Town Board - Regular Meeting

And I know I'm getting a deer at some point. I'm terrified. I see a million of you every time I got two deer in my life both times coming back from skiing. The last two times I went each time I hit a deer. So brother-in-law was asking me skiing this year and I said yeah. Where you going holiday usually? We used to be members of All right. Good evening everybody.

It was then. I don't know what it is. We're going to open the meeting with a pledge to the flag to the flag of the United States of America to the stands nationy and justice for all. So, if any of you had seen the public notice we put out um the other day, we are going to open the meeting with a vote on the local law number three to override the tax cap. Um, after our meeting last night, we through negotiations, we have made a decision to move some more money out of the reserve funds and we are now $536 under the tax cap. Um, there are issues with that. Quite frankly, the taxes have not kept up with the expenses here and has been hidden for years by removing a a large amounts of reserve funds to make it seem like there was little or no increase in taxes. None of us want to see taxes increase, but the expenses have gone up enormously. And consequently, even though we're going to get by with it this year, I will just put a public notice out that the taxes will go up a little bit this year.

We are going to spend a lot more time on seeing where we can save over the next six months till we start the budget process again in June and probably after that, I should say, until we have to put a budget out. Uh it'll be extremely difficult uh to stay under the tax cap again, I think. But we'll see. Uh we've cut so much now. I'm not sure how much more we can go, but uh when we have more time, I think that we'll find places here and there that we can save some money. Um and we'll see where we end up. Uh we're still sorting through a lot of the accounting errors that have taken place over the last number of years. Um, but that slowly is coming together and with that information, the board will be able to do a better job at looking at each line. And there are hundreds of lines of budget. We'll be able to look closer at each of those and know how much are we spending, what is it being spent on, and how can we do a better job of cutting more expenses. if if they are there, we will take them. There's no appetite on this board for increased spending. Um, and so we will proceed as as best we can over the next year to put together a budget that more accurately expresses what our expenses are and continue to provide the services that everyone especially like the last few days as the snow has fallen. um the trucks out at all hours plowing and sanding, salting I should say. They don't use a lot of sanding, but um and we will do

the best we can to maintain those services the most cost-effectively way effective way that we can. So given that, I'd like to hear publicly take a vote on local law number three to override the tax cap. I need a motion to do the vote. I move. I'll second the motion. [clears throat] Pam, can you do a roll call vote on local law number three? Okay. Roll call vote. No.

John, no. Jim, no. So, we've managed the beast for a year and we'll see where we are uh next year as we, like I said, spend more time. We So at this point, we're going to close this part of the meeting, which is extensively to to go through local law number three. And now that we've turned it down, we'll go to the regular board meeting. Uh do I have a motion to close this section of the meeting or this time? I'll make the motion. I'll second.

Pam, can you do a roll call on closing this part of the meeting? Call Yes, John. Yes, Jim. Yes,

so we've closed the meeting for the local law number three. It's been turned down. Um, which means there will be a slight tax increase, but we will be under the tax cap this year. Uh, another aside, uh, Linda Leina is not dodging the meetings. She intends to be here. She just is, uh, uh, been a little unable to attend and she will do so uh, as soon as she can. Um, so first off, I'd like to start with a public forum if someone would like to speak about those items that are on the agenda. Can't hear me. Is this better?

Yes.

Okay. Got to get used to the microphone. I'm not I'm usually such a big loudmouth that people can hear me anywhere, but I'll do the best I can with it. So, would anybody like to get up and speak on the agenda items? I'm sorry the agenda was a little slow getting out today. Um, we had a number of issues that we were working through before we could put the agenda together. I promise in the future we'll do much better to get it online so you know what what's coming. All right. So we'll start with the uh if no one wants to speak at this point the highway report. Yep.

Agenda items only. Okay. Hello. Highway superintendent position. That position was a non was a collateral duty prior to 2020. Okay.

It was a collateral position prior to 2020. And as you can see, he's not here again tonight. He's never shown up to a meeting. And I don't believe he hardly ever comes into the office when he is. So honestly, I think it's only $500 and it's probably not even a penny to all of us, but it's still a lot of money and I don't think that position is deserving of a salary if they can't show up and do the work. Can I respond to that? Thank you. Are you referring to Bill Bacon? I'm referring to the position of deputy highway superintendent. Okay. Well, that not anybody in prior

I'm not sure who you were referring to and I'm not I don't mean to be using names, but he's been in here doing what he's supposed to be doing this week. So, uh prior to it was paid. Well, in my opinion, I think we continue with the $500. I think that he's been in here doing what he's supposed to be doing.

