WAYS AND MEANS Monday, April 29, 2013 10:00 am
William Ferebee – Chairman Thomas Scozzafava – Vice-Chairman
Chairman Ferebee called this Ways and Means Committee Meeting to Order at 10:00 a.m., with a salute to the flag. Upon roll-call, the following Supervisors were found in attendance: Margaret Bartley, Dave Blades, Sharon Boisen, George Canon, Dan Connell, Randy Douglas, Bill Ferebee, Charles Harrington, Mike Marnell, Ron Moore, Jerry Morrow, Roby Politi, Tom Scozzafava and Charlie Whitson. Debra Malaney and Randy Preston had been previously excused. Ed Hatch and were absent. Sue Montgomery-Corey was absent for the roll call – arrived at 10:05 a.m.
Department Heads present were: Linda Beers, Michael Diskin, Nancy Dougal, Monica Feeley, Judy Garrison, Don Jaquish, Tony LaVigne, Charli Lewis, Mike Mascarenas and Dan Palmer. Dan Manning had been previously excused.
Also present were: Michael Blaise, Bob Leveille, Mac McDavitt, Pat Ray and Brad Heart - NYS Deferred Compensation.
News Media present were: Chris Morris, Adirondack Enterprise, Keith Lobdell-Denton Publications and Lohr McKinstry-Press Republican.
FEREBEE: I will call the meeting to order. Please stand for the pledge allegiance to our flag. Good morning we have no scheduled guests so we will move right into resolutions please.
RESOLUTIONS RECOMMENDED BY THE HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE Monday, April 8, 2013
1. Resolution authorizing the appointment of Dean Chapman, MD and Anthony Lombardi, MD as a Director of Community Services’ Designee Physicians in accordance with NYS Mental Hygiene Law. BLADES, SCOZZAFAVA.
2. Resolution proclaiming the Month of May, 2013 as Older Americans Month. CONNELL, UNAMIOUS.
RESOLUTIONS RECOMMENDED BY THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE Monday, April 8, 2013
1. Resolution accepting and placing on the file the 2012 Weights and Measures Annual Report. CONNELL, POLITI
2. Resolution of Appreciation to Brad Jaques for his years of service to Essex County as Deputy Fire Coordinator. POLITI, UNAMIOUS Ways and Means Monday, April 29, 2013 2
3. Resolution accepting the quotation from Federal Engineering, Inc., for construction management services in the amount of $138,488.00, for the Public Safety Radio System. MORROW, CANON
FEREBEE: Comments or questions?
SCOZZAFAVA: That is a fixed amount I’m assuming right?
PALMER: Actually contained within their contract is the time and materials and that’s based upon an estimate of what they believe the construction services will take if and fact it goes over that one thirty-eight we’ll have to come back to you.
SCOZZAFAVA: I see the four eighty-eight so I’m just assuming that you know, instead of being a round number.
PALMER: Yeah, basically though they based it upon a per hour rate, they based it upon time and material within the contract and that per hour rate is defined within the contract.
SCOZZAFAVA: Okay thank you.
BOISEN: Yes, I’m curious and I have asked this before when we’ve hired engineers. We have a contract rate with an engineering firm and when we decide to not use them I imagine it’s less cost effective so what’s the reason for that?
PALMER: We are using them. I mean what we built into the Federal Engineering contract is construction management services and we hadn’t decide whether we were going to use Federal Engineering or whether we were going to go out for another engineering firm and do it. Ultimately we decided that the background information that Federal Engineering had it only made sense to continue with them the catch up time for somebody else would have been so great in this kind of a project it didn’t really make sense.
BOISEN: So the contract that we have with AES Engineering would be for different work?
PALMER: Yes. AES Engineering is our standby contract engineering services for both buildings and grounds and DPW and those areas but Federal Engineering, this is really a construction management service which was defined within the Federal Engineering contract originally and we had a right to exercise that based upon that contract.
BOISEN: Okay and that began years ago I know. Ok, thank you.
FEREBEE: Any other questions? If not, all in favor, opposed – carries.
4. Resolution authorizing to hire a Probation Officer Trainee, Grade 11, at a salary of $18.30/ hour in the Probation Department. BLADES, MOORE
5. Resolution authoring the execution of account changes with respect to accounts held by the Probation Department with Champlain National Bank and changing the authorized signatures and adding Juliann T. Beatty to the bank signature cards. Ways and Means Monday, April 29, 2013 3
POLITI, WHITSON
6. Resolution in support of changing the hours for establishments that sell alcohol from 4:00 am to 3:00 am, and rescinding the law that States Liquor stores in Essex County need to be closed from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm on Good Friday. POLITI, MOORE – OPPOSED, CANON, MARNELL.
FEREBEE: Comments or questions?
SCOZZAFAVA: I see Mack is here. It’s my understanding that there will still be a public hearing correct that the Liquor Authority will hold?
McDAVITT: Yes they will hold one in Essex County.
SCOZZAFAVA: Thank you.
CANON: Yes I’m going to vote against this. My local establishment, we only have one is not in favor of this so I’m going to support my establishment.
DOUGLAS: I’m going to support it because my two establishments that I talked to are okay with the one hour change but what I would really like to do is in a separate resolution lobby the State to give you special events. I know the editorial in the Press Republican special events, you can get a special events license for different hours you can get a special events license but for the hours increase is only for New Year’s Eve you can’t do it any other time. So at some point I might bring that up, not to do anything with this resolution just at some point.
FEREBEE: Any further comments or questions?
MARNELL: I’m not going to support this because Warren County hasn’t made up their mind what they are going to do and with Schroon Lake being so close to the Warren county line I think we should be on the same level.
FEREBEE: Any further comments or questions?
BARTLEY: I polled my establishments and they all close at two or earlier so they have no problem with this. I do agree with special events, not just New Year’s Eve but like we have Etown Day weekend where we have concerts and fireworks late into the night I would agree with you on that, that would be a good exception.
DOUGLAS: Thank you.
MORROW: I have a problem with waiting for Warren County because they may not do anything but if we’re talking about counties that joined us – Franklin County is 3:00 but we are not asking to go to 2:00 like Clinton County does. Clinton County is 2:00 they are right above our border here so we’re compromising for 3:00 so I think I’d like to see this continue at 3:00.
