Workshop Minutes
City of
WORKSHOP
The City of
Council Members in attendance
were: Clara Lou Gould, Elizabeth Foster, Charles Kelly, Phil Shea, Steve Gold
and Eleanor Thompson.
Also in attendance were: City Administrator Joseph Braun and City
Attorney Gerard Pisanelli.
AGENDA
Budget
Presentations
Anthony Thomaselli
(Nickname: Zep) – Street / Parks
I
tried to keep my budget very tight. I
only went up on a couple of items. Total
budget increase is 2.4%. This includes
hiring one man who retired in July and I did not rehire anyone. I barely made it through the year. I also had one open position from two years
ago. I disparately need this position
filled.
Council
Member Gold: You will also have more work
to do because you will have University Settlement and Hiddenbrooke.
Zep: Temporary Position was bumped up.
Council
Member Eleanor Thompson: I think we should use the
resources that we have to fill the temporary position. It should be open to all kids.
Zep: I do not want to baby-sit. A couple of years ago, we had a problem.
Council
Member Thompson: We will set criteria. It can work.
Zep: We have really good kids. One of the kids that we have has been with u
for five years. Gas and Oil was
increased. Right now we pay $5800 a
month. We have three months left for
this year and we may be short. It will
be pretty close.
Zep: We have a line item for flowers for the
garden club. I usually took that out of
materials and supplies, which will be reduced by that amount. If you allow me to have a line item for the
garden club, I can leave my materials and supplies the way it was. Xmas lights are another 2,000.00. The flags are for all public buildings,
etc. We probably have about 75 flags to
replace. Garage: Contractual Increases. Tools up 1000.00.
Council
Member Gold: In past years the veterans
group pitched in for the flags.
Zep: A lot of the basins are not being attended
to. Overtime: We are in a hole $1,471.00. When this happens, money is transferred from
the fund balance.
Council
Member Kelly: Since his increase is only
2% we should move on.
The
council thanked Zep for his presentation.
Jamie McCollum – Water
Department
Jamie: The
bottom line is an increase of 2.5%. Most
of that is for salaries, which went up 3.5 percent.
Council Member Kelly: Are
all of your employees at the top step?
Jamie: Yes. It takes 5 years to get to the top step. The only increase is 15% for gas and oil.
Council Member Kelly: Are
you anticipating any retirements?
Jamie: Maybe one but
not for a year or a year and one half.
Council Member Kelly: I
am very happy with that.
Jamie: I would like
to read a statement and I also would like this to be included in the comments
of the
To: Mayor Gould, Honorable
Council Members
From: James McCollum, Water Superintendent
As another chapter in the City of
The City Council will also take on a new look and personality as,
either by choice or by chance, many different faces will take
on the everyday challenges of city government. I would like to thank the
current City Council members for all of their hard work and dedication and also wish them well. Furthermore, I want to
congratulate Mayor-elect Gold and his new team, and with this,
the hope that they are blessed with the wisdom, fortitude,
and passion to continue in the quest to sustain the City of
Over these last fifteen years, as the City changed its way of
government from the various "commissioners"
style to the present format, one person was employed with the unenviable task
of managing the daily operations of all of the diverse departments, the
financial aspects of the municipality, and to serve as a liaison between all of
the integral parts of this government and the community.
This person, as we know, is our current Administer Joe Braun. Although
Joe and I have not always seen eye to eye on every
issue that materialized over the years, we shared a mutual respect, which helped
us accomplish a great many things. I believe that the City of
My father always taught me to be a leader and not a follower; Joe Braun
made me challenge myself to be a good one. For this I
am truly grateful.
In closing, I tried to come up with some witty statement from someone
like Shakespeare, Lincoln or Kennedy, but to no avail. So, for this moment, I
can only recall the last few lines from "Dances With Wolves" where
two aging warriors from completely different cultures
bid each other farewell for the last time:
"We've come far, you and I". "I will not forget You
"!
William O’Keeffe –
Sewer Department
William O'Keeffe: My
budget is basically the same - salaries, chemicals, etc. The bottom line is a total percentage of
increase of fewer than 2%.
Council Member Kelly: Do
you expect retirements this year?
William O'Keeffe: Possibly
one.
The
council thanked Mr. O'Keeffe for his presentation.
Julann Cobb – Recreation
Department
The Council discussed the
request for Julann's job to change from part-time to full time. Julann has not yet taken Civil Service the
test. The part-time position is for 17
hours or less. The full time position
will for over 17 hours.
