Town of Ontario – January 7, 2013

The 2013 Organizational Meeting of the Town Board was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Supervisor Robert Kelsch; Councilwoman Eaton-Smith and Councilman Melino were excused. The first order of business was the presentation of framed citations recognizing 5 Ontario Boy Scouts who attained the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in scouting available to youths under the age of 18. Those being recognized were Bobby Young, Ian Stead, Billy Remis, and Adam Crumb; Bryan Diesenberg was also a recipient but was unable to attend. The Board commended their accomplishments.
- Appointments & Designations – Motions were approved for appointments for those with terms of office from 1/1/13 to 12/31/13 (19 positions), and continuing appointments for 2-year terms and 4-year terms (4 positions). Dr. Norman Loomis was appointed to a 4-year term as the town’s Health Officer. The official newpapers for 2013 are the Wayne County Mail and the Times of Wayne County; the official depositories are Lyons National Bank and JP Morgan Chase Bank. The mileage reimbursement rate is 55.5 cents per mile, which is the IRS rate approved for 2013. The Town Board regular business meetings will be held on the 2nd & 4th Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m.; workshop meetings will be on the 3rd Monday at 7:00 p.m. All meetings will be held in the Town Hall Meeting Room, 1850 Ridge Road, Ontario, New York. The 2013 Holiday and Pay Schedules were previously approved on 12/3/12.
- A resolution was adopted to designate Lyons National Bank as the financial institution for the Town of Ontario and will act in normal banking capacity for the Town. Authorized signers for financial transactions will be Supervisor Kelsch and Town Business Manager/Accountant Paul Liess. Also adopted was a motion to establish $10,000,000 as the maximum amount that may be on deposit at any one financial institution.
- Moved was the re-approval of the Operating Policies for 2013: 4051P Procurement Policy, 4052P Investment Policy, and the amendment of the 4030AR Fee Schedule.
- Petty Cash and Change Funds as well as their authorized signatures were established for each department in the combined total amount of $1300. Additional designations were made to authorize Department Heads to make purchases from County and State Contracts within the Town’s Procurement Policy, and to adopt Robert’s Rules of Order for meetings except where Town Law conflicts.
– A motion was approved to appoint the following to various Advisory Boards: Stephen Leaty, William Peck, Lee Stramonine, Jerry Santangelo, Edward Collins, Rod Peets, and Cynthis Eisen. Advisory Board Chairpersons are Gail Grinnell (President of the Library Board), Edward Kerkhoven (Planning Board), and John Smith (Zoning Board of Appeals). These boards elect their own chairpersons. Monthly meeting days, as recommended by advisory boards/councils, were as follows: Planning Board – 2nd Tuesday; Zoning Board – 1st Wednesday; Parks & Recreation – 4th Tuesday; Watershed Management – 3rd Wednesday (2:00 p.m.). Meeting times and locations are determined by each board/council.
– The Board adopted a resolution consenting to the assignment of the Town’s Justices to preside in other Town & Village Courts as the need arises, and approved the temporary assignment of Justices from other courts as needed in 2013.
– The Ontario Town Board was designated as the Board of Water Commissioners and Robert Kelsch was appointed as Chairman of this Board. Members of the Records Management Council were appointed: Town Supervisor, Town Clerk, and Town employees Jennifer Benedict and Katie Kelsch. The Board accepted the Supervisor’s designations for the Town Board members’ departmental liasons. The Supervisor also appointed Councilwoman Lori Eaton-Smith as Deputy Town Supervisor for 2013.
- A motion was approved to authorize the Supervisor to sign contracts for the following: Dog Control (current contract good through 12/31/13), Alan J. Knauf, Attorney for the Town, Richard T. Williams, Deputy Attorney. and Raymond F. Wager CPA, PC, for Audit of Town and Court accounts. The Board named Concord Insurance (Thomas Glanton) as the broker of the General Liability and Public Officials insurance, with the insurance company Selective as the carrier at a premium not to exceed up to $136,894.00 for 2013. Councilman Robusto questioned why this proposal was accepted when it was almost $2000 higher than the lowest bid. The response was it was felt that a better understanding of the Town’s needs through past representation has resulted in more comprehensive services.
- Town Clerk Debra DeMinck explained the need to have a Town representative attend the annual Association of Towns Conference in New York City so that the Board can name an appropriate voting delegate. She also informed the Board that Geneology Search fees will increase from $5.00 to $10.00; the Town has records that date back to 1882, which is very helpful for those who need to research past people and events.
- County Business – Supervisor Kelsch shared the information that the County Board of Supervisors held their annual Organizational Meeting on January 2nd, at which Williamson Supervisor James Hoffman was designated as Chairman of the Board, with Sodus Supervisor Steve LeRoy as Deputy Chairman.
- Board Reports – Councilman Frank Robusto commended the holiday event during which Santa Claus visited various neighborhoods throughout the Town. It was a very successful event and delighted children and adults alike. Parks & Recreation Director Bill Riddell also complimented the Ontario Public Library for coordinating the tree-lighting ceremony during the Christmas season.
The Board adjourned to Executive Session at 7:42 to discuss pending legal action and to be updated on the Union negotiations. No further business was conducted at the close of the session. The next workshop meeting will be on January 21st at 7:00 p.m.; the next business meeting of the Town Board will be on January 14th at 7:00.
Submitted by Monica Deyo

Comments

comments