Board of Trustees

Village of Walden Board of Trustees Regular Meeting May 21, 2024 Mayor Ramos called the regular meeting of the Village of Walden Board of Trustees to order at 6:30pm. On roll call the following were: Mayor: John Ramos Present: Deputy Mayor Trustees Becky Pearson Liz Kyle Bill Taylor Absent: Kristie Hall Chris Batson Ralph Garrison Jr Also Present: John Revella, Village Manager Marisa Kraus, Village Clerk Dave Donovan, Village Attorney Presentation – Valley Central Salutatorian This student displayed a phenomenal ability. Future is bright. Adam Bilkoshift. Extremely proud. Public Hearing – Local Law 9 of 2024 – Residency Requirement Trustee Pearson made a motion to open public hearing 9 of 2024 – Residency Requirement. Seconded by Trustee Kyle. All ayes. Motion carried. Sue Taylor: I have always been a proponent of certain village employees being mandated to live within the village limits. I thought it was important as I believed that if those employees had to pay village taxes, they would be more apt to be protective of taxpayer dollars. I have since changed my mind. I am no longer convinced that residency automatically equates to a frugal mindset when it comes to taxpayer dollars. Orange County has changed. We have a much larger commuter base and are now competing with places like New York City and Westchester County to attract candidates for local jobs. Extending residency requirements into the Town of Montgomery was a nice start. But I now feel that extending those requirements to Orange County as a whole is a much better answer that would create a much larger pool and more diverse range of candidates whose experience in education would benefit our village. We all know that New York State is one of the most expensive states to live in. Asking candidates with families to uproot and move them into our village could be a deal breaker. Our main goal should be finding the best candidates. In my opinion, we are handcuffing ourselves. If you continue to drop your line into the same pond, you cannot expect much to change, especially the kind of fish you are able to catch. Mary Ellen Matise: Just a comment on age requirement and I don't know if that's a civil service requirement or why there is an age requirement for positions. I know that for an elected official there is, but does that really apply to Zoning Board, Planning Board and to like secretarial jobs? And why? Lynn Thompson: I too agree that you should have a very open mind about how you propose to select candidates for the job. For any of our jobs. I'm not a real estate expert, but I see what I see going on in the village. Housing is a big issue in our village. Quality housing is a big issue in our village, so to make that a mandate for an employee to have to live here, we're going to throw away a 1 bunch of people that would perhaps want to work here but they can't live here. I don't think anyone should have to sacrifice everything, their family, their home. I just think if you want the job, if you truly in your heart want a job in the Village of Walden, you're going to take the job, you're going to do a great job. Where you live does not make you a great employee. It's within you that makes you a great employee. Having lived with someone who's been in law enforcement and has worked in places other than where we lived. He was still a great police officer and administrator and could get to an emergency situation bing bang boom. Has anyone ever seen a police officer drive when they have to put the pedal to the metal? They do it and they get there. You could have someone who lives over in the Hamlet of Wallkill be here in 3 minutes. You could have someone in the Town of Newburgh be here in 5 minutes. You could have someone here in the Village of Walden and be here in 15 minutes. I'm particularly talking about the Police Chief position, but all of our jobs. I was on this board and I voted before. I don't think anybody, even the Village Manager, should be forced to live in the village. But I conceded after a lot of thought that perhaps the Village Manager should live here because that is the person you want to know knows everything that's going on in your village 24 hours a day. I just really hope you guys revisit it. I hope you think long and hard about it and you think about the type of people you want filling the jobs. Where they live, to me, does not make the best employee. Thank you. Trustee Taylor made a motion to keep public hearing 9 of 2024 – Residency Requirement open. Seconded by Trustee Pearson. Trustee Pearson: I would like to make a comment because I know Liz, you were also talking about the Police Chief living further. And I thought about that. So, I think the board needs more discussion. I know it's a public hearing, but I think we really do need to discuss it more. I know it was kind of just thrown upon us at the last meeting at. Trustee Kyle: I do feel strongly that it should open up, especially the Police Chief. If that needs to be open for further discussion, I'm all for it. Trustee Taylor: I agree. Manager Revella: If I get what you're saying, you're trying to propose the Chief to be county wide as well to add them to A and remove B. Trustee Kyle: I like what it says now. But if you wanted to open a further discussion, I'm not opposed to that. I did read over it and I did like the changes that were made and it did expand it. Trustee Pearson: Yes, but you were concerned about being still too narrow for the Police Chief when we were in that discussion, you were wanting it to go to the county. I think that's worthy of a discussion, whether it should be or shouldn't be. Trustee Taylor: I think it's apparent that we would like to have further discussion and keep the public hearing open. Attorney Donovan: Sure and there's a motion on the floor for that and you can certainly do that. I always advocate to keep the public hearing open when you think you're going to hear more information from the public, that's gonna help you to make up your mind. If you might, that's great. If you don't, you gotta remember, with the local law you can close the public hearing and then have your own deliberations. You're under no time constraints to make a decision. You can make the decision whatever you think is appropriate. And if you do decide to make a change to have the Chief of Police go county wide, that's another public hearing. Whatever you want to do, there is a motion and a second. The motion on the floor to continue the public hearing until June. 2 Trustee Kyle: I think maybe because we discussed it in executive session last time, this is the first time it is kind of being open to the public. So maybe it wouldn't hurt if nobody knew about it and then they wanted to talk about it at the next board meeting. 3 ayes. 1 no. Doesn’t pass. Public hearing stays open. Mayor Ramos: We'll discuss it June 4th. Village Manager’s Report Manager Revella: Since last meeting there was a lot of goings on, but some highlights. The tennis courts have been repainted. Nets are up, ready to go for both tennis and pickleball. Tennis has 63 registrants, which is more than last year, flag football and summer camp are set up ready to go. Flooring company has a couple of more punch list items. They were doing some caulking they have to fix the doors here. The threshold is a little problem. Did interview a couple new PD candidates. Hired 2 pending background and psych exams. Went over projects with the engineer, including the smoke testing and the bids with the Clerk. We have that on for later as an add-on, hopefully to award that through CDBG. Did go to the NYCOM Conference along with the Clerk, Treasurer, Trustee Kyle and the Superintendent Secretary. Did have a meeting with the developer for 29 Grant St. They're looking to do pretty much the same thing that was presented previously with the mixed- use commercial and residential. Went over stuff with the Treasurer, invoices, journal entries, things for the relevy, bank reqs are ongoing. It's going to be going on for a while. Did fix all the delinquent bills. She's got that all that processed to the county. Had a conference with the PBA about the 12 hour shift. They had a meeting the other night. They have another meeting coming up before they finalize and hopefully have an MOA for the board to review for next meeting. Had meetings with the contractor for the cameras. That's been going well. The parks are now camera’d up, so they're live feed to the PD. The Building Department, the Inspector issued 22 new permits, 5 violations, and followed up on 36 Orange Ave with the wall issue and 35-37 N Montgomery Street with the asbestos contractor. Hopefully that gets back shortly so we can get that taken care of. Code Enforcement sent out 28 violation notices, 52 letters, 57 violation follow-ups. 54 of the violations have been corrected. 1 inspection, 46 grass violations and 1 final. Part Time Inspector issued 1 permit, 1 certificate of completion, 3 CO's, 13 residential inspections for 34 apartments and 2 commercial inspections and followed up with the townhouse project. Clerk's been working on Facebook, FOILs, went to the conference, payroll, minutes and resident requests and response. The Treasurer has been meeting with me to finish the relevant and delinquent notices working on issues of billings, journal entries went to NYCOM, vouchers and support calls with Edmunds. Public Works, they've been trying to do year end things, patching, sidewalks, catch basins. Water Department. They did 20 mark outs, replaced 4 meters, 9 endpoints and did 2 inspections and maintaining facilities. They did have a major issue on Sunny Place, 1 of the main water valves broke. Took them a long time to get a fix and once they get it fixed, the next valve broke and they had to fix that one so they were there for a while. Police. They had a major incident in the village April 25th. It was completely resolved by May 10th, including a plea agreement. It was good that everything was done quickly. We were also awarded a grant $360,000 from New York State Division of Criminal Justice, to pay for the camera system the board approved and also to put more license plate readers in the cars and around town. Staffing still an issue until we have these officers back from backgrounds and psych. Once that happens, we'll get some more on the road and hopefully things will get a little bit easier. The officers in the Academy are doing well. It's still a few more months away though. They did issue 2 traffic tickets, 6 parking tickets, responded to 3 mvas and had 2 arrests and 233 blotters. Trustee Pearson: 29 Grant St. I know you talked about that at the last meeting as well. You said there's a new owner. 