[0:08] Very good everyone.

[0:10] [clears throat]

[0:12] >> Happy new year.

[0:15] >> Welcome to the Red Hook Town Lord

[0:18] meeting of Tuesday, January 13, 2026.

[0:22] Would you kindly join me in the pledge

[0:24] of allegiance, please?

[0:26] I pledge algiance to the flag of the

[0:29] United States of America and to the

[0:32] republic for which it stands, one nation

[0:34] under God, indivisible, with liberty and

[0:37] justice for all.

[0:42] » Thank you all very much. I hope that you

[0:44] had a happy and healthy, probably the

[0:49] most challenging part of that uh holiday

[0:52] season. And for the folks at home uh

[0:56] wanting to know what we'll be discussing

[0:58] uh this evening,

[1:01] we have two uh public hearings. Uh one

[1:04] is related to

[1:07] um or actually both are related to the

[1:10] rehab of the water district number one

[1:14] uh storage tank. And um we actually have

[1:18] a couple of our water board members with

[1:21] us this evening. Um and we'll start the

[1:24] evening off with that. We then will move

[1:27] on to our annual reorganization meeting

[1:31] uh rather resolution. We'll then um

[1:36] address two highway related uh matters.

[1:40] We approve the annual expenditures for

[1:43] capital uh improvements, road

[1:45] improvements. We have our highway

[1:47] superintendent here somewhere. I thought

[1:49] I saw her right. Teresa. Oh, there you

[1:51] are. Okay. Very good. Um and uh we'll

[1:55] then move on to a discussion and

[1:58] approval of a new EV cargo van for the

[2:02] highway department. Um we'll then take

[2:05] up those uh issues related to the

[2:08] storage tank. Um we have a resolution

[2:11] approving an amendment to the fire

[2:15] protection district agreement with the

[2:18] village of Tivoli. Um, if you've been

[2:20] following along on many of these issues

[2:23] in previous meetings, um, the village of

[2:27] Tivoli and the Tivoli Fire Department

[2:30] met with us, um, and said that they

[2:33] needed additional help. We had initially

[2:36] allocated $250,000

[2:39] towards the firehouse expansion project.

[2:42] They needed additional help. Um, we

[2:45] explained our time constraints with the

[2:47] ARPA funds that they needed to be

[2:49] expended this year. And so, uh, we put

[2:52] our heads together and came up with a

[2:54] plan to provide, um, additional capital

[2:58] line funding to, uh, double the support,

[3:01] first of all, $500,000,

[3:04] but to do it, uh, pay the debt

[3:07] associated with the borrowing that

[3:08] they're going to ensue. And this way uh

[3:11] both the the fire department village and

[3:14] [clears throat] also the town wouldn't

[3:16] be under the gun if you will uh with

[3:18] time constraints. So um it's our hope

[3:21] that uh we can be moving that forward

[3:23] because I know that they do want to go

[3:25] out uh to bid and that of course is a

[3:28] critical uh step that they need to take

[3:31] in order to know whether they're whether

[3:33] or not they're going to uh move forward

[3:36] with that project. Um we're going to

[3:40] discuss but uh not likely decide on um

[3:43] this year's health insurancey uh health

[3:46] insurance policy uh for the employees.

[3:49] Um we have a ministerial act um to do

[3:53] with assigning a delegate to uh the

[3:56] association of towns annual conference.

[3:59] um you uh see your representatives and

[4:02] by the way congratulations to our new

[4:04] Ken Miglorelli and Christine. [applause]

[4:13] We also didn't get a chance because of

[4:16] the meeting schedule to thank um our

[4:18] outgoing uh Julia Solomon and Christine

[4:21] Kaine for all of their work over the

[4:23] years and we'll be seeing and I'm sure

[4:25] hearing from both of them uh in the

[4:28] future. So thank you all to them. Uh but

[4:31] the point I was getting to uh is that we

[4:34] do um continuing education

[4:38] um each and every year uh whether it's

[4:41] remote courses or this annual conference

[4:44] where representatives from all the towns

[4:47] 900 plus in New York State uh convene

[4:52] and uh we get up to speed on what the

[4:55] latest and greatest and share our

[4:57] thoughts and ideas with each other. Um

[5:00] we have a couple of resolutions related

[5:03] to assessments and then uh we'll discuss

[5:06] correspondence as it relates to where we

[5:08] are on um engineering study and uh

[5:12] reducing speed limits townwide.

[5:16] With that being said, why don't we very

[5:19] quickly

[5:21] um go and do uh supervisor's report for

[5:26] this month. Uh folks, all I have is the

[5:28] cash portion as you know. Um we uh

[5:32] continue to acrewue

[5:34] um expenses throughout January. So

[5:37] you'll get this uh updated

[5:40] um later on in January. But from a cash

[5:43] position, we do this the first meeting

[5:45] of each month. Um I'll report to uh the

[5:48] folks. We started with an opening

[5:50] balance of 9,32,000.

[5:53] We had receipts of 3,971

[5:57] dispersements of 2,444,000

[6:01] with an ending balance of 10,828,000.

[6:07] I won't ask you to accept the

[6:08] supervisor's report because this is the

[6:10] only portion of it that we have uh for

[6:13] tonight. Um Diana, could we uh quickly

[6:16] do the clerk's report, please?

[6:21] » No. I didn't I didn't do a vote.

[6:24] >> Oh, okay.

[6:25] >> It's just the the brief portion of it.

[6:27] >> Oh, okay. Um, town clerk's report for

[6:30] the period of December 1st, 2025 to

[6:32] December 31st, 2025. Total local shares

[6:35] remitted remitted, $8,37,947.

[6:39] Amount paid to New York State

[6:41] Agriculture Markets for the spayneuter

[6:43] program, $36. Amount paid to New York

[6:45] State Department of Health for marriage

[6:46] licenses, $45. Amount paid to New York

[6:49] State controller for games of chance

[6:51] bell jar license $15. Amount paid to New

[6:54] York State Environmental Conservation

[6:55] for hunting and fishing licenses $68.3.

[6:59] Total state, county, and local revenues

[7:01] $8,543.50.

[7:05] And there are there vouchers or

[7:08] >> there are vouchers. I hereby certify

[7:11] vouchers numbered 3236

[7:13] 34236

[7:15] to 34386 totaling 77 757,1944

[7:23] processed in the month of December 2025

[7:25] are an accurate reporting of the

[7:27] abstracts approved for payment by the

[7:28] town board.

[7:30] >> Very good. Thank you very much Diana. Is

[7:32] there a motion to accept a parks report?

[7:35] >> I I have a few questions.

[7:36] >> Okay. So looking at this, so we're

[7:40] charging trailer park fees.

[7:43] >> Oh, it's um the the license is their

[7:46] licenses for a year. $15 a year to have

[7:49] a trailer park.

[7:51] It's like a license.

[7:53] >> Yeah.

[7:54] >> So we it looks like it's $75 a year to

[7:57] have a a trailer.

[8:01] >> Where? Oh, I'm sorry.

[8:03] >> There's five. online. There are that's

[8:07] only um there's actually

[8:09] um I think there's six parks, but we um

[8:14] we only we got paid I think we did one

[8:16] last month, too. Like in November, we

[8:18] had a payment for one.

[8:19] >> Can you just explain what that is?

[8:21] >> Yeah, I I think Diana just did. There

[8:23] are five trailer park fees. There's a

[8:26] $15 annual fee associated and there's

[8:28] five total of 75

[8:30] >> for for for

[8:32] a park

[8:33] >> a park of

[8:36] collective any amount of

[8:39] >> Yes. So so the like for instance the

[8:43] trailer park up on Mountain View

[8:46] um they pay $15 a year for a license to

[8:49] have the park

[8:50] >> and what and why do we charge trailer

[8:52] parks? That's a New York state.

[8:56] Comes from the state.

[9:01] » There's a state mandated fee for

[9:03] trailer.

[9:03] >> I believe it. I believe it's um I'd have

[9:06] to look that up, but it's definitely a

[9:08] mandated fee to have. It's $15.

[9:11] >> It's like a registration.

[9:13] >> Yeah. Every year annually. So,

[9:18] I just send out a quick letter and then

[9:20] send them a license with a seal on it

[9:22] once they pay the $15.

[9:27] » Um, yeah, it seems strange to me that

[9:30] we'd be that we would be allocating fees

[9:33] towards trailer parks.

[9:37] I'd like to understand more about that.

[9:39] >> I'll look into it and give it give you

[9:40] more information on it. And then the

[9:42] other the other thing that stuck out to

[9:44] me was the dog licensing fees.

[9:48] >> Yes.

[9:49] >> Um

[9:51] I mean obviously this is a minority of

[9:54] people that choose to participate

[9:57] in licensing their dogs, but we've got

[10:00] we've we've we've got pure breads or

[10:03] discounted fees. Like where where do

[10:06] these fees come from?

[10:07] >> Um so the fees are are set by New York

[10:10] State. Um, it's the law to license your

[10:13] dog. People should be licensing their

[10:15] dogs in town of Red Hook. Um, if we only

[10:19] have one purebred license or I think the

[10:22] purebred license was literally I think

[10:25] we have one in the whole that we have in

[10:27] our whole

[10:27] >> there's one that I think we've just done

[10:30] that. That's the one. Um, but usually if

[10:32] it's unneutered, the dogs um are $22 a

[10:36] year and for uh spay and neutered dogs

[10:39] it's $15 a year. And um New York State I

[10:43] think it's um 14 and then a dollar goes

[10:47] to New York State. So 14 for the town, a

[10:50] dollar for the state.

[10:53] It's gets split that way but by New York

[10:55] State.

[10:56] >> I I'd just like to understand where

[10:57] these where where these fees come from.

[10:59] um looking at the report and trying

[11:02] >> Oh, I can definitely I'll put something

[11:03] together for you.

[11:04] >> Thank you.

[11:06] >> Okay.

[11:09] Hearing no other questions. Um is there

[11:12] a motion to accept the corpse report?

[11:17] >> Thank you. Is there a second?

[11:19] >> Second.

[11:20] >> Thank [snorts] you, Jacob. All in favor?

[11:23] [clears throat]

[11:23] >> I

[11:26] >> Okay. Uh, a couple of quick

[11:28] announcements and then we'll get to our

[11:30] public hearing. Um,

[11:34] very good news. Uh, the town was, uh,

[11:38] awarded a grant that we applied for for,

[11:42] uh, central sewer. It was the

[11:44] intermunicipal grant. Um it's a program

[11:49] that the governor uh to her credit uh

[11:52] created um to uh help support uh sewer

[11:57] projects that uh involve more than one

[12:01] uh municipality.

[12:03] Um when we created the TND sewer

[12:06] district, the extension of which is um

[12:11] from town hall is TND all the way down

[12:15] to the parcel south of Hannifford.

[12:18] Um we told the the residents and

[12:22] property owners there that we would not

[12:25] uh move forward likely until we receive

[12:29] some grant funding. We applied for the

[12:33] full amount, 40% of the estimated

[12:36] project cost, and that's these

[12:38] businesses up and down Route 9 on both

[12:41] sides. Um, we've been uh notified that

[12:45] we're awarded uh 2.563

[12:50] million

[12:51] um towards what was estimated a couple

[12:54] of years ago as 6.5

[12:57] 6.6 million project. Um if you've been

[13:01] following along in previous meetings, we

[13:03] took some of our ARPA allocation

[13:07] uh 3 four years ago, we felt so strongly

[13:10] about um helping out the businesses up

[13:12] and down Route 9 that we allocated over

[13:16] a half a million dollars as well towards

[13:19] that.

[13:20] um together that adds up to nearly $3.1

[13:24] million towards again what was at the

[13:27] time estimated to be 6.56.6

[13:31] million. Uh obviously when when and if

[13:35] we decide [clears throat] to go out to

[13:36] bid that number uh could change. [cough]

[13:40] So at this point we've asked the village

[13:43] to take a look at um the demand um for

[13:48] expansion on their portion

[13:51] uh because the sewer plant which is

[13:54] modular in nature

[13:56] um

[13:58] to understand whether or not they could

[14:00] begin to uh design a system short of the

[14:05] full 300,000 gallons a day um in order

[14:09] to help us out and start on this process

[14:13] and uh try to get the construction done

[14:16] before uh the project costs um continue

[14:19] to go up.

[14:21] So, uh really good news there uh folks

[14:24] for uh 2026

[14:28] um events. So, it's a new year. We'll be

[14:31] having our usual seven or eight spring

[14:34] events here in the town. Uh we start off

[14:38] uh not this upcoming weekend but the

[14:41] following weekend with our quarterly Red

[14:44] Hook Repair Cafe um hosted uh as has

[14:48] been now for some time by the community

[14:51] center 10 to 1. There are lot lots of

[14:54] items that you uh can bring and lots of

[14:57] terrific uh volunteers to help uh repair

[15:01] these types of uh items that you have in

[15:05] your house. and other things

[15:08] 10 to 1. That's Saturday, January 24th.

[15:13] We thank everybody coming here. Um we I

[15:17] think we have a few folks from Barrytown

[15:19] here this evening. Um you and others may

[15:22] in particular be interested. Next

[15:24] Wednesday night, I've arranged for

[15:26] Duchess County DPW to come and make a

[15:30] presentation related to the bridge

[15:33] replacement project which will be in

[15:36] Anandale. That's just south of uh the

[15:40] triangle

[15:42] um on River Road and uh that's 6:30 here

[15:46] at town hall. You'll hear about um some

[15:48] of the thoughts um changes that they're

[15:52] proposing to make. I believe there's a

[15:54] three-foot sidewalk on the one side of

[15:56] the the bridge. They're talking about

[15:59] potentially having a 5-ft sidewalk um on

[16:02] both sides of the bridge there. But

[16:04] you'll find out more. It's here

[16:06] Wednesday night, January 21st at 6:30.

[16:12] And lastly, uh, everybody wants to

[16:14] survey you and Duchess County wants to

[16:16] survey you as it were, uh, as it

[16:19] pertains to transportation in, uh, the

[16:23] county. And it looks like you get a $25

[16:27] gift card if you do so. And here is the

[16:31] survey itself. You'll need to go online

[16:33] in order to do that.

[16:37] But as we are soliciting your thoughts

[16:39] and ideas townwide for the comprehensive

[16:42] plan, it would be great to also get your

[16:45] input as it relates to getting around

[16:48] the county. Um, and in particular,

[16:50] Northern Duchess.

[16:52] >> Where do you get that?

[16:54] >> It's online, Duchess County. Um you can

[16:58] Google moving duchess forward and this

[17:02] will be uh on our website and you can

[17:04] link directly there from our website.

[17:07] This is the hyperlink here.

[17:10] Moving duchess forward is the

[17:14] name of the effort. Okay. With that

[17:16] being said, thanks for your patience. Um

[17:19] we have our first public hearing and

[17:22] that is related uh to uh the increase

[17:26] and improvement of water district

[17:28] facilities for revenue water district

[17:31] number one. [clears throat] Diana, would

[17:32] you be kind enough to read the public

[17:34] hearing notice?

[17:35] >> Notice of public hearing on proposal for

[17:37] an increase and improvement of water

[17:38] district facilities for Red Hook Water

[17:40] District number one. Notice is hereby

[17:42] given that the town board of the town of

[17:44] Red Hook, Duchess County, will meet on

[17:47] the 13th day of January, 2026 at 7:35

[17:50] o'clock PM prevailing time for the

[17:53] purpose of conducting a public hearing

[17:54] upon a proposal by said town board to

[17:57] undertake proposed improvements to the

[17:58] facilities of the town of Red Hook Water

[18:00] District number one pursuant to section

[18:03] 202-B

[18:04] of the town law as here after described

[18:07] at which time and place said town board

[18:09] will meet to consider such proposition.

[18:11] ition and hear all persons interested in

[18:13] the subject thereof and concerning the

[18:15] same. The town board is considering a

[18:17] recommended work plan for improvements

[18:19] to to Red Hook Water District number one

[18:22] [clears throat] as described in the

[18:23] preliminary engineering report dated

[18:25] August 2022 as amended June 17, 2023 as

[18:30] further supplemented March 10th, 2025

[18:33] prepared by Tyenbond Engineering and

[18:36] Landscape Architecture PC including the

[18:39] rehabilitation of the existing standpipe

[18:41] at the Kelly Road Water Storage site and

[18:43] including original furnishings,

[18:45] equipment, machinery and apparatus

[18:47] required therefore the project at an

[18:50] estimated maximum cost of

[18:52] $1,6721,672,600

[18:59] a portion of such cost in the estimated

[19:01] amount of $400,000 is proposed to be

[19:03] paid from the water district's existing

[19:05] SW reserve fund and the remaining

[19:07] project cost is proposed to be financed

[19:09] pursuant to the local finance law. Such

[19:12] engineers preliminary report is on file

[19:15] in the town clerk's office for public

[19:16] inspection. The town board hasn't has

[19:19] determined that such project as

[19:20] described in the engineers report

[19:22] constitutes a type 2 action as defined

[19:25] under the state state environmental

[19:27] quality review regulations 6 NYCRR part

[19:31] 617 which has been determined under

[19:34] secret not to have a significant impact

[19:36] on the environment. All interested

[19:38] persons will be given an opportunity to

[19:40] be heard. All reasonable accommodations

[19:42] will be made for persons with

[19:43] disabilities. In such a case, please

[19:44] notify the town clerk in advance at the

[19:46] above address or by phone so that

[19:49] arrangements can be made by order of the

[19:51] town board of the town of Red Hook dated

[19:52] December 9th, 2025. Deanna Cochran, town

[19:55] clerk, town of Red Hook.

[19:57] >> Thank you, Deanna. And for folks before

[20:00] we open the public hearing, if you've

[20:01] been following, uh, this agenda item has

[20:05] been, uh, discussed now for actually a

[20:08] few years. The water board has been back

[20:10] and forth trying to analyze the pros and

[20:13] cons of either replacement or

[20:15] rehabilitation and has settled, that's

[20:18] my plan for this evening, has settled on

[20:22] uh, rehab uh, as the preferred option.

[20:26] uh under these circumstances, the cost

[20:28] of which is approximately

[20:31] um $1.7 million. They proposed to take

[20:35] $400,000 out of the reserves. Um they

[20:39] have also we have also made a request to

[20:42] our college to contribute towards um the

[20:45] system since they on rare occasions, but

[20:48] they do [clears throat] use it as a

[20:49] backup. And uh so that's sort of the 302

[20:54] version of it. I won't ask the water

[20:56] board to revisit it, but they are here

[20:59] to answer any question. So, with that

[21:02] being said, um may we uh entertain a

[21:06] motion to open the public hearing?

[21:08] >> So moved.

[21:09] >> Thank you, Christina. Second.

[21:11] >> Second.

[21:11] >> Thank you, Bill. All in favor?

[21:14] >> I.

[21:15] >> Would [clears throat] somebody like to

[21:17] uh speak on this matter?

[21:22] » Um I have a question. What is it that

[21:25] you're going to rehab on the water

[21:28] tower?

[21:29] >> It's the tank itself.

[21:31] >> The whole thing. But what are you going

[21:32] to do? Are you going to paint it?

[21:34] >> It's going to be It's going to be

[21:36] repainted. Exactly. Did Did you want to

[21:39] address that question? I know you have

[21:42] previously.

[21:44] >> Well,

[21:45] >> you don't have to stand up.

[21:46] >> That's right. Anyway, um like anything

[21:51] else that we own,

[21:53] equipment, whatever. It deteriorates.

[21:56] Okay. I was thinking about maybe it's

[22:00] like your automobile. Every once in a

[22:02] while, you have to either fix it up or

[22:05] replace it. And that's what we're going

[22:06] to do with this tank. We have to fix it

[22:08] up. It's really held up very, very well

[22:12] since 1989 when it went online. Um

[22:17] the paint um surfaces are still good,

[22:21] but

[22:23] uh if we don't repaint it soon,

[22:26] [snorts and clears throat]

[22:28] it'll become very very difficult. And

[22:30] you know, like anything else, the longer

[22:33] you let things go, the worse the

[22:35] problem. So we decided that

[22:40] given the likelihood

[22:43] of additional major expenses for the

[22:45] water district in the next 15 20 years

[22:49] that we preferred to go with the expense

[22:51] of rehabilitating this tank rather than

[22:54] replacing it. The cost of a new tank was

[22:58] uh

[22:59] over twice as much. It's just the decision that we recommendation that

[23:06] we came to that we're better off

[23:09] rehabilitating this tank

[23:11] with a loan with a cost ofund or a

[23:14] million6 or seven or whatever it's going

[23:16] to be versus probably a total cost of

[23:20] close to 4 million for a new tech. So

[23:23] that was our recommendation. And that is

[23:25] our recommendation and it's just

[23:27] something that has to be done sooner or

[23:30] later. So,

[23:31] >> do you paint the inside of the tank?

[23:33] >> Yes. Okay.

[23:34] >> So,

[23:36] uh we'll have to drain the tank and they

[23:39] clean up the interior of the tank and uh

[23:43] you know clean up all rust spots and

[23:45] little damages and then re put primers

[23:49] on. Anyway, they repaint it. And while

[23:51] they do that, um, and probably before

[23:55] they they paint, we'll inspect to make

[23:57] sure that the tank is properly cleaned

[24:00] and ready for paint. And then we'll

[24:03] inspect again once or twice during the

[24:05] painting process. So, um, we hope for

[24:09] good weather because that's important

[24:11] and that's the way we plan to go.

[24:16] >> Okay.

[24:17] Other questions or comments?

[24:19] >> Rich Rinders,

[24:21] >> Red Hook on the tank. I get it. The

[24:24] money you're saying 1.7 million now

[24:28] uh versus 4 million.

[24:31] So, if you possibly get 8 5 8 10 years

[24:35] out of this refurbished tank with what

[24:36] you're calling paint.

[24:38] I'm not sure when you say paint, what

[24:40] you mean by paint.

[24:42] However,

[24:44] in 10 years, what would the cost be

[24:47] then? 15 million. Would it be better off

[24:50] today to pay the 4 million, put a new

[24:53] tank in for something that's already

[24:55] approximately 30 years old, right? Or

[24:58] you said 1989

[25:00] 89 it went online. Yeah.

[25:02] >> Okay. So,

[25:04] >> thing is,

[25:06] >> so what I'm saying is moneywise,

[25:10] pay now. put a new tank in now because

[25:13] 10 years down the road you might be at

[25:15] 12 million for this tank the way our

[25:17] economy is going. I mean that's

[25:19] something to think about. I don't know

[25:20] if it's been tossed around. It's just a

[25:21] suggestion. That's all it is.

[25:23] >> And while I'm on it, when you say paint,

[25:26] what is this paint?

[25:27] >> It's a coating.

[25:28] >> I know it's a coating, but

[25:29] >> a real high-end coating that we

[25:31] >> So obviously since ' 89 it's worn off

[25:34] and is that getting to our water system?

[25:36] This so-called paint?

[25:37] >> No. So since 1989, we haven't had to

[25:41] code it at all, which is, you know, so

[25:43] when they tell us 10 years for a

[25:44] coating.

[25:45] >> Yeah.

[25:46] >> You know, it took we're 30 years and

[25:49] change and and we haven't had to code

[25:51] it. Um, so we've actually typically a

[25:55] good coating is 15 years you can get out

[25:57] of a really good coating.

[25:58] [clears throat]

[25:59] >> So that's what we're hope hoping for.

[26:00] That's what we pushed. We

[26:02] >> we were back and forth for about four

[26:04] years on this decision whether to get

[26:05] >> No, I understand that's a big decision.

[26:07] I get it. I'm just I'm just putting it

[26:08] out there. Costwise now versus 10 years

[26:10] down the road, what will the cost be? If

[26:13] it was 4 million today is going to be 12

[26:14] million 10 years down the road. That's all that's all I'm putting out

[26:17] there.

[26:18] >> It's true. Uh what we're thinking of is

[26:22] not just this loan paying off this loan,

[26:25] but we have a 60 70 year old system.

[26:29] Water manes don't last forever. We're

[26:32] going to have to be replacing repairing

[26:33] and then replacing water manes. Uh we're

[26:36] having some well work done soon. I hope

[26:40] one of the wells has uh the output has

[26:43] deteriorated significantly. So we're

[26:45] going to try to rehab it. If that works,

[26:48] fine. Otherwise, they can drill a new

[26:50] well and whatever. So these extra

[26:53] expenses coming along, we just wanted to

[26:55] keep our current, you know.

[26:57] >> I understand.

[26:57] >> Yeah, that's all.

[26:58] >> I was just putting it out there in a

[26:59] different way so that

[27:00] >> I agree.

[27:01] >> It could be tossed around in the salad

[27:02] that we're up here. Very

[27:06] good. Um, any anyone else uh for the

[27:09] public hearing? Any comments or

[27:11] question?

[27:12] >> Yeah.

[27:12] >> Do we have a public hearing? I mean, are

[27:14] we can we talk about something else?

[27:16] Just like this.

[27:18] >> This is a public hearing on this matter

[27:20] >> and then you'll have

[27:21] >> we'll have public comments later. Okay.

[27:23] >> All right. Good.

[27:24] >> I mean, Robert, I don't know how you

[27:25] want to conduct the meeting. I have

[27:27] questions that are I I think are

[27:29] relevant to what the public is saying. I

[27:31] don't know how you want to conduct your

[27:33] meeting, but like

[27:34] >> we're here. We're here to hear from the

[27:36] public. It's a public hearing

[27:37] [clears throat] on this matter. The

[27:39] agenda item is related to the water tank

[27:44] rehab.

[27:45] >> How long will the bond be for?

[27:48] >> The bond will be for 15 years. She's

[27:51] sitting up there.

[27:54] >> The ber that's the maximum that we can

[27:56] borrow for this length of term for this

[28:00] type of project.

[28:01] >> And and you need to borrow for this even

[28:03] though the town has lots of money.

[28:05] >> This is only funded by the users. Just

[28:08] um again uh folks um and I realize not

[28:12] everybody's been here for all these

[28:13] other meetings. This is a water district

[28:16] cost. The only folks that pay for this

[28:19] are the users, the ones it's it's

[28:22] referred to as a special benefit

[28:24] assessment district, which means that

[28:26] there is a benefit that occurs to those

[28:29] who get to use the water and they're the

[28:32] ones who pay for the cost. It's it's not

[28:35] the town life who pay for this

[28:37] additional.

[28:38] >> But but I think that related to the

[28:40] questions that I've heard and I've

[28:42] listened to the previous discussions on

[28:45] this topic. So there was an analysis in 2017

[28:51] and in 2022.

