VILLAGE OF CHAMPLAIN
BOARD MEETING MINUTES
APRIL 5, 2011
A regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Champlain was held on Tuesday, April 5, 2011, at the Village Office, 1104 Route 9, Champlain, New York. Present were Mayor Martin, Trustees Gehrig, Gurzenda, Kim Trombley, and Thomas Trombley, Clerk/Treasurer Munoz, Deputy Clerk Barcomb, Superintendent Sorrell, Codes Officer Tetreault, Legislator Harry McManus, Janet McFetridge, Margaret Shaner, Rachael Soluri, Catherine Gooley, and Jamie Thomas.
Mayor Martin called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. A motion was made by Trustee Gehrig and seconded by Trustee Thomas Trombley to approve the minutes as presented from the March 1, 2011, Board Meeting. Roll call vote as follows:
Mayor Martin Aye
Trustee Kim Trombley Abstained
Trustee Gurzenda Aye
Trustee Thomas Trombley Aye
Trustee Gehrig Aye
Motion carried.
Mayor Martin then reviewed the rules for public comment with the people who were in attendance this evening.
Public Comment
Janet McFetridge, who lives at 32 Church Street, said she is a student council advisor at Northeastern Clinton Central School. She said the council encourages involvement by students in community projects. Rachael Soluri, who lives at 106 South Street, said they have an idea for a community vegetable garden, and hope the Village has some land they can use. Ms. McFetridge explained there were other classmates that were supportive of getting a plot of land to till for a garden. Trustee Gehrig said these gardens have been extremely successful in Plattsburgh. Mayor Martin said he was glad to see young people interested in this type of community project. He said it will take a bit of work by the people involved; however, the Village will be here to help them out. Some discussion followed on other local areas that have community gardens. Trustee Thomas Trombley asked if any research had been done, and Ms. Soluri said not yet. He said this would be a good starting point. Trustee Kim Trombley suggested they reach out to other students, as a lot of schools use projects like this as a requirement for graduation. She also suggested contacting the Press Republican. Ms. Soluri said there was definitely interest being shown by other students. Trustee Gehrig said elderly people could help guide the students. She also said they could enlist the help of the St. Mary’s students. Legislator McManus said this was a great idea and suggested they contact the Cooperative Extension Office for assistance. He asked for her contact information, and said he would have someone contact her.
Legislator McManus reported on the following items:
1. The State budget and that 90% of the County budget involved State mandates.
2. The new charges for airport parking had generated $58,000 in three weeks, which will mean $450,000 per year of revenue.
3. He said an expansion to the airport is being planned at a cost of between $25M-$35M. It is expected that 250,000 people will fly in and out of Plattsburgh.
Public Hearing
Mayor Martin explained that the Public Hearing for the 2011-12 Village Budget is scheduled for 7 p.m. A motion was made by Trustee Gehrig and seconded by Trustee Kim Trombley to close the regular meeting at 7:03 p.m. Roll call vote as follows:
Mayor Martin Aye
Trustee Kim Trombley Aye
Trustee Gurzenda Aye
Trustee Thomas Trombley Aye
Trustee Gehrig Aye
Motion carried.
A motion was made by Trustee Kim Trombley and seconded by Trustee Gurzenda to open the Public Hearing at 7:04 p.m. Roll call vote as follows:
Mayor Martin Aye
Trustee Kim Trombley Aye
Trustee Gurzenda Aye
Trustee Thomas Trombley Aye
Trustee Gehrig Aye
Motion carried.
Mayor Martin said the purpose of the Public Hearing was to hear from anyone for or against the 2011-12 Village Budget. He said the amount to be raised by taxes was $247,490. He said many areas were cut to bring the budget more in line with the economic times. He said the tax rate for 2011-12 will be $4.44 per $1000 of assessed property value. This is an increase of $.03 per $1000. He said the water rates and sewer rates would remain the same. He said we are proud of this budget and will make it work. He asked if anyone had any comments. Mike Tetreault said that $4.44 per $1000 was very conservative, and commented that Malone’s tax rate was $20 per $1000. He congratulated the Village on a good job. Mayor Martin said Malone has a large fire and police department. Trustee Kim Trombley thanked Mayor Martin and the office staff for working on the budget.
