February 13, 2008                             Work Session                                    6:30 PM

 

Supervisor Grant along with Council Members Mohun, Frounick, Gadd & George audited the Highway, General Fund and Special District claims. Superintendent Jensen requested the board to consider approving a request to Wyoming County Highway for  “Stop Ahead” signs for both ends of French Road to support the Town of Sheldon’s request upon the recommendation of Trooper Hoy’s report. Mr. Jensen also requested the board to consider adverting for a new 2008 loader and the purchase of a generator for the upper highway building, approx. cost is $3600. Board members discussed an alarm system for the highway building at a cost of $2157 plus monitoring options, reported that 5 Star Welding will be taking a look at the compactor, internet access and e-mail has been set up for the Assessor, need a part to get the zoning officer on-line, Breton Const. has repaired the salt storage building, which was damaged in the wind storm, (insurance check has come in for it). At this time Supervisor Grant introduced Mr. Tom Halter (NYS Real Property Equal. & Assessment) and Rick Dean (Wyo. County Real Property Director) to address the board regarding a re-val update.

 

 

February 13, 2008                                Regular Meeting                               7:30 PM

 

Supervisor Grant called the meeting to order at 7:49 and asked Councilman Gadd to lead the pledge to the flag. Present were Council Members Gadd, Frounick, George and Mohun, also Wyoming County Election Commissioner, Jim Schlick

 

Supervisor Grant opened the public hearing to consider a Local Law enacting Subdivision Regulations.

 

At this time Supervisor Grant asked James Schlick, Wyoming County Election Commissioner to discuss with Board Members consolidating Bennington’s polling places to one site. Mr. Schlick reported that the federal government is mandating that all polling places have a handicapped voting machine which cost approx. $15,000 each.   To save money, Wyoming County is asking each town to consider having all voting districts at one site. Due to the size of the town (area wise), parking requirements, assess ability, the best location would be the Bennington Fire Hall. The Bennington Fire Dept. has been approached and agreed to this.

 

Minutes of the January Meeting: Supervisor Grant asked if any corrections or amendments. Asked if town prosecutor’s salary should be left in there, changed to hourly rate or wait for March meeting. Councilman Frounick feels and believes he has stated before that if you don’t have a town prosecutor shouldn’t be in the budget. After a short discussion, it was stated that the minutes are what happened last month, what the board agreed to. A motion was made by George and seconded by Mohun to accept the minutes as presented. Council Members Mohun, George, and Gadd voted aye. Councilman Frounick voted no.

 

General Fund claims #19 - 59  totaling #42,351.32 presented.  Motion made by Gadd, seconded by George to approve the General Fund claims, voting all ayes, carried.

 

Highway claims # 1-33 totaling $35,305.65 presented. Motion made by Frounick, seconded by Mohun to approve the Highway Claims, voting all ayes, carried.

 

Special District claims #2 ($163.97) for Cowlesville Street Lighting and Cowlesville Water District claims #3 - 9 totaling $2436.04 presented. Councilman George hasn’t had a change to audit them so he made a motion to table the claims, motion seconded by Frounick, voting all ayes, carried. 

 

Supervisor’s Financial Report for January 2008. Supervisor Grant reported she has a couple of transfers to be made.  Motion made by Mohun seconded by Frounick to approve the Supervisor’s Financial report. Voting all ayes, carried.

 

Correspondence:

Memorandum from Dadd & Nelson re: Pomona/Bullis Road matter with Zoning Officer Kelly.

Proposal from Badger Meter on a service contract on the Radix Meter Data Collector.

Letter dated Jan. 9th from the Tn of Bennington Planning Board re: recommendations on adoption of local laws.

Letter dated Jan. 18th from Mac and Norma Willard addressing the Tn. of  Bennington Historical Society.

Certificate of Compliance  received from Anazone Electrical Cont on premises owned by Robert Schlossin,401 Lapp Road.

Certificates of Insurance naming the Tn. of Bennington as additional insured on their liability insurance policies received from Bennington Vol. Fire Dept., the Country Plumber and Huber & Huber Inc.

Certificate of Insurance sent by the Tn. of Bennington naming the County of Wyoming as additional insured.

2007 Year-end Report received by the Tn of Bennington Planning Board.

2007 Year End Financial Report received from the Varysburg Fire District.

Notice from GLOW of their Household Hazardous Waste Collection scheduled for May 10th in Mt. Morris.

January town clerk’s report.

Supervisor Grant has information on the NIMS Course scheduled in March.

 

 

Departments: Water - Have a proposal for a service agreement on the connect software and the radix data collector totaling $1571 or does the town want to pay for services as needed. After a short discussion decided to do check into it more.

