DPW COMMITTEE
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Joyce Morency, Chair
William Ferebee, Vice-Chair
Chairwoman Morency called this DPW Committee to order at 10:00 a.m. with the following Supervisors in attendance: Dave Blades, Daniel Connell, Robert Dedrick, Robert Dobie, Randy Douglas, Dale French, Ron Jackson, Michael McSweeney, Noel Merrihew, Joyce Morency, Gerald Morrow, Cathy Moses, Roby Politi, Randy Preston, Tom Scozzafava and Lori Spooner. (William Ferebee had been previously excused). George Canon was absent.
Department Heads present were: Fred Buck and Deb Palmer.
Also present was: Malcolm Martin and Tony LaVigne.
MORENCY: I will call this meeting to order and we will start with the salute to the flag, please.
HIGHWAY DIVISION
BUCK: Good morning everyone. Trying to deal with the weather over the past several weeks has been more than a normal task. Not only was a record set for the snowiest February but salt stock piles have all but disappeared, what little salt we are receiving has been trucked all the way from the mines in Rochester which adds to the trucking costs. The local stock piles have been depleted.
On most of the local county roads we have been trying to shelf back the snow banks with the grader wings, we have also been clearing snow from the corners and intersections to improve site visibility. Many truck loads of snow have been removed from both the county complex and Public Safety/Jail facility, it seems like we just get it cleaned up and then we get another dumping.
We have been trying to continue on with our tree limbing and brush clearing although the high snow banks are even making that more difficult and we had a heck of a time in the southern part of the county this past weekend with the ice storm.
Tree work continues on the River Road in St. Armand, Jersey Street in Essex and Stickney Bridge Road in Jay. Ditches had to be re-opened and culverts cleared on the Stevenson Road in Westport. We have been sending either the gradall or backhoe out to try and keep up with the problem areas where flooding may occur. The weather is also playing havoc with the roads, the constant thawing and freezing has caused a lot of heaves. We have been trying to keep up with patching and doing whatever repairs are necessary.
The Soper Road bridge replacement has been progressing all winter despite the weather. All of the concrete has been poured for the wing walls and abutments and sheet piling has been driven in for the retaining wall, current the abutments are being back filled and rock is being placed on the stream side for scour protection. Steel is scheduled to be delivered and placed in the next week to ten days. The deck should be poured by the middle of next month and the bridge should be completed in May. I have an update on the steel, the steel is being delivered today and set tomorrow.
We are currently waiting for property to be acquired and APA permits for the slide repairs on both Stowersville Road and Sunset Drive. It appears now that we will not be able to begin these projects until some time this summer. We are also in the process of preparing two other slide areas for reconstruction, one on the Shore Airport Road in Ticonderoga and the other on the Creek Road in Crown Point. The Shore Airport Road is a federal aid highway and we have applied and been approved for federal funding for that project.
Last week myself and several hundred town and county highway superintendent’s descended on Albany for our Advocacy Day. We broke out into groups to visit as many of the legislators as possible and explain the problems we are having with the rising costs of fuel and materials as it relates to maintaining local roads and bridges which are funded at the current levels. We are looking for support for CHIPS funding, a local bridge and culvert program as well as an increase in CHIPS and Marchiselli funding. Hopefully our message got across and will have some sort of impact. I did hear that the Assembly presented their budget and they had added $60 million dollars, an additional $60 million dollars to CHIPS which is the first time they have actually added money for transportation. We are waiting now to hear what the Senate might do.
I have one resolution to increase revenues (5130 4265520) and appropriations (51304.5441) by $3521.92 from an insurance recovery.
RESOLUTION AMENDING THE ESSEX COUNTY BUDGET IN DPW-HIGHWAY BY INCREASING REVENUES AND APPROPRIATIONS BY $3,521.92 - INSURANCE RECOVERY.
This was offered by Mr. Connell, seconded by Mr. Dobie.
MORENCY: Discussion of the resolution on the floor? All in favor, opposed, carried.
Anything on highway?
SCOZZAFAVA: I had a brief discussion with Fred a little while ago in regards to the increase in the snow and ice contracts for the towns that maintain the county highways and we haven’t run any numbers yet but we were both in agreement that this should be probably a one time allotment based on the number of county roads that you have in your community instead of increasing the cost per mile because this has been an extraordinary winter. So hopefully by Finance we will be able to come up with a number for each of the municipalities and we will go from there. Obviously we are not going to be able to take it out of his budget so my recommendation would be that we are going to have to take it from contingency so that is where we are on that.
