Village of Lansing

MINUTES of a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Lansing held on Monday, May 16, 2005, in the Village Office.

Present: Mayor Donald Hartill; Trustees, Larry Fresinski, Lynn Leopold, and Frank Moore; Attorney David Dubow; Planning Board Member, Doris Brown; Clerk/Treasurer, Jodi Dake.

Mayor Hartill called the meeting to order at 7:42P.M.and opened the public comment period. Mesh Mewar of (Address) was present to see where we are with the catch basin that is along the side of his property. The problem is that there is 4-5” of silt built up so it is not working. Don stated that the Village engineer, Brent Cross, was looking at both the catch basin and the French drain. Mr. Mewar would like to talk to John Courtney about the French drain. Don will have John call him. Since the French drain is on his neighbor’s property, the Village would need a maintenance easement in writing from his neighbor to go in and clean out the basin since it is on private property. Don explained again that it is against the law for the Village to go on private property to do work. If the neighbor agrees to this, Mesh will contact David Dubow to proceed. David asked for a survey map of his and the neighbor’s property. This would be helpful in drawing up the easement. Mesh thinks that the whole silt problem is due to the fact that the new houses going up don’t have silt fences. He also wondered why this wasn’t enforced. Don explained that there are new regulations in place.

Motion-To Close the Public Comment Period

Trustee Leopold moved to close the public comment period. Trustee Fresinski seconded the motion. A vote was taken:

Mayor Donald Hartill-Aye Trustee Larry Fresinski-Aye Trustee Frank Moore- Aye Trustee Lynn Leopold-Aye

The next items on the agenda was a public information meeting to consider and approve the 2004-05 Storm Water Management Plan Annual Report. Lynn presented an executive summary.

Executive Summary from Annual Report

This Annual Report has been prepared in compliance with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) permitting requirements for small municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4). The Village is a regulated MS4, along with several other Tompkins County municipalities, based on population and residential densities. Under Phase II SPDES (State Pollution Discharge Elimination System) requirements MS4’s must apply for a general permit in order to be authorized to discharge stormwater into “waters of the United States”. This permit requires the development, implementation, and enforcement of a stormwater management program designed to reduce the discharge of pollutants from the storm sewer system to the maximum extent practicable over a five year period. The incremental progress toward the goals of the program must be reported to the NYSDEC by June 1^st of each year. This document has been prepared to satisfy the requirement. As mandated, the Village of Lansing submitted a Notice of Intent, including a SPDES permit application and the proposed stormwater management program in March 2003. This stormwater management program was drafted in cooperation with Village staff and the staff from surrounding municipalities.

Over the past year the Village has continued its involvement with organizations that had public education programs underway prior to the implementation of the mandated MS4 program, such as the Cayuga Lake Watershed Intermunicipal Organization. A large number of the other required activities were already standard practices for the Village. They include public involvement through subdivision and site plan review, regular spring street cleaning, construction site erosion and sediment control and the installation of stormwater facilities to treat runoff from newly developed areas.

The Village plans to begin work in 2005 on developing and implementing a local law to manage stormwater and has recently applied for state funding to help with the legal work this task will require. Whether funded or not, the Village will go forward with the law.

The Village is a member of the Stormwater Working Group, an Intermunicipal partnership in Tompkins County that focuses specifically on stormwater management issues for the MS4s. The SWG is composed of MS4 representatives from Tompkins County, City of Ithaca, Village of Cayuga Heights, the Towns of Lansing, Dryden, Caroline, and Ulysses, and other local groups having an interest in water resource protection including the Soil and Water Conservation District, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Cornell University, and the Watershed Network. The mission of the group is to provide a central resource to help the MS4 communities fulfill the mandated requirements.

The Village will continue to comply with the Phase II SPDES requirements, and will actively insure implementation of the stormwater management plan. This effort will, however, require significant staff time and monetary expenditures, and the strict requirements of this unfunded mandate will impose a burden on the Village’s limited resources.

Lynn stated that the MS4’s have applied for moneys as a group. By 2008 the Village will have to have drafted a local law on this. A Stormwater Management Plan is available in the State Law. Frank asked what we were talking about here. David Dubow explained that many of the things that the Phase II requirements intend to address are already in our Subdivision Regulations. David directed Frank to Section 405 of the Village’s Subdivision Regulations which deals with drainage improvements and specific design criteria. This section includes specifications and this will very likely be reincorporated into a new law. Enforcement for these issues is tricky because the only person that can enforce them is the Code & Zoning Officer and he doesn’t have much leverage other than stopping building. Lynn stated that the best thing that has come out of this is public education.

Resolution #4154-To Approve the 2004-05 Storm Water Management Plan Annual Report and Authorize the Mayor to Sign the Certification Page.

