The 28th Annual Meeting of NOCCOG was held on Thursday, October 27, 2011, at the Delta Lake Inn in Rome, NY, with approximately 103 people in attendance.  Following the social hour, dinner was served, preceded by welcoming remarks from NOCCOG Municipal Management Consultant / Circuit Rider, Geraldine Ritter.  Ritter recognized Tug Hill Commission Executive Director John Bartow, Tug Hill Commission Associate Director of Natural Resources Katie Malinowski, GIS Specialist Mickey Dietrich, Tug Hill Commissioners Ken Vigus, (Boonville), Arnie Talgo (Steuben) and Thomas Boxberger (Watertown). Also recognized were Assemblywoman Claudia Tenney, and Oneida County Legislators, Norman Leach and Michael Waterman. Assemblywoman Tenney made a few brief remarks to the local officials present.

At 8:15 pm, Vice-Chairman Arnie Talgo, in the absence of Chairman Robert Sauer, called the annual business meeting to order. Talgo expressed appreciation for the support shown by the NOCCOG communities for the Tug Hill Commission when it faced a very serious threat of elimination in the Governor's Cuomo's 2011 Executive Budget when he proposed "dissolving the Tug Hill Commission". It was also noted that NOCCOG itself suffered a set back when it was not funded in the 2011 Oneida County budget. Talgo gave the chairman's report that outlined various projects in which NOCCOG is currently involved as well as recent accomplishments.  This includes but not limited to producing official road maps for NOCCOG towns with assistance from the Tug Hill Commission, bi-annual salary survey, numerous training opportunities for appointed and elected officials, several New York State Archives Grants, Local Government Efficiency Grant projects, Staying Connected- Wildlife Connectivity Project, strategic planning grants, Regional Economic Development Council meetings and planning process and the development or revision of comprehensive and land use plans for NOCCOG communities.  Talgo also thanked the NOCCOG municipalities for their support and thanked the circuit riders for their hard work and efforts.   

Minutes:  Municipal Management Consultant Ritter asked for the review and acceptance of the minutes of the 2010 Annual Meeting.  Motion made by William Hasenauer, Supervisor of the Town of Forestport, to accept the minutes.  Seconded by David Townsend, Trustee, Village of Sylvan Beach.

All in favor.  Motion carried.

Financial Report:   NOCCOG Fiscal Officer Mark Scheidelman gave the financial report.  It was noted that expenses for 2011 were staying within budget projections.  Staff has been very conservative with expenditures. For the 20^th consecutive year, every one of our 19 municipal members paid their membership dues in full. Dues remained the same in 2011 at $550 and the continued support is appreciated. NOCCOG requested $10,000 from Oneida County in support of programs for 2011. This was the amount in the budget adopted in October 2010 at the Annual Meeting. Unfortunately, Oneida County has not been able to provide any funding for NOCCOG for 2011. NOCCOG was also not included in County Executive Picente's budget for 2012. We asked our municipal members to pass resolutions support for funding for NOCCOG by Oneida County for 2012.  Even with this support, the possibility of funding at this time does not look hopeful. It was noted during the month of September shown on the fund account balance sheet are a one time grant from the Tug Hill Commission for $5,000 and a small amount of interest. This is for the work NOCCOG has done on the Staying Connected - Wildlife Connectivity project.

A motion was made by John Buczek, Supervisor of the Town of Floyd to accept the 2011 financial report.  Seconded by William Hasenauer, Supervisor Town of Forestport 

All in favor.  Motion carried

Scheidelman stated that the NOCCOG Executive Board carefully reviewed the Proposed Budget for 2012. Six expense lines have changed - all seeing a decrease. Total decreases are $1,530. Within the individual revenue lines-the anticipated fund balance has decreased $80 to $6,600 and Tug Hill's contribution for the full time circuit rider/municipal management consultant's salary and benefit has decreased in accordance with the state bargaining agreement.

The Executive Board is proposing a 2012 Budget in the amount of $104,817 for all programs.  It is proposed that municipal dues will increase to $1,000 level. The mayor/supervisor or their representative will be voting on this tonight. County support is not anticipated at this time.

