REGULAR BOARD
Monday,
May 5, 2014
10:00
am
Randy
Douglas – Chairman
William
Ferebee – Vice-Chairman
Vice-Chairman
Ferebee called this Regular Board Meeting to order at 10:00 a.m., with a salute to the flag. Upon
roll-call, the following Supervisors were found in attendance: Dave Blades, George Canon, Dan Connell, Bill
Ferebee, Edward Gardner, Shaun Gillilland, William Grinnell, Mike Marnell,
Stephen McNally, Noel Merrihew, Ron Moore, Jerry Morrow, Roby Politi, Randy
Preston, Tom Scozzafava and Charlie Whitson.
Randy Douglas and Charles Harrington had been previously excused.
Department Heads present were: Richard Cutting, Mike Diskin, Judy
Garrison, Tony LaVigne, Dan Palmer and Steve Valley. Dan Manning was previously excused.
Deputies
present were: Michael Blaise and Wester
Miga.
Also
present were: Joanne Caswell – Families
First, Valerie Ainsworth – Mental Health Association, Chris Garrow, Bertha
Rand, Sue Montgomery-Corey, Margaret Bartley and Sharon Boisen.
News
Media present were: Pete DeMola-Denton Publications and Lohr McKinstry-Press
Republican.
FEREBEE: Good morning.
I’d like to call this meeting to order please join me in the salute to
our flag. Thank you and good morning. Judy roll call please.
We
do have a guest today. Ann Griffin from
Families First. Ann would you like to
come forward please?
CASWELL: Good morning my name is Joanne Caswell and I
am the Executive Director of Families First and I just want to just thank you
for doing this proclamation for Children’s Mental Health Awareness month. You have some packets in front of you with a
whole bunch of information which I’m sure you will all take home and read cover
to cover. There’s our contact
information in there too if you have any questions.
Children’s
Mental Health Awareness Week is the first week in May and something a little
different that we are doing this year is the Month of May is Mental Health
Awareness Month so I brought a couple guests.
I’m sure you know them Steve Valley is the Director of the Mental Health
Clinic and Valerie Ainsworth is the Director of the Mental Health Association
so they are going to speak a little bit too but I’m going to get things
started.
Children’s
Mental Health Awareness Week is an entire week dedicated to teaching people
about mental health advocating improved services and celebrating all the work
that has been done. The campaign seeks
to raise awareness about the importance of children’s mental health so that children,
youth and young adults receive help for the mental health disorders at the same
urgency as regular health disorders.
This year’s name is Building a Circle Wellness. The other thing you’ll see in your packet is
a whole bunch of statistics and I won’t bore you with reading all of them I hope
you look at them but I just want to read a couple. One in five young people have one or more
mental, emotional or behavioral challenges.
One in ten youth have challenges that are severe enough to impair how
they function at home, school or in the community. Another one is when exposed to a traumatic
event children as young as eighteen months have serious emotional or behavioral
problems later in child and into adulthood.
More than 35% of children exposed to a single traumatic event will
develop serious mental health problems so that’s pretty scary I think.
I
just want to mention a couple of events that are happening this week. At Families First we have a training on
understanding autism which is May 7 from ten to twelve if anyone would like to
attend we’d welcome you to join us and then on Friday, May 9 we have our fifth
annual walk for children’s mental health awareness. It starts out by Stewarts in the little park
and kind of goes around the block and then there is a barbecue at Families
First so if you would like to join us for that we’d love to have you.
Also
in your packets are green ribbons and that’s representing children’s mental
health awareness week if you like to wear one of those we’d love to have you
join us. I’d just like to mention a few
other agencies also one thing that I think we’re really good at here in Essex
County is working in partnership. I
mentioned the clinic and Mental Health Association Doug Terbeek is also here
from the substance abuse prevention team and then there’s social services,
schools, ACAP, our parents of course, public health, probation, St. Joe’s and
whole bunch of other agencies and we do a really good job working together to
provide the best possible mental health services for our folks in this
community. So I want to thank you again
for the proclamation which I know you’re going to do and I’ll let Valerie and
Steve say a few words.