FEREBEE: Any further comments or questions? If not, all in favor, opposed – Mr. Canon and Mr. Marnell. Thank you. Ways and Means Monday, April 29, 2013 4
RESOLUTIONS RECOMMENDED BY THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Monday, April 8, 2013
1. Resolution authorizing the county purchasing agent to go out to bid or RFP and award for survey and abstract services for the FEMA buyout properties with all costs to be reimbursed through FEMA funding. DOUGLAS, FEREBEE.
RESOLUTIONS RECOMMENDED BY THE DPW COMMITTEE Monday, April 15, 2013
1. Resolution authorizing the issuance of a permit allowing the use of county roadways for the Wilmington/Whiteface 100k mountain bike race in the Towns of Wilmington, Keene, Elizabethtown and Lewis. POLITI, BARTLEY
2. Resolution authorizing a sole source purchase from Southworth Milton Incorporated, the sole source vendor for Essex County for replacement parts and warranty service on Caterpillar equipment; in the amount of $7,462.62 from budgeted funds. MORROW, MARNELL AND CANON
FEREBEE: Comments or questions?
MONTGOMERY-COREY: I just have a question how are we clear that this is a sole source situation? Are there other vendors?
PALMER: Tony is here. He can answer that better than I.
LAVIGNE: We do diligently look for other sources, particularly Caterpillar has district dealer service areas no other Caterpillar agency will deal with us for parts and service in that area.
MONTGOMERY-COREY: Okay great thank you.
FEREBEE: Any further comments or questions? All in favor, opposed –carries.
3. Resolution authorizing a sole source purchase from Winter Equipment Company Inc., for patented snowplow replacement blades in the amount of $7,139.98 from budgeted funds. MORROW, MOORE.
FEREBEE: Comments or questions?
MONTGOMERY-COREY: And this is the same sort of situation?
PALMER: I believe it is but we can ask Tony. Ways and Means Monday, April 29, 2013 5
LAVIGNE: Yes we have gone to these blades because they have longer wear and they are a patented blade these replacement blades are part of the system that we use we actually get longer life with our snowplow blades.
MONTGOMERY-COREY: Alright thanks.
FEREBEE: Any other comments, questions for Tony?
POLITI: Maybe on the next resolution so he might as well stay up there.
FEREBEE: All in favor, opposed –carried.
4. Resolution authorizing the purchasing agent to go out to bid to lease or replace trash compactors and roll off containers in the department of public works in an amount not to exceed $100,000.00, with such funds coming from the equipment reserve fund account. BARTLEY, MORROW - AS AMENDED POLITI, MOORE.
FEREBEE: Comments or questions?
BARTLEY: I’m just wondering how many do we get for $100,000.00?
LAVIGNE: I think the last time I estimated was at budget time. $80,000 for one of the larger compactors and I think it is around $55,000 or $60,000 for a smaller compactor. I’d like to start with Lake Placid’s compactors because they get the most use and show the most wear and the rest of the money – basically I will get one compactor and the rest of the money I will buy roll offs with.
SCOZZAFAVA: I had a discussion with Linda on Thursday or Friday I can’t remember, Dan wasn’t available but I’d like to move an amendment on this to look at the possibility of lease or buy because on some of these roll offs we may be further ahead leasing them then laying out the $100,000. I’m not sure about the compactor itself. I’m not saying that we are not going to purchase but I think we ought to look at an option also because there are companies out there that also lease this equipment for the lifespan that we have the equipment we may actually save some money by leasing.
FEREBEE: You are offering that amendment Tom?
SCOZZAFAVA: Yes.
FEREBEE: Second on that? Mr. Politi and Mr. Moore. All in favor, opposed – carried. Now the resolution as amended – Mr. Politi, second by Mr. Moore. All in favor, opposed – carried.
RESOLUTIONS RECOMMEDED BY THE PERSONNEL COMMITTEE Monday, April 15, 2013
1. Resolution in support of Warren County’s proposed Local Law no. 9 of 2011, in relation to preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species. MONTGOMERY- COREY, BARTLEY. Ways and Means Monday, April 29, 2013 6
FEREBEE: Comments or questions?
SCOZZAFAVA: I’m not familiar with – I’m sure it was probably emailed to me somewhere along the line but does anybody know just a snapshot of what we are supporting here? Local Law #9 of 2011?
CANON: I think Ms. Malaney indicated that as part of this they are going to put a boat wash in Ticonderoga and that’s basically all I know about it.
PALMER: Basically Warren County has passed a local law that has provided for in particular, they have actually covered all of their lakes within Warren County but they are concentrating obviously on Lake George and part of this does provide for enforcement within Warren County through the Sheriff’s Department or State Police to be able to issue tickets to somebody that doesn’t compile with the local law.
SCOZZAFAVA: So there’s no financial commitment from Essex County in regards to this?
PALMER: No.
SCOZZAFAVA: Thank you.
FEREBEE: Any other comments or questions? If none, all in favor, opposed –carries.
2. Resolution authorizing the Essex County Chairman and/or County Manager to enter into a contract with Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) for autopsy services for a one-year period. CANON, BLADES
3. Resolution adopting a home rule request for the en action and adoption by the New York State Assembly of New York State Assembly Bill 6548 and for the en action and adoption of New York State Senate Bill s4531 authorizing the County of Essex to impose an additional 1% rate of sales and compensating use taxes for the period beginning December 1, 2013 and ending November 30, 2015. POLITI, DOUGLAS.
FEREBEE: Comments or questions?
CANON: I think it ought to be made clear that is ¼ of 1% is it not?
PALMER: Right we have to apply every year for our ¾ so we’re really asking for one additional quarter above the ¾.
SCOZZAFAVA: Right and not an additional one.
FEREBEE: Any other comments or questions?
BARTLEY: Is it supposed to be inaction or enaction? I think it’s en to enact. Ways and Means Monday, April 29, 2013 7
PALMER: You’re the school teacher. BARTLEY: I think inaction is not doing something and en is to enact so I don’t think it should be in it should be en.
GARRISON: Okay.
FEREBEE: Any further comments or questions? If not, all in favor, opposed –carries.
4. TABLED - Resolution authorizing the Essex County Purchasing Agent to solicit quotes and/or bids for title searching for the tax sale. BLADES, BOISEN – TABLED, SCOZZZAFAVA, POLITI
SCOZZAFAVA: I originally I believe moved this and after doing some more research on this and talking with the County Clerk’s office and also with Mr. Blades who is the Chairman of the budget committee, I think it’s best at this point that we table this because it’s an expenditure that we may not necessarily need to do. We’re still gathering more information but it looks like the problem actually may not be in the title searching of the way that it is currently being handling so with that new information I will move to table.
