April 18, 2022 Public Hearing

APRIL 18^TH, 2022                                                                      PUBLIC HEARING BUDGET

 

                                                                                                VILLAGE OF GREENWOOD LAKE

                                                                                                P.O. BOX 7, 18 CHURCH STREET

                                                                                                GREENWOOD LAKE, NY 10925

 

 

 

PRESENT:        MAYOR:          JESSE DWYER

 

                        TRUSTEES:      KATHELEEN HOLDER

                                                KELLI ANN KELM

                                                CHAD SELLIER

 

                        ATTORNEY:    JOHN BUCKHEIT

 

ABSENT:          TRUSTEE:       THOMAS HOWLEY

 

 

MAYOR DWYER STATED WE WENT OVER THIS IN BUDGET WORKSHOPS.  I CALLED THE SANITATION COMPANY BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO RAISE OUR PRICE BY OVER $60,000.  IT STATES IN OUR CONTRACT THAT THEY CAN ONLY RAISE IT 2%.  THEY ASKED ME TO SEND IT TO THEM IN WRITING SO THEY CAN TAKE IT BACK TO THEIR LEGAL TEAM, SO I DID.  THAT WAS TODAY.  THE PROBLEM IS THIS.  I DON’T WANT TO LOWER THE BUDGET BECAUSE THEY ARE LOOKING AT IT AS IF WE REBID IT, IT WILL COME IN HIGHER.  THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY GARBAGE COMPANIES IN THE AREA.  IF A 2% INCREASE WON’T COVER THEIR COSTS THEY MAY ASK FOR A REBID.  THEY CERTAINLY HAVE INCREASES IN FUEL COSTS.  WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO AT THIS POINT IN TIME.  THEY ARE ASKING FOR A 15% INCREASE.    I BELIEVE ALL THESE GARBAGE COMPANIES TALK TO EACH OTHER.  I THINK OTHER GARBAGE COMPANIES WON’T BID ON A CONTRACT THAT IS HELD BY SOMEONE ELSE.  THE LAST TIME WE REBID COUNTY WASTE GAVE US A ROUGH PROPOSAL AND WE WENT OUT TO REBID AND THEIR FIGURE WAS SO MUCH HIGHER.    AT THIS POINT INTERSTATE WASTE HAS THE OPTION OF RENEWING AT 2% OR NOT RENEWING AND FORCING US TO REBID.  IF WE HAVE TO GO OUT TO BID, WE HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTING A LOT OF SERVICE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAD, DOCUMENTATION THAT THEY LEFT GLASS ON THE ROAD AND I WILL HAVE A POLICE CAR FOLLOWING THEM THIS WEEK TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE NOT DROPPING GLASS AND WILL ISSUE A TICKET IF THEY DROP ANY DEBRIS.  THERE ARE TWO CRITERIA FOR BIDDING.  LOWEST BIDDER AND QUALIFIED BIDDER.  IT’S GOING TO GET UGLY.  I LEFT THE HIGHER PRICE IN THE BUDGET AT THIS TIME. 

 

TRUSTEE SELLIER ASKED HOW MANY VIABLE OTHER PLAYERS ARE OUT THERE?  I KNOW THERE IS COUNTY WASTE. 

 

MAYOR DWYER STATED YES AND THERE ARE OTHERS. 

 

TRUSTEE SELLIER STATED DOES THIS OPEN THE DOOR FOR NEGOTIATIONS?  OR IS IT EITHER 2% OR REBID.   WHAT PERCENTAGE WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE AT THIS POINT.

 

MAYOR DWYER REPLIED I DON’T KNOW.  THEY CAN’T LEAVE US WITHOUT GARBAGE PICKUP.  WE WOULD SUE THEM. 

 

MAYOR DWYER STATED I HAD DANIELLE CALCULATE THE SHORT TERM RENTAL FEES INCOME, AND THE FEES HAVE GONE UP SO WE INCREASED THAT. 

 

MAYOR DWYER STATED THIS BUDGET KEEPS US UNDER THE TAX CAP.  IT ALLOCATES $188,000 FROM OUR FUND BALANCE AND WE STILL HAVE THE FEDERAL MONEY TO OFFSET THE BUDGET.  WE NEED TO PUT IT IN THERE BUT HOPEFULLY WE WON’T NEED IT. 

