Rotterdam Town Board April 23, 2012 Agenda 5:00 p.m. CALL TO ORDER ROLLCALL PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE SUPERVISOR'S REPORT .:. Student Government Day - May 1, 2012. •:. Reminder: May 9, 2012 -Town Board Meeting is at the Rotterdam Jnnction Fire Department. PROCLAMATIONSIPRESENTATIONS: PUBLIC HEARINGS: PUBLIC COMMENTIPRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR (Those members of the public wishing to address the Town Board will be asked to sign in before the meeting is called to order on the sign-in sheets being provided. Speakers will be called to the podium in the order of their signing in. Persons recognized by the Chair to speak during privilege of the floor shall direct hislher comments to the Town Supervisor as Chair of the meeting. Persons granted the privilege of the floor shall first clearly state his/her name and address for the record. Persons so addressing the Chair through the use of a prepared written statement shall submit a copy of the same to the Town Clerk for the purpose ofmaintaining clear and accurate official minutes ofthe Town Board meeting.) General Rules of Procedure for Public Hearings & Privilege of the Floor: The purpose of a public hearing and/or privilege of the floor shall be for speakers to express their views, thoughts and speak freely. Public hearings and privilege of the floor are not meant to commence a dialogue with Town Board members, as Town Board will not comment as this time which is solely for the public to be heard. Each speaker, who wishes to address the Town Board and the public, shall have an equal and reasonable opportnnity to be heard by the Town Board and the public. Each speaker will state hislher name and address for the record. Each speaker shall be afforded a maximum of four (4) minutes to address the Town Board and public. 04/25/12
INTRODUCTION OF RESOLUTIONS AND MOTIONS: Res. No. 131.12 Amend Resolution No. 39.12, adopted on January 1,2012, pursuant to Town Law § 10 and §62, the agenda meeting shall be held at 5:30 p.m. prior to each scheduled Town Board Meeting, effective June 1,2012. 132.12 Amend Resolution No. 58.12 adopted on January I, 2012, authorizing the utilization of specific engineering firms to act as Town Designated Engineers for the calendar year 2012 to include MJ Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C. 133.12 Appoint Sharon L. Pederquist ofRotterdam, New York 12306, to the position of Clerk, part time, for the Town ofRotterdam Highway Department at an hourly rate of eleven dollars ($11.00) effective April 24, 2012. 134.12 Appoint Pina Melillo ofRotterdam, New York 12306, to the position of Clerk, part time, for the Town Justice at an hourly rate of eleven dollars ($11.00), effective April 25, 2012. 135.12 The Town Board and Town Clerk ofthe Town of Rotterdam to approve the business office hours being extended to include the month ofJune, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 136.12 Adopt standard work day for elected and appointed officials for the purpose of determining days worked reportable to the New York State and Local Employees' Retirement System. 137.12 A resolution authorizing the acquisition of four (4) police vehicles, authorizing the issuance of serial bonds in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed one hundred and forty five thousand ($145,000.00) dollars ofthe Town of Rotterdam, Schenectady County, New York, pursuant to the local fmance law to finance said purpose and delegating the power to issue bond anticipation notes in anticipation of the sale of such bonds to the Town Supervisor. 138.12 Award bids opened on Tuesday, March 27, 2012, to Harmony Tree Service, 350 Mariaville Road, Rotterdam, New York 12306, for tree cutting and removal services for the Town of Rotterdam Highway Department for the year 2012. 139.12 Award bids opened on Thursday, March 27, 2012, to cnAgri-Cycle, LLC, 4 Open Way Suite 421, Holyoke Massachusetts 0I 040, for the removal of compost for the Town of Rotterdam Highway Department for the year 2012. 140.12 Award bids opened on Tuesday, March 27, 2012, for the purchase ofhighway materials (crushed limestone, gravel and sand) for use by the Town ofRotterdam Highway Department for the year 2012. 141.12 Award bids opened on Tuesday, March 27,2012, for the purchase of highway materials (watertight end section, round corrugated plastic pipe and plastic underdrain perforated pipe) to Ferguson Enterprise Inc., 612 Pierce Road, Clifton Park, New York 12065, for use by the Town of Rotterdam Highway Department for the year 2012. 04/25/12 142.12 Award bids opened on Tuesday March 27, 2012, for the purchase of highway materials (manhole frames, manhole grates and manhole risers) to Chemung Supply, P.O. Box 527, Elmira, New York, 14902 for use by the Town of Rotterdam Highway Department for the year 2012.