MORENCY: Do you need any input from the towns at all?
SCOZZAFAVA: With the exception of the last storm, I ran some numbers yesterday and probably most towns are in the same category, we are right between 20% to 25% over what we expended last year so I am assuming that most town are probably right in that same boat.
MORENCY: It will be easier that way than to have everybody trying to figure it out.
SCOZZAFAVA: It would be. I think if we just take the road mileage, a one time allotment for the increase instead of trying to readjust the actual amount that we are paying right now and Fred agrees with that.
MORENCY: Are there any other items for Highway? We will go to Buildings and Grounds.
BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS
BUCK: Routine maintenance and repair were performed throughout the county complex as needed. Inspections were completed on all emergency generators, lighting and fire extinguishers. Snow removal and clean up was continuous throughout the month. Maintenance was supervised on a regular basis at the Horace Nye Home and plans for a new heat circulating pump installation was reviewed and approved. Renovations were started for Social Services in the basement and first floor for more space. Condensate circulating pump problems were handled at the county highway. A security cabinet for a computer at DMV was installed and renovations were started for the DMV in Ticonderoga.
Fire department key access boxes were installed at the old Jail, Public Health and Mental Health. Numerous ballast and lights were changed out at the Nutrition Center. Fuel tanks for various boilers were constantly monitored for fuel throughout the month. Trusses were installed and wall sheeting put up on the Buildings and Grounds addition.
The Jail pod was shown to numerous bidders for relocation to the Highway facility and bids will be opened at 1:00 this afternoon. Information was gathered for a report on work that needs to be done prior to Jail demolition with respect to a new boiler system and water main for Probation. Maintenance on integrity of community lines running through the basement to the Court House, installing hot water heaters for different parts of the complex, moving the fire alarm panel and re-routing generator protected electrical circuits.
MORENCY: Questions for Buildings and Grounds?
SCOZZAFAVA: I just received it today so I don’t know how much we will get into this but a letter from Judge Meyer in regards to the court house and Fred, he copied you with it. There seems to be a huge problem with the infestation of flies and there also seems to be significant problems with the heating/cooling systems in the building? I am sure you are probably going to address.
BUCK: Yes, I have discussed it with him.
SCOZZAFAVA: I just received it. I see also that there was a problem back in 2007 in regards to the fly infestation?
MERRIHEW: That is correct.
DONALDSON: Jim had Jim McCormick come down and address the issues, I don’t know if we still use Jim or Aardvark pest control but he had them come down and address that issue.
MORENCY: Noel, what did you start to say?
MERRIHEW: I was just confirming that in the correspondence Judge Meyer had referred to an address of the problem in the past. Mr. Buck has, I believe, been very proactive in that knowing that there is some sensitivity. The idea of just bombing the facility on a regular basis presents some real health sensitivities there, in case you have pregnant women and things like that. There was an article, as Fred pointed out, in the Plattsburgh Press Republican earlier this week that really gave some of the complexities of that problem with that, it has to be addressed.
BUCK: They suggested not bombing. Open the window.
MERRIHEW: Yes, that is correct. I just wanted to make the board aware that Fred has been intimately involved in this on an on-going basis. The original treatment that seemed to be most effective was a spring time/summer treatment that addressed the ground actually itself outside the facility and I think that probably would be our best bet.
BUCK: That is going to be done again, three or four times a year treatment.
POLITI: Fred, these are cluster flies, right?
BUCK: Yes.
POLITI: I have the same problems and twice a year, you are looking at spring time and November usually are the hatch times. The best thing to do is to treat the outside of the building rather than the inside of the building and actually Orkin does have a product now that seems to work very, very well and I have used both but Orkin does seem to have a product now that works.
MORENCY: Okay, so it was an Orkin product that you were talking about Roby?
POLITI: I was just saying there is a product now that Orkin makes that treats the outside of buildings that does seem to work. Now I know we have used Aardvark and I have used Jim McCormick also and maybe he has the same product but the product that works is an outside product, it is not necessarily bombing the interior of the house.
SCOZZAFAVA: So you are going to look into this?
BUCK: Yes, I have been.
SCOZZAFAVA: And in the meantime buy him some fly swatters.
MORENCY: I think that everybody has them in their house too this time of year, they are terrible.
