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Um the DEC and the EPA are going to have him that he has the have the answers. So, um structures usually should be made for the position, um not person people and personalities, so you can have a plug and play as you move along, but um so how we started looking at this was um we currently have 19 budgeted positions, and this is the current structure with the deputy commissioner at the top, and then filtering off of that is the chief operator and the operation staff below him, the sewer foreman with the maintenance staff under him, and um the clerk and part-time maintenance and clerks underneath the deputy commissioner.

So, the proposed changes start with um actually we could we looked into deleting this position. Um it's been kicked around on how this org chart should happen, but uh understanding that it is in the code the title is in the code, so it can't quite be deleted. And obviously maybe down the road 10 5 10 years down the road somebody would want to reinstate that. So, what we're looking to do is unfunded is take the money that is earmarked for that position and uh create an operator position that will give us another body to have there for operation staff, but also move the chief operator to the top of the structure.

Um and again, as I said in that unfunded the money that already budgeted for that position to fund the new operator position. So, the next change would be we had two part-time um part-time clerk and a part-time um maintenance staff. When um Denise Jones and Ken Dickinson retired, the idea was to bring them back part-time, um hire some new people but put them in the part-time to utilize their vast knowledge and past experiences, but also help train the new people coming into their positions. It was kind of an overlap. So, currently [snorts] um the part-time maintenance uh is no longer coming back.

His need has been utilized, and we're looking to create a part-time operator position. So, we delete the part-time maintenance and create a part-time operator. And that is we do have our current lab director retiring and taking with him is all that vast knowledge, but we're looking to with this part-time position him come back train the new operators and utilize that knowledge in the our e-lab lab. Next change would be to um take one of the maintenance positions, delete that, but actually transform it into a sewer foreman. So, currently we have um a sewer foreman that mainly mostly takes care of the collection system, which is 22 pump stations.

We have um certificates of occupancy that are have to be done usually weekly. We have um flushing schedules with our two flush trucks. That's weekly, monthly, um emergency cleanings. We do camera lines. We do um stakeouts, emergency and scheduled stakeouts. I think that was over 3,000 of them last year. Um so, there's a lot of um uh time utilized the collection system, but we now have a new plant that takes has on more buildings, more process, uh more tankage. So, we're looking to create a sewer foreman that would be in the plant taking care of all of that maintenance, all of the parts inventory, all the truck inventory, and the sewer foreman for the collection.

So, they would be interchangeable, but they would be work together. So, they would if one was off that day, the other one would take over for both of those positions. The next change is um as I stated on the current lab director that's retiring, he was actually paid at a higher step than what the grade steps are currently, and I think that was the town acknowledging over these years that the lab director uh was more of a specialized position that takes care of the e-lab lab, and um so, we just want to memorialize that. That was never written in there, so what we're looking to is whoever's appointed that out of the operation staff and uh head of this uh lab would have one step above what his current grade is.

>> [snorts] >> Also, one of the other things we're looking at is the clerk two that has been there for 4 or 5 years now. Um when um all this new project came on um with the deputy commissioner um leaving for another retiring, uh some of those duties actually were dolled out um taking over a lot of the um um collection system projects that are going on. She deals with a lot of the um the engineers on that, but also um with new programs coming in with this um our upgrade us becoming more of a uh merchant facility and uh a business with uh the Fair Life Flow coming and their outside waste being hauled in, all the septage that we're going to be looking to take in, there's a management of that.

So, kind of looking to provide this individual a stipend until she retires, but also that'll help her train the new clerk coming in. So, it's kind of like some of the duties that were not part of hers when she took the job were added on. So, this is just a compensator for that. Um but the new clerk coming in will know their position, know all it'll be defined, and then so the position will go to the same pay as the clerk two. All of these changes we still would have 19 budgeted positions in the budget. So, overview of the changes, um the eliminations would be the deputy commissioner funding, um the part-time maintenance position in the maintenance man.