A motion was made by John Buczek, Supervisor, Town of Floyd to approve the dues increase to $1,000 and the 2012 NOCCOG Annual Budget as proposed. Seconded by Mike Bennison, Mayor of the Village of Holland Patent.

David Townsend Trustee, Village of Sylvan Beach called for a roll call vote for the proposed dues increase.  The roll call vote was conducted with fifteen towns and villages represented at the meeting. The vote was unanimous.

All in favor.  Motion carried.

Election of Officers:  Nominating Committee member, John Buczek, Supervisor, Town of Floyd, presented the slate of officers for 2012: 

John Doiron of Ava - Chairman; 

Arnold Talgo of Steuben - Vice Chairman; 

Mark Scheidelman of Trenton - Fiscal Officer;

Robert Sauer of Camden - Director

Mark Trnchik - Director 

Buczek asked for further nominations from the floor. There being none, the nominating process was closed.  Fran Stacy, Mayor, Village of Remsen and Nominating Committee member, requested that a single ballot be cast for the slate.  Motion was made by Fran Stacy to cast a single ballot for the slate and accept the nominations.  Seconded by Councilman Rick Leos, Vienna.

All in favor.  Motion carried.

The new terms will commence January 1, 2012.

Ritter recognized Robert Sauer for the seven years he served as NOCCOG Chairman.

Renewal and Approval of Inter Municipal Agreement: Ritter stated that the IMA between NOCCOG and the member Towns and Villages in NOCCOG needs to be renewed every five years in accordance with NYS law.  The original IMA had been approved in 2004. Ritter reviewed the purpose and primary objectives in the IMA.

Ritter asked the supervisors and mayors present to sign and date the IMA tonight. Towns and Villages not present will be contacted to sign the IMA before 12/31/2011.

Program: John Bartow, Executive Director of the Tug Hill Commission and Mickey Dietrich GIS Specialist, did a presentation on asset management and the NOCCOG official road map project.  Dietrich shared how important this information is and how it can be used in the future.  The official road maps can be the first step of a multiyear asset management project, similar to the Joint Infrastructure Management Initiative project being completed in Lewis, Jefferson and St Lawrence Counties with assistance from the THC.

Completed official laminated road maps were presented to the Town of Camden, Town of Floyd and Town of Steuben.

There being no further business, the meeting concluded and was adjourned at 9:25pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Geraldine Ritter

The NYS Tug Hill Commis-sion is pleased to announce the launch of its newly revamped website at www.tughill.org!

Please visit our site to experi-ence our new look and feel. Minor tweaks and reorganization will be ongoing, but we are excited about this new venture that that will allow us to better stay in touch with our communities and to provide information about projects, programs, events and training in a more modern and efficient way.

NOCCOG's 28^th Annual Meeting and Dinner  is scheduled for Thursday, October 27^th at the Delta Lake Inn, Rome.  The social hour will start at 6:00, followed by the dinner at 7:00. Our annual meeting will include the presentation of the 2012 NOCCOG proposed budget, renewal of the IMA among the NOCCOG towns and villages, election of officers for the NOCCOG Executive Board. and the yearly update on our programs.  The proposed increase in dues to $1,000 will be discussed and voted on at this meeting.

Also there will be a presentation on asett management and the road maps that have been completed and adopted by the towns will be given to town representatives in attendance. 

The cost for the dinner is $20.00 with checks payable to NOCCOG.  Reservations are due by Friday, October 21 by contacting Gerry Ritter at 392-2260

The Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council, which includes Oneida County, will be holding three Community Workshops to share its vision statement for this region, as well as the results of an exercise that identified the regions strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT). The closest meeting to the Tug Hill Region is on Monday, September 19th from 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm at Mohawk Valley Community College, 1101 Sherman Drive, Utica, NY, Room 225 of the Information Technology Building. Other meeting locations include Amsterdam on September 28th and Cooperstown on September 29th.

Stakeholder group meetings are also being scheduled for September and October in the Mohawk Valley REDC region. Identified groups include: Healthcare, Edu-cation, Tourism, Agricultural Forestry and Natural Resources, Housing and Com-munity Development, Manufacturing and Small Businesses. Meeting times, dates and locations will be posted on the MVREDC website. You can review and com-ment on the draft vision statement and the results of the SWOT exercise, also, by going to the website at: http://nyworks.ny.gov/content/mohawk-valley.

