TOWN OF HIGHLAND

REGULAR TOWN BOARD MEETING

ELDRED TOWN HALL ELDRED NY

DECEMBER11, 2012

PRESENT Supervisor Andrew Boyar

Councilman James Gutekunst

Councilman Fred Bosch

Councilwoman Amanda Scully

Councilman Scott Hallock

Also Present Attorney to Town Michael Davidoff

Town Clerk Doreen Hanson

Highway Superintendent Tom Ebers

Supervisor Call meeting to order

Flag Salute

MOTION BY Councilwoman Scully to approve the Town Clerk minutes dated 11-13-2012 seconded by Councilman Hallock discussion motion carried all ayes.

MOTION BY Councilman Bosch to approve the October Financial report seconded by councilman Gutekunst discussion motion carried all ayes.

CORRESPONDENCE

Received and read Highland Lake Fire Dept monthly report

Received and read Yulan Fire Dept monthly report

Received and read American Legion monthly report

Received and read Constable monthly report.

Received and read Animal Control monthly report

Received and read letter from Don Rupp in reference to the Scenic Byway.

Received and read letter from YFD in reference to a generator at the

ECS for use when we have power outages.

Received and read letter from Beaverbrook Rod and Gun Club informing the Town of an Kids Ice Fishing Contest on January 5, 2013

HIGHWAY

Tom Ebers the Highway Superintendent states he spoke to YFD and HLFD and we can solve the problem at the School for a few hundred dollars.

Supervisor Boyar states we don’t need a generator to run the school we need the transfer switch to hookup a portable generator to run the gas pumps. This solution is simple and important. I am going to ask the Board to short circuit this whole thing, for under $1000.00 dollars put in a transfer switch and get something in place and maybe citing the permanent generator is another thing down the road.

SUPERVISOR REPORT

Supervisor Boyar states we received a notification from the Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce that they would like Highland Designee for the Pride Awards which are awarded in the springtime. We have been correcting the Zoning Maps and we may have to have a public hearing. Councilman Bosch and I audited the Justice Courts books. We find all the books to be in order and neatly maintained we found the records reconciled accurately and to the penny. The audit team was satisfied that the books and records of the Town of Highland Justice Court are maintained accurately and correctly.

We have reached out to the school it is their property and we have to get permission to place a hook up for the generator and we have to wait for their response.

SPECIAL PRESENTATION

Maia Aron from AFLAC

PUBLIC COMMENT

Judge LaRuffa states sometimes we have heat at the Court house sometimes we don’t when the heat come on it sound like a space shuttle taking off , we need a door for the closet , we were under the impression we were having someone clean it on a routine basis and it is not getting clean.

Jeff Haas states the YFD recognizes that Warren Wagner from HLFD is the representative and we would endorse him again.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

COMMUNITY PLANNING/SENIORS

Supervisor Boyar states the seniors have asked to have air conditioner installed we are in touch with the purveyor that Lumberland used for air conditioner. Schmidts wholesale will do an audit as to our needs and in the Town of Rockland just bid their air conditioning and the person who received that bid is willing to come to the Town of Highland and do a survey also.

BUILDING DEPT

Councilman Bosch states the Building Department is quite busy they have issued about 50 % more permits this year that last year although they are small permits and they are working several owners regarding junk vehicles and deteriorating buildings.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Councilman Hallock states he will hold a meeting the end of January 2013 with YFD, HLFD and the American Legion Ambulance to go over update the plan and go over the storm.

BUILDINGS

Councilman Bosh states the ceiling of the Highway Department is not insulated and we cam up with a plan to insulate between the ceiling the original roof with fiberglass insulation and Tom has offered to do that with his crew with R23 for about sixteen hundred dollars of materials plus labor.

UDC

Supervisor Boyar state there was meeting and they did reach an accord with the ongoing issues at the Holbert Quarry and determined that the action taken by the property owner

were to the satisfaction to the NPS and the Upper Delaware Council and issue is over and UDC has sent a letter to the Township and to the property owner that it is a done deal. I was nominated to be Vice Chairman next year.

SCENIC BYWAY

No report.

BEAUTIFICATION

Arnold states the lights are up in the cull de sac and we will light the park in Eldred.

PERSONEL

Councilman Gutekunst states we will need to go into Executive session this evening.

REPORT ON HEROES PARK: Adopt a Unit – 101st Airborne, Screaming Eagles, No slack Unit

Supervisor Boyar we did adopt the Screaming Eagles attached to the 101st Airborne now in Afghanistan and we want to start getting cards and letter. I have reached out to the seniors and the school and wanted to see if we could get the kids to write letters from the Elementary and the High School.

Peter Carmeci of the Sullivan County Veterans Coalition states we just gave these kits out throughout Sullivan County and we want to send them to the troop in Afghanistan we only need to know how many men and woman. The VFW Post will pick up the tab on this and no cost to the Town.

