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1988-11-21 SPM325 A Special Meeting of the Town Board of the Town of Wappinger was held by the Town Board of the Town of Wappinger on November 21, 1988, at the Town Hall, Middlebush Road, Town of Wappinger, Dutchess County, • New York. Supervisor Paino opened the meeting at 7:30 P.M. Present: Irene Paino, Supervisor Vincent Farina, Councilman David Reis, Councilman Constance Smith, Councilwoman Robert Valdati, Councilman Elaine H. Snowden, Town Clerk This meeting was set at the November 17, 1988 meeting for the purpose of adopting the Preliminary Budget for 1989, adopting the Benefit Assessment Roll for the Tall Trees Water Improvement Area and consideration of the request from the Recreation Commission for the purchase of a pick-up truck. MRS. PAINO moved to adopt the Preliminary Budget for 1989 for the Town of Wappinger. Seconded by: Mr. Reis Roll Call Vote: 3 Ayes Mrs. Smith ---Nay, Mr. Valdati---Nays Prior to the vote Mrs. Paino referred to Mr. Valdati's previous request at their work shop to put money in either the A Fund or the B Fund for a trash pickup which would encompass the Village residents. The opinion of the Attorney was that they could not legally set money aside in these funds to include the Village since the A Fund would include the whole Town and that would mean they would be taxed for Village pickup and if it was in the B Fund, that would be solely the Town outside the Village. A discussion followed with various suggestions as to how to handle this situation, but even if the Village did the pickup and disposed of it at our dumpsters at Castle Point, this would run into the problem of the whole Village using it and would be too costly for the Town. Mr. Valdati asked if the pickup they planned in the Spring of 1989 for those areas that have not been serviced this Fall, encompass the districts in the Village. Mr. Valdati also suggested placing dumpsters at the Highway Department for the Village residents which would give them relief and provide them some service for their tax dollars. It was determined that this could not be done for just the Village and actually they did get the 326 benefit of using the dumpsters at Castle Point for four to five weeks, so this was a service being provided to them. Mrs. Paino pointed out that this was the case for 1988, but not so for 1989 as this money was put in the B Fund, excluding the Village. If they wanted to include them, monies would have -to be put in the A Fund; Mr. Farina added that this would means a significant rise in taxes for the Village if they were to raise the amount and at this point there would be no increase to them. It was agreed that this would not be feasible and the monies for pickup would remain as is. Mrs. Smith wished to take out the raises for the Attorney and the Engineer. She did not feel the $20,000 raise was necessary; when he runs out of the other line items he can come to the Board and ask for a transfer and in this way they will have hold on it. She was concerned over the figures already paid out this year. Mrs. Paino replied that she would be very leary about taking these amounts out of the budget as they will be negotiating with Tri -Municipal and the Attorney has guided them with the Master Plan and they will need his services for the Zoning Ordinance. There was concern expressed by both Mrs. Smith and Mr. Valdati that these line items were high and in their opinion, not required. The residents will be hit with an increase in County taxes as well as Town taxes. Mr. Farina commented that voting Nay on this Budget has no impact on the Budget because if it was defeated, it would have been the same Budget as was passed since it is the Preliminary Budget. He shared the concerns of the two Councilpeople that 18.8% increase is significant. The residents have made it clear that they wanted a place to go with bulk trash items and this is a significant part of the increase in this budget and the Town will not have the benefit of the mortgage tax they previously had for two years and now represents a $200,000 shortfall in the revenue for next year, plus the $100,000 item for bulk trash; this adds up to $300,000 which has to be raised by taxes -- thus the significant increase. Mr. Valdati wished to add his comments, noting that the County had taken measures to cut their budget, cutting services and non -contractual expenses; he felt the Town should have taken a closer look at some of the increases in salaries that appeared to be out of line, also at contingencies and he felt the budget could have been cut $50,000 to $100,000 with a very careful eye on spending. 327 The next item for the Board's consideration was the purchase of a dump truck, or rather a pickup truck, as clarified by Mr. Holt Chairman of the Recreation Commission. Mr. Reis noted that the money was available to them since the monies allotted for the Senior Citizen Director was taken out of Consortium Funds, however he did not submit any figures to the Town Board regarding the cost of this truck. It was Mr. Reis's recommendation that the Commission be allowed to purchase the truck at a cost not to exceed the the amount available in unexpended funds from the Senior Citizen line item. MR. REIS moved to grant permission to the Recreation Commission to go to bid on'the purchase of a pickup truck,cost not to exceed the unexpended funds available to them. Seconded by Mrs. Paino Motion Unanimously Carried The adjourned Public Hearing on the Benefit Assessment Roll for the Tall Trees Water Improvement Area was held on the 17th of November, 1988 and the matter was now placed before them for their consideration. At that time Mr. Farina had questions on the figures presented and reported that these had been clarified. The original Benefit Assessment proposed was $334.66, as presented by the Comptroller; after taking another look at them when Mr. Farina asked for clarification, the Assessment figure was $310.58. Mr. Farina explained that after trucking water to the residents and recharging two wells, there was a shortfall in the budget of $21,231.00 for 1988. This has to be financed until taxes are collected in February, estimated by the Comptroller for 183 days @ 7% interest ---$258.92 per unit plus $51.66 previously bond, still current, amounts to $310.58. The amount of $258.92 will be paid off in 1989; the continuing indebtedness will be the $51.66. The following resolution was offered by COUNCILMAN FARINA who moved its adoption: WHEREAS, the Town Assessor did prepare at the direction of the Town Board, the Assessment Roll for the Tall Trees Water Improvement Area, for the assessment to be levied in 1989, and WHEREAS, said Assessment Roll was filed with the Town Clerk of the Town of Wappinger, and WHEREAS, she thereafter gave notice by posting upon the bulletin board of the Town and in the newspaper published within the Town of the time and place when the Town Board would conduct a hearing and hear objections upon or to said roll, and 328 WHEREAS, the Town Board of the Town of Wappinger did meet on the 7th day of November, 1988 and adjourn said hearing to the 17th day of November, 1988, to reconsider and hear further objections to said roll, and WHEREAS, it was determined that the expenses would be allocated to different categories and the Comptroller would be directed to alter the Benefit Assessment for each unit to an amount not to exceed the original amount, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Assessment Roll of Tall Trees Water Improvement Area, for taxes to be collected in 1989, be approved, ratified and confirmed and adopted, and the Supervisor and Town Clerk are hereby authorized and directed to execute the warrant for collection of said taxes in the manner prescribed by Law. Seconded by: Councilman Valdati Roll Call Vote: 5 Ayes 0 Nays There was no other business to come before the Board. MR. FARINA moved to close the Special Meeting, seconded by Mr. Reis and unanimously carried. The Special Meeting closed at 8:00 P C7.7' Elaine H. Snowden Town Clerk Spl. Mtg. 11/21/88