The Regular Monthly Meeting of the Town Board of the Town of Brighton, Franklin County, NY, was held Thursday, August 10, 2023, following the audit of the Tax Collectors Financial Records at 6:30pm, 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 7:10pm
Pledge to the Flag was recited.

ROLL CALL OF OFFICERS
PRESENT: Supervisor Peter Shrope
Council Members: Amber McKernan, Matthew Szeliga, Steve Tucker, and Lydia Wright
ABSENT: None
OTHERS PRESENT: Andy Crary-Superintendent of Highways, Elaine Sater-Town Clerk and one resident
GUESTS: None

NOTICE OF MEETING:
Notice of this meeting was posted on the Town Clerks Sign Board and published in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise on August 3, 2023. Notice was distributed to the Town Board members.

REPORTS

Highway ñ Superintendent of Highways Andy Crary: Mowed and weed whacked the cemeteries, Town Hall, Garage and Park; finished chipping on the Clark Wardner Road; took 6 loads of gravel to repair McColloms Road; raked the dirt roads; fixed the rake, needed a new hub assembly; hauled tar for the Town of Duane and Village of Saranac Lake; mowed the dump (landfill cover); fixed the toilet in the garage; messing with beaver in 4 spots; checked the roads after the storm; fixed the turn-arounds on Bert LaFountain and Keese Mills Roads; Steve Tucker resigned as Deputy Superintendent of Highways as of July 31, appointed Chris Reed to fill the rest of the term. The New Holland tractor had to have a master disconnect switch installed to meet insurance standards.

Town Clerk – Elaine Sater: Total Revenue to Supervisor as of July 31, 2023, was $ 9,565.10 from 2 Park Use Donations, 3 Dog Licenses: 2 renewed and 1 new (Tag#276), and 16 Building Permits (BP#s 23-022 thru 25, 28, 30 thru 37, 40 and 41)
TOWN HALL REQUESTS: None
TOWN PARK REQUEST: None
RECORDS MANAGEMENT: Indexing Vol 13 of Minutes (1985 thru 1987)
FOIL REQUESTS: None

Historian ñ Elaine Sater: Nothing to report.

Tax Collector ñ Elizabeth DeFonce: Audit of Financial Records was completed on August 10, 2023

RESOLUTION #34-2023
AUDIT OF 2023 FINANCIAL RECORDS FOR TAX COLLECTOR
Motion made by Supervisor Peter Shrope, second by Lydia Wright,
WHEREAS the audit of the Tax Collectors 2023 Financial Records was conducted on August 10, 2023, by Council Member Amber McKernan,
RESOLVED that the audit of the Tax Collectors 2023 Financial Records be accepted as satisfactory as presented by Council Member Amber McKernan with the following note. Access to 2023 reports was no longer available to the Tax Collector in the Systems East Tax System provided by the County.
ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye 4 (McKernan, Shrope, Tucker, Wright), Nay 0, Abstain 1 (Szeliga)
Resolution #34 declared duly adopted.

Town Justice ñ Nik Santagate: Disposed of 13 cases during July and the Supervisor received a check in the amount of $926.00.

Code Enforcement Officer ñ Rodger Tompkins: Issued 12 Building Permits (BP#s 23-029 through 040) during July and 1 BP for August (BP#23-041).

Assessor – Roseanne Gallagher:
REVALUATION: KLW has put a notice in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise about the revaluation project. The notice also lists the times of the public information meetings. KLW mailed letters to property owners introducing their company and briefly explaining the revaluation project. The letter also listed the public meeting times: (Tuesday) August 22 at 6pm and (Wednesday) August 23 at 11am. Will plan to attend both meetings.
Will be reviewing the list of ongoing and new construction at the end of the summer.

Supervisor ñ Peter Shrope:
BRIDGENY: There are 5 companies to review for bridge work on Keese Mills Road, two are on the Franklin Countys preferred list, bridge will be replaced in 2024.
Budget: Copy provided to Town Board members as of July 31, 2023, there are a few accounts in both General and Highway in the negative that will be corrected at the end of the year, there are funds to cover them. Revenue received since last Regular Monthly meeting: $372.90 insurance refund from Sid Spear, $ .04 from Tax Collector, $926 from Justice, and 9,565.10 from Town Clerk
NYCLASS: For July – General Fund interest $489.55, total $115,895.14 ($20,000 for Town Hall). Highway Fund interest $186.58, total $44,167.07

ACCEPT/AMEND MINUTES
July 13, 2023 ñ Regular Board Meeting
Motion made by Amber McKernan, second by Matthew Szeliga, to accept the minutes of the July 13, 2023, Regular Board Meeting, as written; Aye 4 (McKernan, Shrope, Szeliga and Tucker), Nay 0, Abstain 1(Wright)

CITIZENS COMMENTS: None

BUSINESS

Paul Smiths Gabriels Volunteer Fire House Well ñ Supervisor Peter Shrope: Received a request from the Paul Smiths Gabriels Volunteer Fire Department for funds to drill a well. The quality of the water is poor and full of iron. Discussion was held as to whether the well needs redrilling or the water needs to be filtered. Supervisor Peter Shrope will check with Hulberts to see what is really needed at the Fire House to make the water drinkable.

Cemetery Work ñ Supervisor Peter Shrope: Reintroduced the invoice from Pine Haven Cemetery Services. Is willing to pay $5000 as per the budget for the work that was done without a contract. Discussion was held concerning the process of obtaining services for the Town.

RESOLUTION 35-2023
PINE HAVEN CEMETERY SERVICES INVOICE FOR $6,000
Motion made by Matthew Szeliga, second by Lydia Wright,
WHEREAS, Council Member Steve Tucker authorized Pine Haven Cemetery Services to continue with repairs at the Mt. View Cemetery to the amount of $5,000, and
WHEREAS, Council Member Steve Tucker authorized Pine Haven Cemetery Services to increase the invoice to $6,000 when extra work was done,
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Town Board authorizes the Supervisor to pay the invoice from Pine Haven Cemetery Services in the amount of $6,000 for monument repair at Mt. View Cemetery and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that any cemetery work for 2024 will be put out for bid and a contract accepted before any work is done in the cemeteries.
ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye 3 (Szeliga, Tucker, Wright), Nay 2 (McKernan, Shrope)
Resolution #35 declared duly adopted.

COMMITTEES: No Reports

CITIZENS COMMENTS: None

AUDIT OF VOUCHERS
RESOLUTION #36-2023
ADUIT OF VOUCHERS
Motion made by Amber McKernan, 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 #8 for Voucher #s 8A through 8C for 2023 GENERAL FUND in the amount $538.55 and Voucher #8C for 2023 STREET LIGHTING FUNDS in the amount of $65.49
GENERAL FUND: Abstract #9 for Voucher #154 through #168 for 2023 funds in the amount of $10,083.37
HIGHWAY FUND: Abstract #8 for Voucher 74 through #86 for 2023 funds in the amount of $6,401.51
ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye 5 (McKernan, Shrope, Szeliga, Tucker, Wright), Nay 0
Resolution #36 declared duly adopted.

ADJOURNMENT
Motion to Adjourn at 7:55pm made by Supervisor Peter Shrope, Second by Amber McKernan,
Aye 5 (McKernan, Shrope, Szeliga, Tucker, Wright), Nay 0

Respectfully Submitted, Elaine W. Sater, Brighton Town Clerk