There was a good turn out at the September 14 (Monday) Regular Monthly Meeting of the Brookfield Town Board, with 20-25 residents in attendance. Much calmer and shorter than last month’s meeting at North Brookfield, but nonetheless interesting. Here are some of the HIGHLIGHTS in the order presented and some of my comments. I urge you to attend these meetings (second Monday of the Month). Informative and an opportunity to meet your neighbors --
$400,000 HUD Program – approved for North Brookfield, but sadly, Mark Taub (aka "The HUD Dude") who has worked on the Brookfield projects for over a decade will be retiring at year end. The couple who currently handles the HUD Lead program is considering taking over Mark’s business. In any event, the HUD consulting position will be up for competitive bid. Sorry to see him leave!
CODES OFFICER – Action on the Codes position. Four to five good applications have been received. A committee of Dewitt Head and Rachael Owens were interview the applicants and then meet with the Board.
NORTH BROOKFIELD SUBDIVISION Pending: Snow/Christmas Associates. Don McCoach (Planning Board) announced that Christmas & Associates was going to be filing for a subdivision of between 17-18 parcels with minimum size 3 ¾ acres. No new roads but possibility of “reconstructing” existing Ritz ? Rd. This is the second large subdivision in 2009; the first being Cheseboro Rd. The property is owned by Snows and located in the North Brookfield. The Planning Board has not yet received the filing. The next Planning Board meeting is Oct 1 at the Brookfield Town Hall.
HIGHWAY – New Box for ’99 Truck Needed. A new box will be needed at a cost of approximately $ 27,000 (installed; w/Town parts ). If the ’99 truck expires before the replacement box, it could be reused on another truck (depending on make/model).
LEAN BUDGET - Salka reported that Madison County Sales Tax Receipts were down over 20% so far this year. He warned that the municipalities will be tightening their belts; less dependency on the State for any kind of help.
LEONARDSVILLE – Ball Park. Leonardsville resident, Jim Gould, reported on his discussions with Mt. Markham’s superintendent are moving ahead. Dave O’Brien, a North Brookfield resident who has started grant writing, offered to help Gould write a grant for the park. (Nice offer! Al Smith’s generosity at last month’s meeting seems to be catching on! Al offered to pay for the materials needed to stain the park picnic tables.) Nice cooperative community efffort!
ACCOUNTING FIRM & STATE AUDIT. The Board is FINALLY going to change accounting firms! It was very obvious at the last month’s meeting, that the firm’s representative lacked accounting expertise. She was neither a CPA nor had an accounting degree. (NOTE: For the previous years a CPA had handled the Town’s account, but this last year a more junior and much less qualified person at the firm was assigned to the Town’s account – for $1,000 / month!) The State Auditor who has been doing a “routine” review of the Town’s accounting procedures, also noted that the firm lacked an understanding of MUNICIPAL accounting. The Board is withholding the past two months’ payment to Fiducial until a resolution is reached.
A special meeting of the Board is scheduled for this Saturday to (hopefully) remove FIDUCIAL/RECOR and approve TACKABERRY of Hamilton as the new accountant. Tackaberry has agreed to the $12,000 per year…as with the past firm.
NOTE: While Ed Bennett’s recent letter to the Waterville Times editor blames this on Salka, Bennett has been receiving “accounting” help from Salka’s opponent, Loren Corbin, whose primary charge against Salka has been the poor state of the Town’s books. It is apparent that this firm is ill equipped and staffed to handle the Brookfield account. Items that were asked to be changed early in the year were still not made as of this Sept. meeting…even after the firm’s big “show & tell” at North Brookfield of how capable and responsible. These problems are their fault. Personally, I like Bennett and believe he’s done a good job and received a lot of support at the last meeting where he discussed his resignation as a result of the “accounting” issues. But honestly, is that the real reason? Over a line item?..Granted, this is a thankless job, and he handled it well in an organized manner, just wondering if there is not more to the story.
DAIRY CRISIS - FARMING RESOLUTION - Approved. The Board approved a resolution submitted by Chuck Blood, to be sent to Obama and Congressional Reps as well as the Dept of Agriculture; with additions recommended by Dewitt Head. The dairy farmers are being killed by imports of additives that increase the yield of cheese per gallon of milk. And their milk products are being established in a market run by the food processors who seek to cut the milk costs. Real shocker: these additives are being imported as “INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS” in order to avoid tariff restrictions – as a result of being INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS there are NO HEALTH INSPECTIONS for FOOD USE! Think of that next time you bite into that cheese! It is currently costing farmers $17.23 per hwt and they are receiving $11.03… as a result the farm bureaus estimate OVER 50% of our dairy farms will be GONE BY YEAR END.
BEAVER VALLEY ROD & GUN – REFERENDUM – NOVEMBER BALLOT!
The transfer of property from the Town to the Beaver Valley Rod & Gun Club will be on the NOVEMBER BALLOT. The referendum includes a provision whereby the land will revert back to the Town in the event the Club dissolves. The Club has worked hard on the archery shoot and has had a number of well-received events for all ages – and even some out of state visitors who complimented their range as being one of the best. I admit I was originally skeptical and concerned about the transfer of public property to a private organization, but have been impressed by the show of support and the hard work by the club – and in particular, the young adults who participate in the club. Their appearance and thoughtful comments at the Public Meeting spoke well for the Club. Sounds like a good outcome for the property, the Town and the Club!!!
TOWN REVALUATION – Update Request.
Waterville Times Editor, Pat Louise, asked that Salka give an update at next month’s (October 12 ) meeting on the status of the Town’s property tax revaluation.
NEXT REGULAR MEETING. The meeting ended around 9! Early one even with a full house. Next REGULAR meeting is October 12 – 7PM (Leonardsville Fire House?- to confirm). Hope so – they have coffee and great cookies! They know how to host a meeting!