A motion was made by Trustee Gehrig and seconded by Trustee Kim Trombley to close the Public Hearing at 7:08 p.m. Roll call vote as follows:
Mayor Martin Aye
Trustee Kim Trombley Aye
Trustee Gurzenda Aye
Trustee Thomas Trombley Aye
Trustee Gehrig Aye
Motion carried.
A motion was made by Trustee Gehrig and seconded by Trustee Kim Trombley to go back into the regular Board Meeting at 7:09 p.m. Roll call vote as follows:
Mayor Martin Aye
Trustee Kim Trombley Aye
Trustee Gurzenda Aye
Trustee Thomas Trombley Aye
Trustee Gehrig Aye
Motion carried.
A motion was made by Trustee Kim Trombley and seconded by Trustee Thomas Trombley to accept the 2011-12 Village Budget as presented. Roll call vote as follows:
Mayor Martin Aye
Trustee Kim Trombley Aye
Trustee Gurzenda Aye
Trustee Thomas Trombley Aye
Trustee Gehrig Aye
Motion carried.
Legislator McManus continued with his report:
4. He said the cost for home health care for Clinton County is $1.9 million dollars. They are putting out proposals for a private company to manage this program. Other counties that have companies run this program say that 90%-95% of employees are re-hired by these companies.
5. Medicare and Medicaid cuts are coming, and the County is trying to hold the line on taxes. The County is either going to have to cut services or raise taxes.
6. He said the fire fighters tax exemption passed, but he was not sure how many people have taken advantage of it yet. It passed the school boards, which says a lot about the people in this area. Mayor Martin thanked him for his efforts getting this passed, and said this was a wonderful way to recognize some in the community who give up a lot to help others. Legislator McManus hopes to see more young people join. He said they are continuing to work on the $200 income tax relief for the same group of people.
7. He said the census figures are in which indicates the population in Area 1 has increased. This means that some of Area 1 will be given to Area 2, as the areas have to be the same population. Mooers Forks will probably be in Area 2 now.
8. He spoke with Judy Ross at the Clinton County Health Department about local training for water operators. Mayor Martin wondered if this could be extended to include training for wastewater plant operators. Some discussion followed.
9. Trustee Gehrig asked if the survey that was done last fall regarding Medicaid has been received yet. Legislator McManus said he has not seen it yet. Trustee Gehrig said this may include some good ideas relative to this program. Some discussion followed.
10. Trustee Gehrig said she is no longer on the Community Service Board representing our area, and she cannot serve for one year. Legislator McManus said he would ask around for a replacement.
Report From Codes Officer Tetreault
1. He said the snow is gone which means the junk is now visible. He will be following up on this.
2. The zoning and planning training by Barton & Loguidice was great, with the last session being very informative, as it was a live, hands-on session.
Report From Mayor Martin
1. He thanked everyone who took the time to vote in the Village election, and congratulated Trustee Kim Trombley and Trustee Gurzenda on their elections. He said that although the turnout was a little small, he felt residents are comfortable with the representation this Board of Trustees gives to the Village. He said the Board listens to the concerns of the residents, and intends to lead the Village in a productive, pro-active manner. As a group, the Board believes in this Village, the direction we are heading, and hope to make it more economically and esthetically pleasing to the residents and others who may re-locate here. There are important issues that need to be addressed in the near future, and if we all work together as a unified community, these can be worked on in an effective, productive manner. Our challenge is to keep the Village moving forward to make it a better place to raise our children and live comfortably. This Village offers uniquely personal services that are enjoyed and appreciated by our residents. We, as a Board, aim to keep moving forward as a community and make our Village an even more positive place to live.
2. He mentioned that we had no flooding in the Village this year as the river did not jam up with ice this year.
3. Spring pick-up days will be announced in the near future.
4. He thanked the DPW crew for their long, productive hours keeping streets and sidewalks clear this winter. He said he has spoken to many residents who were very grateful for the extra effort made by Larry, Jimmy, Terry, and Woody this winter season. He also thanked Juanita and Donna for keeping the Village Office up and running during some trying winter storms.
Report From Trustee Kim Trombley
1. She said there was a nice thank you in the Press Republican from Fire Chief Peter Timmons to Superintendent Sorrell and the DPW crew for the help they gave with the flooding in Perry Mills. She said it was nice to see the Village and fire department working together.
Report From Trustee Gurzenda
1. He congratulated Mayor Martin and Trustee Trombley on their elections and thanked them for their help.
2. He said the American Legion bingo will be starting again, and hope for enough revenue to keep the building up to the maintenance standards.
