The Village of Franklin held a public hearing and its regular board meeting on December 11, 2023, at the Village Hall office (141 Water Street) at 7:00PM. Present: Mayor Tom Briggs, Trustee Wilson, Trustee VanDeusen, Clerk/Treasurer Niebanck, Deputy Clerk Martin, Superintendent Kingsbury and guests recorded on the sign-in register. The meeting was streamed and recorded on the video platform Zoom.
Public Hearing
CDBG Water Tower Completion – Mark Blauer was present and gave summary of grant application/project construction: This is a performance hearing to tell public what we have done and give opportunity to ask questions; end date is Jan. 5; construction should be done end of December; payment requests will be submitted in January. Tank is on-site and being erected, and when it is filled and connected to well system it will be filled, chlorinated, and tested for use. Comments: thank you for careful oversight; are we under budget? Yes. Some work needs to be done on well system. How big is the tank? Rated for 125,000 gallons. Eric M. (Engineer) – existing structure will remain, rerouted to new tank and disinfected. Aquastore has erected tank and should be finished end of tomorrow. Reservoir units will be emptied. Copies of intended change order: well site #2; pipe to pump and valve had deteriorated and ordered new parts; during reset, encountered significant scaling and needed to clean well; well needs to be operable as soon as possible. Would like work to be covered under the contract; included in Tweedie invoices. Sealant on tank needs to cure which takes 5-10 days and has to be above freezing; will need some heat sources. Eric summarized change order: check valve for well, cleaning of well, and additional drainage piping. Change order presented to Mayor and Trustees (with photos of tank construction). Will add legal advertisement to final budget modification (pay out of gen. fund and get reimbursed). VanDeusen moved and Wilson seconded closing the Public Hearing. So moved.
Board Meeting
Minutes: Minutes of the November 13, 2023 board meeting: Wilson moved and VanDeusen seconded approval of the November 13, 2023 minutes. So passed.
Treasurer’s Report
Date: November 30, 2023
| General Fund | $2,767.94 |
| – Savings | $228,376.64 |
| – Reserve/Maint Equip | $84,896.83 |
| – Sidewalks | $16,914.45 |
| – Trees | $2,369.57 |
| Water Fund | $6,083.91 |
| – Savings | $30,293.14 |
| – Capital Fund/Well Develop | $2,971.79 |
| Water Project | $6.92 |
| Water Tower Grant | $72.01 |
| Trust & Agency | $228.52 |
| Grant Fund | $4,180.48 |
| ARPA Funds (remaining) | $1,512.57 |
| Recreation Commission | $160.87 |
| – Savings | $28,637.60 |
| – CD | $7,861.15 |
| – CD | $15,951.61 |
Wilson moved and VanDeusen seconded budget transfers in the General Fund – $304.10 from 1325.11 to 1325.1; $1017.15 from 5110.1 to 5010.1 (due to there being 27 payroll weeks from June-Nov.); $400 from 5410.4 to 8797.4. So passed. Wilson moved and VanDeusen seconded approval of Treasurer’s Report of November 30, 2023. So passed.
Citizens’ Comments: no comments
Correspondence: 1) DOT re: Bridge NY Program funding. 2) NYCOM re: housing needs survey. 3) HCR re: CDBG project completion/termination notice.
Clerk’s Report: 1) email addresses had to be changed; DTC no longer supporting. 2) Met with reps at Wayne Bank re: business checking/NYCLASS rate. 3) Working on Youth Bureau claim. 4) We need to complete SH training.
Superintendent’s Report: 1) 3 trees on Center St. were cut 2) water turned off at Theatre by request 3) lead/copper survey ¾ done; as long as making attempt, we are good, certain percentage is allowed to be “unknown”; have to be checked at water main.
Old Business
CDBG Update: VanDeusen moved and Wilson seconded approving and signing change order. So moved and signed by Mayor. Mark Blauer recommends that Village consider raising water rates to establish a substantial reserve for future use.
Waste Disposal Grant Update: Grant median income for Village is way above their demarcation point, so we cannot use Rural Development. We’ll have to go to another source. OCR may have a program.
Village Dump: need to make our own local law in order to fine for illegal dumping.
Wayne Bank/NYCLASS: Trustee Wilson and Clerk met with representatives from Wayne bank who explained their Business Interest checking accounts that match NYCLASS interest rate (usually 5%). Wilson moved and VanDeusen seconded opening Business Interest Checking accounts with Wayne Bank for current Village accounts. So moved.
Traffic Control Lights: Trustee VanDeusen emailed Molinaro’s office regarding lighting on crosswalk signs at school crossing; he’s going to give her contacts at DOT. Would like to replace existing speed limits signs as well.
New Business
Election: Should post notice with a reminder that anyone can stop in and pick up a nominating petition.
Around Town: Christmas Stroll and Holiday Market was very successful.
Citizens’ Comments: Gratitude for Christmas Stroll, it went well and a benefit to business.
Approval of Bills: VanDeusen moved and Wilson seconded approval to pay bills. So passed.
Village
| 155-23 | Waste Recovery Enterprises LLC | A8160.4 | $12.32 | A2408 |
| 156-23 | Franklin Improvement Society | A7110.4 | $615.00 | A2412 |
| 157-23 | NYSEG | A1620.4 | $23.45 | A2416 |
| 158-23 | NYSEG | A1620.4 | $83.09 | A2417 |
| 159-23 | NYSEG | A7110.4 | $27.70 | A2418 |
| 160-23 | Trust & Agency | A9030.8 | $571.97 | A2420 |
| 161-23 | Trust & Agency | A9089.8 | $167.50 | A2421 |
| 162-23 | Delhi Tele Co | A1620.4 | $79.24 | |
| 163-23 | NYSEG | A5182.4 | $275.89 | |
| 164-23 | Capital One | A1325.4 | $15.99 | |
| 165-23 | Stephen P Lawton | A1325.4 | $425.00 | |
| 166-23 | Boulder Oil | A1620.4 | $163.75 | |
| 167-23 | Tom Pasternak LLC | A5110.4 | $2,000.00 | |
| 168-23 | Mirabito Energy Products | A5142.4 | $67.04 | |
| 169-23 | Waste Recovery Enterprises LLC | A8160.4 | $12.32 | |
| 170-23 | Life Science Labs | FX8330.4 | $1,863.00 | FX1659 |
| 171-23 | Frontier | FX8320.4 | $9.64 | FX1660 |
| 172-23 | NYSEG | FX8320.4 | $23.00 | FX1661 |
| 173-23 | Trust & Agency | FX9030.8 | $122.79 | FX1662 |
| 174-23 | NY Rural Water Assoc | FX8310.4 | $263.00 | |
| 175-23 | Life Science Labs | FX8330.4 | $43.20 | |
| 176-23 | Stephen P Lawton | FX8310.4 | $379.50 | |
| 177-23 | Delaware Engineering | H8797.4 | $2,600.00 | |
| 178-23 | Decker Advertising | H8797.4 | $101.38 | |
| TOTAL | $9,945.77 | |||
| PAID PRIOR TO MEETING | $3,519.46 | |||
| Total | $6,426.31 |
Recreation Commission
| 26-23 | Frontier | J7545.4 | $67.29 | J1902 |
| 27-23 | NYSEG | J7345.4 | $381.18 |
Mayor Briggs adjourned the meeting at 8:24PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Paula Niebanck
Clerk/Treasurer