Lyons Village – February 26, 2013

Mayor Kleisle informed everyone the meeting was videotaped by Mark DeCracker and audio recorded by the Clerk-Treasurer, Denise Darcangelis.
All future meetings of the Dissolution Planning Committee will be videotaped. The meetings are not subject to the New York State Open Meetings Law, however, the public will be able to sit and observe without making comment and the meeting dates will be posted on our Village website.
Mayor Kleisle introduced the members of the Dissolution Committee, Thea Hall, Joan Smith, James Pacello, John Cinelli, Sergei Bartischevich, Chief of Police, Richard Bogan, Brian Manktelow, shared position with Dan LaGasse, Corrine Kleisle. Absent: James Brady.
She thanked all of them for agreeing to be a committee member. She noted that it will be a difficult job and will be very time consuming. It is a working committee.
All members have assured her that their findings and recommendations will be the needs of both the Town and the Village. This will not include personal feelings as to whether the Village should be dissolved or not. They will work on a plan that will make it the best it can be for all the people in the Village and all the people in the Town. She feels the committee is an unbiased group that will come up with a very good plan for the Dissolution.
The Committee will make progress reports to the Village Board monthly. The Village will provide all and any information, records, everything the committee needs to do an appropriate plan.
The choice of people on the committee recommends that it consist of the Village Mayor, representative from the Town, representative from Municipal Labor Unions, balance of committee made up of residents from business owners, property owners from the Town and the Village. Mayor feels the committee is good cross sections from our community.
The plan must be done within 180 days, commencing December 27, 2012. This will bring the village into the end of June 2013. The deadline is very important for them to complete a plan for the dissolution. However, it is imperative that the plan be a quality product and not compromised because of the required time constraints. They will all work to meet that deadline, but will also make sure what is presented at the Public Hearing is a good plan.
This committee will be required to address the following issues:
Name of the Village, the boundaries, type and class of the Village, a fiscal estimate of the cost of dissolving the Village, any plan of transferring or eliminating positions of public employees, review Village assets, including but not limited to real and personal property, address Village’s liabilities and indebtedness, bounded and otherwise and its fair value, review any agreements entered with towns or any government agencies, the manner and means by which municipal services will be continued followed by the dissolution. Terms of disposing the Villages assets, liabilities and indebtedness, including the levying of taxes. Pay off any liabilities. Findings as to any Village Local Laws and ordinances remain in effect after the dissolution for a certain period of time.
At the first meeting of the committee, a chairman will be elected and a Deputy. People will be appointed to subcommittees for Public Safety-Fire and Police, Public Works, Water & Sewer, Administration, Financials, Courts, and Zoning and Codes.
At the last Village Board meeting, the Village Board appointed MRB/group to be the consultant in this dissolution process. Diana Smith and Connie Sowards were introduced to the committee.
Diana Smith gave an overview of MRB/group and their role. They will utilize the expertise and recommendations of the Dissolution Committee who have been charged by the Mayor with the responsibility of analyzing services provided by both the Village and Town, then planning for the optimal dissolution path, and finally examining the fiscal impacts of dissolution which include recognition of the actual costs anticipated to be created by the dissolution process, as well as recognition of the incentives which the state has made available.
MRB sees their role as being a guide that supports the Committee in the gathering and interpretation of data, in the discussions about services and optimal delivery, in the analysis of the fiscal impacts of combining services, in the exploration of alternatives, and finally, in preparation of a report which is focused on the critical elements and communicates effectively the considerations taken in this effort, so that the residents of Lyons understand the discussions and their implications. Most importantly, they hope they can help the committee retain an objective approach to determining what’s in the best interest of the community.
She explained the toughest task of the committee will be to suspend their discussions and deliberations on whether the Village should dissolve and instead focus on a creation of a plan that is optimal.
Connie Sowards discussed the process and responsibility of the committee. Notebooks were handed out to get the committee started.
Diana Smith reviewed the timeline for the dissolution process. MRB /group is fully prepared to meet the statutory guidelines set by Article 17-A.
Diana Smith reviewed the duties of the Committee Chairperson. This person will serve as a central contact for the Board and the Consultants, appoint a Deputy Chair, appoint a secretary to maintain notes for the committee, schedule full committee meetings, appoint sub committees, help move process along and keep deadlines, and notifying the Village Board of scheduled committee meetings. Chairing the full meetings and keeping order.
A contact sheet was distributed to the committee to put their contact information and list their areas of interest to assist the Chairperson in selecting the subcommittees.
The first committee meeting was scheduled Thursday, March 7, 2013, at 6:30 P.M. at the Village Hall.
Mayor Kleisle stated the Lyons Police Association has notified her of commencing police negotiations.
Authorization is granted for Village Attorney, Art Williams, to be the Village negotiator in the amount of $1,200 for the Lyons Police Association negotiations.
The next budget meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 5, 2013, at 6:00 P.M. at the Village Hall.
Authorization wass granted for Brian Price II to complete 20 senior hours at the Lyons Fire Department.
The path behind the Hotchkiss Building will be named the Hotchkiss Lane.

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