November 12, 2020 Regular Meeting

The Regular Meeting of the Town Board of the Town of Brighton, Franklin County, NY, was held Thursday, November 12, 2020, at 7:00pm at the Brighton Town Hall, 12 County Road 31, Paul Smiths, NY, with the following:

CALL TO ORDER:

Meeting was Called to Order by Supervisor Peter Shrope at 7:01pm

ROLL CALL OF OFFICERS

PRESENT: Supervisor Peter Shrope
Council Members: Matthew Szeliga, Steve Tucker, and Lydia Wright
ABSENT: Council Member Amber McKernan
OTHERS PRESENT: Paul Blaine-Code Enforcement Officer, Andy Crary-Superintendent of Highways, and Elaine Sater-Town Clerk
GUESTS: None

NOTICE OF MEETING:

Notice of this meeting was posted on the Town Clerk’s Sign Board

The North Country including Franklin County is still in Phase 4 of the Reopening of New York State due to the corona virus called COVID-19. People are still asked to wear masks to cover their nose and mouth when within 6 feet of other people. A limited number of people are allowed inside the Town buildings.

REPORTS

1. Highway-Andy Crary, Superintendent of Highways:

a. Chipping on the White Pine Road
b. Got 2013 truck from Plattsburgh, coolant line repaired
c. Put crusher run on the Hobart Road
d. Picked up plow steel in Bangor
e. Put the plow and wing on the 2015 truck
f. Trudeau’s put up the sand
g. Cleaned the trucks
h. Put the plow, wing and sander on the 2013 truck
i. Cleaned culverts on Keese Mills Road from beaver activity
j. Plowed the 1st snowfall
k. Washed the trucks
l. Started winter hours, 5am to 1pm, five days a week
m. Put road markers on Tansy Lane
n. Filled pot holes
o. Attended a County Highway meeting in Bangor
p. Have the snow and sanding contract for County, they want it for three years

RESOLUTION #53-2020
SNOW AND SANDING CONTRACT WITH FRANKLIN COUNTY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT
Motion made by Supervisor Peter Shrope, second by Lydia Wright,

RESOLVED that the Town Board authorizes the Superintendent of Highways to sign an agreement with the Franklin County Highway Department to remove the snow and sand the County Roads 31, 55, and 60, a total of 7.69 miles in the Town of Brighton, for three years for the following payments: 2021: $47,303.27; 2022: $48,249.34, and 2023: $49,455.57.

ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye 4 (Shrope, Szeliga, Tucker, Wright), Nay 0, Absent 1 (McKernan)
RESOLUTION #53-2020 declared duly adopted.

2. Town Clerk – Elaine Sater:

a. Total Revenue to Supervisor as of October 31, 2020 was $ 393.34 from 1 Certified Copy of a Vital Record and 5 Building Permits (#20-042 thru 045 and 20-003)
b. October 8 – replaced broken shredder
c. TOWN HALL REQUEST: None
d. TOWN PARK REQUEST: None
e. RECORDS MANAGEMENT:

1) Still Indexing Minutes Vol 11 (1979-1980)
2) Received 3 FOIL requests

a) Oct 1: Request for Assessment Roll information from 1996/1997, sent two pages, did not charge the 50 cents, as the cost was less than the stamp used to mail them.
b) Oct 15: Request for a list of all rental property owners in the Town, denied request since there is no record kept by this Town; suggested they look at the Assessment Rolls for the information or contact Franklin County
c) Nov 10: Request for information on the Town of Franklin garage fire, denied request as they asked for information from the “Saranac Lake Fire Department”, even though the cover letter asked about “Paul Smith’s Gabriels Volunteer Fire Department (PSGVFD)”. Suggested they contact the PSGVFD for information as we contract with them and they are not our employees so we don’t have that information.

3. Historian – Elaine Sater: Nothing to Report

4. Tax Collector – Holly Huber:
Set days and hours for January collection of taxes as follows: Fridays, 4pm-6pm – By Appointment Only, Saturdays, 8am-10am – By Appointment Only, and Mondays, 7am-9am – By Appointment Only

5. Town Justice – Nik Santagate:
Disposed of 44 cases and gave the Supervisor a check in the amount of $4,804.00 for October

6. Code Enforcement Officer – Paul Blaine:

a. Issued five (5) building permits (BPs) for October BP#s 20-042 thru 045, and 20-003)
b. Issued 1 Certificate of Compliance for BP #18-029
c. Issued 1 Certificate of Occupancy for BP#19-008
d. Still issuing new building permits, has issued more than last year already

7. Assessor – Roseanne Gallagher:

a. She and Pam Sloate finished data collecting Heron Lane and Moody Tree Farm.
b. Still has few more parcels that are not boat access as well as new construction to collect

8. Supervisor Peter Shrope:

a. Spectrum Correspondence: Receiving emails concerning program changes to cable television
b. New NYS Public Employer Mandatory Emergency Plan: In contact with Emergency Preparedness Solutions, LLC, consultant concerning the mandated plan. Sent a copy of our Emergency Operations Plan, had a phone discussion of the plan, Once the plan is in place it will be sent to the CSEA Union rep for their review.
c. Fiber Optic Email: Received a request from a fiber optic representative asking about installing lines on Town Roads. Consulted attorney and Highway Superintendent. Referred to National Grid for right-of-way access.
d. The Financial Report ending October 31, 2020, was distributed to Board members.
1) Revenue received: $1,592 for County mowing contract, $4,804 from Town Justice and $ 393.34 from Town Clerk
2) NYCLASS interest was as follows: General $8.08 for a total of $111,137.47 and Highway $3.07 for a total of $42,354.47.