AINSWORTH: Thank you.
I’m Valerie Ainsworth. I’m the
Executive Director at the Mental Health Association and we provide the sort of
the wrap around support services for the adults for mental health issues in the
county and I’m very pleased that we’re here today. I just wanted to say that one of the things
that we are really really excited about that we’re working on as a collaborated
effort as Joanne referenced is the Essex County suicide prevention collation
and this is very similar to Joanne’s statistics adults one in four adults will
suffer from some sort of mental health issue during their lifetime and the
suicide statistics in this day and age are just alarming. So we’ve been doing a lot of collaborated
work with various mental health agencies.
We now have representation from law enforcement on our committee. We have Veteran representation. We’re going
into the schools and we are doing trainings with the schools which is really
wonderful. The DEC contacted us and
asked if we could do some training and awareness for the forest rangers and our
county like Joanne said is we just do a wonderful job with collaboration and we
even have the County Coroner on our coalition which the state has told us no
other coalition in the state has that so I brought some brochures and I will
drop them off and you can hand them around and I just want to thank you for
having us here today.
VALLEY: Well I just want to reiterate a lot of what’s
been said and tell everyone how fortunate we are to have and how fortunate that
I am to have agencies like Families First and the Mental Health Association as
they have mentioned the collaboration is a very high priority here in Essex
County and we get tremendous support from these two agencies as well as
departments throughout the county and that sort of collaboration is at the
executive level but it’s probably more importantly at the service level where
the folks that are out there in the field confronting these issues are working
very close with one another on a day to day basis and I also really want to
thank the people of Essex County and this body for the support for all of our
efforts and really encourage people to take advantage of some of the
educational materials and some of the activities this week to promote wellness
and recovery for the folks that we serve.
I just
want to at the risk of boring you; is give you a few more statistics regarding
mental health and this is in a Did you know format; that mental illnesses are
physical brain disorders that profoundly disrupt a person’s ability to think,
feel and relate to others and their environment. They are no fault disorders. One in every five families is affected at
some point in their life time by severe mental illness such as bipolar disorder,
schizophrenia, anxiety disorders or major depression. Mental illnesses are equal opportunity
diseases occurring in all cultures, races, countries and social economic
classes and this is probably the most important 75% of mental illnesses are
treatable with support of services, counseling and medication yet stigma and
misinformation are major barriers to treatment and recovery.
Valerie
talked a little bit about the suicide prevention coalition which all of us are
on and involved with here 90% of people who commit suicide have had a
diagnosable mental illness. Lastly mental
illnesses are more common than cancer, diabetes and heart disease treatment
success rates psychiatric disorders are better than those for heart
disease. So the message is recovery is
possible and there is hope and again I thank you for all your support for the
efforts that we do here at the county to treat folks with these illnesses. Thank you.
FEREBEE: Thank you.
Joanne, Valerie and Steve thank you very much. I feel that we in Essex County are very
fortunate to have such hard working folks like yourselves targeting the issues
that are constantly growing. You’re
doing a great job with that I’d like to read the proclamation so May 2014 as
Mental Health Month and the week of May 4-10, 2014 as Children’s Mental Health
Week.
Whereas, Mental
Health is critical for the well-being and vitality of our families, communities
and businesses; and Whereas, mental illness strikes one in five Americans in a
given year regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion or economic
status; and Whereas, it is important that children and adolescents, along with
their families and communities learn about the warning signs of mental health
disorders and where to obtain necessary assistance and treatment; and Whereas.
Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of mental health disorders among
children and adolescents provide them better opportunities to lead full and
productive lives; and Whereas, celebrating Children’s Mental Health Week and
May as Mental Health Month, will increase awareness among Essex County
residents of this important issue and diminish stigma. Now, therefore, on
behalf of David Blades, as Chairman of the Human Services committee, and Randall
T. Douglas, as Chairman and on behalf of the Essex County Board of Supervisors,
do hereby proclaim the month of May, 2014 as Mental Health Month and the week
of May 4-10, 2014 as Children’s Mental Health Week in Essex County.
Again
thank you very much for a good job, well done.
Thank you.