The uh budget is set at this point. We had hearings and we had a public hearing on the budget. At this point, the budget is set. We'll be voting on to accept that budget. Uh there are no more changes that we'll be making on that budget at this point. Those are considerations, though, and we certainly will write it down and put it in consideration when we start looking at the next budget. So, we have the highway report. I guess since Dale is not here, he had surgery. Uh he will be back in here starting early December. Um so I guess I'll just be reading these and yell at me if I don't speak into the microphone enough for everyone to hear. Um good evening. We are now on our winter hours starting again at 7 a.m. Uh the 2026 Western Star has been delivered to Watertown for equipment installation. The 2025 Western Star is completed and has been delivered back from the dealer on November 3rd. The salter mechanism has been serviced and has been installed. The men continue servicing, winterizing, and parking parking equipment away. Went and retrieved the new plow and salters. Thank you to the board for releasing the funds to keep the department moving forward. All chips forms are submitted and have received tax verification. um were completed satisfactory and payment of 277 should arrive thousand should arrive about December 15th. Auctions International was out and took pictures and description for an auction to be held at the end of the year. We had put a few pieces of equipment that we decided that and pushed the department to put on the auction block. Uh CJ has been working diligently on the new lead copper reports that have been mandated.

Jeremy has completed cemetery stone foundations and we are up to date. Dead deer were picked up, stakeouts performed, PMS checked and a few burials. Worked along with Ridgeway on a few projects and set up for election. Um, snow season is upon us. Please drive with caution. We have had our first MVA motor vehicle accident striking a water hydrant on West Shelby on Sunday, November 9th. Uh, also that was our first plow outing with more hours on Monday. [clears throat] For the most part, all went well with 48 hours or 48 hours 40 hours of overtime and always the never- ending stack of e-ways. Thank you, Dale Root, highway superintendent. the assessor report. Uh Julie was not able to make it this evening. Total homes on the market 20 15 out of 20 homes are houses are pending. Homes sold in October were five. Six homes went on the market. Average sale price was 210 12,380. We have the code enforcement report o for October worked eight days or 72 hours. Uh meetings, one planning board, one zoning board meeting for an area

variance request. Uh this request was withdrawn by the applicant until the planning board looked into the zoning district reclassification from industrial to agricultural residential. Building permits 33 total year to date inspections 10. Uh attached are violation violation spreadsheets for 2024 and 2025 as per Linda Leman's request. Please note that the phone phone number in the third column indicate the person in violation has reached out to this office asking for added time to make become compliant. So, I want to thank Dan for putting back something the report together that Linda had asked for some time ago. So, we just got that. So, that's glad we could get that code enforcement. I read that. What about planning board? Would you care to make any comments, Kurt? back uh I believe in July, our secretary, Teresa Wilkins did her last minutes with a letter of resignation. I did hand it on out to the board. John, you didn't get it. You came on later. And I believe the town has to act on that

to accept to accept her resignation. I believe that's correct. Yes. Okay. Okay. So, the board will have to accept her resignation. And the other thing along with that, I would like to have a an ad put in the paper looking for a position on the planning board. The other thing I'd like to talk to you, Jim, is sometime I don't know what my budget is like, but uh I would like to get a secretary, a separate person, a secretary for the planning board. Like I said, I'll probably come in and talk to you more about that and we'll we'll go over that. Yeah, we'll have to take a look at that. The budget is set at this point. That would have to be something considered for the next budget. I don't know if there's any way

if you know, you can talk to me about it. We'll bring it to the board. Um It's something that the state recommends that you do have somebody separate. Yeah. So that a member is trying to take notes and listen to what's going on, you know, might miss out on some things. The other thing is is Dan brought up about the uh resoning on Bates Road. Uh we we're looking into that and hopefully by next month I'll have a resolution to you to change them to egg residential.

