Following are my notes/sentiments
regarding last night's BROOKFIELD Regular Town Board Meeting.
NOTES FROM THE PEANUT
GALLERY:
Depressing meeting last
night:
* Despite an extra $13-14 million being
paid in the Indian Settlement, Madison County wants to override the 1.55%
property tax cap -- the nerve; Just like the School that "forgot" to tell us
that if they override the cap, NO STAR REIMBURSEMENT CHECKS!
* that wasn't bad enough, then we learn
$860 spent on a judge's "audit" that no one has seen -- not even the audit
committee who hired her and didn't know her qualifications/credentials; (SEE
LETTER BELOW)
* the road use law (remember that one)
is still not completed;
* the Dog Control Officer's salary was
raised -- yet again -- from $2,300 to $2,500 + costs despite complaints (and
there have been a number) from a family that attended the meeting
and felt threatened by the DCO's carrying pepper spray and failure of the DCO to
identify himself as well as the questioned the legaility of a DCO carrying
pepper spray.
* Several complaints relative to the
ditching issues on Baldwin Rd.
* And of course, the Sutton place on
Rte 8 is among a number of rundown properties that the Town, the County or the
Codes Officer are unable to do anything about. So, rules apply to only those
who comply.
* No surprise that the "Ethics
Committee" positions remain unfilled! Seriously, what's the point?
* FEMA still hasn't paid the Town the
$100,000+ due -- but apparently, it's "on someone's desk".
* Pressure is heating up to construct a
salt shed at the Town Barn.
* Chase Rd. (near 5 Corners) - new road
being built may be a real problem this winter and questions re: property line
and need for Town to do a survey before doing more work on the road
On a positive
note:
* property lines between the Town and
N. Brookfield park and the Barnes family has finally been settled.
* The second survey from the
Comprehensive Plan will be mailed 9/15;
* local Myrtilla Miner is to be
recognized by the Aboltionists' Hall of Fame;
* Donations in memory of Abe Cowen will
be used to build a fence around the Academy St. parking lot.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR RE: JUDGE'S AUDIT:
HERE IS THE LETTER which will appear in this week’s
Waterville Times from resident, Jackie
Mineo, providing background on the Judges’ AUDIT controversy:
To the Editor:
I closed my last
letter to this publication inquiring how long it would be before the Brookfield
Town Board and Audit Committee would get around to doing
their long overdue 2013 Judges Audit. So
I was pleasantly surprised to hear at the very next Town Board meeting that the
Audit had been completed. Not only completed but already paid for according to
the warrants.
The following day,
August 12, I emailed a request to get a copy.
I was responded to by the Town Clerk with the assurance that I would get
a copy “as soon as possible”. It seems
the Town did not have a copy. Of the audit we just paid for.
Two visits to the Town Clerks office and several emails
later I still have not gotten a copy of this audit.
I researched the NYS Education Department Professional
Licenses web site for the person hired to do this Judges Audit to confirm if
she has the required CPA or PA. I was unable to find any record of the person
the Town wrote the payment to. Also
according to our Town Clerk the person does not have those qualifications.
So now, more than 3 weeks later, I have more questions. Was
the person hired legally qualified according to NY UJC 2019-a to do the audit and
where IS the audit?…That we, the Town, paid $860.00 for and apparently do not have.
Jackie Mineo