FEREBEE: All in favor, opposed – carried.
FINANCE/TAX REDUCTION/MANDATE RELIEF COMMITTEE Monday, April 15, 2013
1. Resolution authorizing the County Chairman and/or County Manager to enter into an agreement with the New York State Deferred Compensation Plan. DOUGLAS, CANON.
FEREBEE: We do have today Mr. Bradley Heart and Pat Ray from the New York State Deferred Compensation Plan here be there any questions.
DOUGLAS: I would move to give them the courtesy of the floor and explain their program a little bit.
RAY: Hi everybody my name is Pat Ray I work with the New York State Deferred Comp. Plan. This is Brad Heart he’s the local representative for Essex and Franklin and Clinton County. I see a lot of familiar faces out here I’ve worked with several of you as supervisors for the towns. So you may be somewhat familiar with our program and that the deferred compensation plan is the employees supplemental retirement plan. In New York State you have the option of creating your own plan or joining the State Plan as a municipality. We’ve met over the last couple of weeks with representatives from the Finance Committee or the Purchasing committee and Personnel and talked to them about adopting the NYS plan as your deferred comp option. So currently you have the Essex County plan and what we are talking about is adopting a resolution to move the Essex County in under the NYS umbrella for the NYS Deferred Comp Plan. We have about fifteen hundred municipalities currently with the plan towns, villages, counties, school districts across the State that participate. Some of the benefits for the employers are pre due share responsibility currently with your Essex County plan the county has a pre due share responsibility when you go into the State plan the State board that controls Ways and Means Monday, April 29, 2013 8 the deferred comp plan assumes the pre due share responsibility so you get to let go of that as a county. There is an audit requirement that’s an expense to the county the audit is done at the State level, with the State plan so you get to let go of that responsibility and the expense. Investment review an annual review of the investment options, the county will no longer have to conduct an annual review of investment options, easy administration around loans and unperceivable emergencies when we met with folks from the payroll there are several things they are doing now currently that under the way that we administer the plan at the State level there will be less work involved for them and then finally the RFP requirements so every five years you are required to go out to RFP for deferred comp services, that’s at the expense of the county, with the State program if you adopt the State program the RFP requirement is no longer there that’s because the RFP’s are conducted again at the State level. You get the kind of purchasing power of the entire State plan going out to RFP for those level of services. For the employees again, the benefit that we’ve talked about with your representatives are fees, there are significantly lower fees to be involved with the State Program on the employee level generally because the State operates this program as a non for profit public benefit. Services we have Brad who’s an account executive as opposed to having your employees the opportunity to meet with somebody maybe every six months. We can get Brad out here as much as once a month or more as needed so that your folks have an opportunity to review their accounts and get the services they need to make sure they are getting what they want out of the program. We also have a customized help line located in Albany to answer any questions, website all of those services around administration that you’re familiar with currently and lastly investment options so we do conduct an annual review of investment options again, in addition to the lower participation fees our investment options typically have lower fees associated with them and then also a result of the annual review and placement of investment options when necessary typically a higher return as well. So we are here today to I guess to discuss the idea, put forth the idea of adopting the New York State Deferred Comp Plan and what that would mean is in the future you would not have a program with Nationwide and the Hartford you would have the New York State Plan as your deferred compensation option.
SCOZZAFAVA: What are your fees?
RAY: The fees?
SCOZZAFAVA: What do you base your fees on?
RAY: The fees at a participant level so there is no cost to the employee?
SCOZZAFAVA: Right.
RAY: At the participant level it’s $20.00 annually they take $10.00 in April and $10.00 in October and then if you have an account balance greater than $20,000 between $20,000 and $200,000 they assess a 4.5 basis point annual fee so that’s $4.50 for every $10,000 in the plan.
SCOZZAFAVA: That fee structure is lower you’re saying than what is currently charged?
RAY: Yeah the typical plan, for a plan your size they’re typically expensive for an outside provider like the Hartford or another provider it would be around 70 basis points somewhere between 50 and 70.
SCOZZAFAVA: Thank you. Ways and Means Monday, April 29, 2013 9
PALMER: Again, Mike and Monica and Linda reviewed this with them and right now we were carrying two and I really think that was part of a detriment to the investment because really you are separating the pool and it just made sense to go to the New York State side and make sure we are achieving the highest return based upon that so it’s certainly our recommendation to proceed that way.
DOUGLAS: I have had a relationship with Patrick Ray and NYS Deferred Compensation Plan and its been tremendous anytime there’s a need or any issue and there is very minimal issues that arise, they are right there, one phone call and they are right on top of it so I support this wholeheartedly.
BARTLEY: A couple questions, one is I noticed this has to do with investments does it also include the other kind of deferred comp like flexible medical spending or some of those items?
RAY: No this is strictly the 457 supplemental retirement plan.
PALMER: We have a contract with the Preferred Group for those Section 125 investments.
BARTLEY: Okay and since we are all sensitive to budget, is this going to actually reduce our costs?
PALMER: The County doesn’t have a cost on this.
BARTLEY: Right what I’m saying is we have people doing you know labor, we have people like you said in the payroll office there will be things that they don’t have to do?
PALMER: It wouldn’t make enough difference to lay somebody off.
BARTLEY: Also is this State plan available to towns as well?
RAY: Yes it is. Elizabethtown actually offers this program. Any other questions?
SCOZZAFAVA: The administrator will be the County Treasurer I’m assuming? Doesn’t Mike administer the plan now? You would be the administrator of the plan correct? As you are now?
DISKIN: Yes I would be the administrator through New York State.
RAY: We would be the administrator of the plan you would be what we call a participating employer in the plan.
SCOZZAFAVA: Right but he would be the liaison I would think.
PALMER: Mike is the contact person for the deferred comp program.
SCOZZAFAVA: Thank you.
FEREBEE: All in favor, opposed – carries.
SCOZZAFAVA: I have one more question now I mean we have got employees enrolled in the two other plans currently right? We do? Ways and Means Monday, April 29, 2013 10
PALMER: Yes.
SCOZZZAFAVA: So if we go with your plan which we have already done at least through this committee, what happens to the employees that are in the other plans? Do they have to abandon that and go to this plan or no they can stay where they are?
RAY: They convert over into the State plan. Their accounts are converted from the Harford and from Nationwide into the State plan.
SCOZZAFAVA: So there is no choice for them they have to convert over?
PALMER: Their only choice would be if they chose to do it individually.
