TOWN
OF GRANBY
PUBLIC
WORK SESSION
JANUARY
27, 2021
6:00
P.M.
Supervisor Snow Jr.
called the meeting to order via conference call at 6:11 P.M. Present for the roll call were
Supervisor John Snow, Jr., Councilors Steve Abraham, Rodney DeLong, Sandra
Farrands and Linda Parkhurst. Highway
Superintendent Dan Duncan was also present.
There were no residents in attendance.
ACTION ITEMS
Supervisor Snow, Jr.
made a motion, seconded by Councilor DeLong to approve Local Law #1-2021,
Solar PILOT Law, a roll call vote was taken;
Councilor Abraham Aye Councilor
Farrands Aye
Councilor DeLong Aye Councilor Parkhurst Aye
Supervisor Snow, Jr. Aye
Resolution No. 19-2021
COVID-19-Related Federal
Aid to All Municipalities
WHEREAS, towns provide essential services to the 9 million New Yorkers
living in towns including, but not limited to, ambulance, police and fire
protection services, building and code enforcement, and highway maintenance,
and have continued to do so throughout the ongoing health crisis; and
WHEREAS, the coronavirus pandemic has created significant financial
stress for local governments due to lost sales tax revenue as well as other
sources of revenue, such as permit fees, justice court fines, and mortgage
recording tax; and
WHEREAS, to date, only one town out of 933 in New York State has been
eligible for COVID-19 federal stimulus funding, and the Town of Granby has
received no relief; and
WHEREAS, lost revenue for local governments combined with lack of funding
will result in the reduction of essential services or shifting the cost onto
real property taxpayers, many of whom are experiencing their own financial stress;
and
NOW THEREFORE BE IT Resolved, that the Town of Granby calls upon
United States Congressional Representative John Katko, Senator Charles Schumer,
and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, to support federal funding related to the
coronavirus pandemic that is directly delivered to all municipalities,
regardless of population size.
Supervisor Snow, Jr.
made a motion, seconded by Councilor Farrands to approve Resolution #19-2021
regarding COVID-19 Federal Aid, all were in favor, none opposed.
Supervisor Snow, Jr. introduced a local law to override the tax levy limit established in
General Municipal Law 3-c as follows;
Section 1. Legislative Intent
It is the intent of this local law to override
the limit on the amount of real property taxes that may be levied by the Town
of Granby, County of Oswego pursuant to General Municipal Law § 3-c, and to
allow the Town of Granby, County of Oswego to adopt a town budget for town
purposes and any other special or improvement district governed by the town board
for the fiscal year 2022 that requires a real property tax levy in excess of
the "tax levy limit" as defined by General Municipal Law § 3-c.
The Town of Granby established an improvement
district to provide safe drinking water to the residents and properties located
in that district. The Town Board plans to authorize new debt for the
water district and also a capital project resulting in the need to override the
tax cap.
Section 2. Authority
This local law is adopted pursuant to
subdivision 5 of General Municipal Law § 3-c, which expressly authorizes the
town board to override the tax levy limit by the adoption of a local law
approved by vote of sixty percent (60%) of the town board.
Section 3. Tax Levy Limit Override
The Town Board of the Town of Granby, County
of Oswego is hereby authorized to adopt a budget for the fiscal year 2022 that
requires a real property tax levy in excess of the limit specified in General
Municipal Law, §3-c.
Section 4. Severability.
If any clause, sentence, paragraph,
subdivision, or part of this Local Law or the application thereof to any
person, firm or corporation, or circumstance, shall be adjusted by any court of
competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unconstitutional, such order or
judgment shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the remainder thereof, but
shall be confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph,
subdivision, or part of this Local Law or in its application to the person,
individual, firm or corporation or circumstance, directly involved in the
controversy in which such judgment or order shall be rendered.
Section 5. Effective date.
This local law shall take effect immediately
upon filing with the Secretary of State.
Councilor Parkhurst made a motion, Seconded by Councilor Abraham to
hold a Public Hearing on February 24th, 2021 at 6:00 P.M. regarding Local Law #3-2021 to override the tax levy limit established in
General Municipal Law 3-c, all were in favor, none opposed.
Councilor DeLong made
a motion, seconded by Supervisor Snow, Jr. to advertise for fuel bids to
include heating fuel oil, seasonal kerosene, unleaded gas, diesel and propane,
all were in favor, none opposed.
There was discussion
regarding the progress on the bank building for the new Town Hall. Supervisor Snow, Jr. said what he estimated
to be an approximately 1 million dollar project is now looking like 1.8
million. He has been looking to the USDA
for financing options. The current
interest rate is 2.125% for a period of 30 years. Interest rates in the market are just under 3%
for 20 to 25 years right now. When this
project started, Supervisor Snow, Jr. said he didn’t want to have to add to the
taxes, now he doesn’t see how we can move forward without putting some kind of
fee on the property tax bills. He
proposed adding .25 cents per thousand of assessed value on the tax bills for
the project. The Board agreed with
this. Supervisor Snow, Jr. will email
the agreement for the next meeting.
Councilor Parkhurst
made a motion, seconded by Councilor Abraham to approve the budget amendments
as follows, all were in favor, none opposed.
Increase A1640.411 by $
12.00 Decrease A.1990.400 by $ 12.00
Increase A.1430.481 by $545.00 Decrease A.1680.444 by $545.00
Supervisor Snow, Jr.
told the Board Judge Gilbert ruled in favor of the Town in the Mills case. Mr. Mills has until June 1st to
clean up his property before the Town goes in to clean up. He is proposing the charges for these clean
ups by the Town be placed on the resident’s tax bill. Supervisor Snow has asked the Code
Enforcement Office for a plan to handle this situation should it arise in these
cases. He is also working with the Codes
Department regarding the fire inspections.
Supervisor Snow, Jr.
has been speaking with the County in regards to the re-zoning issue on State
Route 48. He sent them information and
has a conference call with them on Tuesday.
Once they commit to helping us, we will get our team together to start
looking at that.
The Zoning Review
Committee is coming up with a process for a site plan review. They are also taking a look at mining. Lynn Lyons has joined that committee. We don’t want to ban mining, but would like
to have more control.
The Board members need
to come in to audit the Supervisor’s financial books. The Town Clerk/Tax Collector and Court books
also need to be audited.
Payment of Town Bills
Councilor Farrands
made a motion, seconded by Councilor Abraham to pay the Town bills as audited
by Councilor DeLong on Abstract #2, all were in favor, none opposed.
General Fund $4,204.53 Highway
Fund $3,860.87
Water Fund $1,468.22 Lighting
Fund $ 94.51
Capital Projects $9,740.00
Councilor Parkhurst
made a motion, seconded by Councilor Farrands to adjourn the meeting.
Meeting adjourned at 7:00
P.M.