This important workshop, One for the Road, is for town and village officials regarding anything to do with roads and road maintenance. Ken Ayers, Esq., one of the leading legal experts in NYS on these issues, will be presenting a primer on right-of-way and boundary issues and the importance of road maps for successful development. The session will be held June 29, 2011 from 1:00 to 5:00 pm at the SUNY IT, Utica. This training is being sponsored by the NYS Tug Hill Commission, SUNYIT Institute for Local Government & the Local Government Education Committee. This session will examine current and developing legal issues with a focus on a municipality's responsibility with respect to its highways. Topics covered will include: Road acquisition, Nature & extent of legal interest in roads (title vs. easement), Streets by prescription (use), Abandonment by non use and discontinuance, Minimum maintenance of public highways, seasonal limited use roads, official road maps, subdivision streets and paper streets, Regulation & maintenance of public highways and rights- o f-way.

Brochures with registration information have been mailed out. There is a $15 fee for the workshop. Payment is due by June 22 and checks should be made out to The College Association and be sent to: Continuing Professional Education, LGEC Registration, SUNYIT, and 100 Seymour Road,  Utica, NY 13502, Phone: 315-792-7270, Fax: 315-792-7278.

Presentations were made earlier this month to town officials and inter-ested area residents in Ava, Steuben and Western to share the results of a community mapping exercise that was held in Western in Decem-ber.

Participants who attended the December 6th meeting were asked to draw circles on a map around places they care about in the three town area and say why they feel they are important. This input was used to produce a general map showing places that are valued in each of the towns. A copy of the finished map was presented to town officials in Ava, Steuben and Western. The towns will be able to use this current and helpful information and the maps as they continue to work on updating their respective comprehensive plans, as well as other future planning efforts.

The mapping and presentations are part of the Adirondack-Tug Hill Wildlife Habitat Connectivity project that is being sponsored by NOCCOG, the Tug Hill Commission, Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust, the Nature Conservancy, and the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Please feel free to contact Katie Malinowski at the Tug Hill Commis-sion, 785-2380 or katie@tughill.org or NOCCOG Circuit Rider Gerry Ritter, 392-2260 or at gerryritternoccog@frontiernet.net for more in-formation. DVDs with the digital version of the maps are also avail-able.

The Town of Steuben has taken the lead in updating its municipal facilities to save on the cost of utilities. Their latest project saw the installation of solar panels on the roof of the Town Hall. Commission staff assisted the town with its application to NYSERDA and the town was awarded $43,470 in funding for the project. Contractor Solar Liberty has been working the last few weeks to install the solar panels, meters, inverters and other necessary components for the project. The new meters will meas-ure the power coming in as well as going out. It is estimated that the solar panels will meet 100% of the need of electrical power for the town hall. If more power is generated then used, the power company (National Grid) will make a payment to the town for the excess power.

This is one of several projects completed by the town to reduce energy costs. The town also worked with the NYS Power Authority who conducted an energy audit on the municipal buildings. The town has seen signifi-cant savings by following the recommendations in the audit by replacing existing lighting with LED lights, replacing the hot water heater, install-ing insulation and replacing an outdated furnace.. It was noted that dur-ing the winter the new furnace saved 30% in heating costs.

The town also has received a generator through a FEMA grant that pro-vides power to the town hall in emergency situations. The building is now a certified Red Cross emergency shelter.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) an-nounced the winners of the Green Schools Challenge, a program to recognize schools that are working to improve solid waste management by developing waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting and/or recycled product purchasing and packaging programs.

The Green Schools Challenge provides a tool for school recycling coordinators, student environmental clubs and facility service professionals to engage their school community in recycling and waste reduction in a fun and friendly way.

Camden Elementary School received the "Most Improved School" award. They have reduced their garbage amount by 46 percent and increased their recycling rate by 63 percent for the Green School Challenge. One of their initiatives to reach that reduction is the Zero-Waste Lunch. Teachers are incorporating envi-ronmental awareness into their curricula.

Each of the school winners, including Camden, will receive $250 award to use to support their recycling/composting initiatives.

