows most of the people here and doesn’t think there is a need for any kind of special report. They know what the Highway Department is doing. He said he is familiar with Robert Keene and had an incident with him today and called the Sheriff’s Department to step in. The matter is taken care of. There was a stop sign on Dodge Road at Ellis Hollow Road that was obstructed and the Department was trying to mow the roadside in the ditch line so the sign could be seen from a reasonable distance. J Bush said he believes they did what they needed to, and the mower person is doing a great job.

Cl Makar asked about the stop lines painted on the roads near stop signs. J Bush said the Town of Dryden at one time never striped the town roads. Over time as people voiced concern over certain fog areas and curvy roads, some roads have been striped. It is very expensive. Where a town road intersects a county road, when the county does the striping, they’ll stripe a little ways onto the town road. It is not something the town does. There are a few stop lines, and they were more than likely originally done by the higher authority (State or County). J Bush said he has replaced some after paving, but for the most part the Town does not paint stop bars. They have done it in two places on Yellow Barn Road where stop signs were put up a few years ago.

Cl Makar said it looks like there used to be some on Lower Creek Road where it intersects Etna Lane near the bridge, but they are fading away. J Bush said that is a county road. This is a case where the county road intersects a town road and so the county maintains the intersection. Cl Makar asked M Robertson to check on that.

D Scutt asked whether there was an established precedence on how far back you can mow. J Bush said there have been right of way issues, and there are certain people that disagree with where it had been assumed the right of way is. The rule of thumb is that if the Town does not own the road, it is 25′ from the center of the road. They have learned that that is not always the case and the easiest way for most people to tell is to identify the top of the back slope of the ditch. Anywhere from the top of the backslope from one side to the other side of the road is what he believes is legally the right of way. There are a few gray areas and most people know that for line of sight for deer, pedestrians, joggers, etc. that the roadsides need to be mowed. There are a few occasions where people want the weeds, daylilies, trees, brush or whatever to grow to the edge of the payment.

J Bush said they thought they were ahead of schedule with the mowing and getting it done before people were calling to have it done, and had trouble with the equipment and are now trying to catch up. Not long ago the mower man came back with a whole box spring wrapped up in the mower. The grass was high and he wasn’t able to see it and it did a lot of damage.

Someone asked about the flags along side the roads for the seismic testing. The company asked permission to do this and that permission was granted by the town. They have put the flags up (that are numbered) and one person in the audience has seen the company out doing testing. The flags are supposed to be removed when the testing is completed.

Simon St Laurent said a number of people have been glad to see that the old railroad bed behind Varna (where the water & sewer pipes are) has been mowed. It makes it easier to get into the Cornell Plantations trails.

Roy Rizzo said it looks like the vegetation along Wood Road and Pinckney Road had been sprayed. The Town does not spray and someone suggested it may have been a utility company.

Cl Stelick told Peter Schug that tentatively (providing the appropriate notices can be made) the board will meet on July 25 to consider his application.

ENGINEERING

A Sciarabba said last month the board asked them to take a look at a two way stop on the curve at 31 Lower Creek Road. They have done that and submitted a report. As they interpret the regulations, the Town will need to designate the curve as an intersection and direct that stop signs be installed. The report shows where they recommend the signs be installed. Because of the location of the driveway at the location, they recommend a stop sign also be installed at the driveway, effectively making it a three-way stop. They have asked Atty Perkins to give an opinion on their interpretation of the regulations.

Joseph Solomon, 31 Lower Creek Road, said his major complaint has been that speed is a problem. Drivers neglect to observe signage. One of the neighbors closer to Pinckney Road has indicated that he has had three accidents so far this year on his property. He said there is no speed limit sign until the east side of Wood Road. He was told the speed limit is 55 in that area. He would like that speed limit lowered and further said that signs alone are not effective. Local people know the road and ignore it. He said stop signs would help to change their behavior and a stop sign at Wood Road and Lower Creek would be helpful.

J Bush said he wasn’t sure that putting a stop sign at Wood Road would help because the area is already regulated by a mandatory speed limit. Studies indicate that when there is a series of stop signs people tend to drive faster to make up the time they’ve lost having to stop. The speed limit should be enforced and the board should consider TG Millers recommendation. The signage recommended will cost approximately $100 each (labor & materials) plus the paint for the stop bars.

J Solomon asked the board to contact the Sheriff and ask that the area be patrolled regularly. Cl Sumner said she would do that.

Roy Rizzo said he felt the expense of the signs was a waste of money. One or two signs might be okay. That curve has been a disaster for a long time and is dangerous. He said J Solomon should contact the Sheriff and the State Police and give them time to respond.

M Robertson said often the Sheriff will make a point of enforcement to back up a new traffic control device. She added that taking the tree down may make people travel faster. She thinks the stop signs are a good solution.

Atty Perkins will review the information for the next board meeting. Cl Makar suggested it be put on the agenda for the next regular meeting and that the neighbors be notified.