We'd create an operator, a part-time operator, and elevate that to a the maintenance to a sewer foreman. Also, the changes would be adding a step to the wastewater treatment plant operator for lab director, and providing a stipend to the clerk two position. So, the these changes, the board approval would be need to be for a the deputy commissioner and creating the operator position, deleting the maintenance man, creating the sewer foreman, and deleting the part-time maintenance man, and creating a part-time operator. Um the other two would be labor and management agreements with the union, so between the the town and the union.

Um that would be adding the step to the operator and the providing the stipend. So, the overall effect on the budget or on the department would be staffing numbers remain the same, a structure that would work no matter the individuals or personalities, creates a better oversight of laboratory, collection system, and plant facilities, and it would be an overall decrease in the 2026 salary budgeted projected out of a full year of $119,000. And that doesn't include benefits. So, some of these that were retiring and left higher priced benefits because it's kind of a percentage off your salary, and the [clears throat] ones filling in would come in at a lower rate, so um it would be an overall savings.

Any questions? Hey Rick, I really appreciate um you taking the time out of your day to meet with me. I think it was last week or week before. Um this is very budget responsible. With with respect to the clerk two position for the stipend, have you and Kelsey considered possibly changing that position to a clerk one? Is it possible to do that? We That was one of the options we looked at. We looked at some other options for clerk two, changing it from an hourly to a salary. We felt that in this situation, this was more of a temporary thing that we wanted to do. We felt the stipend would be the best way to go about that.

>> Okay. Um so, I mean, maybe moving forward, that could be something that um the town decides for the budgetary process and us going through our budget say, "Let's go for a clerk one. You call for the test." Yep. You know, and and go that route. But, we just thought this is more of a temporary thing to uh you know, compensation basis. Yeah, I during the meeting last week, I I expressed some frustration with the um current upgrade. And that had nothing to do with you and your team, and I should have clarified that when I was expressing my frustration um because you've put together and already put together a heck of a team down there.

And I think this past week is an example of the cohesiveness that you have down there, including the dedication. If you want to just elaborate a little bit from your perspective of what given all this rain. >> I mean, it's with our job down there, sometimes it's kind of there's some downtime, but when when it's all hands on deck, um I never had a problem getting any guy to come in and do his job. The other night with all the rainfall, um our plant flow, we are designed for 7.1 currently, we're at 25 million gallons coming through the plant. Obviously, a lot of that can't handle the actually sanitary collection system was inundated.

We had guys work all night long 20 Well, they were up from their regular shift, went in that night, worked all night long keeping pump stations down. We had Chamberlain come in. One of them even came back to the plant after being at the pump stations at 7:30, 7:00 we were checking in, and he was willing to work the full day. Yeah. And I said uh no, I know you can do that, but we got guys to take care of you. Go home and get some rest. So, they're very dedicated and um a great talented staff. I'll just make sure you pass on our great appreciation for their dedication. They're doing a great job down there.

>> That's all I had. Yeah, uh Rick, just a quick question. Um so, the part-time lab director, if it's for a knowledge transfer, is that planning on being a permanent position that you'll always have a part-time lab director alongside the one that gets that designation? Well, again, it it it'd be like No, no. This part-time lab guy, um he'll be coming back just to help us out. It's again, sometimes overlapping staff when you have new guys coming in in a lab and a guy that's been there forever, and they take that knowledge [snorts] with them, you know, that you lose that forever. This allows us to overlap, teach, and have and then once we feel that's enough, we can just like the other two, like the maintenance part-time, and I think in our clerk part-timer, that's down to nothing now anyway, so we may that may be gone, too.

So, it's kind of like these are it's a part-time kind of a temporary situation that fits the need at that time. Anything else from anyone? I mean, I think Rick, like I told you like I appreciate you laying out all the org charts to see the flow. So, is this also a little bit like a a step of there might be future changes as you work to help improve the budget and improve efficiencies as things go then, especially you said like Fair Lawn gets bigger? Might this be a step in Well, I think we're also looking to the future, and obviously I'm you know, I'm not here forever, so trying to set this place up.

>> be, Rick. You could be. >> Yeah. And I think this structure does that. It's it's looking at again, I use the situation is there was a deputy commissioner over me, and if there was some kind of discrepancy or he didn't take care of a maintenance that I needed done, they're coming after me if we fail to permit. It's not So, having that, you can't So, I'm trying to set it up as a structure that it's plug and play, no matter the personalities, it fits in. But, obviously, I think you should always look at your budget and personnel every budget you look forward and see where there's cuts, where you can consolidate, or where you need to expand a little bit.