 

MAYOR DWYER STATED WE MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS IN THE POLICE BUDGET.  WE ARE ELIMINATING THE OVERNIGHT DISPATCHERS.   WE WILL HAVE 911 DO OUR OVERNIGHTS AND THAT WILL SAVE US A LOT OF MONEY.  THERE WILL BE POLICE OFFICERS THERE IF SOMEONE WALKS IN TO HANDLE THOSE EMERGENCIES.  THE POLICE OFFICER WILL HAVE A CELL PHONE ON THEM AT ALL TIMES.  IF SOMEONE DIALS 911 IT GOES TO THE COUNTY ALREADY.   WE ARE TRYING TO CONTROL COSTS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. 

 

MAYOR DWYER STATED WE ARE UNDER THE TAX CAP, WE ARE MAINTAINING ALL OUR SERVICES, THERE ARE NO MAJOR CUTS.  WE HAVE SOME OTHER REVENUE, SUCH AS INCREASED IN SALES TAX, REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS, ETC.  ALL OF OUR INVESTMENTS ARE LONG LASTING.  I EXPECT THE REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS WILL SLOW DOWN.  THE BEACH WILL HOPEFULLY BE COVERED 100% NEXT YEAR.   THE REVENUE FOR THIS YEAR IS STILL COMING IN AND WE ARE SELLING BEACH PASSES RIGHT NOW AT A DISCOUNTED RATE.  THE SAME THING WILL BE DONE NEXT YEAR.  AFTER JUNE 1^ST PRICES GO UP.  WE ARE NOT GOING TO OPEN FULL TIME AFTER MEMORIAL DAY.  WE TRIED OPENING SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AT THAT POINT AND IT REALLY WASN’T COST EFFECTIVE.  WE WILL OPEN MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, BUT BE OPEN FOR WEEKENDS ONLY UNTIL SCHOOL GETS OUT THE ENDD OF JUNE.  CONCESSIONS ARE GOING WELL, AS ARE EVENTS.  WE HAVE CASPER INVOLVED AND HE IS PROBABLY BRINGING US ANOTHER $30,000 A YEAR. 

 

TRUSTEE SELLIER ASKED WHEN WE HAVE OTHER POLICE DEPARTMENTS COME AND COVER FOR US HOW DOES THAT EFFECT OUR BUDGET. 

 

MAYOR DWYER REPLIED IT DOESN’T.  WE DON’T PAY THEM.  WE COVER FOR THEM WHEN NECESSARY AS WELL.    I HAVE ASKED FOR BOMB SNIFFING DOGS AT ALL OF OUR BIG EVENTS, SUCH AS 4^TH OF JULY FIREWORKS, SO THE CHIEF PUT WORD OUT AND ALMOST ALL DEPARTMENTS SAID NO PROBLEM.  IT’S A RECIPRICOL ARRANGEMENTS. 

 

TRUSTEE HOLDER ASKED ISN’T CASPER DOING THE WHOLE FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND. 

 

MAYOR DWYER STATED HE’S DOING THE FRIDAY NIGHT CONCERT.  SATURDAY NIGHT WILL BE FREE AS USUAL. 

 

TRUSTEE HOLDER ASKED ARE WE PAYING FOR ANYTHING FRIDAY NIGHT?  CASPER ASKED ME WHAT THE BUDGET WAS FOR THAT NIGHT.

 

MAYOR DWYER STATED NO. IF THAT’S THE CASE WE WILL NOT BE HAVING THE CONCERT. 

HE IS PAYING US $7500 FOR FRIDAY NIGHT TO USE THE PARK.  SATURDAY HE IS HAVING BEER TRUCKS AND VENDORS AND WILL BE PAYING US A PERCENTAGE OF THAT.    THERE ARE NO TICKET SALES FOR SATURDAY. 

 

MAYOR DWYER STATED SO THAT IS WHERE WE ARE AT. 

 

TRUSTEE SELLIER IT LOOKS LIKE NO HARD DOLLARS ARE COMING OUT OF THE FUND BALANCE WHICH IS GOOD.    THE WATER BUDGET IS BASICALLY THE SAME.  WE SHOULD HEAR SOON ON THE WIIA GRANT. 

 

MAYOR DWYER OPENED THE HEARING TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

 

NO COMMENTS

 

MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

 

MOTIONED BY TRUSTEE SELLIER.  SECONDED BY TRUSTEE KELM.  ALL AYES TO SAID MOTION, ONE ABSENT.

 

HEARING ADJOURNED. 

 

 

RESPECTFULLY YOURS,

 

 

PATRICIA OLSEN

VILLAGE CLERK/ TREASURER