3 Manager Revella: No. A new developer. Trustee Pearson: What about the letter that we sent to go with the grant that the man wanted to go for. Did that grant go through? Not go through? Manager Revella: No, it didn't go through. That was 2 rounds ago and it didn't go through. Trustee Pearson: I was wondering if there's new developer does that carry over if he got granted it. Manager Revella: No. No, grant. Trustee Pearson: The water meter concerns. Did you talk to Fred about anything? If he would like us to do or what we thought we needed to do other than what he's just did. Manager Revella: He did what he needed to do. There's already a code provision that covers what he was looking for so he's doing the notices that are required and they'll be on the June bill. Trustee Pearson: Community Center parking lot. I spoke to you about that today. Do we have a time frame on that? Manager Revella: I know that they wanted to get in there soon. They were coordinating that with programs that are going on there to make sure not interfering, so hopefully within the next week they should have that side done. Trustee Pearson: I didn't know until you told me today that there was an issue with something in the ground. Manager Revella: Yeah, the grease trap. That's what settled there and that's what happened with the sinkholes for the grease trap. Trustee Pearson: After they put the black top on top of it, so were they put in properly or not put in properly. Manager Revella: The grease trap was put in right. Apparently, the compaction wasn't good enough and it was undermined. That's when the parking lot sank. Trustee Pearson: Sank pretty messy down there. My concern is they're doing another park for us. Do we have inspections by people when they get the work done? Manager Revella: Yes. Trustee Pearson: That work was inspected and it was fine and then it sunk is what you're telling me. Manager Revella: Correct. Trustee Pearson: Plantings for the front of that building. Do you have a plan for the front of that building to get that finished? 4 Manager Revella: We do. We got a couple options for some different types of plants that are low growth, low maintenance. We're working on that now for June with seed. We had an expert come in with a green thumb to talk to us about options. Trustee Pearson: Good, happy about. But it just has to get done now. That's all. Girl Scout Cabin. Thank you for sending the pictures. Are we doing any other landscaping around that building? Manager Revella: I'm not sure. I know they're doing some more stuff outside because they're waiting for the CO for inside. Once that's done, they're going to paint the outside and do some spruce up. Trustee Pearson: So, they will do some more landscaping around that building. Manager Revella: There's some spruce up plan for that. They want to wait for the CO first. Before they had to go and do anymore work. They don't want to be trampled on and ruined. Trustee Pearson: PD got a grant for cameras. Is that body cameras or is that camera camera? Manager Revella: Street cameras. $360,000. It's for cameras and LPRs. Trustee Pearson: In the Building Department, there were 46 grasses or 56 grasses. I counted two different pages, had different numbers on. Manager Revella: 2 different people cited. And just because they were cited doesn't mean that they went out and cut. Trustee Pearson: So, you cite them with a letter and then they have to mow it in a week's time or how long do they have to mow it? Manager Revella: 5 days. Trustee Pearson: 5 days to mow it. If they don't mow it, then we send our village guys in to do that because we did 14 of those this week. Manager Revella: Correct. Trustee Pearson: Is that taking up our village guys time that they don't need to be taking up? They don't have anything else to do. Manager Revella: That's part of their job. Trustee Pearson: To mow lawns. That's our park lawns. Not peoples, citizen’s lawns. Manager Revella: People's lawns too. We hire part timers every year to cover that. Trustee Pearson: Do we pay overtime for that? Manager Revella: Not usually. It's usually part timers. Trustee Pearson: We hire specific people in parks to mow lawns on people's property. Manager Revella: We hire part timers every year to cover that and other things. 5 Trustee Kyle: The license plate readers, they're in the vehicles? Manager Revella: The grant affords us readers that would go at the entrances to the village as well. The main entrances there'll be a system there that shows every car that comes in the village. Trustee Kyle: And it'll go to dispatch? Manager Revella: Yes. Trustee Kyle: Will it also be in the vehicles? Manager Revella: We have some on vehicles now. Trustee Kyle: I feel like definitely having them in the vehicles it eliminates the need to call it in over the radio, wait, run a license plate. I feel like it's ideal and vehicles, but that's even better. Mayor Ramos: Are the LPRs going to be connected with the 911 center? Manager Revella: I'm not sure if they're going that far or just our dispatch. Approval of May 7, 2024 Minutes Tabled Public Comment Sue Taylor: East Avenue parking. I think the issue on East Avenue isn't on the Olley Park end. It's on the 52 end, the street narrows. I think for several reasons down there. One of the main issues is the house in the middle of the street. Probably no less than 9-10 vehicles at any given time. Some are in the driveway, some park along the side of the street. They're not visitors, they’re always there. Same cars all the time. When it snows, they don't move them off the street, so the plows plow them in. They can't really do a curb to curb on that side because the vehicles are there. So, the snow ends up in the street on that area. If you're trying to go down East Avenue, you're in the middle of the road or more. And another vehicle has to stop and try to pull over so you can even pass in that area. Down really close to 52, there are people that park on the street, both sides and you'd never get an ambulance, a fire truck. We've had FedEx trucks stop and try to back out to 52 because they can't get in between those parked cars, so something definitely needs to be done in that area on East Ave. Mary Ellen Matise: I'm just wondering if you're going to really have a discussion about the liaisons tonight with half a board missing or are you going to postpone it again? John Thompson: I have a question about your report. A little clarification I might have missed it. You said there was 46 violations for lawns. And you said only mowing how many? 14? Manager Revella: No, that was just this week. John Thompson: I would like the board to look at this. You should strongly look at a lawn care service to handle this because 14 this week. 1 person doing that, you're probably you lost 2 days of work. And that's just an hour on these lawns and we all know it could be a little bit more than that because by the time Rob hits them with it, I'm sure the grass is pretty high up, so it's going to take a long time and I know you charge a pretty good exuberant fee to begin with, but that still doesn't mean the homeowner can't pay what you're paying the lawn service plus X amount for having the village do what they need to do. It'd be well worth it. Then you got to look at the wear and tear on 6 the equipment. Every time you start talking budget, John, how many times you see in there a new mower, whether it be a riding one, pushing one or whatever. It's a lot of wear and tear and more importantly is you would eliminate a possible workers comp issue for someone who didn't mow their lawn. It's different. You're still going to have that kind of liability just by mowing the hills up at Olley Park and everything else. You still have liability there, but to have one of your workers get injured doing somebody's lawn because they wouldn't mow it. I think you better look at it. I would get a lawn service, hit the fee. Local Law 9 of 2024 – Residency Requirement Tabled OCT Update Anthony Morando: I understand the board requested Orange County Transit to attend in person this evening. John is here. I'm here. The updates have been provided through emails and conversations with the village. I understand. But we're here to give a more in person detailed update. We submitted a letter this evening. It was late, so you probably didn't see it, but it was summarizing a little bit of background and providing dates and documents from the efforts made by OCT over the past several months to stay in touch with the DOT. This matters really down to the highway work permit. That's where it is. After we got the extension last year, couple months later they got the use and occupancy permit, which you may recall once the DOT decided we needed one of those. They paused the highway work permit process. That went on for a few more months after the extension, and then John's engineer and his office has been pursuing the highway work permit through with the DOT. I haven't actively been involved in that process because it's really more of an admin engineering type process, but which can be painful. But as I think we've spoken about in the past I never wanted to commit to any time frames because we don't control the agency. But the follow up is there and we can take a look and we can talk about it. The good news is, as of April 16th, Orange County Transit got a response from the DOT. That said, I believe, and I'm paraphrasing, that they have everything to issue the permit, but again, that was about 5 weeks ago, so again, I'm not making any statements about when I think that will be issued. We all know that there's an extension. Excuse me, a deadline coming up in the middle of July from the extension that was granted under the agreement with the village. So we're still working in haste in advance of that. OCT has lined up their contractors, Spagnoli. I understand they submitted a letter to the board a few months back. I'm trying to commit to showing that they have it, but I think anybody who works with contractors. I'm not going to test all of them. But they're not going to put you in a schedule until you have permits, because if Spagnoli would have said in March, we'll start on March 31st and we don't have a permit. Then they can't start and now he's backed up. So that's just the logical process of construction and permitting. But I understand everybody's frustrated. I think we are more than anybody. That's basically the update I have for this event. Trustee Taylor: You're going to have to bear with me a little bit. I want to get a little bit of history here. When was the application and submitted? When did that process begin? Anthony Morando: To the DOT? I don't have those dates off the top of my head. So, if we can speak in ranges. I'd rather do that because I don't want somebody to say something wrong, well, it's all on the record. Anybody who's seen this process for the past several years, Ms. Pearson, there's a probably a stack of this of all the dates and records and information. But the