All right, I appreciate that. And appreciate your foresight, too, to put this together. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. Do you have the savings for this this year? If you can put that slide back, that's just for this year. In the following year, will will it result in an increase as as the structure comes into play, or do you see that savings continuing into the future? Well, one of the big savings was eliminating the unfunding the deputy commissioner. So, that's where you saw a lot of the saving. Um >> [clears throat] >> who knows, there's going to be obviously contract talks, you got raises, you got steps, so the budget will go up.

And and I do think with all the added equipment and at the plant, stuff like that, adding that extra operator, I think sets them up for the future, and I think you won't have to have any more hirings of um operations. Not sure on the maintenance side yet. Okay. Should be a lot less in the maintenance with all the new equipment. Hopefully. >> Yeah, hopefully. For a while. Nick, anything? Uh no, I I think it's smart changes, um smart budgetary thought process. I I appreciate your work, Rick. And I appreciate your staff, as John has said. Thank you. I will pass that on. All right, up next is again Rick Canelli, but this time it's going to be on the usage of the contingency budget.

I need a mouse pad. All right, so [clears throat] let me get my next slide out here. So, just an overview of what the contingency budget is. So, contingency budget part budget part of this project was to create for um any issues during the project uh duration to see unforeseen things, you pull it out of the contingency. So, um early on, there was a proposed split in the original contract in regards to this contingency that a portion would come back to the town, and a portion would go to the uh the manager of this project, which is now the Um as we move forward, uh we got into negotiations. John actually stepped up and and decided to take the reins on this, and actually negotiated that split to be an 80/20 split when I think it was a 60/40.

Right. Um so, that was nice to have 80% of our project uh contingency coming back to us. So, as we're moving forward in the project, currently there is um little less than a million dollars in that contingency. So, we've had a lot of things as this project went on, there was three amendments, and we really uh what we called value engineering before the third amendment, we started pulling things out. We tried to keep this project cost down. So, we were pulling things out that we thought maybe we get away with not getting done. But, what's nice now is we're seeing that with this contingency, we can pull some things back in get them done that we had pulled out that we tried when we were trying to keep the cost uh down.

So, the six items are maintenance shop heat, um the high strength organic waste building um dumpster shelter, uh aeration slide gate, sludge pump spare parts, um a consulting agreement with material matters, and then an ice prevention system for the primary uh clarifier collection system. So, first is the maintenance shop heat. So, the maintenance shop, we had a big upgrade on our um admin building, and as we saw that we were still getting heat back there, it was sufficient back in the maintenance shop. Got five big um overhead doors where the trucks are coming in and out. When but it was a 50-year-old system.

So, it worked, but not knowing inside the heating coils had um lost efficiency, the pipes I'm sure there was some buildup in the pipes. So, we put the new system in the admin and admin building, this system couldn't handle it anymore. It was too much going through it, and you couldn't get it was a new glycol system. So, we were having portable heaters out there. So, what we're thinking So, we got some estimates on it, and so we're looking to improve that, but we're actually we're changing the old system out to a radiant heating system, which that heats the objects in the garage and not the air.

So, when you open these garage doors up and the air usually sucks out of there, so you're losing your heat. These heat the trucks, the equipment, the everything's in there, so the heat stays more efficient, and you don't have that heat loss. So, uh with our new high strength organic waste receiving building, we're going to take a lot of outside waste. And um in the bottom picture, the I don't have it highlighted, but just below where the big red right uh rectangle is, is our receiving station. So, the original thing was to use dumpsters and drive them all the way down to the right where that little red box is with a loader.

So, that was one of our cost-savings. So, as we see now, we had designed to have a structure just up near there with a dumpster in there in a cart that we will a lot closer to dispose of this waste. Aeration slide gates another thing that was value engineered out. We saw that they moved. They are old. It takes a lot of effort to get these and they go you turn a lot to go a little uh um distance. So, again, another item that we saw that we pulled out, but now we can put back in. Especially with these new diffusers and aeration tanks, we're going to need to get in there a lot more to keep the the lifespan of those extended.