Trustee Leopold moved to accept this resolution. Trustee Fresinski seconded the motion. A vote was taken:

Mayor Donald Hartill-Aye Trustee Larry Fresinski-Aye Trustee Frank Moore- Aye Trustee Lynn Leopold-Aye

Dave Putnam reported that Kline Road Bypass would start tomorrow. He handed out a map of the private road off of Warren Road accessing the Northwood apartments and proposed plans for altering the road design in conjunction with the road being conveyed to the Village. The map shows plans for the divided section to be removed and reestablished. East and west traffic will be separated and a sidewalk will be added all the way to Warren Road. Dave and Don have been negotiating with the owners of Northwood Apartments and they are very close to a deal. The end result will be that the property will be conveyed to the Village and we will own Northwood Road. It will cost approximately $150,000 based upon current estimates, although Dave Putnam indicated that he would have to prepare more specific estimates. Don stated that a bus shelter in that area would also be nice. Dave Putnam will contact the person responsible for bus shelters.

The next item on the agenda was to approve the minutes from March 16th & 21st.

Motion-Approval of Minutes for May 2, 2005

Trustee Leopold moved that the draft meeting notes, as reviewed and revised by the Clerk/Treasurer and the Board, are hereby adopted as the official minutes. Trustee Moore seconded the motion. A vote was taken:

Mayor Donald Hartill-Aye Trustee Larry Fresinski-Aye

Trustee Frank Moore- Aye Trustee Lynn Leopold-Aye

Lynn thanked Jodi for doing such a nice job on the minutes of the organizational meeting.

Next on the agenda was to approve the Tax Warrant. Jodi explained that she has been working with Mary Mills at the Tompkins County Assessment Department but they still haven’t agreed on definite numbers. The rates are established but there will be some rounding issues. That should be finalized tomorrow but this is the last meeting that the Board has before Jodi begins collecting taxes on June 1^st. The following is the Tax Warrant. (With the approval of the minutes this has the correct totals and represents the one actually signed by the Mayor)

WARRANT TO TREASURER TO COLLECT TAXES

To: Jodi L. Dake

Treasurer of the Village of Lansing

YOU ARE HEREBY COMMANDED to receive and collect from the several names in the assessment roll, hereunto annexed, the several sums named in the last column thereof opposite their respective names, altogether a total of $974,540.73, for the following purposes:

For the General Fund 541,098.43

For the Water Fund 19,049.44

For the Special Assessment-Sewer Collector Fund 21,395.58

For Delinquent Water Rents 6,128.22

For Delinquent Sewer Rents 755.56

For Cayuga Heights Sewer Rents 386,113.50

YOU ARE HEREBY COMMANDED to receive as much thereof as may voluntarily be paid to you from June first to and including July first of this year, without additional charge, and after expiration of the time mentioned to proceed forthwith to collect the residue of the sums not so paid in as aforesaid, with five per centum charge for the first month and an additional one per centum charge for each month and fraction thereof thereafter, and you are to file the tax roll and warrant in your office on or before the 15^th day of November 2005, at which time the taxes will be returned to the County tax roll.

Resolution #4155 –To Authorize the Mayor to Sign the Tax Warrant with Changes that May Occur As the Information is Reviewed with the Tompkins County Assessment Department.

Trustee Fresinski moved this resolution. Trustee Moore seconded the motion. A vote was taken:

Mayor Donald Hartill-Aye Trustee Larry Fresinski-Aye

Trustee Frank Moore- Aye Trustee Lynn Leopold-Aye

The Mayor stated that N. Triphammer Road Project was proceeding but not as rapidly as he would like to see. NYSEG is switching over power. There is roadwork on the south side of the bridge. It was suppose to be completed in three weeks but they keep running into surprises. Suit Kote has been very good about maintaining traffic flow.

The Kline Road Bypass sewer project starts tomorrow. Cayuga Heights Rd. will be torn up when this takes place. This line will remain dry until its use is required. Once it goes into use there will be a charge back.

S.C.L.I.W.C. has moved into the new part of their building at Bolton Point. They are now reconstructing the old building. This should be completed by the end of the summer.

Don asked Doris if there was a Planning Board recommendation yet for an alternate member. She explained that the Board has a couple of people in mind but nothing official yet. Don stated that he was at the Shannon Park block party on Saturday and was trying to do some recruiting for our boards and committees.

Lynn stated that the Town of Lansing sewer meeting was next Wednesday. She hopes to meet with Dave Putnam before that. Don stated that he is trying to get another person for that committee. Lynn asked Don what the timeline was for this. Don feels there will not be a coherent plan until shortly after the first of the year.

Anita from the Lansing Fire Department was present. Don asked her if there were any updates. She stated that they still have not had luck finding any land for the proposed replacement fire station.

Motion- To Adjourn

Trustee Fresinski moved for adjournment. Trustee Moore seconded the motion. A vote was taken:

Mayor Donald Hartill-Aye Trustee Larry Fresinski-Aye Trustee Frank Moore- Aye Trustee Lynn Leopold-Aye

The meeting adjourned at 8:40 PM.

Jodi Dake Clerk/Treasurer