Okay, is that all you need to do on that for now?
JACKSON: Changing the subject, have we had several bids on moving the modular?
BUCK: They are going to be opened up this afternoon. I don’t know how many came in. We had five people pick up, I don’t know how many are actually going to bid.
JACKSON: I am glad we had that amount of interest.
MORENCY: Any other questions on Buildings and Grounds? We will move on to Jail.
JAIL/PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITY
BUCK: With February 2008 setting the record for the most snow fall ever recorded, most of the maintenance work load was removal of snow of driveways, parking lots and sidewalks with cooperation from all departments at the facility and help from highway personnel. Everything was kept clear of snow allowing parking and safe access to the building. Through trial and error over the winter, the task has become increasingly more efficient.
Regular maintenance continues to be done on the jail side, most of the problems are related to cell doors and motorized sliding doors. Cell doors have open and close switch indicators which through use, get out of adjustment, and offices can not tell on their touch screen if the cell is really locked. Some of the sliding doors have experienced problems with the motorized gear drive units also getting out of adjustment. One major problem that had occurred, the women C-pod shower floor drain was plugged with concrete, it had been fixed and is ready for occupation. Other routine maintenance such as clogged toilets and changing lights out, etc., continue to be done as needed.
All departments on the public safety side of the building, the New York State Police, Emergency Services, and County and State Police dispatch, are provided maintenance and cleaning excepting the NYS Police. To date no major problems for maintenance on the administration side have arisen. All daily, weekly and monthly test and checks of all systems and equipment is performed as required.
MORENCY: Questions on public safety building? We will move ahead.
SOLID WASTE
BUCK: Bids have been advertised for two new walking floor trailers, one for solid waste and the other for demolition material and for four roll-off containers, two open topped and two closed topped with hatches.
Buildings and Grounds had to trouble shoot an electrical problem at the North Elba transfer station compactors. It turned out to be a defective fuse.
We continue to re-build several of the older roll-off boxes at the highway facility as time allows. Everything else seems to be operating with no problems.
MORENCY: Questions?
SCOZZAFAVA: Did we find out anything Fred on the #1 plastics?
BUCK: No, I haven’t talked to Geoff about it but I will.
DOUGLAS: Along those lines of recycling, I keep getting requests from my constituents about the rules of a hauler if they are hauling garbage and recycling rules of the county. Is there something in place that the haulers have to actually recycle? I am getting complaints that some of my haulers -
SCOZZAFAVA: There is a local law that addresses all of that.
DOUGLAS: Can I get a copy of that from Fred or whoever? What I am getting question from some of my constituents is they are complaining about some of the haulers not actually recycling, they are taking the time to recycle and then the haulers are just dumping it all in. Lately I have been getting a lot of concerns from residents about that. What I am looking for is a copy of the law that states what the haulers responsibility is when it comes to recycling? I am not trying to stir anything up, I am just asking for those so I can give a copy of that to my constituents that are asking for it, that is all.
MORENCY: I think as far as Essex County, the only plastic that is taken by Serkil because they have a place to dispose of it, is the #2 and we are not suppose to mix anything in at our shuttle and transfer stations. You are saying that the people that take garbage away are doing it?
DOUGLAS: Yes, the independent haulers.
MORENCY: So they may take theirs some place where they can dispose of them, that could be?
BUCK: They are mixing it right in with the MSW?
DOUGLAS: Yeah, they are mixing the garbage with the plastic and the glass and everything else so that is some concerns of my constituents who have come to me and not any particular hauler just what they are asking for is a copy of the local law that is in place stating what the haulers responsibilities are - all I want to do is provide that to them.
PALMER: I can get you a copy of that Randy, I have local laws in my office.
DOUGLAS: Thank you.
JACKSON: To follow up with Tom - about a quarter of the people who are seasonal in my town are Vermonters and they take all the plastic over there. I don’t know what they do with it and I don’t know what their market is if it is costing them or making money or not but they are always asking how come you only take #2 where in Vermont we take it all? I say, I don’t know, that is my only answer. Maybe Serkil could give us some guidance on that because if right across the lake they are able to get rid of all of it, I know it would be more difficult as it would take different containers but -
BUCK: I think what they do is source separate right at their MRF building, that is the Chittenden Solid Waste district that does that, they have quite a few people working on that doing it.
JACKSON: That would be a huge expense then, it would probably cost quite a bit to do that and you wouldn’t get your money back.