Council Member Shea: Does
this have to be placed on the list?
City Administrator Braun: I don't think
that it is on a CSEA list.
Council Member Gold: Will
CSEA come up with a salary?
City Administrator
Braun: They may do that.
Council Member Foster: Have you ever
looked at sharing with Fishkill?
Mayor Gould: They
have expressed an interest in sharing.
Julann: The job is
for 17 hours or less. Right now I am
working 23 hours a week. I don't get
paid for those extra hours. There are
some things that need to be done that I can't get done. Currently we have verbal agreements with many
of the people we deal with but we need to have things in writing. It will be required by Law in the next year. We have to be sure we provide equal to girls
as well as boys. These things need to
get done. The big thing now is the
senior citizen population. You have
young, middle and elderly seniors and people with disabilities.
Council Member Gold: I'm
sure there will be more programs with the acquisition of Universal Settlement
and Hiddenbrooke. We need opportunities
for students.
Julann: There is a
lot of work that is done behind the scenes.
The kids from the school need direction.
There is nothing for middle school and high school kids. All of this takes time. At this point I feel that I do not have the
time needed to devote to basic responsibilities.
Council Member Gold: Do
you have any ideas for budget development?
Julann: The middle
school students need to have their energy contained. I would like activities that are not sports
related. We need to do some hardcore
development. I have a figure of
$15,000.00 set aside for those programs.
Council Member Thompson: $15,000
is not enough money to do what the children need. I think we should ask the grant writer to do
some research to see what is out there.
However, this is a good start.
Council Member Kelly: What
is the percentage of increase from last year to this year?
Julann: I do not have
that figure. It will be high because I
am requesting that my position be changed from part-time to full time.
Council Member Gold: We
charge for kids and we do not charge people who are over 35 and on in the
baseball league. The city is putting in
$6,500.00. I would like to eliminate the
fees for kids. Reduce the line item for
the baseball league and eliminate the fees for kids. Steve asked:
Joe, how this could be handled?
Mayor Gould: We have people
who are under 35. What do you do if you
are 22 or 23?
City Administrator Braun: We can run the
numbers and see how to do this.
Council Member Kelly: In
terms of the overall budget for 2008, what is 1%?
City Administrator
Braun: About 60,000.00.
The council thanked Julann for
her presentation.
Council Member Gold: to
Administrator Braun: Could you do a
summary? It would be helpful for us to
know what the percentage increase of each department and give us
recommendations for any that are over 4%.
Mayor Gould: A
vote on the budget will be on the 17th of December.
Budget Approval
We will set a Public Hearing
on
Cabaret Law - Continue Discussion. Building Department Input. Noise Concern.
Documentation Previously
Distributed
Tim Dexter: At the last
meeting Jerry and I talked about getting together to discuss some options. We talked about a corridor on route 52 or
square footage at each establishment. I
would be real careful that we don't get into discrimination problems. I have been working with the police dept and
the owners of the homes to see what the rules and regulations are. The ABC people don't consider a single
complaint something that they should assign an investigator to. It would have to be several times a week or
every weekend. With the cabaret law we
can request that
Council Member Gold: One of the
things we wanted was to incorporate the ABC law with our law.
City Attorney Pisanelli: You
may want to include more specific information.
Council Member Gold: The
noise ordinance is for anytime of the day or night. Can we pass a law that says that we will not
allow liquor outdoors?
Mayor Gould: I
had a call last week complaining about the muslin call to prayer.
City Attorney Pisanelli: I
think the business establishments have gone through a process to have that
particular area approved, which involves additional fees.
Council Member Gold: Either
the noise law is not being enforced or the fine is too low. If you make them keep the doors closed that
will solve a good part of the problem.
The noise ordinance will be
looked at more closely.
Outdoor
Furnaces - Input
from Building Department
Documentation Previously
Distributed
Tim Dexter: I spoke to David Stolman
and he said that this could require a special use permit. He
will be here once the council sets some standards
and drafts regulations. All he needs is some direction from the
council.
Council Member Gold: We are talking about a
requirement of a minimum of 1/2 acre. We are not certain if that
is large enough.
Tim Dexter: Based on the research that
was done, there are some furnaces out there that are fairly smoke-free if they
are done properly. If it is smoke and
flu that you are concerned about, we can draft legislation that allows certain
units. I don't know whether he meant a
brand name but I think that he meant a certain type of furnace.
