Town of Walworth – October 18, 2012

Supervisor Plant called to order a meeting of the board at 7:30 PM in the Walworth Town Hall. Meeting minutes from the October 4th, 2012 board meeting was both approved as presented, as was the Supervisor’s Report for the month of September, 2012. The board then recessed the meeting to meet in Executive Session for a litigation matter at 7:31 PM. The board returned and called the meeting back to order at 7:47 PM, and further authorized the Attorney for the Town, Ms. Denise Munson, to contact both Excellus and Paychex on behalf of the Town of Walworth.

Several public comments were offered regarding the proposed sale of the Center Street basketball and tennis court playground. A Church Street resident questioned the board on the dismantling of a town playground, noting the playground is used heavily by children of all ages on a daily basis. A second resident of Main Street, whose property line backs up to the basketball court also came forward, explaining that her 5 children and numerous other children use the tennis and basketball courts daily, and voiced her concern that the playground provides great opportunity for kids to get fresh air and exercise, stay off the streets, and develop a passion for sports. A third resident of High Street came before the board and appealed to the board that his property affords him a bird’s eye view of the basketball courts, and assured the board that the property is being utilized by youth on a daily basis and offers a great service to the community. Lastly Mr. Steve MacNeal approached the board as a representative of the Walworth Hamlet Organization, also to speak against the sale of the Center Street Courts. He acknowledged the town board’s concern over the additional cost of liability insurance which would cover skateboarding activities at the playground, and suggested an alternative: he proposed to prohibit skateboarding entirely via posted signs on the property. Mr. MacNeal reported having spoken to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department who assured him that, if posted, their office would patrol the playground and pursue violators. In an effort to meet the town halfway, the Walworth Hamlet Organization proposed to purchase the signage and pledged to also volunteer its time to help clear and maintain the property. Supervisor Plant thanked the public for their attendance and comments and explained the board will further discuss this matter during the 2013 proposed public budget hearing which will be held on Thursday, November 1st.

Under Committee Reports Councilwoman Marini presented a proposal to the board from Complete Payroll Processing, which offers the same services as Paychex provides to the town, at a significantly reduced cost. Supervisor Plant responded that the board will discuss it further during the upcoming budget hearing.
Councilman Ruth spoke to the board regarding the possible rental lease agreement for the Walworth-Seely Public Library, located within the Walworth Town Hall. He reported the Library Board and the Town Board have agreed to hold a special meeting on Thursday, December 13th to discuss this matter further. Mr. Ruth also reported that 25-50 dog licenses are currently past their renewal date and that a late fee of $10 will be applied to these licenses. Lastly, Mr. Ruth reintroduced the matter of storage space in the town hall for record keeping and proposed the board reconsider the idea of converting records over to microfische, which will solve the storage space issue and additionally make records easier to retreive. “We need to get on board with the 20th century and I recommend this is the way to go.” The board further discussed the microfische topic and a motion was made and approved to add an additional license for mocrofisching records at a cost not to exceed $4,500.00.

Councilman Pembroke reported to the board that the town was awarded a grant for a Feasibility Study for the merging of the Towns of Marion and Walworth Wastewater Treatment Plants. Mr. Pembroke also noted that he spoke with the Walworth Lions Club regarding the proposed sale of the Center Street Courts to gain knowledge of their opinion, and reported that the Lions Club members unanimously responded that the town should keep the playground.

In other business the board approved setting the following Public Hearings, to be held on Thursday, November 1, 2012 in the Walworth Town Hall Meeting Room: The 2013 Preliminary Budget Hearing, the Lincoln Fire Department Budget Hearing – November 1, 2012 @ 7:50 PM, and the West Walworth Fire Department Budget Hearing – November 1, 2012 @ 7:55 PM.

The board also agreed to table Resolution #93-12 giving authorization to Supervisor Plant to sign the Inter-Municipal Agreement with the MS4 Coalition, in order for board members and the town atorney to further review the proposed contract. The board then discussed an Out-Of-District Sewer Request from Mr. Conrad Russell of 1879 Sherburne Road. Upon the review of Mr Russell’s submitted plans the board approved the request noting that all expenses, including engineering, will be at the resident’s expense and his rate was set at prevailing current rates.

Under Resolutions the board approved Resolution #91-12, the Wayne Central School District Salt / Sanding Agreement at a cost of $20.00 per trip; Resolution # 92-12, Financial Transfers as outlined by the Town Controller, in the amount of $6,779.14; and Resolution #94-12, a relase for the Stalker Road Force Main Replacement in the amount of $9,778.72.

No other business came before the board and the meeting was adjourned. The next regular meeting of the Walworth Town Board will be held on Thursday, November 1st, at 7:30 PM in the Walworth Town Hall.
by Becky Block

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