Board of Trustees

INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF PIERMONT BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING November 14, 2023 Present: Mayor Bruce Tucker, Deputy Mayor Mark Blomquist, Trustee Rob Burns, Trustee Nate Mitchell, Trustee Michael Wright, Rudy Zodda for Village Attorney and Jennifer DeYorgi Maher Village Clerk-Treasurer. Not Present: Lino Sciarretta, Esq. -Village Attorney Mayor Bruce Tucker called the meeting to order and lead everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance. Item #1 Approval of Meeting Minutes Trustee Mitchell made a motion to approve the minutes for October 17, 2023. The motion was seconded by Trustee Wright and so carried with a vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays. Item #2 Approval of Warrant Trustee Blomquist made a motion to approve Warrant #102323 in the amount of $52,544.80 and Warrant # 111423 in the amount of $1,063,060.03 for a grand total of $1,115,604.83. The motion was seconded by Trustee Mitchell and so carried with a vote of 5 ayes and 0 nays. Item #3 Department Reports Department of Public Works - Highway Superintendent Tom Temple reviewed the October Monthly DPW Report. He stated their recycling will be changed from Thursday November 23, 2023, to Friday November 24, 2023, due to Thanksgiving. Leaf collection started at the end of October and goes through the first week of December. The DPW collects loose and bagged leaves. Bag leaves are collected every other week or on an as-needed basis. Residents can get leaf bags at the DPW garage. Mayor Tucker asked if there were any updates on if we could use Rockland County’s equipment to clean out the skating pond. Superintendent Tom Temple stated he will reach out to Rockland County Highway Superintendent Skip Vezzetti to see when the Village can use the equipment. Superintendent Tom Temple stated he will be working on relining the parking spots on Piermont Avenue, the Village will lose two spots once its complete. Police Department – Chief Hurley was not present. Building Department - Building Inspector Charles Schaub was not present. Parks Department – Dan Sherman stated the fountain at the Skating Pond is in the mud and should be removed. Superintendent Tom Temple stated it will be removed. Fire Department – Fire Chief Cabrera stated for the month of October the Fire Department responded to 33 calls, 10 Fire and Rescue calls and 23 EMS calls yearly total is 365. On the last Monday in November the department is participating in a multiagency drill in Sparkill which will detail doing a simulated car accident. The Saturday after Thanksgiving is the start of the Christmas Tree sale which continue until the all the trees are sold. Thanksgiving morning the Dive team will do their annual Thanksgiving Day Dive by Kane Park. Item #4 - Old Business Village Clerk-Treasurer stated the Village budgeted $525,000.00 for New York State Retirement contributions for 2024. She stated there was a “shortfall” of $49,982.00. Village Clerk- Treasurer stated to make the December payment the board will need to make a resolution. Village of Piermont Board of Trustee Minutes November 14, 2023 Page 2 of 4 Mayor Tucker made a motion to approve the resolution to authorize $49,982.00 to come out of the general fund to pay for the “shortfall” for the 2024 New York State Retirement Contribution. The motion was seconded by Trustee Burns and so carried with a vote of 5 ayes and 0 nays. Mayor Tucker had no old business to discuss. Trustee Blomquist had no old business to discuss. Trustee Burns had no old business to discuss. Trustee Mitchell had no old business to discuss. Trustee Wright had no old business to discuss. Item# 5 New Business Village Clerk-Treasurer had no new business to discuss. Mayor Tucker had no new business to discuss. Trustee Blomquist had no new business to discuss. Trustee Burns had no new business to discuss. Trustee Mitchell stated Tetra Tech is due by October 18, 2023. Trustee Wright had no new business to discuss. Item #6 7:00pm Public Hearing Local Law regarding Flood Damage Prevention Mayor Tucker made a motion to move Public Hearing Local Law regarding Flood Damage Prevention to December 12, 2023. The motion was seconded by Trustee Burns and so carried with a vote of 5 ayes and 0 nays. Item #7 Request from RMS Cruises to dock at the Piermont Pier on Thursday, December 14, 2023, 3:00pm boarding and 7:00pm disembark Village Clerk-Treasurer stated the fee is $1,000.00 and they won’t need Police presence because they are disembarking before 9pm. Mayor Tucker made a motion to approve RMS Cruises to dock at the Piermont Pier on Thursday, December 14, 2023, 3:00pm boarding and 7:00pm disembark. The motion was seconded by Trustee Mitchell and so carried with a vote of 5 ayes and 0 nays. Item #8 Request from Veterans Memorial Association to install two maps from 1854 for display in Village Hall Richard Esnard on behalf of the Veterans Memorial Association stated he would like to propose the display of two maps in the open section at Piermont Village Hall. The larger map is