Town Board - Regular Meeting

Hi everyone. If you could stand for the pledge. I pledge to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Welcome to the uh Thursday night October 9th town hall board meeting. Note the exits behind you on both sides. The exit behind us on our right side. If you could please turn all electronic devices on vibrate. Uh Kathy, can we get a roll call? Yes. Councilman Cypress here. Councilman Larka here. Councilwoman Lewis here. Councilman Mazada here. Supervisor Duranti

here. Thank you. Okay. So we can get right into our work discussion. Our first discussion today is going to be the 2026 budget. So, I put I wrote stuff down because I I just want to be sure I got as many thoughts down as I could um for you all because Wendy and Alex weren't here Monday. Uh so yeah, so last Monday the board was presented with a tentative budget. It was a very brief presentation. Uh the reason for the short amount of public notice was I wanted to get the board as much time as as I could and get the tentative budget into their hands. Um now that the board has had a short time to start looking through the budget, I just wanted to share a few more details and go over some of them uh already presented. About two months ago, I started to sit with each department head and our accountant and we started working on their request for their departments. A few of our departments are very small. Nothing really changes in those departments other than salaries and possible postage increases. Uh so this year our tax cap is up to 4.23% 23% and I'm submitting a budget at a 10.95% of an increase for 2026. I do think percentages are hard to sometimes accept and most things are measured by percentages. What I'd like to speak to is the dollar amount for this 10.95 submission. Uh Southeast has the lowest town taxes in the county. I believe our closest municipality rate is a little less than half of what uh more than half

of what we are. So with such a low tax rate, any addition is going to make the percentage look extremely high. The dollar amount is a much more reasonable definition. what I'm looking uh to try to do per average household in Southeast, the 10.9% equates to $50 a year per household for our median uh price range. Uh some highlights of what I'm proposing is uh our tax cap dollars are $36,000 which isn't enough to cover all our non-controllable budget items such as insurance which is up 4.3% payroll increases which is which the total is $180,490 uh according to union contracts and raises. New York State retirement has increased by 19.76% which equates to $111,40. Health insurance increased by 4.35 a total of $31,627. And the current rate for our estimate for electricity increases next year is about just under $30,000. All these uncontrol non-control budget items are three $352,625. Uh which is 46,610 different which puts us in a tough spot. Um things keep increasing and you know we really don't have any control over some of these some of these things. So when my predecessor took over there weren't uh there there wasn't enough employees. So he focused on hiring time part-time workers to avoid providing benefits. In my opinion, this approach doesn't build a strong employee base and I find it it's harder to find reliable

part-time help except for maybe maybe Peter Bell. Regardless of the circumstances in the coming years, especially with New York State mandated programs and them not helping us financially, we'll need to expand our workforce and handle these unfunded mandates. This year, as a part of a succession plan for the building department, I'm requesting a full-time assistant building inspector who at some time can step to the to the inspector position when retirements are completed. The position crucial to prepare for upcoming retirements, also to manage the increased workload of the department and address unfinished items that need to be completed and closed. In your agendas, I put a little detailing of what's necessary to enter M6 items with permits and you know property owners and the actual uh steps to create permits and Wendy had asked you know about the efficiency of the department and you know it it may not be running totally efficient. Uh I think I think some improvements can definitely be made. Uh but the primary issue lies within the overwhelming volume of permits and all other things that these guys have to do and and the clerks at that at that uh juncture. Um and like I said on Monday, uh Wendy and Alex, you guys weren't here. So, originally I had actually included two other positions uh that we're going to end up needing to have to do because of the New York State mandates, but I I took them out to try to get the budget a little bit lower so that we can, you know, try to figure it out. Uh so, you know, with that, I I I don't know if you guys have some questions you wanted to ask now. I know

that you talked to Ron a little bit um and got some stuff answered. Um I have one question regarding the building department. Yeah. Mind guys if I start? Um was there I know I realized that uh MS4 has complicated the building permit process. However, um

has there been an increase in the number a vast increase in the number of permits per year that we require somebody a whole position for this. I mean there's not not a lot of building pl space left. You know, you don't see a lot going on. So has there been a huge I don't actually have the numbers. Uh, I guess Pete. Um, but uh what what I was looking at was total numbers and uh I guess what kind of happens how how cuz Lisa who is now in our assessor's office was down at the building department. So she kind of walked me through it a little bit and apparently

uh you know once somebody comes in they have to uh apply Yep. for the type of permit they want. Uh once that happens, the clerks put it in to a to a form to actually make it a permit. Then either Michael or Joe looks at it. Sometimes, I didn't know this, there's pre-insspection permit visits. So that makes the step longer. Uh and then once it's decided that they they're issued the permit, then it gets entered into the system again through MS6. And and honestly, I was looking through the MS6 and there's Oh, just real. So, oh, sorry. There's I'm confused. There's MS4 and there's M6.

Oh, I'm sorry. M6. What are we Are we You were talking about M6 because I think No, I think MS4 has a piece of the building permits, right? Isn't that Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's it's it's in the process from what I understand from talking. It's very complicated. I'm grasping it. Um but but my I think my question is more okay we're hiring a building inspector because of the permits and succession

and succession right but I know like each permit process gets handed to a different person who's already working you know Caitlyn has a piece um Bruce has a piece like it goes from person to person is I'm just kind trying to figure out the need for this and and I understand the succession we do have to plan for that. Um but I I guess I was looking for volume. Have has the number of permits increased over time where we need one person to handle all that? You can help us out because this is important. I don't I don't know if you can but I'm willing. Absolutely. You want to step on up here.

As far as the assistant building inspector is concerned, I'm just going to go based on what Michael and I talk about. Mhm. Um, one of the things that's lacking in the building department is something that I do uh is zoning. Yes. Uh, questions, problems, complaints, and everything else. Right. I am a part- timerr. I do all the complaints that come into town. Uh, if it's something that I can't handle, then I give it on to either Joe or Michael. But things like rental registration

Mhm. haven't been done for years. Uh there is probably a list of overund that we have to follow up on. And I just realized that we've been sending out u notices to people two months before their registration comes up, the rental registration. I think 10% of those people have refiled. That's time and effort. We do get paid a fee for that, you know, when they do their rent restoration, but zoning enforcement has been pretty much on my shoulders, right, for the last three years. But this position wouldn't be doing that, correct? Yes, it would.

Oh, would Okay. Yes. Okay. Absolutely. The building inspector would also be do following up with do code enforcement. Okay. Building department enforcement and zoning. Just so just I think that's good to be clear on that. And I think why I I'm sorry I didn't say that, but I think what Mike was saying was um if that new hire learns those three things, he can easily step into the inspector position at that point, you know. Okay. Just needed some clarity on that. Thanks.

The position though it um I know we talked about su succession planning, but when the succession when it actually takes place, will there still be the need for the assistant or that would then no longer be necessary because they're up to speed and they would then become the building inspector or do you anticipate this being a permanent position?

