TOWN BOARD MEETING

                                                  APRIL 19, 2001

 

The regularly scheduled meeting of the Town Board was held on Thursday, April 19th 2001 with the following persons in attendance:

 

Supervisor Ray Rice

Councilman Marshall Courtney

Councilman John Loughlin

Councilman Peter Beisel

Councilman Gloria VanVliet

 

Recording Secretary: Diane L. McCord, Town Clerk, RMC

 

Guests:                  Mr. & Mrs. Wallace Nolen

Paul Brook, Reporter Times Herald Record

Mary Ann Mizel & John Mizel

Frank Banks

Marilyn Coffey

Lawrence & Anne Hiller

Ira & Christine Weiner

Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Helm

Tom Triscari

Bob Scherer

Anne Gordon

Douglas Freeman

 

The meeting was opened by Supervisor Rice with the Pledge to the Flag.

The following announcements were made:

 

1.  Recognition of Bill Miller

 

The Town Board would like to dedicate this evenings meeting to Bill Miller.  Bill Miller is a member of the Port Ewen Athletic Association.  He has coached, managed and refereed teams in Esopus.   He has dedicated his life to the children of Esopus through his participation in the Esopus Little League, Basketball League and most recently the Soccer League.  For years he has taken his vacation to mow the fields in preparation for the games.  Bill Miller has helped to shape the lives of so many of our children giving them a good sense of self worth, sportsmanship and team spirit.  He is and continues to be one of the Town of Esopus’s best.

 

Esopus Town Board

 

2.  Rabies Clinic

 

The Town of Esopus and Town of Rosendale will have a Rabies Clinic at the Town of Esopus Highway Garage on June 1 from 6-7PM.  The cost is $5.00 per animal.

 

3.  Great River Sweep

 

Spring is finally here and there are a number of spring cleanups scheduled for the Town of Esopus.

 

First I would like to talk about the Great River Sweep.  This is a program

sponsored by Scenic Hudson and the goal of this campaign is to help clean up the Hudson River shoreline.  Volunteer groups in Hudson River communities from Yonkers to Albany are going to turn out to help clean up the Hudson beginning on Saturday, Spril 21st and ending on Earth Day, April 29th.

 

The Town of Esopus has participated in the Great River Sweep since the inception of the program.  Our Waterfront Advisory Board is once again sponsoring a cleanup at Sleightsburgh Park -- the clean up is scheduled from 10 AM until 3 PM on Saturday April 28th.  If you would like to help clean up our environment, come down to Sleightsburgh Park — it’s scheduled for low tide, so there will be plenty of opportunity to play in the mud.  Any questions about this cleanup, please call my office 331-0676.

 

The kickoff the Great River Sweep in the Town of Esopus, Girl Scout Troop 367 will be taking part in a cleanup near Lighthouse Park on River Road on Saturday April 21st.  This will be followed by a tree planting ceremony in Lighthouse Park at 2:30 to honor Barbara Lockhart.  Barbara will be honored for her long term efforts to improve our environment here in the Town of Esopus.  For many years Barbara has organized a neighborhood cleanup along River Road and the Hudson River.

                                                             

Waste Management, Inc. of Kingston, has generously offered to place rolloff containers at Lighthouse Park on River Road and Sleightsburgh Park and dispose of the trash as part of their contribution to the Great River Sweep. Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency will, in the interest of encouraging recycling, provide containers to allow the separation of recyclable materials from the collected waste at both cleanup locations.

 

If you have a group in your neighborhood who wish to help out our Town by picking up trash from their neighborhood roads, you can drop off the trash at the Esopus Transfer Station, free of charge, by calling my office (331-0676) in advance so I can make the arrangements.

 

And last, but not least, May 5th and May 12th have been designated by the Town as our spring Cleanup days at the Esopus Transfer Station.  Town of Esopus Residents may use the transfer station off Floyd Ackert Road free of charge.  We have publicized the guidelines for those days, but if you have any question, please contact my office 331-0676.

 

                                       Remembrance of Richard Pitt

 

This past week, Mr. Richard Pitt, a retired employee of the Town, died.  Mr. Pitt has been employed by the Town for over 18 years in the Town Highway Department and after his retirement from the Highway Department he was employed as a crossing guard at the Anna Devine School.  Mr. Pitt is well remembered by the Town employees who worked with him and by the Town residents with whom he came in contact.

 

PUBLIC COMMENT:

 

Wallace Nolen - 30 Black Creek Road - Esopus: Wallace Nolen claims to have

had problems getting access to certain records in the Town of Esopus.  He complained to the Town Board about his FOIL requests being denied by the Town Clerk.  He asked who was the “Appeals Officer” ?

 

A MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCILMAN MARSHALL COURTNEY AND SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN JOHN LOUGHLIN TO APPOINT SUPERVISOR RAY RICE AS APPEALS OFFICER.  ALL TOWN BOARD MEMBERS VOTED IN FAVOR.  MOTION CARRIED. 