The Staff, Circuit Riders and Commissioners would like to extend a sincere and heart-felt congratulations to Paulette Collins on her recent retirement from the Commission. It is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to Paulette after 30 years of exemplary service to the people of the Tug Hill Region. Commission  Staff will especially miss Paulette's easy-going sense of humor, her dedication to the job and her knowledge, which could have only been gained through so many years on the job . She has been tremendous  assett for NOCCOG as well as the Commission over the years.Good luck to Paulette and her husband, Ron, as they embark on the next chapter in their lives. 

The Staff, Circuit Riders and Commissioners would also like to wish a warm congratulations and best wishes to Emily McKenna on her recent appointment as Senior Economic Development Specialist with Camoin Associates in Malta, NY. Emily has been with the Commission for five years as a Community Development Specialist. Emily's passion for her communities and her smiling personality will be sorely missed.  Emily has worked on many projects in the NOCCOG area  and we will miss her. Emily's last day with the Commission is April 15th. Good luck to Emily, Zack and their

On February 11^th the Northern Oneida County Council of Governments (NOCCOG) Executive Committee unanimously urged Governor Andrew Cuomo to reconsider his Executive Budget Proposal to "dissolve the New York State Tug Hill Commission".  The Governor's Executive Budget released on February 1 proposes to eliminate all funding for the Tug Hill Commission and to repeal all statutory reference to the Tug Hill Commission and the Tug Hill Region.

According to NOCCOG Chair Robert Sauer, "the Governor wants to eliminate and erase 38 years of cooperative efforts on the part of Tug Hill towns and villages to work with New York State through the Tug Hill Commission on improving local governance and conservation of regional and statewide resources of the Tug Hill region."  "The Governor's budget effectively kills our efforts to work collaboratively and cooperatively on managing our communities and the natural resources of the Hill", said Sauer.

"What is even more upsetting, said Sauer, is the Governor has proposed a State Agency and Government Efficiency (SAGE) Commission to review all state agencies, task forces and commissions and to recommend consolidations, mergers or elimination of outdated or inefficient ones, yet his budget proposal for the Tug Hill Commission precludes the due process he established for a deliberative and transparent review of such actions." 

"In our resolution, we are only asking Governor Cuomo to restore funding to the Tug Hill Commission at 10% less than their 2010-11 appropriation, as the Governor has for most agencies, and to allow the Tug Hill Commission the same due process he is allowing 199 other task forces and commissions," said Sauer.

"The Tug Hill Commission has been an invaluable partner to Northern Oneida County towns and villages and we only want a fair chance to justify our continued efforts.  We are confident that when measured and compared, our efforts with the Tug Hill Commission will not only be well justified but may also offer the Governor and State Legislature good ideas for transforming state government to be more efficient and accountable to the taxpayers of New York State", said Sauer.

The Northern Oneida County Council of Governments is an intergovernmental organization that provides circuit rider services and works on issues of regional and local concern to the 19 towns and villages located in the northern part of Oneida County in the Tug Hill Region. 

For more information please contact Robert Sauer at (315)245-0792.

Various communities in the NOCCOG region were recently awarded funding from the New York State Archives office under the Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund (LGRMIF) program. Tug Hill Commission staff provided assistance in

the preparation and submission of three Records Management Grant applications, each of which was successful.

The town of Vienna received $8,855 in grant funds to implement the next phase of their records management program

with a state-of-the-art inactive records storage area. They plan to organize and re-file or purge approximately 180 cubic

feet of inactive records and develop policies and procedures to ensure longterm success of their program.

The town of Ava was awarded $12,266 for the construction of a fire-safe storage area for their inactive records. The town

plans to transform their current storage area into a more efficient and secure space that will house 105 cubic feet of

boxed records on steel shelving units and 42 cubic feet of large format documents such as maps in a map tower.

Included in the project is the organization and re-filing or purging of records and development of records management policies and procedures.

Northern Oneida County Council of Governments (NOCCOG) received $23,610 on behalf of five municipalities in Oneida

County. The project will improve access to historical records for each of the participating communities. Historical records, many of which have suffered fire and water damage over the years, will be preserved and made available digitally through Ancestry.com. This project will be the second phase of a multi-year project to digitize and microfilm historical records to improve access. The pilot project targeting four different local governments was funded by the LGRMIF last year.

