Webster Town Board
October 17, 2024
A workshop meeting of the Webster Town Board was called to order by Supervisor Flaherty at
6:30 p.m. at the Webster Town Board Meeting Room, 1002 Ridge Road, Webster, New York, with
the following officials present:
Supervisor ................................................................................ Thomas J. Flaherty
Councilwoman .......................................................................... Patricia T. Cataldi
Councilman .......................................................................................John J. Cahill
Councilwoman ........................................................................... Ginny L. Nguyen
Town Attorney ........................................................................... Charles J. Genese
Town Clerk .................................................................................. Danene M. Marr
Department Heads Present:
Finance Director.................................................................................. Paul Adams
Community Development Director......................................................Josh Artuso
Town Engineer .............................................................................. Keith Mortimer
Communications Director .............................................................. Bridget Harvey
Information Technology Director ....................................................... Steve Peace
Deputy Commissioner of Public Works-Sewer ................................... Art Petrone
Library Director ................................................................................. Adam Traub
Highway Superintendent .................................................................... Pat Stephens
Personnel Director ...................................................................... Brayton Connard
Parks and Recreation Director ............................................................ Chris Bilow
Police Chief............................................................................... Dennis Kohlmeier
***
Ron Kampff, appeared before the Town Board to present a new addition to Miracle Field. Mr.
Kampff discussed plans for an identical pavilion compared to the North End of the building.
Quotes on cost were received from Fingerlakes Construction. The project aims to make the area
more user-friendly and expand its use in inclement weather. Miracle Field Treasurer, Don
Baron, has funds set aside, as well as generous community members offering financial
assistance. In addition to the presentation, architectural firm, Form 2 Architecture prepared a probono design of the pavilion.
Following the presentation, a general discussion took place.
***
Anne Riley, representing the Fox Family and Sarah Costich, from Costich Engineering,
presented to the Board on a follow-up item from the August 8, 2024, Workshop meeting
regarding the Ridge Common’s Progressive Development District (PDD). The PDD in question
was set up in November and December of 2019, and there was much discussion about its zoning
classifications, MHR and MC. The Board wanted to review the minutes and Resolutions from
those meetings as there seemed to be confusion about the use of the land for housing, specifically
multifamily and elder care. The buyer, represented by Riley and the Fox family, was interested
in workforce housing but was unsure about the zoning restrictions. The request to the Town is to
consider or ideally make an amendment to the PDD to clarify that multiple family uses, not just
elderly are allowed. The process for making such an amendment and whether it requires a
Public Hearing was not clear. The applicant seeks clarification to ensure that the housing
development can be a mix of senior and workforce housing, as opposed to exclusively senior
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housing, which is how it is currently being interpreted by Town staff. The Board members also
discussed the need to clarify the zoning line issue on the parcel in question, as it goes through the
middle of the property and may require adjustments. They plan to consult with Town attorneys
to determine the best process for moving forward, as none of the Board members are attorneys
themselves. The next steps involve communicating with the applicant and figuring out the most
efficient process to obtain the necessary clarification or interpretation from the Board.
Following the presentation, a general discussion took place.
***
Jerry Goldman, representing the owners of 799 Holt Road, LLC and Sarah Costich, from Costich
Engineering, came before the Board about a potential senior housing development at 799 Holt
Road. The location was previously used for Webster Lumber and zoned industrial. The
property, which has a long history and challenges due to buildings taken down and wetlands,
Costich Engineering has a concept plan that makes sense and addresses a long-standing
comprehensive plan goal of the Town by connecting Holt Road and Hard Road. The proposed
development of a senior housing project includes 361 units with a density of 5.49 units per acre.
The team plans to develop the area east of the creek first, with a mix of townhouse-style units,
three-unit structures, and 11, 26-unit multifamily developments. The process involves a public
hearing on the Planned Development District (PDD) authorization, followed by a site plan
review by the Planning Board. The team requests a Public Hearing on the PDD authorization on
November 21, 2024, and is seeking the Board's approval to move forward with the process. The
team is at the first step of a multi-step process and aims to work out all logistics if the plan is
acceptable.