[28:53] >> Mhm.

[28:53] >> So what I would like to understand is

[28:56] what was the decision was made after

[28:59] both of those reviews as to why it

[29:02] wasn't maintained at those periods.

[29:07] Well,

[29:10] first of all, there was no immediate

[29:13] need in at those times. Um, we uh looked

[29:20] ahead and knew we're going to do have to

[29:22] refurbish or replace sometime in the

[29:24] future, but there was no real target

[29:26] time. And I we reached a point last

[29:30] year. Wow. I think I think we reached a

[29:33] point where we realize that we really

[29:35] have to rehabilitate now or forget about

[29:38] it because if we let it go, the

[29:42] repainting, the rehab is just going to

[29:44] be too difficult and probably not as uh

[29:49] longlasting. So we chose to go with the

[29:53] rehab now and uh try to uh avoid the uh

[30:00] accumulation of multiple large debts for

[30:03] the other work that's going to have to

[30:04] be done. And when you look at a rehab

[30:08] versus a replacement,

[30:11] um there's there's um there's there's

[30:16] first costs, there's second cost, and

[30:18] there's third costs that that are

[30:21] evaluated, right? So

[30:24] >> So [snorts] your your your second cost

[30:26] are your maintenance, and your third

[30:28] costs are your replacement. And so was

[30:31] it looked at as to like where that

[30:35] crossed over into where it it it crossed

[30:39] over into validating.

[30:42] We looked out about 40 years. Okay. And

[30:48] in that 40 years, we would have to rehab

[30:51] probably twice and be ready for another

[30:54] rehab. At that time with the the cost of

[30:58] a new tank appeared to be better than

[31:02] the cost of the multiple rehabs.

[31:09] » Okay. Um

[31:10] >> so then why

[31:11] >> we we'll have a sorry [clears throat]

[31:13] >> Carrie did you have a question?

[31:15] >> You just said the cost of the new one

[31:16] would be more cost effective

[31:19] >> if you look out 40 years and that's just

[31:21] a guess you know.

[31:22] >> Okay. So that a new tank in 40 years

[31:24] would be [clears throat] a better deal

[31:26] than a couple of rehabs. You just said

[31:28] that, but yet we were going to go for a

[31:30] rehab, right? That

[31:32] >> we're concern we were concerned.

[31:36] >> Yeah, we were at a bare minimum of a

[31:37] 40-year payback, on a system. And we

[31:43] know we're going to have additional

[31:44] >> have other costs of if we if we were to

[31:47] spend the money now on on on a new tank.

[31:50] We would have no money to do any other

[31:52] repairs in the system. So we'd be very

[31:54] vulnerable in our water district. So

[31:57] that was part of why we

[31:58] >> Okay. And so so the so the new tank

[32:00] eaked out two rehabs,

[32:04] but it gives you it's more cash friendly

[32:08] now to do a rehab.

[32:10] >> Yes, it definitely is.

[32:13] And it's better loan repayments for all

[32:16] of us.

[32:17] >> Got it.

[32:17] >> Okay.

[32:18] >> Yeah. So, even though if you had the

[32:21] money, you'd get a new tank right now

[32:24] because the 40-year payback is better.

[32:28] >> Not necessarily.

[32:29] >> Oh, I thought you [snorts] just said

[32:31] that.

[32:32] >> I'm not sure. You know, it's

[32:33] >> Oh, you did say that, but you're not

[32:36] sure. Okay. I was just I heard that

[32:38] said,

[32:39] >> so

[32:39] >> scary. One thing you didn't that hasn't

[32:42] been said here is that the [snorts]

[32:44] mains it cost about a million dollars

[32:47] right now for a mile to replace a main.

[32:50] >> 80 [clears throat] years is about as far

[32:53] as you can go.

[32:54] >> He he explained that there.

[32:55] >> Yeah. But we're going to have those are coming.

[32:57] >> I get it.

[32:58] >> And so you need to have asyn said you

[33:00] need to have that the cash ability to

[33:02] replace. don't have the cash then. But

[33:07] you know, you did say that a 40-year

[33:10] payback was better with a new tank, but

[33:13] because of these other expenses, you

[33:16] don't have the cash on hand to do it,

[33:18] >> even though it would be better to do.

[33:20] >> Well,

[33:21] that's our guess.

[33:22] >> The 40 year the 40-year payback we're

[33:25] talking about is like a worst case

[33:26] scenario. means we have to paint it

[33:27] every 10 years and we've already gone 40

[33:31] years for 30 something years without

[33:32] painting it one time. So we may not

[33:34] paint it again for 30 years. It might

[33:37] really be a 100 years.

[33:39] >> Everyone's guessing

[33:40] >> exactly

[33:42] >> when you decide on your car deal.

[33:46] My car is 21 years old.

[33:47] >> You just don't know.

[33:49] >> Anyway, that's the way it is. We we made

[33:51] our recommendation. We thought we were

[33:53] making the the best recommendation.

[33:55] [snorts]

[33:55] >> Yeah. Yeah. Who knows?

[33:57] >> Uh, another question, Emily.

[33:59] >> Um, how many people does, uh, does the

[34:02] border district serve? Uh, is it village

[34:04] of Red Hook or Red Hook?

[34:06] >> The town of Red Hook. It's basically the

[34:08] old Lynden Acres and College Park

[34:10] subdivisions. That's is that's it.

[34:12] >> So, how many residents?

[34:15] >> How many residents?

[34:17] >> 488 connections and five of those are to

[34:19] the town park.

[34:22] >> Yeah. So, 500 connections. Two people,

[34:25] three people per home per guest. Okay.

[34:28] >> And can you explain the connection to

[34:30] Bart?

[34:31] >> Oh, that's um

[34:35] when we uh built the tank, this current

[34:39] tank, Bart College was in trouble with

[34:41] water. They had uh inadequate supply.

[34:45] They had no storage.

[34:47] And they suggested that they would

[34:49] contribute half the cost of this new of

[34:52] a new tank.

[34:55] given that we could connect to them and

[34:56] they would use that storage tank as they

[35:00] needed it. And for the first

[35:04] 20 years,

[35:06] >> they uh they did use our water a lot in

[35:09] 2000 I think 2016. [clears throat] They

[35:12] redid their water supply. Okay. So since

[35:16] then they use us on an emergency basis

[35:19] rather than on a regular basis. But they contributed because they needed the

[35:25] additional water, the storage and the

[35:28] water. [cough]

[35:29] >> And so is [snorts] somebody currently

[35:31] negotiating with Bard about their

[35:33] contribution to this?

[35:36] >> Somebody say your table here.

[35:41] >> An ask has been made of Bart College.

[35:43] they are going to uh take that up at

[35:46] their uh meeting at later in the month

[35:49] um to get approval for a contribution.

[35:52] We hope that they would consider

[35:54] something substantive

[35:57] at least 25%. Now granted they barely

[36:00] use the the water but still as a backup

[36:03] that's important [clears throat] thing

[36:04] to that

[36:05] >> and I understand the village is also is

[36:07] also a backup. There's portion of the

[36:09] village or part of the village that's

[36:12] connected with this water supply.

[36:14] >> Yes.

[36:14] >> Did you want to talk about the

[36:16] interconnect?

[36:16] >> The village and the town water district

[36:18] have a connection [clears throat]

[36:20] on Willowbrook

[36:22] U Lane just north of the village.

[36:25] Um the problem is that our storage tank

[36:30] the the height is not high enough to

[36:34] provide adequate pressure for the

[36:36] village. The village can provide water

[36:39] to us, but it doesn't work. It should

[36:42] have, but it wasn't adequately planned,

[36:44] I guess. So, we cannot

[36:48] >> provide the village with water unless we

[36:50] pump. We'd have to install pumps.

[36:54] » Okay.

[36:55] >> Go.

[36:55] >> Any more questions related? Again, once

[36:58] to the rehabbing of the tank.

[37:00] >> Hey, [clears throat] I got one question.

[37:02] >> Yeah. Um, by no means am I a water

[37:04] expert, paint expert, or a steel expert.

[37:08] I know you've had divers in there,

[37:09] you've done assessments from the

[37:10] exterior. Um, the question I have, do

[37:13] you feel that the company or, you know,

[37:15] the outfit that's going to be addressing

[37:17] this situation? Uh,

[37:20] let me say this. Sometimes you get into

[37:21] things, it's more advanced than what you

[37:24] anticipated. Is there a a point where

[37:26] they'll be honest with you and say, "You

[37:28] know what? Maybe we can't rehab this

[37:30] tower because we got into it and it's

[37:32] too far."

[37:33] >> What do you think, Evelyn Glenn?

[37:36] >> I don't think we're going to have a

[37:37] problem with it.

[37:38] >> I don't think so either.

[37:39] >> It's hard to know.

[37:40] >> The tank has been inspected every 5

[37:42] years. Okay. Interior and exterior. And

[37:46] the most recent inspection

[37:48] showed that we're in pretty good shape.

[37:50] There was very little damage inside the

[37:53] tank. So, it's it's relatively clean in

[37:56] terms of redoing it, repainting it.

[37:58] >> Typically, they would have to do like

[38:00] you've even got pretty extreme pitting.

[38:02] We'd have to do a resurfacing on it

[38:04] before we would do a coating, which they

[38:06] plan to do some of that. Um, but there

[38:09] isn't an extreme amount of pitting in

[38:11] this case.

[38:12] >> We're in good shape.

[38:13] >> Worst, even if it gets past pitting, you

[38:16] can still weld in new new steel plates.

[38:18] But we're we're not in a situation where

[38:20] we need any of that.

[38:22] At least that's what the last divers

[38:24] report showed.

[38:27] >> The the last two or three, you know, the

[38:30] last report was

[38:32] >> barely worse. You know, didn't show much

[38:35] additional deterioration from the

[38:37] previous one. We're in good shape.

[38:40] >> Lisa,

[38:41] >> what is the anticipated assessment rate

[38:44] for users in the district with or with and without a bar contribution?

[38:49] We we haven't run the analysis and again

[38:52] I want to remind folks what we are

[38:55] entertaining tonight is the

[38:57] authorization

[38:59] um to approve going out to bid and the

[39:03] financing. So every bond resolution

[39:06] you'll see uh in any municipality your

[39:09] resolution has to state the total cost

[39:11] for the project maximum and the total

[39:15] maximum borrowing. And so, uh, when and

[39:19] if we're we're discussing Tiboli

[39:22] Firehouse, uh, again tonight, and we're

[39:24] also talking about water storage tank.

[39:26] When and if you go out to bid, you get

[39:28] those bids, then you really truly

[39:30] understand what that cost is and you

[39:33] contract with that entity to deliver

[39:35] that service or that construction

[39:37] project for that price. Um, the water

[39:40] board has recommended that we once we

[39:43] understand the difference uh between

[39:47] um what we will have from both our

[39:50] college and the $400,000 coming out of

[39:53] the reserves because the water uh

[39:55] district has approved reserves that we

[39:58] look at a combination of raising rates

[40:02] and um an assessment so that it's not a

[40:05] large hit but it's also not a large

[40:08] increase to the water rates.

[40:09] >> And who's talking to Bard College? Like

[40:11] what does that look like? Um the request

[40:14] has I've made a request to Bard College

[40:16] to make a contribution. We have an

[40:18] agreement by the [clears throat] way

[40:19] with Bard College to provide water. So

[40:22] we're not happy with the contribution.

[40:24] We don't necessarily have to continue to

[40:27] serve uh Bard College as a backup

[40:29] source. Um we've had no issue. They

[40:32] don't seem to have a problem with making

[40:33] a contribution. Let's see what that is.

[40:35] >> But we don't we don't at this date we

[40:37] don't know what that looks like.

[40:38] >> We don't at this date know what that

[40:40] looks like. That's correct. The good

[40:42] thing is they really need us. Okay? They

[40:45] don't need us often, but when they need

[40:48] us, they need us. And for example, last

[40:50] January, they were hooked into our

[40:52] system for 3 or 4 weeks using us

[40:56] full-time. Luckily, their student

[40:58] population was low at that time. But

[41:00] they do need us. Okay?

[41:03] They have fire protection for one thing.

[41:06] you know when if they need fire

[41:08] protection they don't have adequate

[41:11] storage to provide water they need us so

[41:15] they will contribute

[41:20] » okay um folks if there are no other

[41:23] comments at this time I'd like to make a

[41:25] motion to close the public hearing

[41:27] >> I'd like to continue the public hearing

[41:29] if we don't know what Bard is

[41:30] contributing

[41:33] >> okay well uh with or without the

[41:35] contribution We do need to uh move

[41:38] forward with the project. We have um

[41:41] some time uh time issues. Uh hey, do you

[41:44] want to address that because we need the

[41:46] project conducted you've advised?

[41:49] >> We really need to get going. We want to

[41:51] submit put out a request for proposals

[41:53] [clears throat]

[41:54] soon, early this year. We'd like to get

[41:58] the painting the project done

[42:01] in the summer, early summer, not late

[42:03] summer.

[42:05] Um, weather is a concern. Okay. So, the

[42:08] sooner we get it done, the better

[42:10] [clears throat] and we'll just do what

[42:13] we can.

[42:14] >> Well, I I strongly recommend that we we

[42:17] go for the new tank. For what I've done

[42:19] for a living for the last 40 years, I

[42:21] suggest a new tank. If the town fishes

[42:23] for some more money, go for the new tank

[42:25] because what you're doing is a great

[42:28] idea, but it's a short-term fix. Vote

[42:31] for the new tank. That's my suggestion.

[42:34] >> [clears throat]

[42:34] >> We've been we've agreed with that

[42:37] >> anyway. Okay.

[42:39] >> Um can you can you uh speak to just the

[42:42] timing of

[42:44] >> because we've got several steps that we

[42:46] have to have when

[42:47] >> So try to do this this year

[42:49] >> with or without Bard. We need we need

[42:51] the water tank, right? We people who

[42:53] live there,

[42:55] >> Bard doesn't want to do it. We still we

[42:57] still have to have drinking water and

[42:59] take showers whether Bard wants to

[43:01] contribute or not. So, the bar thing I

[43:04] understand is important to us all from a

[43:06] cost savings standpoint, but we still

[43:07] need the water. Um, that's that's one

[43:10] thing. Um, as far as the timing goes, we

[43:13] still have to, you know, we get an

[43:14] agreement here. We still have to get bid

[43:16] documents put together for this, get a

[43:18] bid bid out on the street. Takes a month

[43:21] to bid. We would be lucky to get this

[43:23] out by uh, you know, the June time frame

[43:27] to try and get them into construction.

[43:30] Um, you ideally you don't want to paint

[43:33] when it's super humid. So, you sort of

[43:35] want to try to get in there before the

[43:37] humid season or after the humid season.

[43:40] So, either way, we're we're sort of, you

[43:43] know, running up against it

[43:46] to to get out to bid and move forward

[43:49] with the project.

[43:51] I I understand wanting to know all the details, costs, and so on and so

[43:56] forth, but we're not going to know until

[43:58] we go out to bed. And I don't want to um

[44:02] the inspection seems to suggest that the

[44:05] tank's in good shape. But I don't think

[44:08] we should lose a year, which is really

[44:11] what it would mean if we delay um to

[44:15] wait to find out what a contribution is,

[44:17] which is

[44:18] >> What do you mean a year? But how do we

[44:20] wait a year? We meet every two weeks.

[44:22] >> We do meet every two weeks, but if we

[44:24] don't have an answer until February and

[44:26] we lose the bidding process,

[44:28] >> that was why I asked the question was

[44:29] who who is so BART is a big for for me

[44:32] looking at this and looking at the the

[44:34] financials, Bart is a big piece of it

[44:37] and that's an unknown

[44:39] >> and so before I'm ready to take a vote

[44:41] on this, I would like to know what that

[44:44] looks like and I think that that's part

[44:46] of the public process. So, I I don't I

[44:50] don't feel comfortable closing the

[44:52] public hearing until we know what BR is

[44:54] contributing.

[44:56] >> How come we don't know how much Bard is

[44:58] contributing already?

[44:59] >> Because BART has not met with their

[45:01] board and made the request and done the

[45:04] appropriation. I will I would please let

[45:07] me finish answer your question.

[45:10] >> The decision to move forward happened

[45:13] only a few months ago. Bard appropriates

[45:16] its money on a on a different calendar

[45:19] year than we do. So, it's not in the

[45:21] budget because they haven't been asked

[45:23] for a contribution yet because the water

[45:25] board was still determining how it

[45:28] wanted to proceed.

[45:29] >> So, how do so, how do we find a solution

[45:31] to making sure that this is I mean that

[45:35] the the points that were made were were valid. I mean, you you can only

[45:39] tank in certain uh months of the year.

[45:43] So there's if if it needs to be fixed

[45:45] this calendar year, there's a time clock

[45:47] that we're in we're in January and we

[45:50] meet twice twice a month. So I don't I

[45:53] don't see a rush in in coming to a

[45:56] decision. I see a rush in getting

[45:58] information so that we have completeness

[46:01] and we can make a decision as soon as

[46:03] possible.

[46:05] >> So a question I would ask is like like

[46:08] BR is clearly a a part of this. How do we get that done?

[46:14] Well, I I you know, I don't have an

[46:16] answer for you because I don't know how

[46:19] BART works and appropriates their

[46:21] monies. All I know is that we have an

[46:24] agreement with BART that will have to be

[46:27] renegotiated and [clears throat] it will

[46:29] be B for to service them with water and

[46:31] it'll be based on upon what type of

[46:34] contribution they make as they did

[46:37] historically.

[46:38] Um

[46:41] >> what happened? Excuse me, please. I

[46:44] think that was answered. Um, they made a

[46:46] capital contribution

[46:48] 39 years ago when the tank was built of

[46:51] 50%.

[46:54] >> How much percent? I just didn't hear

[46:55] you, Robert, cuz you never talk into

[46:57] your mic. No,

[47:00] >> I think Hank uh reiterated as he has in

[47:04] previous meetings that Bart College

[47:06] contributed 50% of the capital cost of

[47:09] construction because back then they were

[47:12] using the water a lot and that was part

[47:14] of the agreement is that they would pay

[47:17] for half of the cost of this storage

[47:19] tank. Um, they've been asked to

[47:22] contribute $400,000

[47:24] towards this rehabilitation

[47:27] of the tank and they will have to meet

[47:31] with their board and appropriate those

[47:33] monies and figure out how they're going

[47:35] to do it because they've already done

[47:37] conducted their budget for the year. So,

[47:41] they will need to figure out how to make

[47:43] whatever contribution they feel is

[47:45] appropriate. they could alternative

[47:48] alternatively just upgrade their

[47:50] facilities and not need to rely on us as

[47:53] a backup. It has been a mutually

[47:56] beneficial arrangement from what I'm

[47:58] told by the water department because we

[48:01] do receive a revenue based upon uh usage

[48:05] from bar

[48:06] >> and I to me that sounds beautiful but

[48:08] critical path would be understanding

[48:10] what bar's contributing before we close

[48:12] a public hearing and allocate funds

[48:14] towards those that are taxpayer funded.

[48:19] >> Okay, I understand that balance. That's

[48:21] a difficult uh balance to to uh make but

[48:27] I also don't want to wait. I think we

[48:29] also heard about waiting. So, so my

[48:31] question to you, Robert, is is who is communicating with Bard and how did we bring that to

[48:39] >> I think I've answered that that the

[48:42] request has been made at Bard and I made

[48:44] the request came out of my office

[48:47] $400,000 or 25% contribution and BART

[48:51] has said that they are meeting with

[48:53] their board to discuss um what

[48:56] contribution and it may not happen for

[48:58] weeks. we may not have here for a couple

[49:01] of months. I mean, I don't know the

[49:03] answer to um when we would hear back

[49:07] from Barn because I'm not uh privy to

[49:12] those things. I do know what the water

[49:14] department

[49:16] >> it sounds like that we that we need to

[49:18] repair a relationship with Bard if we

[49:19] don't if this is this is critical and

[49:22] that they're they're part of this this

[49:27] water tank

[49:30] >> and if if that's critical to them then we need to establish a relationship

[49:36] with them that that offers a solution

[49:39] >> we have in a time frame that works for our con constituents.

[49:44] >> Okay, Christina, we have a very good

[49:46] relationship with Barb College. They've

[49:48] offered to make a contribution and they

[49:50] need to go through the proper process

[49:52] like we do to allocate and so um that is

[49:56] what they are doing. We'll hear back

[49:58] from them. We've heard from the water

[50:00] department. Regardless of what that

[50:01] amount of contribution is, we need to

[50:04] move forward. Again, the resolutions in

[50:06] front of us have maximum numbers. They

[50:08] don't have minimum numbers associated

[50:10] with it. And so we're hearing that

[50:13] there's a timing issue. I don't want to

[50:15] lose a year. As we've heard from other

[50:17] people in the audience, as time marches

[50:20] on, sometimes the costs march on. We

[50:22] have spent four years. Uh the water

[50:26] board has and we have in public meetings

[50:29] discussing this. And so I understand I

[50:32] too would prefer to have that number. I

[50:34] can assure you, but I don't want the

[50:37] people of the water district to have to

[50:39] wait. um and pay more in an ensuing year

[50:44] because we didn't have a contribution

[50:47] figure. We also don't have the the

[50:50] actual amount once we go out to bid, but

[50:53] yet here we are looking at and hopefully

[50:56] entertaining resolutions to move forward

[50:58] because we need to maintain the the

[51:00] tank. So

[51:02] >> I do want I do want to make sure we get

[51:05] all the public comments. Linda, please.

[51:07] You have a barred employee right sitting

[51:09] on the board. So why doesn't he become

[51:11] the spokesperson?

[51:13] >> He's there every single day working.

[51:15] >> Yeah.

[51:15] >> Um if there's a matter involving my

[51:17] employer, I would recuse myself from

[51:18] that matter.

[51:19] >> Oh, okay.

[51:20] >> Yeah.

[51:20] >> Um and then we're going to take a couple more comments and then we're

[51:24] going to entertain. Go ahead. So, um I

[51:27] mean say we we you say, "Okay, let's

[51:30] move forward with bids." And then say

[51:33] you find out that Bard says, "You know

[51:35] what? We're going to we don't want to do

[51:37] 400,000." And the bids come in more. Is

[51:40] there another public comment hearing

[51:43] before you vote to move ahead with this?

[51:46] >> This is only an authorization to allow

[51:48] us to possibly move forward so that we

[51:51] can develop the bids. go we can develop

[51:53] the specs go out the bid if we don't

[51:56] like the bids or we don't like where the

[51:58] money stands or if it exceeds the

[52:01] authorization and we have put those two

[52:03] figures that I've told you we do in

[52:06] every resolution then we can just reject

[52:09] them and we can go back and and do it

[52:11] again. Okay.

[52:12] >> Okay. So

[52:14] >> but you didn't answer my question. My

[52:16] question is once all of this

[52:19] information, how much Bard is paying,

[52:21] blah blah blah, will there be another

[52:24] period for the public to say, "Hey, we

[52:27] like this or we don't like this." Is

[52:29] there another like we could close this

[52:32] public comment period as long as there's

[52:35] another one when the facts come in. So,

[52:38] would there be will there be

[52:39] >> there? Yes, there will be because there

[52:41] are uh other um uh stages along the way

[52:45] where we have to award and so you can

[52:48] come back and say I don't think you

[52:50] should be awarding because you don't

[52:51] have enough funding the implications of

[52:53] awarding. I don't think you should move

[52:55] forward. I think you should go and you

[52:57] should do a new tank. You can say all of

[53:00] those things but until we take these

[53:02] steps we can't get

[53:05] >> one of those key data points. which I

[53:08] want to be assured that there is another

[53:12] period down the road before money is

[53:14] allocated in which [clears throat] the

[53:16] public can comment when there's more

[53:18] information that will happen. Yeah.

[53:20] >> No, I think that's a great point and

[53:21] that so so we understand what the total

[53:24] cost is because we've had consulting

[53:26] engineers estimate what the total cost

[53:29] of the situation is and the unknown is

[53:32] how much Bard is contributing which

[53:34] could be significant. So the question is

[53:36] should the should the public comment

[53:38] period be be closed

[53:42] and and Robert I'm looking at you for

[53:44] affirmation like should the public

[53:46] comment be closed while this is while

[53:50] this is an open item

[53:51] >> and I think everyone is trying to

[53:53] understand what the what the metrics are

[53:54] of what that looks like. So

[53:56] >> So I I do think if you're asking me a

[53:59] question I do think it's important that

[54:02] we move forward. We're hearing from our

[54:03] waterboard that we move forward in part

[54:06] because we need to get perhaps the most

[54:09] important number which is going out to

[54:12] bid [clears throat]

[54:12] how much is somebody or a firm willing

[54:15] to conduct the work for. We can't answer

[54:18] your net question until we have the

[54:21] gross question.

[54:22] >> And what would be the benefit of closing

[54:24] the public hearing tonight

[54:26] >> is that we don't we will not be

[54:28] authorizing them to go ahead and move

[54:30] forward. And so there'll be a delay. We

[54:33] don't know how long that delay will be.

[54:35] We don't know when we're going to hear

[54:36] back from Bart. We

[54:38] >> So they can't authorize until

[54:40] >> So we can't we can't move forward and

[54:42] get the information

[54:43] >> and and but but on the contrary, if we

[54:45] do close the public hearing tonight,

[54:47] then we restrict ourselves to

[54:50] >> we don't restrict ourselves to anything

[54:52] because we don't have to accept

[54:54] >> we don't have a time frame in which

[54:55] we're supposed to act.

[55:00] we don't close the public

[55:02] >> if if we close a public hearing tonight

[55:04] are are does that start a time clock in

[55:06] which the matter has to be closed

[55:09] >> uh you know it's I can only speak for

[55:12] myself it's my desire that we not only

[55:14] close the public hearing but we start to

[55:17] move forward with this project so we can

[55:19] get the information and then we can take

[55:21] a look once the

[55:22] >> No that's that's not my question my

[55:24] question is my question my question is

[55:26] if you if we If we choose to close the

[55:29] public hearing tonight without knowing

[55:30] what Bard is going to contribute, does

[55:33] that or does that not start a time clock

[55:36] in which the [clears throat] matter has

[55:37] to be closed?

[55:39] >> No, it does not. It's not like a zoning.

[55:41] matter.

[55:43] >> It's unlimited.

[55:44] >> Yeah, it's not.

[55:47] >> Good question.

[55:48] >> Okay. Um, anything else in the public

[55:50] hearing before?

