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State of New York

County of Fulton

Town of Caroga

Minutes of a Caroga Town Board meeting held Wednesday December 30, 2020 at the municipal building located at 1840 State Highway #10 at 7:00 pm with the following persons in attendance by roll call. The flag salute followed.

Supervisor Scott Horton - Here

Council Member John Glenn – Here

Council Member James Long - Here

Council Member Richard Sturgess - Here

Council Member Donald Travis - Here

Supervisor Horton, Council Members Glenn, Sturgess, and Travis were in the meeting room Council Members Long accessed the meeting remotely. There were 15 members of the public in attendance via Zoom. Tor Shekerjian – Confidential Secretary to the Supervisor facilitated the ZOOM meeting.

Supervisor Horton stated there would be no privilege of the floor this evening for the year end meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to pay the bills. He stated there were also a couple of other resolutions to take care of some unfinished business. The board should decide how much money they want to put into reserve funds. The Supervisor put down numbers on a sheet that were in the budget. The board can adjust those plus or minus.

Supervisor Horton announced the first resolution was to make the following transfers as necessary to maintain a balanced budget and to set aside reserve funds. The Board members did not have this sheet. The clerk made copies. Council Member Long was sent a copy by the clerk.

The Supervisor stated the first four items are to balance the budget. Then they would talk about reserve funds.

RESOLUTION #2020-166 to make the following transfers as necessary to maintain a balanced budget was offered by Supervisor Horton at the year-end meeting held on Wednesday December 30, 2020 at 7 pm at town hall.

WHEREAS, the Budget Officer and Town Supervisor have identified a need to make certain transfers to maintain a balanced budget, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the following transfers are hereby made as follows:

From: A7180.1 Special Facilities PS $4000.00

To: A7180.4 Special Facilities C/E $4000.00

From: A1620.4 Buildings C/E $ 200.00

To: A1670.4 Central Printing $ 200.00

From: A1990.4 Contingency $4,500.00

To: A9050.8 Unemployment $4,500.00

Seconded by Council Member Long

Discussion: None

Adopted by a roll call vote as follows:

Supervisor Scott Horton - Aye

Council Member John Glenn - Aye

Council Member James Long - Aye

Council Member Richard Sturgess - Aye

Council Member Donald Travis – Aye

Supervisor Horton explained that reserve funds are funds the board puts aside and they are specially allocated to a certain purpose. The four funds the board is looking at this evening are for the garbage truck, a capitol project fund, and the highway equipment reserve fund and the garbage fund. Supervisor Horton stated he did not know what that was.

Council Member Long noted the garbage fund was for the garbage truck reserve. “It is the same thing as we see above.” It is the same “A” number as we see above. He thought the label was incorrect.

Supervisor Horton stated it was originally budgeted for $20,000.00 and we had thought we would take $15,000.00 from the harvester reserve fund that we had budgeted to the garbage reserve fund. That would make that a $50,000.00 reserve.

Council Member Sturgess and the clerk asked if you could do that. Council Member Sturgess stated doesn’t that have to stay in weed harvester.

Supervisor Horton stated it was a budgeted item, we are not taking money out of anything. It was not funded yet. The Supervisor stated you cannot take money from one reserve fund to another. It was a budgeted reserve not an actual reserve. The money has never gone into that reserve.

Supervisor Horton noted the board had wanted to put more money into the garbage truck as it is a major expense and it was under funded at $10,000.00. In talking with Gene Centi, the Supervisor noted there was more money allocated in the budget for 2020 than what was needed for the weed harvester machine. There was $50,000.00 set aside in reserve and they thought it would take care of anything to do with that. Instead of putting the $15,000.00 they were going to put into the weed harvester reserve fund that those funds would be put into the garbage truck reserve. This is a budget modification.

The clerk asked if the budget modification should be made separately from funding the reserve funds.

RESOLUTION #2020-167 to make a budget modification was offered by Supervisor Horton at the year-end meeting held on Wednesday December 30, 2020 at 7 pm at town hall.