A Sciarabba reported they have worked out the accuracy issues with the aerial survey for the town property and will be provided a copy of that.

COUNTY BRIEFING

Martha Robertson reported the County’s work on Ellis Hollow Road won’t happen until next summer. They had applied for federal funding to help with the extra features (covering the ditches and colored shoulders) and were turned down. She noted it is hard to get funding for rural roads. Because they are looking for other funding for those items, they are holding off on the final design.

The Ringwood Road bridge will be repaired this summer. They will try to get it done before school starts so that buses won’t have to make a large loop. She has asked that Ringwood Road be repaved, especially on the edges.

The County legislation has begun preparation of the budget for 2008. The legislator voted to ask the County Administrator to come in with a budget that would need a 2% budget levy increase. M Robertson said that means about two million dollars in local spending has to be cut. She noted that the “maintenance of effort” budget was around a 5-6% levy increase. based on the cost of contract increases, health insurance, fuel and asphalt prices. Even though they are asking for an increase in the levy, there will be a decrease in operations.

M Robertson said she has previously talked about a meeting she attended where they talked about the problems of homeless veterans and other vets with mental health issues and not getting the kinds of resources that they need. There have been complaints about the VA clinic on Warren Road not necessarily taking people. There is a van that transports veterans to the veterans hospital in Syracuse every day of the week for free. It costs about $800 to $1000 a month and they are having a benefit to support the operation of this van July 21 from 2 to 8 p.m. at the VFW on West State Street in Ithaca. To date the van has taken about 2,340 veterans over the last three years to their appointments in Syracuse.

Mike Hattery said the Assessment Department has received a number of requests to broaden access to assessment data on the internet. There are currently two levels of assessment data. One is available to anybody and a more detailed version is only available by subscription. The government operations committee has been talking about the possibility of opening up broader access. They will have a demonstration this Friday afternoon of what those levels would constitute. It seems most are in favor of opening it up with limitations. People are concerned about photography, exemption information and personal information. If they decide to move forward, they will have some kind of proposal this week. The meeting will be held at the Old Jail Conference this Friday at 2:30 p.m. He encouraged people to contact them if they have an opinion.

Someone asked how much it cost to subscribe. M Hattery said the total revenues to the county is under $20,000. Don Scutt said a set of cds costs $300 or $350, and added that in other counties the information is free. Atty Perkins said the cost is around $300 for an internet user and he thinks it should be opened up to the public. He said Cayuga County charges about $8 per month for internet users. It is all public information and should be available to anyone who wants to access it.

M Robertson said all the information is available if you go to the courthouse and use the computer there. The idea is that remote access should be limited and business people should pay for it as a cost for their business. If the fee service goes away, the County will lose the revenue.

RECREATION DEPARTMENT

Jennifer Dube reported that attendance at Music in the Park has been well attended (100 to 200 people), but tonight’s concert was rained out. Music in the Hollow has had two concerts with 20 to 50 people at each. Shows are Wednesdays at Montgomery Park and Thursdays at Ellis Hollow Community Center through the summer.

J Dube said she has made some corrections to vouchers that were submitted in tonight’s abstract and reviewed those with the board.

The board discussed the voucher J Dube had submitted for $125.00 for cleaning her vehicle. She transports equipment, dirt and other recreation related items in her personal vehicle. The board will discuss this when they discuss the abstract.

J Dube said she understands the board has a resolution concerning her staying on part time. She said she wished someone had discussed this with her, and there are stipulations she would like added. She doesn’t feel she has been treated decently since she announced she was leaving. She wants to be able to keep the programs running the way they are and not have to attend extra meetings. She stated she feels the board needs her more than she needs them and she would like to review the resolution before it is passed.

Cl Sumner said the board can pass the resolution and when it is offered to J Dube as a contract she will have an opportunity to voice any concerns. Supv Trumbull said the attorney has advised that no contract is necessary; a resolution will suffice.

J Dube said she has continued to provide services for the town since her last official day (June 29). Her benefits have been cut off and she did not receive her correct salary last week. She said she doesn’t want people calling her and telling her that she hasn’t done her job as they have the last two weeks. She has the support of the Dryden Youth Commission and she feels what has been going on is ridiculous. She gave three weeks notice and still doesn’t know what is going on, what hours she is expected to work, etc.

Cl Sumner said the resolution was prepared after J Dube met with her and Supv Trumbull and read that proposed resolution to her. J Dube said she felt it would take more than eight hours per week to do the job and Cl Sumner suggested she could schedule things so that it doesn’t. She added that supervision is an issue. The resolution would be retroactive to July 2. J Dube added that she was on vacation last week, but did come in 6 hours on Sunday to do her vouchers.

J Bush said he has had someone from one of the programs come to him and has been upset. He is concerned that limiting her hours may lead to bigger issues because the coaches are expecting certain things.