[55:51] >> One quick question. Will you be getting

[55:53] estimates for a new tank and the

[55:55] refurbishing? We have already done that

[55:57] and I'm sorry I apologize. I know you're

[55:59] all asking uh these questions. Again, I

[56:02] just want to remind you this has been on

[56:04] the agenda for nearly four years. We

[56:06] have had broad discussions

[56:10] putting this out.

[56:12] >> Are you putting it out to bid for both?

[56:14] >> And we are not putting it out to both.

[56:17] >> We have had estimates. Uh did you want

[56:19] to address uh

[56:21] >> let me just let me just mention yeah

[56:23] >> um I bond put together an estimate

[56:28] >> cost for both approaches rehabbing and

[56:32] replacing.

[56:33] >> Yes.

[56:33] >> So we've had those numbers. Okay.

[56:35] >> Yes.

[56:36] >> Numbers for replacing just as good as

[56:38] the numbers for rehab. They're best

[56:40] guess educated guesses.

[56:43] >> So we've had numbers

[56:46] >> and sir. Yes. I I reviewed them, but but

[56:48] part of part of my issue is that if Bart

[56:50] isn't involved, then the tank would be

[56:53] smaller, then the circumstances would be

[56:55] different, then the engineering would

[56:57] shift. So, it's it's all kind of kind of

[57:00] one movement.

[57:02] >> That That's true. It's all tied

[57:03] together.

[57:04] >> The tank height is kind of determined by

[57:08] a pressure zone in the district that's

[57:10] outside of Bard. So, the height of the

[57:12] tank wouldn't matter. I suppose you

[57:15] could make an a narrower tank.

[57:18] >> Yes.

[57:18] >> Of some sort, but

[57:19] >> yes, our original plans back in the

[57:22] 1980s were to have a tank the height of

[57:26] the current tanks but smaller in

[57:27] diameter. We could still do that if Bard

[57:30] did not join us. But that would that

[57:35] >> we estimated that tank too and it was

[57:36] still more quite a bit more money than

[57:40] uh paying the tank. I think Robert is correct that uh this is an

[57:46] authorization to proceed to the next

[57:49] step and if the next step is not

[57:51] appropriate we just have to change our

[57:54] plans we would have to

[57:57] decide probably to use this tank and run

[58:01] it into the ground and then replace it

[58:04] because the longer we wait the less

[58:06] feasible is the rehab approach.

[58:10] So, we want to proceed step by step and

[58:12] um I think that's where we are.

[58:15] >> Emily, uh

[58:16] >> I just have a question. you you've been

[58:18] saying and you've repeated it that you

[58:20] have worked on this project for four

[58:22] years and it sounds like Robert you just

[58:26] contacted Fars last week and asked for

[58:28] 400,000 like have they have that's the

[58:32] feeling I'm getting anyway because you

[58:34] it sounds like you sent a letter you're

[58:35] like hey they already finished their

[58:38] fiscal year so we're kind of hoping on

[58:40] Hail Mary here for 400k

[58:43] um I I'm it's I'm surprised that they

[58:46] wouldn't have said we are going to

[58:47] pledge x amount towards this project,

[58:50] especially if it's something that you

[58:52] all have been very concerned with for

[58:54] four years. Like has bar been contacted

[58:59] about this within the last four years or

[59:02] is it just been recently that they are

[59:05] on the

[59:07] >> I haven't had a specific plan. Okay. We

[59:10] knew we were going to have to do

[59:11] something but we hadn't really decided.

[59:15] We hadn't made a solid recommendation to

[59:18] the town board. They hadn't decided. It

[59:20] was last year that we decided we it's

[59:22] time to go and then it was time to talk

[59:24] to fire.

[59:25] >> So, it's been a little about a year that

[59:28] B has known that we need

[59:31] >> it's been it's more than that. As I

[59:34] said, um the water department only a few

[59:37] months ago um decided which approach

[59:40] that they thought would be better given

[59:43] and I think you all know this in Tivoli

[59:46] anticipation of other infrastructure

[59:50] expenses coming down the pike. They're

[59:52] looking to incorporate their thinking uh

[59:56] with that distribution system that may

[59:59] need substantial [clears throat]

[1:00:01] uh repairs. But I I mean I'm trying but

[1:00:03] to Emily's point, I'm trying to

[1:00:05] understand why we're looking at

[1:00:06] four-year-old engineering and trying to

[1:00:08] make a decision before a meeting in two

[1:00:10] weeks and close a public hearing. Like

[1:00:12] let's My suggestion would be leave the

[1:00:14] public hearing open. Let's negotiate

[1:00:16] with Bard. Let's get all the information

[1:00:18] and then we'll make a decision in

[1:00:19] appropriate manner.

[1:00:22] Um, I'm just thinking that people don't

[1:00:25] understand the process of the bidding

[1:00:27] process and needing to have an

[1:00:28] authorization to go out to bids to

[1:00:31] understand how much money you have to

[1:00:33] spend. You have to know how much money

[1:00:34] you have to spend in order to ask for

[1:00:36] money.

[1:00:38] >> So,

[1:00:38] >> I think people don't quite understand

[1:00:40] that this is only an authorization to go

[1:00:43] out for bids.

[1:00:45] >> That's it. It's not to do the project.

[1:00:47] >> And it can be changed later. Yes, I can

[1:00:49] all change later.

[1:00:51] >> Yes, he's trying to pressure

[1:00:52] authorization.

[1:00:53] >> Authorization.

[1:00:54] >> This does not Yes. We have no We have no

[1:00:56] ability to move forward with rehabbing

[1:00:59] the tank until we take these steps. And

[1:01:02] I think we've heard from the water

[1:01:03] department. We need to take these steps

[1:01:06] regardless of whether Bard contributes a

[1:01:08] dollar or a million dollars. We need to

[1:01:10] go ahead and do that. how that affects

[1:01:12] the contract moving forward with BARD to

[1:01:15] provide water to them in a backup uh

[1:01:18] situation or not. Um obviously there'll

[1:01:21] be impact uh on on that. So there's not

[1:01:25] a contract uh renewal in front of us um

[1:01:29] to understand uh what the implication on

[1:01:32] their uh per gallon fees are. So, with

[1:01:36] that being said, if there are no other

[1:01:39] comments, I would like to make a motion

[1:01:41] to close the public hearing

[1:01:43] understanding your concerns about it.

[1:01:45] Christina, thank you for your

[1:01:46] contribution

[1:01:48] uh to that. Um, but also understanding

[1:01:50] the time constraints and the desire of

[1:01:52] the water department and that we have

[1:01:54] been discussing these alternatives for

[1:01:58] uh quite some time.

[1:02:00] [snorts] So, who would like to make a

[1:02:01] motion to close the public hearing?

[1:02:04] Bill.

[1:02:05] >> Okay.

[1:02:07] >> I will second that motion. Is there

[1:02:09] further discussion?

[1:02:11] >> My vote is nay.

[1:02:12] >> Okay. All in favor? There's a nay. Jacob

[1:02:15] >> I.

[1:02:15] >> Myself.

[1:02:16] >> Jacob must concluse himself. He already

[1:02:17] said that earlier.

[1:02:18] >> Please.

[1:02:20] >> This is not a bar. This is not a bar

[1:02:22] related matter. Please don't interrupt.

[1:02:25] I generally I'm going to ask you to

[1:02:28] please not interrupt. we don't interrupt

[1:02:29] the meeting with Bill.

[1:02:32] >> Your vote.

[1:02:35] >> Thank you very much.

[1:02:36] >> Okay. Uh we have and I apologize for

[1:02:39] those of you waiting for the village of

[1:02:42] uh Tivoli, the amendment to the

[1:02:44] contract. Um Diana, would you be kind

[1:02:46] enough to read that public hearing

[1:02:48] notice?

[1:02:52] » Notice of public hearing. Town of Red

[1:02:53] Hook. Please take notice that a

[1:02:55] concurrent public hearing will be held

[1:02:56] by the town board of the town of Red

[1:02:58] Hook on January 13th, 2026 at 7:40 p.m.

[1:03:01] local time at the town hall, 7340 South

[1:03:03] Broadway, Red Hook, New York to hear all

[1:03:06] interested persons regarding a proposed

[1:03:07] amendment to fire protection district

[1:03:09] fire service agreement between the town

[1:03:11] of Red Hook and the village of Tivoli

[1:03:13] for 2025 and 2026. Such agreement

[1:03:16] relates to the existing Red Hook Fire

[1:03:18] Protection District embracing the

[1:03:20] territory outside the villages of Red

[1:03:22] Hook and Tivoli. All interested persons

[1:03:24] will be given an opportunity to be

[1:03:25] heard. All reasonable accommodations

[1:03:27] will be made for persons with

[1:03:28] disabilities. In such a case, please

[1:03:30] notify the town clerk. Please take

[1:03:32] notice, further notice that copies of

[1:03:33] said proposed agreement are available

[1:03:35] for review at the town hall, Red Hook,

[1:03:37] New York. By order, the town board of

[1:03:39] the town of Red Hook dated December 9th,

[1:03:41] 2025. Deanna Cochran, town clerk, town

[1:03:43] of Red Hook.

[1:03:44] >> Very good. And the uh what the amendment

[1:03:48] is is to change the capital line of the

[1:03:51] Tivoli uh uh fire service agreement with

[1:03:55] the town um to 60,748.

[1:04:00] I'll get to that in a moment.

[1:04:07] Um we did in the budget initially have

[1:04:09] this as the tent in the tentative

[1:04:11] budget. We then, if you recall, uh,

[1:04:14] Jacob and Bill who were here, we then

[1:04:17] changed it to 53,000 and and put the,

[1:04:22] uh, additional 7,000 in the operations

[1:04:26] line because we assumed given the time

[1:04:29] frame that the village would not be

[1:04:32] going out to do borrowing until probably

[1:04:35] second quarter of 2026.

[1:04:38] Um, so that you would only have approval

[1:04:41] of debt associated with the half million

[1:04:43] dollars starting on on or about April.

[1:04:46] And it it looks like you're tracking at

[1:04:48] the very least April and maybe even late

[1:04:51] later for for your borrowing. You you

[1:04:53] have not yet gone out to to do bids yet.

[1:04:57] Um, from what I understand, but you're

[1:04:59] waiting, from what I understand, you're

[1:05:01] waiting for us.

[1:05:02] >> Yes. to change this contract so that

[1:05:05] your uh funders, your other funders um

[1:05:09] can see our commitment um in order to do

[1:05:12] that. And so

[1:05:15] I will get there. I know I will get

[1:05:17] there.

[1:05:28] Okay. Um, at this time, and I'll get it

[1:05:30] up on the screen, I'd like to make a

[1:05:32] motion that we open uh that public

[1:05:35] hearing to make the amendment. We also

[1:05:38] would have to then approve a budget

[1:05:40] adjustment to take that 7,000 and put it

[1:05:43] back in the capital line so that their

[1:05:45] funding partners can see that we are

[1:05:47] committing at that level uh ongoing. And

[1:05:50] then if for some reason you don't move

[1:05:52] forward with the project, you would

[1:05:54] still have the $60,000 in there. there's

[1:05:57] no shortage from what I understand of

[1:05:59] capital needs for the village civically

[1:06:02] fire department equipment and so on and

[1:06:04] so forth. Um moving forward you'll be

[1:06:07] able to use it for that for for 2026.

[1:06:10] It's a reimburseable amount folks. Um

[1:06:13] just so you know.

[1:06:16] Okay. Um and there it is. And I

[1:06:19] apologize. Motion to open the public

[1:06:20] hearing. Is there a second?

[1:06:22] >> Second.

[1:06:23] >> All in favor? Hi.

[1:06:25] >> All right. Thank you very much. Okay.

[1:06:28] Um, who would like to speak on this

[1:06:30] matter?

[1:06:33] >> Yeah, I would just go I'll go to the

[1:06:35] mic. Okay. Go to the mic.

[1:06:36] >> Bill, if you'd be kind enough to come to

[1:06:38] the mic and just state your name,

[1:06:39] please.

[1:06:43] » Bill Schilling, Deputy [snorts] Mayor

[1:06:45] Tiboli. And uh this

[1:06:48] is a very important piece of Tibble's

[1:06:51] ability to get a [clears throat] new

[1:06:52] firehouse and to serve the uh the town

[1:06:56] and the village. So uh it's very

[1:06:58] important that you guys are able to move

[1:07:00] this forward and I want to thank you on

[1:07:02] behalf of the village. Thank you very

[1:07:04] much.

[1:07:04] >> Thank you. I appreciate it. And uh as I

[1:07:09] say to the fire departments each year,

[1:07:11] this is the easy part. It's not always

[1:07:14] easy finding the money, but it's the

[1:07:16] easy part because you all answer the

[1:07:18] calls at 2:00 in the morning

[1:07:21] when most of us are asleep

[1:07:23] and doing

[1:07:25] what is really an incredible service for

[1:07:28] this community. Um, without local

[1:07:31] volunteer fire departments, the finances

[1:07:34] of your small municipality would look

[1:07:37] very different. So to all of you who

[1:07:40] serve, for all of you that help um in

[1:07:43] these efforts, [cough] getting grants,

[1:07:46] for um supporting the fire departments

[1:07:50] in any way. Thank you.

[1:07:53] Okay.

[1:07:55] Anyone else want to speak about it? I

[1:07:57] think you'll all join me and Oh, Sarah,

[1:07:59] thank you.

[1:08:01] >> Hey, Sarah [clears throat] Bowden. I'm

[1:08:03] also a village trustee in Tivoli. Um,

[1:08:06] and I want to thank you for um, bringing

[1:08:08] this matter before your board. Um, you

[1:08:12] know, you've you've said before, uh,

[1:08:14] that you, you know, it sounded like you

[1:08:16] didn't really want to go over some of

[1:08:17] the details of the previous project. But

[1:08:18] the thing about public meetings that is

[1:08:20] both a, you know, a tiresome thing, but

[1:08:23] also a really important thing is that

[1:08:25] because we serve the public and the

[1:08:26] public doesn't always come to every

[1:08:28] meeting or watch every meeting on

[1:08:29] campus, sometimes you have to go over

[1:08:30] some pretty obvious things. So, I'm just

[1:08:33] going to state for the record a couple

[1:08:34] things. So, um, I want to say the mayor

[1:08:37] would have been here, but she had to be

[1:08:38] away on family travel. Um,

[1:08:40] [clears throat] so I'm bringing, you

[1:08:41] know, Emily's, uh, thanks as well as

[1:08:44] mine and the rest of the boards. Um, and

[1:08:46] I want to say, you know, the thing about

[1:08:48] Tibble's fire department that's special

[1:08:51] is that our department is a is a

[1:08:53] municipal, it's a village fire

[1:08:55] department, which means that it's very

[1:08:57] closely entwined with the village um,

[1:08:59] government. um compared to the Red Hook

[1:09:01] Fire Company which is a private company.

[1:09:03] It's a different contract process. Um

[1:09:06] because of that it means that a lot of

[1:09:08] our fire company is supported or one

[1:09:12] might think it was supported because

[1:09:13] it's a Tiboli fire company by the

[1:09:15] village of Tivoli. But our our fire

[1:09:18] department and maybe some of you will

[1:09:20] speak to this I don't know is very it's small but mighty, right? And it's

[1:09:23] actually not very small. It's one of the

[1:09:25] largest and most vibrant in the area. Um

[1:09:28] and so it makes a lot of sense that the

[1:09:31] town is going to support through a

[1:09:33] contract um um you know as you've as

[1:09:36] you've laid out here not just our

[1:09:38] expansion but also just the the fire

[1:09:40] service in general that's provided

[1:09:42] because it's provided way beyond the

[1:09:44] borders of the village of Tivi. So, I

[1:09:46] just want to point those things out

[1:09:47] because I think it's important to state

[1:09:48] it for the record. [snorts] And um I

[1:09:50] just want to say thank you to all the

[1:09:52] Tibet fire uh department volunteers that

[1:09:54] are here tonight and who aren't here

[1:09:56] tonight. Um and to Mark for his Mark

[1:09:58] Hildenbrand for his um leadership. U

[1:10:01] Thank you.

[1:10:02] >> Thank you, sir

[1:10:06] comments to this public hearing.

[1:10:12] Okay, very good. Um, at this time I

[1:10:16] would like to entertain a motion to

[1:10:19] close this public hearing.

[1:10:22] In fact, I'll make the motion. Is there

[1:10:24] a second?

[1:10:25] >> Second.

[1:10:26] >> Thank you, Bill. Any further discussion?

[1:10:28] If not, all in favor?

[1:10:30] >> I Thank you very much. Okay.

[1:10:34] >> Um, and I imagine we'll be back next

[1:10:36] year talking about the operating budget

[1:10:39] line because there's probably some needs

[1:10:42] there as well.

[1:10:43] Um, and probably talking about the RER

[1:10:46] Fire Department and their capital needs

[1:10:48] because there will be some needs there

[1:10:50] as well.

[1:10:53] Okay. Uh, very good. Why don't we

[1:11:04] do we think we can uh take the water

[1:11:07] board action? Can we do that? Jump

[1:11:10] around the agenda a little bit, folks.

[1:11:12] Is that something we can let Hank go

[1:11:14] home at a reasonable hour? Would that be

[1:11:16] all right? Jump back to public comments

[1:11:19] after that.

[1:11:20] >> Sure.

[1:11:21] >> Is that okay?

[1:11:24] >> Okay. So, I would like to go ahead and

[1:11:28] uh go to agenda item number four.

[1:11:44] Okay,

[1:11:48] » this is a resolution. What number would

[1:11:51] that be on?

[1:11:55] » Number one.

[1:11:58] >> True.

[1:12:01] >> Capt.

[1:12:03] Um, approving.

[1:12:05] Sorry. Um

[1:12:13] the first resolution related to this

[1:12:18] is resolution order after public hearing

[1:12:21] approving the water facilities

[1:12:23] improvement project for the water

[1:12:25] district number one pursuant to section

[1:12:28] 202B of the town law. Whereas the town

[1:12:31] board of the town of Red Hook,

[1:12:34] the county of Duchess on behalf of the

[1:12:36] water district requested that TB and and

[1:12:40] TMB engineering

[1:12:42] duly licensed in the state of New York

[1:12:44] prepare report. The report um dates back

[1:12:49] uh to 2022 and updated in 2023.

[1:12:54] There was a tank in inspection in 2024

[1:12:58] and a sediment removal project in 2024.

[1:13:02] And a further report update was made in

[1:13:04] March of 2025 describing the rehab

[1:13:07] project and providing an opinion of

[1:13:09] probable cost which is uh deemed to be

[1:13:13] approximately 1,672,600.

[1:13:18] Um the engineer uh completed such report

[1:13:21] and filed the same with the town board

[1:13:23] and the town board thereafter adopted an

[1:13:26] order describing in general the terms

[1:13:28] [snorts] of the proposed improvement of

[1:13:30] facilities specifying the estimated

[1:13:33] total cost thereof and stating that the

[1:13:36] town board would meet to hear all

[1:13:37] persons which we have today. Um, under

[1:13:41] seeker, we've deemed it a type two

[1:13:43] action

[1:13:47] and

[1:13:49] the town board and the town have

[1:13:51] complied in every respect with all

[1:13:53] applicable federal, state, and local

[1:13:54] laws under seeker comprising article 8

[1:13:57] of the environmental conservation law.

[1:14:00] Now therefore be resolved by the town

[1:14:02] board of the town of Red Hook on the

[1:14:04] basis of the information given at such

[1:14:07] hearing. It is hereby determined that it

[1:14:09] is in the public interest to improve the

[1:14:11] facilities of the district as here and

[1:14:13] above described and referred to at the

[1:14:15] estimated total cost of $1.672

[1:14:18] million.

[1:14:20] It is hereby ordered that the facilities

[1:14:22] of the district shall be so improved.

[1:14:26] Definite plans, specifications, and a

[1:14:28] careful estimate of the expense of the

[1:14:30] improvement are hereby directed to be

[1:14:32] prepared, and the attorneys for the town

[1:14:35] are hereby directed to assist in the

[1:14:37] preparation of a proposed contract and

[1:14:39] to submit the same to this town board

[1:14:42] for examination and approval.

[1:14:44] This resolution shall take place

[1:14:48] immediately.

[1:14:51] Um, who would like to move this

[1:14:53] resolution? Well, as the leaison to the

[1:14:55] water board, I would

[1:14:57] >> Okay, very good. Bill, um, who would

[1:14:59] like to second that?

[1:15:00] >> Well, could we talk about it for a

[1:15:02] second? So, just to

[1:15:04] >> just to understand what what the

[1:15:06] mechanics of what we're doing here,

[1:15:07] >> Christina, if I may, just and you you'll

[1:15:10] get this with the newly elected train.

[1:15:12] Um, it's a motion and then a second and

[1:15:14] then there's discussion in between the

[1:15:16] second and the and the vote.

[1:15:18] >> Okay.

[1:15:18] >> Thank you.

[1:15:19] >> No worries. Um,

[1:15:22] is there a second?

[1:15:25] >> Second.

[1:15:25] >> Thank you, [clears throat] Jacob. Okay.

[1:15:28] Um, now, uh, further discussion on the

[1:15:31] matter, Christina.

[1:15:33] >> So, so um, so this is a a 1.7,

[1:15:39] um,

[1:15:40] contract. We have 400,000

[1:15:45] and we're looking for a $1.3 million

[1:15:48] loan.

[1:15:51] I want to make sure that I I'm

[1:15:53] understanding correctly.

[1:15:55] >> That's that's uh in rough terms.

[1:15:57] >> In rough terms correctly.

[1:15:58] >> Correctly. Yes.

[1:15:59] >> And then and then do we have do we have

[1:16:02] reserves if it's more than 1.7?

[1:16:05] >> The $400,000 is moved from the reserves

[1:16:09] and has been allocated and was uh so at

[1:16:12] a previous meeting um just a couple of

[1:16:15] meetings ago. we appropriated uh those

[1:16:18] monies from the reserves. So that's how

[1:16:20] it gets down to $1.3 million.

[1:16:24] Um

[1:16:26] yeah, and so [snorts] once we develop

[1:16:28] the specs, we go out to bid, we get the

[1:16:31] amount of the project that um we will

[1:16:34] contract. At that point, we we should

[1:16:36] know hopefully from Bard College what

[1:16:38] their contribution is. But as far as

[1:16:41] assessing the water district, the budget

[1:16:45] has already been determined whether it's

[1:16:48] the fire district or the water district

[1:16:50] or the townwide taxes

[1:16:52] or a town uh village uh tax uh portion

[1:16:57] as well that has already been determined

[1:16:59] for 2026.

[1:17:01] So when uh the finances are finalized on

[1:17:05] this project and a determination is made on how much will

[1:17:12] be an assessment versus how much will be

[1:17:14] recouped by the increase in the water

[1:17:16] rates that will be done for 2027.

[1:17:21] When you borrow in a particular year you

[1:17:24] don't actually make payments whether

[1:17:26] it's a bond anticipation note or a bond

[1:17:29] on the same year that you borrow. It's

[1:17:31] very different than when you get a

[1:17:32] mortgage for your house and you do that

[1:17:34] in in a month. [clears throat] You

[1:17:36] borrow, it's a 12 month bond

[1:17:38] anticipation note or a multi-year bond,

[1:17:42] serial bonds, and you pay the following

[1:17:44] year. So, we will know all the numbers.

[1:17:46] >> Well, I I no that I mean to me that's

[1:17:48] understood. I actually do this every

[1:17:50] day. So, this is the engineers probable

[1:17:52] cost. So, their total came out at 1.2

[1:17:57] 1.207.

[1:17:58] they added a a 20% contingency which is

[1:18:02] reasonable for construction costs. So

[1:18:05] that came out at at 1.449

[1:18:10] and [snorts] then on top of that we had

[1:18:13] we have soft costs engineering costs

[1:18:16] >> and that's getting us to 1.7.

[1:18:18] >> That's correct.

[1:18:30] Yeah. [snorts]

[1:18:32] >> Any anything more? Any others? Any

[1:18:35] additional discussion? Okay.

[1:18:38] >> If not, I would like to uh have a roll

[1:18:42] call on the vote, please. Um, all in

[1:18:45] favor? Kenny.

[1:18:46] >> I.

[1:18:47] >> William.

[1:18:47] >> Hi.

[1:18:47] >> Myself. I.

[1:18:48] >> Jacob.

[1:18:49] >> Hi.

[1:18:49] >> Christina. Thank you very much.

[1:18:52] >> Uh we have the uh followup uh resolution

[1:18:56] to that

[1:19:03] which would be resolution number two

[1:19:08] authorizing the increase

[1:19:11] and improvement of water district

[1:19:13] facilities for water district number one

[1:19:15] at an estimated maximum cost 1.672 672

[1:19:18] million with the uh a borrowing uh

[1:19:22] aggregate principal amount not to exceed

[1:19:24] 1.272,600

[1:19:29] and um this is the bond authorization

[1:19:33] resolution. Who would like to move this

[1:19:37] number two of 2026

[1:19:40] >> as the lead to the water district? I

[1:19:42] will move this to you.

[1:19:44] >> Okay. And I'd be happy to second it. And

[1:19:46] I want to thank you all on the water

[1:19:47] board for the folks at home. Um we have

[1:19:50] a lot of dedicated volunteers and a lot

[1:19:52] of committees and they really make

[1:19:55] things happen for this community. We are

[1:19:57] very fortunate. We have a lot of people

[1:19:59] with a lot of expertise on our water

[1:20:02] board. I think it's really unusual their

[1:20:04] background. if you knew what they did um

[1:20:08] for a living and their their history and

[1:20:10] their expertise, you really benefit from that even when it's a difficult

[1:20:15] weighing of the rehab versus replace. Um

[1:20:20] and if anybody has that crystal ball,

[1:20:22] please let us know. We'd like to borrow

[1:20:24] it. Um

[1:20:27] all right,

[1:20:29] we have a motion and a second. Is there

[1:20:32] any uh discussion further discussion on

[1:20:35] that resolution number two? If not, it's

[1:20:37] a bond resolution like that. A roll

[1:20:39] call. Uh all in favor of Kenny

[1:20:42] >> I.

[1:20:43] >> William.

[1:20:44] >> Myself. I Jacob.

[1:20:46] >> Hi.

[1:20:46] >> Christina.

[1:20:47] >> I.

[1:20:47] >> Thank you very much.

[1:20:50] Okay. And thank you all. Is Tiffy still

[1:20:54] here that they were?

[1:20:55] >> Yeah, we're all here.

[1:20:56] >> You're welcome. The bill is left.