WHEREAS, the Town Supervisor has discussed with the Town Board the idea of making a budget modification for the purpose of increasing the garbage truck reserve fund in the year 2020, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the following transfer/ budget modification is hereby made as follows:

From: A9950.91 Weed Harvester Reserve $15,000.00

To: A9950.92 Garbage Truck Reserve $15,000.00

Seconded by Council Member Long

Discussion: None

Adopted by a roll call vote as follows:

Council Member John Glenn - Yes

Council Member James Long - Aye

Council Member Richard Sturgess - Yes

Council Member Donald Travis – Yes

Supervisor Scott Horton – Aye

Supervisor Horton explained the three reserve funds to be funded in 2020. The Capital Project Fund can be used for any “A” capital project, roofing, heating, air conditioning, doors, and windows in the town hall building or at the golf course. That was $20,000.00. The second is the garbage truck reserve. During budget time it was found to be under funded. It is an expensive piece of equipment and the board wanted to do more for that. The board had $20,000.00 in the reserve, another $15,000.00 was put in giving $35,000.00 to put into that reserve. It can only be used for the garbage truck. The line item was A9950.92. The third is more general it is for the highway. Supervisor Horton noted the garbage truck comes under an “A” line item not a “DA” expense. Highway is only for highway – the line item is DA9901.9 for $10,000.00.

RESOLUTION #2020-168 to fund three reserve funds from the 2020 budget was offered by Supervisor Horton at the year-end meeting held on Wednesday December 30, 2020 at 7 pm at town hall.

WHEREAS, the board desires to fund three reserves in the budget year 2020, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the following reserve funds be funded as follows:

A9950.9 Capital Project Fund $20,000.00

A9950.92 Garbage Truck Reserve $35,000.00

DA9901.9 Highway Equipment Reserve $10,000.00

Seconded by Council Member Long

Discussion: None

Adopted by a roll call vote as follows:

Council Member James Long - Aye

Council Member Richard Sturgess - Yes

Council Member Donald Travis – Yes

Supervisor Scott Horton – Aye

Council Member John Glenn – Yes

Council Member Sturgess asked which category would funding for a salt shed come out of. Supervisor Horton stated it could come out of the Capital Project fund.

The clerk noted she received an email from a company the town had contacted for information on a salt shed building. The contact was retiring, but noted there was funding out there. The email was given to the Highway Superintendent as the email contained the new person’s contact information. The Supervisor noted he met with them once this year and had also received a couple of phone calls from the company.

Supervisor Horton noted a lot has been going on in Albany about tax exemptions for veterans and retirees. Today the Governor let the County Real Property Services know they may be passing legislation that would make this resolution moot. The Supervisor is proposing it anyway to the town board just in case it doesn’t and we do need it. The resolution adopts the provisions of executive order 202.83 which suspends the requirements for renewal application as a condition to granting exemptions under sections 459-C and 467 of the Real Property Tax Law.

RESOLUTION #2020-169 to Adopt Provisions of Executive Order 202.83 Suspending the Requirements for Renewal Applications as a Condition to Granting Exemptions Under Sections 459-C and 467 of the Real Property Tax Law was offered by Supervisor Horton at the year-end meeting held on Wednesday December 30, 2020 at 7 pm at town hall.

WHEREAS, the Governor of the State of New York by Executive Order No. 202 dated March 7, 2020, declared a state disaster emergency for the entire State of New York; and