Yeah. Okay. I think one of the other issues that we're going to have to revisit this year um coming up is going to be solar. So, I know that's something that we'll be looking to the zoning board certainly and I'm sure that planning I think the last time anything was done was 2016 from what I've seen and I think with the interest of the community and else on that I think I'd like to take a look at that again when we get a chance. I think ours are pretty much up to code with the rest of the towns around.

Yeah. I'd like to review it with you though when we get an opportunity. Okay. Just that there's a lot of public interest in that and I think that uh it's something that we should officially uh revisit and take and make sure. Unfortunately, what's happening over in the East Shelby with that solar that's nothing that we can do. No, I'm not looking. I'm not looking. But there are there are inquiries that are uh ongoing uh for other nothing official yet. There should be one that got sent off to an engineering firm. That's correct. That's the the South Gravel Road, but there are other feelers is all I'm saying at this point. Nothing official. Uh but I know other people are looking

and therefore I want to make sure that that we're in good shape to address those. If you know, unfortunately, I mean, when

Yeah. lost it. Yeah. That was filling up station. So, no more space. Somebody have Yeah. I I I'm not sure that where these other inquiries are coming from would necessarily put it back on that. I don't know enough about the grid to be able to answer that one. Okay. Well, then maybe we're all set. I I do have I do have a question. Yes. Uh do you establish the solar policy and then submit it to the board for approval or if we wanted to have a uh townwide policy?

Well, it is a the policy the regulations are townwide. Okay. like the one that we just got out on uh 63 there. Uh it was a large one and we send it off. I think our regulations state any big large solar farms would go to the town for the final say on it and we look at it first. I'm not sure. I think we did give some regulations or some suggestions on to it and also we suggest it goes off to an engineer engineering firm for them to look at it because solar farms are way above my knowledge. So, okay,

that it all I have. Yep. Thank you. Yep. And I should know this because she lives right across the street. What What is Wilkins first name? I'm having a Teresa. Thank you. Having a senior moment. And she was our

Yeah, I do remember that part. Okay. Anything from zoning? Okay. At this point, I'd like to uh put a resolution. I'm going to change up the order on the agenda. Uh a resolution to pay the claims against the town. Um can I have a motion on that? I'll make the motion to pay the claims. Second. Pam, can you do a roll call on that, please? I got a discussion here.

Certainly. Yep. [clears throat] Uh, I think we set the limit for spending without a board approval. What was that? 2500. I think it was uh I believe it was 2500. Yes. Yeah. I saw a bill in there for uh Georgia. It was over 3,800 and it was for chain for the I assume it was for the spreaders that we just bought. It was actually for spreaders that we already had. Were they? Yeah. Yeah. Well, I'll assume that uh we should have got some board approval for that and explain what

we should have and we certainly need to make a note and make sure that that happens because I agree that uh I wasn't on the board at the time of the reduction, but I agree with it and I think that any approval something like that needs to take place. So, I think I would prefer to pay the bill because I did go out and see what they were and made sure they're okay. But yeah, they we do need if we set a limit uh certainly needs to be followed and needs to come to the board for approval. That was the reason for the limit. So, and I got one comment. Uh I think it would have been nice to have somebody representing the highway department doing the report so we can ask questions and stuff. I mean, next time it should be somebody here.

Oh, Dale should be here. He should be back the first part of the year. the first part of the year, the first part of December. In speaking with him today, he'll be back in like the first week. That's my understanding. Anything else add on that at this point? I'm good. Okay. Can we go ahead and take a roll call vote on that? Roll call votes. Ed. Yes. Jim. Yes.

John. Yes. Um at this point I guess the board anybody have question for as long as we've already approved them. Um Margaret is here this evening from single source along with John. Any questions for two of them. Otherwise, we'll let them go back to their uh work that they're doing for us uh back in the in the office. No, I'm good. No questions for me. Thank you both of you.

Thank you. this point, I'd like to have a resolution to approve the budget workshop minutes of October 15th. Um, as certainly all of you know, and if you don't, uh, Darlene is out with a uh, injury. Uh, therefore, Pam has been trying to carry the load in the office. We are behind on some of the other minutes. Um, I know Darlene, as I've talked to her in the hospital room, and is she is she out at this point? She's home.