highway work permit and use and occupancy process was 2022. But you're going back. See this is why I don't want to say a date and be wrong, but it's somewhere in the middle of 2022 I believe, but the highway work permit materials and the DOT process was going on during the Planning Board process. It took us again, I don't want to be wrong about this, but it took us more than a year, maybe 2 years, I can't remember, to get a response on the site plan application from the DOT and that that was coordinated with the village, so that process went on. There was never a conversation as to needing 7 use and occupancy permit. There was never any presented issue on a highway work permit. It's pretty administrative. And then after we got through that process. Attorney Donovan: Anthony, is there a difference between a use and occupancy permit and a highway work permit and can they be obtained simultaneously or do they need to get one before you can apply for the other. Anthony Morando: I will not use the word can because I don't know. I know that we had everything in front of them at the same time, but they were working through the use and occupancy permit with a different department and they were held up and there was a there was a call with the village and the DOT and others. And during that conversation, this came up. And they couldn't go further on that until they had the use ad occupancy resolved because that's effectively an agreement between us and the DOT from OCT to the DOT they pay a fee to install their infrastructure within the right of way. But everything was before them. It wasn't like those parties weren't part of that process. It was happening. We were trying to happen simultaneously. It wasn't being processed by the state. Trustee Taylor: So I'm assuming when we when we submit an application for permit the application says this is what you need to submit. This is what covers, I'm assuming it's scope of work. Whatever forms that you're needed to provide them. The application process covers that? Anthony Morando: I don't know. I don't know which permit. Every permit approval application is different. Trustee Taylor: What did the application contain? I'm asking. Anthony Morando: I don't know off the top of my head. Trustee Taylor: Were there any omissions or delays when the application was submitted that perpetrated this length of time that we've waited to get a permit? Anthony Morando: *inaudible* and the project engineer was handling the process with the actual materials. That's typical, and that's Larry Marshall's office. But if you're going to ask me right now to list everything that was in that filing, I can't do that. John Mensch: Through the engineer that I hired, we had submitted all the requirements issued that the state needed to issue a permit. On top of that, we go back the state denied us a work permit and a use and occupancy first and then we had to go back and reapply the second time, which they did give us a use and occupancy permit and then we didn't even have to submit a second application for the work permit. They used the first one that they've denied to utilize the second process. That's why it's taking even longer. Because I already got denied the first time from the state. Which the village is aware of. Trustee Pearson: They denied you because they didn't want you to take a certain route? John Mensch: No. They denied us because they weren't handing out anymore work permits to do work on state roads. Anthony Morando: I can go back on that a little bit and using the word deny is probably not the best word because they basically advised us that they have an unspoken policy now all of a sudden that they won't issue, they wouldn't issue and this correspondence on all of this, but they wouldn't issue, their policy was to not issue use and occupancy permits anymore for private use. Then we 8 worked with the village over the course of several months to submit correspondence to them, obtaining the village of support. That process went on for many months. Again, it's all in the record. John Mensch: The state at the time, when we met with the village, the state said if the village owns the pipe. No problem. You can have permit tomorrow. Village can do it. The village wanted me to own the pipe and I agreed to own the pipe. I'm a private and not a municipality. Then I have to go through the permit process and they denied me the first time and then I had to go back and reapply with the help of the village and several phone calls. And back and forth through COVID, through all these different things where they weren't even in the office, they were working from home. There was nothing missed in the application, going back to your first question, that it delayed the process. The process was state wasn't issuing permits for private use because I own the pipe. Trustee Taylor: Does the application say on it how much you have to submit financially for the permit? Anthony Morando: I think what you're getting at is the permit fee. Question over what that was. We didn't have a number. The engineer didn't have a number to pay. We didn't have any response for a period of time if we needed anything further. If you look back at the submission that Larry's office made back in September, I believe it was. Please advise us of what else we would need. Look, I understand and you're certainly well versed in all this. I know you read most of it, but it's going to be difficult to answer every individual question about every individual moment in the last three years. So if you want to maybe give us a bunch of questions and we can get answers for you so we don't misspeak. Trustee Taylor: No, it was just a question. When you get an application, did the application delineate it's X amount of dollars for this permit. John Mensch: There's two permits. There's a use and occupancy permit and then there's a work permit. The use and occupancy permit has been issued and I've been paying that for over a year now. That's separate. So the state has been giving me a permit, which I have to pay for the life of the pipe. Once it's in the ground and it's not even in the ground yet because technically the state owns the road, I have to pay that permit as long as that pipes in the ground. For life. That's every year and that's been paid for the last year and a half to almost going on two years now. Less than that. And that's renewable. Every year the state sends me a bill for this permit, and I have to pay it every year. It's like a rental permit for the road. Trustee Taylor: On your update that you submitted the check that was issued, what was that? John Mensch: The application for the work permit has to be submitted. They do not submit a fee until they review the application and remember they denied it first, so they're not going to take my check for a fee. And the fee is $380. Trustee Taylor: That check so that check was for what? It's just the money that they want so they can review it? John Mensch: That’s it. Trustee Pearson: And it was just submitted. Trustee Taylor: March 29, 24. 9 Trustee Pearson: Where's your engineering firm and all this because they deal with the DOT all the time and they know what they need to send in. They know how much money. Why are they not involved in all of this? John Mensch: They are very involved in it and they had been following up with, there is a woman, if you see the connections of the emails. Trustee Pearson: I didn't see it until just now. John Mensch: They're all there and there's correspondence from the engineering. There's correspondence with the contractor. There's more correspondence with us because we need the permit. Trustee Taylor: Is there any correspondence prior to April 1st when you issued the summary and delineated all the emails? John Mensch: Yes. Trustee Taylor: That might fill in some of the holes, but we don't have that. So is that in the letter that you just issued today? John Mensch: Yeah. Anthony Morando: Every date that was referenced in the letter is supported. Trustee Taylor: The other question I have, I'm looking at some of the insurance certificates that were attached. On the last correspondence that we received. The one certificate of liability insurance that expires next month, do we have updated ones? John Mensch: Yep, and I have to get it from the contractor because the state requires the contractor to keep updated insurance certificates, even though I still don't have a permit. Anthony Morando: And from my understanding from this experience, DOT communicates directly with the contractors. John Mensch: Yes. And he has to be certified from the state to be a contractor as well. Trustee Taylor: Yeah, because the workers compensation coverage expires in June as well. The letter you issued today is going to give us those updated dates? John Mensch: Plus copies of the emails. Trustee Taylor: There was an issue that took place at the facility that required the presence of the DEC. Can you bring me up to speed on that? John Mensch: The DEC never came to the site. There was a broken pump that pumps the sewer from a holding tank to a bigger tank. That pump is for one of the buildings of a tenant. Had nothing to do with the bus company side, it was the body shop in the front and this pump had broken. It was fixed the same day Dean and my yard manager had spoken. They met that day and it was fixed and taken care of. Same day. There's no DEC. Trustee Taylor: Where was that pumped out to? 10 John Mensch: Pumps into a sewer tank. Manager Revella: When the pump wasn't working, where was it going? Where was the sewage going when the pump wasn’t working? John Mensch: We had connected a temporary hose to the tank. Trustee Taylor: Nothing on the ground. John Mensch: Not on the ground, not on the ground. Didn't go to Tin Brook. All these different rumors. DEC was there. I got locked up there. No. Absolutely not. Anthony Morando: It was fixed the same day. Trustee Pearson: Has the village been back to inspect some of that work? John Mensch: Dean was there. He met with my yard manager and he okayed everything and left. Manager Revella: After the incident, you're talking about? John Mensch: I believe so. I wasn't there, my yard manager was. But I know Dean was there. I don't know if it was before or after. But he was there. Manager Revella: We'll have the Building Inspector clarify that for us later. Trustee Taylor: Do you periodically check for runoff? I know you have some propane buses. You have diesel vehicles on the premises as well. John Mensch: Yes, gasoline, diesel and propane. Trustee Taylor: And do you periodically check for any run off to the Tin Brook? Especially we've been getting some heavy rains here over the last couple of months. John Mensch: Yes, you would see rainbows. You would see all that petroleum. We checked and periodically the Fire Department comes in. The Chief of the Wallkill Fire Department works for me. He's always on site, so yes. Trustee Taylor: And what do we do with the samples of the potential runoff. John Mensch: We don't take samples because there's no spills. Trustee Taylor: Well, I'm talking about runoffs, not spills. John Mensch: So there's no sample of ground like we don't take a sample of soil and send it to a lab. Trustee Taylor: I understand it. So there's no potential runoff with these heavy rains from diesel vehicles sitting on the property. John Mensch: Not that I know. Trustee Taylor: Well, you would know better than me because. I've not been there. 