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VILLAGE OF CHAMPLAIN
BOARD MEETING MINUTES
AUGUST 10, 2009
* View Minutes for Special Meeting Held August 6th Click Here
A regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Champlain was held on Monday, August 10, 2009, at the Village Office, 1104 Route 9, Champlain, New York. Present were Mayor Moore, Trustees Gehrig, Martin, and Thomas Trombley, Clerk/Treasurer Munoz, Deputy Clerk Barcomb, Larry Sorrell, Codes Officer Tetreault, Legislator McManus, and Karen Gurzenda. Trustee Kim Trombley was excused this evening.
Mayor Moore called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. A motion was made by Trustee Martin, seconded by Trustee Thomas Trombley and carried, to approve the minutes of the regular Board Meeting held on July 13, 2009. Trustee Gehrig abstained from voting. A motion was made by Trustee Gehrig, seconded by Trustee Martin and carried, to approve the minutes of the special Board Meeting held on August 6, 2009. Trustee Thomas Trombley abstained from voting.
Mayor Moore asked if there was anyone here this evening who would like to address the Board. Karen Gurzenda thanked the Board, the DPW crew, and the DEC for their efforts to stop the trucks from being left running in the Kimpex parking lot. She said she was informed by the DEC that no trucks can be left running for more than 5 minutes, and there are penalties of up to $500 if they do. Mr. Sorrell said the DPW crew put up the signs that were given to the Village by the DEC, and also the signs that the Village purchased. This took some time as the posts were backordered and UFPO’s also had to be done. Mrs. Gurzenda again thanked everyone involved, and mentioned that no trucks have been parked there since the signs have been put up.
Legislator McManus was here this evening to update the Board on various issues as follows:
1. He passed out the County legislation relative to the proposed firefighter’s tax exemption. He said the Village has to wait for the State legislature to pass it before it can be passed by the Village. He mentioned that only 10% of the 30% reduction would be the Village’s share of this exemption.
2. He explained there are two items on the ballot this year. The first is to eliminate term limits on the County Board, and the second is to stagger terms. He said he feels strongly about staggering terms, as it makes no sense to have 10 legislators running for office at the same time.
3. He updated the Board on the proposed rooftop highway, and said there has been a major change in philosophy. There has been discussion about building a new interstate system with federal stimulus funding, although no plans have been done yet. He said the plans he saw were for a three lane highway to Maine at a cost of six billion dollars.
4. He encouraged everyone to attend the unveiling of the mosaic at the government center in the parking area on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. He said 1000 students from all area schools were involved with this project.
The Board thanked him for coming to the meeting this evening.
Report From Codes Officer Tetreault
1. He informed the Board various letters regarding grass cutting had been done.
2. One property owner, who was in violation of the property maintenance code, has requested a bench trial, which will be held on August 20, 2009, at the Town court.
Mr. Tetreault felt that the Village attorney should also be present.
3. He said the burned building on Main Street has been removed. He also commented on Mrs. Zweeres property on Cedar Street and whether or not the Village wanted that cleaned up or wait another year for it to be in the County auction for taxes.
4. The Zoning Board Public Hearing regarding the application submitted by Elegance Coating will be held on Wednesday, August 12, 2009, at 5 p.m. This company will be contracted to paint for Nova Bus and will generate between 30-40 jobs.
5. A company is in negotiations for the Main Knitting building on Lawrence Paquette Drive, but he did not have any further details.
6. He mentioned the Industrial Park sign on Route 11 had been cleaned up; however, the fields along Lawrence Paquette Drive needed to be cut, and he would contact The Development Corporation about this.
7. Trustee Thomas Trombley asked if any citations had been issued for 1138 Rt. 9 and Mr. Tetreault said he has sent four letters, but the next step will be to send a citation.
Report From Mayor Moore
1. He thanked everyone who helped organize the Village Community Day for the great job they did, and thanked everyone who participated. He commented it was a beautiful day and everyone had a great time.
2. He thanked the Village crew for the hard work prepping the Village for the celebration. Contrary to what has been in Speak Out lately, the Village only has three active employees right now, and the Village looked great.
