Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors of Chenango
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PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CHENANGO COUNTY 2007 Monthly and Annual Sessions 2007 of the Board of Supervisors of Chenango County New York RICHARD B. DECKER Chairman – NORTH NORWICH, N.Y. RC WOODFORD Clerk, Oxford, N.Y. 2006-2007 Chenango County Board of Supervisors Seated, from left: Richard W. Breslin (County Attorney), Alton B. Doyle (Guilford), Richard B. Decker (North Norwich, Chairman), James J. McNeil (City of Norwich Wards 1,2,3), Harry W. Conley (Sherburne), Barbara Elliot (Journal Clerk), Linda E. Natoli (City of Norwich Wards 4,5,6). Standing, from left: George G. Coates (Columbus), Richard Schlag (German), Robert D. Briggs (Afton), Jack T. Cook (Greene), Ross P. Ianello (New Berlin), Wayne C. Outwater (Lincklaen), Homer D. Smith (McDonough), RC Woodford (Clerk of the Board), Peter C. Flanagan (back, Preston), David C. Law (front, Norwich), Dennis Brown (Pharsalia), Janice O’Shea (Coventry), Lawrence N. Wilcox (Oxford), David J. Messineo (Otselic), Jeffrey B. Blanchard (Pitcher), James B. Bays (Smyrna), Rick E. Chase (Bainbridge), Allan I. Johnson (Smithville), Jerry L. Kreiner (Plymouth) Photograph Compliments of Warren M. Bunn, Earlville PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 2007 1 FIRST DAY OF ANNUAL SESSION TUESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2007 Mr. Woodford welcomed everyone and wished them a Happy New Year. This is the 209th year of meetings of the Chenango County Board of Supervisors. The Clerk called the roll with all members present except Supervisors O’Shea, Iannello, Flanagan and Johnson. AFTON Robert D. Briggs 1175 State Hwy 41 Home: (607) 639-1125 Afton, N.Y. 13730 Fax: (607) 639-3375 BAINBRIDGE Rick E. Chase 1582 County Road 39 Home: (607) 967-8077 Bainbridge, N.Y. 13733 COLUMBUS George G. Coates 4340 State Hwy 80 Office: (607) 847-6876 Sherburne, N.Y. 13460 Home: (607) 847-9211 COVENTRY Janice A. O’Shea 1649 State Hwy 235 Home: (607) 656-9106 Greene, N.Y. 13778 Fax: (607) 656-4598 GERMAN Richard Schlag 1075 Hollow Road Home: (607) 656-9683 McDonough, N.Y. 13801 GREENE Jack T. Cook 1192 State Hwy 206 Office: (607) 656-4191 Greene, N.Y. 13778 Home: (607) 656-9695 GUILFORD Alton B. Doyle 110 Lake Road Home: (607) 895-6804 Guilford, N.Y. 13780 Office: (607) 895-6818 Fax: (607) 895-6042 LINCKLAEN Wayne C. Outwater 1521 County Rte 12 Home: (315) 852-9984 DeRuyter, N.Y. 13052 Office: (315) 852-6000 Fax: (315) 852-6043 MCDONOUGH Homer D. Smith 2706 State Hwy 220 Home: (607) 843-9611 Oxford, N.Y. 13830 NEW BERLIN Ross P. Iannello 4266 State Hwy 8 Office: (607) 847-8288 P.O. Box 458 New Berlin, N.Y. 13411 NORTH NORWICH Richard B. Decker P.O. Box 164 Home: (607) 336-7013 North Norwich, N.Y. 13814 Office: (607) 337-1401 NORWICH (Town) David C. Law 133 Thompson Creek Road Home: (607) 334-2806 Norwich, N.Y. 13815 Office: (607) 337-2302 2 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 2007 NORWICH (City) Wards 1,2,3 James J. McNeil 47 Fair Street Home: (607) 336-2784 Norwich, N.Y. 13815 Fax: (607) 334-2484 NORWICH (City) Wards 4,5,6 Linda E. Natoli 12 Clinton Street Home: (607) 334-4548 Norwich, N.Y. 13815 OTSELIC David J. Messineo 1970 State Highway 26 Home: (315) 653-4474 South Otselic, N.Y. 13155 OXFORD Lawrence N. Wilcox 3597 County Road 32 Home: (607) 843-9714 Oxford, N.Y. 13830 PHARSALIA Dennis O. Brown 2482 State Hwy 23 Home: (607) 336-1225 So. Plymouth, N.Y. 13844 Office: (607) 334-6634 PITCHER Jeffrey B. Blanchard 243 State Hwy 26 Home: (607) 863-4494 P.O. Box 41 Pitcher, N.Y. 13136 PLYMOUTH Jerry L. Kreiner 3676 State Hwy 23 Home: (607) 336-5984 So. Plymouth, N.Y. 13844 PRESTON Peter C. Flanagan 299 Preston Center Road Home: (607) 334-4920 Oxford, N.Y. 13830 Fax: (607) 334-4298 SHERBURNE Harry W. Conley P.O. Box 860 Home: (315) 691-4884 Sherburne, N.Y. 13460 Office/Fax: (607) 674-4481 SMITHVILLE Allan I. Johnson 269 County Road 3 Home: (607) 656-4466 Smithville Flats, N.Y. 13841 SMYRNA James B. Bays 1108 Bliven-Coye Hill Rd. Home: (607) 627-6627 Smyrna, N.Y. 13464 ________________ Mr. Briggs offered the invocation. The County Attorney led the flag salute. ________________ Mr. Woodford read the Call of the Meeting. APPOINTMENT OF TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN Mr. Woodford asked for nominations for a Temporary Chairman of the Board. Mr. Wilcox moved, seconded by Mr. Briggs, to nominate RC Woodford as Temporary Chairman. PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 2007 3 Voice vote on nomination of Mr. Woodford carried. ________________ APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Mr. Doyle moved, seconded by