SCOZZAFAVA: Right, okay thank you.
FEREBEE: Thank you.
2. Resolution reappointing James Hermann to the Essex County Ethics Board. CONNELL, CANON
3. Resolution authorizing the Purchasing Agent to award a 180’ Sabre Model Self- Supporting Tower for Belfry Mountain to Allstate Tower in the amount of $76,515.00, with such funds to come from the radio bond. MORROW, MARNELL
FEREBEE: Comments or questions?
SCOZZAFAVA: Is that a Frankinpine or no?
PALMER: No that’s a regular tower. We’re able to replace that one based upon what was previously there so we didn’t have to get into any Frankinpines. There are no Frankinpines within the radio system.
SCOZZAFAVA: And I hope there is no Bicknells up there.
PALMER: Right.
FEREBEE: Any other comments or questions? If not all in favor, opposed – carried.
MISCELLANEOUS
1. Resolution authorizing the Public Health Department to extend the Creating Healthy Places Grant through March 31, 2015. BLADES, MOORE Ways and Means Monday, April 29, 2013 11
2. Resolution authorizing the Public Health Department to fill a vacant position in the WIC department. BLADES, CONNELL
3. Resolution authorizing the DPW a sole source purchase from Raymond, Corp., for replacement batteries for the electric fork-lift at the landfill in the amount of $6,145.00 from budgeted funds. MORROW, BOISEN
MONTGOMERY-COREY: Is this another one of those things where there is a franchise in a particular area, like the earlier one?
PALMER: Again, I apologize Sue I wasn’t here last week so I didn’t get a chance to talk to Tony about these but Tony come on up.
MONTGOMERY-COREY: And I have been advised that he should probably stay up for the next one.
LAVIGNE: These particular batteries came with the forklift that we originally purchased when we built the Murph Building and I believe we purchased it somewhere around 1990. These batteries only fit this particular model and there is only one supplier that we could find it’s actually the largest supplier in the world I think of batteries. We could find no other supplier.
FEREBEE: Any other questions? If not, all in favor, opposed –carried.
4. Resolution authorizing the DPW a sole source purchase from Java Farm Supply, for repairs and parts for the Challenger Tractor in the amount of $3,443.34 from budgeted funds. MORROW, HARRINGTON
FEREBEE: Comments or questions?
SCOZZAFAVA: Yeah this is the fourth sole supplier purchase today. What’s the story on this one?
LAVIGNE: It’s in our purchase policy that I should get board approval for sole source purchases.
SCOZZAFAVA: So this part here we need, this is the only supplier that can give us that part?
LAVIGNE: It’s the only, they actually did service on the tractor. It was computer components that were bad and they are the only certified repair service within the reasonable area where the mileage didn’t put them over the top on it so. In fact they are the only tractor service outfit that would work on this particular type of tractor. We got it off State contract that’s why it’s an odd amount.
MARNELL: Did Southworth Milton give them up?
LAVIGNE: Well they referred us to this particular company as a certified service person for that.
MARNELL: They did sell and service them. Ways and Means Monday, April 29, 2013 12
LAVIGNE: Right they did but they no longer do that. That’s who we went to before.
FEREBEE: Any further comment or questions on this? If not, all in favor, opposed –carried.
5. Resolution urging New York State to support Senate Bill S.336 and House Bill H.R.684; the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013. MOORE, BARTLEY.
FEREBEE: Comments or questions?
BARTLEY: I have been reading a lot about this Market place Fairness Act and I’m not totally familiar with it but it sounds like if it does take effect the States are going to have to kind of streamline their tax rates. We can’t have all these county tax rates which is going to change the whole dynamic of how we are trying to get that extra quarter of percent. I think they are going to have to standardize on something Statewide in order for this to be effective. That will be interesting because I don’t know what they would standardize on?
DOUGLAS: It looks like Federally it’s going to make it through the Senate but it doesn’t look like it’s going to make it through the Congress right now but Margaret is right on with some of this. I think that might be some of the issues of how they are going to make this work in each individual State without having some regularity across the nation.
PALMER: I’ve got to tell you though, I don’t necessarily agree with that I can’t believe that you can’t have a computer program that would pick whatever county and whatever State and pull the right income tax it’s a simple excel table. I mean let’s not get complicated about this, you know.
DOUGLAS: I agree. Let’s wait till Mr. Diskin becomes President out there in Texas this summer and we’ll have all of this fixed. Right Mike?
CONNELL: I was listening to a discussion on this on public radio last week and they were saying there is a very simple solution to this problem with the different sales taxes, use zip codes. You zip code with the computerization of what we have today, every zip code knows what the sales tax is and it can be done that way so some of this is smoke and mirrors I think and not pass it.
DOUGLAS: I was joking but seriously any ideas that you may have please get them to Mr. Diskin so he can fight this for us in Texas, in Fortworth in July because I think if it doesn’t pass now it’s something that Mike will keep working on on our behalf.
FEREBEE: Any further comments or questions? If not, all in favor, opposed – carried. Resolutions from the floor.
BARTLEY: I have one resolution and I’m not sure if the other one needs to even be a resolution but I’ll check. The first is I am the liaison to the nursing home. Thank you Mr. Douglas. We have a little issue at the nursing home involving reimbursement on travel vouchers. We had two nurses who had to go to required training that was paid for and they did their required training over a period of I believe it was eight weeks. I have their voucher. They didn’t submit the voucher until the training was complete and it crossed over into the following month so we just Ways and Means Monday, April 29, 2013 13 need a resolution to pay them for the travel they did for this required course even though it bridged from one month to the next.
FEREBEE: Brenda did kick that out only because what it calls for.
DOUGLAS: Right it needs a resolution. I will move that.
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT FOR TWO HORACE NYE HOME EMPLOYEES. This was offered by Mr. Douglas, seconded by Ms. Bartley.
FEREBEE: Comments or questions? All in favor, opposed – carried.
BARTLEY: The other thing I wanted to mention that I’m the Chairman of the subcommittee on Transportation and we had a guest speaker last week and we made a motion out of that subcommittee to move forward with applying for a grant that would not cost the county any money. We would provide in kind services and Mike Mascarenas gratefully offered to do that, for applying for a grant for a mobility plan so that we can start coordinating all the various bus and transportation systems not just the bus that we normally use but other forms of transportation so we can become more efficient. The guest from Oswego County did a mobility plan and they ended up saving a million and a half dollars once they started coordinating all of their transportation into one major organization.