3. He said it was great to have an inventory of all the tools in the shop, but suggested a digital inventory also be done. Mayor Martin thought that was a good idea.
Report From Trustee Thomas Trombley
1. He congratulated Mayor Martin and Trustees Trombley and Gurzenda on their elections.
2. He thanked Mayor Martin for the fine job he has been doing since taking over in October. He is very dedicated to the Village and jumped into the job “with both feet”.
Report From Trustee Gehrig
1. She said there was swimming tonight and on April 12th from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Northeastern Clinton Central School. The cost is $2/person or $5/family.
2. She explained that the Community Service Board oversees mental health issues and is a 4-year term. They meet on the last Wednesday of the month. She has been on the Board for the last eight years; however, she is not on the Board now and there is no one representing the area right now. They will have services on Monday and Thursday in their own office behind the Medical Center. If anyone is interested in joining the Board, please contact her at the Village Office or Kim Youler at Clinton County Mental Health.
3. Zumba classes are now held on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights at
St. Mary’s School from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. at a cost of $5 per person. They are also held on Sunday’s at Bowl Mart Lanes from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
4. She said the last day to submit forms to participate in the summer youth programs is Wednesday, April 6, 2011.
5. She said there are many events coming up to help St. Mary’s raise money to keep the school opening, including the following:
A. Pancake breakfast at St. Mary’s on April 10th from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
B. Auction at St. Mary’s on April 30th starting at 6:30 p.m.
C. Texas Hold ‘Em poker tournament at the VFW in St. Albans on May 1st from 12:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
D. Walk-a-thon from the Rouses Point Civic Center to St. Mary’s on May 7th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
E. Moonlight bowling and dancing in Napierville on May 14th from
7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
F. Zumbathon at the Rainbow Banquet Hall in Altona on May 15th from
2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
G. Fun Day and Car Wash at the Town of Champlain on May 7th from 9 a.m.
to 3 p.m. Jane West and Marlene Shank have been working on this.
H. St. Mary’s Bazaar on Memorial Day Weekend
6. She thought the digital tool inventory was a great idea and asked if the dates the tools were purchased could be typed in.
7. She said there was a notice in the latest grant bulletin about grant money for historical buildings, with May 2nd being the deadline to apply. She said the Historical Society had approached us about the old building at the Frog Pond, and she said if anyone knows of any old buildings that may qualify to call the Village Office. Catherine Gooley said she would be willing to serve on a committee to research this.
8. She said the Village has assisted with the St. Mary’s Parade with a monetary donation the last two years. She said without this assistance, there would be no parade. She said she would bring this up under New Business.
Report From Clerk/Treasurer Munoz
1. She said the Board had been copied with the Revenue/Expenditure Report for March.
2. She said the April 1, 2011, water/sewer billing was completed, with water totaling $55,929.85 and sewer totaling $93,796.38.
Purchase Requisitions
The following purchase requisitions were presented to the Board:
1. Metering pump—F8330.2--$232.84
2. Metering pump—G8130.2--$232.85
A motion was made by Trustee Thomas Trombley and seconded by Trustee Kim Trombley to approve these purchase requisitions. Superintendent Sorrell said these are replacements for the pumps used for chlorine and sodium aluminate. Roll call vote as follows:
Mayor Martin Aye
Trustee Kim Trombley Aye
Trustee Gurzenda Aye
Trustee Thomas Trombley Aye
Trustee Gehrig Aye
Motion carried.
3. Spill control pallet—F8330.2—$254.85
G8130.2—$254.85
A motion was made by Trustee Kim Trombley and seconded by Trustee Thomas Trombley to approve this purchase requisition as presented. Roll call vote as follows:
Mayor Martin Aye
Trustee Kim Trombley Aye
Trustee Gurzenda Aye
Trustee Thomas Trombley Aye
Trustee Gehrig Aye
Motion carried.
4. Chlorine (4)—F8330.4--$418.00 plus freight
5. Aquamag (4)—F8330.4--$1896.00 plus freight
6. Sodium aluminate (3)—G8130.4--$609.30 plus freight
A motion was made by Trustee Gurzenda and seconded by Trustee Thomas Trombley to approve these purchase requisitions as presented. Some discussion followed. Roll call vote as follows:
Mayor Martin Aye
Trustee Kim Trombley Aye
Trustee Gurzenda Aye
Trustee Thomas Trombley Aye
Trustee Gehrig Aye
Motion carried.