 

Highway - Advertise for bids on a  new 2008 loader.  Motion made by Gadd, seconded by George to authorize the clerk to advertise for bids on a new loader (basic bid specs) with the bid opening to be March 12 at 6:30 PM. Voting all ayes, carried.

 

Superintendent Jensen asked board members at the work session if they would consider requesting  “Stop Ahead” signs for both ends of French Road. It was a recommendation made by Trooper Hoy to both the Town of Sheldon and the Town of Bennington Highway Superintendents. Motion made by George, seconded by Frounick to request the County to install “Stop Ahead” signs on both ends of French Road.  Voting all ayes, carried.

 

Generator for the Highway Building - Superintendent has been checking around and feels he can get one for approx. $3600 without the transfer switch. Highway crew would install it.  Motion made by Gadd, seconded by Frounick to allow the Superintendent to purchase a generator for the upper building. Voting all ayes, carried.

 

Alarm System for the upper building; Have a bid from D&D Alarms to install an alarm system at the upper building for $2686. Also two monitoring options, #1 - $198 and #2 - $248.Supervisor Grant reported she talked with Mike Hardie about installing the alarms system and he is going to check to see if the town can get any credit on the insurance for having them. Motion made by Frounick to have the alarm system installed at $2,686 and to go with option #2 ($248) monitoring option, seconded by Mohun, voting all ayes, carried. Councilman George asked if idling the trucks would set off the senors. Short discussion held. Councilman George feels should say something to D&D Alarms about that.

 

Transfer Station - Reported in the work session that Five Corner Welding will be taking a look at the transfer station.

 

Zoning - New Home Occupation permit submitted by Cheryl Hinsken 79 Kern Road, she wants to start a beauty salon. Motion made by George, seconded by Frounick to approve the Ms. Hinsken’s application for one year, voting all ayes, carried.

 

Assessment - Assessor Wittmeyer reported she attended a meeting  in Albany a couple of weeks ago and that the governor has put in his budget funding for restructuring assessment, wants to go with county wide assessment and has put funding in his budget for county wide assessing, eliminating the local town elected and appointed assessors and tax collectors, taking more power away from the towns. The County would also have the power to legislate uniform assessing codes, including the equalization of individual assessments and the reappraisal of parcels within the towns. Supervisor Grant reported they are trying to encourage county wide assessment and tax collection by getting rid of elected officials. Short discussion held. Councilman Frounick asked if should write letters. Supervisor Grant stated she wants to make copies of information she has received from the county, also Kandy has given her some information from the Genesee County Assessor’s Association, make copies and give to board members for review.

 

Special District Claims; Motion made by Mohun, seconded by Gadd to approve the Special District claims, voting all ayes, carried.

 

Supervisor Grant asked Mr. Robert Gadd, Chairman of the Town of Bennington Planning Board Gadd if he would like to address the Board on the letter regarding the surveys. Mr. Gadd reported the Planning Board put together 2 questionnaires. The first one he would like to get out in February, the second one he would to put out in March and explained. He feels they may do up to 5 questionnaires. Discussion held. Council Member Mohun would like to see some verbiage changed in the surveys. Councilman Frounick feels they should send out no more than 2 questionnaires. Discussion held as to how to get the surveys out and back. Supervisor Grant feels they would be better off mailing the surveys out. Councilman Frounick suggested one mailing for everything. Supervisor Grant stated that with regards to the Right to Farm Law,  the town will be putting together a “Right to Farm Law”  in the next few months, which is more for a PR purpose, they have been discussing this at the county level and that actually the County Ag. Districts right now have more teeth than any Right to Farm Law. Ellen also noted #3, grants, stated that the town has written a lot of grants and gotten money, also by having a town grant’s person, even part-time, may lose some money because if the town wants to apply for a major grant like we did for the Cowlesville Water District, the county will pay half of that. Councilman George noted that pages 1 & 2 over-lap, if eliminate some of the repeated information, asked if could combine, taking out items #3 & #4, combine, sending out only one page. Mr. Gadd will take the info back to the Planning Board.

 

Public Concerns: Jim Schlick asked where the town is on wind energy.  Supervisor Grant reported that GenWy Wind applied for a permit to erect a  test tower on French Road, and since that time they haven’t contacted the town with any results or anything, favorable or unfavorable, also Council Member Mohun has put together a draft law. Ms. Mohun gave each board member copies of articles that have in the paper in the past month. She has had a discussion with Rick Bolton who is a sound expert and Brad Jones, who is involved with the engineering aspect.  Also Ellen reported that the town has held 3 informational meetings on this matter.

 

Debbie Kipp has submitted a letter of intent for the position or alternate position on the Planning Board and made a statement endorsing that letter.