Well, what I'm kind of hoping for is Joe would be first to go and he is right now the assistant. So if we have this person for the year and they start to get back on track and Joe leaves, he's this person is now the assistant and within the coming year or so, Mike plans to leave. Then this person could step into Mike's spot, but we would have to at that point, you know, get another assistant for that inspector.

The good Sorry. The good thing though is, you know, as as one leaves, the new person is making a little bit less money at the start. Um, go ahead. Um, I think to his question, just simply, we're going to go to three people, two assistants, and a building inspector. When everybody's retired, are you saying we're having three or we're having two? No, I would I'm hoping we can stay with two at that point. Okay. But part of the reason that you're saying we need this is because we're behind and the volume. So if that's why we need it, how do we go back to two?

Uh I mean I would hope that with this third person doing all this zoning enforcement stuff, I think this is one of the reasons we're help we're backed up because we don't have enough hands and feet on the ground right now. Right. But if in two years we're back down to two, then you're in the same spot. I would hope that the department's running better. I I can't say, you know, if if we're gonna slow down with permits. And that goes back to Wendy's question. Is it efficiency or not?

So, you know, like if we need three, that's one argument. If we only need two two years from now, then it's an efficiency discussion. If it's for secession planning, which I support, that's a different discussion. So, like we're having a hard time understanding why you're saying we need it. And I'm not necessarily opposed to it. I'm just expressing why we're confused.

I just think it's both, honestly. Uh because they've gotten so far behind. If they had a little help when all three of them are there, I think they could rid the stuff that's that needs to get finished. And then moving forward, the department's running a little differently. A different person is in charge. There's a lot of permits sitting out there right now. Is that is that position in the budget? I don't recall it. It's in the one I gave.

That one is the other two are. Um, if you hire someone as assistant building inspector with the uh plan that they get promoted to building inspector when there's a resignation and retirement, do they have to test to get that promotion? I I think they do. Yes. Um, but the list we have right now both both it's very easy to take both tests.

Okay. It's like a fee and I think 25 extra questions. So I think everyone on the assistance list is actually on the inspector list and we can hire them as an assistant not as an inspector because that difference is uh a salary difference also. So if we hire an assistant it's it's less money. Is is there a new test? I ordered one uh because this one expires in July of 26. So when will that new test be? Did you did you include the full year salary in here? So if there's a new test, we're not going to hire till the new test.

Um so you know for this year we can take uh seven 12ths out, right? maybe maybe eight because the test results take I mean we could even you know Ron and I talked about this a couple times if if it's a six month or five month higher we could use fund balance for the for that portion to get us to the end of 26 I' I'd prefer to it's we should budget what we think is going to happen so if we think we're going to hire somebody for six months we should budget for that salary you know but that's a I don't know what benefits and everything. That's probably $50,000. It could come out of the budget, you know.

Yeah, it's it's like uh 133, I think, for that that title. Where I thought Eric was going with that question is, is there any risk to you having this as part of our succession plan and then a new test comes out and then he can't be the building inspector? Honestly, you know, then we've done all this training, we've had the extra person. I got to hope he passes the test. I, you know, I I don't know. Um, I don't know that to be honest. I'll have to ask. I don't think you can guarantee it. No. Is I thought the secession timing was like two years

for Mike. Joe, we're we're thinking is a year. Okay. Um, yeah. I don't know if we do we need to train someone for two years for that role. Like, is that a 2026 problem? Maybe it is, but maybe it's a Q4 2026 problem. And if it's 140,000, you save a h 100,000. Well, in talking to Mike, he he's very adamant on the the zoning end of it, the zoning enforcement end because Pete can't do certain things and but can you hire before the test? Like Eric was saying,

even even if we all wanted to, could this even be a fullear position? Oh, yeah. I could hire anyone off the list right now, but once it expires, um, actually, I don't know that answer. Once it expires, I think we could still hire them, but if a test is scheduled, we could we could provisionally hire someone, but we don't want to do that in the building department. Yeah, I wouldn't we should come on hire anyone provisionally. I mean, if you're going to help me, Pete, you got to come up.

Um, I, as you know, I work in a building department every day. And when you're talking about should it be two or should it be three, could it go back to two? Um, my opinion is you need three or at least two and a half. What do we have today? Two and a half. What's that? We have two and a half today, right? We do not. Well, you're you're half, right? You're three quarters. year have um could we should we have three? My answer would be yes. Um

so that would eliminate your position. Not not it would eliminate a part-time position to have the three full. Yes and no. I think there's enough work for three and a half.

We have two and a half. I think there's enough work for three and a half. But I I don't I don't understand when you guys are talking about that we're behind with stuff. We're keeping up. It is hard to keep up. Um permits went from 3 to four weeks to one to two weeks, but it seems as a volume is picking up considerably within the building department. The good thing that happened with rental registration is for a year and a half last year and the year before, I went through every rental registration I could find and we brought in $60,000 worth of income over and above. Now the problem becomes some of those are starting to expire. That means every single one that we got the $60,000 on is going to have need an inspection. It needs to have an application come in. It needs to have a permit issued, have the inspection done, write, you know, type up the permit. So, I believe that our workload is going to increase over next year just with those. If you sat in the building department any day, you'll see anywhere from 10 to 15 people just coming to the window with paperwork and checks and applications. Uh so in my opinion three and a half are necessary because you need that half the most. Uh but

a Michael a full-time assistant building inspector and I think if you brought in that assistant building inspector the current one would will go part-time in my opinion. So you might have two foss and two halves. Well, part of the part of the deficiency and deficiency thing that I saw is that and when I say backed up, there's almost 500 expired permits. Oh, so but but

what kind of permits? Ju just No, no, no. Just regular permits, framing, whatever. And and what I've what I noticed was u a lot of them are just not closed out. Correct. And that's in that's an M6. That's when I was talking about M6. I got a Mine wasn't closed out. I got a call this week about it. I I actually two years ago I actually closed one out the other day by mistake because we were just screwing around with it to see what it takes to get it done. And that's why you're not supposed to have right access. Was it mine? No, no, no. It was something that was done. We made sure it was done before I did it. But but that that's very true. And I'll tell you how I know that. I also do the municipal searches for the town.

Yes. And when I go in to do the municipal searches, I have to look at all the permits and all the applications. And 95% of the time that I besides condos, which are very easy any single family house or multif family house, 95% of the time has opened or expired permits.

Yeah. So now I have to go take a look to see whether or not it is an expired permit. Was it actually completed? The biggest problem we have with stuff like you're talking about, Nick, is you take out a permit to build a house under that, the electric, the plumbing, the gas, the whatever that the way it had been done in the past and I think probably within 10 years ago, they would close out the building permit. but never close out the gas, all the snow permits. Yeah.

And it 95% of the time I have to go through that. So, it just takes a little more time. It's not a big deal, but yes, there are tons of them out there and it would take an individual review each one. I don't necessarily know that that's necessary. Yeah. So, you don't see a lot of value in that. You think most of them it's just an administrative issue? Yeah.

