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August 12, 2002
Town Board Minutes
Southwest Community Center
Supervisor: Victoria M. Mullen
Town Board Members: Tim DeSacia, Margaret Mahaney, Richard Pratt
The regular meeting of the Oswego Town Board was held on August 12, 2002 at the Southwest Community Center at 7:00 PM. Supervisor Mullen opened with the Pledge of Allegiance. The following members were present:
Supervisor
Councilor
Councilor
Councilor
Attorney to the Board
 Victoria Mullen
Tim DeSacia
Margaret Mahaney
Richard Pratt
Stephen C. Greene
Town Clerk's Report:
A petition was received in my office August 7, 2002 to initiate a permissive referendum for the upcoming Nov. election to vote to expend money for a new highway equipment storage and repair facility and offices.

July funds paid to the Supervisor on Aug. 1 for $1574.80 total received $1973.25.

DEC hunting licenses should go on sale Monday August 19th. My new computer has arrived and will be hooked up tomorrow. Deer management permits will also be issued from my office the computer will generate who will receive one. Please bring drivers license and old license because everything will have to be loaded into the computer at the time of sale, next year I will be able to scan a drivers license to sell licenses.

Supervisor's Report:
Resolution 2002-105 to bond for a highway garage was subject to permissive referendum. A petition has been filed. The referendum will need to be held at a special election between Oct 2nd and Oct 21st.

With interest rates at the lowest in years, and funding coming in from the state, and to avoid another winter in a unhealthy environment and with no objections at the public hearing, or at any other time during the past 5 years that this project has been worked on, the board felt comfortable moving forward. The town held a public hearing, to hear all interested parties on bonding for the garage, all in attendance spoke in favor of moving forward. However a few people who chose not to attend the public hearing on the highway garage funding, or to question the board and get the facts, have circulated a petition and progress stops. Tonight the board will consider rejecting all bids on the garage, and the project will be back in Limbo, while our employees work in unhealthy conditions. By stopping the project at this point we may jeopardize the 50 thousand-dollar funding that I have obtained for the garage.

Hopefully the board will be able to inform the public with the hard facts and the referendum will pass in November. This highway garage should have been done years ago…I have to agree with the former supervisor who said in his 1999 facility report…

"There are serious questions regarding the structural integrity of the building...and Continued use would be inefficient and would place town employees in an unsafe environment..."

I want to let the board know I feel they show real leadership with their actions, Leaders make the hard decisions, with the facts.

I want to thank the members of the building committees for the years of work all the work that has been done to try and make sure our town employees have a safe work environment, hopefully someday it will become a reality. Abraham Lincoln said " We cannot escape the responsibility for tomorrow by evading it today" I agree

Do the people have the right to vote? Yes of course, but I think the silent majority has voted, and we heard them loud and clear. With misinformation that was out there we may end being forced to spend precious funds to do repairs to an irreparable facility; when we could have built one without a tax increase, that is an atrocity.

My budget officer and I have been working for months on the budget for 2003 the last six years of town budgets were reviewed extensively. Those figures, which were provided by the New York State Comptroller's Office, were analyzed and projections were made in regards to savings in the operating budget for 2003. We will be reporting to the department heads our 2003 budget goals and we expect them to come in at or under those goals.

Due to the cutting of unnecessary spending and consolidating services. Our current analysis shows that we can include a bond payment for the new town highway garage without increasing the town tax levy. This is another reason we felt comfortable moving forward on the Highway garage. With the recent developments, that may no longer be true.

It is important to give the people of the town the facts on TAXES…since I understand that many people who signed this petition were lead to believe that their taxes were going to double.

The Average home in the town is assessed for $88.000 dollars…. The tax levied on such assessment is:

County Tax- 724 dollars a year
School Tax -1632 dollars a year - Oswego Schools School
Tax- 1488 dollars a year -Hannibal Schools

The town board has no control over these tax levies the county legislature and the school boards levy these taxes.

The same house pays $39 dollars a year in TOWN OF OSWEGO TAX. The highway garage funding would come from that $39 dollars. I hope this puts in perspective the facts on your town tax.

Also on tonight's agenda we are having a public hearing on consolidation of the water districts... This resolution is also subject to a permissive referendum.

Tonight the board will make an appointment to fill the empty seat vacated by Mrs. Tierney 's resignation.

The work on Sleepy Hollow continues. All reports will be submitted to the DEC by Sept 30th, the deadline set by them. I am working with Rural Water, and talking to the DEC clean water council, trying to find some grant money to help with the cost of rehabilitating the system.

Public Comment:
Questions were raised about tax increases with a new building, Sleepy Hollow DEC report, when will it be ready for Sleepy Hollow resident's and the cost of copies to Sleepy Hollow residents?

Public Hearing:
Resolution 2002- 111 Be it resolved that the Oswego Town Board opens the public hearing for the purpose to hear all interested persons in relation to a proposed resolution to consolidate those water districts in the Town of Oswego, New York at 7:15 PM. Moved by Supervisor Mullen and seconded by Councilor Mahaney. All ayes motion carried.

The town clerk read the legal notice published in the Pall-Times on July 31, 2002. see copy. Speaking in favor of the consolidation were town residents Barry Pritchard, Samantha Ditzler, Craig Becker

Resolution 2002- 112 Be it resolved that the Oswego Town Board closes the public hearing at 7:20 PM, on the consolidation of the Water Districts. Moved by Councilor DeSacia, and seconded by Councilor Mahaney. All ayes motion carried.