So, a lot of cleaning will be done with that. Um uh spare sludge pump parts. Well, this is the only pump that will send the um solids up to the belt press building to uh put it through the dryer. And as you can see, the galleyway is very narrow, so we couldn't fit two. Um the company that we get it from is very reliable and they can run parts out to us, but they are in Albany area. So, we decided now let's we'll put a couple wet ends on the shelf and they will honor the warranty on that. So, our big part of this project was our class A fertilizer and this company, Material Matters, was in the original process of really looking the landscape over to see where our product could go.

Um uh instead of landfill disposal, look at bulk agriculture land reclamation. You got um golf courses, um turf farms. All this would be viable, but it was a 30,000 ft view. It was seeing if there was options out there if there was interest, but it was never hammered down to into the weeds, which you can't until you actually have the product. So, now we're looking for them to hire them to finish the evaluation, find the customers, the potential customers of us just giving it away. Obviously, it'd be great if we could sell this product down the road. Um but and they'll put together the RFP, the bid process, and kind of help manage uh this process until we get a customer locked in and then we won't need them.

So, it's a one-time fee. And the final um portion was a frustrating for us. So, we got a brand new um primary tank collection system, all um flights and chains and sprockets and gears and um motors and panels, only to only to find out that once cold temperatures hit, the ice build-up on there starts tripping the uh um Um we expressed our frustration with the company that they should have known they were selling it to us in the Northeast and this is something that they might provide. So, they do offer a heating system, um but it's after the fact. We already have them. So, we set up our own little heat lamps with extension cords all over the place.

Uh we're great, but you know, it's a safety issue. We got six of these lamps out on collectors, extension cords all over the place, and when we're um snow-blowing, you could you know, it's just it was uh and it didn't look good. We got a brand new plate, we got extension cords all over the place. So, we are looking to do that. There might be some other things we could do a lesser charge, but right now we're just requesting the opportunity to kind of move forward with purchasing something for the heating system. So, the current contingency balance is $988,000 in change. Um Now, if they're just comfortable with lowing lowering what they want to hold right now while the project is about four four months away from completion at 500, which would allow us 488,000 plus, we are requesting 462,000 of use.

It's our money, but it's part of this contract, so we have to kind of get board approval to use it along with Navitas. And that would leave a remaining contingency currently of 526,000. So, it was 128,000 for the shop heat, 121 for the dumpster shelter, 59,000 for the slide gates, and pump parts were 35,000, and the agreement would be 51, and the ice prevention system was 66,860. Questions? Uh I just want to thank you for taking my eight to 10 calls with questions [laughter] today. I think it's more than that. We've been going back and forth quite a bit. >> So, at this time, I I I don't really have any questions.

You've already answered the questions that I had. I appreciate it. Um you're welcome. I got nothing. Gareth? Rick, do you think we'll have other expenditures on the contingency past this? >> Well, I think I think that's what we need to have a talk as the board and how the administration wants to go with that because I guess my understanding on the contingency use at the end of it, it's either we just bond for less because we won't be utilizing that. So, then does that really come back to us? Or do we look at things that we could possibly tie to this that there's already a bond marked for this.

Do we find things that could be possibly in our capital project five years down the road that we try to squeeze out of this and not have to bond again for something else of major importance. So, that's kind of I think it's something we really look in in the next two to three months, but Yeah, so the two requests that I had um during that negotiation with Navitas was spend it all down, so it's zero balance at the end of the um project, or change the distribution. So, they agreed to the distribution, but the flip side of that coin is if contingency is zero at the end of the project, I'm more than fine with that.

>> And I'm just saying if there's things we can spend it on, Yeah. why do it now do it now and not bond go in front of the, you know, public and say we have to bond again for something that >> No, I I 100% agree with that. Yeah, and this is a good sign of where like digging into it and asking questions, doing the work. We went up from they get 60% back with the contingency is now 2 million to we got to get it 80% if not all, Right. >> good for the residents. Like they're already making enough money. It's good if we can advocate for ourselves. So, Rick, thank you for this. Those look like great uses to pull more stuff back.

