ANNUAL
ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING AND BUDGET HEARING
April 1, 2019
Meeting opened at 7:01 PM by
Mayor Louis A. Guido with the Pledge to the Flag. Mayor Louis A. Guido, Trustee Ian M. Feulner,
Attorney E. Hyde Clarke and Clerk-Treasurer Amy S. Herr present. Trustee Conway M. Bishop was excused due to
illness. Also present were Dennis
Laughlin, JoAnn Guido, Lorraine Bosma, Kathleen Taylor and Gerry Woodworth.
Budget Hearing
Motion made by Trustee Feulner,
seconded by Mayor Guido, unanimously carried to open the Budget Hearing at 7:02
PM.
Dennis Laughlin inquired
about the $5000.00 for Highway Equipment.
Mayor Guido advised that it is for a snow blower and sweeper. Dennis Laughlin reiterated his offer for
voluntarily providing legal services to the Village. The money that would be saved by the Village
could be used for repairs to the Village Hall.
Regarding the offer by Dennis
Laughlin to provide free legal services to the Village, Mayor Guido stated that
Attorney Clarke has a large firm behind him that would continue to provide
legal services to the Village if he were not available. If the Village accepted the offer of free
services and something happened to Dennis Laughlin the Village would then have
to come up with the money to retain an attorney. Dennis Laughlin stated that his law partner
would be available to become the Village Attorney at no cost if something were
to happen that he would not be available to serve. Ed Harvey stated that Attorney Clarke has stepped
up and served the Village this past year.
Mayor Guido brought up
possibly renegotiating the lease with Art Works for clarification on
maintenance of the building. Kathleen
Taylor asked what would happen to the building if Art Works was not leasing it. Mayor Guido advised that the building could
be put up for sale if the Village decided to do that.
Kathleen Taylor stated that
it is nice to keep the Village tax dollars locally, such as getting flowers
from Jackie Hull and having Dennis Laughlin as the attorney. She supports the Village in working with Art
Works.
Motion made by Trustee
Feulner, seconded by Mayor Guido to close the budget hearing at 7:10 PM. Motion carried.
Motion made by Trustee
Feulner, seconded by Mayor Guido unanimously carried to open the Organization
Meeting at 7:10 PM.
Proposed - Appointments as
of 4/1/2019 and Salaries as of 6/1/2019
Mayor – Louis Guido, elected to
4/21 $1925.00
annual
Trustee – Conway Bishop, elected
to 4/21 $1650.00
annual
Trustee – Ian Feulner, elected to
4/22 $1650.00
annual
Deputy Mayor – Conway Bishop,
appointed to 4/20 $100.00
annual
Attorney
– Hyde Clarke, attorney with the law firm Young/Sommer $4000.00
annual
Clerk-Treasurer,
Records Keeper, Tax Collector - Amy Herr
Appointed
to 4/21 – w/benefits, no health ins. $23,712.00 for
1248 hours annually
Registrar
of Vital Statistics – Amy Herr, appointed to 4/21 $250.00
Deputy
Clerk-Treasurer & Deputy Registrar - Eileen Kerzick
appointed
to 4/21 $15.00/hour
Interim
DPW Superintendent – David Hajczewski, $41,600.00
annually
app. annually
w/benefits, inc. health ins.
Maintenance Worker – Taylor Miles,
w/benefits, no health ins. $14.50/hour
Part-time Cemetery Worker – Joshua
Ingles $12.00/
hour
Other Part-time laborers- hired
as needed $12.00/hour
Election Inspectors – none needed
Public Health Officer – Brenda
Davies-Wait, DO appointed to 4/21 $0.00
Historian – Susan Miller –
Appointed annually $200.00
Building Inspector – Jeff Stiles-
Appointed annually $250.00
The above noted Appointments were
made by Mayor Guido. Motion made by
Trustee Feulner, seconded by Mayor Guido, unanimously carried to approve the
appointments and associated salaries as listed.
Proposed - POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Official Bank – NBT Bank of Norwich,
Cherry Valley Branch
Official Newspaper- Daily Star,
Oneonta
Official Board Meeting- 3rd
Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m.
Authorization for Clerk to pay
utilities, gasoline, garbage contract, health insurance, postage, water bonds/
interest on water bonds and small items to run office or equipment as needed prior
to board meeting approval
Interest Rate Charge- 5% first
month, with 1% added each month thereafter.
