January 2025 Meeting Minutes

Town of Burns Organizational Meeting

January 8th, 2025 6:30pm

87 Main St Canaseraga, NY 14822

Call to Order & Pledge to the Flag: 6:51 PM

Preferred Agenda – requiring one roll call vote 

  1. Pay frequencies for town officers Yearly:  Historian, Assessor, Board of Assessment Review
    • Monthly: Supervisor, Council members, Justice      
    • Bi-Weekly: CEO (Codes Enforcement Officer), Highway Superintendent, Highway Employees, Town Clerk/Tax Collector, Court Clerk   

2. Budget Officer Appoint Supervisor Dianne Freiner  

3. Deputy Supervisor Appoint Councilman Frank Karnes 

4. Designate depository Community Bank Primary/Five Star Bank Secondary NY CLASS for Investments

5. Designate Official Newspaper The Spectator/Evening Tribune – Hornell  

6. Designate Meeting Night Second Wednesday of the month 

7. Idle town funds Approve and authorize Supervisor Dianne Freiner to invest idle town funds with Resolution approval from the Board. 

8. Town Bookkeeper, Payroll Appoint Baldwin Services at $10,500 per year

9. Mileage rate of reimbursement Approve mileage reimbursement rate per IRS allowance a .70 cents per mile. 

10. Certification of claims Authorize that all claims against the Town are paid by voucher. 

11. Code Enforcement Officer Appoint Samantha Testani

12. Town Historian Appoint Holley Spencer  

13. Dog Control Officer Appoint John Owens 

14. Highway State Bid Authorize the Highway Superintendent to purchase material from the state and county bids. 

15.Town Attorney Appoint Dwight Kanyuck of Knauf Shaw in Rochester NY

16. Records Management Appoint Town Clerk – Stephanie Miller 

17. Appoint Registrar Clerk Stephanie Miller 

18. Appoint Town Hall Custodian Clerk Stephanie Miller @ 15.00 per hour

19. Appoint Court Clerk Tina Karnes 

20. Approve Assessment Review Board  Karla Orgek, John Owens & Larene Lang @ 100.00 

21. Highway Employee Wages Per Teamster’s Union contract 

22. Handicap Parking Permits Approve the Town Clerk to issue free handicap parking permits. 

23. Petty Cash – No petty cash on hand

24. Sole Assessor Appoint Dustin Snyder

25. Deputy Superintendent Appoint Jason Elderkin

26. Deputy Registrar Appoint Supervisor Dianne Freiner 

27. Highway Superintendent The Highway Superintendent may spend as per the Town Procurement Policy Procurement Policy $2,500

29. Highway Inventory Policy The Highway Superintendent is to submit a complete inventory of all equipment & tools on September 30th 

30. IT Cyber Security Hurricane Technologies as per agreement

31. Signing of Abstracts Authorize the signing of Audited Abstract claims by the Town Board members

32. Establishment of Committees Highway – Councilman Jeramie Hurlbut

    • Teamsters Union – Councilmen Jeramie Hurlbut & Bill Mammosser
    • Public relations – Councilmen Mike Smith & Keith Karnes

33. Fixation of Salaries as per preliminary budget: Supervisor- $6,000 

    • Council members- $1,400 per member ($5,600)  
    • Codes Enforcement Officer- $15,000
    • Town Clerk- $10,000
    • Justice- $5,000
    • Justice Clerk- $5,000
    • Historian- $595
    • Highway Superintendent- $56,000
    • Assessor- $9,262
    • Control of Animals (DCO)- $2,500

One Motion to approve the preferred agenda:

Motion: Councilman Mammosser   
Second:
Councilman Hurlbut

Aye: Councilman Karnes   
Aye:
Councilman SmithCarried

Resolution to Approve prepayment of utility bills – electric, telephone, internet, propane, highway fuel bills, and credit cards to avoid late payment charges:

Motion: Councilman Hurlbut 
Second:
Councilman Smith

Aye: Councilman Mammosser
Aye: Councilman KarnesCarried

Town of Burns Regular Meeting

Call to Order: 7:01pm

Adoption of Minutes of December 30th, 2024:

Motion: Councilman Karnes
Second: Councilman Hurlbut

Aye: Councilman Smit
Aye
: Councilman Mammosser – Carried

Audit Bills:

Account                                                     Vouchers                                               Amount

      General Fund                     1-15                  $12,945.92
      Highway Fund                     1-8                   $5,287.76

Motion: Councilman Mammosser
Second:
Councilman Hurlbut

Aye: Councilman Smith
Aye: Councilman Karnes – Carried

CEO Samantha Testani: Issued a no charge building permit for Jim George case for stairs, the State has been very difficult. 961F issue, has not heard if they have been served or not, the Board will consult Dwight. All fire safety inspections were completed except the engineers; they have been sent a letter.

Highway Superintendent Glenn Odell: $13,650 will be reimbursed from CHIPS for culvert pipe replacements on Tildon Hill & North Hill. Another pipe will need to be replaced on North Hill as well. The County will inspect the bridge on Big Hollow, the State won’t allow a temporary repair. Need surveyors on Tildon Hill before the right of way lines can be moved. Tractor is in Cuba, haven’t heard from Reynolds yet. Excavator & Loader can be diagnosed through a cloud program so that it can be done remotely, will look into options and prices. Councilman Smith requested a list of state of repairs of equipment annually. Looking into prices for a salt shed roof, also would like to attach a lean to onto the shed for additional storage. Councilman Smith suggested pricing out Containers for the purpose of extra storage. 

Resolution Approving the Mutual Aid Agreement Between the Municipalities of Allegany County, NY:

Motion: Councilman Hurlbut
Second: Councilman Smith

Aye: Councilman Karnes
Aye: Councilman Mammosser – Carried

DCO John Owens: 12/31 York’s dogs chased deer, contacted Les about licensing as they are not licensed. Jonas Rizzo’s dog Tanner was taken to the Humane Society, was found running around with a plastic bag on it’s head. Bard Gessel called, his child was bit by a dog near the Town line with Almond, the dog is currently in Almond. The Board told John to leave the dog in Almond and not try to bring it back.

Supervisor Report:

                  Account                                              Receipts                                                 Disbursements

General Fund Townwide             $28,506.42                    $18,690.35
General Fund Outside Village             $122.70                     $1,796.21
Highway Fund Townwide             $1,453.55                    $32,543.07
Highway Fund Outside Village            $114,297.02                    $1,916.32

Communications: Ag & Markets Report-Humane Society rated Unsatisfactory due to euthanizing a dog without cause from a veterinarian; Equalization Rate from County is 89%, Supervisor Freiner will email the Assessor about coming to a meeting in the future to discuss.

Justice Report: November $717.00 with $462 going to the State.

Old Business: Solar meeting with EDF & AES may take place at the February Meeting.

Adjournment: 8:34 PM

Motion: Councilman Karnes 
Second:
Councilman Mammosser

Aye: Councilman Smith
Aye: Councilman Hurlbut  – Carried

PERSONS PRESENT

  • Supervisor Dianne Freiner
  • Councilman William Mammosser
  • Councilman Jeramie Hurlbut
  • Councilman Michael Smith
  • Councilman Frank Karnes
  • Clerk Stephanie Miller
  • Highway Superintendent Glenn Odell
  • CEO Samantha Testani
  • DCO John Owens
  • James Neary