Ok
with that we will move into resolutions.
RESOLUTION #114 – AUTHORIZING BUDGET
AMENDMENTS FOR VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS.
The following resolution was moved by
Mr. Scozzafava, seconded by Mr. Grinnell and adopted upon a roll-call vote as
follows:
AYES: 2557
NOES: 0
ABSENT: 364 (Harrington, Douglas)
RESOLUTION #115 – PROCLAIMING THE
MONTH OF MAY, 2014 AS OLDER AMERICAN’S MONTH.
The following resolution was moved by
Mr. Connell, seconded unanimously and adopted.
RESOLUTION #116 - PROCLAIMING THE MONTH OF MAY, 2014 AS MENTAL
HEALTH MONTH AND THE WEEK OF MAY 2-8, 2014 AS NATIONAL CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH
AWARENESS WEEK.
The following resolution was moved by
Mr. Gardner, seconded unanimously and adopted.
RESOLUTION #117 – ACCEPTING, ADOPTING,
AND PLACING ON FILE POLICIES, PLANS, PROCEDURES AND ANNUAL REPORTS.
The following resolution was moved by
Mr. Merrihew, seconded by Mr. Grinnell and adopted.
RESOLUTION #118 – AUTHORIZING THE
EMERGENCY SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO APPLY FOR AND ACCEPT FY2014 STATE HOMELAND
SECURITY PROGRAM GRANT (SHSP) AND STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT TERRORISM PREVENTION
PROGRAM GRANT (SLETPP), IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $120,000.00 WITH $90,000.00 FOR
THE EMERGENCY SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND $30,000.00 FOR THE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT.
The following resolution was moved by
Mr. Morrow, seconded by Mr. Moore and adopted upon a roll-call vote as follows:
AYES: 2557
NOES: 0
ABSENT: 364 (Harrington, Douglas)
RESOLUTION #119 – AUTHORIZING THE
PUBLIC DEFENDER TO ACCEPT YEAR ONE OF A THREE YEAR NEW YORK STATE INDIGENT
LEGAL SERVICES 2014 DISTRIBUTION GRANT (#4) IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $95,748.00
AND FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE CHAIRMAN OR COUNTY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE SAME.
The following resolution was moved by
Mr. Merrihew, seconded by Mr. Moore and adopted upon a roll-call vote as
follows:
AYES: 2557
NOES: 0
ABSENT: 364 (Harrington, Douglas)
RESOLUTION #120 – AUTHORIZING THE
PURCHASING AGENT TO RE-BID, AWARD AND CONTRACT FOR THE INSTALLATION AND LABOR
OF SIDING TO COMPLETE THREE BUILDINGS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
FACILITY, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $100,000, FROM BUDGETED FUNDS.
The following resolution was moved by
Mr. Moore, seconded by Mr. Marnell and adopted upon a roll-call vote as
follows:
AYES: 2557
NOES: 0
ABSENT: 364 (Harrington, Douglas)
RESOLUTION #121 – REJECTING A GRANT
FOR THE REHABILITATION AND PRESERVATION OF THE MILL HILL STREET BRIDGE IN THE
VILLAGE OF KEESEVILLE.
The following resolution was moved by
Mr. Morrow, seconded by Mr. Canon and adopted upon a roll-call vote as follows:
AYES: 2557
NOES: 0
ABSENT: 364 (Harrington, Douglas)
RESOLUTION #122 – AUTHORIZING THE
ISSUANCE OF A PERMIT ALLOWING THE USE OF COUNTY ROADWAYS FOR THE ADIRONDACK
MARATHON DISTANCE FESTIVAL TO BE HELD ON SEPTEMBER 27-28, 2014 IN SCHROON LAKE.
The following resolution was moved by
Mr. Marnell, seconded by Mr. Whitson and adopted.
RESOLUTION # 123 – AUTHORIZING THE
ESSEX COUNTY FAIR BOARD TO SELL BEER AND WINE AT THE ESSEX COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS.
The following resolution was moved by
Mr. Connell, seconded by Mr. Politi and Mr. Grinnell and adopted with Mr.
Blades and Mr. Marnell opposed.
