Town of Halcott, Halcott Center, NY

Regular Town Board Meeting Minutes
Halcott Grange
February 21, 2022, 6:00 pm

Present: Town Supervisor Innes Kasanof, Council members Judy DiBenedetto, Alan Reynolds, Eric Fronckowiak, Samantha Bouton, Highway Superintendent Russell Bouton, Town Clerk Patricia Warfield, Budget Officer Paul Tamaccio, Town Justice Ken Williams, Town Tax Collector Robin White, ZBA Chair Karen Rauter. Public: Warren Reynolds, Scott Moroff, David Grossman.

Call to order at 6:00 pm with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Approval of the minutes of the January 17, 2022 meeting: Motion to approve by Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto, 2nd by Councilwoman Samantha Bouton, Councilman Alan Reynolds: aye, Councilman Eric Fronckowiak: aye, Supervisor Innes Kasanof : aye.

Annual Reports: (A) Town Justice Ken Williams presented his report. No cases for 2021.
(B) Town Clerk Patricia Warfield presented her report. The Town Clerk’s account collected and disbursed $12,835.00 for the year 2021. (C) Highway Superintendent Russel Bouton presented his report. The Highway Department will need to purchase a lawnmower for the upcoming mowing season and be prepared to purchase a new1-ton pickup truck in the next 2 years. (D) Supervisor Innes Kasanof presented the Code Enforcement Officer’s report. 23 building permits issued, 3 demo permits, 6 stop work orders/violations, 9 building permit renewals, 18 certificate of occupancy searches for lawyers/abstract companies, 8 certificates of occupancy issued, 1 temporary certificate of occupancy issued. (E) Tax Collector Robin White presented her report.

Highway Superintendent’s Report: (A) The Oshkosh broke down, a motor mount broke causing the engine to move affecting the bell housing alignment. The Highway hopes to have the truck fixed ahead of the storm forecast for the end of the week.

The Filling of Committees: The Town has seats on the Finance and Personnel Committee, Town Board Building Committee, Town Board Highway Committee and the Shared Services Committee to fill, left vacant with the departure of previous Board members. Councilwoman Samantha Bouton will fill the vacant seat on the Finance and Personnel Committee, Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto is on the Building Committee and can reach out to the Grange Steward Bob VanValkenburgh should the need arise. Councilman Eric Frockowiak will fill the vacant seat on both the Highway Committee and the Shared Services Committee.

Voucher vote: General Abstract #G0222 – vouchers 20 – 30 = $2,823.60. Highway Abstract #H0222 – vouchers 31 – 33, 35 – 43 = $8,103.45. Motion to pay bills by Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto, 2nd by Councilman Eric Fronckowiak, Councilman Alan Reynolds: aye, Councilwoman Samantha Bouton: aye, Supervisor Innes Kasanof: aye.

Finance Chair Report: (A) Finance Chair Innes Kasanof and Budget Officer Paul Tamaccio presented the monthly finance report. (B) The Coalition of Watershed Towns is asking the Town to pay its annual membership fee which is currently $750.00. Given that Halcott is an extremely small Town compared to others, the Town has in previous years sent in a lesser amount. The last payment made was $500.00 in January of 2020. The Board acknowledged the benefits of membership in Coalition of Watershed Towns and will send in the reduced membership fee.

Clerk’s Report: Transfer Station Nov/Dec: $330.00. The Town collected and disbursed $330.00 for the month of January.

Other Business: Resolution No.1-2022: The Town of Halcott Resolution in Support of the Land Acquisition Reduction Recommendations in the 2020 August National Academies (“NAS”) Export Panel Report. (A) In August of 2020, the National Academies Expert Panel published its report entitled, Review of the New York City Watershed Protection Program, which recommended that expenditures in the land acquisition program be reduced to fund other programs that will lead to more direct improvements to water quality. (B) On October 27, 2021, the Delaware County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution asking for a moratorium on new purchase contracts for fee title and DEP conservation easements, to be implemented in Delaware County pending a comprehensive review of the land acquisition program to identify the need for the continuation of land acquisition, the benefit of land acquisition, the impact of land acquisition on community sustainability and the other tools available to achieve MOA land acquisition objectives. The Town of Halcott joins the Delaware County Board of Supervisors petition to DEC, DOH and DEP requesting they develop a new Long Term Land Acquisition Plan, taking into consideration the findings of the National Academies Expert Panel Review. They also ask that the City and the DEP refrain from entering into new contracts to purchase fee title and/or conservation easements under the Land Acquisition Program in Halcott starting January 1, 2022, extending through the completion of the permitting process. (D) Motion to Adopt Resolution 1-2022 by Councilman Alan Reynolds, 2nd by Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto, Councilman Eric Frockowiak: aye, Councilwoman Samantha Bouton: aye, Supervisor Innes Kasanof: aye.

Land Use Code Update: The Town is getting closer to forming a committee to update the Town Land Use Code. The board feels that the committee should contain a member of the Zoning Board, a member of the Planning Board, a Town Board member and 2 or more volunteers. Code Enforcement Officer John Matheisen will act as an adviser, he will also discuss with the new committee the issues he has encountered with the current code. Nan Stolzenberg will once again participate in the Land Use Code update.

Next Meeting: Regular Board Meeting, March 21, 2022, 6:00 pm.

Motion to Adjourn at 7:23 pm by Councilman Eric Fronckowiak, 2nd by Councilwoman Samantha Bouton, Councilman Alan Reynolds: aye, Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto: aye, Supervisor Innes Kasanof: aye.