Most of the time. Okay. I mean, one out of one out of five, one out of 10, uh, that I do find something that's specifically wrong that we have to go back. Um, basements are the most. So, there there's a lot of work to be done. They keep up with the current stuff. It's the stuff that's we haven't finished going through all the files yet to get rid of all the junk stuff that's in there. They're almost done with that. the comment of being behind that was you had said that it would take a year to catch up. So I think that was kind of our understanding but what you're saying is the work coming in you're getting to one to two weeks actually I think comparatively to our uh

good is very good. Yeah. Yeah. What I'm hearing is there's a lot of cleanup work that needs to be done and it's getting done. So that's you know we will we we should and we will get over that hump at some point. I don't think so. But, you know, it's just it's just going to be there are different things within there. And I keep on throwing back this the rental registration that in itself could be a full-time job for a zoning enforcement officer. Roughly that much work to do. How many um rentals do roughly do we have? 1,500. Yeah, that's a lot. What about

I don't see that number going up though. It sounds like it's maxed out. I disagree. But okay. Disagree. I do too. Especially when you when you adopt this legislation tonight. Yeah. The the uh the volume is going to go up. Yeah. Why? Why do you say that? Because there's a lot of new classifications of permits, short-term rentals. Oh, so you're saying Well, you're saying there'll be an increase of units for short-term rentals. Yeah. Don't you think so? and and they require inspections and well short short-term rentals actually require a whole planning board approval process with with different parameters. So I don't know I maybe but I don't I don't know that it would see a huge

but ultimately it would turn into a permit process so that if you have a you know a um a short-term rental uh conditional permit you're going to have to have some standards that are going to have I assume be enforced by the building department. Yeah. I mean, I kind of just disagree that the volume's going to increase because they can they can do it today. We're just making it more safe and a little bit harder for them to do tomorrow. They do it today, but they don't go through the process and there's the pro you're creating a they go through the rental registration process. Short-term rentals. Yeah, they should like 582. Well,

anyway, um title searches I understand that takes a lot of time. What? And is that you or is that Joe? No, no, that's me. Um, it doesn't take that much time. Do we we charge for title searches? Do we charge enough? Yeah, we get 250 for residential, 500 for commercial. We raise that. Do you guys raise that this year? And I think those those are fair numbers. I think, you know, Nick, I'm not exactly sure what this is for. This is the steps to do things.

Yeah. And was this like a training document that was left to somebody? Yes, that's exactly what it is. A trading document. And who did this? Victoria. No. Um Lisa took the class. Took the course. The guy actually came down to help her. Yep. And this is what we were kind of looking at as we were going through M6 the other day and looking at permits. And are is this to say that you think it's inefficient or it's very challenging to do these things? Like what's what are we trying to say with this? Because I'll I'll I just I don't know. I just wanted you guys to see the steps they have to take basically for this stuff.

Yeah. If if if we're saying look how much work goes into this and it's inefficient, we should get with Dan Foster. They're updating the software and say how can we how can we do better? And you know from my experience with this there have been things that our processes weren't as efficient as they could be and we were making it have to go through extra steps because of the way we've done it doesn't mean it's the way we need to do it

and you know no comment from you Pete but I I don't know that we're using the software if all of our employees are using the software to make it efficient and is there duplicate work where Somebody has something and then somebody else has to enter in the system. I think actually he is the one of the only ones in the building department that puts notes in these things which would make it I was trying not to Well, I mean that's the way it is. But but so so we have a efficiency problem and we're throwing money at it. Yeah. And you know I know this isn't the corporate world but you know we need to be more efficient especially when we have such a budget

deficit. Part of the reason is the the guy that's in charge of that department is telling me what he thinks. So, so when I sat with Bruce um late winter, that was my first question. Is there an opportunity to streamline this process? And he's like left and right. You know, there there has to be an easier way. You know, if your to Eric's point, if your process is slowing everybody down, maybe it's more efficient that we take a look at the process and see if there's technology or, you know, just a more streamlined

streamlined way to do it. And I'm not we're not saying, but not everyone uses it, somebody's not needed, but just maybe we need to look in all areas. So, you know, I I got to I got to call for help because I don't know, you know, I don't know M6 the way somebody that could make that assessment should know it to be honest with you. We've had Municity since before I was here. It was a customuilt at the time like using SQL and it was built specifically for us. Every municipality has to have a system of record. Yeah. where they you know repository for all their information.

This is it. But you know some people like it some people don't that we've looked at alternatives there's nothing we got to use it we got to use it more efficiently. Um what you know having been part of that implementation a lot of the things that we did building permit for example we had it customuilt to our building permit where maybe there's just a simpler way to do a building permit. I think our building permits are, you know, like I have to follow up on something. My house is done. I didn't find a final signed a final whatever for my CEO. I didn't even know I have to go do that. And I'm looking through it and I'm worked for the town fairly intelligent. I'm like, this is so complicated. It is.

And I think the village has like a onepage uh building permit. And then can we accept building permits online? We have the weirdest building in this with zero parking and you can't, you know, you've got to how do you even park to get there? I mean, we could say, "Hey, submit online." There's there's and that is possible. Dan Foster did come up. We had a whole meeting about it. Um, they were ready to implement it and there was push back. The these are things that we can do to set us up for the future that's not just going to hammer us with $150,000 employees. Well, two things I can mention that we don't take credit cards

and I think that that is quite archaic. I don't know the reason why, but when somebody comes to the window and says, "Listen, I want to pay my thing." Or it's a cash. There's no cash. It's either check or money order. We don't take credit cards for any building permits. Nothing in the building department. Yep. I was just I was just there. I picked up a permit for a future project and not only is the permit like ex it appeared outdated but you're right there's no credit card.

The other thing uh is we do not have our building department files online. efficiency would be 100% better if rather than having to get up, go to the file cabinet, pull out a building department file, sit there, go through it, and then do whatever you have to do. What I do when I do my searches, all the information I use for the search, I scan. So now in the computer, y is an entire um

history package of what's gone out to the client for the search plus all the backup material. So if you pull that up now that should be able to sh be shared in some other spot, not just in the search. Yeah, you can do electronic foil. Yeah. But here's the problem and and I agree with everything you said, but it's garbage in, garbage out. So unless everybody uses the system the way it's intended and scans and does everything, we'll never get there. But I'd rather spend 150, 300,000, 500,000 to get everything online so that we don't have to keep throwing money. Then this is the time to do it. You already approved a bunch of money to do this.

Was that for build? Well, I mean, was part of building, right? Yeah. The 42 grand, wasn't that Wasn't that to be used for building, too? Yeah. But this is the time to do that because the files have been gone through. All of the old stuff has been thrown out. Only the current stuff

and you know maybe one or two items are in there which are basically letters are left in the file. So if we don't have to have those files and you can go directly to the computer. However, we arrange that within the computer having a new, you know, line item that says permits. You know, right now permits are only put in after they've been written and they put it in as a media file. It should go in as a standard. So it efficiency in the building department would increase 100% by putting everything on the computer.

And do you know that uh at the county building on Main Street, they have a whole archive there. And I I got a tour recently. They have a huge room, two people, scanners everywhere. Their job is to uh digitalize all their records. I mean, I would pay them, you know, you walk the 10 file, 10 boxes down a month or something. I mean, this isn't on you, Peter, but like I don't know, a couple of years ago, we were told we needed more efficient storage in the building. Eric and I went there. We were okay spending that money. We didn't go ahead with it. Yeah.

