Town Board Workshop Meeting Minutes for 10/20/2021

TOWN OF LAKE LUZERNE 

TOWN BOARD 

WORKSHOP MEETING BUDGET 

OCTOBER 20, 2021 

 

 

WORKSHOP MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER BY SUPERVISOR MERLINO AT 6 PM WITH THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS PRESENT: COUNCILMAN O’ NEAL, COUNCILMAN LEWANDOWSKI, COUNCILMAN FAZIO, COUNCILMAN WATERHOUSE. 

 

 

QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION REGARDING 2022 BUDGET 

 

TENTATIVE BUDGET IS ONLINE FOR PUBLIC TO FOLLOW 

 

PAYROLL RAISES IN THE BUDGET WERE CONFIGURED USING SALES TAX AND ADJUSTMENT IN PAYMENT OF GARBAGE TRUCK. 

 

GENERAL REVENUE- FRANCHISE FEES ARE PAID TWICE PR YR. BY SPECTRUM 

 

CLERK FEES CODES ARE IN THE COMPUTER 

 

MORTGAGE TAXES ARE PAID IN TWO PAYMENTS PR YEAR. NEXT ONE IN NOVEMBER PR CAPITA IS STATE AID. SAME EVERY YEAR 

 

CARES ACT MONEY CANNOT BE COUNTED 

 

EXPENSES- SELF EXPLANATORY 

 

JUSTICES- TWO PEOPLE 

 

PAUL LEWANDOWSKI- WHAT DO THE CODES ACTUALLY MEAN . 1 . 2.

 

21 CODES HAVE A. 1 OR . 41 AN D 13 PEOPLE THAT DO THE JOB. 

 

THAT IS BECAUSE THERE ARE WORKERS WHO DO MULTIPLE JOBS FROM DIFFERENT CODES. WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE FIGURES BROKEN DOWN. 

 

IF THE HIGHWAY DEPT. WORKS IN WATER DISTRICT THEY ARE PAID FROM THE WATER DISTRICT RECORDS MANAGEMENT LINE STILL HAS MONEY TO BE USED.

BOOKKEEPER ADVISED THAT ANYONE IS INVITED TO COME TO HER OFFICE AND GO OVER THE LINES OF THE BUDGET WHICH IS A STATE FORM 

 

SALARIES OF ELECTED OFFICIALS OFFICIALS HAVE TO PUBLISHED IN THE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING COUNCILMAN FAZIO WANTS MONEY MOVED TO THE ZONING LINE FOR A DEPUTY ASSISTANT ZEO INCREASES TO SALARIES HAVE BEEN FIGURES AT 3% 

 

THERE IS NOT A BOOKKEEPER LINE 

 

UNALLOCATED INSURANCE IS LIABILITY 

 

PERSONAL SERVICES 1520. 1 IS THE BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS CREW 3 CATEGORIES. THEY ARE PAID FROM BUILDINGS PARKS AND REFUSE AND GARBAGE. HOURLY PR EACH ACCORDING TO WORK DONE. THE CEMETERY SHOULD BE INCLUDED AND COULD BE PUT IN THE BUNDLED LINES AS THERE IS MOWING THAT SHOULD BE BILLED FROM THAT LINE. IT DOES NOT CHANGE THE BUDGET CONTINGENCY FUND IS IN THE BUDGET FOR UNEXPECTED CONDITIONS. 

 

TRAFFIC CONTROL IS USED FOR PURCHASE OF SIGNS FROM GENERAL FUND PR HIGHWAY LAW AS DOES HIGHWAY SUPERINTENDENT SALARY COMES FROM GENERAL FUND 

 

BUILDINGS LINE FOR SALARY LINE HAS NOT BEEN USED. SNAPSHOT OF BUDGETS PR AUGUST FIGURES. THERE ARE FOUR MONTHS LEFT. IT HAS BEEN CUT BACK SOME DUE TO THE DECREASE IN OVERTIME. SCHOOL TRAFFIC OFFICER- NO MONEY BUDGETED. HIGH SCHOOL IS THERE INSTEAD OF ELEMENTARY. BOARD OF HEALTH PERSON IS ALSO ZEO. PUBLIC HEALTH IS PHYSICAL AND DRUG TESTING SIDEWALK WORK HAS JUST COMMENCED AND NOT YET BILLED TO THOSE LINES. BILLS ARE JUST COMING IN.