Copies - $ .25 each
Classes/work related meetings to be
reviewed as requested at a Regular Meeting of the Board.
Work related travel – Reimbursed at
current IRS rate.
Meals- If not included with class/conference
$45.00 per day.
Bounced check fee- $20.00
County Sales Tax receipts – 75% to
General Fund. 25% to Water Fund
All Employees- Offered NYS
Retirement (required for Full-time employees) & Deferred Compensation Plan
Policies – Investment, Procurement,
Code of Ethics, Sexual Harassment, Drug Free Work Place, Meal Reimbursement,
Emergency Preparedness Plan, Water Restriction During Drought Emergency, Hazardous
Mitigation Plan, Limited English Proficiency Plan, Clerk/Deputy Clerk
Segregation of Duties, DPW Guidelines.
Cemetery Charges & Rules
Water Charges/Rules
Motion
made by Trustee Feulner, seconded by Mayor Guido, unanimously carried to accept
and continue the above Policies and Procedures.
Other Business
Clerk-Treasurer Herr advised that a
change will be made in the Board payroll in that the Board members will be paid
on the fourth (4th) Friday of the month instead of the last day of
the month. This will allow for the
banking that needs to be done with the payroll to be done on the regular office
banking day.
Mayor Guido stated that the Village
has worked hard to stay within its means this past year. This resulted in no tax levy increase this
year and he hopes to possibly be able to lower taxes next year. There are plans to do work on Church and
Lancaster Street this year.
Lorraine Bosma asked about a sewer
project for the downtown area. It was
discussed that the lack of a sewer system could have an effect on business
growth in the area. There are issues
with the bedrock in the Village in being able to dig deep enough for a sewer
system and the cost of a project that was last estimated at $12 million.
Kathleen Taylor asked about the
Walmart trucks coming through the Village.
Attorney Clarke explained about what has been done with the Walmart
attorneys. Mayor Guido brought up the
possibility of trying to get Walmart to pay the Village for the trucks coming
through. The money could be used for
items such as the sidewalks and curb cuts on Main Street. Lorraine Bosma stated that the trucks are now
going up Montgomery Street and Church Street rather than turning at the Main
Street intersection. The State DOT has
been requested to do a traffic study in the Village.
Discussion held regarding a
possible shared service with the Village of Richfield Springs for law
enforcement. Discussion on use of radar
signs in the Village may be an alternative as the cost for law enforcement is
an expensive solution to the speeding issues in the Village. Radar signs on Main, Alden or Genesee Street
would require approval from the State DOT or County Highway for placement.
Mayor Guido reported that Spectrum
will be meeting with him this week about locations in the Village for
WiFi. A question was asked about the
speed of the WiFi. This has not been
established yet.
Mayor Guido discussed that the
Village will be applying for a grant from Otsego Soil and Water in the amount
of $1000.00 to plant trees on lower Main Street. Each tree will cost $130.00.
NYCOM conference will be at the
Otesaga in May. Trustee Feulner may be
able to go.
Proposed Budget
Total
General Water
Appropriations $398,013.00 $273,278.00 $124,735.00
Revenues Other than $177,902.00 $ 65,997.00 $111,905.00
Real Property Taxes
Appropriated Cash Surplus $
0.00 $ 0.00
Appropriated Reserve $ 31,936.00 $ 21,106.00 $
10,830.00
Balance to be raised by
Real Property Taxes $186,175.00 $186,175.00
Total Revenue $398,013.00 $273,278.00 $124,735.00
Proposed Tax Rate 6.0211per
thousand Proposed Water Rate $8.40
per thousand gallons
0.0154 per thousand increase
$0.00 increase
Motion made by Trustee Feulner,
seconded by Mayor Guido, unanimously carried to accept the above Budget.
Motion
made by Trustee Feulner, seconded by Mayor Guido unanimously carried to
schedule the next Organizational Meeting for the Village of Cherry Valley on
Monday, April 6, 2020 at 7 PM at the Village Office.
Motion
made by Trustee Feulner, seconded by Mayor Guido, unanimously carried to
adjourn the meeting at 7:45 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Amy S. Herr, Clerk-Treasurer
April 2, 2019
