State Audit is progressing and Water System Improvement Bond will have to be amended
By John T. Ryan
The Peru Town Board conducted a regular meeting on Monday, March 26, 2012. Supervisor Peter Glushko advised the Board that the State Comptroller’s audit is progressing. Glushko said, “The audit seems to be going OK. The auditor is making suggestions and helping out quite a bit. We’re learning!” Glushko said the audit would continue for several weeks.
The Water System $3.2 to $3.3 million Improvement Bond will have to be revised upward because of the higher than expected elevated water tank upgrade costs. The bid accepted at a March 15, 2012 Special Board Meeting totaled $428,000, approximately $199,000 higher than original estimates. Pittsburg Tank and Tower had not included painting in its original estimate and had not taken into account the New York State prevailing wage requirement for public works jobs. The Board said payment of prevailing wages would increase labor costs from approximately $20 hourly to $90 hourly. The Board did reduce costs $55,500 by making a few changes to the project.
Supervisor Glushko has begun the NYS required annual internal controls audit. The Board is required to certify the audit.
The Board is considering purchase of a Toro 7200/7210 mower-snow removal machine. It would cost approximately $39,890 equipped with rubber tracks, a cab, a snow blower and a plow. After a $3,500 trade-in allowance for a used mower, the net cost would be $36,390. The Town leased a Bobcat snow removal machine over the past two years at a total cost of $17,000. Board members appeared to believe that purchasing a dual-use machine would be less costly than leasing a machine.
Supervisor Glushko reported that Town Code Enforcement Officer (CEO) Frank Slycord would be taking the Clinton County Civil Service Exam in June. The Civil Service Office has developed an examination for the position and has listed Peru’s CEO position as being vacant on its website. The position is not vacant and Mr. Slycord is expected to pass the exam.
The Board will be taking action to amend the zoning ordinance to require that applicants pay any engineering or legal fees not instituted by the Town of Peru. The Board must approve the change and a public hearing will be scheduled.
Adirondack Farms has invited all Board members to tour its facilities at any time. The owners want to assure the Board that animals are being properly treated.
Town Clerk Kathy Flynn reminded the Board that the Peru Youth Commission will hold registration for summer and fall programs in the Town Hall on Friday evening and Saturday of this week. Birth certificates will be required for all children. Mrs. Flynn reported that the Laphams Mills Park storage building was illegally entered during the winter months and a machine’s battery was missing.
Fred Balzac of the NYS Office of Mental Health reported that representatives of his office would be making door-to-door contact with Hurricane Irene victims. The FEMA funded program is called Project Hope and includes assisting individuals and families with counseling support and referring them to other community resources. The program is projected to continue through November 2012. Interested parties can call 518-524-9616 for more information.
At 8 PM the Board adjourned to Executive Session to discuss the employment history of a specific individual and pending litigation.
Posted: March 29th, 2012 under Town Board News.