The Regular Monthly Meeting for the Town Board of the Town of Brighton, Franklin County, NY, was held Thursday, February 8, 2024, 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 7:00pm

The “Pledge of Allegiance” to the flag was recited.

 

ROLL CALL OF OFFICERS

PRESENT: Supervisor Peter Shrope

Council Members: C. Tracy Santagate, Steve Tucker, and Lydia Wright

ABSENT: Council Member Amber McKernan

OTHERS PRESENT: Andy Crary-Superintendent of Highways, Elizabeth DeFonce-Town Clerk, Russell DeFonce-Deputy Tax Collector, Elaine Sater-Historian.

GUESTS: None

 

NOTICE OF MEETING:

Notice of the schedule of meetings was posted on the Town Clerk’s Sign Board on January 30, 2024, and a notice was published in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise on February 1, 2024. Notices were distributed to Town Officials.

 

REPORTS

 

Highway – Superintendent of Highways Andy Crary: Plowing and sanding on a regular basis; performed road checks; cleaned the shop; washed the trucks; sanded the dirt roads.

 

Town Clerk- Elizabeth DeFonce: Total Revenue to Supervisor as of January 31, 2024, was $100.00 from 1 Copy of Certified Marriage Record and 6 Dog Licenses renewed.

Received Oaths of Office from 2 Councilpeople, the Superintendent of Highways, Deputy Town Clerk, Deputy Tax Collector, Code Officer, Record Management Officer, Vital Records, and Historian. The Tax Collector, Town Clerk, and Vital Records oaths were mailed to Franklin County on February 5, 2024.

The Town Clerk’s financial records for 2023 were audited on January 16^th.

A letter dated January 30^th was sent to Kyle Murray regarding his appointment to the Board of Assessment Review. His information was emailed to Tammie Brooks at Franklin County Real Property.

Updated names and contact details with Association of Towns, Adirondack Park Agency, New York State Office of the State Comptroller, and Franklin County Legislature.

Received Shared Highway Services for highway from the Town of Tupper Lake.

Received revenue for the year from the Franklin County Treasurer’s Office. Budget was updated.

Sent letter dated January 16^th  to the Board of Elections informing them that there are no elected offices to be voted for in the November election.

TOWN HALL REQUESTS: Monday, February 12, at 9AM, Rainbow Lake Water Protection District Board of Commissioners.

TOWN PARK REQUEST: None

 

Historian – Elaine Sater: Shredding old records; copying articles from 2015; indexing minutes from volume 14.

 

Tax Collector – Elizabeth DeFonce: Collections for the month of total $1,217,143.2.

Town Supervisor Peter Shrope was given 5 checks (#s 2010-2014) between the 16th and 30th of January to fulfill the town’s portion of the warrant ($737,866).

Bank interest totaled $3.72 and will be paid out at a later date.

A taxpayer disputed the amount of his tax burden so was referred to the assessor.

 

Town Justice – Russ DeFonce: 13 cases were disposed. The Supervisor was given a check of $1,672. The computer system has been upgraded and other modernization steps have been undertaken. A new printer, paid for by the Court system, was delivered and installed. There is a follow up training in March; more information will be provided as it becomes available.

 

Code Enforcement Officer – Rodger Tompkins: Issued 2 Building Permits (BP#24-001 and 003).

 

Town Clerk received request for notice of filing of the Uniform Code Administration and Enforcement Report for 2023. Request was forwarded to the Code Enforcement Officer.

 

Assessor – Roseanne Gallagher: Met with members of KLW who have been in the town doing field review. Informal hearings will be scheduled for some time in March. Full disclosure notices will be mailed by March 1.

Exemption applications and renewals have to be kept for 6 years; everything older than that is being shredded. Folders for the applications that can’t be shredded have been created with the dates that they can be discarded.

 

Supervisor – Peter Shrope:

Taxes: with the receipt of 5 checks from the Tax Collector the Town has been made whole.

BridgeNY: A timeline was distributed. The project is expected to be finished by 2026.

Health Insurance: Met with representative to renew for highway employees. Health reimbursement account cost up 13%.

Web changes: made a new schedule of Town Hall availability. Contacted web person to make changes. The sign out front of the Town Hall has been changed to reflect the Court’s new hours.

Deposits: The CHIPS money was deposited into the general account, transferred to the highway account.