11 John Mensch: I'm just telling you, not that I know of. And no one's complained about a runoff. Anthony Morando: I guess I'll be back. We're here to give the update on the sewer and water connection, right? Previously in the past, we've sometimes these discussions have strayed far from that conversation. Manager Revella: Well, this is on line with the sewer issue. That's why it came up. Anthony Morando: Got it. The sewer pump was replaced. Manager Revella: If the sewer was connected to the pipe, we wouldn't have an issue with a pump, wouldn’t have a problem, there wouldn’t have been issues about a spill and all these other issues going on. Anthony Morando: What I wanted to offer was if you want to sit down with John and Dean or have a meeting and talk he's here, we're happy to do that. If you have any other questions just about the business or them. John Mensch: There was a complaint about the pump of the sewer. Dean was on site. He was an official of the village. He seen it and left. There's no fines, there's no nothing. All fixed the same day. There's no DEC coming to the place. Trustee Pearson: Has any other work been done like the lighting? Anything else that you're supposed to be doing the last couple of years getting done, or you just still waiting for the DEC? Anthony Morando: Again, let's go back to it. I just want to again Ms Pearson. If you want to sit down and talk. Trustee Pearson: I know I'm just asking a question for the neighbors that live there with the lights. I'm just asking because it's been a four year process with those lights and it's still going on. Anthony Morando: I know I understand. John could talk about the lights, but I actually drove out. The site today because I want to see it the fence is up, the berm is up. It’s irrigated. The acoustical fence is up. All that work has been completed. John Mensch: So the lights that were existing that the neighbor complained, we agreed to shut those off, we shut those off. They've been off for months. Because of daylight savings time, we don't need them on now, but in the winter time we had shut them off. The fence is up. The berm is up. The trees and the bushes as per the site plan has been planted. Irrigation, so we don't just put trees and they go, burn and die and leave them there. They're all green. We cut the grass. Grass is there. That's all been according to the plan has been done. Dean lives across the street, so he periodically stops in or drives in. I don't think there's a schedule, but you're more than welcome. I invite the board to come and look. I'll give you a tour if you want that's not a problem. Trustee Taylor: I'm going to take you up on that. John Mensch: I'll give you a personal tour, no problem. The backyard of the fence that faces the reservoir, or the village property. Manager Revella: That's our park. 12 John Mensch: That fence has been installed. The sound barrier that the village wanted because they thought the buses were a little bit too loud. That's up. I think it only comes in one color, black. I don't know when brown came into play, but it's black. I don't know again if you have individual questions, I can give you a tour. You can ask those questions to me. On site if you want I can point it out to you, I could show you all the things. We even filed the permits for the sewer that's currently there. The system that currently is existing passes, we have that approval, septic waivers. Trustee Taylor: We currently have septic tanks there? John Mensch: Several. Anthony Morando: And we went through the process of having it inspected. Engineer inspected. The whole process for that. John Mensch: The village engineer inspected them, passed them. Paid the fee for it. Trustee Taylor: Do we have a schedule for getting those pumped out or? John Mensch: We pump them out twice a year whether they need them or not, and we give those receipts to the village when we do the waivers. So those are on file too. Trustee Taylor: And just to clarify, I know you made the point that you came here to talk about the sewer and things sometimes deviate from that. But for me personally, I'm interested with everything that goes on at the facility. So that's where my questions come from. Anthony Morando: I understand. In the past we've had issues. Sometimes things get conflated with what the update is or what we're talking about with the agreement and it's just there's different forums that tend to lend themselves to be more productive. Trustee Taylor: Where do we stand today? What's the target? Anthony Morando: John, I know he wanted, John jokingly said. He'll take everyone here up in a bus to the DOTs office, sit there if that would work. It's getting the permit, walking into the Building Department and trying to start work. Anthony Morando: The problem, another, is how do you have a contractor standing there waiting months to work? Trustee Kyle: I've been looking through the emails and there is one from the DOT that they responded saying that upon receiving the e-mail from your contractor in January of this year, which your contractor’s insurance documents were expired. John Mensch: He updated them. Trustee Kyle: Then you're saying it's the DOT. But they responded in January saying your insurance documents were expired. John Mensch: You gotta read all of them. Anthony Morando: I think Trustee Taylor was just referring to that in a month that we have to renew again because they get renewed. 13 John Mensch: Once we knew about it, we got it the same day. When you keep reading all those emails, you'll see that it was sent. It was renewed. Member Taylor said it is expiring so I have to get the contractor. It's a process. We are not getting the response from the City of New York DOT to tell us yes, no, when, how. They don't even answer. Trustee Taylor: I thought I heard you say early on that now you have everything in place with the DOT and you're just waiting for them to issue the permit. John Mensch: We have an e-mail from DOT. And I still have the use and occupancy. That's already granted. I'm just waiting for the working permit. Trustee Kyle: I can definitely tell that they've been not very responsive in their e-mail. Like, I apologize for neglecting to inform you, so I can see that. Anthony Morando: There's not just this person doing this. It's just in this scenario, which is highly unique, everybody on this side is frustrated. This side is frustrated and it's complicated because there's a lot of moving parts. Trustee Pearson: I think you were directed by the board to come once a month, is what the board, when the last time you were here, board said to please come and update us once a month. John Mensch: We can get back on that schedule to come once a month because obviously the time is crucial. The DOT has already said they don't need anything else from me, it's just a waiting game on their part to be issuing a permit to us, and we have a deadline coming up. Trustee Pearson: Well, now you'll come because you want the due diligence that is coming up in July. We haven't seen you since January. Now all of a sudden when you're here and we have to pull out a letter from you. John Mensch: We were communicating with the village. We were also communicating with DOT. Wasn't like I wasn't here since January and did nothing. It's proof what we sent in tonight. Manager Revella: You're waiting for Zachariah to respond for the permit. That's who's issuing your permit. Is that who you’re waiting for? Anthony Morando: We're waiting for the DOT. Manager Revella: She's our regional engineer here. John Mensch: She's been the contact since day one. Trustee Taylor: Someone's following up with them to make sure that this insurance expiration is not going to. John Mensch: Every other day we send an email. Trustee Kyle: They renewed that, but then there was another fee. Trustee Pearson: Is it coming from you or from your engineering firm? John Mensch: The engineering firm is not every day. Every other day is from us. My foreman. 14 Anthony Morando: In a typical course of action. You don't hope the state. It's not exactly what you get, but an engineer follows more of a process right, submit lead time. Then you follow up. Poke the bear every single day. Trustee Kyle: I'll play devil's advocate. What if you would have not had expired insurance documents when they did check your e-mail and get back to you? If something would have went on from there. And then after that the next e-mail says something about they need the check for the permit fee. I'm not saying it's you guys, it could very well be their engineering firm. But it's their job to stay on top of those things to make sure that it's not or expired and that they pay the fees so that when the DOT does get back to them, there is no issues where they can send you an e-mail once a month saying sorry expired. John Mensch: If we fix those things, which we did right away, it's another four months. Trustee Pearson: Sent in the wrong to begin with is what she's saying. Be proactive. John Mensch: I’m not the contractor. Anthony Morando: Talking about things that were filed timely when issued. But because of delay on the permitting side, it expired. Trustee Kyle: And then they needed the check for the permit fee, which was the next. Anthony Morando: It goes to show that we file an application and let's say month one and then you find out month four or five that it expired and you didn’t hear anything or get a response. Trustee Kyle: I think that, the DOT, like any state department is tough to deal with and they take a long time to get back. It might be your engineering firm that needs to make sure they're on top of it and that they submit all the fees and make sure that the insurance isn't expired so that that doesn't happen when they do get a response. I know it's a very unique situation. John Mensch: The other parking lot work, I can't complete because if I can't pave it, grade it. I would have to rip it up again because I have to put all the sewer and water lines in the parking lot of my property. I've done everything else. According to the village requirements except for the sewer and water lines. Anthony Morando: The second meeting of June? Manager Revella: June 4th is the next meeting and then June 18th is the meeting after that, I'm not sure. Whatever the pleasure of the board is. Mayor Ramos: Beginning of the month. John Mensch: If you want to come and tour the facility with me, you can reach out to John and then we can connect and I can meet you there. Manager Revella: Can't have more than three at once, though. Attorney Donovan: Actually there could be a quorum with the board. You could not deliberate. You would just be there to observe. You couldn't discuss anything among each other. You could ask questions. 