BUCK: If we could have it done before it became a problem, before it had to be separate, if it was separated prior to they might be able to bale it. I will check with them.
JACKSON: But you would have to have separate containers at all the transfer sites for the different plastics.
BUCK: Yes.
JACKSON: I am always getting asked that.
SCOZZAFAVA: Back to the local law that was written back in the 1990's, that was a real concern primarily because we didn’t want to fill the landfill space up with things that could be recycled and actually I think you are going to find in that local law somewhere where it is actually required to use clear plastic garbage bags and I know that isn’t being followed. Of course on the commercial haulers, they have the 60-75 gallon containers out there. Probably what we should do is send a copy of that local law just reminding all the commercial haulers in the county that this law is on the books and we need their cooperation in regards to the recyclables. It is probably a good idea to pull that law off the shelves and review it once again anyway.
MORENCY: Maybe we all should have a copy of it Debbie.
PALMER: Okay.
MOSES: Just to shed a little light on Ron’s conversation, I actually called Serkil to find out because I had the same questions as to why we were not taking all the plastics and his explanation was that we really are not generating enough to justify the cost of having all those roll-offs at our sites so that is why they are only accepting the #2 at this time - I spoke to Geoff Maye.
POLITI: I just want to remind everyone that North Elba does take #1 plastics, we will take everyone’s #1 plastic. We are taking Keene’s plastic now, they deliver truck loads to us. You can bring it right over.
MORENCY: Just #1?
POLITI: No, we take #1 and #2 plastics.
SCOZZAFAVA: Will you come pick it up?
POLITI: No.
SCOZZAFAVA: You bring it up here in your car and then I will put it in my car to Lake Placid.
MORENCY: Any other comments for solid waste? Okay, Debbie will take care of getting us the local law and we will probably talk about this more. Any other questions for solid waste. We will move on to fairgrounds.
FAIRGROUNDS:
BUCK: Maintenance work on the horse barn and cow barn continues when weather allows. Snow removal has also taken up much of the time including keeping the track plowed out.
Rental space is nearing capacity and several events are already scheduled for the coming season which includes a tool sale and a couple of horse shows.
As soon as the weather breaks we hope to begin work on the handicap bathroom and shower facility and the construction for the sugar house by the fair board.
MORENCY: Discussion?
CONNELL: A couple of comments if I may - on the horse show, I think a couple of these are happening because the fair is supplying the insurance. Insurance was an issue with some events, a lot of small events have trouble getting it so the fair agreed that they would get riders on their insurance for these groups to use the fair grounds so I think it is important that the board know that.
Secondly, we have talked a lot about getting more events on the fair grounds and trying to beautify the fair grounds and Randy made a contact for us at Adirondack Correctional Facility, we put a formal request into the Superintendent, but it looks like if we buy the seeds they may start all the annual for us so that we can really get some flowers planted which in the past we have done a little bit at the fair grounds but this would really help to - this year it will be a little smaller than in the future but hopefully we can get that program started and get the grounds looking a lot better also on a spring to fall basis and hopefully that will attract more businesses. So there are lots of things and I want to thank Randy for being so proactive in making this contact for us at the prison.
MORENCY: Anything else on fair grounds?
DONALDSON: Just a quick question - Fred, you remember that in the budget we added some extra money to do some extra work down there during this year - have we decided what we are going to do with that?
BUCK: Yes, we are already in design on the building.
MORENCY: Can we go back to - Cliff just gave me a note here to the public safety building about capital project funding for like moving the modular and demolition of the old jail. I think he may have talked to Jim about it, did you Fred?
BUCK: Yes.
MORENCY: I think there is a figure here of about $500,000 for all of that? So -
DONALDSON: I think - Jim talked to me briefly this morning about doing a capital project so we would need to establish that capital project correct? In order to go out and borrow this $500,000 in order to move the modular, set the modular up, tear down the old jail and the other items.
PALMER: This was already discussed in a prior meeting and a decision was made to wait until Ways and Means.
MORROW: Right, we would have more figures and maybe Mike Diskin could have some figures for us too and we will bring it up at Ways and Means.
MORENCY: Alright.
BUCK: We are going to have those bid openings this afternoon at 1:00, that will give us a little better handle on what the costs will be as far as moving the building.
MORENCY: Okay.