Budget: Revenue received since last meeting: $737,866 from Tax Collector; Town Paid in Full; $1,672 from Justice, and $100 from Town Clerk

NYCLASS: For January – General Fund interest $529.54, total $118,754.72 ($20,000 for Town Hall). Highway Fund interest $201.81, total $45,256.83.

 

Accept/Amend Minutes

January 11, 2024 – Organizational Meeting

Motion made by Peter Shrope, second by Steve Tucker, to accept the minutes of the January 11, 2024,

Organizational Meeting as written. Aye 4 (Santagate, Shrope, Tucker, Wright ), Nay 0, Absent 1 (McKernan)

 

January 11, 2024 – Regular Board

Motion made by Peter Shrope, second by Steve Tucker, to accept the minutes of the January 11, 2024,

Regular Meeting as written. Aye 4 (Santagate, Shrope, Tucker, Wright ), Nay 0, Absent 1 (McKernan)

 

CITIZENS’ COMMENTS: None

 

BUSINESS

 

Audit of Financial Records – Supervisor Peter Shrope:  Three board members met to audit the 2023 Financial Records of the Town Clerk, Town Justice, and Town Supervisor on January 16, 2024, with no findings.

 

RESOLUTION #19-2024

AUDIT OF 2023 FINANCIAL REPCORDS OF TOWN CLERK, JUSTICE, AND SUPERVISOR

Motion made by Supervisor Peter Shrope, second by Tracy Santagate,

 

RESOLVED that the Town Board accepts the audit of the 2023 Financial Records of the Town Clerk, Town Justice, and Town Supervisor on January 16, 2024, with no findings, as audited by two Council members Amber McKernan and Tracy Santagate.

 

ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye 4 (Santagate, Shrope, Tucker, Wright), Nay 0, Absent 1 (McKernan)

Resolution #19 declared duly adopted.

 

Adirondack Regional Airport Agreement:

 

RESOLUTION #20-2024

ADIRODACK REGIONAL AIRPORT AGREEMENT FOR 2024

Motion made by Supervisor Peter Shrope, second by Lydia Wright,

 

RESOLVED that the Town Board authorizes the Supervisor to sign an agreement with the Town of Harrietstown to support the Adirondack Regional Airport for 2024 in the amount of $1,500, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Supervisor be authorized to pay the Town of Harrietstown the sum of $1,500 for 2024.

 

ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye 4 (Santagate, Shrope, Tucker, Wright), Nay 0, Absent 1 (McKernan)

Resolution #20 declared duly adopted.

 

Landfill Post-Closure Monitoring Agreement – Supervisor Peter Shrope: Received agreement from AES Northeast, PLLC for professional services for Landfill post-closure monitoring for 2024.

 

RESOLUTION #21-2024

POST CLOSURE LANDFILL MONITORING AGREEMENT WITH AES NORTHEAST FOR 2024

Motion made by Supervisor Peter Shrope, second by Lydia Wright,

 

RESOLVED that the Town Board authorizes the Supervisor to sign an agreement with Architecture, Engineering, and Land Surveying, PLLC (AES Northeast) for monitoring, sampling and reporting on the closed landfill as required by NYS Department of Environmental Conservation in the amount of $8,500.00 for 2024.

 

ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye 4 (Santagate, Shrope, Tucker, Wright), Nay 0, Absent 1 (McKernan)

Resolution #21 declared duly adopted.

 

Camp Gabriels – Supervisor Peter Shrope: Discussion was held on supporting a new resolution that includes three decommissioned NYS correctional facilities in Franklin, Essex, and Saratoga Couties.

 

RESOLUTION #22-2024

RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT FOR THREE DECOMMISSIONED NEW YORK STATE CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES IN FRANKLIN, ESSEX AND SARATOGA COUNTIES

Motion made by Supervisor Peter Shrope, second by Steve Tucker,

WHEREAS: The Town Board of the Town of Brighton, Franklin County, seeks reuse and redevelopment of the three decommissioned state correctional facilities located on state owned lands in the counties of Franklin, Essex and Saratoga.

 

WHEREAS: The three decommissioned state correctional facilities include Camp Gabriels Correctional Facility in the Town of Brighton, Franklin County, as well as Moriah Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility in the Towns of Moriah and Elizabethtown, Essex County, and Mount McGregor in the Towns of Corinth, Moreau and Wilton, Saratoga County.

 

WHEREAS: State owned lands within these counties are forest preserve lands protected by Article 14 of the New York State Constitution.

