Solar Law. The hearing scheduled for November 25th was cancelled. Supervisor Lachterman announced that a revised version of the law will be referred out in late December but he did not specify what those revisions might be.
Note: On November 24th, the town attorney released a revised version of the law, identified as version 4, that included a few changes from the previous version, mostly in the language relating to setbacks and the height of solar panels. According to NYS Town Law, if substantive changes are made in a proposed law after it has been noticed, then a new notice is required. As of this posting, it is not known if the changes in version 4 are the only changes now being considered or if there could be other changes.
Police Department Record Keeping Software. A representative of Motorola made a presentation on a new software package that would replace the department’s existing software installed in 2017. According to Chief Noble, the new system would increase department efficiency. The new package would cost an estimated $724,226 to install and transfer data from the existing system (the town could pay the cost over three years) and $27,278 a year for the next ten years. The pricing will only be available through the end of December after which time Motorola will be providing the software on a subscription basis that will be much more expensive, The Board will take the issue under advisement.
CREST grant. The $100,000 grant from Senator Harckham’s office can be used for open space, parks and playgrounds, ADA compliance and sidewalks. Parks Superintendent Jim Martorano and Recreation Commission Chairman Matt Talbert asked the Board to use the money to replace the existing outdated playground at Sparkle Lake. They estimated that the cost could exceed the grant mount by $50,000-$80,000 depending on what features were included in the replacement plan. The Board appeared to support the use of the CREST funds for a new playground but asked Martorano to provide a breakdown on what each set of features would cost.
As part of the discussion Councilwoman Siegel urged the Board to adopt an actual capital plan covering 1-3 years that would prioritize capital projects to be funded from the General Fund’s fund balance and only after the comptroller advised the Board on the how much money could be taken from the fund without jeopardizing the town’s future financial health. She noted, for example, that if the Board went ahead with the new Motorola software for the Police Department (see above discussion), the funds would have to come from the fund balance.
In response to Supervisor Lachterman’s comment that the Board already has a capital plan- and that it’s in the budget – Councilwoman Siegel called the budget document a “wish list” that was not a real spending plan.
Veterans Tax Exemption A member of the Veterans Advisory Committee advised the Board that unlike the town, both school districts are using a formula that reduces the amount of the tax exemption veterans qualify for. They asked, and the Board agreed, to send a letter to the school districts asking them to change the way they calculate the exemption.
Cell Tower on Granite Springs Road. In two separate actions, the Board set December 16 for a public hearing on the request by Homeland Towers to install a cell tower on town land and to authorize the supervisor to sign a DEC wetlands permit application. Supervisor Lachterman explained that signing the application in no way was an admission that the town was giving its approval to the project. Councilman Esposito said he and Councilman Murphy have been working with an area resident regarding a possible shift in the location of the access road leading into the tower. (Note: At the town’s request, the NYS Legislature alienated, aka, removed, the parcel’s “parkland” designation.)
Hollywood Street Tree and Stormwater Permit. The Board adjourned a public hearing on a request from a builder for a tree and stormwater permits to build one house on the street after residents advised the Board of ongoing drainage problems in the street. They questioned whether the onsite rain garden the builder was proposing to capture runoff from the site would work given the area’s high water table. Responding to the residents’ comments about existing drainage problems, Supervisor Lachterman said he would to a site visit with the town engineer to inspect existing stormwater catch basins on the street.
For a video of the meeting click yorktownny.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=1&clip_id=2027