The Regular Monthly Meeting of the Town Board of the Town of Brighton, Franklin County, NY, was held Thursday, March 9, 2023, 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 7:02pm

Pledge to the Flag was recited.

 

ROLL CALL OF OFFICERS

PRESENT: Supervisor Peter Shrope

Council Members: Steve Tucker and Lydia Wright

ABSENT: Council Members Amber McKernan and Matthew Szeliga,

OTHERS PRESENT: Andy Crary-Superintendent of Highways, Elizabeth DeFonce-Tax Collector, and Elaine Sater-Town Clerk

GUESTS: Non

NOTICE OF MEETING:

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

REPORTS

Highway – Superintendent of Highways Andy Crary: Loader has been fixed, it needed new sensors; plowing and sanding roads; rinsed off trucks; went to Plattsburgh to get a part for “Bob’s Auto & Repair” to fix the 2013 plow truck; using loader around Town to push back snowbanks; cleaned the trucks and the shop. Need Public Notice to post roads from March 20 to April 31.

 Town Clerk- Elaine Sater: Total Revenue to Supervisor as of February 28, 2023, was $ 15.00 from 1 Dog License renewed for 3 years.

February 14 – Verified Town Officials contact information for the Adirondack Park Agency.

February 16 – Mailed certified letter to NYS Department of State to file Local Law #1 for the year 2023 “Prevention of Nuisance Alarms”.

February 23 – Emailed Updated Emergency Operations Plan to Franklin County Emergency Operations Center, received email in return with notice of retirement of Rick Provost, sent email to Robbie Demares asking for updated information before sending Updates to anyone else on list, no response yet.

March 2 – Mailed letter to NYS Unified Court System, RE: Audit of Town Justice Financial Records for 2022 completed.

Mailed letter to Franklin County Clerk, RE: Crime Policy to cover Town Justice for 2023.

March 7 – Supervisor filed the Annual Financial Report for 2022, notice published in Adirondack Daily Enterprise on March 9, 2023.

TOWN HALL REQUESTS: None

TOWN PARK REQUEST: None

RECORDS MANAGEMENT: Indexing Vol 13 of Minutes (1985 thru 1987)

FOIL REQUEST:  February 28, request by email for building permit information from 1995, 2016 and 2019 on property for sale; responded on March 9 by email; referred person to Code Officer for more information on incomplete Building Permits.   

Historian – Elaine Sater: Nothing to Report

Tax Collector – Elizabeth DeFonce: Deposits for February were $167,901.24 for a total collected of $1,531,217.47. Another Check (#1996) in the amount of $600,000 was mailed to the Franklin County Treasurer. There is still some confusion at NBT Bank regarding the correct address for the account; they have been made aware and are working on it.

During January Check #s 1991 and 1993 through 1995 totaling $716,023.00 were issued to the Supervisor and Check #1997 in the amount of $200,000 was issued to the Franklin County Treasurer.

 

Town Justice – Nik Santagate: Supervisor received a check in the amount of $3,252.00 for 20 disposed cases during February.

Code Enforcement Officer – Rodger Tompkins: No Report. Supervisor Peter Shrope received a Shared Services Agreement with Town of Franklin and Town of St. Armand (Essex County) for Code Enforcement. Costs will be shared 1/3 by each Town. The Town of Brighton’s computer program will be shared with three Towns.

Assessor – Roseanne Gallagher: The Tentative Equalization Rate is 57%. The State has come up with a 12% trend for residential property and a 10% trend for vacant property for the market area that Brighton is in.  Almost finished with paperwork from the boat access camps. Waiting for weather to improve to get out and review ongoing and new construction.

 Supervisor – Peter Shrope:

Budget: Copy provided to Town Board members; Revenue received since last meeting $3,252 from Justice, $15 from Town Clerk, and $24,727.79 for 1^st payment from Franklin County for snow and ice contract. Transferred $3,447.43 to Medical Health Account (HRA) for General and Highway.

NYCLASS: For February – General Fund interest $380.28, total $113,594.22 ($20,000 for Town Hall). Highway Fund interest $144.92, total $43,290.24.

 

ACCEPT/AMEND MINUTES

February 9, 2023 – Regular Board and Public Hearing for LL#1 for the Year 2023

Motion made by Supervisor Peter Shrope, second by Steve Tucker, to accept the minutes of the February 9, 2023, Regular Board Meeting, as written. Aye 2 (Shrope, Tucker), Nay 0, Abstain 1 (Wright), Absent 2 (McKernan, Szeliga)

 

CITIZENS’ COMMENTS: None

 

BUSINESS

 

Landfill Post-Closure Monitoring Agreement – Supervisor Peter Shrope: Received agreement from AES Northeast, PLLC for professional services for Landfill post-closure monitoring for 2023.