15 Manager Revella: I can’t see some board members not getting into some questions and answers, so it'd be better not to have more than three because you'd want to ask questions, get answers while you're there. Mayor Ramos: Three at a time. Discussion – Liaisons Trustee Kyle: I know we don't have a full board. I did have a comment about it. I have a good relationship with Randi, who runs the Business Council, and I would just volunteer to be the liaison to that organization. Manager Revella: So when you're doing categories, could be the Business Council of Montgomery, Orange County Chamber, those kinds of things. We have the partnership, there's RDAC, there's school board, town board, ambulance and fire district. Mayor Ramos: Since you're stepping up for the first one, I think you ought to make a list on what the affiliations and the areas that we can be involved in to better the Community. So, if you want to volunteer for that, you write a list. Is that okay with everybody? Trustee Pearson: I have a comment about not even having liaisons. If you're interested in what's going on in the village, I watch every town meeting. I go to the library and talk to the library, and I go to Zoning Board and Planning Boards and listen. If you're interested in what's going on in the village and in the town, you're going to listen and do it anyway, and be liaison. To me, it's something that board members should be doing anyway. I feel that if I'm interested, I'm going to be interested the whole way. I go to Community Council. I listen to them. It’s who you are. For me to be liaison, I'm comfortable not being liaison because I'm going to do what I'm going to do anyway. Trustee Kyle: I feel like that would work for some people. I could never watch every single, like Business Council, Community Council, Planning Board, Zoning Board. I couldn't get to all of them. Trustee Pearson: I get it. It is part of the village and to know what's happening in your village is really part of the part of what you should be doing anyway. Trustee Kyle: I do work hard to do it. That's why I feel like the liaison, for me, the Business Council that was one that I felt more strongly about because there is the Business Council of Greater Montgomery. And then I feel like if we worked with them, we can focus it to specifically the Village of Walden and have someone that everybody, all the business owners in Walden could come too. And they can work together and then we can work together with the Greater Montgomery. Trustee Pearson: I know we had talked and I get that we were talking about a Business Association again and then Cheryl was taking up that role, not being a board member. I reached out to her to see what she was doing and she said sometime soon. So, I don't know, that would be kind of what Randi would be doing anyway. I don't know where that leaves the board to setting something up to get the Business Association started, if they want to do that, so that's a whole other conversation. Trustee Kyle: I have talked to Cheryl and I will talk to you about that too, because I have talked to her. 16 Trustee Taylor: John, this is a pretty broad topic here. What exactly are we talking about? Elaborate for me, liaisons, I know what a liaison is. I have done that. Manager Revella: So I think the board was envisioning whoever that designee would be to that agency to come back and during your miscellaneous comments, maybe report on what you heard at that meeting for the rest of the board to hear. Trustee Taylor: We're just talking about agencies. We're not talking to departmental type things here? Manager Revella: Correct. Library board, the town board, Fire Department, Fire district, the Business Council, those kinds of things. Trustee Pearson: I think it's for another day for conversation with the rest of the board. Discussion – East Ave Parking Manager Revella: If it's the pleasure of the board and interest in designated that one side no parking, which would be East side, they would just need to request the attorney to draft and instruct the local law to that effect. Trustee Pearson: I drove up there a couple times and I understand that I didn't see cars parked on the left side of the road. I saw them parked on the grass, not on the road. I went in the morning and went at night and I didn't see. I see a lot of the cars on the right side of the road when I go up from 52. When I see them on the right side, I didn't see a lot on the left side. I went a couple of times. I don't know. I know, Sue said something about not having it the whole way or whether it's just the beginning of the road where the trucks come up the street and turn the corner. But a lot of them look like they're parked on the front yards of their homes. That to me is not the road. Manager Revella: It’s the right of way. Trustee Kyle: But then you don't need parking on the road on that side. Then technically, if they're fully in their grass right, you wouldn't need parking on the road. Trustee Pearson: That's what I saw. I saw them on the grass. I didn't see them on the road, but I could be not going at the right time. Manager Revella: If they did park on that side, you won't be able to get through. That's the problem. Right now it's legal to park there. So, it makes sense to make it illegal to park there so that issue doesn't present itself. Trustee Taylor: I've lived there for 38 years. It's an issue. It's an issue with delivery trucks. It's an issue for people that live on that street. I've been the recipient of many complaints of late of people not being able to drive down that road because there's oncoming vehicles. And given the right set of circumstances, if a fire truck needed to come off of 52 and make their way up East Avenue at 7:00 at night, they're not going to make it. It's an issue. You can probably go there specific times of the day and say, yeah, road right down there, no problem. Trustee Pearson: But are they parking on the street? Trustee Taylor: Yes. 17 Trustee Kyle: They also have like 100 foot long driveways on that one side of the road. All of them are very far back from the road, so I don't see any need for them. Sue Taylor: Can get 10 vehicles in a driveway. Trustee Kyle: Which side? There is the one side where you could fit 10 vehicles easily. Sue Taylor: That’s village’s right of way. I don’t know what the number is but the house on the hill. They park off the roadway, on the right a way. The plows cannot go curb to curb on that street because the cars are there. Get plowed in. 00:07:08 Trustee Kyle: Do we not tow cars that are? I thought we'd. Trustee Kyle: Do we not tow cars, I thought we towed cars that were parked. Manager Revella: They try. They can't get to every call. Trustee Pearson: Is there a curb on your side of the street? Trustee Taylor: No. Trustee Kyle: I don't see an issue with closing off the one side of the street. Trustee Pearson: Are you talking about the whole street all the way down? Trustee Taylor: And the other issue associated with it, you have a lot of walkers on that street walking their dogs. These people are jumping up on the grass. Cars are zipping between Olley Park and 52. 52 to Olley Park. I'm definitely in favor of one side of parking. Trustee Kyle: I feel like there's plenty of village streets that have one sided parking, like on narrow streets. I think it's more important to have access to the road. There's plenty of people that live in apartment complexes that are assigned 1 parking spot and that's all they get. So we can say, oh, they don't have a big driveway, but people deal with parking issues. I don't think that it should impede the flow of traffic, especially like emergency vehicles and like you said, an ambulance coming through. I don't think that parking should supersede the need for the flow of traffic. Trustee Pearson: I'm not so keen on the whole street. I would maybe considering part of the street, but I don't know if I'd do the whole street. Manager Revella: What's the issue with the full street? If you’re saying there's nobody parking there on that side anyway, what's the problem with making it no parking? We alleviate a problem in the future from occurring. I think it makes sense. Most of the houses on that side do have long driveways. There is parking on one side. I would think it's enough for the neighborhood and to create a safe corridor. Trustee Taylor: Absolutely. And that's the key. A safe corridor. Which we do not have right now. Trustee Kyle: I know the house at the very end that's closest to Olley has a three car garage, so they have plenty of parking. They have a very wide driveway. Trustee Pearson: What I saw was 52 side, not the other. 18 Trustee Kyle: I don't think the issue is by the Olley Park side. I don't think that that would be an issue to close off parking on that side. Trustee Pearson: You still have to have a public hearing. You still have to have the people come. Manager Revella: This is just asking a motion to have Dave draft a local law for next time to be introduced. Then you set the public hearing. It's not even that far yet. Trustee Pearson: I just know my street, they try to take parking away on my street and it was disastrous because people have to park on the street because they don't have parking in their houses at all. They don't have parking on part of that street. Trustee Kyle made a motion to direct the Village Attorney to draft a local law for the next meeting. Seconded by Trustee Taylor. All ayes. Motion carried. Appointment Deputy Registrar Manager Revella: I just have to announce that Michelle Butcher will be the Deputy Registrar. Park Use Request – Alcohol Waiver Trustee Kyle made a motion to approve alcohol waiver. Seconded by Trustee Pearson. All ayes. Motion carried. VFW Permit Fee Waiver Trustee Kyle made a motion to approve the $100 permit fee to be waived. Seconded by Trustee Taylor. All ayes. Motion carried. Outdoor Café Request – Franco’s Trustee Pearson: I do have a question on it, it says requirements, number of tables and chairs desired. I don't see how many they want. I don't see it listed anywhere. Do we know how many? And then I looked at their picture and it doesn't tell me how many tables and chairs they're putting out there and neither did Sweeney’s. I don't know if that's important, but I mean, there must be some type of ruling for fire inspection