FEREBEE: That is again a grant with no cost to the county?
BARTLEY: Right. Right now it’s only in kind would be the match.
FEREBEE: Are you offering that as a resolution?
BARTLEY: Yes I’m offering that as a resolution.
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CHAIRMAN AND/OR COUNTY MANAGER TO APPLY FOR AND ACCEPT 5311 GRANT FUNDS FOR THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $200,000 TO PERFORM TRANSPORTATION NEEDS ASSESSMENT. This was offered by Ms. Bartley, seconded by Mr. Blades
FEREBEE: Comments or questions?
MONTGOMERY-COREY: I attended that presentation and I was really impressed by the work that’s being done in Oswego County and especially because it sounds from what they were saying that they figured out through the collaboration that goes on in the county to better serve the underserved areas and as somebody who lives in an underserved area I think it would be a really good thing.
FEREBEE: Thank you. Any further comments? If not, all in favor, opposed – carried.
SCOZZAFAVA: I’d like to move a resolution of appreciation to Jack Waldron of Port Henry, NY who is retiring as Essex County Deputy Fire Coordinator after serving this county for 41 years. Ways and Means Monday, April 29, 2013 14
RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION TO JACK WALDRON FOR HIS YEARS OF SERVICE AS ESSEX COUNTY DEPUTY FIRE COORDINATOR. This was offered by Mr. Scozzafava, unanimous second.
DOUGLAS: I have two Mr. Chairman. One I would like to do a congratulations resolution to Steven Carder of North Country Community College. This past year he became the all-time leading scorer and rebounder and earned another accolade recently when he was selected as the National Junior College Athletic Association First Team All American.
RESOLUTION OF CONGRATULATIONS TO STEVEN CARDER OF NORTH COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR BECOMING THE ALL-TIME LEADING SCORER AND REBOUNDER AND BEING SELECTED AS THE NATIONAL JUNIOR COLLEGE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION FIRST TEAM ALL AMERICAN. This was offered by Mr. Douglas, unanimous second.
DOUGLAS: The second one is this just came to me Friday, Friday afternoon from Clinton County. Legislator Bulter and County Planning Director and County Administrator, Deputy Administrator Rodney Brown to my understanding is New York State wants to close their Workers Compensation Hearing office in Plattsburgh and it would be a hardship on the residents of Clinton and some of Essex County and the only one they want to remain open in our area I believe is Saranac Lake and it would be a hardship for Clinton County residents. Clinton County has asked us to support them in their endeavor to lobby the State to keep that hearing office open. I’m sure that Mr. Morrow and my people use it. I’m not sure if anybody else but I don’t have all the information. The attachment of the actual resolution did not print out. Dina was just trying to do it but it is just an email that I received from them and I did receive a phone call from Mr. Butler.
GARRISON: Excuse me Randy. I did copy that resolution and place it on all the desks.
DOUGLAS: You did? I’m sorry.
FEREBEE: Yes we do have a copy of that.
RESOLUTION OPPOSING RELOCATION OF PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK WORKERS’ COMPENSATION BOARD HEARING SITE. This was offered by Mr. Douglas, seconded by Ms. Bartley and Mr. Morrow.
FEREBEE: Comments or questions?
BARTLEY: I was surprised when I read that because you kind of think a place like Plattsburgh and Clinton County is going to be more used than Saranac Lake and certainly getting to Saranac Lake. I know where it is in Saranac Lake I’ve been there in the middle of winter with a constituent so I would think that would be about as out of the way as they could put it so keeping it open in Clinton County makes more sense.
FEREBEE: Any other comments or questions?
DOUGLAS: We are not advocating to close the Saranac Lake office either let’s make that clear. We just want to make sure that the other end of the county is taken care of that’s all. Ways and Means Monday, April 29, 2013 15
As you know Mr. Tyrell, Steven Tyrell finally was approved as the President of North Country Community College. He will actually be here next week Tom and I had a recent conversation with him. Mr. Politi and Mr. Ferebee attended his inauguration and we are very fortunate to have such a dedicated leader at North Country Community College as Steven Tyrell. I think we are going to have a great working relationship continuing with North Country Community College with this body so I’d like to move that.
RESOLUTION OF CONGRATULATIONS TO STEVE TYRELL ON BEING NAMED PRESIDENT OF NORTH COUNTRY COMMUNITY COLLEGE. This was offered by Mr. Douglas, seconded by Mr. Politi and Mr. Harrington.
FEREBEE: Anything else from the floor?
MORROW: I have two of them. The first one is from the DPW Highway division increase of revenues $530.00 for the sale of scrape and that money will be put in appropriations for traffic materials.
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A BUDGET AMENDMENT IN THE DPW HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT TO INCREASE REVENUES AND APPROPRIATIONS BY $530.00, FOR TRAFFIC MATERIALS. This was offered by Mr. Morrow, seconded by Mr. Scozzafava.
FEREBEE: Comments or questions? All in favor, opposed – carries.
MORROW: The second one is from Emergency Services it’s a homeland security Federal Aid Grant for $111,718.00. I think everybody’s got a copy of it. It’s for the compressor for Air 1 for Westport backup generator with the wiring and design for the 911 center and fit test machine for the fire department and HAZMAT team and a prime mover. If we have any questions Don is here.
RESOLUTION AUTHRORING A BUDGET AMENDMENT IN THE EMERGENCY SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO INCREASE REVENEUS AND APPROPRIATIONS BY $111,718.00, CARRYOVER HOMELAND SECURITY FEDERAL AID GRANT. This was offered by Mr. Morrow, seconded by Mr. Connell.
FEREBEE: Comments or questions?
MORROW: Actually if I may add this has to be, this was already given us or dedicated to us and it has to be spent by I think July or we’ll lose it.
PALMER: Yes this is a carryover of a grant of a previous year because the fiscal years are different between the Federal Government and us we have to do a carryover resolution.
FEREBEE: Any further comments or questions? If not, all in favor, opposed – carried. Further resolutions from the floor.
SCOZZAFAVA: I see this on my desk and I want to ask Dan is this needed for the transformer today? This resolution? PALMER: Yeah we do need one for the authorization and purchase of the installation of a transformer at the Horace Nye Home in the estimated amount of $50,000 and to authorize a bid Ways and Means Monday, April 29, 2013 16 and award. You had previously, resolution #62 you authorized us to go out to bid but we didn’t get the award part in there. We do have the estimate, the engineers estimate now and we’re fairly confident that this is the correct amount. This amount will have to come out of the contingent account we don’t have any money anywhere else at this point it probably could be paid back with the sale money but at this point it needs to come out of contingent.