BUCK; And then we have to include - when Jim and I spoke about it this morning we were talking about replacing that building and building a new building in its foot print but when we discussed it in the Space Committee, that is still kind of up in the air. The capital project that Jim and I spoke about would be to replace the building and that would be part of the replacement of the building but I think we will just include this, begin this with the $500,000 which should get us pretty much on our way up to and including the demolition of the jail.
MORENCY: Okay, so there are figures and items being worked on - we are not any where near ready until Ways and Means to do this, correct?
SCOZZAFAVA: I think we need to be provided also with where we are in regards to the capital portion of the jail and public safety building, how much money we have expended and it is my understanding that it is - I am not going to say significantly less - but less than what we had anticipated the costs were going to be. I don’t know if arbitrage law and all that would allow us to use those monies to do some of the things we are talking about here versus going out and doing another bond issue? There is a lot, just like you just said, there is a lot of ground that we need to cover before we just run out there and start borrowing more money - we need to see where we are right now with monies that we have already borrowed.
MORENCY: I think that we did ask a month or so ago for a report on where we stood on the capital project but I haven’t seen it, so, we are asking again. We want that and that would be for every board member.
MORROW: But that money for the public safety building may be, and I think it was in that bonding resolution, to be used - if there was any money left over you will be going for a radio communication system which will eat all that money up and more probably.
SCOZZAFAVA: And like I said, there are different laws under arbitrage and things like that where some things you can’t finance for 30 years, they don’t allow it and this might be some of those areas where you could not use that money for that purpose. We definitely have a lot of ground to cover. What I am saying is before we run out there and start borrowing another $600,000 to $700,000 because when they say it is $500,000 it is usually $700,000.
MORENCY: Good point. Any other questions on the public safety issue? We will move on to health and safety.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
BUCK: The health and safety department took a chemical inventory for the maintenance department at the new jail facility in Lewis and is in the process of making an MSDS book for the facility. A copy of the Sheriff’s department MSDS book was also made and a master copy of all, when complete, will be kept on file at DPW.
A NYS Fire Inspection was done of all buildings with Dave Hall and the safety officer, we are waiting to receive his report, at that time the safety department will make the changes that he recommends and Dave Hall is from the Dept. Of State.
MSHA annual refresher training was attended in Albany and several safety meetings at several departments throughout the county were also attended throughout the month.
The Norovirus situation was brought to the safety department’s attention and once confirmed was suggested that signs be posted to limit visitation to essential personnel and deliveries’s until the situation passed.
Scheduling of the second week of safety compliance and ergonomics training that will take place next month is being finished up along with several accidents that were investigated.
MORENCY: Health and safety questions?
Fred, can we go back then and talk about that meeting you and I were talking about earlier with the state?
BUCK: Yes, that is what I wanted to bring up now. I was called yesterday by my counter part down in Warren County and NYS DOT is going to have what they call a poster board session, they are trying to set it up in Warren County. It would be for Warren, Essex and Washington Counties and they would like the attendance of as many Supervisors and Highway Superintendent’s as possible to come down. We haven’t gotten the exact location yet but the dates would be the 6th, 7th, or 8th of May and we are looking at what DOT has planned for Essex County as far as their projects and they are looking for input from us - if we agree or not agree. I think this is a time that we can at least get together with them, it is rare that we can do this but it might help. They are going to explain to us what projects they are going to be doing in Essex County and we can give them some feedback.
MORENCY: Is it a one day meeting, one of these days?
BUCK: Yes, a one day meeting, we will pick one of these days. If you can tell me what day might be good then I can get back with them.
MORENCY: What days do they fall on?
BUCK: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I believe.
PALMER: Yes and there is nothing presently on the calendar those days - Fred and I looked yesterday.
MORENCY: Any idea what day to pick for our attendance? Do you know what other counties are choosing of these three days?
BUCK: No, they were kind of looking to us too, they had those dates open.
MORENCY: How about Wednesday or Thursday? Let’s aim for May 8th and see if that works for everybody.
BUCK: If there is any problem I will get with Debbie and let her know.
MORENCY: Are there any other issues to come before DPW?
DEDRICK: Just an FYI - Fred, tomorrow night at our town board meeting we are going to authorize the signing of a contract to a construction company to do the Black Point sewer project, I know that is a county highway, and I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if they are going to start staging everything at the end of this month or early in April and get it started. They want to have it done immediately. They are going to put every crew they have on it, they are even shooting for a completion date as early as November of this year, I don’t know if they can come close to that but they are putting every crew they have on it so I wanted you to be aware of that.
