Note: These are not official minutes. The official minutes are posted on the Town of Canaan's web-site after they are approved at a subsequent Town Board Meeting.
Canaan Town Board Meeting
March 13, 2006
In attendance: Ginny Nightingale, Carrie Bither, David Patzwahl and Gary Flaherty. Charlotte Cowan took official minutes
Highway Superintendent’s Report:
Culvert at Beebe Pond is bad. A botonist is required to do an assessment of whether a rare old specie of plant reported to exist in the area of the Beebe Pond culvert work is in fact there and would be harmed by the work planned to repair/ replace the culvert. Cannot be fixed until this is done. $800-$1000 for the specialist assessment.
Bernie read a long list of bids for various highway materials (winter sand, 1-, 2-, washed stones, item 4, stone screening, shale, crushed stone, asphalt, dust suppressant) with his recommendations. Bemiss and Calarusso (sp??) received most of his recommendations. The Board adopted his recommendations.
Something about fixing guard rails on Frisbee Street. Some other company (City Bridge and Rail from Saratoga?) would do part of work and highway department would put up the rails.
Gary mentioned something about Bernie having more discretionary authority when there are changes to a purchase, if it is done under the auspices of the State purchasing system, and therefore Bernie doesn’t need to go back to the board for permission to complete a transaction.
Long Conversation about the Salt Shed
Ginny pushed for an appointment to meet at salt shed site with board, Bernie and engineering company who provided current plans (Morris) to discuss cost estimates and less expensive alternatives.
Bernie was asked to try to set up such a meeting, preferably at 6 pm before the April board meeting. But if not then, it should be within 6 weeks.
David handed out a timeline of tasks to get us from here to there re the Salt Shed. David said the “there� would be in June. A request was made to put this timeline on the town’s web site. Gary agreed and gave the timeline to Charlotte.
Bernie explained how the town going out to bid is different than an individual. The town needs to appropriate the money before putting a building out for bid. Therefore its important to have a good engineering company give you an accurate cost estimate before you appropriate money.’
-DEC has approved current Morris plan. If we change plan we need new DEC approval.
How will new Storm Water 2 regulations affect our plans?
A member in the audience asked: How much of the cost of Salt Shed is extra because of its location in a Wetland? Bernie thought about $50,000.
Discussion on aesthetics of Salt Shed. Discussion on aesthetics of current town garage. Needs paint and a new roof. Maybe a new salt shed/garage building should be considered? David: Let’s stick to issue of Salt Shed. We’ve waited long enough on this; we need to get this done. Let’s do piece by piece.
Member from audience: Should look at a long term solution and include all future needs.
Member from audience: Who will advise the board on the various alternative Salt Sheds, including ones other than Morris’?
Ginny: The board wants to work through Morris first, seeing if they can reduce costs of original plan.
Member from audience: Board should consider another site other than a wetland for a salt shed and possibly town garage.
Bernie: There are many factors in location. Current location fits many needs well.
Charlotte read the supervisor's financial report (the checkbook balances).
Gary reported that the required Town Financial Report was sent to the State Comptroller on time (by February 28)
The External Audit of the last 2 years is going to be done by Addison Cosky (???)
The County has received 60 letters against and 10 letters for the B & A Trail. No vote is scheduled on this issue. Letters of support or opposition should go to Chair of Board of Supervisors.
New Voting Machines will be decided by the County Committee. League of Women Voters recommends Optical Scanning Voting System. Questions about storage and who will pay for new machines still unanswered.
Veteran’s Buy-back???
Codification process is in works. They have already asked for documents. Charlotte will speak with them on Thursday to get everything set up. She will find out how long they expect the process to be.
Lock boxes have been installed.
Town Offices will be closed from March 27-31 in order to clean out the Vault which is overflowing.
Gary: This is Sunshine Week- to celebrate Freedom of Information Acts and Open Government Rules
Lois sent back letter in regards to the revised Zoning Laws. The last revision was in 11/03. Lois is confused by much in the revisions. Gary will give Lois’ report to the Town Board, the Planning Board and the Zoning Board. Each should look them over soon and get back to Lois with clarifications. Once a draft document is put together, public hearings will be scheduled. Ginny suggested a timeline be created. Don will go over it with planning board at next meeting 3/27. Gary will talk with David Cooper re Zoning Board input. He will make copies of report at Staples and have them bound in spiral and distribute this Wednesday. Don received a copy since he was going out of town. Gary suggested that Don could call Lois if needed.
Gary told Annebeth Dillon that he had sent Lois the additional information from ORPS and her letter in regards to her serving on the BAR even though she is a litigant in the assessment case and that Lois sticks by her decision that a litigant should not serve on any town board.
Member from the audience: The town lawyer should give advice, not make decisions. The Board gives the impression that the law firm makes decisions. Is that so?
Member from the audience asked how much the town had spent on the assessment lawsuit. Gary said he could not discuss. Member said it was public information. Gary agreed and said member could go look it up. Member was surprised that Gary did not know. Gary said he would need to check records.
Member from the audience asked the status of the assessment lawsuits. Gary said he couldn’t comment. Member said he was not asking for the legal arguments just an update as to where the case was in the legal process. Gary said he didn’t know its current status and would need to ask the lawyers. But, he said that the litigants had been sent a response to their “offer.� AnnaBeth Dillon said that no response had been received as of Saturday.
Member from the audience: Is Gary going to appoint a board liaison to the Assessor. Gary said not yet. Later he said he didn’t think the assessor should have a liaison- the assessor should report to the entire board. Were such reports made? Carrie suggested the Assessor be asked to make a monthly report. Another member from the audience asked who supervised the assessor. Gary said that ORPS was the only entity that could supervise the assessor and that the town board could not supervise that position. How does the board know if the assessor is doing his job correctly? They wait to hear from ORPS. Given the current lawsuits against the town one would think that the board would want to know more about how the assessor is doing his job. Gary said Craig has received a good report from ORPS. A member from the audience said the town just received a report from ORPS about the 2004 Assessment that indicated our assessor was not doing a good job. For the 2004 tax roll our Residential Assessment Ratio was 59.96%. The RAR of 59.96 means half of the 28 sales from 7/1-04 through 6/30-05 were assessed at less than 59.96% of their actual sales price. That is not a good figure. Ginny: One would have to compare that with other state ratios. Maybe it was a bad year for all because of rising and uncertain market values.
A member from the audience asked what the assessment plan is for this year. Gary said that a town wide reassessment is being done by our assessor. Someone asked why he was able to do a reassessment this year when he wasn’t able to do it last year. Gary responded that the reason they had TSL do the Reval last year was that was what the litigants wanted. There was discussion about what the correct timetable for having the data cards done. Some residents have received notice of assessment, others have received new data cards, and others have received nothing.
A member from the audience asked: Since the town did not receive any tax money from the 2004 tax roll, why were they so intent on fighting this case?
A motion was made to go into Executive Session for 1) a financial issue 2) a personnel issue and 3) litigation. Gary announced that no decisions would be made.
Meeting was suspended for Executive Session at about 9:30 pm.