FEREBEE: Discussion?
BLADES: I know that this is going to pass but I would
hope that – I know that Dan Manning is not here this morning and I really
haven’t seen any protocol that is going to really set the standards for what
the resolution says. I would just hope
that maybe we could table it until he is here so we can get his advice on what
needs to be included.
PALMER: I did have that discussion with Dan before he
left. He left early this morning; he is
at a County Attorney’s conference Monday and Tuesday. He said that this would be subject to a
review and approval of his office for those terms and conditions. I know Dan Connell has talked about some of
those conditions. We certainly – you
could go ahead and pass this resolution the way it is currently is worded and
then we could bring back whatever those terms and conditions are subject to
either your approval or the County Attorney’s approval whichever way the board
chooses to go.
CONNELL: Tabling this will effectively defeat it. It takes time to get licenses, to get the
distributors, to get the local breweries if this doesn’t come up until June,
the fair is in August there is just no way we can put it together and there has
been hours of discussion on this. The
fair board is not a group of drunks, they are a group of leaders in their
communities who serve with no pay who studied this, and who have gone to the
State conference in Rochester and attended workshops there on this, who have
gone to individual fairs who have been doing beer and wine sales for years and
years and years. Mr. Terbeek sent
everybody an email, almost everything that’s in that email the fair intends to
do and we’ve discussed it and it’s going to be off the beaten track, we are
going to use a card reader so anybody that comes in is going to have to swipe
their license, there’s going to be a limited number of drinks allowed. We can continue to discuss this and discuss
it and discuss it and if it doesn’t pass today if it gets tabled it’s really
going to defeat.
FEREBEE: Thank you Mr. Connell.
SCOZZAFAVA: It’s my understanding with this that we are
going to invite the craft beer, the microbreweries and wine makers? How is this going to be set up I mean are you
going to have a bar where you can go get a Genny or a Busch or bottle of
Ripple? I mean I don’t understand how it
is going to work out there?
CONNELL: As I tried to discuss earlier this first year
there will be a major distributor to get this off the ground. Local breweries are being invited. We already have one local brewery that said
yes, they’ll be there and on Saturday they’ll actually carry on an educational
program. My hope for the future is it
will be all local breweries who will be selling their product, the fair will
get a percentage of that, what we are trying to do this time around is go along
with Governor Cuomo’s economic development local breweries and wineries are
tremendous in economic development in New York State where people are
distributing their product. This isn’t
going to be a drunken brawl type thing.
It is going to be very well controlled and as I just mentioned in the
future we’re hoping it will be all local breweries you can’t start that way it
just takes too much time but there will be a distributor and that will be the
main product and as I understand it Tom there might be two types of beer I
think that is the most other than the local.
SCOZZAFAVA: So the most important person in this whole
operation is the bartender. Who employs
the individual behind the bar who serves the alcohol?
CONNELL:
The fair. The fair will have the license
through the county who will sign off that they own the property and that they
understand that the fair has a license to sell beer and wine. And if I may, years ago this board adopted a
policy whereby if you have events there anything other than the fair alcohol of
any type is allowed. If the group that
is having the event brings in someone that has an off premise license to sell
so this isn’t brand new like a lot of people are making it out to be. We already approved the policy here to anybody
except the fair for some reason. Anybody
except the fair can sell alcohol. The
fair is the only one that is exempt. It’s your biggest event of the year. It’s our 167th or 168th
we are going to lose the fair if we don’t receive additional means of revenue. We are just going the same route as every
other fair in New York State has gone and it’s not like twenty years ago where
things were not controlled as well just swiping the licenses is a huge, huge
difference and we will have security. I
do not believe that we are going have to have any additional Sheriff Deputies
put on this, working the fair we will have security at this facility.
FEREBEE: Thank you Mr. Connell.
MARNELL: Do you have any idea Dan how much you expect
to make on this sale of alcohol?
CONNELL: None whatsoever all we’re asking for is a one
year trial we may discover that no money was made on this and we may not ask to
do it again. We are not asking for permanent on this, one year trial basis.
