NOVEMBER 10, 2010                                              

     A regular meeting of the Jewett Town Board was held on Wednesday, November 10, 2010.  Supervisor Carol Muth called the meeting to order at 7 P.M.  Present were Board members Steve Jacobs, Michael McCrary, Jim Pellitteri and William Trach, Superintendent of Highways Robert Mallory, Attorney for the Town Tal G. Rappleyea, town residents Werner & Helga Pscherer, David Kessler, Mike Boyle William Mead, Janet Nicholls, Dan Emel, Michelle Yost of Greene County Soil and Water, newspaper reporter Mike Ryan and the town clerk.

     Councilman Pellitteri was sworn in by the town clerk as a Town Board member prior to the meeting.

     The Public Hearing on the 2010 preliminary budget was opened at 7:01 P.M. on a motion by Councilman McCrary, 2nd by Councilman Pellitteri and carried.
     Comments from the public:
     Mike Boyle asked if only $20,000 was being set aside for a reassessment?
     Supervisor Muth said, “We put $20,000 away last year and the same amount this year and we will put the same amount away next year.   We’re going to have to do a revaluation at some point and the best way to go about it is to put money aside gradually.”
     William Mead took exception to pay raises for town officials.  “I don’t think the taxpayers should be picking up the tab for these salary increases.”
     David Kessler said he “was in agreement with some of what Mr. Mead said.  What measures have we taken to try to keep the budget increase within a reasonable amount?”  
     Mr. Kessler was asked what he would suggest.
     Mr. Kessler “Contributions to health care.”  He was told that this is already being done.
     Mr. Kessler “Shared services.”  He was told that the Town has been sharing services for the past thirty years.
     The Public Hearing was closed at 7:34 P.M on a motion by Councilman McCrary, 2nd by Councilman Pellitteri and carried.
     Councilman McCrary made a motion, 2nd by Councilman Jacobs and carried to adopt the 2010 preliminary budget as the 2011 annual budget.
ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye Muth, Jacobs, McCrary, Pellitteri and Trach.

     The Public Hearing on Local Law #7 of 2010 entitled “Regulating the Licensing of Dogs” was opened at 7:35 P.M. on a motion by Councilman McCrary, 2nd by Councilman Jacobs and carried.
     There were no comments from the public.
     The Public Hearing was closed at 7:36 P.M on a motion by Councilman McCrary, 2nd by Councilman Pellitteri and carried.
     Councilman McCrary made a motion, 2nd by Councilman Jacobs and carried to adopt Local Law #7 of 2010.
     ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye Muth, Jacobs, McCrary, Pellitteri and Trach.
     Copies of the law are available in the Town Clerk’s office during business hours. 

     Councilman McCrary made a motion, 2nd by Councilman Jacobs and carried to accept the minutes of the October 13, 2010 regular meeting.

    The Supervisor’s October financial report was given to the Board prior to the meeting and bank statements were reviewed by the Board.

     Michelle Yost of Greene County Soil and Water, gave a presentation on the Watershed Assistance Program Stream management Plan regarding Jewett and ongoing projects.  Councilman McCrary is Jewett’s advisory committee person. 

     Councilman McCrary made a motion, 2nd by Councilman Trach and carried to accept the Building Inspector’s monthly report.

     Councilman McCrary made a motion, 2nd by Councilman Pellitteri and carried to accept the Zoning Officer’s monthly report.

     Councilman Jacobs made a motion, 2nd by Councilman McCrary and carried to appoint Daniel Emel to fill the vacancy of Janet Nicholls on the Planning Board.  His term will expire on 12/31/2013.  Attorney Rappleyea swore in Mr. Emel.

     Councilman McCrary made a motion, 2nd by Councilman Jacobs and carried to explore the voluntary benefits offered by AFLAC.   

     Councilman McCrary made a motion, 2nd by Councilman Jacobs and carried to put the town insurance out to bid.

     Councilman McCrary reported on the emerald ash bore.  He said that over the next several years we will probably lose all of our ash trees.
     Councilman Pellitteri suggested the town be pro active and take an inventory of all ash trees that might be on town roads right of ways.  We can keep watch and take down a tree before it would fall onto the highway.               
 
      Councilman McCrary made a motion, 2nd by Councilman Jacobs and carried to grant the planning Board permission to cancel a meeting if there is no business and proper notification has been given.

     Bills were audited by all Board members prior to the meeting and ordered paid.  The general fund was $17,812.57 on abstract #11, claim numbers 263 to 283.  The highway fund was $30,908.51 on abstract #11, claim numbers 167 to 184.

     Councilman Jacobs made a motion, 2nd by Councilman Pellitteri and carried to accept the September financial report.

     Councilman Jacobs made a motion, 2nd by Councilman McCrary and carried to adjourn at 9:38P.M.

                                                                                           _______________________________
                                                                                                Patricia Merwin, Town Clerk/RMC
 

TOWN OF JEWETT
PLANNING BOARD
MINUTES
NOVEMBER 4, 2010

Agenda Item 1: The meeting was called to order at 7:12 pm with a quorum.

Roll Call:         Chair: Donna Bernard
Members: Gene Beers, Joan Kutcher, and Marianne Romito

Agenda Item 2: Approval of Minutes for October 7, 2010.

Mrs. Kutcher made the motion to accept the minutes as corrected. Mr. Beers seconded the motion, which carried.

Agenda Item 3: Larry Gardner for re-signing of maps for Boundary Line Adjustment for Charles & Denise Sangee and Carmine Iannace & Rita Gylyes for properties located at 5533 Route 23C and 5539 Route 23C respectively, Jewett, NY 12444; Tax Map Nos. 110.00-6-49 and 110.0-6-34, respectively. District: Rural Residential.