COMNITTTEE REPORTS MISCELLANEOUS EXECUTIVE SESSION, as needed ADJOURNMENT HARRY C. BUFFARDI, Supervisor 04/25/12
ROTTERDAM Town again considers limiting its meetings BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Justin Mason at 395-3113 or jmason@dailygazette.net.
Rotterdam’s Town Board could soon start conducting its agenda meetings before the regular Wednesday business sessions, effectively halving the number of times the board convenes publicly each month. Board members will consider a resolution today that would eliminate the agenda meetings traditionally conducted on Mondays. If approved, the board in June would begin hosting its agenda session an hour and a half before its business meetings. Town Supervisor Harry Buffardi said the aim of scheduling the agenda and business meetings together is to increase efficiency. He said the change will eliminate the need for various town officials to attend two meetings in one week. “There is some will to do this among the board members and some of the staff that come to these meetings,” he said Tuesday. Buffardi said the change would also bring the town in line with other towns that schedule only two meetings per month. Smaller Schenectady County municipalities like Duanesburg and Princetown suffice with one regular meeting per month, in addition to an agenda meeting. Niskayuna halved the number of meetings several years ago. The town now conducts an agenda meeting about two weeks before the regular board meeting. However, both Schenectady and Glenville conduct four meetings per month. Both the City Council and Town Board, respectively, schedule two agenda sessions on different days than the two business meetings. The proposal in Rotterdam isn’t sitting well with everyone. Board member Robert Godlewski said reducing the number of meetings would essentially be another way for Buffardi’s administration to shut the public out of the town’s legislative process. “Whatever happened to open and transparent government?” he asked. Godlewski said the change also goes against what has historically been in place in the town. He said prior administrations all saw the importance in gathering four times a month. “Whether you’re a Republican or Democrat, it’s been the norm in this town for years,” he said. Then-town Supervisor Frank Del Gallo unsuccessfully proposed a similar reduction in meetings in 2010. Frustrated with the Town Board’s propensity to change his agenda, he suggested eliminating agenda meetings hosted every other Monday and instead review town business items before the normal Wednesday meeting. He also suggested the board halve the number of regular business meetings to one per month. Godlewski, who was Del Gallo’s deputy at the time, said he also opposed the change two years ago, just as he opposes the change now. He blamed Buffardi’s administration for trying to operate unfettered by public opinion. Godlewski was also critical of Buffardi earlier this year for reducing the three public comment periods to one at the beginning of the agenda for the bimonthly meetings. Public comment periods for agenda items and personnel items were both eliminated. Buffardi disagreed with Godlewski’s characterization and bristled at his criticism. He also faulted the board member for voicing his gripes to the media, rather than discussing them with fellow board members during their meeting Monday. “This is Bob Godlewski’s typical operating style,” he said.
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
134.12 Appoint Pina Melillo ofRotterdam, New York 12306, to the position of Clerk, part time, for the Town Justice at an hourly rate of eleven dollars ($11.00), effective April 25, 2012.
134.12 Appoint Pina Melillo ofRotterdam, New York 12306, to the position of Clerk, part time, for the Town Justice at an hourly rate of eleven dollars ($11.00), effective April 25, 2012.
99.9% sure she is a viscusi? Hope mikey abstained
No, he didn't. Matt Martin was the only one recusing himself of voting on anything last night, and I think that had something to do with GE.
Logged
.....................it never ends here in Rotterdam does it............