We were told we needed to scan and stuff. We approved that money. I don't know where we're at with it. We wanted to go to online permitting. We were told no, we can't do that. Like Eric and I, sorry to rest you, but Eric and I have been trying to invest in the building department for years and we never make any progress. Where did the um I don't know. I I don't know the reason. I Yeah, I don't know the reason. I said it's not on you. Yeah.

No, I understand. I don't know the reasons why or why not, but all I'm telling you is from my perspective, for what I do every day that if I could just go into M6 and look up a look up a property and there's all the permits, there's all the applications, there's everything that's in the file. I could do a title search in 20 minutes. We need to understand what towns that may be more sophisticated than us are doing. Yeah, that's what I was thinking.

I I think too maybe what now we should do is uh Lisa gave me the person that came and talked to her. I should take him down to the building department and everybody should get this training because she showed me you can make permits on that M6. You can you can you can actually do a lot of things on the computer that we're doing by pen and paper. Uh but many things are just, you know, the ideas come up and they just like Eric said, they go nowhere. Um,

well, you know, right now I have egg on my face because I'm listening to my inspector tell me to bring a body in and just in our conversation, there's no question at all in my mind that that person is needed. No question. Absolutely. Every one of our inspectors, including the building inspector, is booked every single day. When we got involved with rental registration, the wait for an inspector was three months because we had so many come in all at once. We're gonna have that again and it still remains those three people. So, I just

I don't want to make it you think that we don't need that third person. I'm actually disagreeing with Nick. I think you need the third and you're going to need it in the future. just feels like we could do I mean we're not doing things right whether we need the third person or not we you know even if it's just for uh the sanity of the employees there we need to be more efficient

and you know Nick that you're CEO that's got a the message that that comes from you and you know I had a brain aneurysm trying to go through the implementation of M5 and we had them here to train and we did everything we possibly could. We had meetings. They we we had a meeting where they came down. We just couldn't get to where we needed to be. And uh I just don't have the energy to fight that. What What do you mean you couldn't get to where you needed to be? What was the roadblock? Uh who was the roadblock? Yeah. You know, we could we I don't know that we should talk about that.

Let it the bottom line. Eric and I, Eric before me, and then Eric and I invested a lot of time in this and made zero progress. I'll just add one thing just from a lot of experience about implementing new systems and technologies. If you aren't willing to change your base case when you introduce a technology or system, then you might as well not invest in that technology at all. Because if you're going to just take that technology just to replicate what you're doing today and not change anything else, then you accomplish nothing.

So at this point, what I would suggest if if we do have this technological ability to make true change, it has to require a base change in practice. So if that means changing the the actual what the permit looks like, moving stuff online, accepting uh online payments, all these things, all these things have to be done first before in my opinion before we consider another body. I I would not be comfortable investing in another person until we've demonstrated that these items have been completed. And then if we're still in that position of being overwhelmed, I I would fully support it. But right now, after what I'm hearing, to me, it doesn't sound like we're we'd be even prepared to make the next person efficient for us. I'd be afraid they wouldn't be as effective because we don't, you know, we're not behind the scenes ready for them.

Thought of that, too. Yeah. And some of the time that, you know, Peter's spending on work that doesn't have doesn't speak to his his ability, his resources. You know, he's he's a resource and he's got, you know, a certain certain set of skills, but a lot of the busy work that you're doing can be performed by somebody else to make your time more efficient, more value. Yes. And no. Um I I do agree with you on one part of what you're saying, Alex. Um yes, we should get the efficiency done today.

The problem is the efficiency is not going to is going to take 6 months to a year. If you're talking about digitizing all the files within the building department, in that time we are going to need that third person. We need the third person today. Uh, I get that. But we're facing an 11% increase at the same time. That's the problem. If we were at a two or a three, yeah, maybe we wouldn't even have this discussion, even though we should because we would still want to be do it the right way. Yeah. But when we're talking about this, looking at an 11, that's a hard conversation. Yeah.

And and I think I agree with everything Alex's saying. I understand what you're saying. And you know, maybe it's not we have to complete this efficiency, but we need 100% buy in and we need to, you know, take that first step to feel comfortable to bring the next person in and say, "Hey, here's where we're headed. We don't have to be there, but we we need to be I just wouldn't want one to cancel out the other. You know, being more efficient with M6 in my eyes is not that difficult to do. It's just time consuming." Um, so having having that other assistant building apartment person I feel is critical

in my eyes from what I see and what I've been doing. I mean, we went through the whole thing with how many hours that I was spending as a part-timer. I could spend another 20 hours a week over and above what I'm doing now to get everything fixed. Uh Lori and I were just talking about it and I have three projects that I haven't even touched yet because I haven't had time to do them. Those would be a zoning enforcement officer. Pete, if you won the lottery tomorrow. Bye. And we hire we hire we we hired a third person. Are we good with I'm going to be I'm going to be in Myrtle Beach. If we be in your You see I we put shouldn't really be answering this question, right?

But so let's make that clear. But in in your opinion, if we became efficient, you won the lottery, we got three full-time people. In my mind, that should be good. We don't need three and a half. Yeah, it's fine.

Okay. So, why don't we do this? Well, I I will do this. Six months. What the hell's the difference? We've gone this long without using the the system correctly. And like Alex said, maybe I needed to hear it. We can't bring someone into a to a misfunctioning situation. We have to get the situation functioning correctly so that the new person is taught that way, right? That's what you mean. Yeah. basically. So, and and if this new test doesn't come out for six, seven months,

we have six or seven months to learn how to use M M6 before we have we can again in the building department M6 uh is our Bible. Unfortunately, the Bible just doesn't have enough pages and it would take six months in my eyes and I'm no expert to digitize all those files. So, in the meantime though, we do have a critical shortage of an assistant building inspector in my opinion.

To Eric's point though, we don't need to get to the end like you said. We just need buy in and we need to start the process. We're not gonna we're not going to have the most efficient building department with all the new software up and running in six months. That's never going to happen. But we need to be committed to getting there because we've been trying to get there for four years and we never even take the first step. I I'm just as I'm intimately involved with this other department. Um the assessor's office is all digitized. You can go on there and as a resident look up anything that you want.

Not right now. Not on the GIS. I don't have access. I just got back from the conference. Um, that's the way that this system should work that any resident can go in look for themselves. We we now have we have to go through foil requests when a homeowner wants to see their file. I don't know if that would change. Not when they're not their own file. Somebody other than a homeowner wants to see that file. I don't know how that would change, but then if there was a way that we could give them a specific password to go into that file to look at it, that would eliminate people coming into the building department. I agree.

For somebody having that file set aside, having them sit down and ask questions. So, there's many, many things you can do to make it more efficient. I have a pet peeve when it comes to process, you know, why do we do it this way? Oh, because that's the way we've always done it, you know, and that's always Yeah. that we have so many things that happen like that in the building department that it just I think the process is just ruined from top to bottom because we're still doing it the way we've always done it and it doesn't work in today's world. I agree with you. Um, I do it differently. Mhm.