Phil Shea: We got information on the
newer ones and they are cleaner and more efficient.
Tim Dexter: They will be permitted on
larger lots. They should not be a
problem with neighbors. They should be
compliant with the manufactures recommendations.
Mayor Gould: What about the fuel that
they would be allowed to burn?
Tim Dexter: One of the requirements of the Special Use
Permit would be that they are compliant with the manufactures recommendations.
Council Member Foster: Only if they met those
conditions for them to be permitted.
Tim Dexter: Like any Special Use
Permit, it will have to go to the planning board that has to be sure that they
comply with regulations set forth by the council.
Empire Zone Boundary Revision - See attached Resolution: Support and Concurrence with the Poughkeepsie/Dutchess Empire Zone Revision Application.
Water Meter Replacement:
City Administrator
Braun: We have 120 residents who are not allowing us to
change their meters .Old Meters run
slower so they are paying less. My proposal
is to increase the rate for those customers by at least 10% or 15% as a penalty
for not allowing us to change their meters.
We contacted them by mail, knocked on their door, and went there on
Saturday in an attempt to communicate with them to no avail. We have been doing this for almost a
year. We want people to replace their
meters
Council Member Thompson: I
agree that only the people that won't change their meter should be
charged.
City Administrator
Braun: Again I talk to meter folks every week. It is not for lack of trying. We have to do this to tell those residents
they are going to have to pay 10 or 15% more if they don't cooperate. They are consuming more water than what
appears on their old meter. We want to
have a system that is complete and where everyone is on the same system where
we can go out and read his or her meter by radio on a monthly basis. Right now we are trying to find these people
to change their meters.
Mayor Gould: Is
everyone okay with this recommendation?
Council Member Gold: I
am one of the guilty ones. I plan to
have it done.
All Council members were okay with City Administrator's recommendations of
charging 10 to 15% for their water usage.
City Attorney Pisanelli: You
will have to amend the local law. I
think that this should be publicized.
That is being done now. It will
take two meetings before the local law goes into effect.
Absentee Landlords - Proposed
Local Law Documentation Previously Distributed
Tim Dexter: We
had a lot of discussions last time around.
Council Member Thompson got some things from the City of
Mayor Gould: We
can give them a copy now rather than wait for the 1st of the year.
Council Member Thompson: I
thank you and very much and would like to work on this.
Bond Ordinance - Authorizing the Issuance Of Up To $525,000 Aggregate Principal Amount
Serial Bonds of the City Of Beacon, Dutchess County, New York, To the Local
Finance Law, To Finance the Costs of the
Acquisition of Machinery and Apparatus for Construction and Maintenance
Including Dump Trucks, a Leaf Truck and Blower, and a Backhoe and Trailer. For
Adoption by affirmative vote of at Least two-thirds of the entire voting strength
of the Council of the City. Documentation Previously Distributed
Zep: Basically
what we are looking for is a new truck and a leaf vacuum. We can get this through a grant but we have
to put the money up front. This will cut
down the manpower. The leaf blower broke
down this morning after two hours as we were gathering the leaves that fell
this past weekend. The public should be
informed to bag their loose leaves in case a snowstorm comes. We retired a truck that was a 1979 which is
30 years old. We need a new dump truck
to replace this one with a combination of a sander and plow. We also need a backhoe. What we figured is that we would let the
Water Department get the new one and we will be getting their old one. The trailer that we are requesting is for the
Bobcat. The bond will be for 475,000
Council Member Thompson: What
will this cost us?
City Administrator Braun: I will put together a schedule of the cost.
Council Member Kelly: What
do we pay in debt service? The rate now
is 2.5%.
City Administrator
Braun: I will get this to the council members.
Zep: Once we have
our new facility, we will save the trucks.
The salt and sand do a job on the trucks.
Mayor Gould: This
will go on the agenda for the next council meeting.
University Settlement Camp -
1.
Add to list of
Proposed Uses
2.
Maintenance
Agreement for University Settlement Camp
List of Proposed Uses
Mayor Gould:
Maintenance Agreement for
University Settlement Camp:
City Administrator
Braun: I talked to Mike Zisser who made a plea that when the
city takes over the university settlement that the grounds are taken care of
and that the building is secured. He has
someone who will continue to do the job.
He will be there to secure the property and do maintenance. It is my recommendation that we remain with
him to secure the property and do maintenance.