You kind of like you said, you took it out to save money, but now we've got the buffer. Put them back in. >> put it back in there. >> Yeah, we'll definitely uh keep looking for things. Well, good. Ann, anything? No, I agree that they're very good uses. Sometimes I wonder why we pull things out to save money cuz you're just it's like penny wise and pound foolish because the same thing happened with the salt barn and then you end up bringing it back in. And with the salt barn, it ended up, you know, being more cuz it was more time. So, I'm happy that that contingency is there and it can be utilized to bring these important features back cuz this winter was probably a little bit of an anomaly around here and having extension cords lying around to heat up those things is not good.

Not having heat where people are working is clearly very important. >> Yeah, a couple were unforeseen, but yeah. >> um so yeah, I think it's it's great. We're we're bringing important aspects back into the project and that funding is technically already there. >> Yeah. So, I think it's good to use the contingency for these. I mean, just to piggyback off that is it's almost worked out better this way because obviously, the price tag would have been even higher that we would have had to bond for. We pulled them out, bonded lower, wound up becoming under budget with a lot of these in in the contingency.

So, now we have it to use and didn't have to have that higher original bond. So, >> But it's a very good point. Very good point. Nick? I I agree with what everybody else has said. I love the idea of taking a look at, you know, capital maintenance projects in the future and seeing what else maybe could fall into the line of using this contingency at this time to save ourselves down. Yep. I appreciate that. Thank you. I do think that the fertilizer, too, in finding a way to making that a revenue generating Yeah. um output from the facility is very important because ultimately, we went from having a wastewater treatment plant as a cost center to now a revenue generating operation and that's a really important aspect of this project and a very big deal.

And having the revenue coming back from that fertilizer would be very, you know, it would be very beneficial to alleviate pressure on the budget in the future. Well, we're going to save hundreds of thousands of dollars a year just by using the dryer building. And I think you brought that idea in, right, Rick? I just saw that we felt that was the big driver of this project is you know, when you're spending half a million dollars on cost. Well, when I got here, it just got up to $65 a wet ton. It's now $160 a wet ton in five years. We're spending almost a half a million dollars a year if not more in hauling to the landfill.

So, And just a revenue stream for the biosolids, [clears throat] we did not figure that. That's best case scenario. We were very conservative just to reduce landfill cost. If we can give it away, that's even better. I mean, I even talked to Chris Bylow, rec department. Maybe we can start using some with our rec department or the highway. Keep it in house. Use it if they're buying fertilizer somewhere for their you know, any of the fields. Obviously, something we need to look into, but I think there's a lot of things we can look at with this that are all upside. >> Yeah. Thank you. You're all great.

Thank you. Um we're going to give this a brief moment so that our attorney can come up here. All right. Up next a presentation by Maria DeWer, our grant liaison, on an open space conservation grant opportunity. Rick, more coffee? Oh, yeah. Good evening. Um for those of you who don't know, I'm Maria DeWer, administrative assistant to community development and engineering, as well as the town grant liaison. I'm here tonight to present the open space conservation grant opportunity. The open space conservation grant is funded through the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022.

The opportunity supports the governor's 30 by 30 climate goal to conserve 30% of New York's lands and waters by 2030. The focus of the awarded projects will be to protect air and water quality, provide habitat connectivity, preserve diverse ecosystems, mitigate the impacts of climate change, provide equitable access to open space and recreational opportunities, and or promote resilient communities. Hold on a minute, Maria. We're having some technical difficulties and all our screens just went off. Oh. There we go. Now they're back. >> We're back. >> We're good. Everyone good? Okay. Thank [clears throat] you.

Gave me a chance to catch my breath, anyway. Um So, some quick facts about the grant. The maximum award amount for this grant is $3.5 million per project, and the minimum award amount is $50,000. There is no town match for this grant. The grant team for this opportunity doesn't follow our established and successful method of team creation. The core group and external group consists of Garrett Wagner, Diana Davis, and Ben Wasneske. The advisory group consists of town staff, including Chris Bylow and Maria DeWer, and Friends of Webster Trails. The core group have been part of this application from the beginning, and as a result are more intimate with the initiatives and application progress.