Okay. I know she's anxious to get her laptop so she can finish the minutes. So, I [snorts] know that's something that we'll see before too long. Uh, so at this point, can we at least approve the budget workshop minutes from October 15th? Could I have a motion? I'll make the motion to approve. I'll second. Can we have a roll call, Pam? Roll call. John, yes. Jim, yes.

Yes. We have a resolution to reappoint William Bixler to the board of assessment review um for a five-year term ending September 30th uh 2030. Uh this is a request from uh Julie the assessor. So I'd like a resolution for to make that reappoint. I so move. I'll second the motion. And we'll do a roll call. Roll call vote. Yes. John.

Yes. Yes. I'm going to take another easy one here. A resolution to accept the resignation of Terresa Wilkins as secretary of the planning board. Can I have a motion? I'll make that motion. I'll second. And we'll have a roll call, please. Roll call vote. Ed. Yes. Yes.

Yes. Now, do we need a resolution to for the paper to advertise or No. for another position. That's a good question and I don't know that I can answer that. I wouldn't think so. You're not appointing anyone, right? So, I don't think you would need a resolution only after they get an application and they bring it to the board. Okay. So, that makes it easier, right? Okay.

Yeah. You got the legal opinions. You're good to go. All right. Um, next we have a resolution to approve the 2026 budget. Do I have a motion? We'll move. I'll second the motion. Roll call vote. I ask one uh request and uh could you could you go over the you know the increases or what it's going to be? I mean

sure the town inside the town and outside the town the village with the changes that we made today the increase uh outside the town will be uh 19 cents per thousand. The inside will go down by 11 cents. So like I said a combination uh it will it goes up just 19 for for the outside the village [snorts] mostly caused by where we had to put the reserve funds and part of where we used reserves were based on which accounts had the most money in them to transfer. Uh we're still at a point struggling to understand exactly our cash standing. Um, so therefore, part of the reason that reserve funds went in the particular uh funds that that we put them in was that we knew for sure that we had funds in order to support that budget change. Um, so that's the reason we ended up for the two different the decrease and and the slight increase. So that's where we are with this budget. Like I said, I think that we're going to see uh we'll work hard to see what we can do for next year, but um the tax increases quite honestly did not keep up with the expenses here. And while we have cut the expenses enormously, the expenses of just running the operation the way it is without buying

anything new um is not supported very well by our existing revenues. So we'll do what we can. Uh we've this board has had just five six weeks to put up together a budget that is typically five months in the making and we'll have a new board starting here shortly and new members. Um one starting probably around Thanksgiving be the next meeting and the other one joining us at the first of the year. So there's a lot of work for the existing people and for the new folks joining us uh coming up. So anything else, Ed?

No, I'm good. Thank you. Can we do a roll call vote on that? Roll call vote. Ed, yes. John, yes. Jim, yes. So, at this point, any board comments? Oh, thank you. And I didn't have that on there. Who was Yeah, thank you.

It's on the It's on the table. Um, I need a resolution to or just to um to accept the supervisor report. I'll make that motion to accept. I'll second. Do a roll call, please. Roll call vote. Ed, yes. Jim, yes. John,

yes. Before we get We've had board comments. I'd like to ask we have Bill Ike here tonight from the who sits represents us on the county board. Do you have any comments? Uh Bill, don't mean to put you on the spot, but maybe you got something that you'd like to share with us. I'm on the spot all Okay. First of all, I'd like to put together such a short turn on the mic there. How's that? Better. That's better.

Okay. I'd like to make commend you guys for putting the budget together in a short period of time. It's a lot of work. Did a great job. Uh just to mention the county budget. I talked to Jack today. It is done. Um we're under the tax cap, but we've made a lot of cuts and I just hope uh it'll all go through all right. The public hearing is going to be, I believe, the 3rd of December at 4:30 in the afternoon. So, if any of you can attend, you're more than welcome. Might be good if you shared uh maybe a link or something. We could put that on our site also. It'd be good for people to to know if they follow. Yeah.

Look at our website. I'm sure you have it on the county website, but maybe we can make an arrangement to also put it on ours as a notice. I'll do that. Yeah. Perfect. Thank you. That's it. Thank you.