BUCK: Who is the contractor?
DEDRICK: A.P. Reale, it is a little over a $5 million dollar contract.
BUCK: Okay. Do you want me down there?
DEDRICK: No, what I am just saying is right now I am just giving you an FYI and they will be contacting you I am sure, all the permits are in place but I just wanted you to know that they will be staging this area probably in early April.
BUCK: Okay.
MORENCY: Randy, did you have your hand up?
SCOZZAFAVA: You are in seat #9, you go ahead. Count them -
DOUGLAS: I have a couple of things to bring up - one I would like to offer a resolution recognizing Dustin Frederick, he was a constituent of mine and also a student at AuSable Valley Central School for the second year in a row he has become the state champion in 285 wrestling state tournament and last year the 275 pound so I would like to offer that resolution.
RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING DUSTIN FREDERICK OF THE AUSABLE VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR WINNING THE STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT TWO YEARS IN A ROW.
This was offered by Mr. Douglas, seconded unanimously.
DOUGLAS: Also the Town of Jay with the Town of Black Brook is applying for one of the Safe Routes to School grant applications that Vic is doing for us which needs to be in on April 1st. It is a federally funded program through the NYS DOT and it is to encourage kids to take a safe route to school by walking or bicycling. We want to create new sidewalks to connect our recreational facilities in AuSable Forks at the high school and our primary school and our Catholic School utilizes and I would ask for a resolution of support from this board.
RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE TOWN OF JAY IN THEIR APPLICATION OF THE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL GRANT.
This was offered by Mr. Douglas, seconded unanimously.
DOUGLAS: I have one more - I was debating whether to bring this up today and I didn’t sleep very well last night. It is a bad day in the State of New York to be a Democrat and I am ashamed of Governor Eliot Spitzer. I would ask that this board move a resolution encouraging him to resign immediately or for the State Legislators to start the impeachment process.
I have had numerous phone calls from my own constituents who know I am a Democrat but I am an honest Democrat. I met him in 2003 in Lake Placid. My wife sat right next to him at the head table. He spoke on how I could enhance my campaign. He told me how morally, ethically, and a family man that he was. He let us down. He let me down. He let the State of New York down.
I am ashamed to be a Democrat today in the State of New York. I will continue to be a Democrat and I will fight for honest politicians but he as a crusader of morale and ethically fighting for the State of New York, he done us bad and wrong. He admitted wrong doing. If I believed that he didn’t do it but he went out there Monday and admitted wrong doing. It is only going to be worse from here on out.
I had high hopes for him after he spoke about how he was going to turn Albany around and he was going to do this and he was going to do that. Even through trooper gate I kept saying, he is going to get through this and he is going to make us a better state.
I am ashamed to say that I supported him. If he has been doing what they say he has been doing for the last six to eight to ten years - shame on him and shame on us for letting us believe he was the man he was. I say good luck to David Patterson, he seems to have the support of the Democrat and Republican party’s - it is time for Governor Spitzer to resign and to resign now and I want to move that as a resolution.
RESOLUTION URGING GOVERNOR SPITZER TO RESIGN IMMEDIATELY OR FOR THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO START THE IMPEACHMENT PROCESS.
This was offered by Mr. Douglas, seconded by Mr. Preston.
MORENCY: Any discussion on the resolution on the floor? I would just like to say that no matter what party our Governor was, I feel devastated by it too, I think every New Yorker probably does. I think we always look and think about the wife and the three daughters and how bad we feel for them and I agree that he does need to resign no matter what party he is from for what is going on. Are there any other comments? All in favor, opposed, carried.
Anything else to come before this committee?
SCOZZAFAVA: I want to thank Fred Buck and the highway department and your Building and Grounds department for all the assistance that you provided to I am sure all the communities that were devastated over the past few days. You guys were right there when we needed you on the county highways and so on and you also helped transporting generators to the fire stations so I just want to thank you - once again you were there for us.
MORENCY: Dale, you still have quite a few problems, right?
FRENCH: It should be done today, there is still about 60 people without power as of last night. Should be done today.
MORENCY: When you call them up you should tell them you are Tom Scozzafava.
FRENCH: I know that.
