New Board Takes Care of Housekeeping
by David Flint
Newly elected Town Supervisor Colleen Teal presided over the first regular meeting of the 2016 New Lebanon Town Board on Tuesday, January 12. Other new faces on the Board are Councilmen Mark Baumli and Kevin Smith, along with newly elected Town Clerk Tistrya Houghtling. They join returning Town Board members Chuck Geraldi and Dan Evans, who was absent for this meeting.[private]Appreciation For The Outgoing Board
First order of business after approval of minutes and Mike Benson’s year-end Supervisor’s Report, was presentation of Certificates of Appreciation to members of the previous Town Board, Mike Benson, Matt Larabee and Irene Hanna.
Sign Enforcement
Supervisor Teal announced that due to an influx of complaints about illegal signs, the Town will begin a campaign to enforce the Town Sign ordinance. A letter will shortly be going out to all businesses in Town asking that they review the law enclosed with the letter. If they have any exterior signage they should make sure that they are in compliance by April 15.
CAC Receives
Natural Resources Inventory Grant
Cynthia Creech and David Farren, reporting for the Conservation Advisory Council, announced that they will be receiving a grant in the amount of $21,500 from the Hudson River Estuary Program to complete an inventory of the Town’s natural resources. The grant is in the final stage of review. Still needed is for the Town to provide insurance documentation and sign off on it.
Farren explained that the grant enables the hiring of consultants from Hudsonia Ltd and the Hawthorne Valley Farmscape Ecology Program. Biologist Gretchen Stevens of Hudsonia sits on the County CAC and has successfully done this type of work for a number of other towns. Hawthorne Valley has in the past done an exhaustive inventory of the Shaker Swamp.
Creech said the objective is to have an inventory of the natural resources in the Town and make them known to the various boards that make decisions here. “There are a lot of rare things in the Town that need to be noted so that we don’t just inadvertently destroy them,” she said.
Lebanon Valley
Heritage Center Closed
The Lebanon Valley Heritage Center, which opened in the Valley Plaza Mall to much applause two years ago, has closed. The Center was the joint venture of the Lebanon Valley Historical Society and the Economic Development Committee. Historical Society President Steve Oberon said that the reason it closed was that they had lost their lease and the property has been rented.
Supervisor Teal, however, appeared to believe that it had something to do with the fact that Sharon Moon who was Town Historian had not yet been reappointed by the new Board to that position. While the lease may have been lost, she understood that an offer had been made to the Center to lease another vacant unit in the same mall but the offer was not accepted. Teal said she had had conversations with Moon about the reappointment. She did not have anyone else in mind for the position but she had concerns that past conflicts between the Town Historian and the Historical Society, not necessarily involving Moon, be avoided and replaced with teamwork and cooperation. She said Moon told her that if the Board did not reappoint her she would close the Heritage Center.
Kevin Smith chimed in with, “It’s kind of like extortion.”
Moon, however, denied that the conversations had gone like that and especially that there had been any “extortion.”
Oberon added that the other mall site that had been offered would need some serious renovation and so was not acceptable at this time. He wanted to reassure everyone, however, that the Historical Society was committed to preserving the type of community outreach that was available at the Center, “a way that people can get in touch with history in a more personal sense.” He said there was a possibility that the Center could reopen in another spot if space became available. “We will keep you posted,” he said.
Playground Equipment From Stephentown
Teal reported that the playground equipment salvaged by the Parks & Recreation Department and volunteers from the grounds of the former Stephentown Elementary School was now in storage. The swing sets were not taken but the other equipment removed is OK with the Town’s insurance. Installation will happen in the spring and will also be a volunteer event.
Ethics Board
Appointments
The Board appointed Leonard Brown and Wayne Martin to the Ethics Board, Brown for a 5-year term and Martin to complete two years of an unexpired term.
Behold New Lebanon Grant
The Board passed a resolution last year agreeing to serve as the sponsor and administrator of the $89,529 Rural Business Enterprise Grant that Behold! New Lebanon secured from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Since Behold now has the designations necessary to sponsor and administer the grant themselves, the Board now passed a resolution transferring the grant back to Behold.
Buyout of Sick And Vacation Leave
After some discussion, the Board approved the buyout of unused sick and personal leave time accrued by the Building Department Administrator. The amount is $2,028.27, compensation for 123 hours of unused leave.
The discussion ensued because some members of the Board were not familiar with the Town policy that allows for this option. All agreed that there was no question the claim should be paid since the policy exists, but there appeared to be consensus that the policy should be looked at and reconsidered.
Cabinet Purchase
Town Clerk Tistrya Houghtling said that there are a lot of supplies stored in the Town vault that don’t need that kind of security. She got three quotes on a heavy duty steel cabinet, 4 feet wide by 2 feet deep, that would better hold these things. The Board decided to go with the least expensive which was $642.98 from Staples.
Mouse Control
Houghtling reported that there is once again a very bad problem in the Town Hall with mice. The little rodents are especially prevalent in the kitchen and in the attic. She thinks that with the building next door having been vacant for many years and now being renovated, the mice who were residing there are fleeing to better diggs in the Town Hall. She received quotes on pest control from Orkin, Meerkat and Cats Eye. The Board decided to go with Orkin for a $200 initial amount and $65 charge each time they come, which would probably be once a month. Houghtling said Orkin had a total pest control program and the Town has used them before.
County Board of Supervisors
The question came up why there was never at these meetings a report from the Supervisor regarding what’s happening at the County Board of Supervisors. Teal responded that there would be from now on. Teal is a member of that Board and sits on both the Public Safety Committee and the Public Service Committee which includes liaison with the Office of the Aging.
Audit of Bills
The Board audited and approved bills for 2015 for the General Account in the amount of $2,899.82 and for the Highway Account in the amount of $1,368.73. For 2016 the amount approved was $47,197.39 for the General Account and $2,939.11 for the Highway Account.[/private]