Regular Town Board Meeting Minutes Halcott Grange
January 17, 2022, 6:00 pm

Present: Town Supervisor Innes Kasanof, Council members Alan Reynolds, Judy DiBenedetto, Highway Superintendent Russell Bouton, Town Clerk Patricia Warfield. Public: Sheri Reynolds, Warren Reynolds, Paul Tamaccio, Scott Moroff, Eric Fronckowiak, Samantha Bouton.

Call to order at 6:00 pm with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Correspondence received during the month: (A) The Greene County Planning Board is looking for a representative from Halcott to sit on the Greene County Planning Board. In the past it has been difficult to find someone interested in the position because the meetings are held in Catskill, but there are now zoom meetings perhaps making the position more attractive. (B) The Town was contacted by N.Y. Springwater. Trucks are having a difficult time finding them and they asked that signs be put up along Co. Hwy 3 to make it easier for drivers to locate their business. Highway Superintendent Russell Bouton had been contacted last summer by N.Y. Spring water and put a call in to Greene County but did not receive any indication from Greene County that signs would be put up, so he passed along the contact number to N.Y. Spring Water. (C) Supervisor Kasanof received an e-mail from Paul Margaritis with many different suggestions and asked that the Town Clerk put the suggestions in a file for the Land Use Code Committee when it is formed.

Approval of the minutes of the December 20, 2021 meeting: Motion to approve by Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto, 2nd by Councilman Alan Reynolds, Supervisor Innes Kasanof: aye.

Appointments: (A) Town Board members: Motion to appoint Eric Fronckowiak and Samantha Bouton to the Halcott Town Board by Councilman Alan Reynolds, 2nd by Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto, Supervisor Innes Kasanof: aye. (B) Budget Officer: Supervisor Innes Kasanof presented Paul Tamaccio to the Board as her choice for the new Budget Officer with a term of (1) year and a salary of $8,000.00 and asked Board members for their input. Councilman Alan Reynolds questioned the salary amount and Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto expressed her surprise when she saw the name Paul Tamaccio on the agenda for the meeting as she was not familiar with him and could not remember having discussed him as a budget officer candidate. Supervisor Kasanof explained that the Supervisor can be the Budget Officer or can hire someone to fill the position which was why there was no discussion about the filling of the position with Board Members. Motion to appoint Paul Tamaccio as Budget Officer for a (1) year term by Councilwoman Samantha Bouton, 2nd by Councilman Eric Fronckowiak, Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto: aye, Supervisor Innes Kasanof: aye, Councilman Alan Reynolds: opposed.

Highway Superintendent’s Report: (A) Snow removal for the current storm went well, a fuel pump went bad and was replaced. (B) The Highway Department has a new computer and an e-mail was created with the Town Web Master which is listed on the Town website.

Voucher vote: General Abstract #G0122 – vouchers 01 – 12 = $4,491.82. Highway Abstract #H0122 – vouchers 13 – 19 = $3,954.45.

Finance Chair Report: Budget Officer Paul Tamaccio presented the monthly finance report. Supervisor Kasanof explained how to read the information presented in the finance report to the new Board members.

Clerk’s Report: (A) BP Renewal: $137.00, C/O Search: $25.00, Billy Haynes: (Oct-Jan) $1,000.00. The Town collected and disbursed $1,162.00 for the month of December. (B) The Town received notice from the Department of State that Local Law 2-2021 was filed on December 31, 2021.

Other Business: (A) The Board discussed the 2022 Fleischmanns Fire Protection Agreement. Motion to accept the 2022 Fire Protection Agreement by Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto, 2nd by Supervisor Innes Kasanof, Councilman Alan Reynolds: aye, Councilman Erick Fronckowiak: aye, Councilwoman Samantha Bouton: aye.

Alternates for the Planning Board, ZBA, and BAS: Last year a request was made that those Boards who have alternates be permitted to appoint their own alternates. The issue was not fully resolved then so Supervisor Kasanof recently checked with Greene County, and it is acceptable for the Boards to appoint their alternates. The Town Board is still responsible for appointing actual members to the various Boards. The Town must update the Organizational Meeting Procedure List. Motion to revise the Organizational Meeting Procedure List to allow the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals to appoint their own alternates by Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto, 2nd by Councilman Eric Fronckowiak, Councilman Alan Reynolds: aye, Councilwoman Samantha Bouton: aye, Supervisor Innes Kasanof: aye.

Town Communication Methods: The Board once again discussed the need for a more inclusive way to share information with the community. The Town will continue to post notices in the Mountain Eagle but will also utilize the Margaretville Telephone Company website, the televised community calendar and overhaul the Town e-mail list as well.

Land Use Code Update: Supervisor Kasanof will reach out to ZBA member Karen Rauter to talk about the set up of a Land Use Code Committee. There is grant money available from the CWC to use to update the Land Use Code and the Town would again look to include Nan Stoltzenberg in the process.

Public Comment: Warren Reynolds asked the Board about the Town’s plans to contract with Pine Hill for fire protection. Councilman Alan Reynolds explained the need for the Town to build a satellite garage to house a fire truck in Halcott before it would be possible to contract with Pine Hill.

Next Meeting: Regular Meeting February 21, 2022, 6:00 pm.

Motion to Adjourn at 6:53 pm by Councilwoman Samantha Bouton, 2nd by Supervisor Innes Kasanof, Councilwoman Judy DiBenedetto: aye, Councilman Alan Reynolds: aye, councilman Eric Fronckowiak: aye.