Mayor & Village Board of Trustees

VILLAGE OF PELHAM BOARD OF TRUSTEES REGULAR MEETING TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2015, 7:30 PM VILLAGE HALL – 195 SPARKS AVENUE, PELHAM, NY Minutes 1. Call to Order 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Mayor’s Report 4. Trustees’ Reports 5. Village Administrator’s Report 6. Public Comment # Agenda Items: Non-Recurring Items 7. Announcing the Retirement of Police Detective Rick Deere Discussed 8. Authorizing the Hiring of Two (2) Village of Pelham Police Officers Approved 9. Authorizing an Agreement with Westchester County for the Employee Approved Assistance Program (EAP) 10. Mandatory Resolution Changing the Date of the Local Village Election Approved from Tuesday March 17th to Wednesday March 18th, (The Same Requirement Applies To All Villages For March 2015 Elections). 11. Discussion About Updating the Village of Pelham Website Discussed 12. Other Business None Recurring Items 13. Authorizing Accounts Payable Approved 14. Authorizing Minutes of: December 2, 2014, December 16, 2014, Approved December 22, 2014 15. Adjournment to Executive Session Approved Next Regularly Scheduled BOT Meetings: Tuesday, January 20, 2015 Tuesday, February 3, 2015 All meetings start at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Item #1 – Meeting called to order: The meeting of the Board of Trustees was called to order by Mayor Cassidy at 7:30 p.m. The following members of the Board of Trustees were present: Deputy Mayor Volpe, Trustees Senerchia, Mutti, Reim, and Kagan, and Marty Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Tuesday, January 6, 2015 The following members of the Board of Trustees were absent: Village staff in attendance: Village Administrator Robert Yamuder, Secretary to the Village Administrator Peter Bonington Item #2 – Pledge of Allegiance: The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mayor Cassidy. Reports: Mayor Cassidy Report Mayor Cassidy stated that Detective Rick Deere’s retirement party will be on Saturday, January 24th. Trustees Reports: Trustee Kagan Trustee Kagan reported that the application to transfer the water system to United Water has been forwarded to the Public Service Commission. He said the Village is awaiting a response. Trustee Kagan asked if the Administrator had contacted the Empire Plan about bringing certain requirements in line with the employee handbook recently passed by the Board. Administrator Yamuder stated he had had some initial communication with the benefits department of the Empire Plan about what would be necessary to effectuate that change. He said the Board had already approved the change when it approved the handbook. He said he would be drafting an official letter about this change in the coming days. Trustee Marty None Trustee Mutti None Page 2 Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Tuesday, January 6, 2015 Trustee Reim Absent Trustee Senerchia Trustee Senerchia stated he would be looking into parking meter applications such as PANGO to see if they can streamline the meter operations. He believed there would be no cost to the Village to institute this option and it is available on most smartphones. He said he would have more to report at future meetings. Trustee Volpe Trustee Volpe reported that the Village had received a decision from the Judge presiding over the ExteNet matter. She ruled that the application for removal was now moot. He asked that the decision be posted on the website. Village Administrator’s Report Administrator Yamuder stated that the Village would be collecting Christmas trees until January 31st. He said there is no set day for collection so trees can be left out for eventual collection by the DPW. Item #6– Public Comment Ralph Palma of 15 4th Avenue stated that he is having a dispute with his neighbor who is a commercial property owner. He claimed that the commercial property overhangs his driveway and in the winter icles and snow dropping off from the roof of the building are negatively impacting his driveway, cars, and home. He stated that although he has sought a solution with the owner of this property, they are not on good terms. Trustee Volpe said the Board would need some time to review this inquiry. Administrator Yamuder added that Mr. Palma had previously been in communication with the Village Building Inspector Len Russo. He said Mr. Russo has been in touch with the commercial property owner regarding this issue and was exploring some options. He added that the property owner had provided a letter detailing his own take on the matter. Page 3 Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Tuesday, January 6, 2015 Item #7– Announcing the Retirement of Police Detective Rick Deere Administrator Yamuder announced that Detective Rick Deere would be retiring as of Friday, January 9th. Mayor Cassidy stated that he would be presenting Det. Deere with a proclamation at his retirement party on the 24th however he did say that Det. Deere represents the best qualities of residents who serve the Village. He congratulated him and wished him luck with his future endeavors. Item #8– Authorizing the Hiring of Two (2) Village of Pelham Police Officers Mayor Cassidy stated the Village will have two Police Department members leaving this year for retirement. He added there is the possibility that more officers may be retiring in the coming Fiscal Year. He said the Village has taken the opportunity to conduct interviews for prospective candidates and has the ability to send one or two candidates to the coming Police Academy if they choose. Trustee Senerchia stated the Village must plan ahead in the event of future retirements. He said there may be some salary adjustments for incoming officers however he advised the public that this may not result in significant cost savings as some might think. He said based on his impression, the Village will need to hire at least one and maybe two police officers. Trustee Volpe asked if the Village is bound to hire any candidates that they send to the Academy. Administrator Yamuder confirmed that the Village would have to hire any candidates that are sent to the Police Academy. Trustee Volpe asked about the effect on Police overtime as a result of one or two hires. Administrator Yamuder responded that he would have to study and analyze these trends to deliver a factual answer. Trustee Kagan asked how often the Police Academy held classes. Administrator Yamuder stated that the Police Academy is held generally once-a-year however they are held based on demand. Mayor Cassidy responded that in his experience, hiring for the purpose of containing overtime almost never works. He said although Police union negotiations are separate from these decisions, they do raise questions that the Board must consider. He stated that he felt the Village should hire two police officers and send them to the coming Academy. Page 4 Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Tuesday, January 6, 2015 Trustee Kagan asked