Resolution 2002- 113 Be it resolved that the Oswego Town Board appoints Greg Herrmann to serve as town councilor for the remainder of the 2002-year to fill the vacancy left by Mrs. Barbara Tierney. Moved by Supervisor Mullen and seconded by Councilor Pratt. All ayes motion carried. The town clerk then swore in Mr. Herrmann as a town councilor.

Resolution 2002- 114 Be it resolved that the Oswego Town Board approves the minutes from the July 8 and August 5, 2002 town board meetings. Moved by Supervisor Mullen and seconded by Councilor Pratt. All ayes motion carried.

Resolution 2002- 115 Be it resolved that the Oswego Town Board approves the bills on abstract 8.
General Fund
Highway Fund
Sleepy Hollow Sewer
Ontario Hts. Sewer
Capital Project
$16462.72
132224.58
262.92
43.95
6482.96
 v-293-339
v-100-114
v-15-16
v-9 HA
v-3
Moved by Councilor Pratt and seconded by Councilor DeSacia. 4 ayes, 1 abstain. DeSacia, Mahaney, Mullen, Pratt aye, Herrmann abstain.

Resolution 2002- 116 Be it resolved that the Oswego Town Board re-appoint Ted Sivers to the Assessment Board of Review term to expire 9-07. Moved by Supervisor Mullen and seconded by Councilor Pratt. 4 ayes, 1 abstain DeSacia, Mahaney, Mullen, Pratt aye, Herrmann, abstain

Resolution 2002- 117

Whereas, there exist eight (8) separate water districts in the Town of Oswego, New York, to-wit; the Fruit Valley Water District; the Southwest Oswego Water District; the Oswego Center Water District; the Washington Boulevard Water District; the Lake Road Water District; the West Fifth Street Road Water District; the Ontario Heights Water District; and the Oswego Town Comprehensive Water District; and

Whereas, all costs of operation, maintenance, and improvements of said districts are taxed on the benefit basis; and

Whereas, none of said districts has outstanding indebtedness or liabilities, nor is any liability or indebtedness of any one or more of such districts reasonable anticipated; and

Whereas, the property of such districts to be so consolidated should inure to the consolidated district; and

Whereas, the consolidation of such districts will promote the efficient management thereof; and

Whereas, a public hearing, as required by the Town Law of the State of New York, was held at the Oswego Town Community Center, State Route 104, Town of Oswego, New York, at 7:15 PM on August 12, 2002, at which all interested persons in attendance, were heard in reference to this subject matter concerning same; and

Whereas, it is in the public interests of the residents of such town to have the efficient management of the property, affairs and government of its water districts thereby promoted; Now,

Therefore be it Resolved, that it is hereby determined to be in the public interest that the following water districts of the Town of Oswego, New York, be and the same hereby are consolidated into one water district to be known as the Oswego Town Consolidated Water District, to-wit; the Fruit Valley Water District; the Southwest Oswego Water District; the Oswego Center Water District; the Washington Boulevard Water District; the Lake Road Water District; the West Fifth Street Road Water District; the Ontario Heights Water District; and the Oswego Town Comprehensive Water District; and be it further Resolved, that the cost of operation, maintenance and improvements of such consolidated district shall be on the benefit basis; and be it further Resolved, that the offices of any commissioners of such districts so consolidated be and they hereby are abolished; and be it further Resolved, that the property of such districts so consolidated shall inure to and become the property of the Oswego Town Consolidated Water District; and be it further Resolved, that this resolution shall be subject to permissive referendum as provided by the Town Law of the State of New York, and shall become effective pursuant to such Law's terms.

Moved by Supervisor Mullen and seconded by Councilor Pratt. Vote of the Town Board: Supervisor Mullen aye Councilor DeSacia aye Councilor Mahaney aye Councilor Pratt aye Councilor Herrmann abstain

Resolution 2002- 118 Be it resolved that the Oswego Town Board considers rejecting all bids of July 1, 2002 on the proposed highway garage. Moved by Councilor DeSacia, seconded by Councilor Mahaney. 4 ayes, 1 abstain DeSacia, Mahaney, Mullen, Pratt, aye, Herrmann abstain.

Resolution 2002- 119 Be it resolved that the Oswego Town Board approves the following budget modifications: transfer from A1620.13 (building-general laborer) to A9050.8 (unemployment insurance) for $4382.15 and to A9055.8 (disability insurance) $561.12 not budgeted properly for a total of $4943.27; also an inter-fund transfer from General Fund to Highway Fund in the amount of $14,000.00 A599 (appropriated fund balance to DA5130.2 (machinery-equipment.

Moved by Supervisor Mullen and seconded by Councilor Mahaney. 4 ayes, 1 abstain. DeSacia, Mahaney, Mullen, Pratt, aye, Herrmann abstain.

Resolution 2002- 120 Motion by Supervisor Mullen and seconded by Councilor Mahaney to add to the agenda. All ayes motion carried.

Resolution 2002- 121 Be it resolved that the Oswego Town Board shall hold a special election on October 8, 2002 to vote on the proposed new town highway equipment storage and repair facility, with offices for the Highway Superintendent and staff. Moved by Supervisor Mullen and seconded by Councilor DeSacia. 4 ayes, 1 abstain. DeSacia, Mahaney, Mullen, Pratt aye, Herrmann, abstain.

Motion to close the regular meeting of the Oswego Town Board at 7:40 PM moved by Councilor Mahaney and seconded by Supervisor Mullen. All ayes motion carried.

Respectfully submitted,

Theresa A. Cooper, RMC
Oswego Town Clerk