Petersburgh Town Board Action – Petersburgh To Get Solar Panels

by Alex Brooks
At a special meeting on Thursday, May 9, the Petersburgh Town Board agreed to a proposal from Monolith Solar to install solar panels on the Town Hall property which will supply electricity to all four buildings in the Town Municipal complex. The solar array will be mounted on the back section of the Town Hall and in the side yard east of the building, and it will be sized to supply all of the electricity used by the Town buildings. The solar panels will be installed, maintained and owned by Monolith Solar, and the electricity generated will be sold to the Town under a long term contract. It is expected to be at least 25% cheaper than what the Town is currently paying.
[private]Gravel Bids
The Petersburgh Town Board opened bids for gravel at its regular meeting on May 21. There were bids from R.J. Valente, R.M. Bacon, Bill Hammersmith’s Quality Construction and Sean O’Donovan. The lowest bidder was Sean O’Donovan, followed closely by Hammersmith. O’Donovan offered to sell bank run gravel for $5 and item 4 for $7. Hammersmith offered those materials at $5.35 and $7.15, respectively. Both offered $1 per yard discount if the Town loads the material with their own loader.
Highway Superintendent Ray Harrison said he has been buying screened gravel in Poestenkill for $6.50 a yard under State contract. When O’Donovan complained last month that his material is better, cheaper and closer than the gravel from Poestenkill, Harrison explained that he is required to buy under State contract. But the Town can also buy under a locally bid contract such as those offered by the gravel purveyors this month.
Duane Goodermote said it makes sense to him to buy gravel from O’Donovan, but he said it’s the Highway Superintendent’s choice. Bill Hammersmith said some of the local towns accept all bids, or more than one bid, so the Highway Superintendent can use whichever one he wants. He might want one type of material from one pit and another type from another pit – or one pit might be closer to a particular job than another.
The Board accepted O’Donovan’s bid and Hammersmith’s bid, so Harrison can now choose between the two or buy from other pits that are on State or County contract.
Mowing
Town Supervisor Siegfried Krahforst advised the Board that Ed Jones, who won the mowing contract last month to mow the Town Hall, the Town Park and the cemeteries, will not be able to do the mowing for health reasons. Darel Manchester of Above and Beyond Landscaping was the second lowest bid last month. He was present, and he agreed to do the mowing at the price he offered in his bid last month.
Revaluation
Petersburgh Assessor Craig Surprise asked the Board to approve an expenditure of $2,000 for a revaluation consultant to do part of the revaluation work. The consultant is Robert Hilbert of Rochester. The Board passed a resolution approving the agreement with Hilbert. Surprise told the Board he thinks the revaluation will cost a maximum of $10,000 of which about $5,000 will be covered by State aid.
Cemeteries
Peter Schaaphok told the Board that a part of the wall collapsed at the Reynolds Cemetery. He asked Alan Webster, Jr. to give him an estimate to rebuild the wall, and Webster said it would be $900. Schaaphok asked the Board if they would authorize the repair work. Supervisor Krahforst said he believes there is enough in the cemeteries budget to cover this repair and declared himself in favor of it. Board Member Bill Seel was not so sure there would be enough in the budget for it. Board Member Dick Snyder agreed with Krahforst. Board Member Duane Goodermote said he is concerned about picking this one repair from all the repairs that may be needed on cemeteries all over Town, but he said he is willing to take Schaaphok’s word for it, if he says this is the highest priority. Schaaphok said he does think it is the highest priority because it is very visible and because if it doesn’t get repaired this season, it will probably deteriorate a lot more next winter. The Board agreed to hire Webster to repair it.
There was further discussion about why the Town mows just six of the many cemeteries in Town and what they ought to do about the others, but no conclusion was reached.
The Leaning Garage
Building Inspector Doug Hull said that at the Public Hearing in March on the old Jones Garage the owner was given 60 days to present architectural plans for the renovations he plans and to take out a building permit for that work. It is now 77 days later and he has done neither. Hull said the owner took some of the heavy equipment out of there but not all of it and he boarded up one window and secured one door and that’s all he’s done. Hull said, “My recommendation is that you go after him.” Krahforst said he will contact the Town Attorney and see what the next step should be.
Krahforst said he thought the Town should have a Deputy Building Inspector, who can step in when Hull is unavailable. He suggested that they ask Charlie Kovage, who applied for the Building Inspector job when it was advertised in January. The Board asked how much this would cost. Hull said he thought the way it usually works is when the Building Inspector can’t be there, the Deputy fills in and gets the Inspector’s pay for that week. In this way, adding the Deputy would not cost the Town anything extra. On this basis, the Board authorized the Supervisor to make inquiries of Kovage to see if he is interested.
Truck Troubles
Highway Superintendent Ray Harrison said the Town’s new truck had a short and wouldn’t start. It had to be towed up to Delurey’s, and it is being repaired under warranty.
Ethics
Deidra Michaels, Chairperson of the Ethics Board, said her board has received one complaint this month and is investigating it.[/private]