MARNELL: I said before I was in favor of it and I’m
not in favor of some stuff when last time I said I was. We are promoting alcohol, the microbreweries
are great they do a great job manufacturing alcohol, the taste is better and
the more you introduce to people somebody if they like it they drink it. As far as drinking, the ones that cause
trouble they will still drink in their car because they won’t pay $2.00 or
$3.00 a glass a beer they’ll drink their six pack in the parking lot and come
in and have one or two maybe or more but I would rather if it’s possible give
more money to the fair whatever, so they don’t have to sell alcohol for
this. This resolution probably should
say resolution authorizing alcohol consumption because they will have people
selling beer or wine like they do at the farmers’ market but I’m bias put it
this way I guess, I’ve lived with alcoholism in my family for 35 years so I’ve
been through it and I’m still going through it and I would be real hypocritical
to support it.
FEREBEE:
Thank you Mr. Marnell. Any further
discussion? If not, all in favor,
opposed?
BLADES: Yes.
MARNELL: Opposed.
FEREBEE: Carried, thank you.
RESOLUTION #124 – AUTHORIZING THE
PURCHASING AGENT TO GO TO RFP AND AWARD FOR CAMPGROUND MANAGEMENT CONRACTURAL
SERVICES AT THE ESSEX COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS PROPERTY.
The following resolution was moved by
Mr. Connell, seconded by Mr. Marnell and Mr. Scozzafava and adopted upon a
roll-call vote as follows:
AYES: 2557
NOES: 0
ABSENT: 364 (Harrington, Douglas)
TABLED:
RESOLUTION #125 – DENYING A CORRECTION
OF 2010 TOWN AND COUNTY TAX ROLL – TOWN OF TICONDEROGA – HOWARD GEFFNER.
The following resolution was moved by
Mr. Canon, seconded by Mr. Marnell and tabled.
FEREBEE: Discussion?
GRINNELL: Yes I’d like to request that this be tabled. There was a meeting scheduled today that key
Principals Mr. Manning and Mr. Douglas couldn’t be here for until we have that
meeting it is at the request of those people that it be tabled.
SCOZZAFAVA: I’ll second the motion to table it.
FEREBEE: Second by Mr. Scozzafava. All in favor, opposed – carried.
RESOLUTION #126 – AUTHORIZING
INFORMATION SYSTEMS TO CONVERT A CURRENT CONTRACT EMPLOYEE, MICHAEL BRENISH, TO
A PER DIEM EMPLOYEE PERFORMING THE SAME PROGRAMMING FUNCTIONIS, AT AN HOURLY
RATE OF $25.00 PER HOUR, NOT TO EXCEED $15,000.00 ANNUALLY, SUCH CHANGE FOR THE
PURPOSE OF PROVIDING CYBER LIABILITY INSURANCE COVERAGE UNDER THE ESSEX COUNTY
INSURANCE COVERAGE PLANS.
The following resolution was moved by
Mr. Canon, seconded by Mr. Politi and adopted upon a roll-call vote as follows:
AYES: 2557
NOES: 0
ABSENT: 364 (Harrington, Douglas)
RESOLUTION # 127 – AUTHORIZING THE
EMERGENCY SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO APPLY FOR AND ACCEPT AN EMERGENCY MANGEMENT
PERFORMANCE GRANT FY2014, IN THE AMOUNT OF $19,828.00.
The following resolution was moved by
Mr. Preston, seconded by Mr. Connell and adopted upon a roll-call vote as
follows:
AYES: 2557
NOES: 0
ABSENT: 364 (Harrington, Douglas)
RESOLUTION # 128 – INTRODUCING
PROPOSED LOCAL LAW NO. 2 OF 2014 CONTINUING THE IMPOSITION OF A HOTEL AND MOTEL
OCCUPANCY TAX.
The following resolution was moved by
Mr. Merrihew, seconded by Mr. Moore and adopted upon a roll-call vote as
follows:
AYES: 2557
NOES: 0
ABSENT: 364 (Harrington, Douglas)
FEREBEE: Discussion?
CONNELL: Yes and I tried to go through the twenty
pages but there are no changes in this local law right?