City Attorney Pisanelli: Referred
the council to a letter, which describes the terms of the caretaker of
University Settlement as follows:
Letter from Michael H. Zisser,
Ph.D., Executive Director dated November 18, 2007 addressed to Mayor Gould
regarding Caretaker of University Settlement:
Dear Mayor Gould: As we move
forward with our plan to sell the camp property in Beacon, we need to reiterate
the importance of taking care of the site in the months immediately following
the transaction. We strongly recommend
to Scenic Hudson, the City of Beacon and the State of New York (if involved in
the transaction) to quickly arrange an agreement with Patrick Freeman for him
to serve as interim "caretaker" for at least the six months following
the sale. Patrick has served in this
position for University Settlement for most of 2007, providing basic oversight
of the property in exchange for living in the Director's house without having
to pay rent. I have provided you with
the agreement we have with Patrick. Time
is of the essence regarding this matter, so we are asking you to make the
necessary contacts if the idea seems reasonable. We will, of course, provide any background
material, which may be helpful in making this decision. Leaving the site unprotected following the
sale should not be the unintended consequence of what takes place over the next
several weeks. Signed: Sincerely, Michael H. Zisser, PhD, Executive
Director.
This will be put on the agenda
for December 3, 2007.
.
Round
Metra Homeowners Association, Inc.
Written Petition to Beacon City
The residents of
§ 135-86. Garbage and refuse.
A. Adequate sanitary facilities and methods shall be used for the
collection, storage, handling and
disposal of garbage and refuse. Containers shall be kept off sidewalks to the
rear of properties,
except for the day of pickups.
B. In multiple dwellings, it shall be prohibited to store or accumulate
garbage or refuse in public halls and
stairways.
C. All one- and two-family dwellings that are constructed after the
effective date of this provision shall
include an automated garbage disposal system. This provision shall take effect
on March 1, 1994.
The requirement under paragraph "A" of this section that homeowners
store their garbage and refuse containers in the rear of the property imposes a
unique hardship on the owners of townhouses.
A number of townhouses are situated in the middle of a row of such houses; effectively
cutting off outside access to the rear of such property.
Paragraph "A", as written, would force the homeowner, in such
cases, to transport the container through the home. In addition to the
possible health implications of such a requirement, the standardized containers
- mandated by the city - are simply too wide for the home entrances.
The homeowners at
Tim Dexter: The
law is that the garbage cans should be placed out of sight. The complaint is that our law does not allow
for an exemption. I do not have any
options. The council can modify the law
to provide some other method. What we
have before the council is our stated position.
It is not just
Council Member Kelly: Jerry,
can we retroactively pass a law? Is this
the same as the sewage law?
City Attorney Pisanelli: This
is a different situation than the sewage law.
Mayor Gould: The
Sewage law is beyond our control but this is in our control
Council Member Gold: Read
from correspondence from Roundtree (is included above). This seems reasonable.
Mayor Gould: It
would better if they can put a screen in front of the garbage cans to hide
them.
Tim Dexter: I
would suggest that it be as specific as possible. Behind a fence or a bush. You may want to have a uniform bush or fence.
Council Member Gold: Steve
asked Tim to put together some ideas.
Tim Dexter: Since
the council is interested in doing some sort of exemption, they should go to
the homeowners association. Usually all
attached housing has a homeowners association.
The garbage containers should be placed as far to the rear as possible
with some sort of uniform fencing or bushes.
Mayor Gould: This will be put into a resolution by Attorney
Pisanelli for a first reading at the December 3, 2007 Council Meeting Agenda
and voted on December 17, 2007.
Consultant Agreement - Authorize
Mayor to sign Architectural/Engineering Consultant Agreement PIN 8757.30 (Fishkill Avenue Teller Avenue
City Administrator
Braun: This is for the reconstruction oversight of Walcott
and Fishkill Avenue.
We went through the selection process looking for various
qualifications based on criteria that is best qualified. We felt that Hudson Valley associates was the
best qualified. They have done work for
us before. Another great asset, they
would be right there just across the city line in the event they needed to be
contacted. This company was chosen based
on their professional qualifications. We
are not required to accept the lowest bidder in this situation. There
is a distinction between a professional and a contractor. This will hasten the completion of the
project. This is a form of contract that
is approved by the state.
This will be put on the agenda for December 3, 2007.