SCOZZAFAVA: I’ll move that.
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASING AGENT TO BID AND AWARD THE PURCHASE AND INSTALLATION OF A TRANSFORMER FOR THE HORACE NYE NURSING HOME, IN AN ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF $50,000 WITH SUCH FUNDS TO COME FROM CONTINGENCY. This was offered by Mr. Scozzafava, seconded by Mr. Blades.
FEREBEE: Any other comments or questions? If not all in favor, opposed – carried. Any further from the floor?
POLITI: No I don’t have another resolution. Does anybody have a resolution? Mr. Chairman I would like to stray from the normal little bit and offer the courtesy of the floor if possible to Mr. LaVigne to speak to this body just briefly, for informational purposes about the Town of North Elba’s hazardous waste day event that some of you may want to participate in and at the same time I would like to, it’s my pleasure to recognize one of my very, very favorite employees Shannon Porter who runs my transfer station and recycling program. Come on up Shannon. Shannon brokers all of my recycling materials and so forth so if any of you have any questions we have a very financially sound program and if you have any questions in regard to recycling Shannon can answer them for you.
LAVIGNE: At DPW we did have a discussion on household hazardous waste and I’ve been approached by several supervisors to have another one. We use to have them in 2009 that was the last time we had one. I do have $20,000 in the budget for a household hazardous waste day. I believe I asked for $30,000 but we cut it $10,000. The last one we had I think we spent $22,000. Some of the questions that came up at DPW were transportation from the outline towns to the facility where we would package it and send it. So I did contact DEC and see if there was any way that towns could do that and this is his comments. I will read it from what they had sent me. My question to DEC was - can a town collect household hazardous waste at the transfer site on the scheduled event day from individual households and then transport it to the main collection point? For example the Town of Newcomb collects waste on the daily event and transports it to Elizabethtown using town equipment and personnel. His answer to that question is, the collection site needs to be manned by personnel familiar with hazardous waste classification and with the ability to properly segregate waste based on their physical and chemical properties once collected, the material has to be properly labeled, packaged per DOT hazard class and manifested prepared before it can be transported. The main reason for all this to ensure that household hazardous waste items that are reactive with each other are properly segregated and to ensure that ignitable materials like solvents are packaged safe for transport. We find that very few towns have someone available with the expertise to do this which is why they use household hazardous waste contractors like North Elba does. The second question to them from me was, is there any way a town can legally transport household hazardous waste? His answer to that is they need to be a NYS DEC Part 364 Waste Transporter Permit and have the capability of meeting DOT transport requirements. Again, as Ways and Means Monday, April 29, 2013 17 stated in item one they likely need the assistance of someone familiar with preparing household hazardous waste materials for transport. The other one I just wanted to confirm that there was a 50% grant application so I asked them if there was any kind of grant monies available and they said, yes there is a 50% cost reimbursement grant available and he gave me the website to go to to get that grant information. Also what I did bring up at the DPW meeting was I had recommended two sites there was some interest of having multiple sites. The contractor would have to man all those sites with some personnel and we would also have to have some of our personnel there and since it would probably be on a Saturday it would be all overtime so there is some other additional costs to the county. Volume from previous you had asked how much volume did we do the last time – our records, it’s hard to trace the volume because it’s all packaged together and then shipped out. I don’t have that information from our last, the way that information was collected it wasn’t categorized so that I could separate the number of users and cars as opposed to the amount of waste that went out however the Town of North Elba has done it for the last three years and does have that information again they do three towns in their area Wilmington, North Elba and Keene. Shannon just this morning told me they had on the average around $100 of household hazardous waste per individual on the average. Again, as far as cost goes I have $20,000 in the budget. I had asked for $60,000 I’m doubling the amount that North Elba spent last year which was $30,000 approximately assuming that I have one more site I will double that amount and from there I guess I’m open to questions.
BARTLEY: I understand about the transporting of volatile stuff but I guess that doesn’t apply to the citizens bringing it to the site in their truck?
DOUGLAS: I was thinking the same thing.
PORTER: When you have a municipality and everything goes in drums it’s the safest way to transport.
BARTLEY: But you are emptying it into them.
PORTER: The Company does it themselves. They know what is flammable what’s ignitable, you know something that is going to explode so they will put it in certain drums and if you’re bringing it in in the containers that it’s in it’s safer that way. If a municipality did it they don’t know what they are mixing so if they get something that might overspill into another you could have a huge problem.
BARTLEY: So one of the things that people have to know is it has to be in the original marked container?
PORTER: Yes I have been doing this for the last eight years and I’ve never had a problem and I tell everyone, I get a lot of phone calls and I tell them to leave it in the original containers if it’s unmarked leave the way it is we’ll figure it out when it gets there. CANON: So if I had somebody from Newcomb who was concerned enough about their hazardous waste to go to North Elba is there a charge by the Town of North Elba to them for their disposal? Ways and Means Monday, April 29, 2013 18
LAVIGNE: No there is no charge this is basically free of charge the whole idea here is to entice people to bring their household hazardous waste and to properly dispose of it. What’s happening to most of it it’s going into the landfills or being dumped along the side of the roads.
CANON: And I suspect that is what is probably going to happen.
PORTER: The only way that they can charge if it’s just the towns doing it. If the county is doing it then it’s included in the bill.
CANON: I would love to have the town do it but from what you just said they aren’t going to be doing it period.
FEREBEE: I think last year Shannon it was $7,000?
PORTER: $7560.00
FEREBEE: Thank you. You remember that number well don’t you?
PORTER: The more participants we get the number will go down. What I do is, last year we actually had Ticonderoga people show up because they saw it in the paper but what I would generally do is stand there and physically take a number count on vehicles from each town so by the time we are done we have a breakdown of how many are coming from each town.
SCOZZAFAVA: Where would the second site be Tony?
LAVIGNE: Well I was thinking of Lewis because I have facilities there. I mean we can try as I look at the map I can say – Lewis being the highway facility not at the landfill. It doesn’t necessarily need to be at a landfill site it has to be a site that meets the requirements, you have to have black top that is self-contained. I could probably have another site in another location if that bores opportunity to something more centrally located in the southern end possibly North Hudson or Schroon or someplace like that.
SCOZZAFAVA: If the towns individually collected this and we had the drums 55 gallon drums.
PORTER: You would still have to have someone that is certified in handling that material.
