Minutes
City of
REGULAR MEETING
The
regular meeting of the City of
Council Members
in attendance were: Clara
Lou Gould, Lee Kyriacou, Elizabeth Foster, Charles Kelly and Steve Gold
Excused: Eleanor
Thompson and Phil Shea
Also in
attendance were: City
Administrator, Joseph Braun
City
Attorney, Gerard Pisanelli
Dave Stolman,
AICP, PP President Frederick P. Clark Associates, Inc. Planning /Development/
Environment/Transportation
Art Tully, City Engineer
Media
represented by: Goldee
Green, Beacon Free Press
Leigh
Gomez,
Number
of Residents at beginning of meeting: 60
Public
Hearings:
1. To Regulate the
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE
that the City of Beacon will hold a public hearing on Monday, October 1st,
2007 at the City of Beacon Municipal Center, One Municipal Plaza, Beacon, New
York at 7:30 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the matter is reached on the agenda,
to consider a proposed local law to Regulate
the Sale & Use of Outdoor Furnaces in the City of Beacon.
This local law would take
effect immediately upon filing with the Secretary of State. Complete copies of the proposed local
law are available at the
All interested persons and citizens shall have an opportunity to be heard on said proposals at the date, time and place aforesaid.
Hearing
Public Comments:
Sam
Baldino,
Dennis
Pavelock: There have been
complaints. If it is necessary that
they should be checked by the Building Inspector, then let it be so. Don't let it turn into a debacle like
the trees on
Lou
Amoroso: The outdoor furnace. Is that like a chimney? What is an outdoor furnace?
Council
Member Foster: This does not
include chimneys. This is a furnace
that is placed outside the home, which provides heat and hot water for the
home.
Michael
DiPompo: Let's make sure we know
what we are talking about. What
exactly is this? Will it crack in
the cold weather?
Engineer
Art Tully: It is a large furnace
the size of a mini van. It can burn
almost anything. It heats the house
and provides hot water and heat. It
is a furnace that burns almost anything and is placed outside of the home.
No
further comments
Motion
to adjourn to next workshop:
Council Member Kelly.
Seconded: Council Member
Gold. All voted in favor. Motion carried.
2. Proposed Local Law Amending Article 3,
Section 3.02
of the Charter of the City of Beacon to provide that the City Administrator
serves at the Pleasure of the Mayor for a term of four (4) years, such term
commencing by appointment of the Mayor at the beginning of the Mayor’s
Term of office. To Be adjourned. Read by City Administrator, Joseph Braun.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
PLEASE TAKE
NOTICE that the City of Beacon will hold a public hearing on Monday, October 1st,
2007 at the City of Beacon Municipal Center, One Municipal Plaza, Beacon, New
York at 7:30 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the matter is reached on the agenda,
to consider a proposed local law to Amend
Article 3, Section 3.02 of the City Charter Regarding the Term of the City
Administrator.
This local law would take
effect immediately upon filing with the Secretary of State. Complete copies of the proposed local
law are available at the
All interested persons and citizens shall have an opportunity to be heard on said proposals at the date, time and place aforesaid.
Hearing
Public Comments:
John
Foreman,
No
further comments
Motion
to adjourn hearing: Council Member
Kelly. Seconded: Council Member Gold. All voted in favor. Motion carried.
Community
Segment: Mike Davis, Chairman – Emergency
Preparedness Update
I thank the council members for inviting me here
this evening. I represent Beacon in
the event of a disaster. The City of
Mr. Davis answered questions from the council
members and the residents.
The council thanked Mike Davis for his informative
presentation.
2008 Proposed
Budget Presentation – Joseph Braun - City of Beacon 2008 Budget Summary:
Article No. 362: Bet it ordained by the council of the City
of
|
Date: |
Total |
General |
Water |
Sewer |
|
|
Appropriations |
23,232,377 |
17,140,076 |
2,742,906 |
3,349,395 |
|
|
Less: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
Revenue |
8,991,352 |
8,991,352 |
2,590,712 |
3,197,201 |
|
|
Appropriated Water
& Sewer Fund Balance |
|
|
152,194 Rate Increase 7% |
152,194 Rate Increase 7% |
|
|
BALANCE OF
APPROPRIATIONS |
8,148,724 |
|
|
|
|
|
Less Fund Bal.