Thank you. Okay, we got a signin list here. We'll go right down from top to bottom. John Pratt. I just want to also commend the board and uh all the work they've done on the budget. Uh I think that uh more time's been spent on this budget than it was spent the last couple years on a budget. These guys have done a heck of a job. And if the people from the last town board, if they'd have done due diligence and watching where the people's money was spent and come up with a little better budget without appropriating money from our reserve fund, these gentlemen on the board now wouldn't have had the problem they've had. Uh again, I commend these gentlemen here for good job.

Thank you, John. And uh you'll get your turn in the [laughter] in the hot seat coming up here before too long. Yeah, there's a lot more that can be done to it. It's it's very hard to know and and I got to say that uh it's been frustrating to me to not have a better grip on every line item that's in this thing. Um I think with a little time we'll have a much better um overview of what's being spent out of where is is there anything that we can do about it? So, I'm looking forward to being able to actually uh spend more time and really do a better job. Uh um I'm happy that we got the budget done. Um I'm looking forward to doing a better one next year. So, and I think with the new board members that that certainly will help. Yannic Para, I just want to follow up with these guys too. guys did a heck of a job. John, thank you for coming on board, you know, picking the pieces up, getting us together. Uh, Linda, she she deserves a lot of credit. She does.

She did a lot while there was nothing going on for six six weeks. She was doing a lot of hoofing, back work, but uh been to every budget meeting and you guys think you guys did a good job and we'll move forward in January.

Yeah, I you're right. She um you know with her experience two years on the board, the fact that she was an accountant is an accountant and and um the issue with her missing a few meetings and not being able to attend as much as she'd like. She's been sorely missed. Um this would have been a lot easier process had that not happened. Um so I look forward to having her back as as soon as she can. And and I truly believe the old board we had, if they would have used Linda from the beginning, we would not be in this position we were in. Yeah. But they just refused.

Well, and just saying we would not be in the predicament to where we are right now if they would have just used her knowledge. Absolutely. And and with her and Ed trying to fight the good fight, it was it was an uphill battle. Um, but at the end we're moving forward and uh appreciate your support. Thank you,

Julie Walter, Mr. Waters. Well, here we are. The budget has been approved and I was able to attend one of the workshops. The other ones I I watched on YouTube, the ones that actually worked and I could hear you. I understand it was a a a pretty big struggle. I did although I'm not seated on the board, I feel as though I am and I did review the budget line by line and I did offer uh some areas of concern. Uh, unfortunately the the copy of the the budget as it currently stands was not available on the website and of course it's not on the table. So I don't know if any any of the feedback I submitted was taken into consideration any of those lines were changed what that might have what that might have looked like. But uh we went down everyone Jim and I went over them two days ago line by line and uh [sighs and gasps] made changes. I don't know off the top of my head, but every one of your your concerns was addressed. Not all not all the changes were made, but they were they were reviewed. I know we had talked about uh stating um property tax on the water districts that property tax line and you had moved it off that line to I believe unassigned

revenue or something to that effect and that and that was by advice. I'm just wondering if that you know that line should be simply taken off of there just so property tax. Yeah, it was something that we could re or you know renamed. That's, you know, because you can't tax water. So, yeah, we could take the line off the budget. You know, operations and maintenance.

There are a lot of things on that budget. Quite frankly, there are lines that could be deleted. I think as we go through this uh over the next year, we'll also see that there are lines that may need to be added. Um, as we start to do a better job of refining what expenses go where so that we can keep track of them, we may see that there's gaps in some of the lines that we should have more clarity on on what's being expensed where. Um so certainly over the next year and the fact that you'll have a part of that and have certainly firsthand input uh to those suggestions and making changes and also joining us in the hot seat.

Well, I know it's uh it's been very trying for you. I imagine you spent, you know, quite a few hours here and at home and on the couch while you know significant others watching TV or what have you. And it just some of that kind of came out in those meetings, you know, in the comments. And I I got a little concerned that, you know, uh you weren't going to get overwhelmed right off the bat. You know, you said, "I'm ready to hand this off to somebody else." So, I just knowing that I have resources available up here, you know, that that can be of help. It's just uh makes me wonder whether or not any of that stuff was taken into consideration. That's

it was if you want to you want us to go over it with you separately, we will. I don't have the documentation here, but we went Well, there's no need for that. It's it's it's done. Yeah. And I just need to see a copy. Well, no, it's important that people understand that we try to listen to what people have to say and work within the framework that we have, too. Quite frankly, $500 here or there doesn't matter. You could say that that adds up and it does, but we were more concerned about the tax cap and getting things done and making it right rather than scrutinizing the smaller amounts.