Cl Sumner said she understood there would be assistants available to handle things. J Dube said they are available to handle on site duties, but not to take registrations, return phone calls, make schedules, deposits, etc. She has someone in place to monitor every program area right now. Cl Sumner said she thought they had discussed who would be the “go to” person. J Dube said she was asked to find someone to run the skate park and she did that (Chloe Scutt). J Dube said she checks her voice mail once a day, at 6:00 p.m. and returns all calls after 6:00 p.m. The Town Hall has all the schedules for everything coming up with contact names and numbers. Cl Sumner said the 8 hour concept had come from that understanding. J Dube said once football starts the 8 hours is out the window because that is very time consuming.

Cl Stelick said there is a budget for the rec department and J Dube’s salary is included in that budget, so there is no new money to discuss here. He ran the youth side of this for ten years before the position was in place and he knows a little about it. We cannot afford to let her walk away right now with the biggest part of the season coming up. She is the sole keeper of the information and there is no backup. The board is in a difficult situation right now and there are a lot of people that depend on the rec department. His feeling is that we should pay whatever it takes for her to take care of the programs. We need to have direct supervision in order to verify the hours spent, but a lot of the hours will be remote, and they don’t necessarily have to be in an office in Dryden. He said we are cutting ourselves short by paying someone $15 an hour and limiting her to 8 hours a week. We need to supervise her and make sure she is putting in the time and pay her what we already have in the budget. This will not be an addition to the budget. There is no one else with the intricate knowledge of what goes on with these programs. He said $15 may be too low and 8 hours isn’t enough.

Cl Sumner said those numbers came from a discussion with Jen and there was some assurance that the people running the programs in the field could take care of things.

Cl Stelick said 8 hours won’t cut it in the transition. If we are fortunate we’ll have someone in place soon, but it is pretty funny to think we can hand the flag over to someone in the busiest part of the season and expect them to take over and do the job. We need a point person, and if she leaves, we won’t have that.

Cl Stelick said he will directly supervisor J Dube until the transition, and he thinks she should be paid whatever her hourly rate is now. J Dube said $15 per hour was fine. He will be in contact with her daily and see that time sheets are completed. He added that communication on this has been sorely lacking, but he doesn’t want to drop the ball with what we already have. He said he appreciates that she is not going to just walk away, and he doesn’t want to the Town to go back six years. J Dube agreed to $15 per hour and supervision by Cl Stelick.

With respect to the voucher for the car detailing, Cl Sumner said she didn’t feel that it should have been that much and it is part of what the regular mileage charge should cover. She is willing to compromise and pay half of it. J Dube said she doesn’t claim mileage for everything, such as the .1 miles from Agway to the high school.

D Scutt said J Dube has gone above and beyond in helping some of the programs. The biggest season is coming up with youth football which has over 330 participants each year. He said she is needed this fall to help with that program. The new person will not be up and running for the program this fall and J Dube may need more than 8 hours a week. With respect to cleaning the car, he said standard mileage that you take off on your taxes is for the depreciation of your car and does not take into account average wear and tear. He said he has seen J Dube’s vehicle full of bags of lime, clay, baseball plates and just trashed. He is not telling the board to pay the voucher, but said she has stuff in her car that others may not put in theirs.

R Rizzo said he felt the board was whining over pennies.

Simon St Laurent said he is worried that at some point the Town will have to buy a vehicle for this, and this seems like a tiny bill relative to buying a vehicle.

D Schmohe said not many people are asked to haul dirt in their cars.

Cl Makar said the concern was not that it was cleaned, it was the dollar amount, and it says that the tires were cleaned and the motor was washed.

J Dube said the company put that down because of how long it took them to clean the interior; the outside of the car was not touched.

J Bush said the last time they had trucks cleaned that they were going to sell, Staffords charged a lot more than $125.

M Robertson said she thinks the feeling of the room is that they would like this to be paid.

RESOLUTION #121 – APPROVE VOUCHER FOR CAR CLEANING

Cl Makar offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:

RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby approves the voucher submitted by Jennifer Dube in the amount of $125.00 for cleaning her vehicle.

2nd Cl Stelick

Roll Call Vote Cl Makar Yes

Supv Trumbull Yes

Cl Stelick Yes

Cl Sumner Yes

Cl Stelick said J Dube should be paid whatever it takes up to her salary. Cl Sumner said she would agree to her supervisor (Cl Stelick) allowing something over eight hours.

RESOLUTION #122 – HIRE J DUBE ON PART-TIME BASIS

Cl Sumner offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:

WHEREAS, the town recreation coordinator, Jennifer Dube, resigned effective June 29, 2007, and

WHEREAS, the town is in the process of hiring a new recreation coordinator, and

WHEREAS, Jennifer Dube has consented to part-time employment by the town until a new recreation coordinator has been hired and trained, now

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the town agrees to hire Jennifer Dube as a temporary part-time recreation coordinator effective July 2, 2007 at an hourly rate of $15.00 per hour with an anticipated eight-hour week until a new recreation coordinator is hired and a six-hour week during the training of the new recreation coordinator, and it is

FURTHER RESOLVED, that such employment is exempt from civil service and shall be deemed employment at will.

