Town of Hamden Town Board Meeting of December 2, 2015
The board approved a one year contract with the Delhi Fire Department in the
amount of $66,201.35. Same terms as previous years. No one was present for
the public hearing.
The Town Board approved the hiring of Milone and MacBroom, Inc. as our
consultant for the Local Flood Analysis for the Town of Hamden. The analysis will
be for the West Branch and the tributaries in the Town and will be used in
consultation with the Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District as
the administrator. Total price quoted for the consultant/analysis process was
$70,000 and will be funded through DC Soil and Water and NYCDEP.
A letter was approved to be sent to the Watershed Ag Council in regards to an ag
easement on the David and Linda Raber property. Essentially the letter had
concerns over the way the easement committee is constructed. The Town feels it
is better suited for the committee to be governed by a majority of the committee
on decision making versus the current unanimous of all members including the
NYCDEP representative. There is a feeling the City mission is different than the
WAC committee members. The letter also had concerns over the easement being
in perpetuity with no chance of the farmer being able to be compensated at
current values and circumstances. Essentially the City regulates farming through
the Watershed Ag Council and that not necessarily being in accordance with the
current Ag and Markets Law. Delaware County and the Coalition of Watershed
Towns are also in line with the structure of the response sent to the Council.
The year-end Town Board meeting was set for December 30th at 6:30 pm at the
Town Hall.
The organizational meeting was set for January 6, 2016 at 6:30 pm at the Town
Hall.
The water district rates were formally approved as recommended by the
commissioners of each district. Water District 1 in Hamden: Capital fee - $45 per
quarter and the user fee of $50 per quarter. Water District 2 in DeLancey: $50
per quarter capital fee and $45 user fee per quarter. New rates will start as of the
first day of 2016.
The board approved the design of the Rosemarie Bryden septic leach field for
construction sometime in 2016.
Respectfully submitted by Wayne Marshfield
January 6, 2016 Town Board Meeting tentative agenda:
1. Organizational Meeting for 2016
2. NYS DOT response to speed limit reduction in hamlet of Hamden.
3. Cornell Cooperative Extension request for use of Town hall in an emergency
response.
4. Review process of Hamden disaster response plan
5. Annual approval of County Planning board contract
6. The Arc funding in lieu of tax report
7. Shared services agreement with NYSDOT
8. Resolution for equal funding for chips vs. downstate MTA
9. Town clerks annual report
10.Audit date for justice, clerk, supervisor books
11.Code of Ethics review
12.Procurement Policy review
13.Violence in the work place review
14.Investment policy review
15.Conflict of interest policy review
16.Budget amendments
17.Other as may come before the board
Delaware County Board of Supervisors Meeting of December 9, 2015
The Board accepted a grant from Constitution Pipeline to the Sheriff’s
Department towards the replacement of a single passenger all-terrain vehicle.
The award was for $17,000.
The Board accepted a grant from NYS Department of Health for $13,000 to be
used towards the cost of a generator in order to ensure power to the vaccine
storage equipment, network printer and office furniture in Public Health.
The board approved the low bid of $55,230 to Siena Fence Company of Clifton
Park, NY for chain link fence installed on the Davenport, Franklin, Sidney,
Stamford, and Walton Communications Tower sites.
One vehicle a 2007 Chevy Malibu was approved to be disposed of through auction
and it came from the Probation Department.
The Levy of taxes was approved for each Town in the County for 2016. Hamden:
Hamden lighting district $2,400, DeLancey lighting district $1,500, Delhi Fire
District $873, Walton Fire Protection $22,336, Downsville Fire Protection $3,500,
Delhi Fire Protection $63,701, Downsville Fire District $4,164, Hamden Sewer
$10,477, and Delinquent Water Bills $6,702. General Fund levy $182,309,
Highway Fund levy $501,975.
A resolution was adopted to allow the Office of the Aging and the Veterans
Agency to interchange bus drivers if needed due to time off of other drivers
within those two departments. This way they can cover for each other in case of
an absence of a driver.
A resolution was approved urging State representatives to ensure funding
equality and parity between New York’s highway, bridge and transit systems.
Recently the Governor reached an agreement to fund the Metropolitan
Transportation Authority by $11 billion for part of their $29 billion five year
program. We are requesting a five year program funding for the State, County
and Town roads through CHIPS and DOT programs. We pay a portion of our gas
tax to be spent towards the maintenance of our roads, and we request our share
for better roads, rather than sending all of our money downstate to be used on
their mass transit programs.
The organizational meeting will be held on January 6th at 1 pm at the County
Office Building. A meeting schedule was set up for the year of 2016.
A resolution was approved to levy the unpaid 2015-2016 school taxes with
penalty throughout the County. Hamden’s unpaid school taxes were $176,689,
with a 7% penalty assessed of $12,368 or a total of $189,057. There were 15
Towns in the County that were higher, the highest reaching $724,895. These
unpaid school taxes have to be paid by the County and the total to be paid to the
school districts totaled $5,788,183. This is only one reason the County needs to
have a substantial reserve account.
A resolution was approved allowing the Delaware County Soil and Water
Conservation District Board to increase from 5 to 7 members.
Respectfully submitted by Wayne Marshfield
Town of Hamden Town Board Meeting of December 30, 2015
It was reported that the Supervisor received a letter from the NYSDOT on our
request to lower the speed limit in the hamlet of Hamden. NYSDOT denied the
request but will be putting more warning signs before entering the hamlet on
each end, and they will be trimming the trees around the speed limit signs so they
are more visible.
It was reported by the Supervisor that he will be updating the Hamden Emergency
Response Plan for board review and acceptance later in the year.
The Delaware County Planning Department contract in the amount of $3500 was
approved for 2016. It was suggested that we tackle at least one outdated policy
as specified in the Comprehensive Plan. We have updated as recommended by
the Comprehensive Plan the dog control law, right to farm law, and the road
takeover policy.
The board was informed of the funding in lieu of tax as received from the Arc of
Delaware County. This is typically done by Arc this time of year. Some of that
funding goes to the Delhi Fire Department and Delaware County.
A shared services agreement was approved between the Town of Hamden and
the NYSDOT.
A resolution was also approved requesting our State Representatives ensure
funding equality and parity between New York’s Highway, Bridge and Transit
Systems. Currently the State has designated $29 billion to the Metropolitan
Transportation Authority over five years, but has no plan for the rest of the State
as far as CHIPS programs go.
A 3 year contract was approved between the Town of Hamden and LVDV
Operations of Cobleskill for the continued operation of the waste treatment
facility in the hamlet of Hamden. The rates are going up 2% each year in cost and
most of that will be absorbed by the NYCDEP.
Handouts were distributed for Building inspection fees, DeLancey Septic pump
out repairs for 2016, Code of Ethics, Procurement Policy, Violence in the
Workplace policy, conflict of interest policy and the Investment policy for
discussion at the January 6th meeting.
It was also discussed that the designated hamlet areas will be reviewed starting in
February and will conclude by the middle of June of 2016.
Happy New Year to all!
Respectfully Submitted by Wayne Marshfield