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A meeting of the Village Board of Trustees was held on November 19, 2014 at the Historic Watts DePeyster Hall, Tivoli, NY. Mayor
Cranna called the meeting to order at 7:10 pm.
Present: Mayor Cranna, Deputy Mayor Griffith, Trustee Bruno, Trustee Schneider, Attorney Chale and Danielle Maloney of PANDA.
Absent: Trustee Ezrati
Public: Thomas Crisci, Sr., Glenn Baker, Leslie Baker, Emily Majer, Dave Cleaveland, Karen Cleaveland, John Hallstein, Toby Tieger,
Mark Bennett, Jennifer Harris, Arnaud Cornillon, Pete Mauney, Gerard Hurley and Kyle Adams.
The Mayor asked all present to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.
The Clerk’s report included:
- Sale of 440 trash tags
- Three payrolls
- One planning board meeting and ZBA meeting
- Prepared unpaid property taxes for return to Dutchess County
- The Clerk’s office will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 27 and 28 for the Thanksgiving Holiday.
On a motion by Trustee Schneider, seconded by Deputy Mayor Griffith, the minutes for the November 12, 2014 workshop meeting
minutes were revised to reflect that Trustee Ezrati was present for the meeting but not for the vote. The minutes were approved, all in
favor. On a motion by Trustee Schneider, seconded by Deputy Mayor Griffith, the minutes for the October 15, 2014 regular board
meeting were approved, all in favor.
Trustee Bruno announced Winterfest will be held on Saturday, December 13, 2014 from 3 to 5 pm
- Craft fair will be held from 12pm to 4 pm at the firehouse
o Vendors are wanted for the craft fair
o $20 vendor fee
o Contact the Clerk’s office for vendor information
- Horse and wagon rides from 3:30 to 4:30 pm
- Bonfire
- Visits with Santa
- Santa will also be driven around the village in a fire truck earlier in the afternoon
- Middle school students to sing Christmas carols
- Arts and crafts
- Refreshments
- Tree lighting at 5:00 pm
- Library holding a special event on the third floor of village hall
o Book swap and other items
- Volunteers needed for Winterfest
On a motion by Deputy Mayor Griffith, seconded by Trustee Bruno, the Treasurer’s Report for Abstract 6, dated November 19, 2014, in
the amount of $167,478.01 was approved. Mayor Cranna noted that the Woodmarc well bond in the amount of $208,000 and the
$25,000 accounting software bond were both paid off in this abstract. A large payment was also made to Morris Associates, Village
Engineers, for work done on the elevator and was paid from a bond taken earlier in the year. The Treasurer’s Report is posted on the
Village’s website each month. Trustee Schneider moved that the bills be paid as presented and Deputy Mayor Griffith seconded the
motion, all in favor.
Zoning Report – Mayor Cranna
- Electrical Inspection – six inspections total and all were passed
- Permits Issued
o Garage
o Residential re-hab
o Wood stove and miscellaneous
o $405 in fees collected
- Events Report:
o Electrical boxes were placed on someone else’s property by Central Hudson
There was no correspondence received by the Clerk’s Office.
On a motion by Deputy Mayor Griffith, seconded by Trustee Bruno, the rules were suspended so that the public could address the
Board on agenda items only. Agenda item #5, a resolution authorizing the Mayor to discontinue the Zoning Enforcement contract with
the Town of Red Hook, was tabled and will be re-visited in two months. The Board of Trustees will continue to interview applicants.
Public comments centered on zoning violations and zoning enforcement throughout the village. Comments were made regarding the
Zoning Officer being more proactive, hiring a local person with a vested interest in the village, the possibility of repairing the relationship
with the Town of Red Hook in regards to the contract, having someone who is physically available more often, and the swift follow
through of violations.
Mayor Cranna spoke about Claude Potts, one of the Village’s firefighters. He has been with the fire company for 50 + years. The
Mayor asked for a motion to name a portion of Broadway from Pine Street to the firehouse after Mr. Potts. On a motion by Deputy
Mayor Griffith, seconded by Trustee Schneider, the Mayor was authorized to send a letter to the County Executive requesting to
rename that portion of the street to Claude Potts Way, all in favor.
Trustee Bruno spoke about the fire protection contract with the Town of Red Hook. Trustee Bruno and Trustee Ezrati met with Town
Council members Ross and O’Neill to review and renegotiate the existing and proposed contracts. Additional funds were allotted in the
new contract. Other items including insurance were reviewed. On a motion by Trustee Bruno, seconded by Trustee Schneider,
the Mayor was authorized to sign the new fire protection contract with the Village of Red Hook, all in favor.
Mayor Cranna spoke about shared services with the Village and Dutchess County. The Village currently purchases offices supplies
from the county at discounted prices, and is exploring the possibility of purchasing fuel oil and phone services.
The Mayor also stated that the Village has also received an $80,000 feasibility study grant from Dutchess County for transferring water
and sewer services to the Dutchess County Water/Wastewater Association (DCWWA).
