BROOKFIELD - Judges' $ 860 "Audit"

Thanks to Sherri, our Town Clerk, I received a copy of the invoice and the so-called state required "audit" of the Judges' books: ....for $860 they had their checkbooks balanced; at rates of $40 /hr to $150 per hour!!!.....Who are we kidding?

BROOKFIELD TOWN BOARD MEETING - Monday, SEPT 8, 2014

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

NYS: Cuomo’s Office Hobbled New York State Ethics Inquiries

FROM THE NY TIMES.... Wm Fitpatrick, ONONDAGA DA, was a member of the MORELAND Commission.....

NY TIMES Exclusive: Cuomo’s Office Hobbled New York State Ethics Inquiries A high-powered commission created by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to root out corruption in New York politics was hobbled almost from the outset by demands from the governor’s office, which sought to shield his allies from scrutiny, according to an examination by The New York Times. A three-month review of the panel’s short life and sudden death found that the governor’s office deeply compromised the commission’s work, objecting whenever its investigators focused on groups with ties to Mr. Cuomo or on issues that might reflect poorly on him. Ultimately, Mr. Cuomo abruptly disbanded the commission halfway through what he had indicated would be an 18-month life. And now, as the Democratic governor seeks a second term in November, federal prosecutors are investigating the roles of Mr. Cuomo and his aides in the panel’s shutdown and are pursuing its unfinished business. READ MORE » http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/23/nyregion/governor-andrew-cuomo-and-the-short-life-of-the-moreland-commission.html?emc=edit_na_20140723

WEEK OF: July 21 (Mon) - July 27 (Sunday)

	WEEK OF:		July 21 (Mon) - July 27 (Sunday)
	22-Jul		Meet an Alpaca!!!
	TUES		BROOKFIELD HISTORICAL SOCIETY
			Academy St. Park
	22-Jul	7:00 PM	TOWN COURT
	TUES		Town Hall (Upstairs)
	23-Jul	7:00 PM	BCS School Board REGULAR Meetings
	WED		BCS Building
	24-Jul	7:00 PM	BROOKFIELD RIDING & DRIVING
	THU		Regular Meeting
			Town Hall
	24-Jul
	THU	7:00 PM	BROOKFIELD HISTORICAL SOCIETY
			Historical Bldg
	"Madison County Exposed" by
	Madison County Historian Matthew Urtz.  The talk will focus on crimes,
	scandals and events that headlined the local news in Madison County from
	its roots until now.  Featured topics include the first and last
	hangings in the county, the demise of the Loomis Gang, Madison County's
	“No-Hitter”,  and much, much more.  The event is free and open to the
	public.  Program will be followed by refreshments and business meeting.

BROOKFIELD TOWN BOARD - Gas Moratorium & Judges' Audit

Below is a LETTER TO THE Waterville Times EDITOR, from Brookfield resident, Jackie Mineo, regarding the Gas Moratorium and Judges' Audit ...and lack thereof!

 To the Editor:

   At the Town of Brookfield’s last Board  meeting, as well as in letters to this paper, it has become apparent that there are some very unhappy people with our Town Boards decision to not extend the Moratorium on Gas Drilling…and with good reason. There was concern expressed about our Town Attorney voicing a legal opinion to the Board on the night of that vote that may have influenced the Board…an opinion he reversed at the following meeting. The recent Middlefield –Dryden appeal decision proved his initial opinion to be incorrect.   It’s clear to most people that this issue HAS to be re-voted on . Not just because of the shadow of possible misinformation but because no notification was given to the public that any vote on the Moratorium was to have taken place at that meeting.  One very upset member of the public  who pointed this out to our Supervisor, John Salka,  was told by him that people could have known because the agenda is a public document…except the agenda never became “public” until the night of the meeting!

     Another troubling  issue is the reluctance of our Town Board to perform a Judges audit for 2013…We’ve gotten nothing but excuses and delays.. A annual Judges audit is REQUIRED  by The Unified Court Act and Town Law 123. It is especially relevant to our Town this year with the death of  one of our  Judges.  The Board, by law, must do the audit itself or cause it to be done by a Certified Public Accountant or a Public Accountant within 60 days of the end of the fiscal year.  At our June meeting I asked when this audit (already late) would be done, as they had already discussed it at a meeting earlier this year. Incredulously, I was told by Mr. Head that it had already been done by our accountant. I had to remind them that our accountant had done the 2012 audit not the 2013 one. I was told again by Mr. Head “ all I know is that it’s already been done”. I asked when the other audits for Clerk and Supervisor would be done ( no Town Clerk or Town Supervisor internal audits have been done in years), I was told “ no idea”.  The Board came a bit more “up to speed” at our meeting this month and are now saying they are planning on doing audits, they have spoken to someone to do them, or help them, but they don’t know what it will cost yet. …and would still not say when it will be started.  The last Judges audit was done a full year late, let’s see how long this one takes.

Jackie Mineo

TOWN BOARD - Gas Moratorium - UNREAD LETTERS.....

It is a shame that the Town Supervisor Salka did not read the following letter to the Town Board which was hand delivered to the Town Supervisor's office PRIOR to Monday's meeting and was never read....so, I'll post it here...contrary to Town Attorney Hadley's advice, that these moratoriums "aren't worth the paper they're printed on", the moratoriums and "home rule" did stand up in the courts.....but then again, it's apparent there are several board members who have a vested financial interest in gas drilling going forward in the Town...


To the Honorable John Salka and Members of the Town Board,

By a 7 to 2 vote, New York State's Court of Appeals has upheld for the 3rd time the Town Home Rule right to prohibit fracking and other forms of drilling. It's time for you and the Town Board to do the right thing for the vast majority of people in this Township. It's time to ban future drilling once and for all.  The evidence is in.  There is no more time for hand wringing and debating.  Brookfield must immediately join 200 other towns. We want protection now from what the Governor and and/or DEC may decide to do in the very near future.  We can't wait.  At the least, we should have a moratorium in place, but far better would be a public vote to ban drilling. It's time to act now or forever be personally responsible for us and future generations.  It takes only one member to make a motion and a 2nd to second it.  Now is the time to act responsibly for the future health and happiness of the people and the preservation of its incomparable environment and life sustaining water.
Kindest personal regards,
Hobie & Lois Morris

WEEK OF:			July 14 (Mon) - July 20 (Sunday)
DATE:	TIME	LOCATION	EVENT:
14-Jul	7:00 PM	Town Hall	BROOKFIELD TOWN BOARD
15-Jul		Wampsville	MADISON CO. SUPERVISORS
16-Jul	6PM	Beaver Den	BROOKFIELD VETERANS' NIGHT
17-Jul	7:30 PM	Town Hall	COMPREHENSIVE PLAN COMMITTEE
19-Jul	All Day	Fairgrounds	MULE DAYS
20-Jul	All Day	Fairgrounds	MULE DAYS