 

RESOLUTION #16-2023

POST CLOSURE LANDFILL MONITORING AGREEMENT WITH AES NORTHEAST FOR 2023

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

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 $6,878.00 for 2023.

 

ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye 3 (Shrope, Tucker, Wright), Nay 0, Absent 2 (McKernan, Szeliga)

Resolution #16 declared duly adopted.

 

Adirondack Association of Towns and Villages (AATV) Agenda Resolution – Supervisor Peter Shrope: Received request from AATV to support its 2023 Legislature Agenda

 

RESOLUTION #17-2023

SUPPORT FOR THE 2023 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA OF AATV

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

 

WHEREAS, the Adirondack region is unique in New York State and the nation, and is the single largest constitutionally protected landmass in the contiguous United States, in which the vast majority of all land is committed to preservation, conservation, recreation, and resource management, and

WHEREAS, the Adirondack region is also home to 130,000 full-time residents living in over 100 small communities, and

 

WHEREAS, the combination of human communities and natural splendor creates both the Adirondack region’s enchanting appeal and its complex policy challenges, centered around protecting this special place while meeting the needs of people who live here and hundreds of thousands who visit, and

WHEREAS, the Adirondack region is one of the most economically challenged areas of New York State, and has experienced legacy industries sharply declining or disappearing, outmigration of young people, families and college-educated citizens, and

WHEREAS, the region’s challenges also include limited broadband and cellular service, aging infrastructure, declining school enrollment, increasing reliance by an aging population on volunteer emergency services that have difficulty maintaining adequate workforces, and challenges associated with responsibly managing and preserving natural resources that draw large numbers of visitors to the region, and

WHEREAS, the Adirondack Association of Towns and Villages is a non-partisan alliance of local elected officials who represent the towns and villages within the Adirondack Park, whose mission is to educate policymakers and decision-makers about the reality of life in the Adirondacks, to work with other interested groups, and to support solutions that protect the Adirondack environment and open space while ensuring sustainable economic opportunities and the wellbeing of residents and visitors, and

WHEREAS, the Adirondack Association of Towns & Villages has adopted a 2023 Legislative Agenda in furtherance of its mission, and is requesting that Town of Brighton, Franklin County, NY, join in supporting the Legislative Agenda, a copy of which is attached hereto as Schedule “A”, now, therefore, be it

 

RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Brighton, Franklin County, NY, hereby supports the 2023 Legislative Agenda of the Adirondack Association of Towns & Villages, and be it further

 

RESOLVED, that the Clerk of the Town of Brighton, Franklin County, NY be, and hereby is, authorized and directed to forward copies of this resolution to Governor Kathy Hochul, Senator Dan Stec, Assemblymember Billy Jones, the New York State Association of Counties, the Association of Towns of New York State, the New York Conference of Mayors, the Intercounty Legislative Committee of the Adirondacks and the Adirondack Association of Towns & Villages.

 

ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye 3 (Shrope, Tucker, Wright), Nay 0, Absent 2 (McKernan, Szeliga)

Resolution #17 declared duly adopted.

 

Water Well – Supervisor Peter Shrope: Two building permits were issued for the drilling of a well at the Town Garage and the Town Hal; location of wells has been flagged.

 

Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) Updates – Steve Tucker:  The Director of Emergencies Services for Franklin County will be appointed when the current one officially retires. A Deputy can’t be appointed until then. Robbie Demerse and Derrick Cummings are currently in charge.

 

 

COMMITTEES: No Reports

 

 

CITIZENS COMMENTS: None

 

 

AUDIT OF VOUCHERS

 

RESOLUTION #18-2023

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 #3 for Voucher #s 3A through 3C for 2023 GENERAL FUND in the amount $689.78 and Voucher #3C for 2023 STREET LIGHTING FUNDS in the amount of $85.93

GENERAL FUND: Abstract #3 for Voucher #52 through #69, for 2023 funds in the amount of $69,808.25

HIGHWAY FUND: Abstract #3 for Voucher #22 through #32 for 2023 funds in the amount of $7,838.41

 

ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye 3 (Shrope, Tucker, Wright), Nay 0, Absent 2 (McKernan, Szeliga)

Resolution #18 declared duly adopted.

 

ADJOURNMENT

 

Motion to Adjourn at 7:35pm made by Lydia Wright, second by Supervisor Peter Shrope

Aye 3 (Shrope, Tucker, Wright), Nay 0, Absent 2 (McKernan, Szeliga)

Respectfully Submitted,

Elaine W. Sater

Brighton Town Clerk