james_goldstein(Town of Lebanon, NY- Oct. 2014) Lebanon town board members will review a proposed budget that contains an estimated 4 percent increase in the town tax levy and will require an override local law of the state imposed tax cap of 2 percent when officials gather for a budget workshop on Monday Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the Town Office, 1210 Bradley Brook Road in the township.

Town officials will also consider action on ordering a new highway truck in the wake of an accident in late August that totaled the 2004 Stadium International truck; will discuss the search for a new Code Enforcement Officer after current CEO Donald Forth submitted his resignation unexpectedly effective the end of this month; will seek to find a new Dog Control Officer and will also discussed anticipated vacancies in a town planning board position effective January.

Stephanie Lowe has agreed to continue to serve as DCO until the town can find a replacement.

Town board members will also consider the appointment of former planning board chair Gary Will who has volunteered to serve as the Chair of the Board of Appeals. That position has been vacant since longtime chair Robert Bond resigned last month due to family obligations.

Town officials will review the proposed budget line item by line item. The primary reasons for the anticipated increased tax levy are a reduction in the overall taxable assessed value of town properties due to a reduction in the price of natural gas sales that state law attaches to property assessment, increases in unfunded state mandates via the state retirement plan, a 37 percent increase in the price of road salt on state bid, an increase in worker’s comp and health insurance coverage costs, and an anticipated cost of living increase for full time highway workers. Town officials are also looking at having to provide funds to pay for a new highway truck and a new used mowing machine that requires replacing. While the 2004 Stadium International truck was totaled, because it was over 10 years old by a few months, the town insurance policy only covers the estimated book value rather than replacement value of the truck.

Supervisor Jim Goldstein had to inform town board members earlier this week that it took the town nearly two months to get the NYMIR insurance adjuster to total the vehicle and the town learned that the truck was no longer covered for replacement value due to age by just a few months from the purchase date. Town officials will get about $67,300 for the totaled vehicle and are buying back the totaled truck for salvage at about $6,800 to be able to use the truck box, tires and rims and other parts. Highway Superintendent Alex Hodge says that the truck box was replaced a couple of years ago and it will be much cheaper for the town to use the existing box than order a new box. The town also has the snow plowing equipment because the accident occurred in

August during a gravel hauling run and while the other motorist was deemed at fault and ticketed, the town cannot pursue the motorist legally for full replacement value due to its insurance policy conditions. Goldstein said that the town anticipates spending approximately $112,000 for a new truck (without the box and plowing equipment) through Stadium International through county bid and will have lower expenses for adding the box and other necessary equipment that Wayne’s Welding adds to the truck. Supervisor Goldstein expects to have the final estimate for all truck replacement costs available by the meeting.

Town officials will debate whether or not to take the balance of funds needed to replace the truck out of highway reserves or seek to borrow. The town is due to finish paying off its 2011 truck this December, and will be paying off its new Payloader in January of 2015, but the town just took out a bond to cover partial costs for acquiring a 2015 Stadium International to replace the 2001 that was sold to the Village of Hamilton approximately two months before the accident. Goldstein said the town was the unfortunate recipient of a series of unanticipated events that were precipitated by the accident in late August that ending up taking the 2004 truck with a load of gravel out of commission permanently. The gravel has been unloaded and used in road repairs.

Town Clerk Nicole Viera, who had originally anticipated selling her home and moving out of the hamlet by the end of November, just informed the Town Board she will not be selling her home and expects to remain in the hamlet.  Town officials had originally been asked to start advertising the position in anticipation of the vacancy to ensure time to train any new town clerk who would be appointed to fill out the remainder of the term before next year’s fall election.

At the Town Board meeting on Oct. 13, 2014, town officials took the following actions:

*  Accepted the tentative preliminary budget submitted by Supervisor Goldstein as Town Budget officer, and established the Oct. 27 budget workshop date, a public hearing on the proposed Town Budget for 2015 on Thursday, Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. at the Town Office as required by town law and reviewed the town financials year to date.

*  Discussed the status of the damaged 2004 town truck that had been through a two month process of waiting for a decision by NYMIR’s adjuster that has put the town in a dilemma with snow plow season right around the corner.

*  Took public comment on the town’s proposed road use and preservation law. No resident attended or commented on the proposed law that town officials have discussed and taken previous public comment on for two years.

*  Introduced Local Law No. 2 of 2014 that would override the town’s state imposed tax cap. A public hearing on this local law will take place on Monday, November 10 at 8 p.m. prior to the adoption of the 2015 town budget.

*  Discussed resolution of various code enforcement matters that had been pending and discussed some proposed town code enforcement policy changes that the Town Attorney has been developing.

*  Accepted the Comprehensive Planning Committee’s recommendations with thanks for their effort and will now consider how to implement the recommendations. Town board member also discussed forming a committee for 2015 to review the town Land Management Local Law with the goal of either updating or eliminating portions that may require change.

*  Approved a contract with Madison County for snow and ice removal reimbursement for county roads in the township which included an increase due to the rising cost of road salt, sand, labor, benefits and related highway inputs.

*  Discussed the costs of fire and ambulance contracts for 2015 and the reality that the town will have to levy two years worth of spending for the Georgetown ambulance contract area due to having given those funds back to taxpayers in that ambulance protection area in 2014. Goldstein said it will be a one-time change and that things should even out in 2016.

Submitted by Supervisor Jim Goldstein

By martha

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