WHEREAS, both travel-related and community contact transmission of COVID-19 have been documented in New York State and are expected to continue; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 29-a of Article 2-B of the Executive Law, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo did issue Executive Order 202.83 dated December 18, 2020, 2020, which authorized, by local option, the governing body, to adopt the provisions of that Executive Order 202.83, which temporarily suspends or modifies, subdivisions 7, 7-a and 8 of section 459-c of the Real Property Tax Law and subdivisions 5, 5-a, 5-b, 5-c and 6 of section 467 of the Real Property Tax Law.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that pursuant to Executive Order 202.83 issued by New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo on December 18, 2020, the Town Board of the Town of Caroga hereby adopts, as a local option, the suspension of subdivisions 7, 7-a and 8 of section 459-c of the Real Property Tax Law and subdivisions 5, 5-a, 5-b, 5-c and 6 of section 467 of the Real Property Tax Law; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Sole Assessor is hereby directed to grant exemptions pursuant to such sections on the 2021/2022 assessment roll to all property owners who received that exemption on the 2020/2021 assessment roll, thereby dispensing with the need for renewal applications from such persons, and further dispensing with the requirement for the Sole Assessor to mail renewal applications to such persons; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that the Town Clerk is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the Sole Assessor and the Office of the Town Attorney; and be it further

RESOLVED, that all may review and obtain a copy of this resolution from the electronic storage device and if needed, a certified copy of same may be obtained from the Office of the Town Clerk.

Seconded by Council Member Long

Discussion: Supervisor Horton explained because of Covid-19 the governor had decided he did not want a lot of in person contact between the people who needed to qualify for exemptions. This will allow people to maintain their exemption without proof. He noted there may be legislation that comes down to make this moot. It is to protect the citizens.

Adopted by a roll call vote as follows:

Council Member Richard Sturgess - Yes

Council Member Donald Travis – Yes

Supervisor Scott Horton – Yes

Council Member John Glenn – Yes

Council Member James Long – Aye

Supervisor Horton offered a resolution to enter into contract with the Brennan Humane Society. He noted earlier this year he renegotiated the contract with them for 2020. They sent the 2021 contract for $600.00 per year. The Town used to pay $1,250.00 per year. This gives the town the ability to bring 3 dogs to the Humane Society. Any more dogs over the three would cost the town $250.00 per dog. This is the same as what was in the past. The Supervisor noted the budget line item has $550.00 on it.

RESOLUTION #2020-170 to enter into contract with the Brennan Humane Society for the year 2021 was offered by Supervisor Horton at the year-end meeting held on Wednesday December 30, 2020 at 7 pm at town hall

WHEREAS, the board desires to have the Town Supervisor, Scott Horton, sign the contract with the James A. Brennan Humane Society for Basic Services, and

WHEREAS, the contract will take effect January 1, 2021 and continue until the 31st day of December 2021, and

WHEREAS, payment of $600.00 with the signed agreement after the first three animals received from the municipality, the municipality shall pay the Humane Society, within thirty days of receipt of invoice, two hundred fifty dollars per animal thereafter, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Supervisor is hereby authorized to sign a contract submitted by the James A Brennan Humane Society for the year 2021.

Seconded by Council Member Long

Adopted by a roll call vote as follows:

Council Member Donald Travis – Yes

Supervisor Scott Horton – Aye

Council Member John Glenn – Yes

Council Member James Long – Aye

Council Member Richard Sturgess – Yes

Supervisor Horton stated that Council Members Travis and Sturgess have audited the bills as presented for audit. Council Member Sturgess noted one modification. In the general fund the bill numbered 421 submitted by Cosselman Septic Cleaner has a service charge listed as $17.50 but in another part of the bill $17.50 is marked tax. The town is tax exempt. Mr. Cosselman has not returned a call made to him this evening.

Supervisor Horton made a motion to pay the bills as presented for audit with the one correction.

Council Member Sturgess seconded the motion.

Adopted by a roll call vote as follows:

Supervisor Scott Horton – Aye

Council Member John Glenn – Yes

Council Member James Long – abstain

Council Member Richard Sturgess – Yes

Council Member Donald Travis – Yes

At 7:27 pm Council Member Long made a motion to adjourn. Seconded by Council Member Glenn. All board members were in favor of the motion.

Supervisor Horton wished everyone a Happy New Year. He noted the next meeting is on January 6th 2021.

Respectfully Submitted,

Linda M. Gilbert

General #’s 415-431 422,184.10 Prepaid #’s 272 -285 $73,810.20

Highway #’s 148 – 150 $11,014.95 General Park No bills this month

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