Town Board Meeting

Another five hour, two-page agenda meeting last night. Let me just list the issues. I'll write more when I have time or, if someone asks for information, I'll make time.

• Public hearing on an unsafe structure on Dryden Road.
• Presentation on the work of the Tompkins County Area Development Agency.
• Update on the condition of Varna Fire Chief Natan Huffman following a two car crash in which he was involved last Friday while responding to an emergency call.
• Approval of the new 284 agreement specifying planned highway department work.
• County Briefing on plans to collect countywide water and sewer information and on the Recreation Partnership.
• Engineering report on possible remedies for the dangerous turn on Lower Creek Road and on preliminary investigation of grading and drainage issues involved in developing the property behind Town Hall for recreational use.
• Acceptance of the resignation of Recreation Coordinator, Jen Dube.
• Approval of the new code enforcement agreement with the Village of Dryden.
• Approval of payment of $284 to ASCAP to indemnify us in the event copyrighted music is inadvertently used without permission at a town function.
• Approval of an agreement with Cayuga Press to modify our HUD loan agreement raising the interest rate.
• Request that Attorney Perkins notify the Attorney General that we wish to be excluded from legislation rescinding authorization for a local Industrial Development Agency.
• Approve $23,000 change order to correct design flaws in the sprinkler system.
• Discussion of details of proposed furniture purchase for the new town hall. Request that the building committee continue to seek ways to bring the total cost of the new furniture down.
• Lengthy discussion of whether or not to apply for a grant for development of the property behind the town hall. Very lengthy discussion of whether or not we've solicited sufficient public input to begin planning for the development of the land for recreational uses. Further discussion of whether or not we can make plans for that property without completing a plan for townwide recreation development.
• Approval of the Planning Board's request to contract with Behan Associates for consulting on the zoning code update process.
• Introduction of the Fire Department Info book.
• Presentation of a preliminary draft of the planned 2006 Annual Report and August 2007 Newsletter.
• Update from the finance committee reporting that the internal audit is nearly complete. Only information from the Court remains to be collected.
• Discussion of whether or not the finance committee should approve the abstract of expenditures and report to the board rather than reviewing it and approving it at the Board meetings.
• Report from the Technology Committee that companies planning to bid on the phone system for the new town hall toured the building and will submit bids by June 24. A board meeting is scheduled for June 26 to review the bids and "for other purposes."
• Recreation/Youth/Community Center Committee report on plans for the application process for community center funding.
• Discussion of a proposed resolution supporting legislation sponsored by Senator Schumer restricting long haul truck traffic to interstate highways as much as possible.
• Agreement to switch to Municipal Electric & Gas Alliance power supplier.
• Update on yet another delay in the installation of the flow meter intended to measure waste water piped from the Cortland Road Sewer District to the Village of Dryden waste water treatment plant.
• Discussion of a noise complaint and whether or not to consider developing a noise ordinance.
• Agreement to provide storage space for Friends of the Library books after moving to the new town hall.
• Agreement to decline an offer request from HSBC to discuss banking opportunities