Than the other people in the building department do. Um, I think that our tablets are very efficient for the building department, but I don't think they're used utilized the way they should be. Um, and because of Michael Levine, every time there is a complaint and I go and look at that complaint, when I come back, I put it right into M6. So, you can go into that complaint, see what I did to try to cure it, show that the violation is closed and on what date. It's a simple thing. People just aren't utilizing. Well, that could be the standard though and standardization is you use the tablet

efficiency. Oh, sorry. No, that's okay. Done. Do you use the tablet out in the field? Yes, sir. And you use it for like the pictures and everything like that? Yes, sir. Does Well, we need to look to see if that's being utilized more broadly. Yeah. Um Kathy, yes. They don't take credit cards there. Is that it's something that can be done with with the system that you have in place? Well, I mean, they just would have to work with Ron to set up their third party um and then we put the link on the just like for the courts do. Yeah, courts do. You click that little button. Do we get credit card in at the town? Yeah, I do credit cards.

So, you do credit cards, but we could do the same system or something. It just have to be separate account or something like that. It would be a separate account. That's correct. Yep. You can use your credit card to pay your taxes, correct? Yeah. You pay 4%. Thank you, Pete. Do that if you pay 4%. Exactly. 3.99. Okay. Go ahead. Thank you, Pete. Thanks, Pete. Uh, what else? Oh, go ahead. No, I I'm justing is the count the county sales tax share is not in the budget, correct? No, it is not. No. Okay. You're going to find out tomorrow when the payments are going to come. He said March, but isn't it quarterly?

Yeah. And for some reason, it's not this quarter. It's It's going to come in March. And I I didn't get So, we're going to get three payments in fiscal 2026, I think. So, he didn't tell me uh how much the first quarter. And uh what's the other thing he said? Well, I will find out more. I know he was here last night, but but yeah, you're having a meeting tomorrow, right? So yeah, just find out when the payments are coming and just an estimate of what it is. I know it can change, just an estimate.

So that was the other thing I put you all on the email. You had a chart yesterday and our population only said 156 I think and we looked in a few places and it says we are at 18 something. It's cuz I think it's cuz No, we looked. No, because the village also has their own population of about right around 2500. Awesome. So that you know if that's the case, he said he's going to So that still doesn't. That's going to be a a little bit of money. Okay.

Because I think the village has 25 on the on the board he had. The village is 2500 people. Minimum payment is 50,000. I would assume the number is 2,000 because the village is getting 58,000. So for that 500 people, it might be eight grand. So if we're like 2 or 3,000 off, we we could be getting a little bit more. All right. Yeah. Uh I read in a paper the other day, or maybe it was today, uh that tax sharing town of Southeast to get 353,000 That is an estimate.

Yeah, that number we thought but I thought they said and I may have misread it that it was going to start December 1st. I don't know if the December 1st is the start of the sharing or is that the first start of the Well, the document I read I couldn't figure that out and that's why I that's why I asked Nick to find out. So I it sounded to me like we were getting a payment next December 1st. December 1st as well, but maybe that's when it starts acrewing and he says we might not get it till March now. So I just I'd like to find a way to get some of that into the budget. So So um we want to we want to know when and how often. I think when what's it for? What period is it? Capital projects. I think

no not what it could be used for but if we get a payment in March what what is that payment from like does that cover just the quarter if it's saying December 1st or right is it retroactive but now you you just mentioned something about into the budget what what are your thoughts

well you're putting me on the spot but let's say we're getting $350,000 and I'm just throwing out an idea maybe 175,000 of it is for a brand new wishlist project that we never would have thought of and maybe $175,000 of it is something that we were already going to do next year and we offset that with this money and that's $175,000 out of the tax cap. No, Mike Berdick is is licking his lips right now too though because what Eric's saying is not incremental though. I'm saying maybe half's incremental and half we yeah, you know, we use for something we would do anyway,

like laser fish. Stop talking about that. Um, what else? I I have some more questions. Um, I wanted to bring up the courts. Um, I don't I don't know if you looked at the new budget that Ron sent, but the figures through September, it actually picked up in my opinion considerably.

Yeah, in my opinion, it's it's um it's still down I I believe from where it should be. And you know that's not a controllable for us. I I completely understand that. Um but I have a few questions. One if we when we write parking tickets and when there's no for properties and there's um fines attached to those, does that revenue hit the court line? This one court line is that all-encompassing or does it somehow get funneled to the building department?

I I think that's courts. Any fine? I'm not quite sure how the money uh travels within the town. Um, and I think the the more important question is if if the uh court is picking up these fines um for for uh for town code violations, is that part of the money that gets sent to the controller just to get sent back to us or do we keep it? Um, and I I don't know the I mean that's something that that only Ron can answer. So, can you can you answer? Um,

let me just write a note. Yeah. So, NOV and and tickets. Do you mean um building permit tickets or parking tickets? Well, I mean parking tickets code violations. Yes. Town code.

So, I mean parking tickets. If some guy doesn't cut their grass and we charge them a hundred bucks, you know, where does that go? What I'm what I'm hearing so far in this discussion is the building department's crazy busy. Zoning is crazy busy. We've seen the NOVs. Um, you know, all these permits, a lot of these permits or failure to file them turn into NOVs and those go to the court. I don't know how if we're collecting money. I don't I don't know what fines we collect, but we're doing a lot more work. Courts, the revenue is going to the courts. So, it's, you know, we we show up. that could be because the building department's driving more revenue. And if it is, then that, you know, maybe that justifies the headcount, but um I'd like to understand that.

Okay. Um for pilots, will I think you had mentioned actually Lori would probably know. Um yeah, he he knows that number. We we I wasn't I'm not clear on how these hit. So if my understanding is that a pilot can impact our tax levy or tax or um tax cap and trying to find it less in lie of taxes. Yeah. So it was 53,000 then 59,000 um then

and it's adjusted to 75. I believe that number, if I'm correct, is is going to pan out by the end of the year because we know who who is

well the 57 should be locked in because they should have paid. Uh that's a that's a one-time payment. Um we've got 58 for next year, but 75 for this year. If I understood, the logistics center is not fully COed. So when it is there will be additional payment in lie of tax revenue and so that would increase the mill rate for the tax levy. Yeah, please come up. And it would increase the mill rate for the tax levy. It would put more money in that revenue line. But does that income or does that just impact the tax cap next year? I'm going to try to give you a simple answer to a very complicated question.

So, it's not additional revenue. The pilot payment is not additional revenue. It's instead of right payment in L taxes, right? So, this year they were on for partial value for both buildings cuz one doesn't have their CO yet. The other one got it like in June. So, they're on a partial value for this year. They're paying full taxes on those multi-million dollar partial values. That doesn't impact the tax levy at all. total tax levy. Right. Right now it does. Sure. Because they're not paying in lie of taxes. They're paying taxes. They're paying actual taxes. But but tax levy, that's the amount that we're telling the people that they have to pay. If if logistics pays a billion dollars in taxes, our tax levy is still 7 million or whatever.

