VILLAGE of GREENWOOD LAKE

BOARD MEETING

MONDAY, AUGUST 14, 2023

 

VILLAGE OF GREENWOOD LAKE

PO BOX 7, 18 CHURCH STREET

GREENWOOD LAKE, NY 10925

 

Mayor Matthew Buckley called to order the Village Board Meeting at 7:41 pm on August 14, 2023, for the Village of Greenwood Lake located at 18 Church Street in Greenwood Lake, NY.

 

The following persons were present:

  • Mayor Mathew Buckley
  • Deputy Mayor Kelli Kelm
  • Trustee Nancy Clifford
  • Trustee Chad Sellier
  • Trustee Thomas Howley
  • Attorney John Buckheit

 

MAYOR’S REPORT/ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus will be presenting fireworks on Saturday, September 2, 2023, at the Thomas Morahan town beach at 9:30pm following a performance of “Ladies of the Eighties.”
  • The Bed Race will take place Saturday, September 9, 2023, at 12pm starting with a parade of the beds. Trophies and prizes will be awarded.

CORRESPONDENCE

  • Letter from the Lions Club thanking the village for use of the Greenwood Lake Senior Center as a permanent home.
  • Letter from the Greenwood Lake Centennial Committee inviting the village to take part in their Centennial Float Parade which will take place on August 17, 2024, at 11am.
  • Flyer from Kelly Eskew, Orange County Clerk, offering registration for a free tool to help detect fraud alert.

VISITING OFFICIAL REPORTS: 

Floyd DeAngelo had no report.

REPORTS OF BOARDS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS 

PARKS DEPT: Ed Bilello reported that the Parks Department has been bust doing routine maintenance including tending to village lawns, trees, shrubs, and ornamental grasses as well as taking care of the garbage at the beach and throughout the village.  A new door has been ordered for the Police Department and a new fence is being installed between Victory Acres and the bus garage.  The ball fields are being prepared for the season including grooming and new clay.  The soccer field is mowed and trim and the lawn for the Farmers’ Market is being maintained.

 

DPW: Bill Roe reported that Ten Eycke paving will start in the next few weeks.

 

POLICE DEPARTMENT: Officer Gomas reported the following for July 2023:

 

COMPLAINTS: 972

ARRESTS: 11

TRAFFIC SUMMONSES: 101

PARKING SUMMONSES: 1

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS: 7

 

WATER DEPARTMENT:  Operator Phil Landru reported:

  • For the months of July and August we’re pleased to report that our two wells are easily meeting the summer demand for water.
  • But the treatment plant is having some issues.
    • First, the #2 filter unit is having performance issues and has been taken offline. The symptoms are indicating a plumbing manifold issue on the bottom of the bed. The #1 unit is providing adequate filtration. But along with the necessity of having a back-up filter, we ideally prefer running two beds in tandem to provide the best water quality. We’ll be meeting with our engineers tomorrow to make arrangements with a contractor to have the media sucked out. Make the necessary repairs and repack the bed to factory specifications. Even though the media still seems to be doing its job, it does have 15 years of run time which is right in the time frame for recommended replacement.
    • Secondly, summer temperatures have TOC’s (Total Organic Carbon) up. The problem with TOC’s is that they react with chlorine out in the system and produce disinfection byproducts (DBP’s). We are still well within Health Department compliance, but a distribution system flush is the best means of getting rid of any potential disinfection by-products. They usually show up first in the outer reaches of the system where TOC/Chlorine contact time is the longest.

And until the issues are resolved in the #2 filter, we can’t make enough water in the time necessary to recover quickly enough to get a thorough system flush done in a few days.

  • And as I mentioned earlier in my report that we will be meeting with our engineers tomorrow to address and discuss these issues in finer detail along with the ongoing projects like the back-up generator, the VFD Project in Lakelands. Along with the Green Sand Pilot Study and soda ash system at the plant.

 

COMMISSION REPORTS

Trustee Clifford: Stephanie Summers was awarded the Girl Scout Gold Award this past Saturday. The Chamber of Commerce was present for the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Trials End Taphouse. The annual Town of Warwick Senior Barbecue will take place Tuesday, August 22, 2023, at the Warwick Town Park at 11am.