2nd Supv Trumbull

Roll Call Vote Cl Makar Yes

Supv Trumbull Yes

Cl Stelick Yes

Cl Sumner Yes

Cl Sumner noted there was a nice laurel in The Ithaca Journal to Jennifer Dube for her assistance with Kiwanis baseball and softball.

ATTORNEY

Atty Perkins said that in connection with the new town hall a new sewer line was installed from the existing manhole on East Main Street near the southeast corner of the town’s original property, running thence northerly along the Cohn property and easterly along the back of other properties up to the new town hall. The Village of Dryden has agreed to accept a dedication of that. The Town will first need to give them an easement to maintain it. A Sciarabba, in conjunction with the Village, has produced an easement map. Atty Perkins has provided the Village attorney a proposed easement and it is satisfactory with a couple of minor changes. He asked the board to authorize the supervisor to sign the permanent easement to the Village of Dryden, which will effectively transfer and dedicate to the Village the sewer line and easement.

RESOLUTION #123 – AUTHORIZE PERMANENT EASEMENT TO VILLAGE OF DRYDEN

Cl Stelick offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:

RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby authorizes the Town Supervisor to execute an easement to the Village of Dryden, transferring and dedicating the sewer line installed by the Town from the manhole on East Main Street at the southeast corner of Town property to the new town hall building.

2nd Cl Makar

Roll Call Vote Cl Makar Yes

Supv Trumbull Yes

Cl Stelick Yes

Cl Sumner Yes

ZONING OFFICER

Kevin Ezell said in early June there was a lightening strike that affected some computers and the fire alarm system which is not working at the present time. There is a quote for a new system and insurance will pay the cost of all repairs and the system. The deductible is $250. The Supervisor will need to sign the proposal from Simplex Grinnell. The total amount of the loss is $3,400.

RESOLUTION #124 – AUTHORIZE NEW FIRE ALARM SYSTEM

Cl Sumner offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:

RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby authorizes the Town Supervisor to execute and accept the proposal from Simplex Grinnell for a new fire alarm system.

2nd Cl Makar

Roll Call Vote Cl Makar Yes

Supv Trumbull Yes

Cl Stelick Yes

Cl Sumner Yes

An audience member suggested that lightening protection be installed on the highway barn. Cl Stelick said we could ask the insurance company to check on that.

K Ezell attended the construction meeting for the new town hall today and it appears we are still on track for a September 1 opening. There is some delay with the variable speed drives for the heat pumps, but they are ordered and will be in in two to four weeks. Air conditioning should be on starting Monday, then they will be able to finish the woodwork. The sprinkler system is almost complete. Furniture has been ordered.

Cl Stelick said because of the delay with the variable speed drives, there could be some delay in finishing the inside work because of the cooling that needs to be done.

Cl Stelick asked what the next thing put in place was after the foundation was built. K Ezell said even before the foundation was built, the heat pumps and using geothermal heat was considered throughout the process.

Cl Stelick said construction started in October of last year and they are still missing a key component of the geothermal system. There is possibility we could be delayed in opening because of another error on the part of one designer.

Stu Berg asked if there was a de-super heater for the hot water for the building. Cl Stelick asked K Ezell to check on this.

ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNER

Dan Kwasnowski said the Planning Board had reviewed a number of applications for positions on their board. There was one vacancy and Russ Beck recently resigned, making two vacancies. The Planning Board recommended Martin Hatch from Snyder Hill Road and Megan Whitman from Upper Creek Road. Those people introduced themselves to the Board and each gave some background information. D Kwasnowski said this is a good time for them to join because next week the Planning Board will be having its kick off meeting for the zoning work with Behan Planning Associates.

Barbara Caldwell explained that the Planning Board is one of the groups that has a formal requirement for ongoing training. She will get some information on that to the new members.

RESOLUTION #125 – APPOINT PLANNING BOARD MEMBERS

Cl Stelick offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:

RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby appoints Martin Hatch to the Planning Board with a term to expire December 31, 2012, and Megan Whitman to the Planning Board with a term to expire December 31, 2011.

2nd Cl Makar

Roll Call Vote Cl Makar Yes

Supv Trumbull Yes

Cl Stelick Yes

Cl Sumner Yes

Barbara Caldwell said the Planning Board is fortunate to have Joe Laquatra as a member. He teaches the training courses required by the Planning Board and they would like to have the courses that he teaches count for his Town requirement for training, and perhaps use him for training on the local level so that they don’t have to travel to some of these other meetings.

Cl Sumner said the Town has instituted a new tracking system for continuing education for the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, and Code Enforcement Officers.