Mr. Cook, to nominate Richard B. Decker as Chairman of the Board for 2007. Mr. Smith moved, seconded by Mr. Outwater, to close the polls. Carried. Roll Call vote on nomination of Mr. Decker - Yes-2086, No-0, Absent-315 Absent: Supervisors Iannello, Flanagan, Johnson, O’Shea The Temporary Chairman declared Mr. Decker Chairman of the Board for 2007. Mr. Doyle and Mr. Cook escorted Mr. Decker to the Chair. Chairman Decker’s Acceptance Speech “Thank You! “ It is an honor and privilege to serve as your Chairman for this, my tenth year. Mr. Decker wanted to mention that this was the start of the 20th year for Mr. Briggs and the 24th year for Mr. Brown. Your support is greatly appreciated. I would like to thank each one of you for your cooperation in committee meetings and here at the Board meetings. You always support what is best for all county residents. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the outstanding Department Heads we have. They work with all their committees and this Board in a thoroughly professional manner. We all know they are the ones that make this government work. I would like to recognize Randy Gibbon and all the members of his department for all the hard work they’ve done during the two flooding episodes we had this past year. It was a huge task that was handled efficiently and professionally. I also would like to thank our Emergency Management staff, especially Sheriff Loughren and Matt Beckwith for taking extremely difficult situations and making them run smoothly. We also need to acknowledge all the fire departments and their volunteers and the town highway departments who all worked long hours to assist our county residents who were affected by this flooding. I also would like to thank all the residents who suffered through these devastating floods for their patience and understanding of the processes they were asked to go through. As you are aware, our new Public Safety Facility is up and running. Everything seems to be running smoothly and the Sheriff is doing everything he can to make it function effectively. The financial plan that was developed to pay for the facility is doing excellent. In conjunction with the new facility, we have started our Communication Tower Project. It is going along fine and if everything stays as projected, we should be constructing the first three towers this spring. These towers will help the communications of police, fire and highway, and possibly we can help with some cell phone coverage in the county. The first three sites are: Barnes Hill in Norwich, the Town of Coventry and the Town of Otselic. We are currently negotiating to locate on cell towers in Sidney and Sherburne. Towers are projected for Mill Brook in New Berlin, Cook Park in Greene and the County Landfill in Pharsalia. What to do with the old Sheriff’s Complex… I believe we must move ahead and demolish the old jail. That, in effect, leaves us with two buildings. As you know, DSS is renovating and moving into the two-story brick building facing West Park Place. Incidentally, there also will be some Mental Health staff sharing space there. The old Sheriff’s office, I believe, that we should move ahead with the repairs to the outside of the building, and while that’s being done, we can decide how the interior should be utilized. At the first Buildings and Grounds Committee meeting of the year, we will be requesting permission to demolish the old jail and to get this project started. There is something I would like to start some discussion about this year…. That’s our assessment and equalization rates across the county. There is not a one of us that doesn’t struggle with these every year. Maybe it’s time we started talking about alternatives…yes, I’ll say it…countywide assessments. I am not saying we should do it, but we need to take a look and see if it’s feasible. Along with this, we need to review our Real Property Tax Office and see if this is the structure we want, and can we improve it. This, I believe, will also get our tax sale properties on the right time frame. Last year, at this time, I was expressing my concern for the lack of action that state has taken in regards to the Federal HAVA regulations. Well, guess what…. New York State has done nothing…. In fact, they have put off until March or April of 2007, any decision as to the process they will use. Just recently, in the NYSAC News, it was reported that the state election commissioners don't think they can certify any voting machines this year. Where does this leave the county? I would suggest we prepare a resolution for our next Board meeting sharing our frustration with this system and send it to our new Governor and our State Legislators, and possibly, to our Central New York neighbors.