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Post-Standard, The (Syracuse, NY)

January 15, 2004
Section: Neighbors West
Edition: Final
Page: 4

Spafford Supervisor Gordon Ireland agreed to make changes to town board meetings at new board member Joyce Barnett's request.

Among the changes are: Posting an agenda two weeks before each board meeting.

Clarifying how people can get on the agenda.

Clarifying when it is appropriate for people to speak during the meetings.

Prepare a few sets of minutes to be available to audience members at town board meetings.

Posting a card on the bulletin board outside the town hall letting people know that the town's legal notices are published in the Skaneateles Press.

Ireland said he doesn't want to set aside a specific time during the meeting for people to talk, but that if they have questions, they should just raise their hand and wait to be recognized.

"If there are some questions, we should be able to answer your questions and that's what we'd like to do. We aren't trying to hide something or keep something secretive, as some people have alluded to in the past," he said.

Ireland said he'd post an agenda in advance, but that there would be very little on it since most agenda items aren't set until a few days before meetings.

Then it's too late for Town Clerk Lisa Valetta to update it.

"What you're going to see is the standard - bills, town supervisor's report, town clerk's report, highway superintendent's report, miscellaneous items. That's what it's going to say, but I'll put it up there," Valetta said.

"Lots of times nothing really gets on the agenda until the last minute," Ireland added.

Barnett, a member of the Citizens for Spafford, said people want to better understand how the board meetings are supposed to work.

"What is the procedure that you would prefer so that people understand exactly how they should interact with the town board?

"If somebody does have an agenda item, for example, how would you prefer that they let you know about it?" she asked.

People who want to put an item on the agenda should contact the town clerk two weeks in advance of the meeting, Ireland said. Issues that come up at shorter notice will still be discussed, but may not make the agenda.

He disagreed with Barnett's suggestion that guidelines for board meeting etiquette be at the bottom of agendas.

"We've always let people speak at our town board sessions and sometimes we may get a little bit strained, but for the most part they're pretty much orderly," Ireland said.

"I think we're all part of the community and we can pretty well handle that ourselves."

Historical society needs a plan

Ireland asked the Spafford Area Historical Society to create a plan and set of priorities for how they want to restore the Grange building in Borodino.

"That grant is very, very strict about how the money can be spent and how the priorities are going to be spelled out," Ireland said.

Ireland had asked the county Legislature to hold up the $89,000 grant until some questions about the project were answered.

Ireland said he'd heard that there was disagreement among SAHS about whether the restoration should adhere to historical guidelines.

He also expressed concerns about the group's specific plans for the money.

Councilman Bill Vinzant said he'd objected to the grant, but had withdrawn his objections after a discussion with SAHS members.

SAHS member Lauri Clark said the group is committed to restoring the building using state historic preservation guidelines.

"We know that if we don't follow them we cannot get on the historic register. So we're very careful to make sure everything we do meets that criteria.

"I had already talked to the people from the state and they told me just don't deviate, so we haven't," Clark said.

Vic Sayko, who heads the historical society's grange restoration committee, said the group has prepared a list of priorities and will follow grant requirements.

Replacing the Grange's furnace and septic system are at the top of the list, he said.

Code enforcement official to be at meeting

Richard Thompson, of the Department of State's Code Enforcement Division, will be available Tuesday to hear residents' feedback about the town's code enforcement program.

The meeting is 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at town hall.

The session is part of an audit of the town of Spafford's code enforcement program.

The office decided to audit Spafford after receiving a flood of code complaints. Most were from one person.

Copyright, 2004, The Herald Company
Purchased for reprint on the Borodino Bullett.