Report From Trustee Kim Trombley
Trustee Trombley was excused this evening.
Report From Trustee Martin
1. He agreed with Mayor Moore and thanked all the organizers and volunteers involved with the Community Day. It was a huge event with many activities, and everyone enjoyed the day.
2. The Shared Services Committee met on July 22nd with Don Fletcher from Barton & Loguidice. The study is moving forward with water and wastewater issues being examined, including potential grown prospects for the area.
3. The final report for the Shared Services Asset Management Plan should be completed by the end of the year.
4. The next meeting of the Shared Services Committee will be held at the Village Office on Wednesday, August 26, 2009, at 5 p.m.
5. The wastewater treatment plant is running smoothly and effectively. Issues that exist are being addressed and rectified to maintain the functionality of the plant. He thanked Bob Jewell for his efforts at the plant.
6. He reminded residents to dispose of cooking oils and grease properly. Also, waste oil removal from businesses must be handled and documented properly. He asked that oils and grease not be put into the wastewater system, as these are very hard to process.
7. He said that many street signs have been stolen recently, including Oak, Elm, Maple, Chestnut, Prospect, and Butternut. This presents a potential problem for emergency response vehicles and an added expense for the Village. He asked for residents’ help by providing any information they might have by calling the Village Office at 298-4152.
8. He thanked the DPW crew for the following:
a. putting up new signs
b. preparing the streets and the park for the Quad celebration
c. completing paving on South Street and Elm Street
d. congratulations to Larry Sorrell and Jim Ondras for attending the Small Water System Management training and receiving contact hours
e. special thank you to Terry Lincourt for his diligent work at the WWTP, and thank you to Larry Sorrell and Jim Ondras as well
9. He stated the Village has a small crew that is doing a great job under somewhat trying conditions. He asked that if anyone has any issues with the crew and the work being done to please attend a Board meeting and let the Board know your concerns.
Report From Trustee Thomas Trombley
1. He echoed Trustee Martin’s comments regarding the hard work the crew of three men has been doing, including taking care of the streets, preparing for the Quad Celebration, operating the water plant, and operating/maintaining/cleaning the wastewater plant.
2. The religious celebration day on August 2nd was a huge success, with both the church and the K of C being packed, with many folks from all over the region in attendance.
3. The Community Day on August 8th was a great day, including the weather. He agreed with Trustee Martin’s comments and thanked everyone who participated. He also thanked the Village crew for assembling the power boxes for the park and for digging the hole for the tree. He said everything they needed was taken care of by the crew.
4. He said a Crimson King maple tree was planted with the plaque dedication.
5. He thanked everyone who helped, including everyone from the Town of Champlain and the Village trustees. He mentioned Mayor George Rivers with also there. This was a shared function and everyone enjoyed all the activities.
Report From Trustee Gehrig
1. She stated the process for the Quad Celebration started over a year ago, and everyone came together at the end to put on a wonderful celebration. She said people at the church were moved to tears, with many people commenting they had never seen such a beautiful service.
2. The Village Park is a phenomenal place for this type of event, and the general consensus was this should be an annual event.
3. The shoreline at the park, the K of C, and Elm Street was cleaned which allowed everyone to see the river. The museum was beautiful, with Celine Paquette doing a wonderful job. There were well over 600 people in attendance with no negative comments.
4. She thanked Chris Trombley for all of his hard work, and said that this would not have happened without his help. She also thanked Bruce and Jane West for stepping up and helping with the Community Day. She said Celine Paquette was instrumental with the state-wide support and helping with grants. She also mentioned that Calvin Castine had great television coverage of the day’s activities.
5. There were 46 participants in the coloring contest, and she would announce the winners at the September Board meeting.
6. She commented that everyday people complain of things that go wrong, but this event proves what a great community we have to be thankful for.
Report From Clerk/Treasurer Munoz
1. She said the Board had been copied with the Revenues/Expenditures Report for July.
2. Purchase requisition—computer for codes/zoning officer—A8010.2--$531.00
A motion was made by Trustee Martin and seconded by Trustee Thomas Trombley to approve the purchase requisition as presented. Roll call vote as follows:
Trustee Martin Aye
Trustee Thomas Trombley Aye
Trustee Gehrig Aye
Mayor Moore Aye
Motion carried.