For that reason, um I see Diana Davis. Is Ben here? >> [snorts] >> Ben's out of town. Okay. So, I have Diana Davis here tonight, and available for any questions at the conclusion of this presentation as it relates to the grant application. Also, if needed, Chris Bylow will be able to answer any additional questions as they pertain to the town's perspective of the proposed sites. The grant is unique um in that rather than a general reimbursement model, which is our typical grant model, this grant is following a performance-based model, meaning that the funds do not need to be expended before payment is sent.

With this model, funding will proceed deliver deliverables and are based on estimates. There are four interim payments and one final payment. From this chart, you can see what those payments cover. With that being stated, there may be situations or expenses that need to be paid before the prescribed timeline of disbursement releases funds. As an example, a surveyor completing the survey as agreed, um but needs the funds needs payment before the funds are released 3 to 6 months after the contract is signed. So, there may be occasions where the town is expending money before it's being um the funds are released.

The funding, if awarded for this grant, is eligible to cover the following costs: fee purchase price supported by an appraisal in the DEC's preferred format, other costs such as attorney fees, title report, value of appraisals, survey and boundary line marking completed by a professional land surveyor, phase one environmental study, title insurance, recording fees, conservation defense insurance for land trust only, and seller's tax proration at the time of sale. Site preparation includes site um preparation and cleanup post sale and under $100,000 is covered by the grant. Two properties has been have been identified as appropriate to pursue for this round of funding.

Option one, 9595 Mile Line Road, and option two is 799 Holt Road. At the beginning of this presentation, I outlined areas of focus for the open space conservation grant opportunity. The identified properties align with the grant areas of focus as follows. Property one, 9595 Mile Line Road, aligns with at least three areas of focus. Area one, preserves habitat connectivity. This project This property serves as a key node within the broader network of wooded corridors linking in inland habitats to Irondequoit Bay, enabling species movement, breeding, and long-term ecosystem stability. Area two, preserves diverse ecosystems.

The parcel functions as a complete ecosystem consisting of a mix of deciduous deci- I'm sorry. Jersey accent doesn't allow me to say that word. And evergreen forest, meadow, pond, creek, and wetland features, including Shipbuilders Creek and its associated flood plain. Its identification as a priority acquisition parcel in both the town's 2001 and 2022 open space green prints further underscores its strategic importance in preserving ecological function within the fragmented landscape. And finally, area three that this property aligns with is provided equi- equitable access to open space and recreational areas.

This site offers immediate community benefit through its existing trail network, multiple access points, and proximity to residential neighborhoods and the Route 104 bike path. Option two, >> [snorts] >> 799 Holt Road, aligns with at least two areas of focus. Area one, preserves diverse ecosystems. The property's forest canopy and permeable landscape contribute to carbon se- sequestration, temperature moderation, and stormwater management, while the wetland and flood plain areas provide natural flood mitigation and water quality protection. Area two, provided provide equitable access to open space and recreational areas.

Its proximity to Charles E. Sexton Park and linkage through existing bike infrastructure to additional areas of the town transform the site from an isolated parcel into a critical connector between ecological assets and residential neighborhoods. Land purchased with this type of grant are typically subject to conservation easement and deed restriction, which acts as a permanent legal constraint on future development. The focus is on public access, conservation, and open space, which includes hiking trails, small agricultural buildings, and conservation-related improvements. The next steps that need to be taken are first, confirm the selection of properties to include in the application.

Um Option one, apply for 9595 Mile Line Road only. Option two, apply for 799 Holt Road only. Option three, select both properties and submit two separate applications, which we are allowed to do for this grant. You can have up to two separate applications. And um final step, vote aye for the upcoming resolution to authorize submission. Are there any questions? No, thank you uh Diana and team, Garrett, for bringing this to us and all the research that you have done. Appreciate it. I got a couple questions for Diana. If you want to step up to the microphone. Yeah, yes. You know. Hello. I would just like to say I noticed the uh succulent has migrated, but happy to see it's still there.