The time frame on the first signing of the approved maps had elapsed because when Larry Vanucchi dropped them off at Mr. Gardner's office, he said the owners would be calling. The owners waited eighteen months to call Mr. Gardner to move forward on this. Ms. Bernard said that this problem has an easy solution, and re-signed the maps for Mr. Gardner beneath Mrs. Kutcher's signature from when she had been Acting Chair.

Agenda Item 4: Report from Greene County Planning Board Representative Gene Beers.

Mr. Beers said that the Greene County Planning Board had not much to discuss this month.

Agenda Item 5: Other Business

Ms. Bernard said that she had received an email from Mike McCrary concerning a solar panel and wind power hybrid that fits on a roof top and is probably more cost effective for the average home owner than a wind turbine might be. This hybrid will not impact the one hundred foot regulation under Jewett's wind power law. Mrs. Kutcher reminded the Planning Board that some of the rooftop windmills discussed last year caused structural problems, and Ms. Bernard replied that she had mentioned the hybrid as an example of developing technology and affordability.
 
            The training seminar in Cairo was very well done, Ms. Bernard felt, and certain questions arose in connection to a point raised by Mrs. Kutcher on bio-diversity that will strengthen Jewett's ability to focus better on the short form EAF. The case of Brittny Estates aside, with the down turn of the economy the Planning Board is seeing more Minor Subdivisions in accord with land sales to the DEP. Some of these cases have been in regard to people who have inherited land. The Jewett Planning Board has practiced due diligence regarding wetlands and proximity to streams.

Ms. Bernard passed around the short form EAF for review, and said that one problem is that the Planning Board does not get to do enough of these. The short form EAF does address slopes, the environment, and endangered species.
Mrs. Kutcher said they learned during the class that the state had overturned the ruling of a local Planning Board because there had not been due diligence on the environmental impact issue. That PB had used a relatively vague letter from a local nature conservancy to support the development of an area that was not thoroughly researched nor visited by the members of that PB. Mr. Beers noted that the Jewett PB has often been noted for visiting sites under application. Mrs. Kutcher wondered if Planning Boards had the authority to call in wildlife experts under certain situations and said that the only endangered species she is aware of as an expert gardener are hemlocks, fir trees, muskroot, and the Bikrael, a high elevation bird. Jewett's avoidance of development along the ridgelines would be protective of that bird.

Ms. Bernard shared the maps she had printed from the Greene County Mountaintop Mapping service and commented that the Planning Board has this information whenever it needs to review a SEQRA. Mr. Beers said that those areas pre-defined are mostly state owned: the Arboretum and Colgate Lake are protective of hemlock and firs. Mrs. Kutcher and Mr. Beers discussed small ecosystems. If the PB is presented with an application for a minor subdivision, it is not likely to call in a wildlife expert, but it needs to remain aware of endangered species. Ms. Bernard pointed out that the Sketch Plan Review stage of an application is the time to review all of these questions. That way all potential problems are mitigated before they become major problems and the PB can continue to educate the applicants who appear before it.

Mr. Beers recalled that in the 1970s and 1980s it was common to sell parcels over five (5) acres, but that these days people are trying to subdivide those parcels into two and a half (2.5) acre parcels. He prefers to see parcels remaining larger. The larger applications for development are trying to capitalize on the ridgeline views; these are more sensitive to handling by Planning Boards.
Mrs. Kutcher commented that all major subdivisions will need careful review of water availability. The Sheepskin Hills airport project that came before the Planning Board a few years ago is one such example. Although the owners did not go forward with it, the plan called for two hundred homes to go in each with its own individual airport for owners to park their private planes. Ms. Bernard pointed out the water table research done by KEA; all of this is information that can be tested and shown as evidence. Much of the work is done for us and evident on the maps she found. Flood plain information is already on the Jewett web site on the first page within the index of the Jewett Comprehensive Plan which can be downloaded from the site in pdf format. Mr. Beers added another resource when he said that the Schoharie Basin Stream Study included the East Kill. It is a specific study of endangered species along the stream and Michelle Yost has a link to it on her web site. Mr. Beers said that he was amazed at the details provided and that the East Kill runs from East Jewett toward Jewett, so that about half of the Town of Jewett is covered in the study which was done about two years ago.

Ms. Bernard affirmed the Planning Board can practically apply all of this. She has received an email from the Summit she attends every January wondering if the PB wanted anything special on the agenda. Ms. Bernard said she requested information on the short form EAF. A regional approach is what will be presented and she advocates a CAC (Conservation Advisory Council) for the mountaintop area since no one in the PB is environmentally trained except for Mrs. Kutcher. She said this was a useful tool when she served on a Putnam County Planning Board a few years ago.
A workshop will be held at CGCC for a minor cost of $10 on how to conduct our local board.
Mr. Beers had been examining Ms. Bernard's maps and noted that an archeological site exists on the Brittny Estates application: the old baseball field.
Ms. Bernard passed around a couple of informative books she said she will now carry around on conserving our natural assets and wildlife in human communities.

            The motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Mr. Beers, seconded by Mrs. Romito, and carried among all present. The meeting adjourned at 8:25 pm. Ms. Bernard will discuss with Mrs. Muth whether the Planning Board should hold the December 2, 2010 meeting if nothing comes up to be discussed on the agenda.

Respectfully,

Susan Laubmeier, Clerk

_____________________________
Donna Bernard, Chair