So once that kicks in, they're paying less tax. Is our isn't our levy our budget that we passed? That's what the amount of money we have to raise. That's the amount of money we have to raise, right? If that's fully on the tax role, it affects the mill rate. Correct. Right. So if it comes off the tax roll, doesn't impact the levy le our but our levy is still the same. That money comes, it would increase the mill rate and go into this revenue line item. Doesn't affect the tax levy, but it affects the tax rate. Correct. But so like let's just use easy numbers. Let's say this year they paid $100,000 in taxes.

Yep. But next year they're going to have a 50% reduction because of the pilot. Their total assessment may be more, but it's going to be a 50% reduction of whatever that new number is that they're now paying the payment in lie of taxes. So next year we might actually get less money out of them than we got this year on a fully taxable partial value, right? But that's revenue then, right?

But so are taxes. But let's let's say my house is worth a million dollars and it burns to the ground and it's worth a h 100,000. It doesn't impact any money that the town gets, right? So if this is assessed at a million dollars, that goes away because they're going to pay now they're going to pay half a mill. Does it impact our what we're getting for the budget? Sure it does. No, it doesn't impact what we're getting. Right. We're if our tax levy is $10 million, right? We're getting $10 million. It's it's how much are is each person going to pay, right? Like you said before, it affects the tax rate. Tax rate, right?

Right. So, if this comes off the tax rolls and they give us, let's use your example, 50 grand, that hits a revenue line. Mhm. And that's revenue just like the taxes are. It's an additional stream of revenue but will be in theory 50 grand less in revenue for next year because this year let's say they paid 100 grand in taxes. Next year they're going to pay 50 grand payment in lie of taxes. So the net is going to be a negative. Well I think I understand what he's saying. What am I not I'm sorry. What am I not getting? Let's say a levy 7 million. Okay. We passed the budget at seven million. It's going to be more than that. But right

we collect our seven million. Mhm. Next year they're not going to pay in that 7 million. They're going to give us 50 grand separately. We already got our 7 million and then we're getting that 50 grand. So it sounds like he's saying that's revenue. Maybe we're wrong, but I think I understand what he's saying. Like let's say my my favorite building in the world. It's on the tax rolls right now, right? Yes. Comes off tax rolls tomorrow. Yep. Doesn't impact our budget at all. We're still getting the same amount of money from the taxpayers this year, but it's a high at a higher tax rate, right? Tax rate goes up. Correct.

So our what we're having in here is revenue. So real property taxes, right? Two two, I don't know, $7 million. Whether the logistic pays or not, we're getting that $7 million, right? They're paying a portion of that 7 million now. They won't pay a portion in the future. We're still getting the 7 million. So when that payment in the taxes kicked in, they're giving us a check that's outside of the tax levy for money, right? But we got to get that money from the other residents. It's just a separate revenue line. So when But it's incremental. But wouldn't we use that revenue locked in?

All I'm saying is is if we're raising $7 million in taxes for our levy, right? That's whatever that tax rate is. And then if we get 50 grand less or 100 grand less or whatever, we won't because of the pilot, we will. No, we'll still get 7 million. No matter what, right? I I I I'm pretty sure that no matter what we say our budget, but the levy is the budget, right? So we we are going to spend $7 million. If we're not The levy is what we need to collect. I mean, the budget's whatever 18. Okay. But yeah, you know, we have other revenue than taxes. So 7 million is what we collect and once that's locked in we're getting that seven million.

So what I think though is to get the 7 million the rest of the town has to pay for that if the rate changes. Yeah. Yeah. So does that go forward? We'll have to make up the 50 grand, right? But then they're also giving us the 50 grand, right? No, the net the net difference is going to be 50 grand in my example. They're paying 100 grand this year. Yeah. Next year they're going to pay half of that because their 50% pilot's going to kick in, right? But they're going to give that on to us on top of the 70 million, but they're going to give us 50 grand in a pilot payment as opposed to the 100 grand in taxes this year. It's a payment in lie of taxes. It's not in addition to. It's instead of.

It is. It's not for them. It's not in addition to. It's like in for the whole town. It is in addition to. Yeah, but if if we were to put that 50,000 into the levy, we're still short 50 grand. You could reduce the levy by 50 grand, right? But we're we're we're trying to stay under the tax cap. I think a payment of move taxes is a incremental line of revenue. That's what I'm trying to figure out. We set the budget for 7 million. They don't pay anything. We're still getting 7 million. Yeah. Like like you said originally, it it'll be a different tax rate. And then they're handing us a check. Now we have 7 million50,000. They're follow what he's saying. Yeah.

And then that's going to increase every year until the pilot goes away. Then they get dumped in. So that could be a fiscal cliff. Let let's let's use a real life example like right now with the school tax bill, right? School tech tax bills are out. the um asendico and the comfort in each in the in the middle of a a level year of a pilot, right? Brewster school uh sorry uh Asendico paid something like $450,000 to the school district. They are how far along are they?

And you know they have different they have different phases, right? So I have to phase that in. Um but let's say they're halfway through, right? So when they're done, they'll be paying, let's say, a million dollars in taxes to the school district five years from now. The comfort in is like four years in. So they're, you know, the same type of thing, but they're So I thought when Ron's doing the budget, and I don't look that closely because I don't care. There's the revenue stream from the taxpayers, right? Taxes raised. And then separate and apart from that is the pilot payment, estimated pilot payments. The the taxes raise line is static. to what we said of that. Um,

no, but may maybe what she's saying if it's on the other line already, then that's already built into the letter. That's my point. It's not instead of it's it's separate but included in without that but without that other budget line would have the levy would have been 7 million50. So that's why the tax cap goes up then. Right. Right. So maybe Yeah. So, but he has it on the same lines. It's under real property taxes, but the tax levy's 4% this year and I think part of that pilots and then when the pilots expire. Yeah, I I didn't bring mine, but if you look at the cover sheet, he's got an adjustment for pilots. So,

I know that there's a budget line that Ron always puts in. No, but as part of the tax capation. Yeah. Um there's all kinds of adjustments. 75,000. So, does that look right? I I don't know the numbers. Yeah, I think you're right, Eric, because I know Yeah, what Eric Cypress is saying. So, so next year because I get the phone call from the school district asking me kind of the same question. So, next year if that gets a CO, the tax cap could be 6%. Maybe that's I I guess we need I left my magic eight bullet wrong tonight. But what Lor's saying is that they're taxed this year. 2011 is taxed this year.

As much as it is, it's 75% complete. Same thing with 101. Maybe the value is 30 million on 101 now, but when it's completed, which now has a SIBO, it's worth 50 million, but it's going to be 50% abated. So you might be the same amount of revenue. on 50 million and once you get to the 10 years then it's 100% tax no different. Yeah. I think yeah I think if the budget line is accurate for what she thinks we're going to get next year I think she's convinced me that we're not getting anything extra like you were saying.