Well, as difficult as it is, I I do commend Ed for sticking to his guns and not going over the tax cap, you know, and again, I think there's some areas in legal that we're still overpaying. We're not we're not getting what we're paying for. you know, we've paid for some studies on water. Um, quite a bit of money and there's no result. There's no report. There's no finding. So, I'm looking forward to diving into all that. I'm not trying to rehash or reopen budget discussions. I'm just kind of letting you know where I'm at on that. just so you understand that and and hopefully take this the right way that coming to a meeting once a month um and part of the problem with dealing with these issues is that you'll need to work with other people and they're only here Monday through Friday 8 9:00 to 4. So, just be aware that the opportunity to really be effective happens. And I'm not trying to downplay your your contribution, but just being in this seat for six weeks, I can tell you that if you want to make a phone call to another agency, uh, it has to happen between 9 and 4:00 Monday through Friday. If you want to look and talk to somebody here, for the most part, it's between 8:30 and 4 o'clock Monday through Friday. It's unfortunate that there aren't more hours available to spend or available to to dig into these things. But that's the reason I've been here every day, not ever sitting home on the couch. Um, and and I will just tell

you and John will tell you, um, it's a huge task and you're going to need to interface with a lot of other people in order to get the information to make good decisions. So, just just as a as a heads up, um, that that's what it's going to take. Yeah, I do that every day. And and to be honest with you, I think it's disrespectful to the taxpayers that heads of departments can't make it to one meeting a month to speak for their department. Um to me, that's uh it's just plain disrespectful. Okay? You know, you're in charge of that department. You should be here.

And and I will remind everyone that as elected officials, uh we have very little control over anyone elected. In fact, we have zero. We have budget control and other than that, you're kind of out of luck. Yeah. Well, the voters have a voice.

Well, that's absolutely true. And that's when it has to occur. I I don't discount that. It's just it's the reality of the situation. Um, you know, you you you talk about being the supervisor. The supervisor is not a boss. supervisor is responsible for putting together a budget and other issues here. But the it became very, you know, as as someone who's been a boss his whole life in in in the corporate world, it's a little different to walk in here and realize you're not really the boss of anybody, right?

And getting [clears throat] answers then requires a little finesse. You know, you get used to being at work and saying, "Please get me this report." or no, get me this report. Uh here you have to find another way to get what you're looking for and I welcome you and look forward to working with you and I think that you'll it was eye opening for me and I think not to speak for John Massidi but I think he'll tell you too that uh uh you've worked with him in the past you know how his his approach to doing things and he'll tell you the same thing. This is the only job he's ever had where he he he left he left with more paperwork than he walked in during the day. So there's there's there's a lot to be done and again certainly looking forward to you here in January. you know, well, I signed up to do the, you know, to do the job. I was voted in by the people and it's been just a very trying time having to wait. And ironically, I'll be the last one, you know, to to take a seat up there.

Yeah. When I know I could have helped in a tremendous way, especially with Linda being absent. Um, you know, it is what it is. All right, enough on that. Uh I do want to mention something on uh

could I interject before you go to the next issue? Two things. First of all, I think the needle is beginning to point in the right direction. It was not going in the right direction before, but it it is now. And the other thing that I would like to add is you have a good analytical mind that can be very helpful with especially with the water portion of it. So, I know that you can do a good job and you'll be a good addition to the board. I hope so. As we're all aware, obviously, we got dumped on with snow. It just feels all too early to me. And again, uh I know we get paid by the county and the state to to handle certain portions of road. And I just can't help but mention that we fail in that regard and in some of those areas, you know, and Dale should be here to defend himself. But, you know, we had a multi-car accident uh right by Cardones. It was at least three vehicles vehicles. And the following morning, we had another accident on that stretch that took the pole out. The pole is still, you know, sitting in the ground. To me, we're waiting way too long. It's almost as though let's wait until somebody goes off the road and then we'll send the trucks out. Um, you know, those are necessary expenses, you know, in the budget. Keep the people safe, the town safe. And to me, that's just being mishandled. And I can say that cuz I drive that road every day to and from work. Mhm.