Presentation Of Warrant And Payment
Clerk/Treasurer Munoz said the following invoices need to be added to the warrant:
General Code A1420.11 $ 706.82
Hach G8110.4 $ 190.83
NYSEG F8320.4 $ 575.64
NYSEG Solutions F8320.4 $ 892.32
Plattsburgh Publishing A1410.4 $ 31.05
Surpass Chemical Co. F8330.4 $ 264.00
TOTAL $2,660.66
A motion was made by Trustee Kim Trombley and seconded by Trustee Thomas Trombley to approve Warrant #11 for Voucher #305 through #348 from the General, Water, and Sewer accounts, including the additional invoices, in the amount of $19,524.25. Roll call vote as follows:
Mayor Martin Aye
Trustee Kim Trombley Aye
Trustee Gurzenda Aye
Trustee Thomas Trombley Aye
Trustee Gehrig Aye
Motion carried.
Report From Superintendent Sorrell
1. He said the Board had been copied with his report.
2. He said the DPW crew had re-checked some meter readings.
3. They were in the process of fixing some DI’s.
4. They are getting ready to sweep the streets.
5. Mayor Martin asked if the wall in front of Clark’s Funeral Home had been repaired yet, and Superintendent Sorrell said it will be done soon.
6. Trustee Thomas Trombley had some questions regarding the drive motor, and there was some discussion about that issue.
7. Trustee Thomas Trombley asked about the new floor in the chlorine building, and Superintendent Sorrell said the crew repaired it with new plywood. Some discussion followed.
8. Trustee Gehrig asked about the 10% discount on nitrate samples, and Superintendent Sorrell said they had to be done by March 1st to get the discount. Some discussion followed regarding the good job Superintendent Sorrell has done saving money with purchases.
9. Mayor Martin quoted from the recent wastewater plant annual report from Dominic Fontana at the DEC, “Operations are within permit limits; however, the grit removal system is not working.” Superintendent Sorrell explained the problem is it needs to be aerated everyday to prevent the building of solids that become too much for the diaphragm pump to take care of. Some discussion followed.
10. Trustee Gehrig commented that we have received $80,000 in additional revenue in the sewer account that was not anticipated.
Correspondence
1. Correspondence from Clinton County Highway Department regarding road striping prices for 2011.
2. Correspondence from Town of Champlain IDA regarding board appointment.
3. Correspondence from David Patrick regarding War of 1812 plaque grant awards.
4. Correspondence from VFW Post 1418 regarding Buddy Poppy Week and response and Proclamation from the Village.
5. Correspondence from Thomas Trombley regarding sidewalk repair at
22 Butternut Street.
6. Correspondence from NYSDEC regarding the Annual WWTP Inspection Report.
7. Letter of Intent from Karen Gurzenda for position on the Village Planning Board.
8. Correspondence from Trident Insurance regarding incident with snow plow truck.
9. Letter to Ronald Trombly regarding his request for monetary relief of his water/sewer bill.
10. Quotes to clean water tank.
11. Correspondence from Catherine Gooley asking for a credit on her April 1st water/sewer bill, and a memo from Deputy Clerk Barcomb.
Old Business
1. GSA meter—There was nothing new to report on this issue.
2. Water/sewer contract with the Town of Champlain—Mayor Martin said he is meeting with Town representatives on Thursday to discuss the contract. He will have more information at the next Board meeting.
New Business
1. Resolution for Standard Work Day—A motion was made by Trustee Thomas Trombley and seconded by Trustee Kim Trombley to approve the resolution as presented establishing the standard work day for Larry Sorrell and Juanita Munoz for NYS Retirement System purposes. Roll call vote as follows:
Mayor Martin Aye
Trustee Kim Trombley Aye
Trustee Gurzenda Aye
Trustee Thomas Trombley Aye
Trustee Gehrig Aye
Motion carried.
2. Attendance to Water Works Conference—A motion was made by Trustee Kim Trombley and seconded by Trustee Gurzenda approving the attendance by Larry Sorrell, Jim Ondras, and Terry Lincourt to the Water Works Conference to be held in Potsdam on April 20, 2011, at a cost of $30 each, which will be worth six credit hours for each person’s water license. Some discussion followed. Roll call vote as follows:
Mayor Martin Aye
Trustee Kim Trombley Aye
Trustee Gurzenda Aye
Trustee Thomas Trombley Aye
Trustee Gehrig Aye
Motion carried.