D Kwasnowski said there is some discrepancy between the local law and the State law requirements for training. In the State law you can name anyone you find suitable to qualify for training, and you can also exempt people from training. He suggested that Atty Perkins could take a look at how to handle these things.

Cl Sumner said after that was done the Board could approve the training requirements for J Laquatra.

D Kwasnowski said he has received the state contract for purchase of development rights grant received from the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets for the Stuttle farm. He has given it to Atty Perkins for review. They are also working on a contract between the Town and County in connection with this grant.

D Kwasnowski said the Jerry Dell Farm (Sherman) is also interested in applying for this and asked for a sense of the board on whether they would be in support of that application. These farms are adjacent and D Kwasnowski said that makes a good argument for the Sherman application. The board indicated support for this and D Kwasnowski will move forward with it.

The special committee has received a lot of comments on the proposed local law and they had a public workshop on the law and the annual report. There was one contractor and one code enforcement officer and someone from Cornell present. He and Debbie Gross have put together a document that addresses all those comments. Atty Perkins and Supv Trumbull have received a copy of the proposed local law. The special committee is at the point where they are ready to recommend it to the Town Board and that should hopefully happen next month.

D Kwasnowski said 57 acres of land in Varna (to the left of The Antlers on the hillside) was acquired from the Finger Lakes Land Trust and the Estate of Louise Parke-Dabes for a recreation area. As part of the agreement he will be preparing a plan for the property. He would like to do some public meetings on that and will be contacting the community centers. He wants to get some ideas of how people want to see that land used. It is a woodlot and is quite vertical.

D Kwasnowski said the open space plan needs to be looked at again and he has asked the Conservation Board to look at that. Specifically, he would like them to come up with some criteria for accepting gifts of property. This would also be helpful to the Finger Lakes Land Trust when they are presented with property that doesn’t fit their criteria.

The Finger Lakes Land Trust has contacted D Kwasnowski about another piece of property on the corner of Pinckney and Lower Creek Road that they believe the Town may be interested in. The land to the north went through a subdivision process they discussed this parcel with the Town that is across the road. It is in a flood plain. There is a lot of open field and meadow and Fall Creek runs through the property. D Kwasnowski said it is pretty much unable to be developed, but there is potential for town parkland. There is about 1000 feet of stream frontage. It has been maintained and the Town would really have to do nothing with it. D Kwasnowski said he would like a sense of the board on whether to move forward. A map of the property was presented.

M Lane said if this is such an important piece of property the Land Trust should accept it and administer it. He thinks the Land Trust is trying to shed responsibility and still keep control by the conservation easement that they place on properties. The Town ends up with the burden and not the Finger Lakes Land Trust. He suggested the board needs to look at this kind of thing then looking at the whole open space and recreation plan and decide whether it fits in. If it is so important why doesn’t the Finger Lakes Land Trust accept it and administer it?

D Kwasnowski said the Land Trust covers an area of 6000 square miles and it is not worth it to have a 40 acre parcel that they have to go to. They are required by law to monitor the easements. They would have an easement they would monitor once a year. He said they don’t offer everything to the Town. There are a couple of properties in the Town they have kept for themselves. They have not talked to Cornell University about it.

S St Laurent noted that is the best TCAT stop in the area. It has weekend service and multiple bus routes and he suggested a bike rack on that corner would make a lot of people happy.

Stan Marcus noted there is kind of a parking lot there already. It is a good spot for birding and fishing. The cost to the Town would be negligible.

D Kwasnowski would like a sense of the board. He said it would be a good resource as it is and require very little maintenance. Some of it is pretty well drained and very flat.

D Scutt said he would be a little concerned without setting some parameters for what the town accepts as land into their sphere of influence. The concept of getting recreation land is good, but there are no guidelines about what to accept.

D Kwasnowski said there is plenty in the open space plan and storm water program about protecting water quality, so the precedent is there but the method needs to be defined. To him this one is kind of a no-brainer.

The board said it seems like a positive thing, and they will discuss it again next month.

D Kwasnowski said the Village of Dryden is embarking on a water study to evaluate its current wells and the aquifer study for Dryden Lake and how those two could complement each other and determine a future direction for water in the Village. He has been approached by Ed Bugliosi and Gene German and asked to assist them with that.

The board said it would be great to have a town presence there, but is concerned with D Kwasnowski’s current workload and how this would fit it. The board would like a more formalized proposal. M Robertson suggested that perhaps Dan Karig could help the Village with this.

TOWN CLERK

B Hollenbeck asked the board to approve the minutes of last month, and Cl Sumner said she had a few small changes and asked to wait until next month to do that.

B Hollenbeck said she will be attending a meeting at the Ithaca Town Hall on July 24 about the use of credit cards in town business. A representative from Systems East will be there to demonstrate their system and how it could fit into town business. Cl Makar will attend that meeting.