[1:21:02] » Okay. Well, look, can we quickly do that

[1:21:04] so that the fire department I already

[1:21:06] heard a little bit of something there.

[1:21:08] Um, can we do that quickly and let's get

[1:21:11] to public comments. I also don't want

[1:21:12] the public to have to wait um much

[1:21:14] longer, but we do have resolution

[1:21:17] number can we call it three on the fire

[1:21:20] department, please? And folks, I want to

[1:21:22] just um ask you to please, you'll notice

[1:21:26] in your packet there is that $7,000.

[1:21:29] Now, that needs to move back from

[1:21:31] operating to capital

[1:21:33] um so that we can show their funding

[1:21:37] partners that the capital line is

[1:21:39] 60,748.

[1:21:41] Could I ask you to please entertain that

[1:21:44] uh budget approval, please?

[1:21:47] >> Are you making a motion?

[1:21:48] >> I'm making a motion, please. Is there a

[1:21:50] second? Second.

[1:21:51] >> Thank you, Jacob. Um, any

[1:21:53] [clears throat] discussion? If not, all

[1:21:55] in favor?

[1:21:56] >> I thank you very much. Okay. Resolution

[1:22:00] number three, approving amendment number

[1:22:02] one to the town of Redook Fire

[1:22:05] Protection District Fire Service

[1:22:06] Agreement between the town of Red and

[1:22:09] the V Village village of Tivoli for 2025

[1:22:11] and 2026.

[1:22:14] Whereas proposed terms of an amendment

[1:22:16] entitled Town of Red Fire Protection

[1:22:18] District amendment number one to the

[1:22:20] fire service agreement. We do two-year

[1:22:22] fire agreements by the way. We contract

[1:22:25] for fire services the town. Um this is

[1:22:28] the second year 2026.

[1:22:31] Um the town of Red Hook Fire Protection

[1:22:33] District amendment one to the fire

[1:22:36] service agreement village of Tivoli. A

[1:22:38] public hearing has been duly called and

[1:22:40] held this evening. The amendment between

[1:22:42] the town of Reik and the village of

[1:22:44] Tivoli regarding the fire ser service

[1:22:46] agreement for 2025 and six for fire

[1:22:49] protection is hereby approved. That's

[1:22:52] what the resolution says.

[1:22:57] Can I move this one? Would you mind?

[1:23:03] Is there a second? Who would like to to

[1:23:05] second this? Anybody who's had the need

[1:23:08] of the Tivoli Fire Department in the

[1:23:10] last 5 [clears throat] years, would he

[1:23:13] or she like to solot?

[1:23:17] [clears throat]

[1:23:18] >> Okay.

[1:23:20] >> I think you'll find a lot of us have had

[1:23:24] the need of one fire department or

[1:23:26] another in this community. and you don't

[1:23:29] know, you will find out who these

[1:23:31] dedicated volunteers are when you do

[1:23:34] have a situation and they are there for

[1:23:37] you uh day in and day out leaving their

[1:23:42] jobs in order to come to do their

[1:23:44] volunteer.

[1:23:46] With that being said and with uh endless

[1:23:49] gratitude

[1:23:51] a vote, I think there's a motion.

[1:23:52] There's a second by Kenny. Thank you,

[1:23:54] Kenny. Any further discussion? If not,

[1:23:57] all in favor? William,

[1:23:58] >> hi

[1:23:59] >> Jacob.

[1:24:00] >> Hi.

[1:24:01] >> Three of us eyes. Yes. Christina,

[1:24:04] >> Robert, and Kenny, thank you very much.

[1:24:06] And thank you all.

[1:24:09] >> You fingers crossed.

[1:24:12] >> Fingers crossed. We'll be doing the

[1:24:13] paper next month.

[1:24:15] >> Yeah, next month. We'll see what that

[1:24:16] comes in and you'll let us know. Yep.

[1:24:19] >> You keep us informed. Okay. Thank you

[1:24:20] very much again. That's the easiest

[1:24:23] part.

[1:24:23] >> Thanks for getting us out of here.

[1:24:24] >> All right.

[1:24:26] Thanks guys.

[1:24:28] Water department. Thank you.

[1:24:30] >> All right. We have a very patient

[1:24:33] highway superintendent.

[1:24:36] >> But we do need to do what?

[1:24:39] >> We need to do public comments though. Um

[1:24:41] Teresa, if you can hang in, you'll be

[1:24:43] next.

[1:24:45] >> I know.

[1:24:48] >> It's a loose loose. Uh folks, um we have

[1:24:52] 15 minutes for public comment tonight.

[1:24:55] We still have uh a few items to get to.

[1:24:57] Is there somebody who would like to

[1:24:59] [snorts] speak for public comment?

[1:25:01] >> Okay. Roxan, if you'd be kind enough to

[1:25:03] just say your name for the record,

[1:25:05] please. As always.

[1:25:07] >> Roxan Fischer from Barrytown, New York.

[1:25:11] First, I want to extend a warm welcome

[1:25:14] to our new council members, Christina

[1:25:16] and Ken. You both ran on platforms

[1:25:20] opposing the use of eminent domain

[1:25:22] against the Red Hook Boat Club,

[1:25:25] emphasizing the need for greater

[1:25:27] transparency and genuine dialogue to the

[1:25:31] community. Your election reflects the

[1:25:34] clear voice of the voters on this issue

[1:25:37] and many of us are hopeful that your

[1:25:40] presence on the board will bring fresh

[1:25:42] perspective, accountability, and a

[1:25:45] commitment to listening to residents.

[1:25:48] Second, I want to inform everyone here

[1:25:51] in the room and those watching on Zoom

[1:25:54] that on January 6th, 2026,

[1:25:58] I filed a third supplemental submission

[1:26:02] to my ongoing complaint with the New

[1:26:05] York State Controllers Office regarding

[1:26:07] fiscal concerns in the town's eminent

[1:26:10] domain proceedings against the boat club

[1:26:13] property.

[1:26:14] This update highlights expenditures

[1:26:18] approaching a4 billion dollars with no

[1:26:21] results, improper use of the B fund to

[1:26:25] shift the tax burden, and the complete

[1:26:27] absence of any funding details for the

[1:26:31] 1.25 million plus project which should

[1:26:35] have incur been included in the 2026

[1:26:39] budget. The controllers's office is

[1:26:41] already reviewing this matter and costs

[1:26:44] continue to rise amid a growing docket

[1:26:47] of pending litigation.

[1:26:50] Finally, a reminder to the board. The

[1:26:53] original eminent domain resolution

[1:26:56] passed on a 3-2 vote. Any member who

[1:26:59] voted yes can still move to resin that

[1:27:03] vote. Doing so would immediately halt

[1:27:06] this extremely expensive process and end

[1:27:09] the wasteful drain on taxpayer money.

[1:27:13] that could be better spent on true

[1:27:16] community priorities. I hope the board

[1:27:19] will choose fiscal responsibility and

[1:27:22] the unity of the community moving

[1:27:25] forward. Thank you for your time.

[1:27:27] >> Thank you.

[1:27:28] Roxan.

[1:27:30] Yeah, it might do

[1:27:32] toward a new water tank 100%.

[1:27:34] >> Yeah.

[1:27:34] >> Hi, Carrie Kitner, Merrytown, New York.

[1:27:37] Um, I also want to welcome Kenny and

[1:27:41] Christina and

[1:27:43] uh the main thing I wanted to say was

[1:27:45] that it was so nice to actually have a

[1:27:47] conversation. Um, I got a a email from

[1:27:51] Christopher Man about that meeting next

[1:27:54] Wednesday and it was like, "Oh, you can

[1:27:57] come and ask questions and people will

[1:28:00] give you answers." And I'm going to just

[1:28:03] say it every time I come to these

[1:28:04] meetings, I say, "Can we please have a

[1:28:06] forum about the boat club?" Okay? like we would love to have that same

[1:28:12] kind of questions and answers

[1:28:15] um for a topic that's like been roing in

[1:28:19] this community. So that's my request.

[1:28:23] Maybe our two new members could push

[1:28:25] towards having a forum. We had a public

[1:28:28] comment period in which supposedly we

[1:28:32] were listened to, but uh what we said

[1:28:35] didn't seem to move any of the board

[1:28:37] members. Well, none of two of them

[1:28:41] silently said no, but it was silently.

[1:28:44] And I just really appreciate if

[1:28:48] Christina is speaking up tonight because

[1:28:51] um you know, I think these water guys

[1:28:53] know what they're doing, but it's really

[1:28:55] nice to be able to ask questions and

[1:28:56] really understand what's happening. As a

[1:28:58] citizen, I I really like to understand.

[1:29:02] Um, and in that on that note,

[1:29:05] um, you closed the public comment period

[1:29:09] on the water tank thing and then there

[1:29:13] were two motions and the first motion

[1:29:15] seemed to be to move forward with

[1:29:16] bidding, but the second motion seemed to

[1:29:19] be to approve the bond as long as it

[1:29:23] didn't go over this certain amount. So,

[1:29:27] I had asked earlier if the bids came in

[1:29:30] whether there would be another public

[1:29:32] comment period, but it sounds like if

[1:29:34] the bids come in

[1:29:36] below this maximum amount, then you're

[1:29:39] just moving ahead with that. That's a

[1:29:41] question and I'd really like an answer

[1:29:43] right now on that.

[1:29:45] >> Okay, Cara, we need to get Don't answer

[1:29:48] questions. I'm going to give you an

[1:29:49] answer.

[1:29:50] Just like

[1:29:52] we told the folks in the newly created

[1:29:55] TND sewer district that we would not

[1:29:57] move forward until we got some grant

[1:29:59] funding, we have told you that we will

[1:30:02] not move forward with the water tank

[1:30:05] till we get those other two key

[1:30:08] questions. What what is the acceptable

[1:30:10] bit and what if any contribution will be

[1:30:13] coming from Mark Holl? So, but we had to

[1:30:16] do a bond resolution

[1:30:20] for the TND sewer district a couple of

[1:30:22] years ago in order to move forward so

[1:30:25] that we could apply for grants and so on

[1:30:27] and so forth. So we have those grants

[1:30:30] because we approve the authorization and

[1:30:32] again I think somebody in the audience

[1:30:34] said it well until you get authorization

[1:30:37] to begin the process you can't ever

[1:30:40] >> but wasn't that the first resolution was

[1:30:42] to authorize to begin the process. The

[1:30:44] second thing of approving the bond,

[1:30:47] >> we do have to approve. We would never go

[1:30:50] ahead and expend substantial funds to

[1:30:54] develop specs if we

[1:30:57] >> Okay. So, it's not the full amount of

[1:30:59] the money that you're approving. It's

[1:31:01] the amount of money to find out how much

[1:31:04] it's

[1:31:05] >> and Carrie and my objection to closing

[1:31:07] the public hearing was that it it's not

[1:31:08] that I disagree that the total amount is

[1:31:11] going to be what it is. I just think

[1:31:12] that there needs to be public input and

[1:31:15] how do we get to that place? It's going

[1:31:18] to cost what it costs and my my personal

[1:31:21] opinion is I I do agree with the total

[1:31:24] number,

[1:31:25] >> but we're in a negotiation with the

[1:31:28] village and

[1:31:31] >> with Bard and so who's going to pay for

[1:31:33] this? And I think that the public is

[1:31:35] part of that process. And that was my

[1:31:37] objection to closing the public hearing,

[1:31:39] right? Not to agreeing to the to the

[1:31:41] final amount of of what that looks like.

[1:31:44] >> And as long as there'll be more public

[1:31:46] comment, no matter what the bids come in

[1:31:49] at, then I'm going to just go sit down

[1:31:52] >> and and hope that we can have a forum

[1:31:56] that questions are answered on this

[1:32:00] really divisive topic of the book club.

[1:32:02] So putting another

[1:32:04] >> any anybody else like to make public

[1:32:06] comments. We have about eight more

[1:32:08] minutes for public comments.

[1:32:09] >> I'm going to be very quick. Susan

[1:32:12] Quasha, Darytown, New York. And I just

[1:32:15] want to say that this is 2026 now. And

[1:32:19] I'm really hoping that you will all

[1:32:23] follow good governance, which means

[1:32:26] being clear about things, understanding

[1:32:28] them, letting the public understand

[1:32:30] them, and that there is less

[1:32:33] divisiveness and more bringing everybody

[1:32:36] together. That's what good governance

[1:32:38] is.

[1:32:39] >> Thank you, sir.

[1:32:40] >> Thank you.

[1:32:42] >> We have time for another another speaker

[1:32:44] or two.

[1:32:45] >> Lisa Polo, town of Red Hook. Uh, Robert

[1:32:48] McKeon continues to assert without

[1:32:51] evidence that the eminent domain action

[1:32:53] has widespread support and Jacob, you

[1:32:55] concurred with that on July 15th and

[1:32:58] also stated that the opposition would be

[1:33:00] a short-term discomfort. Almost a

[1:33:02] quarter of a million dollars has been

[1:33:04] spent through October. That's not a mere

[1:33:06] discomfort. We don't yet have the

[1:33:08] invoices for November and December in

[1:33:10] which there were continued court

[1:33:12] hearings in an attempt to circumvent the

[1:33:14] court ruling with new zoning laws. In

[1:33:16] December, we received the letter from

[1:33:18] the supervisor warning of fiscal

[1:33:20] challenges on the horizon. And tonight's

[1:33:22] board packet includes the amendment for

[1:33:24] the Tiboly fire service agreement

[1:33:26] discussion on rising health care costs

[1:33:28] and the notification that the town's

[1:33:30] grant application for the Red Hook Trail

[1:33:32] Link was not selected for funding. Um,

[1:33:35] and yesterday the Daily Catch reported

[1:33:36] on the Red Hook Fire Chief and the

[1:33:39] financial challenges facing the

[1:33:40] department. If you were to open those

[1:33:42] window shades in the back, you'd see

[1:33:44] across the street the graphic showing

[1:33:46] the amount spent so far. An amount that

[1:33:48] could have been used for any of those

[1:33:50] real needs that I mentioned, not wants.

[1:33:54] But the closed shades are symbolic

[1:33:56] because like your eyes and ears, if you

[1:33:58] don't open them, you don't have to face

[1:34:00] the truth. The fees will acrew at a

[1:34:03] similar pace this year. And for those

[1:34:05] interested, go online and search for Red

[1:34:07] Hook Boat Club versus Town of Red Hook

[1:34:09] and find the link to PACE monitor. That

[1:34:12] provides a publicly available summary of

[1:34:15] the most recent federal court

[1:34:16] proceedings. And you'll see that there

[1:34:18] are motions, depositions, discovery, and

[1:34:20] conferences scheduled through July of

[1:34:23] 2026. At minimum, seven more months of

[1:34:27] unnecessary wasteful spending. What will

[1:34:29] the total be by then? This level of

[1:34:32] discomfort far exceeds short-term. Ken

[1:34:35] and Christina, involve yourselves in the

[1:34:38] planning and conversations with the

[1:34:39] attorneys. Don't allow one person to

[1:34:41] call the shots and make binding,

[1:34:43] expensive decisions. Ask the questions

[1:34:45] we cannot get answered. Request and

[1:34:48] review the legal proceedings to learn

[1:34:49] what has been proposed and what has been

[1:34:51] declined. And I think you'll learn a

[1:34:53] great deal. Each January presents an

[1:34:56] opportunity to reflect, recalibrate, and

[1:34:58] if necessary, redirect. We began that

[1:35:01] process with the swearing in of two new

[1:35:03] board members. Bill and Jacob, you both

[1:35:05] have an opportunity to rewrite your part

[1:35:08] in what is arguably the most unpopular

[1:35:11] and now most fiscally wasteful decision

[1:35:14] ever made by three people but impacting

[1:35:17] so many. Either of you can move to resin

[1:35:20] the eminent domain action and if you do,

[1:35:21] you will have the votes to pass it.

[1:35:24] Every additional dollar spent on legal

[1:35:26] fees is now your choice to prolong this

[1:35:29] mess. So, please re-evaluate and

[1:35:31] redirect the taxpayer dollars to the

[1:35:34] more critical issues that have come up

[1:35:36] tonight. And it's time for you to open

[1:35:38] the shades and confront the truth.

[1:35:44] [applause]

[1:35:50] We'll take one more speaker, Linda

[1:35:51] Stoddard.

[1:35:52] >> Linda Stoddard.

[1:35:53] >> Thank you, Linda.

[1:35:54] >> I Robert, I just have a question about

[1:35:57] um

[1:35:58] >> Linda, we Yeah. Go ahead. Make your

[1:36:00] remarks. We have to get to our agenda

[1:36:02] items tonight. [cough]

[1:36:05] >> Don't let her speak.

[1:36:06] >> Yeah. Um I'm wondering when you do reorg

[1:36:10] are you going to be um redistributing or

[1:36:16] reassigning liaison

[1:36:19] because there are five board members and

[1:36:21] right now there is a great imbalance

[1:36:25] um on the liaison

[1:36:27] and a majority of the liaison of the

[1:36:30] committees is you and it should be

[1:36:32] distributed equally amongst the board.

[1:36:35] So, I was just wondering if that's going

[1:36:36] to be done in New York.

[1:36:38] >> Thank you, Linda. Yes, that's all all of

[1:36:41] the ones that were previously Christine

[1:36:44] or Julia have been whited out so that we

[1:36:47] >> Okay. But even with them, you are still

[1:36:50] the liaison for more than anybody else.

[1:36:53] >> Thank you for your your thoughts on

[1:36:56] that.

[1:36:56] >> And that's not the way it's supposed to

[1:36:57] be.

[1:37:00] >> Okay. Uh, anybody else? If not, okay.

[1:37:03] Uh, we're going to move on to our next

[1:37:06] item.

[1:37:06] >> I do think we should open a window

[1:37:08] shades. It's actually been bothering me

[1:37:09] cuz it's like

[1:37:12] >> traffic moving forward and distractions.

[1:37:18] » We need to we need to get on with our

[1:37:19] meeting. All right. Um, let's please go

[1:37:22] to the highway uh department issues. Uh,

[1:37:25] Teresa has been very patient not only

[1:37:27] this meeting but the previous meetings.

[1:37:30] Um

[1:37:32] >> there we are.

[1:37:41] » Number item number three.

[1:37:48] » Oh yeah.

[1:37:52] I'm going to start marking the stage.

[1:37:57] 33.

[1:38:01] » Yeah.

[1:38:03] >> All right. Uh folks, so we have the 284

[1:38:06] agreement. Um for the folks at home,

[1:38:09] each year uh or previous to the year,

[1:38:13] the highway superintendent proposes

[1:38:16] roads for capital improvements, which

[1:38:19] are to be repaved. what material is

[1:38:22] going to be used, whether or not it's

[1:38:24] asphalt or whether or not um it's chip

[1:38:28] sealed. Um you should know

[1:38:32] um that the roads that are proposed for

[1:38:36] this year 2026

[1:38:39] are Starbar for paving, Bosper,

[1:38:45] and uh Chipsilio for uh the Tivoli area.

[1:38:50] Stony Brook Road, Middle Road down here,

[1:38:54] Sankst Stack and Kid Lane,

[1:38:57] and the chip ceiling is to preserve the

[1:38:59] roads to get uh longevity out of them. And so the

[1:39:06] budget uh this conforms with what we

[1:39:09] have budgeted for 2026. Estimated cost

[1:39:12] for Starbucks and Vosberg is 320,000.

[1:39:16] Um for the chip ceiling project

[1:39:20] um

[1:39:22] 2026 budget is $90,000.

[1:39:32] There's currently a balance of 82,000 in

[1:39:35] the 25 chips fund which will roll over

[1:39:38] to the calendar year. We don't find out

[1:39:41] um funding until the state's budget is

[1:39:45] passed. Most of the funding that goes

[1:39:47] towards these capital improvements comes

[1:39:49] from the state. Okay. Um, any questions

[1:39:54] on which roads, the amounts,

[1:39:57] uh, anything or

[1:40:01] >> I don't have any issues with it. I don't

[1:40:03] have any issues with it. It as long as

[1:40:05] it confirmed conforms with the budget.

[1:40:07] I'm I'm interested though in in how in

[1:40:11] terms of like what like what that

[1:40:13] overall plan looks like. Um I'm sure you have metrics and how you figure um

[1:40:21] and so the first thing to understand is

[1:40:24] this agreement. It's a living document.

[1:40:27] So um we are asked to designate which

[1:40:32] roads based on our observations before

[1:40:35] the winter um we would like to pave. Uh

[1:40:40] many things can change in between. So

[1:40:42] once we sign this 284 agreement, if we

[1:40:45] find that there are roads that need more

[1:40:48] attention or if something, [cough]

[1:40:50] you know, catastrophic happens,

[1:40:52] >> and what time of year, like what time of

[1:40:54] year do you do you [snorts] look at it

[1:40:56] versus

[1:40:57] >> So we look at it all year and we keep a

[1:40:59] record of how old the roads are, when

[1:41:02] they were last paved. Um there's two

[1:41:04] parts to this. The resurfacing is the

[1:41:07] major expenditure and then the uh um

[1:41:11] chip seal is the maintenance part of it.

[1:41:14] So you want to chip seal your good roads

[1:41:16] within 5 years of paving to keep them

[1:41:19] good. It extends the life past the

[1:41:21] average 15 years. If you do it every so

[1:41:23] often, it's a lot less expensive. And

[1:41:26] then you take the bulk of the um ship's

[1:41:29] money and put it into major repair. So,

[1:41:34] this is kind of a guess

[1:41:36] >> because we don't know what roads will

[1:41:39] look like after what type of winter we

[1:41:41] may have. There may be a flooding issue

[1:41:45] and one of the roads gets blown apart.

[1:41:48] So, we come back and say, "Okay, we

[1:41:52] can't spend the money on this road

[1:41:53] because we have to spend on that road."

[1:41:55] It's an amendment to this document. It

[1:41:57] comes back to the town board. We put the

[1:41:59] reasons in there and then we ask for the

[1:42:01] expenditure again. Same point, the state

[1:42:04] doesn't pass its budget till April. So,

[1:42:08] we don't know until we go out to bid for

[1:42:10] these roads and the state passes its

[1:42:12] budget if it's all going to fit. So, we

[1:42:15] may have to dial back or we may get more

[1:42:18] money from the state if we go up and

[1:42:20] lobby for it and then we can add. So,

[1:42:23] it's a living document. It's sort of

[1:42:25] this is what we plan on doing. If

[1:42:27] everything works out, this is what we

[1:42:29] will do. Um, but if it doesn't, we'll

[1:42:31] let you know ahead of time and it has to

[1:42:33] come to a town board meeting again.

[1:42:36] >> Thank you.

[1:42:37] >> Seems to be a recurring theme about we

[1:42:39] have estimates we need to authorize to

[1:42:43] move forward. We then finalize the

[1:42:45] amounts and then we can go ahead with

[1:42:48] >> we'll go out to big for the contracts

[1:42:50] and bring them back to the board for

[1:42:52] approval.

[1:42:52] >> Yeah.

[1:42:54] >> Right. I'm And so there's no sort of

[1:42:56] like master document of all town roads

[1:42:59] and you're grading them a through

[1:43:01] whatever.

[1:43:02] >> Well, we we do, but anything can change

[1:43:05] at any time.

[1:43:06] >> Sure. And the winner the winner comes

[1:43:08] through and then it's all it's all

[1:43:10] changes.

[1:43:10] >> You just never know. Yeah,

[1:43:11] >> you never know. But we have um each road

[1:43:15] is uh supposed to have a 15-year life

[1:43:18] before resurfacing.

[1:43:20] um we don't have the budget to do that

[1:43:23] on a regular basis. So we choose the

[1:43:25] best roads that we think the worst roads

[1:43:29] that we think will benefit

[1:43:31] >> highly traveled roads over lower

[1:43:33] traveled roads. It's all [snorts] kind

[1:43:35] of put all the information in and see

[1:43:37] what comes out at the end. So this is

[1:43:39] what we propose for this year. Um and

[1:43:42] again it can change depending on funding

[1:43:44] and road conditions after the winter.

[1:43:47] >> Thank you. I I appreciate the

[1:43:48] explanation. You're welcome.

[1:43:51] >> Thanks, Teresa. Any uh further

[1:43:53] questions, the board members?

[1:43:55] Okay. Um I'd like to make a motion. Um

[1:44:04] to approve the 2026 284 agreement for

[1:44:07] highway expenditures.

[1:44:10] >> So moved.

[1:44:13] >> Well, I have the two copies.

[1:44:14] >> Yeah. Um,

[1:44:17] >> Christina, would you be the second to

[1:44:19] that motion?

[1:44:20] >> Okay.

[1:44:21] >> Uh, any further discussion? If not, all

[1:44:24] in favor?

[1:44:26] >> Thank you very much.

[1:44:28] >> Okay.

[1:44:29] >> So, Diana has the copies and they're

[1:44:32] signed at the meeting and then at the

[1:44:33] end I'll sign them.

[1:44:38] » Thanks. We'll we'll tackle that. Um,

[1:44:40] next up is the electric van. Um the

[1:44:44] highway department has requested a

[1:44:46] replacement of the how old van 20

[1:44:50] 40 22 years something like that two

[1:44:54] decade old van right Teresa um

[1:44:58] >> they had it written in the document it's

[1:45:00] pretty old

[1:45:01] >> yeah

[1:45:02] um

[1:45:04] we are uh it's it's been

[1:45:07] >> it's a 2008 van

[1:45:09] >> 2008 okay so almost two decades old um

[1:45:12] it's a cargo van to move equipment when

[1:45:15] they go and do uh work on the roads. Um

[1:45:18] it has been the desire of uh at least

[1:45:21] the previous board for all vehicles when

[1:45:25] possible to be electric for both

[1:45:27] environmental and for uh financial

[1:45:30] sustainability.

[1:45:32] Um there's uh very little maintenance on

[1:45:36] electric vehicles

[1:45:38] and we have the infrastructure here

[1:45:41] because of all the work that we've done

[1:45:43] and the grant funding we've received. We

[1:45:46] also have on our highway department, we

[1:45:48] have a solar system that produces more

[1:45:51] electricity than the highway department

[1:45:54] uses. And so we're able to have this van

[1:45:57] plugged in um and uh excess energy can

[1:46:01] be allocated towards the charging

[1:46:04] stations for these purposes. So there's

[1:46:06] savings associated with that. Um Teresa

[1:46:10] has looked into different makes and

[1:46:11] models and come up with the

[1:46:13] recommendation for um the Dodge Ram

[1:46:17] truck uh or EV cargo van that's

[1:46:20] recommended here. Um and we've worked

[1:46:23] together on identifying that there is uh

[1:46:26] still some funding. We could at least

[1:46:28] get about 10% um grant funding for the

[1:46:32] purchase of the van.