So, Diana, just some additional background for everybody here. Um What was the process that was used to identify these two parcels versus everything that's on the list? Yeah, so what's really great about these two parcels is um as Maria indicated, um they're both actually on the 2001 and the 2022 green print. Um so, they've kind of long been sort of on the radar, right, of Webster for, you know, potential acquisitions. Um and for the purposes of this grant, what we did is we took a look at the green print and the existing open space inventory, right, that the town has, and identified, you know, a handful of parcels, right, that we thought, you know, that obviously, right, fit the grant terms and were really good for the grant in its conservation emphasis.

And of that handful, these two parcels and you know, it actually was kismet because you can apply for a maximum of two. These two parcels had land owners that were very interested in participating in the grant program and land owner willingness has historically really been kind of the hurdle, right? So, check that box. That was, you know, just worked right out. So, yeah. And then, how was the the grant application designed to have the two properties address access connectivity in tandem, but also not totally limiting the town's future use for them? Cuz that's that balancing act of like, you know, the grant gives us this, but we don't want to give up full access.

It's a conversation we had with Chris in the parks department. We don't want to shoe string ourselves up too tight of a box. Yeah. So, exactly that. So, there's a couple questions in there. So, the first one would be it's interesting, but even though the DEC, right, for the purposes of the grant considers each application as a stand-alone, you're not it's not sort of choosing between the two, for instance, right? Everything is rank ordered. What we've actually been able to do is build in some language which strengthens the application as a whole by emphasizing the connectivity of those two parcels via the 104 104 bike path, right?

So, you can get down to the 104 bike path from the Holt Road parcel, obviously via, you know, Hojack and then down through, but also that I'm thinking Abigail Way, Way, right? So, you can come on to it via Hard and also obviously via Holt. And then obviously Coons is right next to the 104 bike path. So, it's it's a really nice kind of little you know, kind of thing. Nice sound effect there. >> There was part of your question. Okay, so I answered the connectivity part. Oh, yes, and the grant language, we're being very careful to not kind of box ourselves in and really emphasize, you know, active recreation.

So, you know, leaving ourselves open, you know, potentiality in the future for, you know, as much whatever the range of uses that were allowed for both of those. Yeah. And then this is more of a a takeaway statement of the nice thing about this grant, it's it's a 3-year cycle. So, with the two properties this year, if we identify two with two willing land owners next year, that's two more. And then after that, two more. So, we have the opportunity to apply for six properties over 3 years with 100% state funding. Yeah. It's it's a great program, it really is. I mean, I'm excited about it. So. Thank you.

Okay. I have a question about the Coonses farm. How much Can we pull up the map for it? Uh Cuz we are have to subdivide that afterwards, right? We're not taking his home. >> And so, basically it's it's one tax parcel, but it's two different lots and it would be the majority of that front lot, which is technically called lot two. And we basically double-checked with the DEC that subdivision does not have to take place prior to grant application. It's actually a common question that they received because a lot of people are in a similar, you know, as you can imagine, right? A similar situation. So, that subdivision, should we receive the grant, would take place after after being awarded the grant.

Okay. And then would that the subdivision includes his home and the actual tree farm, the barn? So, it doesn't include the barn. Okay. So, you can see basically where that green line is, everything that's on that image would be what we are seeking the grant funding for and the appraisal that's currently being done is is for that portion of the lot. Okay. So, we will have access to the property for the park. >> actually have access from 5 Mile straight into that front portion of the parcel. You don't have to go in through the barn. Well, you wouldn't go in through the barn, but you know what I mean.

And you'd also have pedestrian access potentially from the end of Gaywood Lane as well as potentially you could build something even in from Patty Lane as well. So, it really be a kind of three-pronged access. And I looks to clarify both parcels would be subdivided upon grant awarding. Okay. And that subdivision would be paid for with the grant funding as well. So, the DEC's been very flexible on this of like allowing that of like, you can wait to subdivide, we'll pay for it. Which for a grant is is pretty nice that degree of flexibility and kicking the can down the road versus making us commit to it now than later.

