Town Board Minutes

1250 Union Road                                                           Work Session

West Seneca, NY 14224                                                          December 16, 2013

Supervisor Meegan called the work session to order at 3:00 P.M. with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag led by Chief Denz.

Supervisor Meegan read the Fire Prevention Code instructing the public where to exit in case of a fire or an emergency.

 

 

Ø      Kevin Kelly of I-Evolve Technology referred to a previous work session where he presented an overview of services I-Evolve provides to the town and stated the citrix server currently used by the town is antiquated, out of hard drive space and causing issues. He proposed migrating the 24 users on the server to a cloud environment that already exists. The cost for this transition is a one-time charge of $11,745 for hardware and software, an ongoing monthly charge of $816 and annual Microsoft fees of $2,592.  Benefits include an increase in productivity and the ability of users to move from building to building.  Mr. Kelly noted the purchase is under NYS contract pricing.

 

Councilman Hart requested a total net cost for everything and questioned if it was necessary to bid this out.

 

Mr. Kelly stated he will provide a net cost for everything and noted that operational costs are included in the price but user costs are part of the maintenance contract.

 

Town Attorney Shawn Martin stated the equipment cost is under NYS contract pricing so it is not necessary to bid this out. The cost for services is separate, but the town is under contract with I-Evolve and he did not know when that contract expired.

 

Councilman Rusinski questioned if the Police Department uses the same server and Chief Denz responded the Police Department is on a separate system as required by state and federal agencies.

 

1250 Union Road                                                           Work Session

West Seneca, NY 14224                                                          December 16, 2013

 

 

Ø      Matthew Melski gave an overview of the YES Program, a volunteer program designed for youth between the ages of 12 and 18, and stated his goal was to analyze the value of the program and create a strategic plan for its longevity. Mr. Melski stated the program provides a variety of services by hosting community events as well as assisting local organizations with activities. It receives strong community support and is valued by the agencies it assists. Current membership is on the rise and more than 20 volunteers are active on a regular basis. In addition to monthly activities, Mr. Melski recommended the YES Program continue to focus on hosting large scale seasonal events (i.e. Breakfast with Santa), establish an advisory board and create a membership guide. 

 

 

 

Recreation Director Craig Kroll commented on Mr. Melski’s previous experience with the YES program and complimented his work, noting he welcomed the opportunity of combining the YES Program with the Recreation Department. Mr. Kroll thought that eliminating the program would be a loss to the community and stated many of the volunteers use the YES program for required service hours.

 

 

Ø      Reminded residents and business owners to shovel their sidewalks, noting that if sidewalks are not cleared within 24 hours after a storm a violation letter is sent.

 

Highway Supt. Matthew English stated the Buildings and Grounds Department clears all town sidewalks and assists on state and county bridges when possible.

 

Supervisor Meegan commented on a portable hand held ticket issuance device that is affordable and available on state bid, noting the device received mixed comments after being purchased by the City of Lackawanna.

 

 

Ø      Requested an executive session with board members to discuss personnel matters

Ø      Follow up on speed adjustments around local schools - NYSDOT is conducting a traffic study; Chief Denz will be meeting with Assemblyman Kearns and West Seneca School Sup’t. Dr. Crawford some time in the near future to discuss their findings.

 

 

1250 Union Road                                                           Work Session

West Seneca, NY 14224                                                          December 16, 2013

 

Ø      Requested executive session for a real estate matter.

Ø      Issues with old phone lines at Town Hall that are tied to alarms.  Equipment is no longer available for these lines and he suggested eliminating or updating alarms so they can be properly maintained. Chief Denz commented the system is archaic and instituted around 1993 when individuals were allowed to have a direct alarm line into the police station. The town will need to notify the dozen or so entities still receiving this service if it is to be discontinued. Code Enforcement Officer John Gullo stated he worked on this issue with former Chief Gehen last year and letters were sent out.

 

 

Ø      Day Camp planning is continuing to move forward. A safety plan application was sent to the Health Department for approval.  He anticipates presenting a final plan to the Town Board for approval by the first week of February.

Ø      Dedication of Princeton Estates; street lighting is only item outstanding.

Ø      Michael Road drainage issue - Engineering Department surveyed and came up with a design for a drainage swale that was supposed to be installed as part of the site plan for 236 Michael Road. Cost is more than $10,000 for time and material and money is not available in Engineering or Highway budgets. The problem is really a neighbor issue and neighbors should share the cost.

 

 

Ø      Farmer’s market planning is going well; more than twenty vendors are interested; he will discuss setting dates with Town Attorney Shawn Martin.

 

 

Motion by Supervisor Meegan, seconded by Councilman Hart, to recess to Executive Session at 3:50 P.M. to discuss six labor issues and a real estate matter.

 

Ayes: All                             Noes: None                               Motion Carried

 

Board members returned from Executive Session at 4:15 P.M.

The work session concluded at 4:15 P.M.