Trustee Howley: The beach seems to be doing well even though the weather has not been great.  The lifeguards and grounds crew are keeping everyone safe and doing a great job.  PD is hiring two new part time officers to cover the elementary school.

Trustee Kelm: K9 training took place at the Greenwood Lake Elementary School this past week; neighboring agencies and Greenwood Lake PD were involved as well as member of the NYPD.  The Greenwood Lake Public Library’s summer reading is in full swing.  Please check out their website for all available programs.

Trustee Sellier: This report is for the month of July. The building department took in $7,052 in month of July highlighted by buildings permits, short term rental registrations/inspections, and stop work orders. There was no Planning Board meeting in July.   The ZBA had three applicants before it in moth of July: 612 Jersey Avenue and 11 County Route 5 both received variances. The third applicant, Benjamin’s Steakhouse, is seeking two variances but were continued.  One variance is for height and the other has to so with the rear property line. Plans are available for viewing in Village Hall.

Attorney Report – John Buckheit confidential written report submitted.

Clerk’s Report- Katheleen Holder: We are continuing to collect taxes and water payments. New water bills will be going out in September. The Clerk’s office will be implementing an appointment system for notary services in the near future.

 

OLD BUSINESS

Lake Management: Tomorrow, August 14, 2023, Black Lagoon will begin clipper treatment of the lake to treat for water chestnut and milfoil.  They are also coming up with a long-term solution for lake management.

Waterstone Sidewalk: The project is moving forward and is starting at the other side of the storm sewer on Windermere and continuing to the gazebo. The project should be completed in October.

Water Plant: The village will be meeting with Phil Landru, our water operator, and our engineers tomorrow, August 14, 2023, to discuss the water plant project which is in planning stages.

MS4 Mapping Grant: the village is anticipating receiving this grant.  This grant helps us map storm drains and keep us DEC compliant.

 

NEW BUSINESS

Golf Carts:  The village is considering permitting golf carts within village limits on certain roads. This would alleviate traffic congestion and parking issues for various village events, notably beach concerts and fireworks.

Expanding Permits for Weed Harvesting & Dredging: the village is working on ascertaining permits to treat any part of the lake within the village instead of just the north arm.

Black Lagoon/MHE/DEC Long Term Lake Management Plan: we are working with our engineers and the DEC to create a long-term lake management plan.

Grant for Vac Truck: our engineer is pursuing a grant to purchase a vac truck for the village.  The vac truck would be used to clear storm drains, culverts, etc.

NPG Grant:  This grant would provide funds to complete an engineering study to explore the stormwater retrofit projects in accordance with the DEC. The award would be for $50,000.

HAB’s in NY end of Greenwood Lake: Our side of the lake is safe for swimming as per the Department of Health; the notifications for harmful algae blooms only pertain to the southern end of the lake.

Zoning and Planning Board attendance: Members who have not been attending meetings are being replaced.  Both boards will eventually be combined into one board.

Speed limit in Greenwood Park from 15 MPH to 5 MPH:  There have been numerous complaints about speeding in the area of the Town Beach.

 

EVENTS:       

  • Farmers’ Market: Saturday mornings
  • ZBA Meeting: 8/17/23 at the Senior Center at 7:30pm
  • Labor Fireworks and Concert: 9/2/23 starting at 7pm
  • Planning Board Meeting: 9/7/23 at 7:30pm at Village Hall
  • Teen Nights at the Community Center:   2-5th grade Tuesdays 4-6pm; 6-8th graders Tuesdays 6-8pm
  • GWL Skate Park 5K Run: 9/10/23

 

PRIVILIGE OF THE FLOOR

 

Jim Clifford, 27 Main Drive, spoke about the NYS Citizens Audit discussions and that he is not in support of adopting the resolution.

 

Jeanne Marrin, 5 Brook Court, asked where to view Village Code concerning who is allowed to speak at meetings and for how long.  Clerk Holder advised to search E Code for the village on line.  Attorney Buckheit clarified that we do limit speaking time in order to keep meeting lengths reasonable.

 

Richard Tuten, 68 Ten Eyck, inquired about citizens proposing resolutions to the board. Attorney Buckheit advised that any ideas for resolutions can be brought to the board at any time. He also discussed golf cart usage in Vero Beach, Florida.

