Wayne meeting watch 01/13/09

Meeting:  The Wayne town board met Tuesday, Jan. 13 for one hour and ten minutes.

Attendance:  All board members were present.  One member of the public was there.

Action:  The board voted to include the definition of residency in the organization outlines of the auxiliary boards.  Supervisor Dawn Dowdle said, after going through the town law, a resident must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen and a permanent resident of the town.  The board decided that the burden of proof of residency was the responsibility of the person who wanted a seat on one of the boards.  There are vacancies in the planning board, zoning board of appeals and the assessment review board.

• A lease with Betty Walden for dog shelter services was approved again.  She made a few changes in how she charges for impoundment.

• A Land Use Leadership Alliance (LULA) presentation was scheduled for Feb. 17 at 7 p.m.  Dowdle explained that the presentation is for the boards and also open to the public.  Other meetings like it are being done around Keuka Lake.

• A number of budget transfers were made to balance out the budget.

Discussion without action:  The town of Wayne’s effective tax rate of 1.74 percent is one of the lowest in the state.  Dowdle said the assessor explained it is the combined tax rate of school, county and town, without taking exemptions into consideration.  In comparison, Urbana’s tax rate is 2.2 percent and the state average is 3.26 percent.

• John McEntire, highway superintendent, reported that the highway department will be trying out a full year of four day work weeks.  He said that it is supposed to help save money on overtime, but they will not see that until the full year is over.

• New York Municipal Insurance Reciprocal (NYMIR) will be returning part the town’s original investment.  Dowdle explained they will get the money back at the end of the year.

• Legislature Joseph Hauryski reported that ProAct pharmacy cards helped Steuben County residents save over $20,000 in discounts in a two month period.  The cards were mailed out, free to residents.

Bids/purchases over $1,000:  None.

Appointments/resignations:  None.

Upcoming meetings:  The next regular board meeting will be Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m.