 

PROGRAMS FOR AGING AND PROGRAM DIRECTOR. INCREASED THE HOURS OF THE WORKERS. BOARD MEMBERS WERE ASKED ABOUT THE INCREASE TO 30 HRS. THE WORKERS CAME TO A MEETING AND PRESENTED THE REQUEST TO THE BOARD. 

 

TWO DEPARTMENTS WERE UNDER PAID. HIGHWAY DEPT. WAS UNDERPAID AND REQUESTED 6% INCREASE. HE WOULD LIKE MERIT RAISES. INCLUDED THE 6% ACROSS THE BOARD. ACCUSATIONS OF BUYING VOTES ENSUED. 

 

DISCUSSION OF CHANGING PROCESS IN HIGHWAY DEPT. PAYROLL BASED ON MERIT/ CLASSIFICATION. BOOKKEEPER ADVISED THAT THE RAISE IN THE BUILDING IS NOT BEING CONSIDERED LIKE IT IS IN THE HIGHWAY AND BUILDINGS DEPT. SHE STATED THAT ALL THROUGHOUT COVID WORKERS WERE PRESENT AND WORKING IN THE TOWN BUILDING WHILE THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS DID NOT WORK. COUNCILMAN FAZIO AGAIN CHARGED VOTE BUYING BUY DISCUSSING THE POSSIBLE 6% RAISE WITH WORKERS BEFORE THE BOARD AGREED TO IT. SUPERVISOR SAID HE DISCUSSED IT WITH HIGHWAY SUPT NOT THE WORKERS. HIGHWAY SUPT CONFIRMED THAT THE DISCUSSION WAS WITH HIMSELF AND DEPUTY HIGHWAY SUPT BROOKS. THAT IS WAS A PROPOSAL NOT THAT THEY WERE GETTING IT. COUNCILMAN WATERHOUSE- EVERYONE GOT 3%. 

 

DISCUSSION THAT RESERVE FUNDS ARE SPECIFIED FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES. 

 

 

AMBULANCE REPLACEMENT DISCUSSION 

 

SALES TAX ESTIMATES ARE A PREDICTION AND SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS. 

 

WHERE IS THE EXTRA MONEY TO COME FROM TO TAKE CARE OF 6% FOR HIGHWAY? 20K HAS BEEN ADDED TO CHIPS BUDGET WHICH IS WHERE THE INCREASE IS FIGURED. THE STATE IS AN UNKNOWN. REVENUES IN HIGHWAY- WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE SALT LINE INCREASED 

 

COUNCILMAN WANTS HIGHWAY SUPT INPUT ON WHO GETS 6% IN HIS DEPARTMENT ONLY. SURROUNDING TOWNS ARE PAYING MORE AND ADDING INCENTIVES. SUPERINTENDENT WILL COME UP WITH WHAT HE FEELS HIS CREW DESERVES NOT PERCENTAGES. 

 

BUDGET NEEDS TO BE MOVED TO PRELIMINARY STAGE. 

 

 

HIGHWAY SUPT WANTS TO SEE SALT LINE INCREASED. BRINE WORKS WELL BUT IT IS NOT THE ONLY TOOL USED. 

 

DISCUSSION THAT THE SALT LINE CANNOT GO DOWN. IT SHOULD GO UP EVERY YEAR. LAST YEAR WAS EASY. BRINE IS A LEANING CURVE. SALT, BRINE AND SNOW REMOVAL ONE LINE. WHEN HIGHWAY SUPT GETS INFORMATION TOGETHER PER RAISES ETC. BUDGET OFFICER CAN GET THE NUMBERS TOGETHER. 