or something, I don't know. Manager Revella: For outside, no, there's no limit. They only have an outside area that's designated, so they have fencing and the other one has a railing. Attorney Donovan: Because the SLA will require an area has to be designated for each establishment that serves alcohol. Trustee Pearson: But where does it state how many tables can be out there for safety? It doesn't matter for safety reasons? Manager Revella: Building Inspector says how many can be there. Building Inspector Wallner: Based on bathrooms. Trustee Pearson: Like if they have two bathrooms, they have 10 tables or something that you have a number that you work with. They come to you for all of that. Building Inspector Wallner: Yes. 19 Trustee Pearson: I didn't know if it needed to be listed on this at all. I don't know, because it's written on here, number of tables, site plan, we have, but it doesn't say tables on either one of them. Do they come and fill it out before you, the Building Department? Manager Revella: Yes. It’s a Building Department form. Trustee Pearson: The number one, it says number of tables and chairs desired and I would just say that maybe there's regulations that I don't know about. Manager Revella: They may say that the number allowed by law. Trustee Pearson: That would be good if it was on here. Thank you. Manager Revella: The same as the last year and the year before this application. Trustee Pearson: I get it, but I'm just doing my job. Trustee Kyle: Can I just ask why they're not allowed to have a garbage can outside? Manager Revella: It says no large outdoor containers for trash. Trustee Kyle: It just can't be large, it could be small. All right. Trustee Kyle made a motion to approve outdoor cafe request for Franco’s. Seconded by Trustee Pearson. All ayes. Motion carried. Outdoor Café Request – Sweeney’s Trustee Pearson made a motion to approve outdoor cafe request for Sweeney’s. Seconded by Trustee Kyle. All ayes. Motion carried. Award Bid – Smoke Testing Trustee Pearson made a motion to award the bid to Arold Construction in the amount of $105,450 for smoke testing and sewer main lining. Seconded by Trustee Taylor. All ayes. Motion carried. Public Comment Sue Taylor: Is there still 15 minute parking in front of Village Hall? Manager Revella: Yes. Sue Taylor: I had a woman who got ahold of me in Hannaford. Wanted to go to the library. She's handicapped. She has a handicap sticker. No parking on the side by the library. No parking in front of the building. So she drove around the block three or four times. Came back, cars still in front of the building. Finally found a parking spot on the right hand side by Good Samaritan walked with the walker across to get to the library and do her business. She was in there probably 15-20 minutes, she said. She came out and the cars, same cars were still parked in front of the Village Hall. Anybody going out to check? I've not only heard it from this person, but I've experienced it myself. I don't know if they’re employees, I don't know who they are, but I think that needs to be enforced. We made it like that so people could get in and out of the building. That's number one. I wanted to mention that former Montgomery Village Trustee Walt Lindner passed away on Sunday. I think it would be nice if a letter of condolence could go to them from our village. Masons had a wonderful ceremony this weekend for the benches that are in front of the building that were donated by them. 20 Beautiful plaque. They mentioned some flowers are supposed to be there. Is that the area you were talking about in front of the Anita Vandermark? Manager Revella: Not that area, it's different. Sue Taylor: Really would have looked nice if there was. From my understanding, everybody on the board got an invitation. I think they had two responses from people. If you can't go to something, at least write and say thank you for the invite. Sorry I can't be there. But it would be nice for at least them to be acknowledged. I thought that was kind of rude. I was embarrassed. As a matter of fact, when they told me. Manager Revella: I didn't get an invite. I ended up showing up by accident to get tools. Sue Taylor: I saw you stealing the tools, that I did see, but if we could get some flowers there, it kind of looked bare. It would look nicer with some flowers. Orange County Transit. Wouldn't it be nice if they looked at their insurance certificates and said, oh, this is running out in June. This is running out in September. Let's send an update to the DOT so we don't have to wait for them to inform us that it's expired. Now we have to send and now it's more time. This isn't their first rodeo. I've said it before. They know what it's like to work with the DOT. If it was me owning this place that had never been in the business before, I could understand. But this person has owned buses forever. Really should know what it's like to work with the DOT. What kind of paperwork they want, what kind of timeline you're dealing with. And like Trustee Kyle said, they like to blame the DOT. Does due diligence mean filing a piece of paper or does due diligence mean filing the piece of paper with all the pertinent paperwork that goes with it? All the T’s are crossed. All the I's are dotted, don't know what it is. Do you think we could try to find some money to get new microphones for dais? Tired of mentioning that people don't speak into the microphones. Tired of people turning their heads to talk to a colleague you can't hear. We pay money for this to be live streamed. They don't want to look at you. You look nice. Everybody gets dressed up, your mouth moves and nothing can be heard. So if you're not going to speak into the microphones and utilize them. Don't bother. Because people can't hear what you're saying. I don't know if it’s these microphones, but the minute you turn your head to talk to somebody else on the dais, whatever little noise we could hear is now gone. I understand the mute buttons aren't working. Obviously there's something wrong with them. They've been here since day one when this dais was done. You upgrade other things in this village. It's time, because if you're going to pay for live stream, you got to be able to hear it. People are going deaf at home trying to lean in and hear what's going on. Did the letter to the school board get sent on behalf of the village? Manager Revella: Absolutely. Sue Taylor: Everybody sign it? Manager Revella: No. Sue Taylor: How come? Manager Revella: I can't answer for someone who didn't sign. Sue Taylor: Who didn't sign it? Mayor Ramos: I didn't sign it. Sue Taylor: How come? 21 Mayor Ramos: That's my prerogative. I don't have to sign it. They had four members signing from the board. Sue Taylor: That's so lame. Lame. You are the mayor of this village. You wanted to be the mayor of this village. You've been in favor of getting rid of our elementary school for years. Mayor Ramos: Me? Sue Taylor: Yeah. Mayor Ramos: No, I was not. Sue Taylor: You came to the board with a suggestion from your friend, Mr. Xanthis, the previous Superintendent of Valley Central. You said from the dais the night we were having this discussion, people were talking about the school. You didn't think we heard it, but we heard you say, someone asked what was wrong with the school and you said “it's old”. You said it under your breath, but we could hear it. Mayor Ramos: It is old. Sue Taylor: No ****. It's over 100 years old. So is Montgomery. Mayor Ramos: I'm not going to go tat with you. I did not sign it. Sue Taylor: You can't go tit for tat for with me. You know that. Mayor Ramos: I don't want to. I don't want to explain my position on why I didn’t sign it. Sue Taylor: You don't want to. You're the mayor of the village. You're supposed to protect this village first. Do you know what's going to happen to this village if that school goes away? Do you care? What's your answer for that? Mayor Ramos: I do know. It's not going to move. Sue Taylor: It's not going to move? So you have more information. Would you share that information with the rest of the village? You sit on the committee. How can you not have information? Mayor Ramos: I don’t have more information. Sue Taylor: You sit on the committee. How do you not have more information? Mayor Ramos: I already told everybody what the committee was all about, now it's on their plate. I have nothing else more. Sue Taylor: And you also told us when you used to have coffee as a liaison to the school board with Mr. Xanthus, you told us then what the plan was. Mayor Ramos: Yeah, fix the school. Sue Taylor: At Olley Park? 22 Mayor Ramos: No. Well, that was a location that they wanted to think about, but I told them that the parks weren't going to be able to be used for a school. Sue Taylor: You told them that. Why would you tell them that? Mayor Ramos: I'm a taxpayer. Sue Taylor: The average taxpayer in the Village of Walden doesn't know anything about parkland and what can or cannot be done with parkland. You came to the board with that suggestion. Mayor Ramos: You read about it. Sue Taylor: You're right, it's not worth the time to argue with you. But I would think as the mayor of the village, you would be outspoken about what that school building means to this village. Your alliance or your allegiance should be with the residents and the children of this village, not some committee that you sit on for the Valley Central School Board. Your responsibility starts here, and if you feel strongly and you're in favor of them building a new building somewhere else and abandoning this village at least have the guts to say it so the people of this village know where you stand. Mary Ellen Matise: I was going to say something completely different. It doesn't seem that way. So just so that I wasn't totally disappointed when I went to vote at the school budget vote today and we had to go to the high school. Because it's no longer in our neighborhood schools, which used to be wonderful because they'd put up an art exhibit. Marion used to do the best art exhibits in the gym. The kids would have their scholastic book fair. You'd see the kids. They were proud to show off the school when you went. Now you go to the high school and there's people sitting around the gymnasium. Like I don't know, 50 people who were there to help you vote. When we only used to have 4. Then you get out of your car, there's no place to park. They didn't reserve really any spots except the handicapped spots. Aside from the fact that it was like a secret vote with a secret ballot because they didn't advertise the budget vote. Except you got your thing in the mail last Friday and all of a sudden you knew there was a budget vote today. You get out and you walk up to the gymnasium. And just so I wouldn't be disappointed, those steps were still falling apart. Hadn't been patched. The