You come through the swamps, the road's wet. Soon as you get over the null, you better be paying attention. It's ice, it's blowed over. And again, uh just in my opinion, we're waiting too long. Now, there may be motives for that. I don't want to throw around, you know, the word overtime, but it just feels to me that uh we're not taking action quick enough and it could put the town in a liable position. So, just wanted to mention that. Thank you.

Perfect. I think safety has always been our utmost concern with the budget and and it in defense of whomever's in that position. It's a difficult spot to be in because if you put too much salt down, people are going to be critical and if you don't put enough down, you're dealing with safety issues. So it's you've got to walk a fine line and you have to rely on profession a professional to make a decision based on the data that he has on hand. Now can that be improved? I I don't know but it's something that should be discussed and looked at. So

all right um George. Okay. Thank you. I I'd like to I didn't know who George was, but he brought that up about why are we paying so much for our electricity, and I want to commend you for for bringing that to the board's attention because we don't know all these things. And and that's that's something that hopefully other people can learn from. And and if you have some kind of constructive criticism or some issue, we applaud you for bringing it to the board. Thank you very much.

Actually was brought up at a board meeting by one of the girls in Sha County and when she said we were paying 25 cents a kilowatt. I went home and looked at my electric bill. Oh, I'm paying like a third of that. There's something wrong. I don't know if you guys were paying a commercial rate. Yeah. Or what the heck? [laughter] Yeah. I mean, it's Yeah. Unfortunately, what happens with those deals is that they get sold a bill of goods. They sign up and if you don't stay on top of it, uh the rate goes up astronomically and if you're not paying attention to the bills and looking at that rate, um it gets out of hand very quickly and you have to take action [clears throat]

uh [snorts] on that. So, we have still working with National Grid to get that changed. It's not an easy proposition, believe it or not. Um, but I in fact I just got another email on it today. It's like everything else that just to get that changed. We have 14 meters and to get because every water vault has a meter. The cemeteries each have a meter. This place has two meters. So pretty soon you have 14 meters. and to try to get and they have different addresses, different account numbers, and to try to get national grid uh to make those changes, you would think would be an easy proposition, but um we're getting there. I've got some of them changed. I got the major ones changed and we'll see what we can do about getting the rest of them changed shortly. I I think that that's while trying to do this budget, it if that's all we had to do, um it would have been enough. But what we ran into were bills that weren't paid since July, some even before that weren't taken care of even before the resignations. Lack of documentation. Uh we are still I'm going to commend Single Source and Margaret and John uh are still finding issues uh cash balance issues that go back to the work done in 2023 that was handed off to another firm in 2024 that is impacting us still today as we try to figure out where we are from a cash standpoint. So, some of the questions that have been raised about the budget when you don't know what your standing is, where the expenses are, how they've been put in,

what's the P&L to uh to the budget, and you're not certain because a lot of those bills haven't come in yet, and you're still catching up, uh has made it even that much harder. Um, and as I talked about expenses, I know everybody's happy that we've stayed under the tax cap, but I'll retell you that that again, uh, it's not sustainable. Um, retirement, uh, one of our retirements went up, uh, healthc care went up by 19.5%. Some of the others went up by 12.5%. And I think the county will tell you that they've run into the same kind of increases. So to keep taxes below the tax cap when your expenses on everything are are accelerating, um we'll do the best we can, but I will cannot make you a a promise at this point that next year we'll stay below the tax cap. I hope we can, but uh we get increases like that again as we move on, it's going to be virtually impossible unless we can find other sources of revenue.

Yeah.

Our budget is 112%. Yeah, it's a little unsustainable, I would say. And for instance, we just got told our retirement health care payments uh for the year uh are about $103,000 just in retirement healthcare. And that's the same kind of thing I'm sure that the county has run into. Um so we'll do the best we can. That's all I can promise you. We'll keep working on it and uh we we'll go from there. So I appreciate Yes, Yanick.