  

PENNY PLICHTA - RIFTON: Penny Plichta was concerned with the process the tax assessor goes through to assess property.  She complained about her move to Rifton in 1985 where she believes she received “Welcome Stranger” assessment.  She appealed to the Board of Assessment Review the year after purchasing the house.  The house condition was reduced from good to fair and the taxes were put back to the original amount.  Now there is another reassessment where her taxes have gone up.  Councilman Courtney stated the reassessment does not mean the taxes will go up it only means everyone will pay their fair share.  He suggested she grieve her taxes to the Assessment Board of Review.    Supervisor Rice stated he noticed Mrs. Plichta had made a significant addition to the side of her house and a two car garage had been added and as a result the property has been improved and the value has increased.   Mrs. Plichta was concerned that was what grieved on Grievance Day has no effect on the next assessment. 

 

ROGER SEXTON - CARNEY ROAD:    Citivision will be coming before the Town .  They are trying to obtain a permit to place a roof cover over Hoop Haven.   

 

1.  RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE ATTENDANCE OF THE TOWN        HIGHWAY SUPERINTENDENT AT THE CORNELL HIGHWAY       SEMINAR JUNE 4TH, 5TH AND 6TH.

 

BE IT RESOLVED, by the Town Board of the Town of Esopus, in the County of Ulster, as follows:

 

WHEREAS, the Local Highway School will be held at Cornell, June 4th through 6th, 2001,

 

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Highway Supt. be authorized to attend, with the expenses to be paid from the Highway Dept. budget.

 

RESOLUTION OFFERED BY SUPERVISOR RAY RICE AND SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN JOHN LOUGHLIN.

 

SUPERVISOR RAY RICE                                   AYE

COUNCILMAN MARSHALL COURTNEY        AYE

COUNCILMAN JOHN LOUGHLIN                   AYE

COUNCILMAN PETER BEISEL                         AYE

COUNCILMAN GLORIA VANVLIET                AYE

 

RESOLUTION DULY ADOPTED.

 

2.  ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE CESSATION OF THE BRUDERHOF       PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES

 

Since the March Board meeting I have received correspondence from the Bruderhof Communities that after the 2002 tax year they will no longer be making their payment in lieu of taxes.  For the past five years the Bruderhof has been making a partial payment on their non industrial property.

 

What’s the significance of the Bruderhof’s refusal tp pay their fair share of their taxes?  Here are the figures:

 

If the Bruderhof had paid all of their Tow, County, and School taxes last year the total would have been $497,841.00.  They actually paid $110,1153.00 for their business properties and a PILOT of $120,000.00 – this means that this year they are avoiding $267,688.00 in taxes and next year when they stop paying the PILOT, the Bruderhof will have shifted a burden of $387,688 to our local taxpayers.  I realize that legally the Bruderhof is within their rights in refusing to pay these taxes, but I feel that it’s immoral for 700 people to live within our community and refuse to pay their fair share of our taxes.  The rest of us have to assume the burden which they choose to drop.

 

3.  RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PAYMENT OF BILLS  RECEIVED SINCE THE MARCH BOARD MEETING

 

BE IT RESOLVED, by the Town Board of the Town of Esopus, County of Ulster as follows:

                                                             

WHEREAS, the Town of Esopus has been presented with vouchers for payment and these vouchers have been examined and approved by the Town Board,

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the following vouchers be approved for payment:

 

GENERAL FUND                    #167-218                                  $23,525.79

HIGHWAY FUND                   # 60-   86                                    12,759.65

CAPITAL PROJECT               #1 (Sleightsburgh Spit)                    245.00

STREET LIGHTING               #4                                                4,717.31

PORT EWEN SEWER             # 46-   59                                      4,343.00

PORT EWEN WATER   # 80- 107                                    17,931.67

 

TOTAL.......................................................................................$63,522.42

 

RESOLUTION OFFERED BY COUNCILMAN PETER BEISEL

RESOLUTION SECONDED BY JOHN LOUGHLIN

 

SUPERVISOR RAY RICE                                   AYE

COUNCILMAN MARSHALL COURTNEY        AYE

COUNCILMAN JOHN LOUGHLIN                   AYE

COUNCILMAN PETER BEISEL                         AYE

COUNCILMAN GLORIA VANVLIET                AYE

 

RESOLUTION DULY ADOPTED.

 

A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES OF THE TOWN BOARD MEETING SINCE THE MARCH MEETING.

 

Public Comment:

 

A gentlemen from Hardenburgh Road asked about the large numbers of tractor trailers going in and out of the Bruderhof and asked about the Hunter lawsuit –do the Brethren pay taxes on their industrial parcels?  The industrial property is taxed.

 

CORRESPONDENCE AND REPORTS OF COMMITTEES

 

Correspondence for March is available at the Town Clerks’ office.  The following reports of committees are available:

 

Town Clerks monthly report dated March 2001.

Building Dept. monthly report dated March 2001.

Fire Inspectors report dated March 2001.

Planning Board Meeting dated March 22, 2001.

Port Ewen Water/Sewer report dated April 10, 2001.

Zoning Board of Appeals Minutes dated March 20, 2001.

 

A MOTION TO ADJOURN WAS MADE BY SUPERVISOR RAY RICE AT 8:15 PM AND SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN JOHN LOUGHLIN.  ALL TOWN BOARD MEMBERS VOTED IN FAVOR.  MOTION CARRIED.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Diane L. McCord

Town Clerk, RMC