SCOZZAFAVA: I don’t understand why DEC wouldn’t provide more incentives and make it easier for people to get rid of this stuff so it doesn’t end up in landfills or the side of the road or in the compactors or so on. I think Ms. Bartley had a good point you know, I can load my pickup truck full of everything in the cellar and bring it to the transfer station not having a clue of what I’m doing with any of it or what can mix together and what can’t but yet – I don’t know it doesn’t make sense.
PALMER: Again it would seem like from the town if they in fact they were keeping it in the original container why would it be any more of an issue for the towns?
SCOZZAFAVA: That’s what I’m saying paint cans or cleaners.
POLITI: Well many people are socially responsible but in your case it’s understandable. Ways and Means Monday, April 29, 2013 19
SCOZZAFAVA: I think that North Elba is the perfect location to get rid of our toxic waste.
FEREBEE: Any constructive comments?
LAVIGNE: Along those lines hazardous waste generally is considered as a household item that you buy off the shelf say as a can of bug spray as long as it’s in its original container under the EPA laws it’s not hazardous waste and when you dispose of it and it’s collected under a certain volume it then becomes hazardous waste or as collected at the landfill and then it becomes hazardous waste. So as the individual and this is just a quirk in the rules like you said, you can carry a ton of the stuff in the back of your pickup truck all in the original containers and be legal but once you deposit it at a site where it’s being collected it becomes hazardous waste.
FEREBEE: So if this program were to go through with the county’s support there would be no charge to any of the towns?
LAVIGNE: Correct. We use to do them before in Lewis and that was the way we did it before there was no charge to the towns however you chose to have a fee that’s entirely up to the board.
PORTER: And there is a 50% reimbursement and they do more than one collection in a year the permit allows you five collection days.
FEREBEE: Does that mean I get 50% of what paid you last time?
PORTER: 50% for each collection day.
FEREBEE: Any other comments or questions for Shannon or Tony?
MOORE: I think this is an important thing that we should provide to our people but I’m still not clear what do you estimate if we went ahead with this and let’s just say you did in Lewis and North Elba the two locations what would the county’s expense be as you would estimate it?
LAVIGNE: I’m estimating that it would be double of what North Elba’s expenses were last year. It would be $60,000.
MOORE: But we would be reimbursed 50% of that?
LAVIGNE: Correct so your total expense once the reimbursement is received would be $30,000.
FEREBEE: And we only have $20,000.
MARNELL: Yes I’d like to congratulate Shannon. I was up at her office and saw the operation she’s in. I’ve been up there three times and I was wondering, would you like to work for Essex County?
POLITI: Be careful.
MARNELL: She’s done a very good job and wish we could all follow in her footsteps. Ways and Means Monday, April 29, 2013 20
PORTER: Thank you.
FEREBEE: You do a great job. Any other comments or questions for Shannon or Tony?
LAVIGNE: I guess my next question would be where do you want me to go with this in the future? Do you want me to pursue a household hazardous waste day? That is kind of what I’m looking for.
FEREBEE: First you only have $20,000 budgeted we would have to look at where we would get the rest and how many towns would like to be interested in the program? I know I would be if it’s a county program.
PORTER: Whether the county does or not I would push for the towns to do it and will put out that any town can jump on with me but it will be at a cost to them.
FEREBEE: Tony what would you like a resolution to move forward? What would you like us to do? What is the feeling? Do we want to move forward?
DOUGLAS: You are going to have to take the money from contingency right?
PALMER: Yeah you would have to take basically $40,000 additional out of contingency and then at some point you would get the revenue back.
DOUGLAS: I’ll move that and I do have further discussion if someone wants to second it.
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE DPW TO PERFORM A HAZARDOUS WASTE DAY WITHIN ESSEX COUNTY AT A COST OF $40,000.00, WITH 50% REIMBURSEABLE GRANT, WITH SUCH FUNDS TO BE TAKEN FROM CONTINGENCY. This was offered by Mr. Douglas, seconded by Mr. Scozzafava.
FEREBEE: Discussion?
DOUGLAS: Tom brought up a good point and I am going to have a meeting. I ate lunch with Bob Stegemann the other day from the DEC and I will talk to him about our concerns about this. We do bring up some good concerns. Maybe the DEC needs to be more involved with this and we can ask them for their help and their input and I would think maybe even if they had an area right at their Ray Brook office where people had stuff they could bring it there on a continuing basis so let me reach out to him and just see if there is anything that the DEC can do with us in the future on this but I do think if we don’t do this it’s going to end up on the side of the road or wherever so I think it’s a good thing to do. I know it’s trying financial times but I think it’s a good investment and I will speak to the DEC about this.
MARNELL: Tony what is the biggest source or the problem with the hazardous waste? They will take oil, you can recycle wherever you buy oil, batteries you can turn them in and get paid for them, paint thinners – what do you find the most of?
PORTER: We find most of anti-freeze, oils from trucks; gasoline old gas from out of tanks, paint is a huge issue. It’s not so much the latex paint the latex paints people don’t realize if you open up the lid and let it harden it’s no longer hazardous and then it can be thrown out but if it’s in a liquid form it is but people for some reason have full cans of it. The paint thinners, pesticides, Ways and Means Monday, April 29, 2013 21 your herbicides there is a whole list of things but the majority of stuff we get is paint, oils, gas and antifreeze. We did allow our program to do light bulbs and batteries each year its changed a little bit now that I’m doing a full service recycling everything is recyclable where we are so I eliminated light bulbs and batteries, electronics stuff like that. The only time I will take asbestos if there is a charge to the home owner. That stuff is extremely hazardous so it has to be double bagged and we do charge homeowners for that so there is reason why we don’t take that as well.
FEREBEE: Any further comments or questions? If not all in favor, opposed – carried. Any further resolutions from the floor?
