2004-11-17 PH11/17/2004.PH
A Public Hearing was held by the Town Board of the Town of Wappinger on
November 17, 2004, at the Town Hall, 20 Middlebush Road, Wappingers
Falls, New York on the Benefit Assessment for the Fleetwood Water District,
Ardmore Water District, Central Wappinger Water District, Wappinger
Cranberry Water District, Myers Corners II Water District, North Wappinger
Water District, Oakwood Water District, Tall Trees Water District,
Wappinger Park Water District, Watch Hill Water District, Wappinger
Emergency Water Improvement Area, Central Wappinger Water
Improvement Area -99-2R, Fleetwood Sewer, Mid -Point Sewer, Rockingham
Sewer, Central Wappinger Sewer, Wildwood Sewer,Wappinger Sewer
Transmission Treatment -1, Wappinger Sewer Transmission Treatment -2,
Watch Hill Sewer, and Wappinger Sewer Transmission Treatment -3.
Supervisor Ruggiero opened the Meeting at 7:30 p.m.
Present:
Joseph Ruggiero, Supervisor
Robert Valdati, Councilman
Vincent Bettina, Councilman
Maureen McCarthy, Councilman
Joseph Paoloni, Councilman (arrived 7:40 p.m.)
Others Present:
Al Roberts, Attorney to the Town
Jay Paggi, Engineer to the Town
Absent:
Gloria J. Morse, Town Clerk
The Deputy Town Clerk offered for the record the Affidavits of Posting and
Publication duly signed and notarized. (These Affidavits are attached hereto
and made part thereof the Minutes of the Meeting).
Supervisor Ruggiero announced that tonight is the Public Hearing on the
Town of Wappinger Water & Sewer Districts. You have all been sent notices
in the mail, because several years ago there was a court case decided by the
New York State Court of appeals that we needed to notify the residents
annually when we are preparing to set the Town Budget on the Water &
Sewer Districts. The language you saw on the card was required by the law.
Unfortunately when the County processed the cards for us they sent out
multiple cards for parcels. Each parcel was only supposed to receive a single
card. This meeting is only about the annual setting of the Town Water &
Sewer Special Districts. This is the bonding that you have been paying
annually on you January bills for the entire time you have owned the home.
Up until three years ago this process would normally go on without the
notification. The Supervisor will read district by district last years charges
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and this years charges. Most of the Bonding indebtedness for the Water &
Sewer Districts is going down so the taxes for those areas will be showing a
decrease.
Fleetwood Water 2004 charge of $179.82 a year is being reduced to $171.78 in
2005.
Ardmore Water has no bond so there is no tax charge.
Central Wappinger Water 2004 charge of $32.48 is being reduced to $2.72 in
2005.
Wappinger Cranberry Water 2004 charge of $9.78 is being reduced to $9.27
in 2005.
Myers Corners II Water charge for 2004 of $628.00 is being reduced to
$513.00 in 2005.
North Wappinger Water charge for 2004 of $7.00 is being reduced to $6.87 in
2005.
Oakwood Water charge for 2004 of $150.48 is being reduced to $137.13 in
2005.
Tall Trees Water charge for 2004 of $25.31 is being reduced to $23.54 in 2005.
Wappinger Park Water charge for 2004 of $238.53 is being reduced to
$227.67 in 2005.
Watch Hill Water District has no bond so there is no tax charge.
Wappinger Emergency Water Improvement Area charge for 2004 of $9.37 is
being reduced to $9.23 in 2005.
Central Wappinger Water Improvement Area -99-2R charge of $63.43 is going
to increase to $76.75 in 2005 because this is the newest project ongoing.
Fleetwood Sewer has no bond so there is no tax charge.
Mid -Point Sewer has no bond so there is no tax charge.
Rockingham Sewer has no bond so there is no tax charge
Central Wappinger Sewer charge for 2004 of $130.90 is being reduced to
$36.38 in 2005.
Wildwood Sewer charge for 2004 of $41.93 is being reduced to $00.00 in 2005.
Wappinger Sewer Transmission Treatment -1 charge for 2004 of $248.47 is
being reduced to $195.69 in 2005.
Wappinger Sewer Transmission Treatment -2 charge for 2004 of $59.54 is
being reduced to $58.41 in 2005.
Watch Hill Sewer charge for 2004 of $48.11 is staying the same for 2005.
Wappinger Sewer Transmission Treatment -3 charge for 2004 of $487.30 is
being reduced to $458.61 in 2005.