- Four recent water main breaks
- Staff of three employees with limited equipment and resources
- Study would have input from an independent engineer/consulting firm chosen by the Board of Trustees
- Must be Approved by the Board of Trustees
- DCWWA is a not for profit corporation
- Board of Trustees can reject the recommendations
- Public forums and public meetings/hearings will be held
- Public vote may happen
- Legal costs, study and educational materials are covered by the grant
- Requests for Proposals (RFP’s) will need to be sent out
- Current Village employees could be retained by the DCWWA
- Information from the assessment will be useful to the Village
Mayor Cranna spoke about the work completed at the four corner intersection in the Village:
- Looks good – historical feel was retained
- Work was completed in three days
- CHIPS funding was used to pay for it
- Projects were prioritized by Deputy Mayor and Village Engineer
- Crosswalk in front of village hall is the next project
- $80,000 in CHIPS funds were accumulated by the Village
- $20,000 of funds went to the sidewalk project last year
Mayor Cranna spoke about recent events regarding Bard College:
- The Dutchess County Sheriff reported that there were over 200 students in the Village late at night in the Village
- Halloween night there were over 400 students at 12:30 am walking in the middle of the Village
o There were reports of vandalism, breaking glass , public urination and vomiting
o Sheriff’s Office called Bard College to bring in shuttle buses to remove the students
o There were five or six Dutchess County Sheriff’s cars and officers in the Village to control the situation
o Mayor Cranna contacted President Botstein of Bard College regarding the incident
o Conversations have begun again with the college and they are working to improve the situation
Veteran’s Day
- Mayor Cranna spoke at the ceremony held on Monument Hill hosted by the Harris Smith American Legion Post on November
11, 2014
- Boy scouts and Tender hearts from the Red Hook area participated in the ceremony
- Trustee Bruno, Trustee Schneider, Justice Clark, Clerk/Treasurer Gonnella and Deputy Clerk Roff also attended
- The Harris Smith Post hosted a celebration serving hot dogs and cokes at the American Legion following the ceremony.
The next regular meeting will take place on December 17, 2014 at 7:00pm at the Historic Watts dePeyster Hall. The workshop will be
held at 6:00pm before the meeting. There will be a workshop on December 10, 2014 at the Historic Watts DePeyster Hall at 6:00pm.
Trustee Reports:
Deputy Mayor Griffith
- Bard College
o Late night problems are disappointing since the progress that was made last year
o Should young people be doing what young people do in a tiny residential village or on a six hundred acre college
campus?
- Water System Operations Report
o Water Main break on Woods Road on October 7
o Leak in 4PE well transmission line after the meter on October 21
o Water mains were flushed on October 21, 23, 28 and 30
o No violations
o Testing every month
o Two different locations are tested monthly
o Ecoli and coli form
- Community Garden
o Signups for next Spring
o Contact tivolicommunitygarden@gmail if you are interested in a plot or contact Danielle Roux, Mara Ranville or
Deputy Mayor Griffith
o Fourth season
o $30 each for 8 X 12 plot
o Fees will help pay for raised beds made of white oak for the rest of the garden
o Consider sharing a plot
Trustee Ezrati
- Absent
Trustee Bruno
- Halloween Event
o Library co-sponsored event
o Lego Halloween castles, costumes and candy
- Veteran’s Day
o Lovely ceremony
Trustee Schneider
- Veteran’s Day
o Appreciated the opportunity to attend
- Justice Court
- $835 submitted to the Comptroller’s office
- Tivoli Business and Artist Alliance
o Meeting on a monthly basis
o Email address is tivolibiz@gmail.com
o Tivoli businesses, representatives and artists are welcome to attend meetings
o Collaborative effort between village and merchants to attract visitors
o Met on Monday in an open forum to discuss:
- Trustee Bruno gave an update regarding aesthetics in the Village
- Discussed zoning challenges
- Grant opportunities
- Zoning review committee and updating the general code
- Village website upgrade
- 9G signage alternatives as New York State has directed the Village to remove the existing signage
- Has to be removed to improve visibility
- Will work to re-design
- Historical signage – will work with village historian
- Possible community event to highlight area businesses
- Local businesses will be open during Winterfest- a letter will be sent to residents
- Panzur has a Wednesday night buffet
- Tangent Theater has readings at the Traghaven Whiskey Pub
Mayor Cranna spoke about Audit results from the 2009 State Comptroller’s Office regarding funds that were borrowed from one fund to
another and not paid back in a timely manner. In 2011 some of the funds were repaid by board resolution but not enough funds were
available at the time to repay the entire amount. The Village is now able to repay the remaining funds. On a motion by Deputy Mayor
Griffith seconded by Trustee Schneider, Resolution 17-2014, RESOLUTION TO REPAY DUE TO/DUE FROM BALANCES
TOTALING $50,535 AND ORIGINATING PRIOR TO 2007, dated November 19, 2014 was approved. Roll call: Griffith: aye,
Bruno: aye, Schneider: aye. Mayor Cranna noted that the Treasurer’s Report is posted on the Village’s website each month.
Public comments centered on providing a way for residents to dispose of large items and electronics, graffiti in the Village and police
patrols, vandalism at the firehouse, a fire company grant for turnout gear, and the 2016 replacement of the Madalin Bridge.
On a motion by Trustee Bruno, and seconded by Deputy Mayor Griffith, the meeting was adjourned at 8:33 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Linda Gonnella
Village Clerk/Treasurer