DISCUSSION

Emergency Services Committee – Cl Sumner said that Lee Shurtleff was at the last Chiefs meeting and reported that the new radio system is on target and everyone is pretty happy with the availability of the new equipment. They will be testing the system in August. The Chiefs also talked about open burning. There is some confusion about enforcement and whether the department extinguishes an open fire when it is reported. They are asking for clarification from the County.

M Robertson said agricultural waste and campfires are not covered by the regulations. It is intended to cover the burning of garbage. Cl Sumner said yard waste (sticks and leaves) is covered, and it is somehow different from a bonfire, and there a lot of neighbor squabbles arising over it. M Robertson said the enforcement of it as a regulation is with the County Health Department, and she says they have people on call 24-7. The legislature has discussed it and they don’t want to discourage people from calling if they see smoke or are worried that there is a fire out of control. That is separate from enforcement of the open burning regulations.

R Rizzo said it is a disaster. The Town of Dryden for thirty-some years had a zoning officer that gave a set of rules that were followed and there was never any problem. If a fire was out of control, it was taken care of, and the fire department called the shots. If people were doing the right thing there were no problems. When the Health Department made rules, they over-rode the fire departments. The fire departments were never contacted about what should be done and how it should be done. Now when people call, the only thing the department can do is put it out. It puts the fire departments and the towns in a bad place. He said the municipalities should have their own rules like they used to have.

Cl Sumner said she understands the Health Department’s concern with burning household rubbish. Where the gray area is happening is about burning brush. According to current regulations if it offends a neighbor they can call and the fire department has to come and put it out. R Rizzo said the fire department should not be put in a position to make a decision. It should be black and white so that everyone understands it. The way it is written there are too many loopholes.

N Huffman said what has happened with the new statute is that it has put the fire departments is an awkward position. If they are toned out they have to go, and they are trying to let common sense prevail. They consider whether the fire is a danger; whether it can spread to a structure. They also have to consider the smoke from the fire. A resident may be doing exactly as they are supposed to, but the smoke is going to the next house where there may be an asthmatic child. In that case they will put it out.

N Huffman said the Health Department is pretty tough to contact at any time except during the week, and the decisions have to be made and enforced almost immediately. It puts the departments in a difficult situation, though he thinks with a little common sense they can live with it. The old system in the Town of Dryden was really great and defined. Now with the new one they are in a position they never expected to be in.

M Robertson asked if anyone had consulted the Health Department. N Huffman said someone from the Health Department was at the meeting. Currently, if there is any danger at all from the fire or the smoke they will put it out.

M Lane said a fundamental question at the time the regulations were made was whether enforcement should be by the Health Department or whether the County should enact a local law and have it enforced through law enforcement agencies. The decision was made (and not universally admired) that it should be done through the Health Department, but to him that is what is causing some of the problems.

Cl Sumner said the fire department is a better judge of whether it is a fire danger and the Health Department is a better judge of whether it is a pollution danger.

Cl Sumner said the emergency services committee is putting together a group including herself, Cl Makar and a representative from each of the boards of directors of the fire departments as a kind of policy making body. Everyone is in general agreement about making this happen, but it hasn’t actually happened yet. They are also reviewing the definition of “active members” which is needed for foreign fire tax and possibly workers compensation. They also need to move on updating the contract language.

Personnel Committee – Cl Sumner said that committee has not met this month. Atty Perkins said he has reviewed the material she provided him and would like to meet with Cl Sumner to discuss that.

Finance Committee – Cl Sumner said the committee completed the work for the internal audit by reviewing the court’s financial records, but they have not yet written a final report.

HUD Loans & Grants Committee – Cl Makar said he has been communicating with TCAD to put together the information we need to hire them to do the revolving loan.

Technology Committee – A quote has been received from Matrix Communications Group for installation of the fiber optic cable in the amount of $4,941.00 for 6-strand cable, and $6,200 for 12-strand cable. Cl Christofferson has recommended the lower price option. K Ezell explained the price is lower than they originally thought because J Bush has already purchased the conduit. Cl Makar said he is comfortable with this quote.

RESOLUTION #126 – APPROVE MATRIX QUOTE

Cl Stelick offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:

RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby approves the quote from Matrix Communications Group in the amount of $4,941.00 for installation of fiber optic cable from the old town hall to the new town hall site.

2nd Cl Sumner

Roll Call Vote Cl Makar Yes

Supv Trumbull Yes

Cl Stelick Yes

Cl Sumner Yes

Supv Trumbull said he had received a request from the Court for a resolution allowing them to apply to the Justice Court Assistance Program for funding in an amount not to exceed $30,000. The board has previously received information regarding this.

RESOLUTION #127 – AUTHORIZE JUSTICE COURT GRANT APPLICATION

Cl Makar offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:

WHEREAS, there is an opportunity for the Dryden Town Court to apply for grant money through the Justice Court Assistance Program, and

WHEREAS, the court needs to send a certified copy of the local resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Dryden with the application, and

WHEREAS, the application must be submitted to the Justice Court Assistance Program between May 1, 2007 and August 31, 2007, and

WHEREAS, the maximum Justice Court Assistance Program grant is $30,000,

NOW, THEREFORE, be it

RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby authorizes the Justice Court of the Town of Dryden to apply for grant funds not to exceed $30,000.00.