Applications for funding in the next round are due on February 1, 2011. Communities interested in applying for a Records

Management Grant should contact Emily McKenna or Carla Malmgren at the Commission office at 1-888-785-2380 or one of the NOCCOG circuit riders.

The Local Government Education Committee from Oneida and Herkimer Counties are offering this training session by the NYS Comptroller's Office from Syracuse at Kunsela Hall, SUNYIT, and Utica on Wednesday, September 29, 6:30- 9:00. . This training program is designed to assist village and town officials in carrying out their fiscal oversight responsibility. Topics to be covered include-

What are the board's fiscal oversight duties?

What is the purpose of an audit and who is responsible?

 An overview of the records of the chief fiscal officer (Supervisor or Treasurer)

An overview of the fiscal responsibilities of the Justice and Clerk.

Important audit concerns and key records to look at (a checklist approach).

What do you do if questions are raised during the audit process?

What are the major red flags for Fraud you should watch for?

What do you do if suspect fraud?                                                                                                                              

The registration fee will be $15. Payments should be made payable to the College Association and mailed to the Office of Continuing Professional Education, SUNYIT, and PO Box 3050, Utica, NY  13504-3050. Additional information can be found at the LGEC website at http://lgec.org/content  and click on the workshop section.

Finding solutions to unkempt property is an issue that plagues most municipalities. The accumulation of junk can reduce property values, be an eyesore and an attractive nuisance to children as well as posing a health risk. A municipality may choose to adopt regulations that address junk storage, household debris and other clutter. A municipality that chooses not to adopt local regulations may enforce the provisions contained in the state motor vehicle junkyard law as well as the property maintenance section of the NYS Uniform Fire and Prevention Code.

The Local Government Education Committee of Oneida & Herkimer Counties has scheduled a training session to address these issues and possible solutions. The session will be held on Thursday, March 11, 2001 6:30- 8:30 in the Café at Kunsela Hall, SUNYIT in Utica. The training will feature a panel discussion with:

• Ray A Meier, of Counsel to the law firm Bond, Schowneck and King, PLLC.   Mr. Meier serves as the municipal attorney for several municipalities in the area and has extensive private and public sector experience

• Joseph A. Booth who has served at the Director of Codes and Zoning for the Town of New Hartford since 1989. He has provided training on various codes and zoning issues.

• Thomas Romanowski from the NYS Department of State, Division of Code Enforcement and Administration. The regional office located in Utica is responsible for a service area that covers eight counties.

Pre-registration is required. There is a $15.00 charge for the workshop and checks should be made payable to the College Association There is still time to reserve a seat for this workshop by calling 315-866-4671 or by email to gregmved@twcny.rr.com  or jeanne.brown@sunyit.edu . The workshop fee can be paid at the door. Visit the Local Government Education Committee website at http://www.lgec.org/  for more information.

The Tug Hill Commission's 21st Annual Local Government Conference registration brochure was mailed out to local officials in late December. The conference will be held at Jefferson Community College in Watertown, New York, on Thursday, April 1st. Registrations postmarked by March 10 will be $50; by March 17 - $75, and $100 at the door. Workshops on a variety of topics are geared toward town and village board members, clerks, planning boards, zoning boards, highway departments, and assessors. The keynote speaker this year is Robert Freeman, Executive Director, NYS Department of State, Committee on Open Government. Please join your fellow local officials in what promises to be a day of educational and instructive information.

Several communities in the NOCCOG region submitted applications to the New York State Archives office for funding under the Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund (LGRMIF) program. NOCCOG and Tug Hill Commission staff provided assistance in the preparation and submission of three Records Management Grant applications .

The town of Vienna requested $8,953 in grant funds to implement the next phase of their records management program with a state-of-the-art inactive records storage area. If funded, they plan to organize and re-file or purge approximately 180 cubic feet of inactive records and develop policies and procedures to ensure long-term success of their program.

The town of Ava is requesting $12,402 for the construction of a fire-safe storage area for their inactive records. The town plans to transform their current storage area into a more efficient and secure space that will house 105 cubic feet of boxed records on steel shelving units along and 42 cubic feet of large format documents such as maps in a map tower. Included in the project is the organization and re-filing or purging of records and development of records management policies and procedures .

