by David Flint
At the Stephentown Town Board meeting on Monday, October 17, Town Supervisor Larry Eckhardt said he had been speaking with several supermarket people, including Price Chopper, an IGA wholesale distributor and Harry’s Market in Pittsfield, about the possibility of bringing a store to Stephentown. He hopes to speak soon also with Hannaford. He said he wanted to just let them know that Stephentown is here, is interested in having a store and has some sites that might work. Eckhardt has done business with Bozzuto’s Inc., an IGA wholesale distributor based in Cheshire, CT. They do not open stores, but they find people who are interested in opening a store and help them with finance, supplies, etc. They are aware of Stephentown and the need here because they supplied Dave’s Market before it closed. They also supply Harry’s Market in Pittsfield. When Eckhardt spoke with Harry’s, they said they would love to be able to come to this area.
Town Assessor Tom MacVeigh commented, “If we happen to get somebody that’s interested in coming to Town, are our Boards going to drive them out?” suggesting that the Planning or Zoning Board might nitpick about protecting “the cottontail rabbit and all that stuff.” Eckhardt replied that he had already had good conversations with the Chairmen of both Boards and they had pointed out that the Route 22/43 corridor from the state line to beyond the school and from Pease Farm to Grange Hall Road is zoned mostly commercial and provides good potential sites for a store. Eckhardt believes there is opportunity for the right market to do well. Right now visitors over at Vacation Village are being directed to Lanesborough or Williamstown. The question was asked whether an interested market or developer could receive tax incentives – no tax for the first five years for example. Councilman Roder said the Planning or Zoning Boards could not do this but the Town Board could.
Beacon Boomer
Eckhardt expressed concern about the flywheel failure at the Beacon Power plant. He said it happened the previous Thursday night at about 9:30 with a boom that shook the neighborhood. The Fire Department showed up about ten minutes later. Eckhardt said he had spoken with several concerned residents about it. He said he would call Beacon Power and “see where we’re at with this,” given that this is the second failure within about 60 days. He noted that it’s only two flywheels out of 200 – “a 1% failure rate” – and the disintegrating flywheel is contained within a concrete bunker, but still, when they fail, he said, “It’s pretty catastrophic.”
Joining The Greenway
Having held a public hearing on the matter last month, the Board passed unanimously a resolution stating that they support the criteria of the Hudson River Valley Greenway Act and they endorse the designation of the Town as a Greenway Community. The five criteria supported are natural and cultural resource protection, regional planning, economic development (including tourism, agriculture and urban redevelopment), enhancing public access to the Hudson River and heritage and environmental education. The resolution notes that communities can become eligible to receive technical and financial assistance from the Greenway, that community participation in the Greenway planning process is voluntary and that the Greenway Act does not supersede or change any powers previously granted to the Town.
Replacing The Plow Truck
Eckhardt reported that the Highway Department’s 1989 truck that is used only for plowing had received a verdict from Zwack, Inc. that it was not worth spending any more money on it for repairs. Highway Superintendent Aldie Goodermote’s recommendation was that the Department get through the winter with a replacement used truck. Accordingly the Board passed a resolution requesting bids for a used plow truck vintage 2000 or newer. Bid specifications will be available from the Town Clerk’s office starting October 19 and sealed bids are to be received no later than October 28. The bids will be opened at a special Town Board meeting on October 31 at 6 pm.
Audit Of The Town Court
Eckhardt said that a required annual financial audit of the Town Court had been completed and sent to the NYS Unified Court System last March but he has been informed that a Town Board resolution accepting the audit is also required. Therefore the Board passed this resolution accepting the audit for the fiscal year 2010 as complete.
Snow Plowing At The Transfer Station And Town Hall
The Board passed another resolution to advertise for bids for plowing snow at the Transfer Station and for plowing snow as well as clearing and salting sidewalks at the Town Hall during the winter season of 2012. The Town Clerk is authorized to advertise for separate sealed bids for each location. Bids are to be received by November 18.
The Assessor’s Retirement
The Board received a letter from MacVeigh requesting that they investigate what needs to be done to get him up to date in the NYS State & Local Retirement System. MacVeigh said he had asked to join the Retirement System many times but was refused by the Town Board because they said he was only part time. It seems, however, that since 1976 membership has been optional for part time employees and appointed officials and that since 1986 employers have been required to notify employees in writing of their right to membership. MacVeigh said he was never notified of his right nor ever asked to sign a waiver. He believes the cost to bring him up to date back to 2002, when he became Assessor also for Nassau, would come to something over $2,000. He wants the Town to pay all of it, not just what would have been the Town’s share, because he could have been enrolled since 1976. He will find out what the exact number is if he “can ever get a human on the phone.” Eckhardt said the Board would look into this and take it up at an upcoming Workshop meeting.
Workplace Violence
Eckhardt reported that the State Public Employee Safety and Health Bureau (PESH) said the Town is in serious violation of certain standards of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), mainly some having to do with workplace violence. The Town, for example, has no written policy or action plan in the event that Town employees handling money are held up or someone threatens to harm a Highway Department employee doing his job. Eckhardt said he and Doug Griswold, as Union representative, met with an official from PESH to find out what’s expected. The official presented a situation in which an employee plowing snow accidentally bashes a mailbox and is threatened with a gun by the enraged mailbox owner. To Eckhardt’s chagrin, Doug replied that, “If anybody threatens us with a gun, we’ll just pull out our gun and shoot him.” Doug was kidding of course – we think – but according to Eckhardt, “The poor woman was in abject shock.”
The Highway Department was cited for other failings, too, such as no safety glasses or availability of eyewash. The Town was given 20 days to respond. Eckhardt and Goodermote are both awash in paperwork having to do with FEMA reports and the budget among other things. They plan to ask for an extension.
In Other Business:
Eckhardt reported that a contract has been negotiated with the Highway Department union. He will get copies to the Board for their review. It needs to be in place for budget purposes.
Since Dave’s Market closed there has been no street light at the intersection of Route 43 and Madden Road. A pole is in place on the Market property close to the intersection. Eckhardt will see what needs to be done to get a light operating.
Letters of interest have been received for serving as Alternate on the Zoning and Planning Boards. They will be placed on file pending advertising for these positions.
The Court Clerk, Deborah Coppola, is resigning as of December 1. The position has been advertised; resumes are required to be in by October 21, and the Board will conduct interviews with candidates at 6:30 pm on October 24.
The Town Clerk reported she had turned over the sum of $531.90 to the Supervisor for the month of September. The distribution from the Office of the State Comptroller, Justice Court Fund to the Town was $1,585. The Transfer Station report was not available.
The Board audited and approved claims in the amount of $20,795.10 from the General Account and $39,368.15 from the Highway Account. About $22,000 of the Highway money was directly related to fixing damage from tropical storms Irene and Lee. The Board is hoping for reimbursement from FEMA for a good part of that.
The Board scheduled a Budget Workshop for Thursday, October 20, at 7 pm.
Public Hearings on the 2012 Budget will be held on Monday, October 24, at 7:30 pm and, if necessary, along with a Workshop meeting on Monday, November 14, at 7 pm.
The next regular meeting of the Town Board will be held on Monday, November 21, at 7 pm.