2nd Cl Stelick

Roll Call Vote Cl Makar Yes

Supv Trumbull Yes

Cl Stelick Yes

Cl Sumner Yes

Kris Strickland has passed the civil service test and can now be appointed to the Code Enforcement Officer position.

RESOLUTION #128 – APPOINT K STRICKLAND AS CODE OFFICER

Cl Sumner offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:

WHEREAS, the Town of Dryden established a second position of Code Enforcement Officer in accordance within applicable New York State laws and the Civil Service Rules for Tompkins County; and

WHEREAS, said position is established in the competitive class pursuant to Section 44 of the Civil Service Law and the Civil Service Rules for Tompkins County, which requires the individual occupying the position to pass a civil service exam; and

WHEREAS, Kristin Strickland took and passed the required exam for this position;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT

RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby appoints, in accordance with applicable Civil Service laws, rules and regulations, Kristin Strickland to permanent competitive class status in the title of Code Enforcement Officer.

2nd Cl Stelick

Roll Call Vote Cl Makar Yes

Supv Trumbull Yes

Cl Stelick Yes

Cl Sumner Yes

Cl Sumner said the board members have seen the proposal from Thoma to complete the town wide recreation plan. The proposal was made last year and while the board did not take them up on it then, there was money put in the budget. Cl Sumner and Cl Makar met with Bernie Thoma to make sure they understood what was going into the plan and they were also able get the price reduced from $14,500 to $12,000. She proposed the board accept the proposal.

RESOLUTION #129 – ACCEPT THOMA PROPOSAL–RECREATION PLAN

Cl Sumner offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:

RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby accepts the proposal from Thoma Development Consultants for development of a Recreation Master Plan at a cost not to exceed $12,000 and the Town Supervisor is hereby authorized to execute any necessary documents.

2nd Cl Stelick

Roll Call Vote Cl Makar Yes

Supv Trumbull Yes

Cl Stelick Yes

Cl Sumner Yes

Cl Makar explained that the original proposal included a final report and presentation and they cut out the presentation portion and just asked for a final report. The public involvement portion was reduced to one public meeting instead of two. The surveys that were prepared in 2000 and 2006 will be used. There will be one public visioning session and the location of that will need to be determined. Cl Sumner added another public meeting could be run in-house. There will be no mailed survey.

D Kwasnowski said for his recent grant application Thoma did a good job and they have a really good relationship with State Parks so he is sure it will be fine. But professionally he wasn’t real pleased with the results. He asked who would manage this project because you have to stay on top of it. Cl Sumner said the Recreation Commission will probably take the lead on this, and the Recreation Coordinator will be the staff person.

Cl Makar said that Task I in the process is the historical review and project organization. Thoma will review the existing reports and conduct interviews with key Town personnel. After the Town selects the members, Thoma will assist the Town in organizing a Recreation Master Plan Advisory Group to serve as the contact and focus group overseeing the development of the Master Plan. The advisory group will then develop a list of goals. There will be members of the Town Board involved.

The board has reviewed the proposed agreement from the Recreation Partnership for 2008-2012. Atty Perkins has not reviewed the agreement and the board authorized Supv Trumbull to sign the agreement pending approval by the Town Attorney.

RESOLUTION #130 – APPROVE RECREATION PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT

Cl Sumner offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:

WHEREAS, the Town of Dryden is currently a member of the Intermunicipal Recreation Partnership, and

WHEREAS, the Recreation Partnership has been an excellent model of intermunicipal collaboration which enables the Towns of Caroline, Danby, Dryden, Enfield, Groton, Ithaca, Newfield and Ulysses, the Village of Lansing, and the City of Ithaca and Tompkins County to jointly plan, finance, and share a more diverse set of high quality recreation programs than any single municipality could offer on its own, and

WHEREAS, the current Intermunicipal Recreation Partnership Agreement will end December 31, 2007, and

WHEREAS, the Recreation Partnership Board, comprised of representatives from participating municipalities wishing to continue this innovative partnership, has reviewed the current agreement and voted on June 7, 2007 to adopt the updated Agreement for the period January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2012, and

WHEREAS, municipalities in the Recreation Partnership value Tompkins County’s commitment to building collaborative intermunicipal solutions to meeting the needs of youth, and Tompkins County’s contribution is essential in enabling smaller municipalities to participate affordably, and

WHEREAS, the Agreement must be approved by the elected board of each participating municipality to take effect,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT

RESOLVED, that the 2008-2012 Intermunicipal Recreation Partnership Agreement is approved, and further

RESOLVED, in approving the Agreement, the Town of Dryden agrees to abide by its terms and conditions, and further

RESOLVED, that the Town of Dryden strongly urges Tompkins County to maintain its keystone financial and planning support for the Recreation Partnership, and further

RESOLVED, the Town Supervisor is authorized to sign said agreement, pending approval by the Town Attorney, and further

RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Recreation Partnership Board, care of Tompkins County Youth Services Department, 320 W State Street, Ithaca, NY 14850.

