New town website

The Town of Varick has a new website: varickny.com. The link at the right will take you there.

This is a new location for Varick information that used to be on the Seneca County website. You will find contact information for various town officials, meeting dates, and the text of some local regulations. Two new items were added this month. One is the town budget for 2007, the other is a collection of approved town board minutes for 2007.

Supervisor's Report June 2007

June 5, 2007

It is count down time. One month has passed since my son Aaron has left for Iraq. There are 14 more months before he comes home. I want to thank the Town of Varick for helping to make those months pass quickly. Keeping busy with projects is a great therapy.

Our Townline Road municipal agreement has been signed by all parties and this evening we opened the bids for the project. These opened bids will be given to our project engineer, Jason McCormick who will go over them, and then meet with Varick’s Highway Superintendent, Rick McCulloch on the 12th of June to make their recommendation to the Board. The Town Board needs to set a date for a special meeting to award the bid for the project upon their recommendation.

I had informed you last Board meeting that I would be attending a forum on “Shared Municipal Services”. I am pleased that Varick has been ahead of this kind of networking. We have been a part of the 5 Towns
Assessment Group: Ovid, Covert, Lodi, Romulus and Varick for seven years. We are now at 100% of equalization rate. And we are presently working with the Town of Fayette to open up the Townline Road in a joint effort.

The purpose of the conference was to provide an educational approach to shared municipal services – highlighting advantages, disadvantages and potential political pitfalls in the process of developing shared services. Shared municipal services are intended to save costs and improve quality in the delivery of services to our taxpayers.

The Conference established a learning network with regions comprised of Allegany, Cattaragus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wyoming and Yates Counties.

Governor Spitzer has established a New York State Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness as a part of an effort to streamline government at every level. New York’s local tax burden is the highest in the United States, which negatively impacts the competitiveness and quality of life in our community.

One session focused on the challenges and opportunities of shared municipal services. Then there were concurrent sessions that followed with examples of success stories where this is actually happening and the Municipalities are saving tax dollars. Some of the examples were: County-Wide shared highway programs; in County wide public safety; County-wide code enforcement; County shared health care; County shared water service; shared Judiciary and Court Administration.

Presently Seneca County is trying to decide how they can help the Towns save money thru shared services with the County being the lead agent. If any of you have suggestions, please feel free to get in touch with me. I will pass it on to Sharon Secor and the Board of Supervisors.

The theme for allowing governments and Townships to work together was “Keep Relationships Growing within Townships” The comment that is often made “It has served us well in the past” needs to be changed to “Does it serve you well in the future.”

Joan E. Teichner, Supervisor

Agenda June 5, 2007

REGULAR MEETING OF THE VARICK TOWN BOARD
June 5, 2007

Call to Order
Roll Call of Members by the Clerk
Pledge of Allegiance and Moment of Silence

1. Presenters and Petitioners
   
2. Committee Reports
• a. Supervisor’s Report
• b. Bookkeepers Report
• c. Planning Board’s Report
• d. Zoning Board Report – no meeting this month
• e. Highway Superintendent’s Report
• f. Water Report
• g. Sewer Report
• h. Personnel Committee Report
• i. Assessor’s Report
• j. Clerk’s Report
• k. Submission of Claims for Audit
3. Approval of minutes: May 1, 2007
4. Communications
a. From New York Municipal Insurance Reciprocal providing Varick’s accounting statement covering year 2006 with operating reserve of $351.

• b. From Time Warner Cable the franchise check in the amount of $7,150.58.
  
• c. From Department of State informing us that the department is paying for the purchase of our annual International Code Council membership
  
• d. From the New York State Canal Corporation announcing “Canal Splash” dates: August 10-12
  
• e. From the New York State Canal Corporation offering a new email service called Canal TRANSalert to inform of major incidents and emergencies that may affect navigation on the N.Y. State Canal System. Their website is: www.nyscanals.gov/tas/.
• f. Check from Teitworth Auction in amount of $630.00 received for sale of a Seneca Water District trailer
• g. From Seneca County Treasure, Mortgage Tax Reserve check totally $14,205.00 to the Town of Varick
• h. DEC announcing the availability of funds for projects to eradicate terrestrial and aquatic invasive species from land, water and wet lands.
  
• i. Notice from Thomas Bjorkman: The Town of Varick’s website is up. www.varickny.com
• j. From Regional Transit Service, Inc. concerning the 27th Annual RGRTA Roadio, Sat. June 9, at Monroe Community College beginning 9 AM
5. Resolutions and Motions
• a. Tobacco Action Coalition of the Finger Lakes
  b. Adopt June 15th World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
6. New Business
Important Dates:

• a. Wednesday, June 6: Informational meeting on on proposed Cayuga Settlement, 7 P.M., Seneca Falls Community Center, 35 Water Street
• b. Friday, June 8, 10 A.M., Public Hearing regarding Finger Lakes Technologies Group, Inc. Proposed Transaction at Former Seneca Army Depot
  
7. Old Business
8. Adjourn

Supervisor's Report May 2007

May 1, 2007

I welcome you all to the Varick Town Board meeting. Your interest in the Town and the Town’s business is very encouraging. Just to know that the work that we do for you is noticed and appreciated. We strive for open government. My motto has always been “public service is public trust”. It is a privilege to serve you, along with all the residents who reside in Varick and the remaining people of Seneca County.

Governor Spitzer yesterday signed an Executive Order creating the Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness, which will review ways that New York State’s over 4,200 local governments can save taxpayer dollars and become more efficient by sharing services and undertaking regional collaboration. There is a session this month held in Genesee County that I will be attending concerning this issue.

As the Chief Financial and Budget Officer, I will start to look at planning for the 2008 budget. If anyone has concerns and suggestions, I am willing to take your comments into consideration. You know from the past 3 years of performance, we have managed to keep the Town budget increases at a minimum. The Town Board members also pay taxes. We don’t wish to waste your money as well as our own.

So that is why I keep a close look at the vouchers. If there is a bill that I need to further research, that check is not issued until I am satisfied. It is much easier to withhold a check for payment than try to reclaim the money the after the check has been issued. After having talked to our Auditors; Mr. Archibald, Bonadio Group; Michael Kenneally, Attorney with the Association of Towns; Mr. Schuster, State Comptroller’s Office in Rochester; who agreed that after bills are approved by the Board, should be paid. But as Financial Officer, if I have reason to believe that there is misinformation given or something is illegal and more information is needed to justify the payment, I have that right to defer payment.

I am now informing the Board the check to the amount of $10,061.00 has been paid to Allardice & Associates, Inc.
In your packet, you have our Auditor’s report concerning the Summer Recreation Program of 2005 with their observations along with recommendations. You may read this following the meeting, since there is no action needed. The Town Board wishes to thank Gerald Archibald and Kristin Ryan for additional time doing this review.

The Annual Update Document for the Town for the year ending December 31, 2006 has been officially submitted electronically to the Office of the State Comptroller by Kris Ryan, from the Bonadio Group. The AUD that has been compiled by them is not the finalized reconciled year end ledger balances due to certain issues caused by the computer program. Many reports need to be completed with the use of the Town’s bank statements since we cannot rely on the computer program to give us the correct information. A revised AUD will need to be filled with the State.

To complete the 2006 Audit for the Town there are a few items that need to be reconciled. Deb and I are working to get this information to Gerald Archibald and Kristin Ryan.

At the April Town meeting, I informed the Board of a tax incentive for Local Volunteers that is pending in the United States Congress of legislation that would provide tax incentives for our volunteer firefighters. I completed the survey with the information provided to me, and returned it to the Association of Towns.

Joan E. Teichner, Supervisor