DOUGLAS: Not resolutions I just have a couple comments. I just want to give an update on a couple things and Don can assist me with this. Don and I had that meeting the other day with ORDA and numerous phone calls with the APA, and DEC, the commissioner’s office, and Mr. Palmer, numerous people involved with this. We are well aware of the Bicknell Thrush problem and we are well aware of the National Audubon’s Society’s concerns and Adirondack Council’s concerns. We feel that we have worked diligently with the APA and DEC who have assisted us, the Governor’s office and coming to some sort of compromise. We met with the contractor the other day and how we can move forward with this project and making it fit into this construction season without having an adverse effect on the Bicknell Thrush. I have to credit the DEC and APA and the Governor’s Office and Don’s office and everybody involved with this because we came to a compromise that I think will work. The plan at this point and as you know the mating season for the Bicknell Thrush is May 15 to August 1. Our contractor right now there is a lot of snow up there and ORDA was moving hopefully this week the old ski patrol building. They were meeting with the contractor on Friday at the site. The plan is for our contractor hopefully all this warm weather will melt all that snow up there; the contractor will get up there and start doing the work. In two days in June the very beginning of June NYS DEC will send their Biologist up there to do a two day study from 4:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. to see if there is any activities of the Bicknell Thrush. I’ve offered Mr. Scozzafava’s services to go up there at that time too. If there is activity they are going to evaluate whether it is close enough to where we are doing the construction site. If it’s not then it won’t have an adverse effect on them. If it is an area that might be close by we are looking for quiet hours and quiet hours would be roughly from 6:30 in the morning to 10:00 a.m. without power tools and excavators and those sorts of things. With that said, the contractor had to reach out to the Department of Labor to switch the working hours from 3:30 because of the rules and regulations of union wages and all those sort of things so we are in the process of doing that, the contractor is doing that. Everybody knows the rules now I think the end result everybody is going to be happy including the Bicknell Thrush and Tom. Did I get everything Don? It’s been a long process but I can’t thank the APA and DEC enough and the Governor’s office they got heavily, heavily involved in this and some of this I will take blame for for not relying diligently enough our concerns. I really didn’t think it was going to come down to this but after we had our meeting you know, where there were concerns about us having to expend funds to do this study I really think that all of us at the table conference calls and the help of the Governor’s office it’s a win, win for everybody and I think everybody is going to be happy in the end. That’s how Government is supposed to work recognizing everybody’s issues with this thing. I don’t blame the environmentalist or the conservationist or anybody that had concerns but we had to find a way to get this through this construction season and I believe we have accomplished that and it did take a little bit of work.
FEREBEE: Is there an ending date? I mean did they put a day on when that has to be done, when they have to be done with that? July 1 or July 15? Ways and Means Monday, April 29, 2013 22
DOUGLAS: I don’t know the answer to that. Dan do you? When the contractor’s date is?
PALMER: He needs at least three months for completion.
FEREBEE: We met with the APA last week and they were really hoping that it would be done by early in July.
PALMER: Truthfully it will take him about three months to complete it. The big issue for him of course is to get the shell up and closed in and some temporary heat in there. The problem with the August start date is that really doesn’t leave enough time on the mountain for that three month schedule.
DOUGLAS: The plan is to get it before the APA in May and then have the approval in June. We have approval to be up there right now and we are and that’s the plan that it won’t affect us in the long run that we’ll be able to have this completed this construction season.
FEREBEE: Thanks Randy you did a great job and Don as well.
DOUGLAS: I have one more issue. Not an issue it’s a good thing with the help of Senator Schumer and Governor Cuomo and numerous other people as you know we went to Washington and voiced our concerns of the 61 billion dollar funds that were going to be awarded for Sandy victims that it was kind of leave out, not kind of it was leaving out Irene victims for some of those funds for on met needs that we had from the disaster. Happy to say, and a surprise to me because we didn’t have good feelings when we left Washington that this was going to happen but I’m happy to say that I got a call from the Governor’s office on Thursday night to be down there Friday. At first I said I can’t go Friday I have too many other meetings, they said you will be here so I went, I did what I was told but it was a good thing. A couple things happened out of that we are included in the Sandy package now plus our property acquisition buyout program that Mr. Mascarenas and Dan Palmer have been working on diligently on this on our behalf over forty homes substantial and non-substantial and phase 2 of this will end up with the other 25% usually it’s 75% of appraised value pre flood and now with the assistance here from CDBG HUD Program this will cover the other 25%. I also found out that our area Essex County, Jay, Keene is going to be awarded another 3 million dollars for prevention of future floods, future disasters. I gave Mike the website the other day to get all the criteria off that. I can’t thank the Governor’s office enough for being so diligently and Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, Congressman Owens, Congressman Gibson and Congressman King to help us along with our State representatives making this happen because this is something – what does it mean Mike 1.5 million just for the buyouts? 1.5 million So it was a wonderful day in Albany for a change so I just wanted to relate that and it’s a good thing for our property owners that have been flooded numerous times. Thank you.
FEREBEE: Randy also I think, I know we went to Washington we had a discussion with Senator Schumer about the refunds to the folks who went out and re elevated their home without applying for the grant first and I know Senator Schumer was on that. Was there discussion there about that?
DOUGLAS: Yes there was in particular I brought those two homeowners in Keene up Bill and I think and I can’t verify this yet but it is something that they are working on that we can cover those two homes. Under the FEMA rules before an award was made and if you took it in your own hands and elevated your home and paid for that out of your own pocket you would not be reimbursed so I talked with Mr. Ferebee the other day and told him to talk to his property owners make sure that they have all their receipts and all that. It is something that we are working on. Ways and Means Monday, April 29, 2013 23
I’m trying to clarify that and I will do that this week and hopefully I think through this CDBG program that it will happen Bill but I just don’t want to guarantee it. It is something that might happen.
FEREBEE: I know we addressed it a number of times with FEMA and with the Senator twice and it just didn’t seem fair to those two constituents who chose to move forward with their live, re elevate their home and get back to their homes, they were penalized because they moved forward before they applied for reimbursement. It was a big unfair type of rule but we are going to keep fighting on this.
DOUGLAS: I also found out when I was down there Bill and I wasn’t aware of this and Mike I don’t know if you were either but you know how we kept reaching out for additional funding for flood walls and those sort of things, the Army Corp. of Engineers has a 500 million dollar grant to assist in areas that are heavily prone to flooding and it’s something that I think we better look at Mike and Bill that might assist us. 500 million dollars they’ve done numerous studies at the Army Corp. of Engineers on the Ausable River, Boquet River all these studies but they’ve never had the funds to do something with it now there is 500 million dollars that was awarded federally and I wasn’t aware of that but it’s something that we need to talk about and that we can assist us in trying to get a piece of that pie.
FEREBEE: Good. Thanks Randy. Anything else? Any further comments or questions to come before this committee? Again I just would like to thank Pat and Bradley for coming and doing their presentation. Thank you very much. If we have no other business we stand adjourned.
As there was no further business to come before this Regular Board meeting it was adjourned at 11:12 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Judy Garrison, Clerk Board of Supervisors