No, I'm just gonna close the meeting. So if you not to get turned on, are they turned on? Yes, they are. And we notified the the village. Okay. So yeah, I followed up on that several times. Okay. To make sure that they did get turned back. Okay. Did you get a police report yet from June? I do have a police report. I just haven't had time. I think we just You mean regarding the accident? Yeah, I think that which accident there's been a couple of accidents

probably I believe it was Oh, I think that we're still looking for the police report on that and I can tell you there has been communication with the police on that. Um, we do not have a copy of the police report and I know we we've requested it um and re-requested. I know it exists, but we've not we've not gotten our hands on it. So, we can continue to try to do that and I will put in another request for that. I can tell you that we have requested it. Okay. Yes, sir.

You bet. [laughter] uh question is in relation to the budget and consequences for the of not putting money back into the reserve. So we're going in the opposite direction now. We're taking money out and it was already bad before and so now it's worse. And if we're trying to stay under the tax cap in the future, how how are we ever going to build the reserve up? And how are we going to afford new trucks or new equipment or new buildings or whatever it is we need? you wish to address that J? Well, that's a good question and hope is not a plan, right?

But at this point, we are at risk because the uh fund is getting too low.

So hopefully at the end of the year there will be there'll be funds left over. I mean again hope is not should not be part of the plan but we don't have a lot of options and that's why I was in favor of a small increase exceeding the cap. I don't like paying taxes anybody any any more than anyone else. But for the past three years there should have been a tax increase so that we weren't confronted with this situation. Now we are and we have a choice. either use money from the reserve funds, which we did. We all agreed to that and uh and that's fine, or we could have raised the taxes. So, there's there's not a good answer, I guess.

Speaking for myself personally, I would have gone for the raise of taxes. Do you happen to have available to you because you must have figured this out um how much the increase would have been if you did not take the 100,000 out of the reserve. the extra 100,000 would have been increase outside of 74 cents and an increase inside of certainly a lot less but yes okay so it came down by the 100,000 101,000 in order to get underneath it so I I I think I would have preferred to take the pain now and decrease the fuser praying after um inflation has made expenses even worse

if they had done that a little at a time I think that that that um you know it would have been a lot easier you what and I've said this at the other meeting by using the reserve funds the way they did um they made it look like the fire tax was less when in fact it goes up every year and they used reserve funds in there which I don't think is right but um it also and I think George brought up that point and he's absolutely right and he understands that by doing so uh we are over the tax cap this year if we had the same tax cap that we had two years ago. Uh we would have even with the budget without the extra 100,000 we would have been under it. But every year that they stayed and put all the funds, reserve funds in, you actually see the tax cap go down because you're not taxing at the level that the state has all these formulas that they change things on you and and and so the bar went lower and uh so we therefore ended up in a conundrum on that on that point.

Thanks for all your efforts. Well, yeah, and I would like to add too, this isn't a woe is me. And we're looking at every possible way to cut expenses from the copier to used equipment to whatever it takes to and hopefully shared services too. I mean down the road that's where the savings are going to come from. So uh you need you need a number of different people looking at it, coming up with ideas. We need the community to be engaged and and look at hold first of all hold everyone accountable but more importantly look at ways to solve problems because we don't have all the answers. Thank you. close. I just got one thing I

Yeah, certainly. This is for anybody that doesn't know this is uh Nick. He represent the law firm. Kathy was unable to attend tonight and so consequently, he got the job.

Thank you, Jim. So, one thing I just want to mention to the board and and our friend at the county, um I'm working with a a client in Livingston County that's looking at joining a health insurance consortium to cons control rising health care costs out of Tomkins County. Um the eligibility to participate has been expanding westward every year. Livingston County became eligible to participate in the consortium this year. Um as did I I believe Monroe County. I just checked real quick to see if Orleans County was on the list to participate yet. We're not. Um, but if they continue to expand eligibility further outside Tomkins County, that might be something that uh the town wants to look at uh to to potentially control those rising health care costs. And that might be something the county wants to consider is approaching Tomkins County and seeing if we can get eligibility as a county to participate in that. Thank you.

This point I'd uh like to get a motion to close the meeting. I'll make that motion. I'll second. And can we have a roll call on that? Roll call. Yes. Yes. And yes. Thank you everyone for attending. Really appreciate it. Please continue to come and offer your insights. Like John said, we don't know everything by far. Thank you. Pleasure. Absolutely not.

Sorry, we're not going to get to work together.