Rockland County 1854 map. The smaller map is an enlargement of the insert map at the upper left-hand corner of the Rockland County map. The larger map will be reduced to match the smaller one before it is installed. Trustee Burns asked if there would be an explanation along with the maps. Richard Esnard stated there will be a description along with the maps. Richard Esnard discussed the importance of the map. Each map will have a frame along with a discussion of the map. Mayor Tucker stated the maps and ideas should be presented to the Historic Society and if the Historic Society would like to move ahead with the idea, they should present it to the Piermont Village Board. Village of Piermont Board of Trustee Minutes November 14, 2023 Page 3 of 4 Item #9 Resolution for Piermont First Responders to receive tax break Village Clerk Treasurer read a portion of an information page about the First Responder Tax Break. The law states Local Governments can adopt a local law to exempt up to 10% of the assessed value of a primary home for volunteers who have been members of a volunteer fire department or ambulance service for at least two years. Village Clerk-Treasurer stated there are eight residents that would receive this. Mayor Tucker made a motion to approve Piermont First Responders to receive tax break. The motion was seconded by Trustee Mitchell and so carried with a vote of 4 ayes and 1 abstain (Mark Blomquist). Item #10 Declaration of Emergency Repair of the retaining wall on the north side of the Community Center, designation of an emergency contractor to do the repairs, and discussion on how to finance the emergency repair Mayor Tucker stated the retaining wall on the north side of the Community Center is in imminent need and could collapse at any time. Mayor Tucker as Mayor he can authorize emergency repair. He stated the Village does not have to go out to bid for emergency repair. Trustee Mitchell asked if the Village could use ARPA funding for the repair of the wall. Mayor Tucker stated the Village originally designated 39,000.00 from ARPA. He stated that this is a long-term project and being that it is considered infrastructure it will be best to bond for it. Mayor Tucker stated when the Village went to bid for the wall the lowest bid came in at $95,000.00 the highest was $850,000.00. He stated he received a quote from Guardia Landscape and Masonry in the amount of $68,500.00. The wall will be a stone retaining wall and included in that price will be some improvements for drainage. Village Clerk Treasurer stated the Bond Counsel prepared a Bond Resolution in the amount of $68,500.00 for the stone retaining wall which will be financed with the 2025 capital budget. She stated the Village needs the Bond Resolution in place before the work can be done. Mayor Tucker made a motion to approve Guardia Landscape and Masonry to Repair the stone retaining wall on the north side of the Community Center in the amount of $68,500.00. The motion was seconded by Trustee Wright and so carried with a vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays. Trustee Burns made a motion to approve the Bond Resolution in the amount of $68,500.00 for the 2025 capital budget year for the repair of the stone retaining wall on the north side of the Community Center. The motion was seconded by wright and so carried with a vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays. Item #11 Authorize Village Clerk-Treasurer to Re-Levy unpaid Village property taxes with Rockland County Village Clerk-Treasurer stated the total amount of unpaid Taxes inc. State lands is $163,353.10. The total re-levy including 7% is in the amount of $174,787.82, that amount is due on November 15, 2023. Once the Village Board passes the Resolution the document requires three signatures from members of the Board. Trustee Burns made a motion to approve the Re-Levy of unpaid Village property taxes with Rockland in the amount of $174,787.82. The motion was seconded by Trustee Mitchell and so carried with a vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays. Village of Piermont Board of Trustee Minutes November 14, 2023 Page 4 of 4 Item #12 Review notice from M&T Bank who is migrating to a new custodian for the Village’s collateralized deposits with Wilmington Trust. Authorize Clerk to sign a new third party custodial agreement with Wilmington Trust Trustee Blomquist made a motion to approve M&T Bank who is migrating to a new custodian for the Village’s collateralized deposits with Wilmington Trust. Authorize Clerk to sign a new third party custodial agreement with Wilmington Trust. The motion was seconded by Trustee Mitchell and so carried with a vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays. Item #13 Public comment Lori Lowell – 21 Gair Street Thanked the Village Board for accepting the First Responders to receive a tax break. Item #14 Adjournment Trustee Burns made a motion at 7:32pm to adjourn. The motion was seconded by Trustee Mitchell and so carried with a vote of 5 ayes and 0 nays. Respectfully submitted, Jennifer DeYorgi Maher Clerk-Treasurer