Appropriation |
700,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-Homestead |
|
|
|
Tax Levy |
7,448,724 |
|
|
|
|
|
Estimated
Un-collectible Delinquent Taxes |
190,348 |
|
|
|
|
|
Estimated
Collectible Delinquent Taxes |
253,980 _________ |
|
|
|
|
|
Adjusted Tax Levy |
7,385,092 |
5,288,354 |
2,096,738 |
|
|
|
Base Proportion |
100.00 |
71,6085 |
28,3915 |
|
|
|
2007 Tax Rate |
|
Rate Increase 7.59% |
Rate Increase 7.55% |
|
|
|
2008 Tax Rate on
Adjusted 2007 Roll |
|
20,055598 |
33.348403 |
|
|
|
2008 Tax Rate on
2008 Roll |
|
5.031699 |
9.040042 |
|
|
|
Assessment Roll
2007 Assessment Roll
Increase (Adjusted for
2008 actual 7% Increase) |
326,558,392 |
263,684,665 |
62,873,728 |
|
|
|
Net Roll |
|
1,051,007,628 |
231,939,011 |
|
|
City
Administrator Joseph Braun's Brief Explanation
City Administrator asked the residents for any
questions that they may have on the Budget. He answered all the questions in detail
and the following are some of the highlights of his answers:
Water and sewer rates have been raised. One of our major customers, the Dept. of
Corrections, has cut back on their usage dramatically (approximately 40%). We have not been able to make that up
for six years. The revenue is down
and it has to be made up someway.
We have a fund balance 4-1/2 million dollars.
In answer to Randy Casale's question regarding where
the salaries come from for the Recreation Department's summer help. It comes out of the Recreation
Department's Budget.
The documents that I passed out this evening are
just a summary. The complete budget
will be available on the Internet, at the library and here at the city
hall. We will have hearings on this
for the next couple of months. Any
questions will be addressed.
Approval of
Minutes:
Mayor Clara Lou Gould asked for a motion
to approve Council Meeting Minutes for:
Motion
to approve minutes: Council Member
Kelly. Seconded: Council Member Gold. All in favor. Motion carried.
Reports
Text from the following reports for
Mayor’s Communications read by
Mayor Clara Lou Gould
City
Administrator, Joseph Braun gave his Report on the Budget for 2008
City
Attorney, Gerard Pisanelli gave his Report of Activities – 1st
Meeting of the Month
Mayor
Clara Lou Gould gave her Report of Activities
Council
Members gave their Reports of Activities
First
Dennis Pavelock,
City Attorney Pisanelli: There are four parcels that we intend to
turn over to NY State Parks that the city will not have to pay taxes for. Discussions are still ongoing. The reservoir and the parcels will be
turned over to the state and it will be used as a park and will be available to
Beacon.
Randy Casale:
I am requesting that the council inform the public as to the condition
of the University Settlement Buildings.
Barbara McCaskill: I was disappointed that they did not
improve the condition of the University Settlement building. It really needs improvement. Mr. Kyriacou, I congratulate you on your
new position.
Sara Pasti distributed a copy the Beacon
Comprehensive Plan Committee Resolution (below): She also corrected the purpose of the
WHEREAS, the Beacon Comprehensive Plan Committee has spent two years meeting with Beacon residents, stakeholders, consultants and members of the City Council; and
WHEREAS, the
findings and recommendations of the Comprehensive Plan Committee for
the update of Beacon's Comprehensive Plan are contained in the document entitled "Draft
Comprehensive Plan and Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement (DGEIS), Beacon,
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Beacon Comprehensive Plan Committee formally submits to the Beacon City Council said Draft Comprehensive Plan and recommends that it be adopted by the Beacon City Council as its current Comprehensive Plan.
On Behalf
of the Beacon Comprehensive Plan Committee
Original signed by Chair Sara J. Pasti and Co-Chair John F. Gunn
Lou Amoroso:
Is everyone who received and completed the survey from the Comprehensive
Committee from the City of
Naomi Sachs:
Regarding the trees, I think that it is a good idea the city is going to
hire an outside person and I do agree that we wait until the spring. The tree Ad Hoc committee should be
allowed to review whatever transpired or decided on in regards to the Tree
Project.
Lou Amoroso:
For the last 5 or 6 weeks, we have been hearing about the trees. I would like to see what the maintenance
is. Salt sand and snow goes against
the trees and it is not good for the trees. Will there be a maintenance program to
protect the trees?
Lou Sebesta:
I am grateful that I have been chosen for the Ad Hoc committee. I want to save the large trees. I can advise you. I agree with Lou Amoroso. It seems like you are doing the same old
design. Most all the members turned
out. There was a good
consensus. Some were trying to save
some of the big trees. Last week I
was outvoted by the majority. Some
business owners complained about water in their basements. I was accused of trying to save all of
the trees. I find myself wondering
why I am here. If you do not want
to hear me, I will be willing to bow out.
It looks like the new design does not look very good.
Sam Baldino,
Gary Wood:
I am a member of the Ad Hoc committee. I am disappointed that some of
the members were not there. There
was confusion as to the trees that were being cut down. They should have been here to give their
side of the issue.
Naomi Sachs:
read the following comments
Subject: Notes from 2nd Ad Hoc Committee 2-block walk (
Present on Wednesday,
Pamela Bier, Terry Brown, Clara Lou Gould, Naomi Sachs, Lou Sebesta, Phil Shea, Zep Thomaselli, Art Tully and Gary Wood
There are currently 16 trees on this
two-block stretch: 9 London Planes, 3