Presentation Of Warrant And Payment
Clerk/Treasurer Munoz said there were two additional invoices to add to the warrant as follows:
a. Erin Sorrell—A1410.4--$60.00
b. Robert Jewell—G8130.1--$1003.75
A motion was made by Trustee Thomas Trombley and seconded by Trustee Gehrig to approve Warrant #3 for Voucher #69 through #106 from the General, Water, and Sewer accounts, including the additional invoices, in the amount of $54,015.10. Roll call vote as follows:
Trustee Martin Aye
Trustee Thomas Trombley Aye
Trustee Gehrig Aye
Mayor Moore Aye
Motion carried.
Report From The Superintendent
Larry Sorrell copied his report for the Board, as a new superintendent has not been hired yet.
1. The paving on South Street and Elm Street has been completed, with a cost of approximately $37,000. White stones will be put down along the edges of the road tomorrow, with the help of the Town of Champlain.
2. Streets signs to replace the ones that were stolen have been installed for the third time. He also mentioned the new street cones were also taken from the end of Prospect Street.
3. Regular water/wastewater testing had been completed.
4. Holes on Elm Street had been patched, and the grate on the end of Prospect Street was repaired.
5. The muffin monster at the sewer plant had been pulled and shipped out on Friday for repair.
6. Plastic pipe has been put around the trees in the park to prevent damage from mowing.
7. He thanked the Town of Champlain and Clinton County crews for their help with our paving. He said the edges of the roads would be completely done in a couple of days.
8. He mentioned his daughter, Erin, had taken pictures of the Community Day, and these would be available for viewing on the Village website, along with a downloadable video.
Correspondence
- Correspondence from U.S. Geological Survey regarding the re-sampling of Well #2 as part of their study with NYSDEC and ground water quality in the Lake Champlain Basin.
- Correspondence from Clinton County Department of Personnel regarding the 2009 Payroll Certification.
- Correspondence from Clinton County Highway Department regarding contract to supply and deliver road salt.
Old Business
1. GSA meter
2. Town of Chazy shared services request (water)
3. Review of Village policies
4. Zoning law changes
A motion was made by Trustee Thomas Trombley, seconded by Trustee Gehrig and carried, approving the Investment Policy, the Procurement Policy, and the Rules and Procedures Policy as presented.
New Business
Trustee Gehrig read the following resolution:
RESOLUTION
REAL PROPERTY TAX CORRECTION
DORIS PICARD LIFE ESTATE
August 10, 2009 Board Meeting
WHEREAS, the property located at 51 Ashline Drive, Champlain, New York, with Tax Map No. 18.20-4-24, is owned by Doris Picard Life Estate, and
WHEREAS, the Village of Champlain has been notified by Clinton County Real Property Office that Section 550: Subd 2; Paragraph c of Real Property Tax Law states an incorrect entry of assessed valuation on an assessment roll or on a tax roll for a parcel which, except for a failure on the part of the assessor to act on a partial exemption, would be eligible for such partial exemption, constitutes a clerical error; and
WHEREAS, in this particular case, Parcel 18.20-4-24 should have received an aged exemption on the 2009 Village tax roll.
A motion was made by Trustee Martin and seconded by Trustee Thomas Trombley to approve the resolution as read. Roll call vote as follows:
Trustee Martin Aye
Trustee Thomas Trombley Aye
Trustee Gehrig Aye
Mayor Moore Aye
Motion carried.
Mayor Moore informed the Board that Deputy Clerk Barcomb has requested approval to attend the State Archive Training—Using Retention Schedules to be held at the Town of Massena on August 18, 2009, at no cost other than travel reimbursement. A motion was made by Trustee Gehrig, seconded by Trustee Martin and carried approving this request.
Adjournment
There being no further business to come before the Board this evening, a motion was made by Trustee Thomas Trombley, seconded by Trustee Martin and carried, to adjourn the meeting at 7:16 p.m.
Donna Barcomb
Deputy Clerk
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