Many of the residents wished to know why they were being assessed for
water districts they were not in. Supervisor Ruggiero explained that over
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time there have been different projects that get laid in the same geographical
area. Perhaps 30 years ago there was a project that built out some pipes and
years later we acquired the Atlas Aquifer, so you would see that at the
Wappinger Cranberry purchase. When they purchased the Aquifer they
would lay that bonding for that purchase over the same area. Your not in a
different water district. Over the years, the parcel you live on has been
subject to bonding. Another resident said he lives on Myers Corners Road
between Montfort Road and Route 376 and has been paying into the
Sewer/Water District since 1992 and has neither. He would like a time table.
Supervisor Ruggiero replied that the Town Board has spent the better part of
the summer studying the next phase of the Sewer District and they are
working on that right now. We are looking at about 4-5 years for
construction. We are now in the process of defining Sewer Area 3B, which
will be the next phase of the sewer project. When we finalize the boundaries
of that we will invite the residents in to describe the project, inform them the
cost of the project, and then we will tell you what the bonding will be, and
your annual capital tax. Engineer to the Town, Jay Paggi explained that
since 1992 residents outside the existing Sewer Districts have been paying
for Transportation Treatment No. 2. The Town sent out a very detailed
survey where we tried to get a handle on the hot spots for sewer and water.
The data was very helpful and the Town Board is now using that data to plan
the next phase. These are huge multi-million dollar projects and it is not
environmentally sound to put sewers anywhere. A resident of Cindy Lane
wished to know if she was going to be in a future sewer district. She was told
that Quiet Acres was one of the tougher areas to work on in terms of sewer,
because it does not drain to the existing sewer plant, its lower, so it would be
difficult to get at. Since the early 80's we have been precluded by the state
on expanding that sewer plant. A resident who lives between All Angels Hill
Road and Sherwood Heights does not want to be part of the water district
from Sherwood Heights, because she has her own well. Jay Paggi explained
the only district that she is in is on the corner of Sherwood Heights and All
Angels Hill Road, is the Wappinger Sewer Transportation II sewer district.
Eventually she will receive sewer, and she is paying for the large diameter
Trunk line that was constructed many years ago. One Resident wished to
know if people who have access to water and sewer, but don't hook in, are
they still going to pay for it? Supervisor Ruggiero explained that the one
thing everyone is paying for is the oversized transmission pipe. When your
street gets the sewer lateral there is going to be a second tax. There were
some question in regard to the water that would be provided at the
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11/17/2004.PH
Meadowood Subdivision and how they would be charged.. Jay Paggi went
on to explain the rates that would be charged for that development. One
resident wished to know, once the pipe is placed on your street, do you have
to hook in? Supervisor Ruggiero said if your septic system is still performing
then you are under no mandate to tie in at that time. However, you will be
paying a quarterly operation and maintenance charge until you hook into the
system. and then you will pay a quarterly charge also. One of the residents
on All Angels Hill Road said that after hearing all this, she might not want to
be hooked into Town Water & Sewer because of the added expense.
Supervisor Ruggiero explained that is why we sent out a survey several
months ago. It tells us if there is a high failure rate of septic and water
systems that need addressing. There is a process that must be followed
before we can formulate a district. If the State Comptroller's Office feels the
costs will be a burden to the tax payer, they will kill it, and we can not go
forward. It happened in the late 80's when it was scraped and we had to
start over. One of the residents wished to know how long the bonds were for.
Supervisor Ruggiero answered 20 years. Mary Schmalz of Edgehill Drive
stated that if the benefit assessment charges are going down, why is our tax
bill going up 8%. We are the smallest town in area in all of Dutchess County
with the second largest population. Isn't it time this town should put a
moratorium on residential building? Supervisor Ruggiero answered that we
are undergoing a Master Plan review of the town. We have not done anything
to trigger more development. We have taken some laws off the books which
would have triggered high density development. We have passed the net
area use law which states only the most developed areas of a parcel counts
for the number of homes that can be place on a parcel. We are not on a
constitutional ground yet to declare a moratorium like some of the other
communities, because they are the fastest growing communities. Our
majority of growth in this town occurred in the 70's and 80's. It's the towns
around us that have seen the most impact. In regard to the 8% proposed tax
increase, 3 1/z% of that tax increase was due to the shift in the assessment
rolls from commercial property to residential property. It's a 60/40 ratio due
to the explosion of housing costs. The town also got hit hard by the State of
New York when it mandated the pension fund contribution by the town went
from 4% of total payroll to 11% in one year. We also got hit a 60% increase in
highway salt. It went from $27 a ton to $42 a ton. Insurance went up as well
as oil. Overall spending of the budget is only up 3%, but it produces an 8%
number. A home assessed for $100,000 will pay $20 more in town taxes. He
and the Board worked very hard to pare down the budget. The Cranberry
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property was also discussed and Supervisor Ruggiero announced that
residents have expressed interest in the town purchasing the property to stop
development and make it a park, but it must be voted on by Special
Referendum. Mr. Stein of Little Road wished to know what happens when
all of the Bonds are paid off? Supervisor Ruggiero replied, once the bonds are
paid off you will only be paying for quarterly operating and maintenance
charges. One of the residents wished to know if there were any plans for the
next sewer projects. Mr. Paggi replied that the detailed plans are not drawn
until the selector districts are approved by the Town Board and the State
Comptrollers Office.