The site proposal includes a mix of townhouses and multi-family buildings, with the larger
apartment buildings located near the road. The speaker clarifies that there is one multi-story
apartment building on the southern part of the site, which is visible from Holt Road. Supervisor
Flaherty expressed satisfaction with the connectivity of the road and the consistency of the
project design. The need for senior housing in the area is also acknowledged, making it an
appropriate use for the space. Supervisor Flaherty reflected on the long history of development
plans for the property and expressed appreciation for the current proposal being the best one seen
so far. The presence of wetlands on the 70-acre site was mentioned, and the development has
been built around them to preserve the green space.
Following the presentation, a general discussion took place.
***
Paul Adams, Director of Finance, came before the Board to review the 2025 Preliminary Budget.
Mr. Adams discussed the budget comparison between 2024 and 2025.
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Expenditures & Transfers
2025
Operating Funds
33,770,088
Sewer Fund
8,950,220
Special Districts & Other Funds
5,005,126
Total Expenditures & Transfer 47,725,434
2024
31,080,309
6,855,069
4,485,972
42,421,350
Variance
2,689,779
2,095,151
519,154
5,304,084
Revenue & Transfers
Operating Funds
31,165,455
Sewer Fund
8,710,220
Special Districts & Other Funds
3,858,083
Total Revenue & Transfers 43,733,758
28,840,419
6,455,069
3,591,834
38,887,322
2,325,036
2,255,151
266,249
4,846,436
Appropriated Fund Balance
3,534,028
457,648
3,991,676
Notable expenditures include $125,000 for Town Hall elevator replacement, $180,000 for
arbored parking lot, $303,000 for sewer collection system improvements, and $573,000 for
sludge hauling. Contractual costs have increased by a million dollars yearly, with significant
components being insurance premiums, building facility assessment, GIS Services, master plan,
and wastewater treatment chemicals.
Major projects include Sandar Park, Wastewater Treatment Plant, Tebor Road to Phillips Road
Conveyance Pipe, and the Highway Building. Expected net costs are significantly less than
bonded amounts due to grants and other revenue sources.
Project
Bond
Resolution
Amount
Gross
Amount
Borrowed
Project Lifeto-date Net
Cost
5,500,000
2,300,000
1,200,000
500,000
81,500,000
7,100,000
28,250,000
126,350,000
1,720,000
620,000
1,110,000
220,000
35,000,000
6,280,000
22,100,000
67,050,000
1,630,199
1,116,589
603,711
209,686
12,530,168
2,069,433
11,687,506
29,847,292
Sandbar Park Improvements
Lake Road Drainage
Sandbar Park- Shore Flood Wall
Sandbar Park- Shore Flood Wall Mo. Co
Wastewater Treatment Plant Phase II
Tebor Rd to Phillips Rd Conveyance Pipe
Highway Building
Totals
Net Cost
Percent of
Bond
Authorization
29.6%
48.5%
50.3%
41.9%
15.4%
29.1%
41.4%
23.6%
The budget includes a charge based on the amount of flow sent to the Town's sewer plant, with
an estimated 9,000 Equivalent Dwelling Units (EDU) per year. Coca-Cola paid a $22 million
entrance fee to come online, which is being paid over a 10-year period, and the budget includes
$2.2 million of that entrance fee, as well as a sewer debt reimbursement of $600,000. The Town
operates with various funds, some of which have a surplus, called the Appropriated Fund
Balance. The Town aims to maintain this balance at a level of 15% to 50% of actual
expenditures within the four operating funds. Some funds, such as the General Townwide Fund
and the Highway Part-town Fund, are currently above this range. The Town has a multi-year
plan to bring these funds back in line, with significant appropriations in 2025. Property tax rates
have
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increased by about $0.34 or 6.7%, but the actual rate for property located outside the Village is
less than the rate was four years ago. Year- to Date, the total sewer charge decreased by $43.90
or 14.8%, with the additional revenue coming from fairlife's entrance fee and EDU charges.
For an average taxpayer with a home assessed at $177,000, the total tax bill would be $12,873, a
1.4% increase from the previous year. The Finance Director and other Department Heads are
praised for funding the Sewer Capital Reserve, which has been underfunded for years, and
lowering the sewer rate. If the Town had not contributed to the reserve, the sewer rate could
have increased significantly in the future, potentially putting the Town in a difficult financial
situation.
Following the presentation, a general discussion took place.
***
There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned at
7:35 p.m.
___________________________
Danene M. Marr, Town Clerk
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