But if we raise the tax cap 4% that's what we're bringing the levy to. So we've included that amount. We're bringing the levy to whatever we need, right? And yes, we want it to be under the tax cap, right? So when that money goes away, we we've already baked it into the tax levy. It doesn't go away though, Eric. It just it will get incrementally more each year until they're fully taxable. Right. But it's not just jumping in the pool. It's making the pool bigger. What? I'm trying to explain it. So, so you had me for I love you but what

so two let's say the tax cap's 2%. Right. Let's say uh logistics center adds 1%. Because of the pilot payment in l of taxes and that's why the pilot the p the tax cap is 4% this year should be normally it's two it's 4% this year 4.2 4.2 part of that is because of payments and the taxes were toll right. And then you could raise the tax levy by up to 4%. Because you have this extra revenue coming in, right, without going to a, you know, if if we exceed the tax cap, we have to go to public vote on that, right?

But I don't understand how that math works because that's money in a separate separate revenue line, but you're increasing the levy going forward. So when the um pilot goes away, I guess that just gets dumped in, but that money then hasn't gone to reduce taxes. It's been grabbed if you go up to the tax cap. I you look I I'm not a tax cap expert. There's no offset. I could tell you anything you want to know about pilot, but tax cap's not working.

I'm just trying to I don't know if you guys care, but I need to wrap my head around if the tax cap goes up because of growth and the growth isn't offsetting the taxes. Is the tax cap the tax cap goes up because of the taxable values of the No, that like I said, I'm not a tax cap expert. Eric's better at that. No, the the values are just uh determine what piece of the pie you're responsible for. But what is the growth adjustment? I think part of that is payment in taxes, right? I don't I don't

So if we didn't have payment in le of taxes, would we not have growth? Because we've got almost 2% growth outside of the pilot adjustment. Yeah. I don't know. I don't know. I think I I think you said Ron's coming to the next meeting. Yeah. Great. I'm dismissed. That's two weeks away. We should Thanks, Lord. It's too far, right? I thought you were right here.

Nick, for the computers, we talked about um paying for and I don't know if you got a response yet. Every computer that we think needs to be replaced in the next 16 months, we should do this here. In my opinion, I don't know what you guys think. Out of out of the budget or out of a one time a one shot, I would depend. You know, I would ask that you go look at the numbers what we have in contingency. I haven't looked, but if we there's there's there's I think like 40,000 maybe. Yeah. Maybe a little less. I would like us to take care of that this year if we could.

Yeah. Ca Kathy um and I were talking about it. I sent a an email to CB20 to get an estimate on these on all of them. The ones that would need to be replaced and the ones that we could update, but I think we'd rather bypass updating and get the new ones, too. I think that would just be the smart move. That would be instead of eight, you would have like 14 computers. Yeah. Yeah. If we had to do it next year, though. I'd rather do it. Well, some of them are able to be upgraded to um Windows 11. Yeah. Okay. There are so

I was just going to I think I agree with you, but I would ask CB20's advice, you know, just because they can be upgraded. Yeah. Maybe we don't want to, you know, maybe it's by the year, you know, cuz I the thing you handed out last time had like how old they were are. So maybe just draw a line like older than X we replace. You know,

there were only like two I'd say that are like around the 5year mark that were able to that they thought could be upgraded. So the rest of them that could be upgraded were like between, you know, one and three years old. The only thing that I was thinking was because it's probably almost half the computers are that old and if we go and replace all of them, you know, when they they're all going to die at the same time kind of thing. You know what I mean? But that's pretty far down the road.

I don't know if we got to do all, but I'm open to the idea. But I would do like don't like nickel and dimes with approving one laptop every week. You know what I'm saying? Like if there's six that we should do this year, like let's transfer enough money for six next week and be done with it. Hopefully he'll answer. There are eight. Okay. Yeah. Um do we get records on the door dog warden? Is that a flat amount or do they get paid uh as No, she's she's um she never has the same hours. She charges us basically per hour, I think. So she submits for hours. Yeah. and mileage

and mileage. Do we get uh a record of that? Oh, yeah. Um I don't know if it's included in here. I can get Ron to give me that for sure. Okay. Uh because I have to she's on she's on our payroll basically. Okay. So, every week I see her check. Um we talked about Bruce's position last time because we were talking about MS4. Mhm. And you think we talked about we need another person for MS4 for physical, not for just for the physical work.

Yeah. And that's something that Mike is uh a little more aware than Bruce is because, you know, Mike is the guy that's been cleaning these things and stuff. And that's not in the budget though, right? No. That you sent. Okay. Is that um would that be a highway? They would have to they would have to come out of there, but you know I I don't I'm not really in tune to the highway department because Mike runs it like a top. Um but he says he can't he can't afford losing a man. No, no, I'm I'm say but it would fall on his budget though.

Yeah. Okay. And we did talk about hiring a contractor, but I think that would just be too much. Just, you know, cuz we're still involved and we're getting charged for this cuz is this could this be does it have to be um a position that's within the highway like a a teamster or is this like a facility position that we could hire that that may be cheaper? Honestly, I don't know that. But, you know, they're they're on our roads. You know, it's not a building. Okay.

And you know, the other thing that's so great about Mike Berdick is every time we talk, he reminds me of something else we got to do. And one of them is the uh drainage districts. Will he's talked about keeps talking about that. Um so that might have to be a consideration next year. What? Like um what do you Yeah. Uh the the place we just dedicated the roads to um Fortune Ridge. Yeah, Fortune Ridge. That will end up having to be a drainage district because they have

It is a drainage district. It's already been set up. It was set up years ago and Mike is talking about doing actually that wouldn't even be on us from what he's telling me. Well, it's not it's going to be on us because we maintain it, but it's on the taxpayers because we will then assess those homeowners that are in the district for the cost of maintaining those basins. Yeah. Historically, we have plenty of drainage districts, but we've never Yeah. assessed the charges directly to them. So, I think to what he said, now we're under a mandate under MS4 to make sure that those districts and those drainage basins are properly maintained. Is it only new ones or this would impact all the old districts?

But what I think he was saying in those specific districts, he can get an estimate on what it would cost and those we could um sub out. We could have somebody come in because the district is paying for it. But all of ours that is not, you know, it's all our own drainage basins and our own catch basins and whatnot are have to be done by ourselves. He says we have 2500, but that's going to be another conversation. That's will is that what does that entail setting up? Is that they're all set up? All the old ones. Yeah, the ones that have districts set up has a drain.

Indian Wells is set up. Oh, let's come. So, so they're all done with during the planning process. So, they're set up so so we can just determine a a cost and that'll go to the tax bill. Yep. Exactly. That'll go over like a board. Mhm. Especially with me. The library. You have some honesty. I think that's all I had. You guys have other questions? No, I'm good. Thank you. I've had my head.

All right. So, I got a couple of things I need to ask Ron about there. Okay. Uh so we can move on. we could move on to our next discussion which is uh improvements to Markal and Volunteer Park. Uh I I could let you talk about this, Alex.