There were no further questions or comments.
At this time, 8:45 p.m. Councilman Paoloni moved to go into Executive
Session to discuss Union Negotiations, seconded by Councilwoman McCarthy
and unanimously carried.
The meeting reconvened at 9:20 p.m. with all board members in attendance.
There was no action taken in Executive Session.
Councilman Bettina move to adjourn this Public Hearing to Time and Date
Certain, November 18, 2004 at 8:00 p.m. to consider the adoption of the 2005
Budget.
—1,4-t.w cv /A'x4a�
Florence Hannon
Deputy Town Clerk
5
TOWN BOARD: TOWN OF WAPPINGER
DUTCHESS COUNTY: NEW YORK
IN THE MATTER
CAIN
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON THE
BENEFIT ASSESSMENT ROLLS FOR
SPECIAL IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS
AND SPECIAL IMPROVEMENT AREAS
STATE OF NEW YORK )
) ss:
COUNTY OF DUTCHESS )
FLORENCE HANNON, being duly sworn deposed and says:
That she is the duly elected, qualified acting Town Clerk of the Town of Wappinger,
County of Dutchess and State of New York.
That on November 5, 2004, your deponent posted a copy of the attached notice of Public
Hearing on The Benefit assessment Rolls for Special Improvement Districts and Special
Improvement Areas on the signboard maintained by your deponent in her office in the
Town Hall of the Town of Wappinger, 20 Middlebush Road, Wappingers Falls, Dutchess
County, New York.
FLORENCE HANNON
Deputy Town Clerk
'own of Wappinger
Sworn to before me the
MARIA GILBRIDE
day o ,2004 Notary Pvblic, State of New York
Reg. No. OIG15087374
Qualified in CutchPss County
Commission Expires Nov. 3, rz'}pb<—
OTARY LIC
SOUTHERN DUTCHESS NEWS
BEACON FREE PRESS
84 EAST MAIN STREET
WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY 12590
Af'F 1 4--1�%-0 1 t C> -F Ru.b 1 1 4 -cat l C "
To: WAPPINGERS FALLS, TOWN
P.O. BOX 324
WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY 12590
Re: Legal notice #65592
State of NEW YORK )
If SS
County of DUTCHESS )
I, TINA HEATH, being duly sworn, depose and
say: that I am the BOOKKEEPER of Southern
Dutchess News, a weekly newspaper of general
circulation published in WAPPINGERS FALLS,
County of DUTCHESS, State of NEW YORK; and
that a notice, of which the annexed is a
printed copy, was duly published in Southern
Dutchess News once on 11/10/04.
Sworn to before me this lith day of November, 2004
ALBERT M OSTEN
Notary Public, State of NEW YORK
No. 14-8240760
Qualified in DUTCHESS County
hly commission expires on June 15, 2007
RECEjvEV)
NOV 17 20
TOWN CLERK
poug sie Journal
Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
AFFIDAVIT OF PUBLICATION
State of New York
County of Dutchess
City of Poughkeepsie
Rita Lombardi , of the City of Poughkeepsie,
Dutchess County, New York, being duly sworn, says that at
the several times hereinafter mentioned she was and still is
the Principal Clerk of the Poughkeepsie Newspapers Division
of Gannett Satellite Information Network, Inc., publisher of
the POUGHKEEPSIE JOURNAL, a newspaper printed and
published every day in the year 2004 in the city of
Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, New York, and that the
annexed NOTICE was duly published in the said newspaper
for one;_ @ fr;6t?Pssively, in each week, commencing
on the 8 th day of
November
2004 and on the following dates
thereafter, namely on:
And ending on the day of
2 04 ,both days inclusive.
r
Subscnb ands rn to before me this
daY o V2004
is
?S661 ission expires //44�
Nov 15'200 y