 

Jill Weltman, 54 Linden Ave., asked if the east arm of the lake will be treated. Mayor Buckley responded in the affirmative.

Vera Miller, 72 Shore Ave., spoke about the NYS Citizens Audit and suggested that the village implemented a policy for public comment.

 

Lisa Milano, 14 Murray Road, spoke about the NYS Citizens Audit group. She also discussed that more signage is needed at the crosswalks and stop signs.

 

APPROVAL TO PAY ALL AUDITED BILLS:

Motion made by Trustee Kelm and seconded by Trustee Howley. 5 Ayes- Mayor Buckley, Trustee Sellier, Trustee Clifford, Trustee Kelm, and Trustee Howley.

 

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Motion to approve minutes from the July 17, 2023, Board Meeting made by Trustee Clifford and seconded by Trustee Sellier. 5 Ayes- Mayor Buckley, Trustee Sellier, Trustee Clifford, Trustee Kelm, and Trustee Howley.

 

RESOLUTIONS:

Resolution #8 Authorizes the hiring of the following part time police officers:  Salvatore Giardina, Lawrence Finnerty and Jason Sarnicki. Motioned by Trustee Howley and seconded by Trustee Kelm. 4 Ayes- Trustee Sellier, Trustee Clifford, Trustee Kelm, and Trustee Howley. Abstained: Mayor Buckley.

 

Resolution #9: Authorizes the pay increase of part time police officer Richard Brennan from $28.15 to $31.52 per hour. Motioned by Trustee Howley and seconded by Trustee Kelm. 4 Ayes- Trustee Sellier, Trustee Clifford, Trustee Kelm, and Trustee Howley. Abstained: Mayor Buckley.

 

Resolution #10: Authorizes the hiring of Colleen Reilly as a new part time Senior Citizens Activity Leader at the rate of $18 per hour.  Motioned by Trustee Kelm and seconded by Trustee Clifford. 4 Ayes- Trustee Sellier, Trustee Clifford, Trustee Kelm, and Trustee Howley. Abstained: Mayor Buckley.

 

Resolution #11: Authorizes the hiring of Danielle Mulqueen as a full-time employee as Secretary to Planning Board at the rate of $20 per hour.  Motioned by Trustee Sellier and seconded by Trustee Howley. 4 Ayes- Trustee Sellier, Trustee Clifford, Trustee Kelm, and Trustee Howley. Abstained: Mayor Buckley.

 

Resolution #12: Authorizes the purchase of new dive equipment for the police department in the amount of $22,218.00.  Motioned by Trustee Howley and seconded by Trustee Kelm. 4 Ayes- Trustee Sellier, Trustee Clifford, Trustee Kelm, and Trustee Howley. Abstained: Mayor Buckley.

 

Resolution #13: Authorizes the mayor to sign a contract with Garden State Fireworks for the Labor Day Firework show in the amount of $15,000.00.  Motioned by Trustee Clifford and seconded by Trustee Sellier. 4 Ayes- Trustee Sellier, Trustee Clifford, Trustee Kelm, and Trustee Howley. Abstained: Mayor Buckley.

 

Resolution #14: Authorizes the appointment of Jennifer Lyons Hall as an alternate Planning Board member.  Motioned by Trustee Kelm and seconded by Trustee Howley. 4 Ayes- Trustee Sellier, Trustee Clifford, Trustee Kelm, and Trustee Howley. Abstained: Mayor Buckley.

 

ADJOURNMENT

Motioned to adjourn Village Board Meeting by Trustee Howley at 8:38 pm and seconded by Trustee Kelm. 5 Ayes- Mayor Buckley, Trustee Sellier, Trustee Clifford, Trustee Kelm, and Trustee Howley.

 

Minutes respectfully submitted by

Katheleen Holder

Village Clerk/Treasurer

 

The next meeting will be September 18, 2023 6:30 pm Workshop followed by a 7:30 pm Village Board Meeting preceded by Public Hearings at 5:30 pm, 5:40 pm, 6:00 pm & 6:15 pm at the Courthouse on Waterstone Road, Greenwood Lake, NY 10925