Supervisor Boyar states we want to set up collection boxes, we have an entire list at the Town Clerks Office.

Peter Carmeci say magazines are a big thing some have family and some don’t have anyone, so it helps everyone knowing that the community is caring puts a smile on their face. I think it is a great idea.

MOTION BY Councilman Hallock to table the proposed Local Law #4, Councilman Bosch states I will support the motion but I heard in other towns they are redefining the trigger mechanisms so that local business can slip right through and they don’t have to fill out the report, other towns are further along than we are and I believe we can do some of there changes. Councilman Gutekunst states there could be many unattended consequences down the road and that is what we have to protect ourselves against I think we should table this resolution. Councilwoman Scully agrees. Supervisor Boyar states I think we are all unanimous. In the Broome County Bar Association they said the one thing always stood up, the Road Protection Laws stood up. We should look west of the County and see how they word theirs.

Attorney to the Town Michael Davidoff states that I had absolutely nothing at all to do with the creation of this law. I just saw it myself a few days ago and I share with some of the comments myself. If there is some changes made I ask that I be added to the loop so I can advise the Board as to what is going on, whereas up to now that has not occurred.

motion to table carried all ayes.

MOTION BY Councilman Hallock to approve the 2013 American Legion Contract in the amount of $22,500.00 and to authorize the Supervisor sign the contract seconded by Councilwoman Scully discussion motion carried all ayes.

MOTION BY Councilman Bosch to approve the 2013 contract for Sunshine Free Library in the amount $10,250.00 and authorize the Supervisor to sign the contract seconded by Councilwoman Scully discussion motion carried all ayes.

MOTION BY Councilman Hallock to approve the 2013 Yulan Fire Department Contract in the amount of $130,000.00 and to authorize the Supervisor to sign the contract seconded by Councilwoman Scully discussion motion carried all ayes

MOTION BY Councilman Hallock to authorize the 2013 Highland Lake Fire Department Contract in the amount of $ 59,600.00 and to authorize the Supervisor to sign the contract seconded by Councilwoman Scully discussion motion carried all ayes.

MOTION BY Councilman Bosch to authorize a collection box at the Town Hall for the Town of Highland Adopt a Unit Participation seconded by Councilman Gutekunst discussion motion carried all ayes.

MOTION BY Councilman Bosch to renew insurance coverage with Mang Insurance Agency effective 1-1-2013 to 1-1-2014 at the premium of $33,306.32 and to waive the terrorism coverage seconded by Councilman Hallock discussion motion carried all ayes.

MOTION BY Councilman Gutekunst to approve the Audit Report of the Town Justices books and send to Office of the Court Administration seconded by Councilman Hallock discussion motion carried all ayes.

MOTION BY Councilman Gutekunst to approve the Supervisor sign the Mileage Agreement with the County for snow removal as recommended by the Highway Superintendent seconded by Councilman Hallock discussion motion carried all ayes.

MOTION BY Councilman Hallock to approve the proposal to insulate the ceiling of the Town Shop with Owens Corning blown in fiber glass insulation seconded by Councilwoman Scully discussion motion carried all ayes.

MOTION BY Councilman Hallock to approve the correction of the November Abstract D&R $338.50 reducing the Abstract to $20185.70 from $20524.20 as per Town Clerk discussion motion carried all ayes.

MOTION BY Councilman Bosch to authorize the Town Clerk purchase a computer for the Town Clerks Office in the amount of $1,243.00 seconded by Councilwoman Scully discussion motion carried all ayes.

MOTION BY Councilman Gutekunst to schedule the Re Organizational meeting for Thursday January 3, 2013 @ 7PM and for the Town Clerk to advertise seconded by Councilwoman Scully discussion motion carried all ayes.

MOTION BY Councilwoman Scully to appoint Warren Wagner to the Sullivan County Fire Advisory Board as recommended by Yulan and Highland Lake Fire Department seconded by Councilman Hallock discussion motion carried all ayes.

MOTION BY Councilman Gutekunst to approve the audited General Abstract#12 in the amount of $13506.10 seconded by Councilman Bosch discussion motion carried all ayes

MOTION BY Councilman Gutekunst to approve the audited Highway Abstract # 12 in the amount of $10596.70 seconded by Councilman Hallock discussion motion carried all ayes.

MOTION BY Councilman Gutekunst to approve the audited Street Light Abstract # 12 in the amount of $159.86 seconded by Councilman Bosch discussion motion carried all ayes.

MOTION BY Councilwoman Scully to go into Executive session for reason of personnel and contract negotiations and litigation seconded by Councilman Hallock discussion motion carried all ayes.

MOTION BY Councilman Gutekunst to come out of Executive session seconded by Councilman Hallock discussion motion carried all ayes.

MOTION BY Councilwoman Scully to adjourn seconded by Councilman Hallock discussion motion carried all ayes.

Respectively submitted

Doreen Hanson Town Clerk