2nd Supv Trumbull

Roll Call Vote Cl Makar Yes

Supv Trumbull Yes

Cl Stelick Yes

Cl Sumner Yes

Supv Trumbull said the contingency fund for the new town hall has been exceeded by two or three thousand dollars. No more change orders are expected and that amount can be transferred from general fund A.

Supv Trumbull said the new director of the SPCA will be attending a future board meeting to discuss increasing the amount of the contract.

The Tuttle house has been advertised. The new owner must remove the house from property.

Budget letters and worksheets will go out to department heads in late July or early August and will be due back to the Supervisor by September 6.

With respect to the annexation petition of Smith Realty, Atty Perkins said if the board does nothing it is deemed approved at the end of the 90 day period (July 18). Cl Sumner said she was not sure if she was in favor of the annexation. She said there is a serious question about the adequacy of the Village water and sewer. She is also concerned about the implications for the remaining properties in the Cortland Road Sewer District. She is not sure it is to the best advantage of the Village and the Town.

Supv Trumbull said it seems the Village is now in favor of the annexation though they have not voted yet.

Cl Sumner said in reading the transcript it seems the reason for dropping all the other properties was to make it easier for the attorney for Smith Realty. She said we should look more carefully at including the properties that were in the original petition.

M Lane said he spoke to owners of properties in the Cortland Road Sewer District at an informational meeting a few years ago. The property owners were very concerned about the potential costs to the residents and there was some confusion about what the actual cost of the installation of new water and sewer lines might be. Most people were not too interested in the annexation, but he said things seem to have changed considerably since then. There has been some annexation, and he hasn’t heard anything recently from the owners of the trailer park.

Cl Stelick said the board has to look at these as they come, and Smith Realty is paying their attorneys to present the petition. If other people wanted to join in they could, or they could get their own attorneys, but there is an expense involved. Smith Realty has come to the board in good faith. He said it is not perfect, but it is what is before the board. Once it is passed, it is up to the Village with respect to water and sewer, and with the moratorium they have, nothing can happen until that is alleviated. He said we have to look at whether it is good for the Town of Dryden. The potential for development is good with the Empire Zone in place. The water lines have gone under Route 38 to the area. He said it doesn’t make sense to slow it down because there may be some people interested later on. This won’t prevent them from coming forward.

M Lane said that this is a good opportunity for the Town and the Villages of Dryden and Freeville to come together and start talking about joint sewer facilities. Cl Makar suggested George Junior might also be interested.

Cl Stelick said that is not a new idea. That when Mark Varvayanis was Town Supervisor Hunt Engineers was paid to come up with alternatives to working with the Village and we found out that the least expensive way was working with the Village.

Cl Sumner said there will be funding opportunities for joint projects a few years from now and now would be a good time to start the planning process. Everyone’s infrastructure is wearing out because it was all built from the same grants in the 1980’s. This is the time to start talking about it.

M Lane said he believes this is an emergency because the Village of Dryden is talking about needing a whole new plant.

Cl Stelick said he believes we do think there is a sense of urgency, and it is frustrating. TC3 continues to grow, and we are also talking about keeping taxes under control, He said we should move forward with the annexation and put some pressure on the Village to decide. He is comfortable with turning this over to the Village, and he has no concerns about what they will do with it.

S St Laurent asked what was happening with NYS DOT’s move to Ellis Drive. Cl Stelick said they had put water lines under Route 38, but that was it. M Robertson said the County has included that as part of a larger proposal to the State and they have received good initial feedback on the overall proposal. Getting the DOT moved is one of a number of things in that proposal.

Cl Sumner suggested that in the future, site plan reviews could go to the Planning Board for a recommendation before coming to the Town Board. K Ezell said that in many cases they do that. Cl Makar suggested site plan and annexation would be good things for the Planning Board to review. It has been done on a case by case basis in the past.

RESOLUTION #131 – APPROVE ABSTRACT #7

Cl Stelick offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:

RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby approves Abstract #7, as audited, with the changes to the GraphTex voucher and addition of the voucher for cleaning of J Dube’s vehicle, vouchers #516 through #642, totaling $944,612.16.

2nd Cl Makar

Roll Call Vote Cl Makar Yes

Supv Trumbull Yes

Cl Stelick Yes

Cl Sumner Yes

The board will meet again July 15, 2007, at 7:00 p.m. for the Murphy and Cayuga Press applications.

Cl Sumner thanked those who attended who don’t normally do so.

There being no further business, on motion made, seconded and unanimously carried, the meeting was adjourned at 10:55 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bambi L. Hollenbeck

Town Clerk