Appointments
/ Ratifications
Council Member
Mayor
Gould: We need to appoint a council
member to replace Lee Kyriacou.
Council
Member Kelly: I believe the 45 days have
lapsed. I suggest that we appoint Randy
Casale.
Council
Member Foster: It is 38 days and not 45.
Mayor
Gould: I am okay with Randy. He has to be approved at the next council
meeting on December 3, 2007 and if possible at the beginning of the meeting so
he can sit in for the meeting.
This
will be on the December 3, 2007 Council Meeting Agenda.
Conservation Committee:
There
was only one response. He will be
appointed at the December 3, 2007 Council Meeting:
John Dunne Three Year Term -
Term to Expire 12/31/10
City Attorney Pisanelli: Most people who are in that position will stay if they so desire.
Conservation Advisory Commission –
Term Five Years
(1) Vacant Position
(3) Expiring Terms
Fire Advisory Committee - Two YearTerms
(1) Expiring Term
Human Relations - Two Year Terms
(7) Expiring Terms
(4) Vacant Position
Planning Board - Three Year Term
(4) Expiring Terms
Recreation Commission - Three-Year Term
(3)
Expiring Terms
Zoning Board of Appeals - Three Year Term
(1)
Expiring Terms
Announcement
Other Business:
Acting Police Chief:
City Attorney Pisanelli: There
is a list and I believe that Capt. Scofield is number 1 or 2 on the list. We don't want two chiefs. The previous chief will be retiring on
December 1, 2007.
Council Member Kelly: I
believe that the next test for chief is sometime in March.
Council Member Thompson: I
have one problem with this. We had asked
for a search so that there would be a fair decision so we would not be accused
once again of putting a local person in that position. We had asked for that and it was not
done. I would still like for that to
happen. I think Capt. Scofield is doing
a fantastic job.
Council Member Kelly: We
discussed that we would adopt a resolution that we would do a search and then
review the applicants and make a decision on the basis of a review. We were told at that time that adopting that
resolution would be premature. The
spirit of the resolution was that there would be a review before an
appointment. I think that we still have
some time. This is not to prejudice
Capt. Scofield in any way. I think he is
doing a fine job. I would like to
establish a process for high-level appointments where it's more rational and
more competitive. Then based on a review
we make an appointment. Ultimately the
final decision is with the Council.
City Administrator Joseph
Braun will check with CSEA to ask
what happens if there are only two people on the list.
Council Member Kelly: I
would like this tabled until we get further information.
BANNERS: Beekman
Street Artist Banner Project Agreement.
(Does not include itemized list.)
The following was taken from the
prepared agreement:
This agreement is between The
City of Beacon and the Rutigliano Group, and shall remain in effect from the
date is signed by both parties until the completion of the two (2) year of
banner display on and near Beekman Street in Beacon, New York US, as described
herein. The term of this agreement shall
automatically renew unless either party gives 60 days written notice of
termination or modification prior to expiration.
This will be placed on the
agenda for December 3, 2007.
Beacon Institute Agreement - The following is the first two paragraphs from the
letter of Agreement between the City of Beacon and the Beacon Institute, Inc.
This Letter of Agreement is
entered into between the City of Beacon ("City"), and the Beacon
Institute, Inc., ("TBI"), for the purpose of authorizing certain
improvements to and use of City property, in accordance with the specific terms
set forth herein:
I. Scope of Work: Denning's Point "Gateway" Entrance
and Parking Area. The scope of work
authorized under this agreement includes the design, construction,
installation, use and maintenance of a "gateway" entrance and parking
area, to serve public visitation to TBI's "Building One" at Denning's
Point in the Hudson Highlands State Park ("State Park"), as well as
public visitation to the State Park.
This will be placed on the next
Council Meeting Agenda for December 3, 2007.
Public
Hearing for Comprehensive Planning
Comprehensive Plan Set
Public Hearings:
Monday,
December 17, 2007
Upcoming
Workshop Agenda Items
Vote on City of Beacon Proposed Budget on Monday December 17th at
the City Council Meeting.
Council Agenda - Monday, December 3, 2007
Public hearing volunteers
getting discount on their taxes
Bond Ordinance
Consulting agreement with
University
Round tree court
Consultant Wolcott and Fishkill
Aves
Final hearing comprehensive plan
Dec. 17
Workshop Meeting ended at 10:05
p.m.
Respectfully
Submitted by Lucy M. Cullinan - December 1, 2007