[1:46:35] So what you have is a resolution that

[1:46:37] includes um sort of the gross amount of

[1:46:40] $78,000.

[1:46:41] Um

[1:46:43] we would hope to receive at least the

[1:46:45] $7,500 rebate for the acquisition then.

[1:46:49] So, what would the what would it cost

[1:46:51] for the same van and and gas?

[1:46:54] >> Um

[1:46:58] 58,000

[1:47:00] but no rebate.

[1:47:01] >> 58,000 but no rebate. And so we're at

[1:47:04] Sorry, the number was

[1:47:06] >> So we're about 70 with the rebate.

[1:47:09] >> 70 with a

[1:47:10] >> with a rebate. Yeah. And then

[1:47:12] [clears throat] you have to do the

[1:47:13] savings versus the electric which is in

[1:47:16] theory free because it's it's being

[1:47:18] remote and metered from the highway

[1:47:20] garage and the maintenance. Um and

[1:47:24] there's also um our policy of when we

[1:47:29] can to continue our electrification.

[1:47:39] Any further questions?

[1:47:43] >> The uh the current ban, how many miles a

[1:47:46] year do you put on that?

[1:47:47] >> I don't know off the top of my head,

[1:47:49] Ken.

[1:47:54] » But I can tell you what we use it for.

[1:47:56] >> Oh, okay.

[1:47:56] >> Um, we use it for sign installation. So,

[1:48:00] it has like a um uh equipment inside and

[1:48:03] all the nuts and bolts and it can carry

[1:48:05] the signs and the poles. And we also use

[1:48:07] it for carrying stuff that has to be

[1:48:09] undercover because the rest of our

[1:48:12] equipment is pickup trucks that are open

[1:48:14] to the weather. So, if we have to go

[1:48:16] pick up parts or something, we can use

[1:48:17] the van. Um, if you have to drop off a

[1:48:21] vehicle like one of the big uh dump

[1:48:24] trucks up to Hudson or or anywhere else,

[1:48:27] Albany, uh, the van can follow and then

[1:48:30] take a person back.

[1:48:32] >> So, it's like a multi-purpose um,

[1:48:34] vehicle. It's very handy,

[1:48:35] >> right? But it sits idle quite a bit, it

[1:48:38] sounds like.

[1:48:39] >> Well, I guess if you look at it that

[1:48:41] way, a lot of them sit idle quite a bit.

[1:48:43] It just depends on what you're doing,

[1:48:45] right, at that particular time.

[1:48:47] But uh

[1:48:49] >> well my concern is there's been some

[1:48:51] issues with electric vehicles. So if it

[1:48:54] was something that was really we really

[1:48:56] dependent on you know and obviously we

[1:48:59] are but it's not going to

[1:49:01] >> No it's not an emergency response

[1:49:02] vehicle

[1:49:03] >> right

[1:49:04] >> and with this particular vehicle um we

[1:49:06] have to go out to bid.

[1:49:08] >> So so far I've seen 2025s. I haven't

[1:49:12] seen 2026s to build yet. But if there's

[1:49:15] going to be any issues, the manufacturer

[1:49:17] will let us know.

[1:49:18] >> Right. Okay.

[1:49:19] >> So, um this is the first step in the

[1:49:22] process just like the other items. We

[1:49:26] have to follow a protocol set by New

[1:49:28] York State in order to go out for a mini

[1:49:30] bid. So, this bid will go all over the

[1:49:32] state and if people have them, they'll

[1:49:35] give us a price and if they don't,

[1:49:37] they'll let us know why. So, again,

[1:49:39] we'll come back with the bid results and

[1:49:41] say, "Do you want to buy this or not?

[1:49:44] So, it's just we have to get approval to

[1:49:46] go forward in order to use the state bid

[1:49:49] system.

[1:49:50] >> Right.

[1:49:52] Thank you.

[1:49:54] >> Thank you, Teresa. Anything else you'd

[1:49:56] like us to know before we entertain

[1:49:59] motion to approve that resolution?

[1:50:01] >> Nope.

[1:50:02] >> Okay.

[1:50:04] Uh this is now resolution four. here.

[1:50:08] >> Five.

[1:50:12] » Authorizing procurement of bids for EV

[1:50:14] cargo van for the highway department

[1:50:17] purposes. Whereas the town of Red Hook

[1:50:19] and this also has been discussed in

[1:50:21] previous meetings. Just for the folks at

[1:50:23] home, uh has recommended the purchase of

[1:50:26] a utility van for highway department

[1:50:28] purposes. Uh the town board requested

[1:50:30] the consideration of an electric vehicle

[1:50:32] in accordance with the town's purchasing

[1:50:34] and procurement policy which was updated

[1:50:37] to reflect our desire to uh OE

[1:50:42] um uh investigate

[1:50:44] um environmentally friendly uh products.

[1:50:47] Um whereas the highway superintendent

[1:50:49] has identified a type of vehicle with

[1:50:51] the specs determined to be necessary for

[1:50:55] the department's use being a Dodge Ram

[1:50:57] ProMaster electric cargo van the

[1:51:00] equipment available through New York

[1:51:02] State OS state contract number 231 166

[1:51:07] to be acquired through the mini bid

[1:51:09] procedure in accordance with the terms

[1:51:11] and conditions of such contra uh

[1:51:14] contract and our purchasing

[1:51:17] policy. Highway superintendent is hereby

[1:51:20] authorized to proceed with procurement

[1:51:23] of bids for the equipment in accordance

[1:51:26] with the contract terms and conditions

[1:51:28] with an estimated cost not to exceed

[1:51:31] 78,000. The town supervisor and town's

[1:51:34] other officers are hereby authorized and

[1:51:37] directed for a name to do all acts and

[1:51:41] things necessary in convenient in

[1:51:43] furtherance of this resolution. Number

[1:51:47] five, who might be a liaison to the

[1:51:50] highway department? Who would want to

[1:51:52] move that?

[1:51:53] >> So moved.

[1:51:54] >> Thanks, Jac.

[1:51:56] Uh, is there a second?

[1:52:00] Electric. May I second that resolution?

[1:52:04] Further uh discussion?

[1:52:06] >> Thank you, Teresa.

[1:52:08] >> Thank you.

[1:52:10] >> Very good. All in favor? Hi,

[1:52:13] >> Christina Kenny.

[1:52:15] >> I Bill.

[1:52:16] >> Hi.

[1:52:16] >> Thank you very much. Okay, that was

[1:52:19] number five. Resolution number five.

[1:52:22] Agenda item number three

[1:52:25] um gun water district. Uh we did fire

[1:52:28] district. Let's go to the first item on

[1:52:31] the agenda which is the resolution

[1:52:36] [clears throat]

[1:52:37] organizing resolution.

[1:52:47] Don't look at the screen. You'll get

[1:52:48] dizzy.

[1:52:51] » The annual reward.

[1:52:54] There we go. Um, we do this annually

[1:52:58] where we state where when our meetings

[1:53:01] are. This will serve as the public

[1:53:03] notice for all our town board meetings

[1:53:06] by the way um for 2026. any changes then

[1:53:10] nor uh necessitate a change in the uh

[1:53:14] public meeting notice

[1:53:17] be it resolve the town board of the town

[1:53:19] of Breok as follows meeting dates

[1:53:21] regular meetings of the board will take

[1:53:23] place throughout the year 2026 and the

[1:53:26] following days in each month 7:30 at

[1:53:29] town hall second Tuesday and fourth

[1:53:31] Wednesday it has been such for many

[1:53:33] years now additional special meetings

[1:53:35] may be scheduled and announced by

[1:53:37] posting the announce announcement at

[1:53:39] town hall as required by chapter 22 of

[1:53:42] the vote with notification to the press

[1:53:45] as required by public officers law.

[1:53:48] Number two, the official newspaper of

[1:53:50] the town for 2026 shall be the Gypsy

[1:53:53] Journal depositories. Uh these are the

[1:53:57] banks that um we have uh funds with.

[1:54:03] In addition, the town is a member of a

[1:54:06] of New York class pursuant to New York

[1:54:08] class mean cooperation agreement amended

[1:54:11] and restated. That's where we have our

[1:54:14] funds that we are not using immediately.

[1:54:17] If you think of it in terms of a money

[1:54:19] market fund where we get um better

[1:54:22] interest and uh keeping it in the bank.

[1:54:25] Um this is a cooperative of many

[1:54:28] municipalities.

[1:54:31] The following officers are authorized to

[1:54:33] maintain a pettic cash to conduct um

[1:54:36] day-to-day business. The following

[1:54:38] amounts not to exceed $500 per officer

[1:54:42] or $1,000 for the receiver.

[1:54:45] Salaries, the salaries uh below are the

[1:54:48] salaries that were adopted uh the budget

[1:54:50] for 2026.

[1:54:53] mileage reimbursement rate for town

[1:54:56] business uh the IRS rate of 72

[1:55:00] cents per mile who incur official

[1:55:03] mileage when they are obligated to drive

[1:55:05] their own vehicles on town business or

[1:55:07] when a town vehicle is not available

[1:55:12] and then as a reimbursement undertaking

[1:55:14] the town board of the town of hereby

[1:55:17] authorized the execution of a blanket

[1:55:19] bond in lie of individual undertaking

[1:55:22] pursuant to section 112 of the public

[1:55:25] officers law for the purpose of covering

[1:55:27] all officers and employees who collect

[1:55:29] money including in the list of these

[1:55:32] positions here in town hall.

[1:55:37] The town board hereby authorized the

[1:55:40] following to sign bank checks for all

[1:55:42] town business. That would be the town

[1:55:44] supervisor in his absence or her

[1:55:46] absence, deputy supervisor William

[1:55:49] Hamill. And three, in the absence of the

[1:55:52] supervisor and deputy supervisor, any of

[1:55:54] the town board members, Christina

[1:55:56] Duchar, Ken Migerelli, or Jacob Taup,

[1:56:00] the annual financial report, the town

[1:56:02] board of the town of Red Hook, hereby

[1:56:04] authorizes and directs the supervisor to

[1:56:06] submit to the town clerk within 60 days

[1:56:09] after the closing of the fiscal year or

[1:56:12] such later date as may be required for

[1:56:15] such filing with the state controller, a

[1:56:17] copy of the supervisor's report to the

[1:56:19] state controller and the town clerk

[1:56:21] shall cause a summary of such report to

[1:56:24] be published within 10 days of that

[1:56:26] filing in the official newspaper

[1:56:29] procurement. Um, and that's uh uh for

[1:56:32] Penny and for Christina. Uh, we'll, if

[1:56:35] you have not had a chance, we'll send

[1:56:37] along to you. Um, those various policies

[1:56:40] you'll want to review them um in the

[1:56:43] future should we decide to u make any

[1:56:46] changes to them. Procurement investment

[1:56:48] policy, ethics policy. I know that the

[1:56:52] ethics board I think is looking to do

[1:56:55] another training session. Is that right?

[1:56:57] >> Yeah. There will be um we're working to

[1:56:58] schedule an inperson training next

[1:57:01] Friday here in Pon Hall for all town

[1:57:03] employees and

[1:57:04] >> next Friday

[1:57:05] >> and then not this upcoming but next the

[1:57:08] 23rd

[1:57:08] >> 23rd

[1:57:09] >> um and then there will be an a second

[1:57:11] one that'll be held virtually the

[1:57:13] following Tuesday in the evening for

[1:57:15] those who can't attend the first Friday.

[1:57:17] >> I have a number of comments. I thought

[1:57:18] we were we had to get through it and

[1:57:19] then make a motion before we discuss it

[1:57:22] but apparently that's not true.

[1:57:23] >> Sure. Okay. before we we can get through

[1:57:26] it. Did you want to make

[1:57:27] >> Well, so I mean I mean if we're going to

[1:57:29] talk about it, let's let's talk about it

[1:57:31] as we're as we're going because I think

[1:57:32] it's I think it's more relevant.

[1:57:34] >> I think I think we're finished. Did you

[1:57:36] have comments?

[1:57:36] >> I I do. So So the the meetings the 7:30

[1:57:41] meeting time and the and the Tuesday and

[1:57:43] the fourth Wednesday. Um I I would

[1:57:46] propose an earlier meeting time and a

[1:57:49] consistent day. I think that's very

[1:57:50] confusing for the public and um honestly

[1:57:55] for ourselves to to have have that kind

[1:57:58] of a schedule. So I I would propose we

[1:58:00] meet at at 6:00 instead of 7:30.

[1:58:05] >> Okay. Um uh my understanding these times

[1:58:10] are predate uh boy they predate not only

[1:58:14] my being town supervisor but when I was

[1:58:17] on the town board way back in 2009

[1:58:21] my understanding was the times were set

[1:58:24] so that uh folks could have dinner with

[1:58:27] their family and come here and the uh

[1:58:31] choice of having two separate days. My

[1:58:34] understanding, Christina, was that if

[1:58:36] you chose, say, a Tuesday and a

[1:58:38] Wednesday, that if somebody had a

[1:58:40] standing Tuesday thing that um they

[1:58:44] could at least come to one meeting a

[1:58:45] month, they could come on the Wednesday

[1:58:47] or vice versa. That was the rationale.

[1:58:49] I'm not saying that has to continue that

[1:58:51] way, but

[1:58:51] >> I mean, I'm I'm putting it out there as

[1:58:53] a as a um as a discussion item. I think

[1:58:58] that I think that it's rather late and I

[1:59:00] think that that historically there's

[1:59:03] been there's been a lot of interest and

[1:59:05] that's a positive thing for for the

[1:59:08] board. Um and um you know I think I

[1:59:12] think families are flexible and there's

[1:59:15] 7:30 is is rather late in the evening as

[1:59:20] a start time. Um, so I I I we've I've

[1:59:25] had this discussion on other other

[1:59:27] committees that we've been on that

[1:59:29] historically have met later in the

[1:59:30] evening and the consensus has been to

[1:59:34] move it earlier and and that's I've seen

[1:59:36] that overall to be a positive change.

[1:59:40] >> Okay. Um,

[1:59:42] anyone else?

[1:59:43] >> Yeah, I like to agree with that.

[1:59:45] [laughter]

[1:59:45] >> Okay.

[1:59:47] >> Uh,

[1:59:48] yeah, I go to bed kind of early. I wake

[1:59:51] up early uh and I do and I mentioned

[1:59:54] this to you Robert um I'm on a two three

[1:59:58] four other committees and the t this

[2:00:02] Tuesday is the uh committee which I've

[2:00:05] been on down in New York City for green

[2:00:07] market

[2:00:08] so it is a conflict uh especially with what's going on with green market I

[2:00:13] need to be involved in that committee so

[2:00:16] it would be nice if they were the second

[2:00:18] and fourth Wednesday

[2:00:21] Uh that would be good for me and I

[2:00:23] understand. I don't know what I'm going

[2:00:25] to do if if I can't and uh the I would

[2:00:30] like to see the meetings earlier also.

[2:00:32] Uh

[2:00:33] >> but I think if he would be earlier on

[2:00:36] Tuesday, that'd be worse for you, not

[2:00:38] better.

[2:00:38] >> Is that right?

[2:00:39] >> Y' worse for me.

[2:00:40] >> But then I only uh uh the those meetings

[2:00:44] go exactly three hours. They don't go

[2:00:47] over. So, um,

[2:00:49] >> when do they start?

[2:00:50] >> Six.

[2:00:51] >> So, I would only be able to sit in on it

[2:00:54] for an hour and a half.

[2:00:55] >> Okay.

[2:00:56] >> So, is there you're saying Wednesday

[2:01:00] would be a conflict for other people?

[2:01:02] >> Well, second Wednesday here town hall is

[2:01:04] taken up by both the ZBA. We would have

[2:01:07] to if we were to move to Wednesday, we'd

[2:01:08] have to move the ZBA out of there.

[2:01:11] Second Wednesday, that's this room. And

[2:01:13] then the CAC takes the conference room.

[2:01:16] So, it wouldn't just be us having to

[2:01:18] change our schedule to accommodate that.

[2:01:21] It [clears throat] would we would have

[2:01:22] to move other boards and then

[2:01:24] >> we, you know, we don't have the ability

[2:01:26] tonight certainly to know that

[2:01:28] >> whether or not they could or would want

[2:01:30] to

[2:01:31] >> change early, one late, one late. Um,

[2:01:36] Jacob, I'm sorry you started to say

[2:01:39] Tuesdays, um, Thursdays, I have a

[2:01:41] commitment earlier in the evening that I

[2:01:43] wouldn't be able to get here until after

[2:01:45] like 7:30 is about the earliest we can

[2:01:47] get over here.

[2:01:47] >> So you can't do earlier if it's Tuesdays

[2:01:50] and Thursdays.

[2:01:51] >> We can't do a second Wednesday right now

[2:01:54] because of ZBA um and CAC here.

[2:01:58] >> Well, I think that's an overall

[2:01:59] discussion. I think there's there's a flexibility amongst amongst

[2:02:03] many committees. I mean, when other

[2:02:05] committees I've been on, we've talked

[2:02:06] about it. And it's not to say that there

[2:02:09] maybe this is something that can't be

[2:02:10] resolved right now, but we should we should we should have an open

[2:02:16] discussion. And 7:30 is very late. Um

[2:02:20] >> and and you know, we've had we've had

[2:02:22] meetings that have gone on until until

[2:02:25] midnight, and that certainly affects

[2:02:26] people.

[2:02:27] >> Um and that's that's really not an

[2:02:29] accessible time

[2:02:31] >> um for the public in general. So

[2:02:33] >> yeah,

[2:02:34] >> um

[2:02:34] >> we've also had many meetings that were

[2:02:36] over in an hour, but I hear your point

[2:02:38] that it does we we run that risk when we

[2:02:41] start a meeting that if we want to

[2:02:43] accommodate or get all the work

[2:02:46] conducted that evening. We did stop one

[2:02:48] meeting. It was the first time in my 10

[2:02:50] years we stopped a meeting before we

[2:02:52] finished all the all the work. And maybe

[2:02:54] that's what we need to consider if we

[2:02:56] are stuck um meeting at 7:30.

[2:02:58] >> And I also think the switching of the

[2:03:00] days is confusing. I think that it's

[2:03:03] that, you know,

[2:03:05] town board is is is a a commit, you

[2:03:08] know, an entity that that should take

[2:03:11] precedent and and consistency of meeting

[2:03:14] on the same time, the same one day a

[2:03:17] week at an earlier time um would be what

[2:03:21] I would press for. Yeah, I hear you

[2:03:25] ZBA switch on uh

[2:03:27] >> Well, I'll not I we we'll need to

[2:03:30] approach the ZBA if that's what but I I

[2:03:32] do uh I do think we need to give it some

[2:03:35] consideration. Uh Christine and Kenny.

[2:03:37] >> Okay. Um I think we do um

[2:03:41] uh and and I do agree we're not going to

[2:03:42] solve it tonight, right? Um, so we'll take a look uh at this and see

[2:03:47] what uh what options exist and look at

[2:03:51] the pros and cons of of switching one

[2:03:55] or time or or or what have you. We have

[2:03:58] to all look in our schedules because we

[2:04:00] all have different hats that we wear

[2:04:03] >> um in addition to to these roles. So I

[2:04:06] appreciate that and maybe we can um try

[2:04:09] to get our calendars together and see

[2:04:11] what the holes are. maybe start with

[2:04:13] what you absolutely can't do and then

[2:04:15] we'll work from there and see how the

[2:04:18] puzzle comes together. We will have to

[2:04:21] at least for now stick with what we've

[2:04:23] got um so that we can have our meeting

[2:04:26] uh on January 28. That would be the

[2:04:30] fourth meeting if you want to make a you

[2:04:32] know subsequently we can make amendments

[2:04:35] to the meeting schedule but we do need

[2:04:37] to publish

[2:04:38] >> on the notice. Okay.

[2:04:40] >> So there's that. Anything else on this?

[2:04:42] Uh

[2:04:42] >> I I did have another comment on item

[2:04:44] number five was confusing to me. Um so

[2:04:47] the the salaries that were laid out for

[2:04:51] um for town board. Uh

[2:04:54] is this all inclusive?

[2:04:57] Because reviewing the budget, there were

[2:04:58] other line items that seem to be

[2:05:00] allocated to certain members.

[2:05:02] >> These are for these positions and that's

[2:05:05] the way that the resolution must read

[2:05:07] the position. Um yes there are other

[2:05:11] budgetary lines but the these are the

[2:05:13] ones that need to be um put in the uh

[2:05:17] >> what do you mean what do you mean this

[2:05:18] is the way it must read doesn't you

[2:05:20] explain

[2:05:21] >> you need to state the salary for the

[2:05:22] supervisor role you need to state the

[2:05:25] salary for the town uh council member

[2:05:28] role you need to state the salary for

[2:05:30] the town clerk role and the town

[2:05:32] justices these are um

[2:05:36] >> and you're not able to so there there's

[2:05:38] other there's other um supplementary

[2:05:41] roles that

[2:05:41] >> this is elected officials.

[2:05:44] >> Yeah, I'm trying to give you I'm trying

[2:05:47] to give you the answer that to your

[2:05:48] question. You need to state the salary

[2:05:53] figure for the elected officials. These

[2:05:55] are are the elected official lines.

[2:05:57] Okay. So if there's if the supervisor is

[2:06:01] also the budget uh officer as statutoily

[2:06:05] he or she is unless they declare someone

[2:06:09] else to be that role that is not

[2:06:11] included because that is not the elected

[2:06:14] official salary. But wouldn't it be

[2:06:16] clear wouldn't it be clear to state in there even if even if those roles

[2:06:20] weren't assigned like what

[2:06:21] >> there are other other supplementary

[2:06:26] um salaries that are

[2:06:28] >> no applied to no

[2:06:30] >> certain people within these roles.

[2:06:32] >> No no Christina it is the following

[2:06:34] salaries for elected officials. That's

[2:06:38] it. So it must read that one. Okay,

[2:06:45] the budget spells out all the various

[2:06:48] lines.

[2:06:53] » Okay, so that's the reorg resolution.

[2:06:56] It's number are we lucky? Number seven,

[2:07:00] >> six. We're at six.

[2:07:04] >> And then we can get to the liaison

[2:07:06] roles.

[2:07:08] um

[2:07:11] try to tackle some of those tonight. So,

[2:07:14] a resolution number six, it's relating

[2:07:17] to annual reor.

[2:07:20] Who would like to move that?

[2:07:24] >> So, moved.

[2:07:24] >> Thank you, Jacob. Is there a second?

[2:07:27] >> A second. Thank you, William. Uh any

[2:07:30] further discussion? If not,

[2:07:33] >> sorry.

[2:07:34] >> Annual reorg. So, so I I need to

[2:07:36] understand what we're voting on in this.

[2:07:38] The what we just reviewed, we had a

[2:07:40] number of revisions to it.

[2:07:44] >> I'm sorry. What?

[2:07:45] >> I don't think we have any revisions.

[2:07:46] >> What were the revisions to it?

[2:07:50] » We're just voting on this resolution

[2:07:52] >> on on this resolution. So we're saying

[2:07:54] that the meeting dates are are set

[2:07:58] understood for the next meeting but we discussed that that might be

[2:08:04] like what what would be the mechanism of revising that if if we chose that in

[2:08:10] the future amendment

[2:08:12] >> yes we would need to create a new

[2:08:13] resolution to set the town board

[2:08:17] meetings for a new date and time we

[2:08:20] would then need to publish that we have

[2:08:24] to publish all our meetings.

[2:08:28] This is the mechanism for publishing

[2:08:32] them to say as of now they are still

[2:08:35] second Tuesday and fourth Wednesday.

[2:08:36] >> So would we be able to say that they're

[2:08:38] second

[2:08:40] uh Tuesday and fourth Wednesday for the

[2:08:42] next for for January and then and then

[2:08:47] we'll revisit this for February and

[2:08:50] beyond.

[2:08:53] Um, I'm not sure that that would be

[2:08:56] prudent of us to do that because we can

[2:08:59] make the change right now.

[2:09:03] Once we approve this, we don't have to

[2:09:07] republish each and every meeting.

[2:09:11] If we go to make a change, then we will

[2:09:14] do a new publishing.

[2:09:17] If we go ahead and say it's only good

[2:09:20] for January, then we're looking at

[2:09:22] additional costs and time and

[2:09:24] expenditure to do the republishing of

[2:09:27] the notices. We are also um

[2:09:31] not laying out the meeting schedule for

[2:09:35] um you know a significant period of time

[2:09:37] and right now I don't hear that we have

[2:09:39] any consensus on any changes yet. So

[2:09:42] >> well can that's fair. Can we can we

[2:09:44] agree that we'll discuss it at the at

[2:09:45] the next meeting and we'll we'll commit

[2:09:48] to to

[2:09:49] >> sure

[2:09:50] >> potentially reorganizing with other

[2:09:52] >> other um committees and boards.

[2:09:54] >> Sure.

[2:09:58] >> Okay.

[2:10:01] >> All right. So, uh seeing no changes.

[2:10:04] Sorry, Kenny. Did you want to say

[2:10:05] >> No, I just voted I. That's [laughter]

[2:10:10] » I is good. Um, so we have a motion, a

[2:10:14] second. We have an I at this end.

[2:10:16] Williams an I. I'm an I. Jacob's an I.

[2:10:19] Christina

[2:10:20] >> I.

[2:10:22] >> Um, very good. Why don't we

[2:10:27] jumping around a lot tonight? I

[2:10:29] apologize.

[2:10:35] » We have to go.

[2:10:36] >> Let's do uh

[2:10:40] Sorry.

[2:10:41] amount on the registar to appoint so

[2:10:45] that I can submit that

[2:10:47] >> uh

[2:10:48] what

[2:10:49] >> registar as a register I need to be

[2:10:51] appointed

[2:10:53] >> I I think you're still a hold over

[2:10:55] though

[2:10:56] >> yeah you still are the registar

[2:10:59] I'm sorry I don't I I didn't we weren't

[2:11:01] going to make any specific appointments

[2:11:03] >> yeah but you signed it I just want to

[2:11:04] get that to the county and get that to

[2:11:06] the city

[2:11:07] >> okay um park has been register register

[2:11:12] of vital statistics.

[2:11:16] >> This time I'd like to make a motion that

[2:11:18] for 2026

[2:11:20] that we appoint and continue

[2:11:24] uh our town clerk Diana Cochran has the

[2:11:27] register

[2:11:29] finals.

[2:11:30] >> Second that.