3. Results of the March 15, 2011, Village of Champlain elections are:
Gregory Martin 28 votes
Kim Trombley 27 votes
Thomas Gurzenda 28 votes
Other 1 vote
4. Catherine Gooley water/sewer credit—Mayor Martin said Correspondence #11 is in regards to Ms. Gooley’s request for a credit due to a leaking hot water tank. Ms. Gooley said she did not realize the tank had been leaking because she has a dirt floor in the cellar and she does not go into the cellar very often because she is disabled. The only reason she found out about the problem was because her electric bill was very high. A motion was made by Trustee Thomas Trombley and seconded by Trustee Gurzenda to adjust the April 1, 2011, water/sewer invoice by $1,023.72, making the total due $145.32. After some discussion, Trustee Thomas Trombley revised his motion to allow a one-time sewer credit of $684 making the total due $485.04. Roll call vote as follows:
Mayor Martin Aye
Trustee Kim Trombley Aye
Trustee Gurzenda Aye
Trustee Thomas Trombley Aye
Trustee Gehrig Aye
Motion carried.
5. A motion was made by Trustee Gehrig and seconded by Trustee Thomas Trombley to donate $1100 to maintain the St. Mary’s Parade. There was the following discussion:
Mayor Martin said the only Board meeting he missed last year was the one that the Board approved funds for the 2010 parade. He felt we need to make a separation of what is asked for and what we can legally do; therefore, he does not agree with this expenditure.
Trustee Gehrig said Rouses Point holds their event every year and it is a community event. She said we do not have a lot of things in the Village to draw people in; however, the St. Mary’s Bazaar does that.
Mayor Martin agreed that it brings people into the Village, but we would be expending public funds for a private organization. Trustee Gehrig felt it is important to maintain the funding. There are all types of organizations represented in the parade. Everyone in the community uses St. Mary’s School for functions at no charge. There would be no community events without the school, and she felt we do not do enough as a community. The parade pulls in people from all over our area, and the children are so proud of what they do in the parade.
Mayor Martin agreed that it is a highlight of the year in the Village and that it brings people into the Village and offers something the people need. He felt we need to do all we can to help, but giving a monetary donation with public funds is not the right thing to do.
Trustee Thomas Trombley said that what Mayor Martin is saying makes sense, but the St. Mary’s Bazaar has become a community event. Catherine Gooley agreed and said this is not a religious event, but a community event. Many people are connected by the school. People do not think of it as the St. Mary’s Bazaar, but the Champlain Bazaar. People come into the Village and spend money, and it is good entertainment for the senior citizens.
Trustee Thomas Trombley said Mayor Martin is concerned with taxpayers’ dollars and how they are expended. He felt this would be a good expenditure for the community. He also suggested the Village Fest be combined with the St. Mary’s Bazaar in the future.
Trustee Gehrig said the bazaar is open to other organizations that are raising money such as the fire department, Kiwanis, and Woodmen of the World. She said there were over 140 businesses represented at last year’s bazaar.
Trustee Kim Trombley said she agreed with Mayor Martin on this issue. She said we are being scrutinized by some residents who are watching what we are spending. We are doing a fine job with our expenditures, but we are being looked at as to how we are managing the Village affairs. The St. Mary’s Bazaar is a big thing for our Village, and she said that this is her family’s parish. However, as Village trustees, we need to look at things a little differently and tighten spending.
Trustee Gehrig said no one has come forward complaining about what was donated in the past. Mayor Martin said the first year a donation was made was with Quadricentennial money, but last year it was with Village funds.
There being no further discussion, roll call vote was taken as follows:
Trustee Kim Trombley Nay
Trustee Gurzenda Nay
Trustee Thomas Trombley Aye
Trustee Gehrig Aye
Mayor Martin Nay
Motion failed.
Adjournment
There being no further business to come before the Board this evening, a motion was made by Trustee Gehrig and seconded by Trustee Thomas Trombley to adjourn the meeting at 8:25 p.m. Roll call vote as follows:
Trustee Kim Trombley Aye
Trustee Gurzenda Aye
Trustee Thomas Trombley Aye
Trustee Gehrig Aye
Mayor Martin Aye
Motion carried.
Donna Barcomb
Deputy Clerk