SCOZZAFAVA: I still have people without - the problem is right on the town line between Moriah and Crown Point. I do want to say this - I am sure we all took some heat in Westport, Crown Point and Moriah because some people were out for two to three days and Schroon Lake also and Ticonderoga. I can tell you and I was out as we probably all were through most of this event and National Grid and those crews were out there and on the job, it wasn’t like they weren’t trying to get the power restored. It wasn’t by any lack of effort, they were just dealt with some very extenuating circumstances. Some of these areas that they had to get into as well as some of the ice in Mineville and Witherbee, there were 2" of ice on those lines - it was very difficult working conditions.
FRENCH: It was.
CONNELL: I would like to echo that. I will get into trouble with a couple of my constituents because I say this but I don’t know what else National Grid could have done. They had over 200 crews. They had 60 crews in before the incident started and they brought in over 200. They worked night and day. This is just one of those instances where it was a natural disaster. Our lines had all been trimmed, they spent a lot of money in the Town of Westport and we still had lines come down and trees - there are some things that happened that there wasn’t much you could do about it. Their response, even though as I say I am going to have some constituents who are going to be mad at me for saying this because I had some people who didn’t get back on until Monday night, but they did everything humanly possibly to get people back on as soon as they could and if you weren’t in the area and seen what happened, it is hard to believe this storm. It was as bad as anything we have ever seen.
MORENCY: It was very close to the old ice storm.
SCOZZAFAVA: It was.
DEDRICK: We had them hear in the past and we held their feet to the fire and what I enjoyed about this, I didn’t enjoy it a lot, but what I appreciated was the fact that they had two tele-conferences with every single Supervisor and fire departments and they kept us in tuned to exactly what was happening and when it was happening and areas that were going to be corrected. I was really appreciative of the fact that we were in the loop and knew exactly when we were going to be back on line so the fact that they were here and we held their feet to the fire - fine, now they have responded and I know that all of us appreciate that.
MOSES: And basically that is what I was going to say - we just really appreciated the conference calls each day and they just brought up right to speed and it was very helpful and it helped us be informative to the members or our community too so they really did a good job this time.
SCOZZAFAVA: I guess a fair comparison and I think all the Supervisors would agree, if this storm had taken place four or five years ago we would still have large numbers of people without power - that is how much they have improved.
CONNELL: The entire Town of Westport would still be without power.
MORROW: That is what I was going to say, if anything has been learned and they had a big splash a couple of months ago about the 1998 ice storm ten years ago, this was all because of that ice storm ten years ago, practices are put into place now because we had ice in the Town of Chesterfield but nothing like you guys down south. Back then in 1998, we had people who were out of electricity not two or three day but two or three weeks, we had some that were out for three weeks and that is why they are not out two or three weeks now because those things are practiced that weren’t done back then, these municipal electric companies had their staff on standby up here and everything and everything is learned from what has happened in the past. I am very happy that it was only a couple of days; that is enough but it was better than two or three weeks.
MORENCY: Further comments?
POLITI: I don’t mean to be redundant but the Town of North Elba and the Village of Lake Placid are applying for the same grant that Randy is so I would also like to have a resolution in support of that particular grant in affiliation with the bike path that the county and the town and the state are working on between Saranac Lake and Lake Placid. If that is possible I would appreciate it.
MORENCY: You are not on this committee so I will move it for you.
RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE TOWN OF NORTH ELBA AND THE VILLAGE OF LAKE PLACID IN THEIR APPLICATION OF THE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL GRANT.
This was offered by Mr. Connell, seconded unanimously.
POLITI: The other thing I want to ask while I have everyone here - last night at a board meeting I had a number of questions regarding the non-payment of poll watchers at the last election. Does everyone have that situation? No one has been paid, is that my understanding? I guess the question is, if they haven’t been paid why haven’t they been paid?
MORENCY: I believe they may have checks written as of the last couple of days.
PALMER: I believe checks went out on Monday.
MORENCY: Because of all the questions and things we went around in circles with about, if you read the minutes you will see, about drug testing if they are employees and all those issues that had to be solved and those people had to wait a long time.
POLITI: I am just curious, they were never told though and it has been four months.
MORENCY: Well if checks have gone out and now that we have the process corrected or set up we won’t have to make them wait again.
DONALDSON: Next time they will be on payroll.
MORENCY: Anything else of DPW? If not, we are adjourned.
AS THERE WAS NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE
THIS COMMITTEE, WE ADJOURNED AT 10:39 A.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Deborah Palmer, Clerk
Board of Supervisors