[2:11:32] >> Thank you.

[2:11:33] >> Any discussion? If not, all in favor? I

[2:11:38] >> I

[2:11:38] >> Thank you. Okay.

[2:11:40] >> Thanks.

[2:11:40] >> All right. Uh

[2:11:45] let's go to

[2:11:48] number eight. Jumping around. I

[2:11:51] apologize. Um just assigning the

[2:11:53] delegate to the Association of Towns

[2:11:56] meeting.

[2:11:57] >> What What happened to the um town board

[2:12:00] appointments?

[2:12:01] >> Yeah, we're going to get to that.

[2:12:03] >> Okay.

[2:12:03] >> We're going to get to that. That that

[2:12:05] maybe be just a longer conversation. We

[2:12:07] want to get to a couple of items. Um,

[2:12:14] » somebody's trying to pair their phone to

[2:12:16] the TV.

[2:12:20] » Yeah, let's not do that.

[2:12:23] >> Okay,

[2:12:25] we would

[2:12:28] um All right.

[2:12:34] » Okay.

[2:12:36] I think I mentioned there's an annual

[2:12:37] conference that happens every February.

[2:12:40] There are

[2:12:42] uh votes that are conducted at the

[2:12:44] Association of Towns. There are over 900

[2:12:46] towns in New York State. I think it's

[2:12:49] Red

[2:12:51] House. I believe it's Red House that is

[2:12:54] the smallest town in

[2:12:57] state of New York. [clears throat]

[2:12:59] Something like 3740 people. I believe I

[2:13:02] have that right. And then you have towns

[2:13:03] like Brook Haven which are several

[2:13:05] hundred thousand. They all convene and

[2:13:08] they have policy uh positions. They do a

[2:13:12] fair amount of lobbying on our behalf,

[2:13:14] the Association of Towns. They also have

[2:13:17] some uh recommendations for changes to

[2:13:20] their bylaws that they would like us to

[2:13:22] look at. Um, we're looking for no action

[2:13:26] tonight

[2:13:28] or discussion on the policy

[2:13:31] positions, but they are here. Many of

[2:13:34] them are either repeat

[2:13:38] um asks of Albany or [snorts] related to

[2:13:41] previous asks. Uh, oftentimes they are

[2:13:45] funding related.

[2:13:48] So for the new board members, if you

[2:13:50] would kindly take a look between now and

[2:13:52] our next meeting,

[2:13:54] >> I'd be happy to volunteer to go in

[2:13:55] February.

[2:13:57] >> Okay. Well, thank you. I appreciate

[2:13:59] that. If you'd like to go um to do the

[2:14:02] training, that's great. Um typically the

[2:14:06] supervisor is the one who does the

[2:14:08] voting on behalf of the town. Um, I do

[2:14:12] intend to be there in order to uh do

[2:14:14] that and to convey um any thoughts at

[2:14:18] the annual meeting on behalf of the town

[2:14:20] board.

[2:14:22] So, you can look at the registration

[2:14:24] information, Christina, and we can take

[2:14:27] a look at the budget and make some uh

[2:14:31] budget adjustments to accommodate

[2:14:34] u you to go get that training.

[2:14:36] >> Sounds great.

[2:14:41] Okay. Um, that's it. So, we

[2:14:43] [clears throat] just need a motion uh to

[2:14:46] designate

[2:14:48] and I'll offer myself up as I have

[2:14:50] previously

[2:14:53] as the uh person to conduct the voting

[2:14:58] on behalf of the town.

[2:15:02] Who would like to make that motion to

[2:15:05] designate the town supervisor? Bill,

[2:15:07] you've been down there.

[2:15:09] >> Yep, I'll do it. It's a ministerial

[2:15:11] process.

[2:15:12] >> Okay. So, you're making the motion to

[2:15:14] designate me. Okay.

[2:15:16] >> And would you be available in my absence

[2:15:19] then?

[2:15:19] >> Not for this meeting.

[2:15:20] >> Okay.

[2:15:22] >> Who else would be available?

[2:15:24] >> I'm available in your absence.

[2:15:26] >> Great. Great. Excellent.

[2:15:27] >> Okay. Um,

[2:15:30] >> good training.

[2:15:31] >> So, that's a motion to appoint the town

[2:15:34] supervisor as the designate and we'll uh

[2:15:37] say Christina as

[2:15:40] the alter.

[2:15:41] >> The alter.

[2:15:43] >> Very good. Bill's made the motion. Is

[2:15:46] there a second?

[2:15:47] >> Second.

[2:15:48] >> Thank you, Jacob. Any further

[2:15:50] discussion? If not, all in favor?

[2:15:52] Christina? I

[2:15:57] » All right.

[2:16:01] health insurance policy options. Not

[2:16:03] looking for action tonight, but I'm just

[2:16:06] continuing this because we do need to

[2:16:08] pick a policy

[2:16:14] uh preferably at our next meeting

[2:16:15] because

[2:16:18] enrollment starts in February, the plan

[2:16:20] year is March. What's different this

[2:16:23] year uh although they did try to come

[2:16:25] into the

[2:16:27] uh in the area is United Healthc Care is

[2:16:30] making um progressive proposals to

[2:16:35] provide um health insurance. This is

[2:16:37] sort of the menu of various options.

[2:16:40] >> Can you can you just clarify who this

[2:16:42] applies to? This is this is

[2:16:45] >> to whom in our

[2:16:46] >> Yeah. Anybody who is eligible for health

[2:16:50] care, any full-time workers,

[2:16:53] >> would the health care come under a union

[2:16:55] negotiation

[2:16:56] um

[2:16:58] thing because the guys have health care

[2:17:00] through the union and it has to be a a

[2:17:03] comparable product? Does the union have

[2:17:07] to get involved with this? I I have the

[2:17:09] understanding that it has to be

[2:17:10] negotiated before it can be changed and

[2:17:13] you're operating on a really short

[2:17:15] window. Um there is there are comparable

[2:17:20] plans here for us to look at and so

[2:17:22] that's what we're taking a look at is

[2:17:24] what are the options. We haven't made

[2:17:26] any decisions.

[2:17:27] >> But does the union have to take a look

[2:17:29] at what the plans are in order to

[2:17:30] determine that they're comparable.

[2:17:33] >> Um the union can look at whatever plans.

[2:17:37] We haven't even proposed any plans yet.

[2:17:41] >> Well, we have the base plan right now.

[2:17:43] So you're proposing that you may be

[2:17:45] changing the plan

[2:17:47] >> and if you do propose to change that I

[2:17:51] had understood that the union had to be

[2:17:53] involved in order to make sure that it

[2:17:55] was a comparable plan for the guys. the union is always welcome to be

[2:18:00] involved um in in the determination of

[2:18:04] the plan, but the town board needs to go

[2:18:07] ahead and assign

[2:18:09] um a healthcare

[2:18:12] plan for 2026.

[2:18:14] >> So, you can assign health care plan

[2:18:16] before taking the options to the union

[2:18:20] that you want to do.

[2:18:22] >> We haven't chosen any options yet. We're

[2:18:24] not at that point very soon. Right. I

[2:18:27] understand. But we have a healthcare

[2:18:29] plan. You're proposing perhaps a

[2:18:32] different plan. It should be reviewed by

[2:18:35] the union in order to make sure

[2:18:37] >> that we haven't reached that point,

[2:18:40] Teresa. You're making assumptions. We

[2:18:42] haven't reached that point where we're

[2:18:43] even contemplating other plans.

[2:18:46] >> Okay. I just want to make sure that if

[2:18:49] there's a proposed change

[2:18:52] for the level of funding or the um

[2:18:55] amount that they're going to pay um that

[2:18:58] the union be brought in before you make

[2:19:02] that decision to compare the plans and

[2:19:05] make sure that it um meets with what the

[2:19:08] contract says.

[2:19:09] >> Yes,

[2:19:11] it will meet what the contract says. We

[2:19:15] will make sure of that.

[2:19:18] But will you make sure that the union

[2:19:19] will be able to review it before you

[2:19:21] change it?

[2:19:22] >> We we we will send to the union what we

[2:19:25] are contemplating if we make a change.

[2:19:27] Yes.

[2:19:27] >> What what what's the time frame that

[2:19:29] we're looking at?

[2:19:30] >> Well, March 1st

[2:19:31] >> ideally. Yes. March 1st. They need to be

[2:19:33] enrolled and enrollment period actually

[2:19:36] starts. The coverage is March 1st.

[2:19:39] Enrollment period starts beginning of

[2:19:42] February. So tonight, what I was hoping

[2:19:45] is we could narrow down three plans,

[2:19:49] four plans, and then we can take a look

[2:19:51] at them, including our existing one, try

[2:19:54] to get more information, share with the

[2:19:56] union, understand because if we are able

[2:19:59] to find a comparable plan that does save

[2:20:02] the taxpayer money, but gives the same

[2:20:04] type of coverage to the employees that also could be in a benefit to the

[2:20:09] employees because they pay into that

[2:20:11] plan as Well,

[2:20:12] >> has this been shared with the union yet?

[2:20:14] >> Not yet. This is there are hundreds of

[2:20:17] This is what our our healthcare uh uh

[2:20:20] broker provides us with is sort of a a

[2:20:23] sampling for this Hudson Valley region,

[2:20:26] what's available, knowing that the type

[2:20:29] of coverage um that we're interested in

[2:20:32] having for our employees and trying to

[2:20:34] keep the same level of coverage for

[2:20:37] them. And each of the various uh

[2:20:41] companies offer, you know, their version

[2:20:44] of that type of coverage. We're looking

[2:20:46] at silver plans and bronze plans. Um but

[2:20:49] we're looking at, you know, uh ideally

[2:20:52] we want the same type of coverage where

[2:20:54] they get 100% coverage on just about

[2:20:57] everything. Um what what's different

[2:21:00] about each uh plan is often times what

[2:21:04] the deductible amounts are. There's a

[2:21:07] slight difference. Like for example,

[2:21:10] we'll go to the first page here.

[2:21:14] If you notice our existing plan, which

[2:21:16] is the MVP

[2:21:19] silver 8, and then the next column is

[2:21:22] what our plan would be [clears throat]

[2:21:24] if we were to stick with it. Um the

[2:21:26] premium increase is just under 16. It's

[2:21:30] rounded up to 16. I think it's 15.8%.

[2:21:33] We pay for 100%

[2:21:36] of uh the HRA. So when we think in terms

[2:21:40] of the deductibles and um any payment

[2:21:44] that the employee would make know that

[2:21:46] we pay as the town 100% of that um up

[2:21:52] until those uh limits. So right now the

[2:21:56] employees pay a percentage of the um

[2:22:00] premium.

[2:22:01] >> That's correct. They pay 21% for 2025.

[2:22:05] >> As part of the contract they would pay

[2:22:06] 22%.

[2:22:08] >> So any savings that we could derive from

[2:22:11] a comparable plan that gave them

[2:22:13] comparable coverage could also extend to

[2:22:17] them if we were to um want to entertain

[2:22:21] changing of the plans. So everything

[2:22:24] that we're looking at, are there plans

[2:22:25] on here that that aren't comparable to

[2:22:27] what the union employees are currently

[2:22:30] getting?

[2:22:30] >> Yes, there are some that I don't believe

[2:22:32] are comparable.

[2:22:33] >> So So why are we even looking at this

[2:22:35] before we eliminate Obviously, we're

[2:22:36] going to pick a plan that that is

[2:22:38] comparable. We have a union,

[2:22:40] >> right? Exactly. That's what what we're

[2:22:44] going to do tonight is isolate all of

[2:22:47] those out that we shouldn't consider and

[2:22:50] see what's left. But but that but that's

[2:22:52] like a that's like a like like the

[2:22:54] insurance agent could have done that for

[2:22:56] and and presented four plans that seems like a waste of time to me.

[2:23:01] >> So I just wanted to clarify

[2:23:04] um before you go into the deeper

[2:23:06] discussion is that the plan that they

[2:23:09] have now they pay 21% and it will be 22%

[2:23:14] of um the premium. They don't pay any of

[2:23:18] the deductible and they don't have

[2:23:20] co-pays.

[2:23:22] So, they have a fixed amount out of

[2:23:25] their paycheck that they can count on

[2:23:27] each pay period and it stays that way. A

[2:23:31] lot of times when you go to um a lower

[2:23:35] premium, which they may benefit from

[2:23:38] bi-weekly, it may not benefit them in

[2:23:42] the long run because with a lower

[2:23:44] premium, you often have to then pay an

[2:23:46] out-of pocket deductible. So the town

[2:23:49] takes care of the high deductible 100%.

[2:23:53] But the employees pay 21 now 22%

[2:23:57] and if the plan changes

[2:24:00] where they have to pay then a co-ay

[2:24:03] also takes more money out of their

[2:24:05] pocket. One of our guys who has had his

[2:24:09] raise and the um higher uh percentage

[2:24:14] his net this coming year is $154.

[2:24:20] So any change that affects

[2:24:23] beyond what they're paying will then

[2:24:26] affect their bottom line. So my question

[2:24:29] would be why wouldn't since we have a

[2:24:32] union, why wouldn't we forward this

[2:24:34] document to the union the second we

[2:24:37] receive it have and and receive the

[2:24:40] feedback and then narrow it down and then take a

[2:24:45] vote.

[2:24:46] >> Okay. We're not going to take a vote um

[2:24:48] tonight. And again, we can narrow it

[2:24:52] down. There's no reason to present the

[2:24:54] union with a menu template of all these

[2:24:57] choices when we can clearly look at a

[2:25:00] whole bunch of these and know that

[2:25:01] they're not comparable. And so all we're

[2:25:04] doing tonight is just trying to narrow

[2:25:06] it down and then we can forward the

[2:25:09] three or four that are even uh looking

[2:25:12] at and get questions from the broker.

[2:25:15] And so let's do that exercise if we

[2:25:17] could tonight and you'll understand why

[2:25:19] it's valuable first step so we can get

[2:25:21] to where we can assign. So hearing about

[2:25:25] the coverage and the 100%. You can take

[2:25:28] a look on the first page here. There's a

[2:25:31] whole bunch of silver three which used

[2:25:34] to be something we did here. The second

[2:25:36] one here has a whole bunch of co-pays.

[2:25:39] This is not something that we would deem

[2:25:41] to be comparable

[2:25:43] um to the kind of coverage that

[2:25:46] employees currently have. The same is

[2:25:48] true with the next column which is uh

[2:25:51] exchange certified silver. You see the

[2:25:54] co-pays, some of them are insignificant,

[2:25:56] some of them are significant. That would

[2:25:59] not be comparable to what the employees

[2:26:02] have. um HDHP, Silver 3, HSA, and again

[2:26:07] I'm sticking with MVP for a time. Um you

[2:26:12] see they have in many cases small

[2:26:14] co-pays, but then you look at inpatient,

[2:26:17] there's a $500 co-pay after uh the

[2:26:21] deductible is exhausted. It's a real

[2:26:24] question whether or not that be

[2:26:26] comparable coverage. Then you go to this

[2:26:29] next one, the bronze six. Okay. So, this

[2:26:33] has very similar, if not um even better

[2:26:37] coverage than the uh silver 8. The

[2:26:42] tradeoff, however, is the annual

[2:26:44] deductible limits, which are higher.

[2:26:46] Again, remember that the town is paying

[2:26:49] for

[2:26:50] um those deductibles. It's 100%.

[2:26:54] So, on the one hand, the coverage is

[2:26:57] terrific. It's 100% all down the line

[2:27:00] here. You see, I don't know if you can

[2:27:01] see my cursor for the folks in the

[2:27:04] audience.

[2:27:06] The premium is less.

[2:27:08] >> There's another big issue though is that

[2:27:12] the coverage between carriers has been

[2:27:15] very volatile. I personally experienced

[2:27:18] this with with um with my firm that we

[2:27:22] were on a premium plan, it just got

[2:27:26] cancelled by

[2:27:29] major carrier locally which is like

[2:27:33] the conglomerate that does everything.

[2:27:35] So like it's it's it's hard to say even

[2:27:39] between like MVP and United and CDPHP

[2:27:43] like what

[2:27:45] I I don't feel like this is a decision

[2:27:47] that we that we should make. I mean the chart is already narrowed down. It's

[2:27:50] only three pages and the people that are

[2:27:53] on these plans are already know what

[2:27:56] their comps are and who their doctors

[2:27:58] are. [clears throat]

[2:27:59] >> Yeah. That's a big thing too is that um

[2:28:02] the their MVP is very local.

[2:28:05] So I I hear that United Healthc Care is

[2:28:08] not taking on um like Optum and

[2:28:12] different places. So they may have to

[2:28:14] travel further to and change their

[2:28:16] doctors and go through you know

[2:28:19] reenrollment with other health care

[2:28:22] facilities and at this point um I don't

[2:28:25] see that as being fair especially since

[2:28:28] now they are going to pay another

[2:28:29] percent. Okay, Teresa, I'm sorry to

[2:28:31] interrupt you, but we need to get

[2:28:33] through to do do our work. You know, I

[2:28:35] appreciate these contributions, but

[2:28:37] we're talking about MVP plans now. And

[2:28:39] so, I I'm trying to get the board to

[2:28:42] focus on the plans that are comparable

[2:28:45] so that we can ask more questions so

[2:28:48] that we can make a more educated

[2:28:50] decision. I understand the concern.

[2:28:52] >> I'm just giving the background and

[2:28:54] knowledge for the bulk of the people who

[2:28:58] use these plants. I appreciate that. But

[2:29:00] right now, we are talking about an MVP

[2:29:03] plan. So, there'll be no change in the

[2:29:05] network and who they could um go to see.

[2:29:08] It's just a change between this MVP plan

[2:29:13] versus that MVP plan. And if that's

[2:29:15] something that we want to get more

[2:29:17] questions about and would there be a

[2:29:19] benefit not only to the town, the

[2:29:21] taxpayer, but also to the employees. The

[2:29:24] premium on this brown bronze six, okay,

[2:29:28] is a 7% increase. Where they make it up,

[2:29:32] and they always do find a way to get it,

[2:29:34] is in the higher deductible. So, if we

[2:29:36] were to try to project what the

[2:29:38] utilization is, right? And here, um,

[2:29:42] they always run for us 100% [snorts] or

[2:29:46] 60%.

[2:29:47] Okay? If we were to use a more typical

[2:29:50] 60% utilization that we would end up

[2:29:53] with a 6% increase and then we'd want to

[2:29:57] understand what if any changes or

[2:30:00] differences in the coverage between

[2:30:02] these two plans because the basics that

[2:30:06] are put on this menu plate look like

[2:30:08] it's just as good if not better coverage

[2:30:11] for them. So, we could ask of our our

[2:30:16] health uh broker to compare and contrast

[2:30:20] these two and to dive deeper into it.

[2:30:23] >> Well, if we're if we originally said

[2:30:24] we're trying to narrow it down to four,

[2:30:26] why don't we just give them the p this page that has all of the MVPs

[2:30:30] compared to the current

[2:30:31] >> because there may and get union there

[2:30:33] may be other options. It's important for

[2:30:36] us to understand the pros and cons also

[2:30:39] of different characters. My point is I

[2:30:41] don't think we can understand the pros

[2:30:42] and cons because I think it's dependent

[2:30:43] on the families that are involved and

[2:30:45] who their doctors are. So e like either

[2:30:47] give them all three pages or or if we're

[2:30:51] going to narrow it down to four are we

[2:30:54] saying we're narrowing it down to four

[2:30:55] MVPs or we're narrowing it down to four

[2:30:58] of different choices.

[2:31:01] What I'm saying is that if we could

[2:31:02] narrow down to a handful

[2:31:05] instead of the three pages worth and

[2:31:07] then we can inquire from our health

[2:31:09] insurance brokers to contrast the plans

[2:31:13] including our existing plan. Then we

[2:31:16] could have a better idea. Some of this

[2:31:18] we can do ourselves. We can simply look

[2:31:20] at the ones that have these larger

[2:31:22] co-pays and we can throw them out,

[2:31:25] narrow it down. We can make a better

[2:31:27] educated decision. We could ask about

[2:31:31] the other providers including United

[2:31:34] Healthcare, CDPHP. We used to be with

[2:31:37] CDPHP

[2:31:38] and contrast

[2:31:40] um what's what's available right now on

[2:31:43] page one unless anyone else sees uh

[2:31:48] another option. I don't think that we

[2:31:50] should explore any other option except

[2:31:53] for our existing one and this bronze 6

[2:31:57] HSA and uh because it does give the

[2:32:01] level of coverage that they have. The

[2:32:04] risk is that if there were to be 100%

[2:32:06] utilization, it could conceivably be

[2:32:10] perhaps a little bit more expensive, but

[2:32:13] it's rare that the entire covered

[2:32:16] employee pool uses 100% of the HR.

[2:32:22] That make sense?

[2:32:28] Okay, that's the first page. So maybe we

[2:32:30] could ask for a verb to contrast bronze

[2:32:34] six with silver eight. [clears throat]

[2:32:35] Okay.

[2:32:37] Agree. Yes.

[2:32:39] >> I I I don't agree. I don't I don't I

[2:32:41] don't feel like I have enough

[2:32:42] information to to make this decision and I feel like it's only three pages. I think I would rather get feedback from

[2:32:49] the employees that are using this rather

[2:32:51] than narrow it down for them.

[2:32:54] >> Okay, we can do that, too.

[2:32:58] All right. On the second page, we have a

[2:33:00] United Healthcare, their silver choice

[2:33:03] uh option has lower uh deductibles,

[2:33:07] 8% increase, but there are um some

[2:33:12] co-pays. Some are low. Don't that

[2:33:14] doesn't look like comparable to me. The

[2:33:17] next column, HD, HP, EPO,

[2:33:25] a little higher on the deductibles.

[2:33:33] coverage looks somewhat comparable.

[2:33:37] Uh the specialist visit

[2:33:41] need some clarification on that.

[2:33:49] » I mean that's a good point. These are

[2:33:50] also summaries.

[2:33:51] >> Yeah. These are not like all the

[2:33:53] details. So, so in a particular family,

[2:33:56] if you have a certain need and you need

[2:33:59] to research it and come back with

[2:34:00] feedback, it's like this is a small

[2:34:02] community. This is like

[2:34:06] >> Well, that's what I'm saying. If we can

[2:34:07] narrow it down, we can get greater

[2:34:09] details and we can

[2:34:10] >> it's already narrowed down. It's only

[2:34:11] three pages,

[2:34:13] >> but we don't want the employees to have

[2:34:15] to go through 20 options. we can trim it

[2:34:17] down to the things we know that are

[2:34:18] comparable and then ask for more

[2:34:20] information then present.

[2:34:22] >> I mean in my opinion in my opinion the

[2:34:24] chart is very is is is presented in a

[2:34:26] very reasonable way. It's understood

[2:34:28] what the current plan is and what the

[2:34:30] other options are and it would be good

[2:34:31] to get feedback and then make a decision

[2:34:34] knowing the feedback of who it's

[2:34:36] affecting.

[2:34:37] >> Okay. So why don't we do both of those

[2:34:39] things then we can send this entire

[2:34:41] thing to the employees and to the union

[2:34:44] to get their feedback and perhaps we can

[2:34:46] narrow down for our own thinking and get

[2:34:48] from our health insurance broker um some

[2:34:52] more specifics. You know what I think

[2:34:54] would be reasonable to your point,

[2:34:56] Robert, is to say to to have a an an

[2:34:59] intro when you send this to say, "Here

[2:35:02] is our opinion that this looks like the

[2:35:06] same coverage that you're getting, but

[2:35:08] here are the options that are available.

[2:35:13] What do you think?"

[2:35:15] Okay.

[2:35:17] Um, so on United Healthcare, the uh one

[2:35:22] the only one that I see that looks

[2:35:25] comparable would be the silver

[2:35:29] EP3Z, but we'd want to get more

[2:35:31] information from our healthcare broker.

[2:35:35] Um, I did discuss with her. She

[2:35:38] mentioned that United Health Care is

[2:35:40] making an aggressive play for the region

[2:35:44] and is coming in with um some really

[2:35:47] good rates. Um but yes, we would want to

[2:35:51] understand who covers United Healthcare

[2:35:53] before we were going to go ahead and

[2:35:56] make that switch. Okay.

[2:35:59] So, uh, on this page, um, others there

[2:36:04] are smaller co-pays,

[2:36:08] but it doesn't look comparable to me.

[2:36:10] So, so far, unless you all disagree, the

[2:36:15] only ones that I see worthy of further

[2:36:17] explanation uh exploration of the bronze

[2:36:20] six and the

[2:36:25] uh silver choice open access

[2:36:29] we'd want to get more information on or

[2:36:32] comparable. And then on our third page

[2:36:37] would be the CDPHP which was the one we

[2:36:40] did have previously

[2:36:44] 100% coverage.

[2:36:47] >> So are we agreeing that we could send

[2:36:49] this these three pages and highlight

[2:36:51] those plans that you just mentioned and

[2:36:53] say

[2:36:54] >> well I don't think we're finished going

[2:36:56] over them yet Christine

[2:36:58] >> that's fine but I want to agree on what

[2:37:00] we're doing. Okay, let's get through

[2:37:02] this and then we'll agree on what we're

[2:37:04] doing. Okay. Um, this will be the third

[2:37:07] one.

[2:37:08] >> Oh, shoot.

[2:37:11] Is the CDPH

[2:37:13] plan

[2:37:15] EPO,

[2:37:17] right? 100% coverage,

[2:37:20] higher annual deductible. So, but there

[2:37:25] I'm not sure there's a lot of savings to

[2:37:27] be had.

[2:37:35] But these things, Robert, these things

[2:37:37] are these are summaries and these depend

[2:37:39] on like you got to really go through the

[2:37:41] details of what's of what's covered. It

[2:37:44] it's very complicated and and and it

[2:37:46] can't be simplified in a chart. And I

[2:37:48] think that our best move is to highlight

[2:37:51] a few of them and say this is this is

[2:37:53] our best assessment based on the summary

[2:37:55] that we're looking at.

[2:37:56] >> Christina, I think you've made that

[2:37:58] point.

[2:37:59] I I I think you've already made that

[2:38:01] point and and we can entertain that to

[2:38:04] send it and highlight the three. I think

[2:38:06] I've reiterated that that would be

[2:38:08] advisable. If we want to send all all of

[2:38:11] the plans to them to look at even though

[2:38:14] many of them aren't comparable coverage,

[2:38:16] we can do that. But I think we need to

[2:38:18] narrow down for our benefit what we want

[2:38:21] to get additional information on because

[2:38:23] I don't want to get additional

[2:38:25] information on you know whatever this is

[2:38:28] 20 different plans or 15 different

[2:38:30] plans. It's too much wasted time. I

[2:38:33] don't need to know the details of a plan

[2:38:35] that doesn't provide them the

[2:38:36] appropriate coverage.