if the interviewers had determined if any of the prospective candidates came from any other Police or Fire Departments in NY State. Administrator Yamuder confirmed that none of the officers came from the any other police or fire department in NY State. A motion was made by Trustee Volpe and seconded by Trustee Mutti to approve the resolution to appoint two police officers. The vote was approved by a vote of six in favor, none opposed. Trustee Reim was absent. Item #9– Authorizing an Agreement with Westchester County for the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Administrator Yamuder stated the Village has an existing agreement with Westchester County to provide EAP services for employees regarding personal and professional matters. He said whereas prior agreements were for three years with two one-year extensions, this contract is for a straight five years. He said it is otherwise identical to the agreement signed by the Village five years ago. He recommended the Board approve the contract. He added that the Village can notify Westchester County if they find a better provider of services in the future with 10 days notice. Trustee Kagan stated services such as these are in the employee handbook and provide cost savings for the Village in terms of insurance premiums and are a good example of inter-municipal cooperation to reduce costs. A motion was made by Trustee Volpe and seconded by Trustee Kagan to approve the resolution. The vote was approved by a vote of six in favor, none opposed. Trustee Reim was absent. RESOLVED, that the Village of Pelham is authorized to continue to participate in the Westchester County EAP for a term of three years with two one year options commencing on January 1, 2015 and shall expire on December 31, 2019.The Village of Pelham shall pay the County a fee of at the rate of $45 per employee annually for all five years, and authorizes the Mayor, the Administrator, and the Village Attorney to take the necessary and appropriate actions to sign and renew this agreement. Item10– Mandatory Resolution Changing the Date of the Local Village Election from Tuesday March 17th to Wednesday March 18th, (The Same Requirement Applies To All Villages For March 2015 Elections). Administrator Yamuder stated that due to a holiday scheduling conflict, the Board would have to resolve to move the date of the elections for the coming year. He said the resolution would be provided with the Westchester Board of Elections for proper filing. Page 5 Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Tuesday, January 6, 2015 A motion was made by Trustee Volpe and seconded by Trustee Senerchia to approve the resolution. The vote was approved by a vote of six in favor, none opposed. Trustee Reim was absent. (Note: this change in date is due to Election Day falling on St. Patrick’s Day, with provisions now provided in State Law to mandate the date of the election be changed in the event of a conflict.) WHEREAS, pursuant to NYS Election Law, §15, 104.1.b., which requires that whenever the seventeenth day of March shall fall on the third Tuesday of March (Village Election Day), the Board of Trustees of such Village shall provide that such election shall be held on the eighteenth day of March. BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees hereby schedules the local Village Election to be held on Wednesday, March 18, 2015, as required by NYS Election Law, §15, 104.1.b.,, and orders the Administrator and the Clerk to provide a copy of this resolution to the Westchester County Board of Elections, which runs our local Village of Pelham elections, and any other applicable entity. Item 11– Discussion About Updating the Village of Pelham Website Trustee Mutti stated that the website is due for an improvement in terms of aesthetic as well as user ability. She said she hopes to make it more interactive and easier to use. She stated the Village had asked for and received several quotes from different firms, including Virtual Town Hall and Civicplus, for the upgrade, however she is awaiting another by the following Tuesday. She would have more to report at the next meeting. Mayor Cassidy stated that based on the quotes currently received, the financial numbers seem reasonable for the scope of work. He added that the website is a resource and a tool for the Village. Trustee Mutti stated she would be looking into additional resources and amenities such as meeting playback and mobile compatibility. Trustee Kagan asked if the Administrator could look for grants to assist in paying for the upgrade. The Administrator stated he could research if there are any such grant opportunities. Item #12– Other Business None Item #13– Authorizing the Accounts Payable Page 6 Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Tuesday, January 6, 2015 Trustee Reim audited the Accounts Payable. A motion was made by Trustee Mutti and seconded by Trustee Marty to approve the resolution. The vote was approved by a vote of six in favor, none opposed. Trustee Reim was absent. RESOLUTION WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 5-524 of the New York State Village Law, the Board of Trustees shall audit all claims against the Village. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees after audit of the following claims, authorizes payment for services rendered and materials received, for the following items that have been submitted to the Treasurer's Office for payment and authorized by the Village Administrator: Fund Name: Amount General Fund $237,477.05 Water Fund $54,037.30 Capital Projects Fund $0.00 Trust and Agency Fund $247.50 CD NYS Main Street Fund $0.00 H3 Fund $0.00 TE Expand Trust Fund $0.00 Grand Total $291,761.85 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that this Board hereby approves payment of the above mentioned claims and authorizes payment thereof. Item #14– Authorizing Minutes of: December 2, 2014, December 16, 2014, and December 22, 2014 A motion was made by Trustee Mutti and seconded by Trustee Senerchia to approve the resolution. The vote was approved by a vote of six in favor, none opposed. Trustee Reim was absent. December 2, 2014- Approved A motion was made by Trustee Kagan and seconded by Trustee Marty to approve the resolution. The vote was approved by a vote of six in favor, none opposed. Trustee Reim was absent. December 16, 2014- Approved The Board decided to table these minutes until a later meeting. Page 7 Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Tuesday, January 6, 2015 December 22, 2014- Tabled Item #15– Adjournment to Executive Session A motion was made by Trustee Marty with a second by Trustee Volpe to adjourn the public portion of the Board meeting at 8:29 pm and go into Executive Session to discuss a pending legal matter after which time the Board would adjourn for the evening. The motion was approved by vote of six in favor, none opposed. Trustee Reim was absent. Respectfully submitted, Peter Bonington, Secretary to the Village Administrator Page 8