 

Councilman Gadd asked if heard any more about cable TV, he has been getting phone calls.  Supervisor Grant has heard nothing, will check and see if can’t get someone here for the March meeting. Also will get the information from former Councilman Fontaine.

 

Subdivision Regulations - Supervisor Grant asked if anyone had any questions/comments at this time. Discussion held. Council Member Mohun noted that there seems to be a lot of responsibly in it for the highway superintendent. Supervisor Grant reported that she will not act on this proposed law tonight since she hasn’t gotten any comments back from the Town Attorney. No one spoke for or against the proposed law. Four (4) residents present. There being no further discussion a motion was made by George, seconded by Gadd to close the public hearing. Voting all ayes, carried. Public Hearing closed at 9:11 PM.

 

Old Business:

Planning Board Vacancy: Three letters of intent received: Deborah Kipp, Deb Nye and Daniel Krzesinski.  After a short discussion, a motion was made by Frounick to table the appointment until the March meeting and interview all three at the work session, Motion seconded by Gadd. Voting all ayes except for George who voted No.

 

Audit of the 2007 town financial records - Supervisor Grant asked if any questions.  Council Member Mohun questions the court’s two (2) NFS checks. Supervisor Grant reported everything is OK, they were replaced. There being no further questions a motion was Mohun to accept the financial records of the Tax Collector, Town Clerk, Town Justice Court, Water District and Supervisor/Bookkeeper Financial records. Motion seconded by Frounick, voting all ayes, carried.

 

Town Prosecutor Salary- what to do with, Motion made by Frounick to table the matter, seconded by George, voting all ayes, carried. Councilman Frounick suggested that when the town does interview someone for the prosecutor position to invite the two judges to sit in.

 

Subdivision Regulations - Motion made by Mohun, seconded by Frounick to table the matter, haven‘t heard back from the town attorney. Voting all ayes, carried.

 

New Business:

Election Polling sites - Supervisor Grant noted that what the Election Commissioner didn’t tell the board was that after consulting with the local government, the Election Law states that if the town doesn’t make a decision to consolidate,  they, the Board of Elections, can make a decision. Motion made by George to change the Election site for all three (3) voting Districts within the town to the Bennington Fire Hall, motion seconded by Mohun, voting all ayes, carried.

 

Agreement to Spend Highway Funds per Section 284 of Highway Law - Motion made by Frounick, seconded by George that they agree to spend town highway funds as per Section 284 of the Highway Law. Voting all ayes, carried.

 

Dadd & Nelson Oct. 23rd claim for $1128. - The attorney has submitted a letter addressing the matter, does the board want to pay the claim. Discussion held. Motion made by George to table until Zoning Officer Kelly has a change to review the matter, seconded by Gadd, all ayes, carried.

 

Supervisor Grant reported she is still working with the Erie Co, Dept. of Public Works re: the consortium they have formed. Erie and Chautauqua Counties already in it, they have invited Niagara & Wyoming Counties to join to see if we can get cheaper utility rates.

 

Councilman Frounick questioned the Cowlesville Water matter, is Erie Co. Water Authority putting more water in the tank. Supervisor Grant reported they are putting more water in the tank, people are also being told to open their valves up a little more which will increase the water pressure. Mr. Frounick feel they have spent a lot of money on the hydrants and if can’t use, what good are they.  Mr. George asked if the hydrants meet the standard test, Told they do. Standard test is at 250 gal/minute, 20# pressure.  

 

GLOW Solid Waste is having another Household Hazardous Waste Collection May 10th in Mt. Morris by appointment only. Should the town schedule an appointment. Told yes.

 

Council Member Mohun asked if she could contact Rick Bolton and Brad Jones and set up a presentation/public meeting some time in March, doesn’t know what there schedules are, but maybe could do on a week night or Saturday.  Board has no problem with that.

 

Councilman Frounick feels the custodian should clean more often, the men’s bathroom is a mess.

 

Supervisor Grant gave everyone a copy of the County’s January Projects Report.  She mentioned that with regards to the Tooley Road bridge, looking at March, early April for bid letting (looks like they can build the structure inside the old right of Way and  the Urf Road bridge is going to have some repair work done.

 

Debbie Kipp stated that if instead of a lap-top computer, to consider an e-mail address on Kari’s computer, which would be sufficient at this time to efficiently perform her duties. She was informed that Andy has installed an e-mail address for Kandy, but needs a part to set them up on Kari’s machine, but will get them set-up on ASAP.

 

There being no further business, a motion was made by Gadd and seconded by Mohun to adjourn. Voting all ayes, carried. Meeting adjourned at 9:50 PM

 

                                                                                    Respectfully submitted:

                                                                                    Judith Brown

                                                                                    Town Clerk.