[2:38:39] So with that being said, can we uh is do

[2:38:44] those three make sense for further

[2:38:46] exploration or compare our existing?

[2:38:50] >> So you're saying so you're saying the

[2:38:51] silvery so the existing is the

[2:38:53] highlighted blue which is which you're

[2:38:55] saying next to that the renewal plan cuz

[2:38:58] the current plan doesn't exist anymore.

[2:39:00] The the one that's highlighted in blue.

[2:39:02] So we're saying the comparable renewal

[2:39:04] plan is the one to the directly to the

[2:39:08] right of that.

[2:39:09] >> That is the existing plan. Each year you

[2:39:13] find that there are changes like the

[2:39:15] deductible amount has gone up um as it

[2:39:18] often does each year. That is the same

[2:39:21] plan.

[2:39:22] >> The most comparable plan, but it's not

[2:39:24] the same plan.

[2:39:27] That is

[2:39:28] >> it has the same name silver eight but

[2:39:30] it's not it's not the same

[2:39:32] >> right.

[2:39:33] >> So you're saying you're saying

[2:39:34] >> this year's iteration

[2:39:35] >> this year's silver eight.

[2:39:36] >> Yes.

[2:39:37] >> You said this year's bronze six and what

[2:39:40] was the third one?

[2:39:42] >> Uh the bronze 6 and then the only one

[2:39:47] with United Healthcare that looked

[2:39:50] somewhat comparable

[2:39:54] >> is the EP3Z.

[2:39:57] Silver.

[2:39:59] >> Uh,

[2:40:01] sorry.

[2:40:04] >> No. Was the silver choice open access?

[2:40:07] >> Yeah.

[2:40:07] >> Also highlighted dark flow.

[2:40:09] >> It's EP3Z,

[2:40:11] >> right?

[2:40:11] >> Open access. And and and why that one

[2:40:14] versus versus the uh the other United?

[2:40:19] >> It's the only one that's comparable that

[2:40:20] has the coverage after deduction.

[2:40:21] >> It has the 100%

[2:40:23] >> after.

[2:40:24] >> Got it. Okay. Right,

[2:40:26] >> that makes sense.

[2:40:27] >> Okay, so we would do um that one, that

[2:40:32] one, and then the last one would be the

[2:40:34] CDPHP one. Also highlighted blue. I

[2:40:38] imagine that's why they highlighted that

[2:40:40] dark photos. They wanted to highlight

[2:40:42] for us that these look

[2:40:46] comparable.

[2:40:47] >> So you're So you're So primarily what

[2:40:50] you're after is 100% after deductible

[2:40:52] because the town covers the deductible.

[2:40:54] >> That's right. So we would like to

[2:40:56] provide them with that important cover,

[2:40:59] take away some of the surprises.

[2:41:04] They would know and

[2:41:06] >> I I I think that makes sense. I I I

[2:41:08] still would present them with the whole

[2:41:10] chart because I I think it's important.

[2:41:12] >> I think we can do that.

[2:41:18] » Okay.

[2:41:20] Um, any others that we should ask for

[2:41:23] more drill down on?

[2:41:27] » No, I don't think so.

[2:41:29] >> Okay. So, I'd like to make a motion that

[2:41:30] we go ahead and uh ask of our insurance

[2:41:34] broker to contrast those four plans to

[2:41:36] pass on the uh uh menu that they

[2:41:41] initially provided to both uh the union

[2:41:44] and the employees to take a look at. And

[2:41:47] then once we get the information on the

[2:41:49] contract back from our uh health

[2:41:52] insurance brokers that we could also

[2:41:55] then provide that to both the union and

[2:41:57] the employees so they can take a look at

[2:42:00] and then we should be prepared on our

[2:42:02] January 28th meeting. you know, if we

[2:42:05] can to make a decision. Um, we'll

[2:42:07] receive that input on which plan, maybe

[2:42:11] we could run some

[2:42:14] scenarios so that, uh, folks can get a

[2:42:17] sense of what the implications are

[2:42:18] because I think as Teresa alluded to, we

[2:42:22] want to make sure that they're not just

[2:42:23] running in place, um, when they get an

[2:42:26] increase in their salary. Um and then

[2:42:30] the health insurance increase eats most

[2:42:33] if not all of that up. Um that said that

[2:42:38] um certain employees that have overtime

[2:42:41] in 2025 and and uh ongoing

[2:42:45] um have benefited from that uh provision

[2:42:49] in the tax code that does not tax uh

[2:42:53] over time. So, um there is thankfully um

[2:42:58] that to help offset

[2:43:01] as well.

[2:43:03] >> Okay. Um sound like the plan.

[2:43:06] >> Yes.

[2:43:07] >> Okay.

[2:43:10] >> Yep. [cough and clears throat]

[2:43:12] >> All right. Let's go on.

[2:43:14] >> You made a motion.

[2:43:15] >> Well, I I made a motion. Yeah. Let's go

[2:43:18] ahead and move to do so.

[2:43:21] >> But we're not actually It's not actually

[2:43:22] a motion. We're We're not deciding

[2:43:24] anything. We're just We're just

[2:43:26] >> sort of being clear with the public that

[2:43:27] we're doing.

[2:43:29] That's all.

[2:43:30] >> Sure. Okay.

[2:43:32] >> Should we do an all in favor of that?

[2:43:36] >> All in favor?

[2:43:38] >> I

[2:43:41] thank you. Um

[2:43:48] got a couple of article seven

[2:43:50] resolutions.

[2:43:53] Um let's go back to annual reorgarch. So

[2:43:56] tonight what I would hope we could

[2:43:58] accomplish is to assign

[2:44:02] um the le liaison roles [clears throat]

[2:44:07] uh for the various board members to

[2:44:14] the departments of the committees.

[2:44:18] And then the next step is for

[2:44:22] uh that liaison to reach out to the

[2:44:24] committee chairs and ask them to reach

[2:44:27] out to their members to see who's

[2:44:30] interested in staying on um in the

[2:44:33] committee and then we can publish once

[2:44:35] we get those findings we can publish the

[2:44:37] vacancies and then people can send their

[2:44:40] email of interest to the town clerk's

[2:44:43] office and uh typically what happens is

[2:44:47] an interested an individual meets then

[2:44:50] with the chairperson of that committee

[2:44:52] and they discuss what you know what the

[2:44:55] committees are like and whether they're

[2:44:56] interested and we get a recommendation

[2:44:59] from the chair of that uh board or

[2:45:03] committee to include them um as a member

[2:45:07] >> I'm going to just interrupt for a moment

[2:45:09] I'm going to be leaving Thank you

[2:45:11] everyone I left two copies of the 284

[2:45:14] agreement with Deanna

[2:45:15] >> and if you sign tonight then I'll come

[2:45:18] into the office tomorrow and get it and

[2:45:20] sign it and do what we need to do with

[2:45:22] the copies. But thank you very much

[2:45:25] >> Teresa.

[2:45:26] >> Okay. Um

[2:45:33] so town board appointments. This is a

[2:45:36] draft dated on the 9th. Um this draft

[2:45:40] includes the previous council members um

[2:45:44] emergency interim successors. Uh

[2:45:47] typically the supervisor, highway

[2:45:49] superintendent. [clears throat] Um and

[2:45:51] then it was three uh town board members.

[2:45:56] Uh Bill as deputy supervisor be

[2:45:59] appropriate that you be there. Jacob,

[2:46:01] anybody else want to be an emergency

[2:46:04] inter room successor?

[2:46:08] So, you know, Kenny.

[2:46:10] >> Yeah.

[2:46:13] >> Okay. So, let's uh put Kenny in that

[2:46:16] space if that works.

[2:46:19] All right.

[2:46:21] Um

[2:46:24] All right. The date we have for Cheryl has been reappointed probably

[2:46:29] should reflect 2031

[2:46:34] on this draft.

[2:46:36] >> Yeah. Got it. Okay. Um, animal control,

[2:46:39] dog control officer. We had Patricia

[2:46:41] who's our dog control officer. Now we

[2:46:44] had two in that role. We now have one.

[2:46:47] That's a change from previously.

[2:46:49] [clears throat]

[2:46:50] Um, the supervisor's appointment. So,

[2:46:52] there are appointments that only count

[2:46:54] clerks make and appointments that only

[2:46:56] supervisors make. Um,

[2:47:00] the deputy supervisor is Bill Hamill. It

[2:47:02] says budget officer and myself, but it's

[2:47:05] not really appointment. I don't appoint

[2:47:07] myself. I I am the budget officer unless

[2:47:10] I appoint somebody else, but that

[2:47:12] doesn't stay there. It makes no matter.

[2:47:15] Um secretary part-time Kathleen Flood,

[2:47:18] town historian, or as I like to tease

[2:47:21] her, town hertorian, Emily Major, who um

[2:47:24] is also the village of Tivoli Mayor.

[2:47:29] >> Um town clerk's appointments. Any

[2:47:31] changes there? Deanna. Okay.

[2:47:35] um highway superintendent appointments.

[2:47:37] I asked the Teresa I know she's left but

[2:47:40] um she's uh appointing again for 2026

[2:47:44] John Gardner as deputy. Um other town

[2:47:47] employees are listed [clears throat]

[2:47:49] here. Uh we made uh changes to the strap

[2:47:52] just based upon the maintenance and

[2:47:54] grounds for crew

[2:47:59] contracts and consultants. Um, there's a

[2:48:02] new name.

[2:48:09] I think it's official. Uh, Professional

[2:48:12] Computer Associates will want to make

[2:48:13] the change. Uh, Deanna, maybe on this

[2:48:15] list at our next meeting. I think it's

[2:48:18] in

[2:48:19] >> Yeah, I don't know how to spell it.

[2:48:20] >> GX or something like that.

[2:48:22] >> Yeah, I don't know how to spell it. I'll

[2:48:23] have to

[2:48:24] >> Did PCA change believe so they bought

[2:48:28] it?

[2:48:28] >> The name of it. It's a new company name.

[2:48:30] Oh, okay.

[2:48:32] >> I think had or had or having or had a

[2:48:37] replic

[2:48:38] um town CPA, custodial services, police

[2:48:42] and court attendants, that's all the

[2:48:44] same. Um there's a notation from 2014. A

[2:48:49] lot of the

[2:48:52] protocols are based upon

[2:48:55] historic.

[2:48:57] Um we have the meetings. We've discussed

[2:48:59] that and uh we'll continue to discuss

[2:49:02] that monthly and annual reports to the

[2:49:05] town board, heads and committee chairs,

[2:49:07] minutes report. Um like to get them the

[2:49:10] noon before Friday so we can put them in

[2:49:12] the packet doesn't always happen. Um

[2:49:17] there's annual reports by recognition

[2:49:19] and the CAC

[2:49:23] town board organizational responsibility

[2:49:26] that's the uh chain

[2:49:28] If you will

[2:49:31] stop me if uh you have any questions

[2:49:34] mileage that's the IRS rate town

[2:49:37] department head deputy supervisor town

[2:49:41] board.

[2:49:43] >> So here we go to our alias on roles. Um

[2:49:48] >> wasn't Christine on planning board or

[2:49:50] was that you Bill?

[2:49:52] >> We both were.

[2:49:53] >> Okay.

[2:49:53] >> So when she dropped off I I took it.

[2:49:56] >> I see. Okay. Um,

[2:49:57] >> can can we just go in in the order that

[2:50:00] it's on the list, please?

[2:50:02] >> Um, animal control uh, Bill, uh, you

[2:50:06] you've been very kind to do animal

[2:50:09] control all these

[2:50:10] >> for six years.

[2:50:11] >> Is that how long? Six years. Okay.

[2:50:14] >> Um, are you willing to stay on doing

[2:50:16] that?

[2:50:16] >> I would prefer not to.

[2:50:18] >> Okay.

[2:50:19] >> Yeah.

[2:50:20] >> What kind of animals?

[2:50:22] >> Just dogs. So, just it's just dogs.

[2:50:25] by law they call animal control.

[2:50:27] >> Occasionally there's something else in

[2:50:28] the report. It's mostly dogs.

[2:50:30] >> And and when the contract was with the

[2:50:32] SPCA, it truly was all animals.

[2:50:35] >> But by law, we only are responsible for

[2:50:38] dogs because we licensed them.

[2:50:40] >> Okay.

[2:50:41] >> Um but the issue was when the SPCA about

[2:50:44] two and a half years ago decided they

[2:50:47] were no longer going to do animal

[2:50:49] control for anybody in Duchess County. A

[2:50:52] lot of a lot of towns got uh were left

[2:50:54] flatfooted.

[2:50:56] We all had to figure out a way to stand

[2:50:58] up the dog control situation. So, we

[2:51:01] partnered with Reinbeck

[2:51:03] to not just have animal control

[2:51:06] officers, but they actually have a

[2:51:07] kennel at their highway department.

[2:51:10] And so, we partnering isn't technically

[2:51:14] legally the right way to describe it,

[2:51:16] but we because we share the same animal

[2:51:19] control officer or dog control. It's a

[2:51:21] DC, a dog control officer. And the dog

[2:51:24] control officer actually resides in

[2:51:25] Rankliffe.

[2:51:27] Things have been and it's taken a while

[2:51:29] to get up to speed, but we finally have

[2:51:31] a

[2:51:33] um something in place that seems to be

[2:51:35] working. There's still some things to

[2:51:37] work out, but um it was a lot of work

[2:51:41] getting it stood up and I'm

[2:51:44] >> So you do a lot of you do a lot of

[2:51:46] coordinating with the

[2:51:49] >> the village police, right? Because a lot

[2:51:51] of times they get the first call.

[2:51:53] >> Yeah. Often often Pat's um staff are the

[2:51:57] first ones on the scene and they pick up

[2:51:58] the dog and they actually have the key,

[2:52:01] the code to get into the kennel. So

[2:52:03] sometimes they actually just bring the

[2:52:04] dog to the kennel and then notify the

[2:52:07] dog control officer who then goes and

[2:52:08] right

[2:52:09] >> does what needs to be done.

[2:52:11] >> So you whoever does this would be

[2:52:13] coordinating with that or at least be in

[2:52:15] touch with that.

[2:52:16] >> So how much time does this take?

[2:52:19] >> Well in the past

[2:52:20] >> there's a lot sounded like a lot but

[2:52:22] >> but now it's it's it's more under

[2:52:24] control and the only time that there's a

[2:52:25] situation um the dog control officers

[2:52:28] getting up to speed I mean these are

[2:52:29] people that never did it for a living

[2:52:31] before but now they are. And so they're

[2:52:33] learning all the rules is we had an

[2:52:35] unusual circumstance um that happened

[2:52:38] recently in which there was a number of

[2:52:40] dogs that all belong to one person

[2:52:43] >> that got loose.

[2:52:45] >> Um but

[2:52:48] we worked it out and and the village PD

[2:52:50] did a great job of helping get them

[2:52:52] getting them coralled and taken to the

[2:52:54] kennel,

[2:52:54] >> right?

[2:52:55] >> And then we worked on a project to find

[2:52:58] a way to get them adopted out. So that

[2:53:00] was an anomaly.

[2:53:02] Um, you know, the issue that you get

[2:53:04] calls on is we're only authorized to pay

[2:53:08] a vet a certain amount of money and say

[2:53:10] a dog was hit by a car and abandoned,

[2:53:13] >> right?

[2:53:14] >> You know, we still have an obligation to

[2:53:16] pick up the dog and then make a decision

[2:53:19] what we're going to do,

[2:53:21] >> right?

[2:53:22] >> It doesn't happen very often.

[2:53:23] >> So, Patricia Wayne is the dog

[2:53:25] >> is the dog control officer.

[2:53:27] >> So, you're in contact with her?

[2:53:28] >> Yeah. She calls me when there's an

[2:53:31] unusual circumstance and I can tell you

[2:53:34] she has a lot more business south here

[2:53:37] in Rinbeck than they than they do have

[2:53:39] here. But but you occasionally get a

[2:53:41] call um saying you know what do you

[2:53:44] think about this?

[2:53:45] >> Okay.

[2:53:45] >> And then there are some things that have

[2:53:47] to go to the supervisor um you know it's

[2:53:49] an [snorts] emergency and you know do we

[2:53:52] take the dog to the hospital in Kingston

[2:53:54] or does it have to be euthanized? I

[2:53:57] mean, I had to make that decision once,

[2:53:59] >> right?

[2:54:00] >> So, um, but that it's infrequent.

[2:54:03] >> Um, and I'm I feel I'm setting up

[2:54:05] myself.

[2:54:07] >> Kenny, you you would be making a phone

[2:54:09] call to Pat. Maybe you have his number.

[2:54:11] >> Yeah.

[2:54:14] [laughter]

[2:54:15] >> This may be an easy one.

[2:54:17] >> Yeah, I'll I'll take it on.

[2:54:18] >> Okay.

[2:54:19] >> Thank you, Kenny.

[2:54:20] >> But I wanted to be on some other ones.

[2:54:21] >> Thank you. I'd end up adopting all of

[2:54:24] them, so that's better.

[2:54:26] Um,

[2:54:27] >> and the like I got to tell you, the only

[2:54:29] animals that I I'd like to have are the

[2:54:30] ones you eat.

[2:54:33] >> Okay.

[2:54:36] >> I don't want any.

[2:54:38] >> Not at this time. Maybe you want I don't

[2:54:40] drive anymore.

[2:54:42] >> Anyway,

[2:54:43] >> all right.

[2:54:43] >> I appreciate that, Kenny, very much.

[2:54:45] >> Yeah. Next.

[2:54:46] >> And and I listen, I'm more than happy to

[2:54:48] help you.

[2:54:49] >> Okay.

[2:54:50] >> Get acquainted to how this process

[2:54:52] works.

[2:54:53] >> Okay. Thank you. think you can um uh

[2:54:57] assessor um you'll notice that the town

[2:54:59] supervisor typically is the less on to a

[2:55:02] lot of the positions that are in town

[2:55:04] hall for obvious logistical reasons. Um

[2:55:09] so was I have assessor attorney um I am

[2:55:12] the leaders on the bark college um I

[2:55:16] have you know been for many years now um

[2:55:20] bookkeeper is a is actually a position

[2:55:22] that is

[2:55:25] for the town supervisor um building

[2:55:28] inspector

[2:55:30] um to build

[2:55:31] >> I'm I'm happy to keep it or if somebody

[2:55:33] else is interested

[2:55:35] >> I'm happy to take I mean that's that's

[2:55:37] in my wheelhouse So, Bill, I'm happy to

[2:55:39] take it on if you if you want.

[2:55:43] >> Yeah, it's actually a very um there's no

[2:55:46] heavy lifting

[2:55:48] uh to be that liaison. You get a the

[2:55:50] only the only heavy lifting is the

[2:55:51] report is the biggest report every month

[2:55:53] that we get. It's like

[2:55:54] >> a half an inch thick.

[2:55:56] >> Okay.

[2:55:56] >> Um but there's really [clears throat] um

[2:55:59] not much. So, if you want, it's

[2:56:02] important for the public to know and

[2:56:03] certainly for our new town board members

[2:56:05] as well. There's a wall. There's a wall

[2:56:09] between the boards. There's a wall

[2:56:10] between the independent offices. That's

[2:56:13] the assessor. That's the building

[2:56:15] department. There's the planning board.

[2:56:17] There's the town clerk's office. There's

[2:56:20] the highway superintendent. They're all

[2:56:21] independent uh offices. and um they have

[2:56:25] a role to play Korean uh fear of

[2:56:29] influence of of decision making. That's their their job to do. Um so, you

[2:56:37] know, when it comes to building

[2:56:39] inspector, when when you're liazing with

[2:56:41] it, it's not you're not really

[2:56:43] [clears throat]

[2:56:44] um influencing anything that building

[2:56:46] inspector does. You're getting reports

[2:56:48] and seeing if they you know, you'll hear

[2:56:51] and you'll hear from the building

[2:56:52] department. We actually are now trying

[2:56:54] to figure out a bigger space and

[2:56:56] reconfiguring the town hall for example.

[2:56:58] Those are the kind of liaison things.

[2:57:00] They're not related to

[2:57:02] >> but if you have questions if you have

[2:57:04] questions just send an email

[2:57:06] or call and they'll be happy to happy to

[2:57:08] do it.

[2:57:09] >> So we'll make that change. Building

[2:57:10] inspector Christine Duch

[2:57:13] uh fire companies. I have been doing the

[2:57:15] fire companies. Um I'm happy to do it.

[2:57:19] um

[2:57:21] would like to do it, continue to do it.

[2:57:24] Um it's been a passion of mine. I think

[2:57:26] I started out as a citizen

[2:57:29] campaigning for the LOSA program in 2007

[2:57:33] doing mailings because I felt so

[2:57:34] strongly about our fire companies and I'

[2:57:38] I'd be happy to continue that work. Um

[2:57:41] highway Jacob

[2:57:43] >> happy to continue doing it.

[2:57:44] >> Okay.

[2:57:47] Recycling

[2:57:49] uh who could or could not continue with

[2:57:51] that. What? Whatever. Anybody have a

[2:57:53] strong passion for that? Well,

[2:57:55] >> you were there a lot.

[2:57:56] >> I'm there twice a week.

[2:57:57] >> You want this? You want to change it?

[2:57:59] >> Yeah, I can take that. Um, you know, TJ

[2:58:02] has traditionally come to me anyway.

[2:58:05] >> Yeah, cuz you're there.

[2:58:06] >> Cuz I'm there if there are issues, you

[2:58:08] know. So,

[2:58:10] >> not on an operational basis. That's you

[2:58:12] like if they have to close for weather

[2:58:14] or whatever, but um

[2:58:16] >> on other issues. Yeah. Yeah.

[2:58:18] >> Uh, Red Hook Central School District.

[2:58:20] No, I've already forgotten who was the

[2:58:22] le if it was Julie or Christine.

[2:58:25] >> I have a question on that one. And the

[2:58:27] village of Red Hook,

[2:58:28] >> are those do the liaison need to go to

[2:58:31] each meeting?

[2:58:33] >> Um, so for these, no, but for the board

[2:58:36] and committee ones, yes. But for these,

[2:58:39] no. This is who's the person who is

[2:58:41] going to help communicate between the

[2:58:45] various uh entities in the community. So

[2:58:50] um in answer to your question, no, but

[2:58:52] there's no point of being the liaison if

[2:58:55] you're if you're not engaging on some

[2:58:57] level, right? Does that make sense?

[2:58:59] >> Yeah.

[2:59:00] >> Okay.

[2:59:01] >> I mean, if we're splitting this up, I I would prefer to do the village, but

[2:59:07] I'll do either. Um,

[2:59:09] >> I mean there's like I mean I'm looking

[2:59:11] at the list. We're

[2:59:13] >> Yeah.

[2:59:13] >> Right.

[2:59:14] >> Yeah. Um,

[2:59:17] anybody else wanted to develop?

[2:59:19] >> Oh, right.

[2:59:20] >> Yeah.

[2:59:21] >> Okay. Uh, sure. Right. [snorts]

[2:59:26] >> You want to do both?

[2:59:28] >> I mean, I I'll do both.

[2:59:31] >> Well, careful what you wish. I mean,

[2:59:33] [laughter] the one thing I would say

[2:59:34] >> I will do both. I will do both. Yeah.

[2:59:36] >> I mean, the only thing I would say,

[2:59:38] Christine, I don't I don't want to fight

[2:59:39] you for this the the school district.

[2:59:42] Um, but I am in monthly meetings with

[2:59:44] them.

[2:59:44] >> Yeah.

[2:59:46] >> I'm happy.

[2:59:46] >> Is that something you can do?

[2:59:48] >> Um, if you're in monthly meetings with

[2:59:51] them, then then you should probably do

[2:59:53] it.

[2:59:53] >> Okay. I was more looking at Kenny and

[2:59:56] saying if like I don't want to I don't

[2:59:57] want to cut him out, but I think

[3:00:01] >> the village

[3:00:02] >> we want to make sure Penny

[3:00:05] >> gets lots. [clears throat]

[3:00:07] >> Well, I've got three four on the bottom,

[3:00:09] >> right? Okay.

[3:00:10] >> Yep.

[3:00:11] >> So, all right. So, I think we've

[3:00:12] established Robert will do school

[3:00:14] district. Christina will do village of

[3:00:17] Red Hook.

[3:00:17] >> Yes.

[3:00:18] >> Okay. And you have a business in

[3:00:20] village. That's great. Um, agriculture

[3:00:23] and open space advisory board.

[3:00:26] >> Yeah.

[3:00:28] >> Kenny, do you have a background in

[3:00:30] agriculture and open space? Okay. Uh,

[3:00:34] board of assessment review. Again, that

[3:00:37] has been me. Uh, board of ethics. Jacob,

[3:00:40] you'll continue with that. You haven't

[3:00:42] continued with that. CPF PDR advisory

[3:00:45] committee.

[3:00:47] >> Okay. Anybody else want that? Okay.

[3:00:50] Kenny, thank you.

[3:00:52] >> Um,

[3:00:54] >> CAC, Jacob, you're doing that. Design

[3:00:56] review is from time to time. Bill,

[3:00:59] you've been doing

[3:01:00] >> I've been doing it. They don't meet I

[3:01:01] don't think I've they've had a meeting

[3:01:03] since I've been a while. They get

[3:01:05] referred.

[3:01:06] >> They get an occasional referral.

[3:01:07] >> Be nice if they meet, you know, once a

[3:01:10] year.

[3:01:11] >> I mean, I'll just say when we're going

[3:01:12] down this list, the two that I would I

[3:01:14] would have the most interested in would

[3:01:15] be Design Review and LWRP.

[3:01:18] But I'm happy to fill in as needed.

[3:01:21] >> Okay. Well, why don't we uh

[3:01:24] >> Well, if you want design review, I I

[3:01:27] don't have a problem.

[3:01:28] >> Okay. Okay.

[3:01:29] >> Um but because I'm the liazison for the

[3:01:33] planning board, which is the LWRP.

[3:01:36] >> True.

[3:01:36] >> It it makes sense.

[3:01:38] >> That does make sense

[3:01:39] >> that I would do that. So, if you want if

[3:01:41] you want design review.

[3:01:42] >> Okay.

[3:01:44] >> Um

[3:01:46] >> Right. Okay. So can we make that

[3:01:48] interesting for design review

[3:01:50] >> disaster preparedness committee?