ACCEPTANCE/AMENDMENT OF MINUTES

– Special Meeting October 8, 2020
Motion made by Matthew Szeliga, second by Lydia Wright, to accept the Minutes of the October 8, 2020, Special Meeting as written, Aye 4 (Shrope, Szeliga, Tucker, Wright), Nay 0, Absent 1 (McKernan)

– Regular Meeting October 8, 2020
Motion made by Lydia Wright, second by Matthew Szeliga, to accept the Minutes of the October 8, 2020,
Regular meeting, as written, Aye 4 (Shrope, Szeliga, Tucker, Wright), Nay 0, Absent 1 (McKernan)

– Special Meeting Public Hearing Budget October 29, 2020
Motion made by Matthew Szeliga, second by Supervisor Peter Shrope, to accept the Minutes of the October 29, 2020, Special Meeting with following changes: Page 1, Resolution #50-2020, Annual Town Budget 2021, Less General Fund Balance, change from $29,615 to $29,613 and General Fund Amount to be raised by Taxes change from $347,168 to $347,170, and Page 2, Total amount to be raised by Taxes change from $683,019 to $683,021, Aye 4 (Shrope, Szeliga, Tucker, Wright), Nay 0, Absent 1 (McKernan)

CITIZENS’ COMMENTS: NONE

BUSINESS

1. HANDICAP LIFT – Supervisor Peter Shrope: Lift is dead, it would not work properly on Election Day, called Albany Lift Co to come and repair it. They spent 2 ½ hours trying to get it to work and were unsuccessful. The Town Clerk declared it condemned and asked for a quote for a new one. Lift is needed for people to get in and out of the Town Hall if they are unable to use stairs because both entrances have stairways.

RESOLUTION #54-2020
EMERGENCY PURCHASE OF HANDICAP LIFT
Motion made by Supervisor Peter Shrope, second by Steve Tucker,

RESOLVED that the Town Board authorizes the Supervisor to make an Emergency Purchase and sign a contract with The Albany Lift Company for a Bruno Vertical Platform Lift to replace the 1995 handicap lift no longer functioning at the Town Hall in the amount of $10,940.00 to include installation and removal of the old lift and
BE IT RESOLVED that the Supervisor be authorized to pay $5,470 as a deposit now and $5,470 when the lift is installed.

ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye 4 (Shrope, Szeliga, Tucker, Wright), Nay 0, Absent 1 (McKernan)
RESOLUTION #54-2020 declared duly adopted.

2. TRI-LAKE HUMANE SOCIETY CONTRACT FOR 2021 for Dog Control and Shelter Services

RESOLUTION #55-2020
TRI-LAKES HUMANE SOCIETY FOR 2021
Motion made by Supervisor Peter Shrope, second by Lydia Wright,

RESOLVED that the Town Board authorizes the Supervisor to sign a contract with Tri-Lakes Humane Society Inc. for dog control and shelter services during 2021 and pay the amount of $3,863.00 from the 2021 Town Budget.

ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye 4 (Shrope, Szeliga, Tucker, Wright), Nay 0, Absent 1 (McKernan)
RESOLUTION #55-2020 declared duly adopted.

3. ELECTRONIC BANKING – Supervisor Peter Shrope: Need a policy to cover using electronic banking for the Town; Tax Collector is already using it as well as NY CLASS Accounts.

COMMITTEES

Parks and Recreation – Supervisor Peter Shrope/Amber McKernan: Amber McKernan notified Supervisor Peter Shrope that there was graffiti on the garage at the Park. She suggested a light to be added to the back of the garage to discourage vandalism. Supervisor Peter Shrope will contact North County Electric for a quote.

AUDIT OF VOUCHERS

RESOLUTION #56-2020 – PAYMENT OF AUDITED VOUCHES AS LISTED ON THE ABSTRACTS

Motion made by Lydia Wright, second by Supervisor Peter Shrope,
RESOLVED that the Supervisor be authorized to pay the audited vouchers as listed on the abstracts as follows:

PREPAID FUNDS: Abstract #11 for Voucher #s 11A thru 11C for 2020 General Funds in the amount of $454.39 and STREET LIGHTING FUND: Voucher #11C in the amount of $58.55.

GENERAL FUND: Abstract #11 for Voucher #177 through #201 for 2020 funds in the amount of $14,150.55 HIGHWAY FUND: Abstract #11 for Voucher #109 through #123 for 2020 funds in the amount of $7,210.30

ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye 4 (Shrope, Szeliga, Tucker, Wright), Nay 0, Absent 1 (McKernan)
RESOLUTION #56-2020 declared duly adopted.

ADJOURNMENT
Motion to Adjourn at 8:00pm made by Lydia Wright, second by Matthew Szeliga, Aye 4 (Shrope, Szeliga Tucker, Wright), Nay 0, Absent 1 (McKernan)

Respectfully Submitted,
Elaine W. Sater, RMC
Brighton Town Clerk