rebar is showing. I took pictures of them, put them on Facebook. And the Superintendent wants to know what my concerns about the school are? I don't know how long they've been going down there to vote before COVID, so maybe 6-7 eight years. Those steps have been the same, if not worse. Every year the handicap ramp has a huge dip in it and a bump in it. You look at it and they're asking us to vote for money for bond issues, to fix schools and what do they do with the money? So in anticipation, I went online and looked up the facilities report. Valley Central had to do all their facilities report in 2021, and each school plus the admin building is on there. How many pages was it 43 pages or something from Walden. You can go down and it's an inspector who's registered and licensed by the New York State Department of Ed. It's some outside building Inspector who comes every five years and inspects the building and puts down the things that need to be fixed. In fact, we know that some of them did get fixed. The sidewalk was a big issue. Sidewalk got fixed, front steps were a big issue. Front steps got fixed. If you go down and you read, you'll see that I think we had two bond issues that were allocating money for the Walden Elementary. Some of the stuff did get fixed. Some of the HVAC stuff I think got fixed. Some of the heating stuff got fixed. There were different things. They took up a lot of the old tiles. They took up the old carpeting, things that were itemized. Most of the things were listed as satisfactory. I don't know where they're coming off with this whole idea that the building is falling apart under our feet as we were standing there. In fact, the steps at the gym at the high school are falling apart under your feet as you're standing there, and they didn't fix them either. I just don't know where the district is coming from. I'm sorry. I want to in a nice way, say what Sue said is that our board needs 23 to I think stick up for the village in this matter and when you talk to people from Maybrook, they just look at you. They say don't let them do to you what they did to us. They tried to fight it. And they just lost big time. Now they're crying too, because they lost their Catholic Church. They just feel like they've been decimated there first by the school, then by the archdiocese. We don't want to be in that position and really, how much is really wrong with the building that can't be fixed? I keep saying it, go down and look at the 1841 courthouse in Goshen, they put an external elevator on it. It's possible you don't need an internal cavity like we had here, which is where they used to hang fire hoses. You don't need an internal cavity to have an elevator. They could fix the handicapped accessibility, which is the biggest problem, and then tackle all the smaller problems. And for parents who don't have cars who need to be near their kids, to have this taken away from us would be a disaster. Really would be. Lynn Thompson: I had emailed Trustee Kyle to just give her a little update. To let her know what was going on with some of the green things, because she expressed an interest about No Mow May. Which I'd be happy to talk to you about No Mow May. It's a little complicated, but not too much. Thank you, John, Mike and I are starting out strong and we're going to keep it going this summer. I don't know if he gave you an update, but the meadow projects are well under way. I did take pictures down at Wooster’s Grove. The little trial patch. It is coming back, it looks nice, but it's just too small, so we're going to go bigger. I did a lot of work with a seed company. Am I allowed to say? The company is great. You can contact them at any time. I gave Mike all the information. It's American Wildflower Meadows. I talked to someone at another seed company, but this particular company was much more educational and informative. The reps are great and I told them reach out to them. They're awesome. They will walk you through whatever you need to know. I send them all kinds of information, there's tutorials, there's everything. Everything's ready to go as soon as they get ready to go, and they're doing 6000 square feet behind Olley Park. They're doing the circle at Wooster’s Grove, and they're expanding the project in the back of Wooster’s Grove. The plantings at the entrance signs that we've been working on, this will be summer number three or two. I think they're looking good. Everybody go take a look. Seed can get very expensive. They encouraged us not to do the one project at Wooster’s, go too crazy because it's a difficult spot to plant and they said to me we don't want you to waste your money. We want it to be successful for you. If we're happy, we can get more. But all together, I think it was $175. Not a tremendous amount of money. Plus I got some freebies thrown in too. Things are coming along. The planters are on Main Street. We may have to add a few more. The bicycles aren't delivered yet, so we're trying to get the village spruced up. If anybody has any suggestions, you can call me at any time or talk to Mike. We've been trying to talk and get everything in sync so everybody works together on it. Manager Revella: The vest works too. We could see you. Lynn Thompson: I had my vest on and speaking of the vest, the speeding. I know you're getting tired of hearing it. I know everybody's tired of hearing it. I don't want to die out there and I felt again like I was going to die. It's crazy. It's not funny. Wednesday night we had Community Council, and we're going back to having it at the local businesses, which was very nice and we were down at Sweeter than Sweet Cupcakes on Main Street. Two cars came down the center of town like it was the Indy 500. I couldn't believe it and we hollered to one of them “slow down”. They turned around and came back with their windows down, screaming at us, driving full speed ahead again. It's every day. It's always the same streets. Wait St, Walnut St, Pine St, Maple St. Running the stop signs going too fast or even where they put the lowered speed limit here for the school. It's not getting followed. It's really, really upsetting. And while we're talking about the school, there are faculty in the school that walk every day on their lunch break. I put something on Facebook about how much money this village spends on sidewalks and we targeted sidewalks around the school area where children and people with strollers and whatever walk. These educated professionals are walking in the middle of the street. 24 They don't move when the car is coming. There's again talking about cars parked on both sides of the streets. If you have a car coming this way and a car coming this way, one car has to stop to let the other car through. And now we have to drive around pedestrians. I was thinking about why are we spending millions of dollars on sidewalks if no one wants to walk on these beautiful new sidewalks? It's just really crazy, but anyway. The plantings are coming well and I'm so glad I do not have eyes in the back of my head. I want you to know I had on my planting apron and a vest. I looked like I don't know what, a lady over, what's the development where Willie lives? Evergreen. She came out to talk to me. It was kind of comical, but thank you for the vest. I do wear my vest, but really, the speeding issue, I feel like we're not making headway with that. Payment of Audited Bills Trustee Kyle made a motion to approve payment of audited bills. Seconded by Trustee Taylor. All ayes. Motion carried. Miscellaneous Comments from the Board of Trustees Trustee Pearson: John, do we have a policy book for employees? Can I get a copy to read it please? Manager Revella: Yes. E-mailed to you? Trustee Pearson: Do you have a physical copy that I can read? Manager Revella: I’d have to print one out, it’s 103 pages. Trustee Pearson: Good idea. Yeah. Yeah. How long? Manager Revella: What? Which one? Trustee Pearson: E-mail it to me. There in the beginning of one of your comments, Kidd Farm, I had asked about the developers agreement, was that ever taken care of and has he paid and blah blah blah where Dave was supposed to check on that. Do we know where we're at? Wasn't monies due at a certain time frame, so I don't know where we are with that. Attorney Donovan: I’ll need to check. Trustee Pearson: I did ask at the last meeting to have this discussion about the building and what we can do at night to close it. Ginny and the Chief were supposed to be here. Can we maybe make a motion to have that put on the agenda for next meeting, please? I'll make a motion. Anybody second? Manager Revella: Just need two of you to put it up. Trustee Pearson: Good. We talked about it last meeting and it's not on this week's agenda. Any news on the 12 hour shifts that you can talk about or is that exec? Manager Revella: I didn't see the note, sorry. I mentioned in the beginning, the PBA had a meeting. They had a quorum, but then they had calls and they didn't have a quorum, so couldn't vote on anything. They're trying to get a special meeting for the end of the month. Hopefully they can get it in and we get a memorandum agreement for the June meeting. Trustee Pearson: I sent you a picture of the North Montgomery Street house that's now for sale again. That was condemned and supposed to be torn down. What's up with that? 25 Manager Revella: They can sell it. They're selling a condemned building. Trustee Pearson: Who's gonna tear it down? Manager Revella: Contractor. Trustee Pearson: I thought the village was tearing it down. Manager Revella: Yeah, the village. Trustee Pearson: Village was paying and that goes on the people's taxes that own it or when they sell it. Then what happens? Manager Revella: Whoever. It goes on the property. We don't care who owns it. Trustee Pearson: On the property. Depends on when it gets tore down though. If they sell the property ahead of time, that person will then get sent that bill. Manager Revella: Hopefully, they get a municipal report where they say this building is condemned and uninhabitable. If they don't get one, that's their due diligence. Trustee Pearson: Are we up to date from the school being paid for our SRO's? I know it was like once a year. Is it only once a year? Do we know that, I can't remember what they said, where we're at with SRO payment? Manager Revella: It's monthly, but we had an addendum for the contract. They have a contract renewal for next year. Trustee Pearson: I know, but when do we get paid for the SRO's at the end of the school year or the beginning of the school year? Manager Revella: I thought it was monthly. I have to ask the Treasurer to confirm. I think it's monthly. Trustee Pearson: I just want to make sure we're up to date with those payments. Manager Revella: We're not owed as of right now that I'm aware of. Trustee Taylor: Once again, do we ever not have a meeting where we're not hearing about speeding in this village? I've commuted all my life through a lot of small towns, specifically right here in New York State. And some towns have the reputation that, boy you don't want to speed through there. We don't have that reputation here. And it is becoming extremely dangerous for anyone. I don't even attempt to pull out on Route 52 from East Avenue now for a couple of reasons. One, the sight line in both directions is terrible. But the speeding that starts and it happens every single morning at the same time when I was going to work between 5:00 and 6:00, once they get their coffee, it's hammer time. From Dunkin' Donuts to the dollar store. And I'm not hearing, and yeah, we're issuing some tickets and we're citing speeding, but we're not solving the problem here. We're just providing lip service because the problem is there today. It was there last year. It was there the year before. What are we doing? The public wants to know what we're doing and I don't think that we're providing an answer to that question. 