 

WHEREAS: A proposed amendment to Article 14 of the New York State Constitution will authorize the state to legally transfer ownership of these three state correctional facilities’ lands and buildings to another entity, public or private. Therefore,

 

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town Board supports the proposed Constitutional amendment for the three decommissioned state correctional facilities so that title to these facilities can be legally transferred on the condition that the properties are used for public purpose after the properties are transferred, and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Town Board requests that the Town Clerk send this resolution to the following to seek their support: Governor Kathy Hochul, New York State Senator Dan Stec, New York State Senator James Tedisco, New York State Assemblymember Billy Jones, New York State Assemblymember Matthew Simpson, New York State Assemblymember Carrie Woerner, the Franklin County Legislature, the Adirondack Association of Towns and Villages, the New York State Association of Counties, and the Intercounty Legislative Committee of the Adirondacks.

 

ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye 3 (Santagate, Shrope, Tucker), Nay 0, Abstain, 1 (Wright), Absent 1 (McKernan)

Resolution #22 declared duly adopted.

 

Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) Updates – Supervisor Peter Shrope:  Updated names and phone numbers were made to pages 9, 1-3, and 7-2 to show changes in personnel as of January 1, 2024.

 

RESOLUTION #23-2024

UPDATE TO EMERGENCY OPS PLAN

Motion made by Supervisor Lydia Wright, second by Steve Tucker,

 

RESOLVED that the Town Board authorizes the updates to the Emergency Operations Plan of May 2021, pages 9, 1-3, and 7-2 to show changes in personnel as of January 1, 2024.

 

ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye 4 (Santagate, Shrope, Tucker, Wright), Nay 0, Absent 1 (McKernan)

Resolution #23 declared duly adopted.

 

AATV Support for Communications Towers For Star Lake And Cranberry Lake – Supervisor Peter Shrope: Discussion held to support AATV resolution for two new tower locations in the Hamlets of Star Lake and Cranberry Lake.

 

RESOLUTION #24-2024

SUPPORTING EMERGENCY SERVICE COMMUNICATION TOWERS FOR STAR LAKE AND CRANBERRY LAKE

Motion made by Peter Shrope, seconded by Lydia Wright,

 

RESOLVED that the TOWN OF BRIGHTON, FRANKLIN COUNTY, supports St. Lawrence County’s Adirondack Park Agency permit applications for two new emergency communication towers.

 

ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye 4 (Santagate, Shrope, Tucker, Wright), Nay 0, Absent 1 (McKernan)

Resolution #24 declared duly adopted.

 

ARPA Money for PSGVFD – Supervisor Peter Shrope: The Fire Department is checking to see if the wiring in the building will handle a new generator. They are setting it to automatically switch on when there’s a power outage. A price quote is still in the works.

 

Town Park – Supervisor Peter Shrope: Tracy Santagate expressed concern about some of the playground equipment that the Town is considering purchasing.

 

April 8 Eclipse – Supervisor Peter Shrope: A map of the path of the eclipse was provided.

 

Training for Town Officials: Cori Santagate has offered to provide active shooter training to the Town Board.

 

AUDIT OF VOUCHERS

 

RESOLUTION #25-2024

ADUIT OF VOUCHERS

Motion made by Lydia Wright, second by Steve Tucker,

 

RESOLVED that the Supervisor be authorized to pay the audited vouchers as listed on the abstracts as follows:

PREPAID FUNDS: Abstract #2 for Voucher #s 2A through 2C for 2024 GENERAL FUND in the amount $705.55 and Voucher #2C for 2023 STREET LIGHTING FUNDS in the amount of $97.07

GENERAL FUND: Abstract #2 for Voucher #31 through #43, for 2024 funds in the amount of $12,097.26

HIGHWAY FUND: Abstract #2 for Voucher #13 through #21 for 2024 funds in the amount of $7,879.11

 

ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye 4 (Santagate, Shrope, Tucker, Wright), Nay 0, Absent 1 (McKernan)

Resolution #24 declared duly adopted.

 

ADJOURNMENT

Motion to Adjourn at 8:23pm made by Lydia Wright, second by Peter Shrope

Aye 4 (Santagate, Shrope, Tucker, Wright), Nay 0, Absent 1 (McKernan)

 

Respectfully Submitted,

 

Elizabeth DeFonce

Brighton Town Clerk