Supervisor's Report August 2007

TOWN OF VARICK
SUPERVISOR JOAN TEICHNER’S REPORT
August 7, 2007

TAXES! The frustration over the high rate of taxes that we have to endure in New York State has made us angry. Just knowing that New York State is number one in the Country with the most taxes collected from its residents makes for a sad state of affairs. This has caused the State to lose jobs because industry and people have left this beautiful State. Of course this has been happening over the course of several years. Hopefully change can happen and we can become known once again as the Empire State.

Let us look on the positive side and be thankful for what we have. This is a great County and for which there is much to be grateful: its lakes, parks, wineries, and farms. The tourists that come here create jobs for people who live here, by staying in our hotels and bed and breakfast establishments, eating in our restaurants, and purchasing merchandise and goods. This also brings money into our County with the taxes collected. Did you know the bed tax in 2006 collected by the County amounted to $145,163.00? Tourism is a given and we need to see that the County continues to support it. We need to move forward and make the best decisions for the generations to follow by protecting what we have here.

Those residing and owning property in the Town of Varick need to know the Town’s tax rate for 2007 is $3.18 per thousand making us having the second to the lowest tax rate in the County. Those within the Town of Seneca Falls pay only $.57 per thousand because they are able to collect taxes from industry that is within their Town boundaries.

Over the past few years Varick has focused on keeping our rate low and will continue to do so in the future. I am beginning to prepare the Town’s Budget for 2008. To the Town Board, I am recommending we give our highway department a 3% increase in salary since they were not given any for 2007. The salaries of everyone else will remain the same unless I hear a strong objection from the Varick Town Board.

Peter Brown, the Seneca County Resource Management Specialist was notified on Monday, June 25 with a phone call from our local representative from the New York State Archives that the Town of Varick Grant for vault rebuilding and indexing will be funded. On July 3, 2007, a letter from the State Education Department awarded Varick a grant in the amount of $8,527.00. It will be nice to clean up our records and discard some of the boxes the Town no longer is required to keep. It might be called “Town Cleaning”.

I will be a attending a one-day workshop on Co-funding for Water & Sewer Infrastructure Projects with a individual project consultation in Rochester, Tuesday, September 11, 2007 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. The morning session, a general assembly will concentrate on sources of State & Federal Funding for Water & Wastewater projects and Asset Management. The Afternoon Sessions are “Managing/Financing Your Infrastructure” and the last session being on “Project Development Guidance”. There is much to learn and know for our future projects.

Registration is required for the workshops. I would be happy to have any Town Board member or Town resident who is interested in attending this conference to go with me to hear what we can do to get water on Route 89. At the Individual Consultation, which I have scheduled for 3:45 P.M. - 4:30 P.M., I want to know where the Varick/Fayette Water project water stands and what “hoops” we need to go thru to get water for Route 89 residents. I will need to take with me maps, the plans and survey information that we have done thus far for the Route 89.

I am presently working on a Town Newsletter that will be in the mail before the end of August. I am so glad that I am retired from one job so I can concentrate my time being your Town Supervisor.

Agenda August 7, 2007

REGULAR MEETING OF THE VARICK TOWN BOARD
August 7, 2007

Call to Order
Roll Call of Members by the Clerk
Pledge of Allegiance and Moment of Silence
1. Privilege of the Floor
2. Committee Reports

a. Supervisor’s Report
b. Bookkeeper’s Report
c. Dog Control Officer’s Report
d. Planning Board’s Report
e. Zoning Board Report – no meeting this month
f. Highway Report
g. Water Report
h. Sewer Report
i. Personnel Report
j. Assessor’s Report
k. Clerk’s Report
l. Submission of Claims for audit
m. Approval of minutes: July 3, 2007
n. Approval of minutes: June 12, 2007

4. Communications:

a. Notification of $8,527.00 for a Local Government Records Management
Improvement Fund grant from the State Education Department
b. Refund of $5,000 from the Town of Romulus water/sewer services for the period June 30 to December 31, 2007
c. Notice from the Seneca County Board of Elections needing Election Inspectors
Call Board of Elections at 539-1692 or 539-1693
d. NYMIR, Varick’s Insurance Handbook Risk Management: Hurricane Awareness
e. State of New York Department of Public Service: with copies of “New York’s Electricity Outlook – Summer 2007” and "Saving energy is Cool” poster with suggestions to save energy, money, and help the environment
f. From Dallyn Jenkins, President of Beverly Animal and Director of Seneca Humane Society/SPCA and Charles Goldthwait II, Chief Agent, Department of Animal Protective Services introducing a new specialized crime prevention and investigation program in Seneca County
g. From New York State Board of Real Property Services establishing a final State equalization Rate of 100.00 for the Town of Varick
h. A letter and disk from the Council on Alcoholism and Addiction of the Finger Lakes “Gambling? Don’t Bet Your Life on it!” with a recommendation to place a Moratorium on the expansion of gambling in the US
i. From Association of Towns with information concerning what the New York State Legislature is currently negotiating to renew of Article X of the Public Service Law which will put in place a new State Permit for the siting of power plants. The legislation currently under consideration will preempt local authority.
j. A letter from Senator Nozzolio announcing the Governor’s signed legislation to establish the Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery
k. New York Labor Law with new Federal minimum wage effective July 24, 2007 at $5.85 from $5.15 an hour
l. From the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Environmental Permits, Region 8 making the Determination that the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for Seneca Meadows is adequate for Public review and available at the public libraries in Waterloo and Seneca Falls
m. NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation announcing a funding workshops for water & sewer projects plus individual project consultation in Rochester, Sept 11, 2007
n. From the New York State Canal Corporation with information on the second annual Canal Splash! Friday – Sunday, August 10 -12, 2007

5. Resolution/Motions
6. New Business
7. Old Business
8. Adjourn