26 Manager Revella: The last time the question was asked, I answered and I would have the same answer today. We don't have the staff to patrol the whole village for speeding at this time. We're working on it. We have three in the Academy. I just hired another two. We're hoping to get the staff up to where we can do patrols like that again, that's the goal. Trustee Taylor: Well, that's a discussion for another time. Trustee Kyle: How many are on shift at one time? Manager Revella: Two. Trustee Pearson: Two officers and a Sergeant. Manager Revella: We don't have two officers and the Sergeant right now, that's not true. Not for each shift, the Sergeants are actually on patrol right now, covering part of those two. Trustee Taylor: My only other comment is that I had the honor of attending the dedication at Olley Park for the benches donated by the Masons, as well as Messco. For those that aren't aware, those benches are there for suicide prevention for veterans. It's a place for veterans to sit and sit with a friend or reach out and just do some self-awareness or whatever. It was a beautiful ceremony. The benches look great. I did put some pictures on Facebook. But it was a couple of things. It was a very moving ceremony. You had some folks that spoke that were emotional. It was a privilege to be there. I want to publicly thank both the Masons and Messco for their dedication. Greatly appreciate it. Trustee Kyle: I saw the pictures and they were beautiful. The bench, it had the veteran crisis line number. I just wanted to make a note that it had said something about the year being, I don't know when they made the plaque that they made for the benches, but it had an 800 number and you can actually just dial 988. That's anyone in crisis, it can just be 988 and you don't have to dial the entire 800 number. I just wanted to make a note of that, I don't know when they made the plaque. I wanted to also say something about the speeding just since I've become a Trustee, I've gotten Facebook messages, I've gotten emails, I've gotten texts, I've gotten calls about speeding, I know it's a huge issue. I don't know what the solution is right now John, because obviously we don't have the staff. We got to work on it. I'm not sure where we go with that. Manager Revella: The board did great in the budget in providing for more staffing in this coming year, we're going to fill that as soon as possible and hopefully that helps alleviate some of those problems. Trustee Kyle: I think 12 hour shift is a good start. I had just another side note. The people that come in that are requesting the facility use or the alcohol waiver, can we not move those up to the beginning of the meeting? I just feel like those people, they're sitting through almost the entire or at least half the meeting just to say hey, can I have alcohol at my event and then we go, yeah, and then they leave. Can we not move those up to the beginning? Manager Revella: You can move this any order you want anytime even during the meeting. Trustee Taylor: We did that last meeting. Trustee Kyle: My last comment. This is a rough one because it's not a popular opinion and I'm sorry, but I feel like there are issues with Walden Elementary School and 27 I do not want to see Walden Elementary school leave the village, but there are issues with Walden Elementary School. It is not handicap accessible and it is a huge problem and I would like to address the issues and get them fixed, but we can't ignore that there are problems with Walden Elementary School. My neighbor has a bus pick him up and bring him to Berea because he can't go to Walden Elementary, which is awful. Trustee Pearson: You have Walden kids that don't go to Walden. They bus to Berea. That's the way they district the school. Trustee Kyle: This one specifically can go to go to Walden Elementary. Trustee Pearson: Nobody's disagreeing that the building doesn't need to be fixed. Nobody's saying that at all. Trustee Kyle: Yeah, I know, but I feel like it's harsh to say that the village doesn't care. Not that I want to see the school leave. But it does have a lot of issues. Trustee Pearson: The school let those issues happen. Trustee Kyle: Mainly being handicap accessible. That's a huge issue and does need to be worked on, but we can't deny that that's an issue. Trustee Pearson: Nobody's saying that it's not an issue. I think everybody I've spoken to agrees that the school needs to be fixed or maintained, at least. Trustee Kyle: Fixed or maintained but the people who are saying it needs to be fixed or maintained, are they willing to look at like would it be the best option? The cost effectiveness of fixing it and what would be involved or building a new. Trustee Pearson: We don't know what's going to happen. Trustee Kyle: I'm just saying, what my opinion is and is it the most cost effective option and the people who are complaining about taxes and complaining about the school like. How much work does the school need compared to like building a new school or moving to a different, I don't know. I don't know what the answer is. I'm just saying that I think that it takes a lot of open mindedness to come up with a solution to the problem. John Thompson: Have you gone to a school board meeting? *inaudible* Trustee Kyle: I have, yes. This is coming up. I know you're right and I'm hearing from other people and thinking about all of the comments. I will now. And you're right it is and it will be a thing that I do now and you're right. Definitely something needs to be done. I just feel like we can't be super close minded on the options. Trustee Pearson: I don't think you're not going to have a choice on an option. The school district is going to decide what's going to happen, and you're going to have a yes or no vote. Basically, it's my opinion of what's going to happen. You're going to have a yes or no vote on what they propose. If they're going to build a new school, they're going to fix the school. They're going to come down to those options and you're going to have a yes or no vote on what you want to happen. That's how I feel that's going to come down. You're not going to have the option of deciding, well, let's see how many people want it this way. How many people want it that way. I don't think it's going to happen that way. From what I've heard. 28 Trustee Kyle: The voters will decide. Trustee Pearson: Can I have one more comment, please? National Night Out? Where are we with that? Are we doing it? Not doing it? Manager Revella: Yes, the board voted to do it. Trustee Pearson: Yes, but I haven't heard anything. There's no committee set up. Are there committees? Are people working on it already? Manager Revella: The Police Department. Trustee Pearson: They're not setting up a committee with outside people. They're just doing it themselves. Manager Revella: That's what they're doing so far. Trustee Pearson: And it's going to be in the Village of Walden. Manager Revella: At Bradley, 1st Tuesday in August. Trustee Pearson: I just haven't heard anything about it and usually they ask for volunteers in the village to help. I don't know if that's happening. Thank you. *Read Community Events into Minutes* Executive Session – Personal History of a Particular Employee and Potential Attorney Client Regarding Hill St Bridge Trustee Kyle made a motion to enter into executive session to discuss personal history of particular employee and potential attorney client regarding Hill St Bridge. Seconded by Trustee Pearson. All ayes. Motion carried. Reconvene Trustee Kyle made a motion to reconvene the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees. Seconded by Trustee Taylor. All ayes. Motion carried. 29  Village of Walden Board of Trustees Regular Meeting May 21, 2024 Motions & Resolutions Public Hearing – Local Law 9 of 2024 – Residency Requirement Trustee Pearson made a motion to open public hearing 9 of 2024 – Residency Requirement. Seconded by Trustee Kyle. All ayes. Motion carried. Trustee Taylor made a motion to keep public hearing 9 of 2024 – Residency Requirement open. Seconded by Trustee Pearson. 3 ayes. 1 no. Not carried. Discussion – East Ave Parking Trustee Kyle made a motion to direct the Village Attorney to draft a local law for the next meeting. Seconded by Trustee Taylor. All ayes. Motion carried. Park Use Request – Alcohol Waiver Trustee Kyle made a motion to approve alcohol waiver. Seconded by Trustee Pearson. All ayes. Motion carried. VFW Permit Fee Waiver Trustee Kyle made a motion to approve the $100 permit fee to be waived. Seconded by Trustee Taylor. All ayes. Motion carried. Outdoor Café Request – Franco’s Trustee Kyle made a motion to approve outdoor cafe request for Franco’s. Seconded by Trustee Pearson. All ayes. Motion carried. Outdoor Café Request – Sweeney’s Trustee Pearson made a motion to approve outdoor cafe request for Sweeney’s. Seconded by Trustee Kyle. All ayes. Motion carried. Award Bid – Smoke Testing Trustee Pearson made a motion to award the bid to Arold Construction in the amount of $105,450 for smoke testing and sewer main lining. Seconded by Trustee Taylor. All ayes. Motion carried. Payment of Audited Bills Trustee Kyle made a motion to approve payment of audited bills. Seconded by Trustee Taylor. All ayes. Motion carried. Executive Session – Personal History of a Particular Employee and Potential Attorney Client Regarding Hill St Bridge Trustee Kyle made a motion to enter into executive session to discuss personal history of particular employee and potential attorney client regarding Hill St Bridge. Seconded by Trustee Pearson. All ayes. Motion carried. Reconvene Trustee Kyle made a motion to reconvene the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees. Seconded by Trustee Taylor. All ayes. Motion carried. 30