PALMER:
Yes it’s based upon the previous one. It
is a required renewal through the home rule legislation and it is at this point
setting a public hearing.
CONNELL: Thank you.
SCOZZAFAVA: It’s my understanding at the last meeting in
talking to the County Attorney on this; this is the law that is going to a
public hearing correct?
PALMER: Right.
SCOZZAFAVA: Then if there is any changes or amendments
that take place prior to the adoption of this local law?
PALMER: That is correct.
SCOZZAFAVA: That would also require another public
hearing?
PALMER: Yes it would.
If the change represents a significant change to the local law if it’s a
correction to a word or something like that it doesn’t have an impact then you
don’t need a second public hearing but if in fact it is a major change then
would in fact have to have another public hearing as well.
SCOZZAFAVA: So there is still going to be an opportunity
for discussion on this?
PALMER: I would think so yes. I think probably having Jim McKenna here at
the public hearing at that time would be wise.
SCOZZAFAVA: Thank you.
FEREBEE: Any further discussion? If not, roll call vote.
GARRISON: Just to let you know in this resolution the
public hearing date is not June 16 it will be June 3 at 9:15 a.m. It will be before the regular board meeting
on June 3.
RESOLUTION #129 – AUTHORIZING THE
EXECUTION OF A CHANGE ORDER AND THE PAYMENT THEREOF WITH TECTONIC ENGINEERING
RELATIVE TO PHASE II ENVIRONMENTAL SITE ASSESSMENT AND CONSULTATIONI WITH
RESPECT TO THE HORACE NYE NURSING HOME SEEPAGE PITS IN THE AMOUNT OF $5200.00.
The following resolution was moved by
Mr. Gardner, seconded by Mr. Politi and adopted upon a roll-call vote as
follows:
AYES: 2557
NOES: 0
ABSENT: 364 (Harrington, Douglas)
FEREBEE: Discussion?
SCOZZAFAVA: The original resolution on this that agreed
to do this was capped I believe correct Dan?
PALMER: This actually turned out to be the amount we
needed. In order to get in agreement
with the buyers we had to have Tectonic provide the technical expertise in
order to get to that final piece of the closing that required us to do this,
this, this, this and that’s part of that package that we requested of Tectonic
to do.
SCOZZAFAVA: Wasn’t there an amount not to exceed?
PALMER: Within the closing agreement there is an
amount of $75,000, not to exceed to actually do the work but we needed the work
from Tectonic to be able to do the RFP that went out for the actual pumping and
clean out of the seepage pits.
SCOZZAFAVA: So this $5200.00 would come from contingency?
PALMER: It would come from the sale of the nursing
home.
SCOZZAFAVA: The sale?
PALMER: Yes.
SCOZZAFAVA: Okay thank you.
FEREBEE: Any further discussion?
PALMER: Mr. Harrington is back.
*Clerk’s note - Mr. Harrington arrived
at the meeting.
RESOLUTION # 130 – AUTHORIZING A
CHANGE ORDER TO CONTRACT DPW-13-002 WITH CREIGHTON MANNING ENGINEERING, LLP IN
THE AMOUNT OF $29,235.38, FOR THE COMPLETION OF MOUNTAIN VIEW DRIVE BRIDGE
(COUNTY ROUTE 68) OVER COLDBROOK, WILLSBORO.
The following resolution was moved by
Mr. Gardner, seconded by Mr. Moore and adopted upon a roll-call vote as
follows:
AYES: 2557
NOES: 0
ABSENT: 364 (Harrington, Douglas)
GARRISON: Mr. Harrington do you want to vote on this
resolution?
HARRINGTON: I just got here no.
RESOLUTION #131 – CHANGING THE DATE OF
THE JUNE, 2014 REGULAR BOARD MEETING FROM JUNE 2ND TO JUNE 3RD.
The following resolution was moved by
Mr. Connell, seconded by Mr. Canon and Mr. Whitson and adopted.
RESOLUTION #132 – OF APPRECIATION TO
RICHARD BREMER, M.D.
The following resolution was moved by
Mr. Ferebee and Mr. Preston seconded unanimously and adopted.