[3:01:53] >> Is that

[3:01:54] >> we need to get that up and running

[3:01:56] again?

[3:01:56] >> Is that in case like an EMP hits and uh

[3:02:00] you know we lose we lose power for like

[3:02:02] two months.

[3:02:03] >> We have issues with

[3:02:04] >> anybody read the book one second after.

[3:02:06] >> Yeah.

[3:02:08] >> So

[3:02:09] >> something to think about. Well, we're

[3:02:11] talking about we're going to be talking

[3:02:12] about battery storage best battery

[3:02:15] energy, although it's not been a fun topic over in Nolster

[3:02:20] right now and it's, you know, again

[3:02:24] very sight specific. Um,

[3:02:26] >> right.

[3:02:27] >> So, uh,

[3:02:32] disaster preparedness, we need to get

[3:02:34] that back up and running.

[3:02:36] >> I'll think about

[3:02:37] >> You'll think about Okay. Yeah. We don't

[3:02:38] have to do this right this second. Okay.

[3:02:40] >> As leaison.

[3:02:41] >> So, yeah, as liaison. Yeah. Um, energy

[3:02:44] committee. I want to stick with that.

[3:02:48] We're still the only town I know that

[3:02:50] has the energy one

[3:02:55] when I started.

[3:02:57] Um, Greenway and Trails. Who was that?

[3:03:00] Julia?

[3:03:01] >> So, it was Christine. Okay.

[3:03:03] >> Although I think the committee always

[3:03:05] emailed me because they thought that I

[3:03:06] was the

[3:03:08] >> and I'm happy to take it on. Um,

[3:03:09] >> okay.

[3:03:10] >> You know, I've attended a meeting before

[3:03:12] and

[3:03:12] >> Okay. You guys work well with that.

[3:03:14] >> I I attended a few meetings also.

[3:03:16] >> Okay.

[3:03:17] >> Um, well, what? Uh, Jacob, can we can we

[3:03:25] scissors?

[3:03:26] >> Yeah. You guys want to rock, paper,

[3:03:27] scissors, Jacob?

[3:03:28] >> And Kenny, do you feel really strongly

[3:03:29] that you want to do it? You're welcome.

[3:03:32] >> About trails, screaming trails. Okay.

[3:03:34] Yeah, [laughter]

[3:03:36] >> I'm happy to do it as well,

[3:03:37] >> but I might I might go to those.

[3:03:39] >> Yeah, and I think that's a good point.

[3:03:41] We're all welcome to I mean, it's nice

[3:03:42] to attend these meetings even if you're

[3:03:44] not the leazison just to get to know

[3:03:45] what they're working on.

[3:03:46] >> I just want to remind you some of you

[3:03:48] mentioned good nights and bad nights.

[3:03:51] There's a lot of nights on your calendar

[3:03:52] that are filling up right now with with

[3:03:55] your yes uh indications.

[3:03:58] >> Um

[3:04:01] housing checkup, you going to stick with

[3:04:03] that? Okay, Bill, you've already asked

[3:04:05] for LWRP and your rationale for that.

[3:04:08] Fine. Planning board bill. Uh,

[3:04:11] recreation committee. Yes, I'm here with

[3:04:13] the rec director every day. Uh, Red

[3:04:17] Church Cemetery Committee, that's sort

[3:04:19] of a once in a blue moon, although we

[3:04:21] will be hopefully um doing some events.

[3:04:24] Uh, it's uh Rev 250, 250th anniversary.

[3:04:29] There is no more

[3:04:32] um

[3:04:34] struggling for words but primitive

[3:04:37] church

[3:04:39] in our immediate area than the beautiful

[3:04:42] red church.

[3:04:44] We have civil

[3:04:45] >> revolutionary war

[3:04:46] >> and we have warrior

[3:04:49] >> I think what did they identify 13

[3:04:52] >> I think it was 14

[3:04:53] >> was it [clears throat]

[3:04:55] >> they're still identified

[3:04:58] um okay uh

[3:05:01] >> who's going to take

[3:05:02] >> I'm going to take that cuz I'm going to

[3:05:04] have to coordinate events and all that

[3:05:05] stuff and the schedules with John and

[3:05:08] whatever that's okay I take that all

[3:05:10] right

[3:05:12] Jacob still speak for the trees.

[3:05:14] >> Sure.

[3:05:15] >> Okay. And then water and ZBA

[3:05:18] bill you are existing here.

[3:05:21] >> I know there's one um that's not on this

[3:05:24] list that is below I think

[3:05:27] >> um for the comp plan revision or the

[3:05:29] comp plan uh

[3:05:30] >> okay

[3:05:31] >> committee and I talked to um Julia who

[3:05:34] was the chair of that committee and I've

[3:05:35] worked as leazison for the housing

[3:05:37] committee for the past few years.

[3:05:38] >> Okay.

[3:05:38] >> Um and she expressed interest in having

[3:05:40] me as leazison for that committee.

[3:05:42] >> Okay. Um, so I just wanted to put that

[3:05:44] out there. It's something I'd be happy

[3:05:46] to do. Um,

[3:05:48] >> yeah.

[3:05:48] >> Okay.

[3:05:51] >> Um, I'm fine with that. Anybody else?

[3:05:56] >> Bill, are you okay with that?

[3:05:57] >> Yeah, I'm fine.

[3:05:59] >> I mean, I was sitting in on those some

[3:06:01] of those meetings also.

[3:06:03] >> You still can.

[3:06:04] >> I will.

[3:06:07] Christina. Yeah, I'm I making a a

[3:06:11] deliberate point not to participate or

[3:06:13] sit in any of those meetings. I don't

[3:06:15] want to

[3:06:17] >> I don't want to in any way, shape, or

[3:06:20] form have any kind of, you know,

[3:06:23] influence over how the recommendations

[3:06:25] is. The whole point of it is to get the

[3:06:27] public's input and to have that plan to

[3:06:30] be shaped because if you're an

[3:06:31] implementtor, the last thing uh you want

[3:06:34] to do is be involved in the developing

[3:06:36] of the plan. Um [clears throat]

[3:06:40] we often say to people occasionally when

[3:06:42] they come here and they say why are you

[3:06:44] doing something? We say well because it

[3:06:46] was in the adopted plan and so want to

[3:06:50] be able to say that that plan is you

[3:06:52] know free and

[3:06:55] influence of the

[3:06:56] [cough and clears throat] implementation

[3:06:57] board and represents the public's

[3:06:59] desire. Okay,

[3:07:02] >> I'm not going to go through them all,

[3:07:03] but anybody anybody [snorts] that's 26,

[3:07:06] they're still on.

[3:07:08] >> Okay. Um,

[3:07:10] >> to those members and asking

[3:07:11] >> the last thing we could get to, I I

[3:07:13] don't want to be here too too late

[3:07:15] tonight. We've heard about saying too

[3:07:17] late, but can we do the layers on for um

[3:07:21] the committees, excuse me, so that you

[3:07:23] can then reach out to the chair of those

[3:07:24] committees and ask the chair to reach

[3:07:26] out to the members, right, as we

[3:07:29] discussed and find out

[3:07:30] where when vacancies exist. What we'll

[3:07:33] do is in my office, we'll put together a

[3:07:36] master list and we'll put a notice out

[3:07:39] to the public. Here are the for the

[3:07:41] vacancies if you're interested in

[3:07:42] joining. Send your letter of interest

[3:07:45] which can be in the email for Okay. Uh

[3:07:49] we did we already figured out

[3:07:51] agriculture and open space system review

[3:07:55] climate smart. Well, that's a task

[3:07:56] force, right? Um, so I don't think we

[3:07:59] need that CAC.

[3:08:02] >> That's a subset of the CAC because it's

[3:08:05] comp conservation design review. Is

[3:08:07] there anything we haven't covered here?

[3:08:12] No, I think that's it.

[3:08:14] Okay.

[3:08:16] So that's what we have for annual reorg.

[3:08:20] Thank you all very much. Um we have uh

[3:08:24] let me do other business

[3:08:26] uh which is really correspondent. Um I

[3:08:29] mentioned this earlier if you've been

[3:08:31] following along the last three or four

[3:08:34] years the town and the uh

[3:08:39] other municipalities. Uh we're a member

[3:08:43] of the supervisors mayors association.

[3:08:45] And we've lobbyed Albany uh and our

[3:08:48] colleagues in Austin County and other

[3:08:50] counties to have home rule uh ability to

[3:08:54] lower speed limits in our own

[3:08:56] municipality. Somehow in this home rule

[3:08:59] state DOT decides the speed limit on

[3:09:02] roads, small town roads. Um unless of

[3:09:06] course you live within 15 miles of a

[3:09:09] municipality with 50,000 time. It's it's

[3:09:13] rather convoluted. But uh needless to

[3:09:16] say, we were successful uh less than two

[3:09:18] years ago in getting the legislature to

[3:09:21] allow town road speed limits to go down

[3:09:24] to 25. Um and again, I apologize if I'm

[3:09:28] repeating myself. Um but back in the

[3:09:32] 1980s, the folks who sat at this table

[3:09:34] said, "Let's raise the town speed limit

[3:09:37] to 35." And that's why the townwide

[3:09:40] speed limit is 35 miles an hour. Um and

[3:09:44] so um we have endeavored to try to lower

[3:09:49] the speed limits in certain suburban

[3:09:52] subdivision neighborhoods. College Park,

[3:09:54] Forest Park. We were successful. We made

[3:09:57] some speed changes uh speed limit

[3:10:00] reductions with DOT's approval.

[3:10:03] Everything is DOT approval. River Road

[3:10:06] 9G, a portion of that um Buds Corners.

[3:10:10] We had the help of our county

[3:10:12] legislature in that uh effort to slow

[3:10:15] those speeds down there. That's a county

[3:10:17] road. Um

[3:10:19] so uh we uh positioned ourselves

[3:10:24] um to go ahead and do a townwide

[3:10:26] engineering study. um they are in the

[3:10:29] middle of that and they will um uh send

[3:10:34] us a list of classifications once they

[3:10:37] get the data collected from the various

[3:10:40] roadways. They won't do it during the

[3:10:42] winter because of snow for obvious

[3:10:43] reasons and then they will make a

[3:10:46] presentation to us on a draft

[3:10:48] application which goes to DOT. Then

[3:10:50] their engineers review it um after we've

[3:10:54] seen it and approved it and then they

[3:10:56] make it a decision um on that town

[3:11:00] lights application all to say to manage

[3:11:03] expectations. You should look for us to

[3:11:06] have a document summertime. you should

[3:11:09] look for us to perhaps submit something

[3:11:12] to the state late summer, early fall,

[3:11:16] and then the state, which is probably

[3:11:19] understaffed as it historically has

[3:11:21] been, would then render a decision

[3:11:23] sometime in 2027. So, I feel hopeful. I

[3:11:27] always do. We have had enormous success

[3:11:30] in efforts to reduce where people said

[3:11:33] Bui never would. Um and so I maintain

[3:11:37] that optimism, but it will take time.

[3:11:39] >> And is there a study available for what

[3:11:41] happened in Forest Park?

[3:11:43] >> Yeah. So I'll send you what what

[3:11:46] documentation we have. It's been a a few

[3:11:48] years. I think we got approval for that.

[3:11:51] A verbal approval. I got written

[3:11:53] approval. It literally took 6 months

[3:11:55] just to get a piece of paper that says

[3:11:56] we aford

[3:11:57] >> cuz in the in the inter room I'd be

[3:11:59] interested in looking at at what that

[3:12:02] looked like what we submitted to lower

[3:12:04] in Forest Park and I was there another neighborhood

[3:12:08] >> park we did it as a joint application

[3:12:12] >> because they were similar you know

[3:12:14] there's uh neighborhoods with a lot of

[3:12:17] study short roads um so it wasn't it

[3:12:21] didn't require the kind of analysis

[3:12:23] necar that this will because you've got

[3:12:25] connector roads, collector roads, you've

[3:12:27] got that that type of

[3:12:29] >> Isn't the issue of this something like

[3:12:31] AOT? It's the kind of thing AOT

[3:12:33] >> we we continue to lobby for each

[3:12:38] if you see your state representatives

[3:12:40] just ask them please to give us home

[3:12:42] rule authority. We know our roads

[3:12:45] >> um and we want our roads to be safe but

[3:12:49] we also want them to be used. For

[3:12:52] example, Forest Park is a is a great

[3:12:54] example of a place where kids should be

[3:12:56] able to ride their bike on a road. It's

[3:12:58] a suburban subdivision, and it's ideal

[3:13:01] for that. And so, there's no reason why

[3:13:04] anybody needs to go 35 on the tiny

[3:13:06] little road. So,

[3:13:08] >> we need a four-way stop on uh Wells and

[3:13:13] Rockefeller and Bud Corners.

[3:13:17] >> You know what I'm talking about?

[3:13:19] >> At the Steiner Farm. Yes.

[3:13:22] >> Yes. I've been in touch with uh I've

[3:13:25] been with in touch with the county for

[3:13:27] years on that intersection. They are

[3:13:29] going to make improvements, what they

[3:13:31] call improvements to that intersection,

[3:13:33] I'm told.

[3:13:34] >> Right.

[3:13:35] >> Um

[3:13:36] >> and I will let you know when they're

[3:13:38] doing the install.

[3:13:40] >> Okay.

[3:13:41] >> Yep.

[3:13:44] » Okay. Uh last but not least, we have um

[3:13:49] uh

[3:13:52] we discussed uh in attorney client

[3:13:55] session proposed settlements of

[3:14:00] oh uh all this to say I never got to the

[3:14:02] actual point of the correspondence. We

[3:14:04] received correspondence from a gentleman

[3:14:07] on uh who lives on Elm Street requesting

[3:14:10] that we lower the speed limit. I both

[3:14:12] wrote to him and spoke with him at

[3:14:14] length on the phone. um is very happy to

[3:14:17] hear that we're already on it and um

[3:14:22] uh he provided rationale

[3:14:25] um in his argument. He in his profession

[3:14:29] must know something about these and

[3:14:31] consulted apparently with uh New York

[3:14:34] State on these types of matters in a

[3:14:37] previous life. Um

[3:14:41] so all right uh in attorney client

[3:14:44] session we discussed proposed

[3:14:46] settlements as it relates to assessments

[3:14:49] on two properties.

[3:14:52] We have those properties

[3:14:54] >> 172

[3:14:56] >> sorry

[3:14:57] >> 172.

[3:14:58] >> Thank you J.

[3:15:01] >> So we have to approve those.

[3:15:03] >> Yeah.

[3:15:04] >> Yes we have to approve those. Penny and

[3:15:06] I appreciate you uh weren't involved in

[3:15:09] the discussions or the whatever.

[3:15:13] >> I mean, was this approved by the

[3:15:14] assessors also?

[3:15:16] >> Yes, this is the Yes, this is in

[3:15:18] consultation with the with the assessor.

[3:15:21] It is the town board's role to approve

[3:15:23] or disapprove of these. So, it's it's a conversation or discussion that

[3:15:28] >> Which page is that on?

[3:15:29] >> 172.

[3:15:31] >> Thank you.

[3:15:32] >> Um discussion with

[3:15:33] >> of the final final.

[3:15:35] >> Yes.

[3:15:38] 02 um one property initially assess

[3:15:45] more than one

[3:15:47] >> 172 is a resolution author authorizing

[3:15:50] the settlement it's a small difference

[3:15:52] between what was the assessment level

[3:15:54] 560 and um 515

[3:15:59] and this is settlement of article 7

[3:16:02] proceeding Susan Kirchoff and Helen

[3:16:06] uh property. The parcel number is

[3:16:08] indicated here. Um it's a settlement

[3:16:13] as discussed.

[3:16:15] >> So what so so what is separating these

[3:16:17] two properties?

[3:16:19] What what's the precedent here?

[3:16:22] All right, president. Um, folks, you you

[3:16:25] should know if you have a property that

[3:16:27] you feel is over assessed or unequally

[3:16:30] assessed, unfairly assessed, you are

[3:16:33] encouraged to first reach out to the

[3:16:35] assessor's office. The assessor, as I've

[3:16:38] mentioned before, is an independently

[3:16:40] appointed office. Um, and the assessor

[3:16:44] will uh

[3:16:47] take your information and and make uh in

[3:16:52] this case her determination whether or

[3:16:55] not a change in assessment is warranted

[3:16:57] and why it would be. If you don't feel

[3:17:01] um [clears throat]

[3:17:02] that you are happy with that, you should

[3:17:04] come to grievance day. That's in May.

[3:17:06] And so that is typically the fourth uh

[3:17:10] Tuesday in May. And uh you will then

[3:17:15] present your hopefully your rationale

[3:17:17] and your comparables

[3:17:21] um to the assessment for review board

[3:17:23] and then our next meeting we'll be

[3:17:25] hopefully reappointing one of them and

[3:17:28] entertaining

[3:17:29] um you know additional members to the

[3:17:32] assessment review board. And if you are

[3:17:35] not satisfied what they make a

[3:17:37] determination then you can take a legal

[3:17:40] action which is called uh somebody

[3:17:42] mentioned legal fees here. Um the town

[3:17:45] of Red Hook spends funds um on legal

[3:17:49] matters and so you can take a legal

[3:17:51] matter um

[3:17:53] >> and that's what they that's what they

[3:17:54] did

[3:17:54] >> and that's what they did and the other

[3:17:56] ones did. And so, um, often times you

[3:18:01] are deciding on, um, you're doing your

[3:18:05] best to work with the assessor and with

[3:18:07] the attorneys and the comparables to

[3:18:09] understand whether or not um, any

[3:18:12] adjustment

[3:18:14] is appropriate and there's a negotiation

[3:18:17] that ensues. And so in this case, we

[3:18:19] have resolution number seven.

[3:18:24] >> So we've reduced one. So, one is is

[3:18:26] being reduced by 45,000 and one is being

[3:18:29] reduced by by 200,000. But is there like

[3:18:33] is this does this potentially apply to

[3:18:35] other properties? Like what like what

[3:18:37] was

[3:18:37] >> it does not

[3:18:38] >> what was the justification?

[3:18:40] Um

[3:18:42] I'm trying to understand what

[3:18:46] >> why we why we assessed them for more

[3:18:48] than they than they were ultimately

[3:18:52] valued for.

[3:18:53] >> Well, Um you asking a rather broad

[3:18:57] question um about uh the the assessor

[3:19:02] um anytime a property for example

[3:19:06] transacts

[3:19:08] um anytime a property is enhanced

[3:19:11] anytime the uh community values

[3:19:16] um uh trend upward um an assessment uh

[3:19:20] level uh can change and so they're

[3:19:24] various reasons why a property is

[3:19:26] assessed for what it is. um a discussion

[3:19:30] and uh happens with the attorneys and

[3:19:34] with the input of the assessor on the

[3:19:37] property and why it should or should not

[3:19:39] be adjusted and then in a negotiation

[3:19:42] ensues and in this case looking at

[3:19:45] comparables

[3:19:47] um they felt that this was a fair

[3:19:49] settlement right

[3:19:50] >> and so that's why we have um in this

[3:19:53] case it's a reduction of about 8% and I

[3:19:55] think in the other one it's it's perhaps

[3:19:57] similar

[3:19:59] It's about 10% on the other one. A lot

[3:20:01] of

[3:20:03] >> Yeah, it's about 10% in the other one.

[3:20:05] Um

[3:20:06] >> Christina, when it comes to values,

[3:20:09] uh there's a it's not black and white.

[3:20:13] It's a gray area. I mean, I've dealt

[3:20:15] with a lot of appraisals,

[3:20:17] you know, with uh conservation

[3:20:19] easements, and

[3:20:22] there's always a gray area. So, it's uh

[3:20:25] you know, and I'm sure they got comps to

[3:20:28] look at other homes or, you know, size

[3:20:32] of, you know, lots and that's what they

[3:20:35] had to do. I mean, they paid money to

[3:20:37] they had to pay somebody to do this.

[3:20:39] >> Um, and I'll I'll just tell you on the

[3:20:42] second one, um, just to give you an

[3:20:43] example, Christina, is on the second

[3:20:46] one, the settlement level is essentially

[3:20:49] what that property was purchased for.

[3:20:53] um during the period of time where it's

[3:20:55] to be valued.

[3:20:57] >> And that's kind of that's that's the

[3:20:58] basis of my of my question is is not why

[3:21:03] these two folks argued to have their

[3:21:06] assessment lowered, but more like why

[3:21:09] did we get it wrong? Why why were we 10%

[3:21:12] over? Is this is this is this something

[3:21:15] that because I mean that's that's

[3:21:17] significant. That's a significant amount

[3:21:19] of money and

[3:21:22] >> [clears throat]

[3:21:22] >> It's that gray It's that gray area

[3:21:24] speaking. I wouldn't necessarily make

[3:21:26] the assumption that it's wrong.

[3:21:28] >> Yes. I think that's a a really that's

[3:21:32] bad to even suggest that when you are

[3:21:35] trying to value a property. This is a

[3:21:38] good example of the property. This was

[3:21:40] owned by Mary Gadeski for decades and decades. So you have no idea

[3:21:46] what for example the condition even

[3:21:49] though it's in the property card of the

[3:21:51] house like how much work does that the

[3:21:53] house need. So you you go and you look

[3:21:55] at this large uh property with you know

[3:21:59] over a 100 acres of unprotected land and

[3:22:03] so you think it's just it's got to be

[3:22:05] worth tons of money. But then if you're

[3:22:08] if you gets put on the market as you

[3:22:11] know because you're involved in real

[3:22:13] estate heavily the market is what the

[3:22:16] market is. It's not what the assessor

[3:22:18] says the value is. The assessment does

[3:22:20] its best to look at comparable

[3:22:23] situations and place that assessment

[3:22:25] level on. often times when either

[3:22:30] townwide uh reevaluations for when a

[3:22:33] property transacts, you get a better

[3:22:35] sense of right a better sense of another

[3:22:40] example is a house that I think you were

[3:22:42] involved in a project over on Garden

[3:22:44] Street there. A nice beautiful

[3:22:46] extension, right, for Will and Katie,

[3:22:50] right? That property was purchased

[3:22:53] like 300 something thousand just five or

[3:22:56] six, right? Course

[3:22:57] >> big improvement,

[3:22:58] right? So how does an assessor you

[3:23:02] figure out you go the square foot, you

[3:23:04] look at the condition of that

[3:23:05] improvement on I I would bet that that

[3:23:09] house was not assessed for the $1.4

[3:23:11] million that it got when it sold this

[3:23:14] year. That little red bird house on

[3:23:18] street with that. How many of these do

[3:23:20] we get in a year?

[3:23:24] » We do get them every year.

[3:23:25] >> We do. We get them every year. We get

[3:23:27] more than more than one and less than

[3:23:29] 10.

[3:23:31] >> What? Less than 50.

[3:23:32] >> Less than 50. That's fair.

[3:23:34] >> Yeah.

[3:23:35] >> So, um,

[3:23:36] >> but anybody anybody can file one

[3:23:39] >> for sure.

[3:23:40] >> And it's something it's a it's a part of

[3:23:42] the process of what we have to do.

[3:23:44] >> Yeah. And in this case, it's a really

[3:23:47] good, you know, in that second one, that

[3:23:48] larger one, it's a good example, the

[3:23:51] purchasers reported, you know, being

[3:23:53] surprised at how much work the condition

[3:23:55] of the house. And I can attest, and I'm

[3:23:58] sure you've been involved in in this

[3:24:01] business. Um,

[3:24:02] >> I feel if Cheryl is okay with this, I

[3:24:06] >> make a motion.

[3:24:07] >> It's not it's not it's not always the

[3:24:09] case that theor,

[3:24:11] but you know, you have

[3:24:11] >> I would make a motion to accept these.

[3:24:14] All right. Well, let's uh Penny, I uh

[3:24:18] embrace that. But we have resolution

[3:24:21] number seven authorizing

[3:24:24] article 7 settlement reducing property

[3:24:30] with the 767017

[3:24:33] from 56500 to 515,000.

[3:24:38] And can we move that resolution?

[3:24:40] >> I'll second. [clears throat]

[3:24:42] Any further discussion? If not, all in

[3:24:46] favor?

[3:24:47] >> I I five eyes. Okay. Um this other

[3:24:50] property

[3:24:52] um which is parcel number ending in

[3:24:55] 215250

[3:24:57] uh currently assessed for 2,185,100

[3:25:01] reduced to 1,965,000.

[3:25:06] » The names on both of those are the same.

[3:25:09] >> Oh, there was a typo. Should have been

[3:25:11] corrected. Um,

[3:25:13] >> correct. I think

[3:25:16] >> my copy is fine. It's correct.

[3:25:18] >> That has been that has been corrected.

[3:25:20] Thank you, Rich.

[3:25:22] >> That was in yesterday's.

[3:25:24] >> It's different on on what I'm looking

[3:25:25] at.

[3:25:26] >> Yeah, it corrected.

[3:25:27] >> Yeah, there was a typo there and that typo was corrected. Yep. The

[3:25:31] resolution we use as a template.

[3:25:35] We use templates, don't we all?

[3:25:38] because it makes it easier until we do

[3:25:40] something like forget to change the

[3:25:41] name.

[3:25:42] >> Um okay. Uh

[3:25:45] >> I make a motion.

[3:25:47] >> I'll second.

[3:25:48] >> Okay. This is uh

[3:25:50] >> eight.

[3:25:51] >> Your your motion is to prove approve a

[3:25:53] resolution.

[3:25:55] >> Okay. Thank you. I like it. Um further

[3:26:00] discussion.

[3:26:02] >> If not, all in favor?

[3:26:05] >> I I

[3:26:05] >> Thank you very much. Thank you folks.

[3:26:08] It's almost 11:00.

[3:26:11] I want to thank you for sticking with us

[3:26:13] again. Um and

[3:26:17] once again to wish you a very healthy

[3:26:19] and a happy 2026.

[3:26:23] There's a lot of stuff going on around

[3:26:27] many many uh many places near and far.

[3:26:32] Um there are viruses going around. I

[3:26:35] hope you get to dodge them. Some of them

[3:26:37] have not been pretty. Um, but also that

[3:26:41] you get a chance to take a minute to

[3:26:43] enjoy where you do live because it's a

[3:26:46] very special place.

[3:26:47] >> With that being said, good night

[3:26:49] everyone.

[3:26:50] >> Make a motion.

[3:26:51] >> A motion to adjourn the meeting. Second.

[3:26:55] >> All in favor? I thank you.

1-13-2026 Red Hook Town Board Meeting

Transcript