This article appeared in the Townsman, November 13 edition
The special meeting of the Woodstock town board held to dispose of the proposed 2009 budgets for the water and sewer districts, and to discuss the general fund was characterized by numerous flare-ups, split votes and Johnny-come-lately proposals.
First on the agenda were the water and sewer district budgets, the public hearings for such having been opened and closed on October 21. Despite having heard comment at the public hearings from only one member of the public, Joan Schwartzberg, whose comments were directed to the November 1 as opposed to December 1 date for effecting the new rates (December 1st is a date for quarterly meter readings), councilwoman Liz Simonson nevertheless anguished over the proposal to add a third employee to the water/sewer department and the $30,000 increase in the overall district budgets it would entail. Water/sewer employee costs are paid 45% by the water district, 45% the hamlet sewer district, and 10% by the on-site districts. Supervisor Jeff Moran explained that the water/sewer departments had long been shorthanded, reminding the board that at one time four employees, as opposed to the present 2, ran the water/sewer department. With respect to Simonson's suggestion that they hire a part time employee, Moran explained that the water/sewer department was a round-the-clock operation and that a part timer could not be relied on for emergencies that may arise, such as burst water mains.
Simonson, expressing her belief that the Town is on the "precipice of a major financial problem" as a result of diminished revenues, particularly mortgage tax and sales tax receipts (which are not used to finance water/sewer costs), urged the board to take a "leadership position" and not continue "business as usual."
Her last comment caused councilman Chris Collins to observe that "safety and efficiency" were vital to the water/sewer districts, and the decision to hire an additional employee was prudent. "This is not business as usual," said Collins. "So I don't know, Liz, what you mean by that statement."
Simonson replied, "You don't understand how to make this decision," which caused Collins to take umbrage, asserting, "We can't afford to let the departments fall apart," and going to far as to ask for an apology. Simonson reminded the board that the "cash cow"(mortgage tax and sales tax receipts) was over, and after making an apology to Collins added that she felt "attacked." Continuing, Simonson said, "I have not seen it proven [the need for an additional full time employee],"and "We should have tried to come up with another way."
Councilman Jay Wenk muddied up the waters with his opinion that running the water/sewer departments with four persons "is more sensible," but sided with Simonson on the suggestion to budget for the existing two full timers and one part timer.
Simonson with Wenk voted nay on all three district budgets, which incidentally were amended to include Schwartzberg's recommendation to use December 1st as the effective date for the new rates. Moran, Collins and councilwoman Terrie Rosenblum voted in the affirmative.
Water district customers will see their rate increase to 31¢ per 100 gallons, and hamlet sewer district customers will see their rate increase to 98¢ per one hundred gallons. Single-family dwellings in the sewer district also will pay approximately $403 in benefit unit charges.
With the water/sewer budgets disposed of, attention turned to the general fund. The supervisor's request made at the October 30th meeting for budget amendment proposals from members of the board apparently was not honored, Simonson explaining she had been too busy, the others apparently not having any suggestions, so matters were presented on a cold dish.
Simonson, in response to the 12% projected increase in costs for providing health insurance to elected officials and employees of the Town ($580,000 for '08, $638,000 for '09) proposed to decrease costs by increasing the co-pay for medical visits and prescriptions from $10.00 to $20.00. Other proposals included offering less generous buy- outs to those employees who get their health coverage from other sources (employees of the Town eligible for health insurance provided by the Town may get a cash buy-out in lieu of receiving medical insurance benefits; currently the buy-out is 50% of the Town's cost of providing the coverage). The surprise from this discussion, which otherwise went nowhere when it was pointed out that changes in the co-pays would require prior negotiation with the unions representing a significant portion of Town workers, was her announcement that three members of the town board were receiving such buy-outs.
Simonson also questioned the need for an additional employee in the building department. This perhaps indicates that she does not anticipate passage within the next year of the 23-page amendment to the zoning law regulating development near wetland and watercourses, which she had presented to the town board in October and which would require additional building department staff for its enforcement if it were to be adopted.
Collins rescinded his request to budget $12,000 for a survey of the Comeau property in anticipation of the Town's signing an agreement with the Woodstock Land Conservancy to enforce a conservation easement on the property. With regard to the easement, just recently upheld by a decision of the New York State Court of Appeals after five years of litigation, Wenk announced that he had asked assemblyman Kevin Cahill for a $22,000 member item to pay for the survey and the $10,000 fee the Conservancy will receive for enforcing the easement once it is signed. No word yet on whether is request will be honored, but he did appear hopeful.
The discussion of matters concerning the general fund and its proposed tax hike of approximately 8.5%, sometimes contentious, did not result in a single resolution with regard to altering the budget, which will be the subject of a public hearing on the Wednesday before this paper goes to print.
The meeting, which had begun at 4:00 pm in the Town Offices, adjourned at approximately 5:20.
There was no meeting of the town board on Tuesday, November 11 in observance of Veterans Day.
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