RESOLUTION #133 – AUTHORIZING THE
ACCEPTANCE PURSUANT TO REAL PROPERTY TAX LAW 1170 OF A DEED IN LIEU OF
FORECLOSURE WITH RESPECT TO PROPERTY OWNED BY BRADLEY IVES LOCATED IN THE TOWN
OF CROWN POINT, ESSEX COUNTY, NEW YORK BEARING TAX MAP NO. 117.19-5-16.000 IN EXCHANGE
FOR THE CANCELLATION, FORBEARANCE AND FORGIVENESS OF ALL REAL PROPERTY TAXES ON
THE PROPERTY AND PLACING THE PROPERTY IN THE NEXT TAX FORECLOSURE AUCTION.
The following resolution was moved by
Mr. Harrington, seconded by Mr. Moore and adopted as amended upon a roll-call
vote as follows:
AYES: 2719
NOES: 0
ABSENT: 202 (Douglas)
FEREBEE:
Discussion?
HARRINGTON: I have since requested the County Attorney to
voice my concerns regarding the Town of Crown Point attempting to sell this
property. I have ascertained that Essex
County can more easily sell this property than the Town of Crown Point as the
county employees and agency are well versed in this area. There is also the possibility that if Crown
Point were to attempt to sell this property and was unsuccessful that this
property would be become a liability to Crown Point.
PALMER: Dan and I talked about this this morning as
well. I think what you need to do is
amend this resolution to authorize the transfer directly to the next county
auction and that way we would then sell it in our next county auction.
FEREBEE: Would somebody like to move that
amendment? Moved by Mr. Scozzafava,
seconded by Mr. Moore. Now the
resolution as amended?
PALMER:
You have already got it moved.
FEREBEE: All in favor, opposed – carried.
PALMER: There is a roll call on this as amended.
RESOLUTION # 134 – APPOINTING
CHRISTOPHER GARROW TEMPORARY SUPERINTENDENT
OF ESSEX COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS EFFECTIVE MAY 14 THROUGH MAY 31, 2014, AND APPOINTING HIM FULL TIME
SUPERINTENDENT OF ESSEX COUNTY
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS BEGINNING JUNE 1, 2014 AT A SALARY OF $75,000.00
The following resolution was moved by
Mr. Morrow, seconded unanimously and adopted as amended upon a roll-call vote
as follows:
AYES: 2557
NOES: 0
ABSENT: 364 (Harrington, Douglas)
MORROW: Don’t you need an amendment of this?
PALMER: Yes you do.
You guys were too quick. We do
need to move an amendment to this. What
happens is we currently have a DPW Superintendent and we only have one position
so you have to move an amendment to this resolution that authorizes a temporary
DPW Superintendent position effective May 14 and then the temporary position
will then turn into a permanent position on May 31st.
FEREBEE: Amendment moved by Mr. Grinnell, seconded by
Mr. Moore. All in favor, opposed –
carried. Roll call vote and again to
state that is a salary of $75,000.00.
I’d
like to offer courtesy of the floor to Mr. Garrow. Do I have twelve to allow that on the floor?
GARRISON: Yes you do.
FEREBEE: Chris come on up. Get used to this path.
CANON: Get used to that podium.
PALMER: You’re going to be there Chris, come on up.
GARROW: I don’t have a lot to say but I just
appreciate very much that you give me the opportunity to take this position and
go with it. I will make you proud I hope.
I hope I will make you proud but I will do the best I can and that’s
really all I have to say. Thank you.
FEREBEE: Thank you Chris.
Resolutions
from the floor?
RESOLUTION #135 – AUTHORIZING THE
ISSUANCE OF A PERMIT ALLOWING THE USE OF COUNTY ROADWAYS FOR TEAM PLACID PLANT,
INC. TO CONDUCT THE WHITEFACE-WILMINGTON BICYCLE ROAD RACE ON SPRINGFIELD ROAD
AND BONNIEVIEW DRIVE IN THE TOWN OF WILMINGTON, TO BE HELD ON JUNE 1, 2014; AND
THE WILMINGTON CIRCUIT RACE ON SPRINGFIELD ROAD AND HARDY ROAD TO BE HELD ON
MAY 31, 2014.