Yep. >> No, I would agree. I just want to make sure we have access cuz when I heard we were going to subdivide his barn and I'm like, hold on, where Cuz otherwise we'd have to go by your house and put a big parking lot, right? The The barn is staying. The barn is not going to be a part of the Yes. Okay. Yeah. Now, we all love the Christmas shop, so I think that's important. So, the the grant is performance-based and I understand there's four different kind of tiers to when we get the payment. Four different stages, correct. But what's really great about these parcels is that a lot of the stuff that's secondary costs, they've actually already been done prior to.

So, I mean, like surveys, appraisals, things of that nature that are on the more expensive end of the secondary costs, they're already done. So, it, you know, not only does it count in our favor for purposes of the grant application cuz you're scored on a couple of different components for that, but obviously also that, you know, mitigates any, you know, extra work and yeah, down the line. So, that's good. Okay. And hopefully the the risk that might go with each section, like we're not going to get through the first two stages and then they're going to come up with payment at stage three. >> No.

No. Once you're once you get awarded and once it's you're locked in, basically, yes to that. You're in. It's like To clarify, Nick, with that stages one and two, those are mainly reimbursing the small cost, the second secondary and third appraisals, some of the legal fees. Stage three is the actual the bulk of the funding for the property. So, up till stage three, when that comes, both the property owner and the town get to say I finally want to commit. You know, if something happens, worst case, you have up to that point to say we're both going to Yeah. Okay. go our ways. So, that's what Once again, watch the DEC.

They've really tried to make this like non-committal up to that point. You know, once obviously they give you the way to buy the land, then you're in. You've crossed that that point of no return. I love the idea. Can I ask just one question? This might be more of a Josh question. Just in terms of how this project might play into the overall like comprehensive plan. Has there been any thought about how that might play in? Um well, I I haven't really been brought fully up to speed on what what the the intent of of these two locations would would be for. Obviously, they're centrally located parcels within town.

Um but again, we have not been part of the conversation, so I I I don't really know how to answer that question. Okay. Well, I think if we have any opportunity to buy open space, we should most certainly take advantage of it and if there's grant money available, um we should we should definitely move in that direction. I haven't been in the loop on this, but I can imagine that your team has put a lot of hours into this. I can tell just by your just by your responses that you're you're very knowledgeable of this of this grant project and again, you know, I greatly appreciate it. Sure thing. All right, Dana, last question for you.

Are you ready? I think so. What is the current projected date with the state, which I haven't seen in change, says look it back to us? So, this is an interesting question. I It's the summer because their projection of when they were going to award the grants, when the grant due date was January 15th, was spring 2026. So, now given this is due date April 20, basically add 3 months, right? So, instead of spring 2026, it'll be summer 2026 when we find out. So, we'll know pretty quick. Thank you. Yeah. John, anything? Chris and I had a conversation about the active recreation. I do think the active recreation is a very important part of this because there are so many sports and so many teams and fields are a premium.

So, not um having that flexibility to potentially leverage one or Yep. I think the other one not so much, but the 5 Mile Line to have fields for sports teams would be very important. >> Yeah, we talked about Chris and I as well, you know, the size of the parcel being as it is and the way that it's kind of laid out, you know, you've still got plenty of, you know, wooded habitat in the back, you know, even you know, that even before that first big tree line, you know, there's a lot of space on that parcel. It really is like a Tardis. It's a Doctor Who reference. Okay. You might want to quit when you're ahead there on the jokes.

>> Oh, all right. Some of us like nerd stuff. >> [laughter] >> Yeah. I have a sonic screwdriver somewhere at my house. There you go. >> [sighs] >> Anything else, guys? >> Nope. I appreciate it. All right. All right. Thank you. Thank you, guys. Um before we close the workshop, I am going to make a motion and move for executive session before the end of the workshop pertaining to open meetings laws 105 1D for potential litigation. I would like to invite the town board, our town clerk, our town attorney, and Josh Artuso. If you guys would join me in the room aside over there. Thank you. Do you need a motion and a second?

Yes, second. Supervisor Sheldon? Aye. Councilman Cahill? Aye. Councilman Wright? Aye. Councilman Hunter? Aye. Councilman Wagner? Aye.