Present: Mayor John Maher
Trustee Charles Comer
Trustee Raymond Keenan
Trustee Douglas Baldwin
Trustee Alice M. Peckelis
Village Clerk Yvonne Whitcomb
Attorney Christopher Prior
Also present: Treasurer Laurence Tuck, Stuart Rosen, George McCarthy, Margaret Murphy, Janet Demelas, George Castrissiades
1. Clerk
A. Minutes
On the motion of Trustee Comer, seconded by Mayor Maher, it was
RESOLVED that the reading of the Minutes of the August 7, 2006 and September 11, 2006 Meetings be waived and that they be and hereby are approved as presented by Clerk Whitcomb and that the Minutes of the Board of Trustees Meeting on October 16, 2006 be tabled.
John Maher Aye
Charles Comer Aye
Raymond Keenan Aye
Douglas Baldwin Aye
Alice M. Peckelis Abstained
2. Treasurer
A. Abstract of Vouchers
On the motion of Mayor Maher, seconded by Trustee Keenan, it was unanimously RESOLVED that the Abstract of Audited Vouchers dated November 20, 2006, for the General Fund, totaling $37,057.60 be and hereby is approved as prepared by Treasurer Tuck.
B. Freitas Landscaping
On the motion of Trustee Comer, seconded by Mayor Maher, it was
unanimously RESOLVED that the bill submitted by Agostino
Freitas for landscaping of Baxter's Pond be approved for the sum of
$655 to be paid by the Baxter's Pond Account.
C. Small Claims Assessment Settlements
On the motion of Trustee Comer, seconded by Mayor Maher it was unanimously RESOLVED to ratify the Small Claims Assessment Settlements based on counsel recommendation for two Village properties: Lillian Passioni, 7 Sandy Hollow Lane and Martin Zausner, 1 Ridgeway Road.
D. Village as Self-Assessor
On the motion of Mayor Maher, seconded by Trustee Keenan, it was unanimously RESOLVED that the Village of Baxter Estates cease to be a Self Assessing Unit, effective as of 2007.
3. New Business
A. Snow Removal Contract
Village Clerk Whitcomb reported on the bids received on November 9, 2006 for the 2006 Snow Removal Contract.
On the motion of Trustee Comer, seconded by Trustee Keenan, it was RESOLVED to accept the bid submitted by Dejana Industries for the 2006-2009 Snow Removal Contract for a total of $104.50 an hour for plowing and spreading of sand and salt.
B. Tianderah Road
On the motion of Trustee Keenan, seconded by Trustee Comer it was unanimously RESOLVED that Tianderah Road be and hereby is closed to vehicular traffic effective immediately and continuing through April 1, 2007.
C. RESOLUTION OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES
OF THE VILLAGE OF BAXTER ESTATES
ADOPTED NOVEMBER 20, 2006
SUPPORTING APPLICATION OF TOWN OF
NORTH HEMPSTEAD FOR
NEW YORK STATE QUALITY COMMUNITIES
GRANT FOR PORT WASHINGTON PENINSULA
After discussion, upon motion duly made by Trustee Comer and seconded by Mayor Maher, it was RESOLVED, as follows:
WHEREAS, the Town of North Hempstead (the "Town"), certain Villages on the Port Washington Peninsula, including the Village of Baxter Estates (the "Villages"), the General Council of Homeowner Associations of Port Washington, the Greater Port Washington Business Improvement District, and Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington (collectively, with the Town and Villages, the "Organizational Stakeholders") conducted a process called Shared Vision: Port Washington Peninsula (the "Shared Vision Process"); and
WHEREAS, the Organizational Stakeholders thereafter formulated a certain Shared Vision Plan for the Port Washington Peninsula, dated August 2005, which outlines comprehensive goals for the Peninsula for activities within or affecting certain location-specific areas, and planning in connection with such issues as traffic, parking, development, available community services, open space, and water quality (the "Visioning Plan"); and
WHEREAS, the Visioning Plan has been formally adopted by the Town Board; and
WHEREAS, the Village by resolution adopted October 16, 2006, determined to engage in cooperative efforts with the Town and the other Villages of the Port Washington Peninsula to further the concepts and relationships contemplated under the Visioning Plan, and to consider the Visioning Plan when addressing land use projects submitted for approval to, or undertaken by, the Village and its Boards, while expressly excluding the undertaking or assumption of any financial obligations of any type or nature, any and all of which will require formal action by this Board separate and apart from this resolution; and
WHEREAS, the Town has requested that the Village resolve to commit its support to the Town's new application, under the New York State Quality Communities Grant Program, for the purpose of obtaining grant money from the State to be applied to a geographic information system project related to the Port Washington Visioning Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Town has confirmed to the Village that, although the Quality Communities Grant Program involves matching funds from the local government applicants, the Village shall have no responsibility to contribute matching funds, as all of the matching funds required in connection with the grant program will be furnished by the Town; and
WHEREAS, the grant will seek $100,000 to be used to enhance the existing Geographic Information System Environment designed to support planning projects under the Port Washington Shared Vision Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Town has asked that the Village adopt a resolution supporting the Town's application for New York State Quality Communities Grant, with the understanding that the Town will contribute the $20,000 required matching funds under the grant program.
NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby determined that:
That the Village hereby declares that it supports the application of the
Town of North Hempstead to the New York State Department of State, for a New York State Quality Communities Grant, and the Village joins in such support with the five other incorporated Villages located on the Port Washington Peninsula within the Town of North Hempstead; and
That the Mayor, the Village Clerk and such Village representatives as are designated by the Mayor be, and each of them hereby is, authorized and directed, in the name and on behalf of the Village, to execute and deliver such documents and instruments and to take such further actions as are reasonably deemed necessary or appropriate by them to more fully effectuate the purposes and intent of this resolution.
D. Christopher Prior
Attorney Christopher Prior addressed the Board regarding the four hour training requirement for the members of the Planning Board and the Board of Zoning Appeals. He will revisit the matter at the December Board Meeting.
E. Janet Demelas
Janet Demelas requested that the sign for the Village of Baxter Estates at the end of Sandy Hollow Lane and Sandy Hollow Road be relocated. Trustee Keenan said he would contact Sign-O-Rama and have the sign installed at the edge of the Village near 54 Sandy Hollow Road.
F. Bill No 5 of 2006
On the motion of Trustee Comer, seconded by Mayor Maher it was unanimously RESOLVED to review for adoption Bill No 5 of 2006 at a Public Hearing to be held on December 18, 2006.
G. Walden Proposal
Trustee Comer updated the Board on his ongoing study of the current Village housing stock inventory, being developed as an input to review and expected changes to the zoning code. A RFP was given to Walden Associates (developers of the Village's GIS system) for a program to efficiently retrieve from the GIS database many of the desired metrics (setbacks, building footprint, lot size, etc.), Village-wide. However, their bid came in at approximately $6,000, which the Board deemed was too much for our small village (nearly $200 per home). Also, the County data in the GIS database is estimated to be only 70%-80% accurate. So it was agreed the project should move forward using a sampling approach to assessing the existing housing stock.
H. Trustee Keenan-Water Runoff
Trustee Keenan reported on various water runoff issues in the Village. He stated that Village Engineer Nicholas DeSantis has requested bids on water re-mediation projects for two Village properties.
I. Additional Polling Place for School Elections
On the motion of Trustee Keenan, seconded by Mayor Maher, it was RESOLVED that a letter be sent to the Port Washington Board of Education requesting they consider adding an additional polling site for school budget and school board candidate elections.
John Maher Aye
Charles Comer Aye
Raymond Keenan Aye
Alice M. Peckelis Aye
Douglas Baldwin Nay
4. Old Business
A. Robert Keogh
The Board addressed the letter submitted to the Board by Robert Keogh regarding the Leaf Removal Contract. The Board stated that the Contract was fully executed and could not be changed.
B. Stuart Rosen
Stuart Rosen addressed the Board on the issue of existing six foot fences in the Village of Baxter Estates.
C. Village Grants
Clerk Whitcomb reported that there was no news on the two pending Village grants.
D. Raymond Keenan-North Shore Visioning
Trustee Keenan stated that the next meeting of the North Shore would be an open meeting on the subject of parking structures, to be held at Schreiber High School on December 6, 2006.
E. Douglas Baldwin
Trustee Baldwin gave his report on the Building Department for the month of October 2006.
F. Tree Report
Phil Daly, 23 Hilltop Road, was granted permission, by the recommendation to the Board of Trustees by Lance Wagner, member of the tree committee, to remove a dead tree in the backyard.
Michael Marmor, 13 Ridgeway Road, was granted permission, by the recommendation to the Board of Trustees by Lance Wagner, member of the tree committee, to remove a diseased tree.
There being no further business before the Board, on motion of Trustee Baldwin, seconded by Mayor Maher, it was unanimously RESOLVED that the meeting be and is hereby adjourned at 10:30PM.
Yvonne Whitcomb-Village Clerk