The following resolution was moved by
Mr. Politi, seconded by Mr. Preston and adopted.
FEREBEE: Do I have twelve to allow that on the floor?
GARRISON: Yes.
FEREBEE: Any discussion? All in favor, opposed – carried. Further resolutions from the floor?
BLADES: I have one.
I would like to move the name of Philip E. Williams from Saranac
Lake. He’s a retired attorney and this
is for the vacant position on the ethics board, the Essex County Ethics
Board. He was the unanimous choice of
the committee when we interviewed last week.
FEREBEE: Do we have twelve to allow this on the floor?
GARRISON:
Yes.
RESOLUTION # 136 - AUTHORIZING THE
APPOINTMENT OF PHILIP E. WILLIAMS TO THE ESSEX COUNTY ETHICS BOARD FOR A FIVE-YEAR
TERM BEGINNING APRIL 1, 2014.
The following resolution was moved by
Mr. Blades, seconded by Mr. Moore and adopted.
FEREBEE: Discussion?
PALMER: Could we include within that a resolution of
appreciation for Frank? I forget his
last name, the one leaving the position on the ethics board now? Or do you want to do that separate?
BLADES: Is it Frank Whitelaw?
PALMER: I’m not sure.
PRESTON: No that’s our coroner.
BLADES: Kerns, that’s who it is.
PALMER: Yes if we could just include that.
FEREBEE: Any discussion on that?
MERRIHEW: I was just going to ask who made up the
interviewing committee?
PALMER: Myself, Mr. Blades and Mike Orticelle the
Chairman of the Ethics committee.
FEREBEE: Dave is the gentleman here today?
PALMER: No.
FEREBEE: All in favor, opposed – carried. Any further resolutions to come from the
floor?
MARNELL: Not a resolution I guess, you hear a lot
lately about the manufactured sale of powdered alcohol and I would like to take
any steps that we could right now to prohibit the sale of that in Essex County
same as we did with the synthetic marijuana last year. These are little packets that kids can put on
soda or ice-cream illegally and it will just be a downfall.
FEREBEE: So you are offering that as a resolution?
MARNELL: Yes.
FEREBEE: Do we have twelve to allow that on the floor?
GARRISON: Yes.
RESOLUTION # 137 – URGING NEW YORK
STATE TO PROHIBIT THE SALE OF POWDERED ALCOHOL.
The following resolution was moved by
Mr. Marnell, seconded by Mr. Moore and adopted.
FEREBEE:
Further discussion? If not, all in
favor, opposed – carried.
Anything
else to come before this committee?
HARRINGTON: I’m not very good at mudslinging but I
received a phone call from Dan Manning and he informed me that he had received
a phone call from a former supervisor.
She had informed Dan that the property I had requested be given to Crown
Point at Ways and Means was bordered on three sides by property owned by my
wife and I and that I was maneuvering this property out of the county auction
so that it could be sold singularly by the Town of Crown Point. This maneuvering allegation was a strategy
said to be implemented and instigated by me so that I could more easily
purchase this property. What I want
everyone to understand is I have been assisting this current property owner in
removing this property from his ownership as he does not have the financial
ability to create a livable home out of this burned out structure. This person also stated that she was going to
the press to expose my intentions be sure of this I have no interest in the
property I can analyze a tax map as you can and can very easily determine that
my wife and I do not own property on three sides of this property in question
and I do understand I would be in conflict with my responsibilities as a town
supervisor and as a member of the Essex County Board of Supervisors. In short this former supervisor in my opinion
needs to employ more investigative strategies and if necessary recruit
assistance so that she can understand all the ramifications of her allegations before
she blows the whistle. Thank you for
your time.
FEREBEE: Thank you Mr. Harrington. Well said and I’m sure this individual will
probably read the minutes as they are produced.
Any
further business to come before this committee today? If not, we stand adjourned.
As there was no further business to
come before this regular board meeting it was adjourned at 10:46 a.m.
Respectfully
submitted,
Judy
Garrison, Clerk
Board
of Supervisors