Yeah. Um so we did a bid, Jared did through his office for the um two batting cages, one in Markel Park and one at Volunteer. Um bids came in. I think we got three bids. Yep. Um and uh I believe the lowest bid um came in about $109,000 uh for the two cages roughly $55,000 each. Um it was a little more than that, right? He negotiated. You're right. I think um2 I think there were about 120 the initial bids came in and then um

Jared was able to negotiate able to negotiate with the lowest bidder. um he was able to negotiate that price downward to I think the 109. Y um the other bids I think were in the vicinity of 150 and 170. So there was a pretty wide range. So this bidder

um who Jared checked their credentials and they actually do a lot of these around the area. So it seemed like they checked out very well. professional company. Um and um so that's um really what's before us at this time. I think we had set aside around $80,000 initially. That was the initial estimate of what we thought it would cost, but I think that was probably set in early February or March. And of course in this market, everything is more expensive than you think. So, you know, brings us to the $19,000 number. Um, which is our point of discussion at this point.

Yeah. I mean, you guys with the amount of time we've committed to it. Yes. Yes. Exactly. It's time. Yeah. Okay. Um, all right. So, I'll make a motion to open the regular meeting. Second. All in favor? I. All right. So, I'm going to also need to make a motion. Okay. I'd like to make a motion to declare the town board as lead. The rules. I'd like to make a motion to wave the rules. Second. All in favor?

I. I'd like to make a motion to declare the town board as lead agency for purposes of seeker regarding amendments to the zoning code relating to the rental registration and short-term rentals local law number seven of 2025. Uh second uh all in favor I'll second. All in favor? I All right. I'd like to make a motion to adopt the neg the the seeker negative declaration in connection with the proposed local law number seven a copy which has been circulated. Second. All in favor?

I thank you. Yep. I do need to read this. Nope. Now go to number one.

Okay. Uh so our next resolution is the amendment to local law chapter 108 138 regulations of rentals and senior housing. Now therefore be it resolved that the town Oh I should read the right one. Hey. Now therefore, be it resolved that the town board of the town of Southeast hereby adopts hereby adopts local law number seven of 2025 pursuant to the municipal home rule law repeal and replace chapter 108 of the town code entitled rental housing registration of to provide a comprehensive regulatory framework for the rental res residential housing within the town including defining various types or rental occupancies including short-term occupancies. Establishing requirements for rental occupancy permits. Requiring periodic inspections of rental properties to ensure code compliance. Requiring written leases for rental occupancies of more than 30 days. Providing standards for review of applications. Providing the rental occupancy permits that may be revoked for violations of code or permit conditions. Provide limitations on the length of rental occupancy permits. Provide procedures for revocation of permits and appeals of such revocations. Establish a reg register of rental permits. Provide for interm inspection whenever deemed necessary and procedures for obtaining such search warrants where access for inspection is denied. Establishing fees for permits and penalties for violations of provisions of of the chapter amend chapter 138 zoning attachment three column C to establish short-term rentals

as a planning board conditional use permit to amend chapter 138 zoning article one to redefine the terms bed and breakfast family hotel and add a definition for short-term rental to amend and chapter 138 zoning article 3 to provide a short-term rentals or conditional use in any legal dwelling unit to amend chapter 138 zoning article X special permit and conditional uses by adding a new section 138-56.4 four entitled short-term rentals. Establishing permitting requirements for short-term rentals, standards for short-term rentals to include minimum parking requirements, maximum occupancy limitations, and prohibits on purposes for uses of short-term rental occupancies and requiring adherence to health and noise codes. to amend chapter 138 zoning article X special permit and conditional uses to amend section 138-63.2 entitled senior housing to provide special permit conditions limitations and restrictions on location of senior or age restricted housing and to provide required amenities in senior housing complex complexes. And be it further resolved that the town clerk be and hereby is authorized and directed to enter said local law in the minutes of this meeting and in the code book of the town of Southeast and give due notice to the adoption of said local law by filing such with the secretary of state of New York State within the time required by law. So moved.

Second. Second. All in favor. That was a long one. I think that was a record. Yeah. Oh, when does this when does this uh law go into effect? When it's filed. What when's that? Uh it'll be within within 20 days. Within 20 days. Okay. Thank you.

Okay. So, our second resolution is the award Greenway property services for insulation paddic cage systems Markel Park and volunteer park. Now therefore, be it resolved that the town board of the town of Southeast hereby accepts the proposals of Greenway Property Services, Inc. 95 Elm Croft Road, Stanford, Connecticut, as amended for the construction of batting cages at Marqukel and Volunteer Parks, and specified and be it further resolved that the supervisor is hereby authorized to execute a personal services construction contract with Greenway Property Services for the work specified at the price not to exceed $19,975 in a form approved by the town attorney. And be it further resolved that this resolution shall take effect immediately. So moved.

Second. All in favor? I. I. All right. So, I'd like to actually make a motion to set a public hearing for Thursday, November 6th for the 20256 budget. No, no, just Oh, it's just an announcement. I'm sorry. Um, with that, we can go into any new business. Second. Oh, all in favor? I I um with that, was that set for the November 6th? November 6th. November 6. Um, with that, we can go into new business if anyone has anything.

No, no, sorry. There was something I forgot. Okay. Um, okay. If anyone from the public isn't tired of talking, uh, any, uh, comments from the board? You guys are going to kill me. I'm going to I'm going to bring up this one more time. I think I can articulate what I was trying to say. I'm going to kill you.

And then I I'll shut up. All right. Let's say we're having a party for, right? We're having party for Nick. We say we're going to give him a hundred bucks and there's 10 of us, right? And then so you're going to collect $10 each. I'm like, I'm bailing. I don't want to go to Nick's party, right? I'm out. So, now you all have to put in 11 bucks, right? Because Nick, you you said you're gonna give Nick uh a hundred bucks. I'm like, you know what? I want to go to the party. I show up. I'm the pilot. I give Nick 10 bucks. Now Nick has $110. Had I gone, Nick would have hundred. But now he has 110 because I didn't pay with you guys. I was following Duke. You guys sent that the first time,

but then if that extra 10 bucks is in the budget, right? So, next party I show up, we all pay $10. Nick has 100 bucks. When I didn't show up, he got 110 cuz I show up late. I follow your oversimplified example. I don't think it works in the budget. I I just You're not going to pay the tax twice or the payment in lie of tax twice. It's not going to happen. Well, no, no, no. I'm saying Nick's getting $100. That's the tax levy, right? Right. Whether 10 people pay it or nine people pay it, he's getting 100 bucks. I show up late because I'm not part of the group. I give Nick 10 bucks. Now he has $110. Yeah, but I think we're planning.

But the party cost 110 and you already budgeted that time. That's why you only need 100 for a tax levy, right? But next year, next year I come with you guys. 100. Are we paying now? The tax levy is 110. We said we're all right. Don't come up. No. No. Don't. Right. Call Ron. Yeah. I say I say we ask Ron. Call the controllers office. Call the expert. So Okay. Although I do love a good party. What? I do love a good party. So when's the next party?

20 28 27 in December. Um Okay. That That's a good That's a good end. I'll make a motion to end the meeting. I'll second close the meeting. I'm sorry. All in favor? I Thank you. Thank you.