 

IMPROVEMENTS IS A PAYROLL LINE FOR WORKING ON HIGHWAY WHICH CAN BE BILLED TO CHIPS MACHINERY CONTRACTUAL- PARTS 

 

GENERAL REPAIRS ONLY WENT UP 5. HIGHWAY SUPT WILL WORK WITH BUDGET CHANGES MACHINERY EQUIPMENT- WORKING TO GET QUOTES ON SOME THINGS 

 

SNOW REMOVAL. 4- ROAD SALT- SEPARATED OUT AS WAS FUEL TO MAKE IT LESS CUMBERSOME BUDGET IS ABOUT HALF SPENT WHICH IS ABOUT CORRECT..4 IS OK 

 

WILL NEED TO KNOW ESTIMATES FOR OVERTIME 

 

 

INSURANCE POLICY STILL NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY RESOLUTION AT THE REGULAR MEETING. PRESCRIPTION PLAN IS STILL OUTSTANDING INFORMATION. 

 

SALT BUDGET TO INCREASE TO 75K. 

 

 

THE BUDGET CANNOT EXCEED THE 2% CAP. 

 

 

HEALTH INSURANCE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AT THE NEXT MEETING MONDAY NIGHT, DISCUSSION REGARDING CDL CLASSIFICATIONS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT EXPERTISE OSHA TRAINING RECORDS. TRAINING CLASSES IS CURRENTLY DONE THROUGH WARREN COUNTY BUDGET OFFICER NEEDS SPECIFIC PAY REQUESTS. 

 

 

WATER- INTEREST IN SW1 IS. IN THE SPRING INTEREST AND PENALTIES CAN BE ASSESSED AGAIN. WATER SPENT IS LARGE DUE TO WATER WELLS AND HYDRANT PURCHASE 

 

ANNUAL WATER REPORT IS PRINTED OUT OF. 4 AND POSTAGE AND SUPPLIES 

 

TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION IS RON . SOME PAYROLL IS IN THAT LINE. RON COULD BE . 1 AND OTHER MEN COULD BE . 12 

 

 

DISCUSSION OF MEDICAL INSURANCE IS DOWN 13K 

 

RETIREE INS IS UP. 

 

IN AUGUST THE SNAPSHOT LOOKING AT PRIOR YEAR ENABLED THE REDUCTION. LOOKING TO SEE IF LAST YEAR WAS OVERESTIMATED IS ALSO CONSIDERED. 

 

DISABILITY IS NOT MUCH AND OUT OF GENERAL 

 

WORKER COMP WENT DOWN 

 

NYS SENDS INVOICE PROJECTED AND IS THEN SPREAD OUT. 

 

 

SW2 IS A FLAT FEE WATER DISTRICT AND TAXED AS THE SPECIAL DISTRICT. THE METERING BILL IN CORINTH MADE IT DIVIDED AMONG USERS. WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP THE SAME RATE. PROPERTY IN THE DISTRICT AS WELL. 

 

 

DISCUSSION REGARDING PAY SCALE TO BE CONSIDERED. 

 

 

ATTORNEY CROWE ADVISED THAT FROM THE TIME THE BOARD APPROVES THE PRELIMINARY BUDGET THERE NEEDS TO BE A 5 DAYS FROM THE FIRST PUBLICATION PRIOR TO THE PUBLIC HEARING. MONDAY AT 7 PM TO CONTINUE BUDGET WORKSHOP AND THEN SPECIAL MEETING FOR HEALTH INSURANCE. SMALL CHANGES TO THE BUDGET CAN BE MADE AT PUBLIC HEARING AS WELL. IF YOU APPROVE CHANGES AND MAKE IT THE PRELIMINARY BUDGET, THAT IS WHAT IS GIVEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR COMMENTS, ALSO BY NOV 20TH IF YOU DON’ T HAVE YOUR BUDGET, IT WILL BE THE PRELIMINARY BUDGET. 

 

 

MEETING ADJOURNED UPON A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN LEWANDOWSKI, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN O’ NEAL AT 8 PM 

 

 

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED, 

CYNTHIA SHERWOOD, TOWN CLERK