Northern Oneida County Council of Governments (NOCCOG) submitted an application on behalf of five municipalities in Oneida County. The project will improve access to historical records for each of the participating communities. Historical records, many of which have suffered fire and water damage over the years, will be preserved and made available digitally through Ancestry.com. Northern Oneida County Council of Governments requested $23,873 for the project. This project would serve as the second phase of a multi-year project to digitize and microfilm historical records to improve public access. The pilot project targeting four different local governments was funded by the LGRMIF is currently underway.  Nine NYS Archives projects have been written, funded and managed by NOCCOG in the last nine years.

The Records Management Grant applications were submitted on February 1, 2010. Award announcements are expected in June.

The Northern Oneida County Council of Governments will hold its annual fall meeting and dinner at the Franklin Hotel, South James Street, Rome on Thursday, October 22^nd. The social hour starts at 6:00 p.m. and dinner is at 7:00 p.m. A business meeting will follow with the 2010 election of officers for the NOCCOG executive board and adoption of the 2010 budget. The meeting is an opportunity to reflect on the past year's accomplishments for NOCCOG and its member communities.

The cost of the dinner is $19.00 and checks should be made payable to NOCCOG. Reservations may be made by contacting municipal management consultant Gerry Ritter on or before October 16th at 315-392-2260 or by e-mail at GJRitter01@aol

The recently approved $787 billion federal stimulus package was developed in part to enable infrastructure projects that promote economic growth.   An estimated $26 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will go to projects and programs within New York State.   Much of that funding will be directed to long delayed infrastructure projects that include money dedicated to the following: the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, Highway Funding and Mass Transit Funding. State officials and congressional representatives are presently working to identify local  "shovel- ready" projects in the area that will spur the economy.  It is believed that once announced those projects could begin in less than a month. In the meantime, if your community has a specific project you feel is eligible for NYS Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Stimulus Funding you may want to check out the following links:

 New York State Funding Breakdown    http://www.economicrecovery.ny.gov/DirectAid/aidnewyork.htm                                                                  Link to Submit Proposals http://www.economicrecovery.ny.gov/system/proposal.cfm

Please note that completing the on-line "Submit Proposals" form is not an official application for funding.  It is an avenue for interested applicants to provide The New York State Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Cabinet with introductory information regarding their projects 

The 25th Annual Meeting of NOCCOG was held on Thursday, October 23, 2008, at the Franklin Hotel in Rome, NY, with approximately 95 people in attendance.  Following the social hour, dinner was served, preceded by welcoming remarks from NOCCOG Chairman, Robert Sauer.    Municipal Management Consultant / Circuit Rider, Geraldine Ritter, recognized Tug Hill Commission Executive Director John Bartow, Tug Hill Commission Director of Economic Development, David Zembiec, Tug Hill Commission Chairman Ken Vigus, (Boonville). Also recognized were Assemblyman David Townsend, Oneida County Comptroller Joseph Timpano, Oneida County Legislators, Leslie Porter, Norman Leach, Michael Clancy  and Michael Hennessy. Senator Joseph Griffo was not able to attend due to another commitment but extended wishes for another successful year to NOCCOG communities.

At 7: 50 pm, chairman Sauer called the annual business meeting to order.  Sauer gave the chairman's report that included various projects in which NOCCOG is currently involved as well as recent accomplishments.  This includes but not limited to numerous training opportunities for  appointed and elected officials, several New York State Archives Grants, Local Government Efficiency Grant projects, strategic planning grants, and the development or revision of comprehensive and land use plans for NOCCOG communities.  Sauer also thanked the NOCCOG municipalities for their support and thanked the circuit riders for their hard work and efforts.  

Minutes:  Municipal Management Consultant Ritter asked for the review and acceptance of the minutes of the 2007 Annual Meeting.  Motion made by John Buczek, Supervisor of the Town of Floyd, to accept the minutes.  Seconded by William Hinge, Village Administrator for the Village of Barneveld.

All in favor.  Motion carried.

Financial Report:  NOCCOG Fiscal Officer Mark Scheidelman gave the financial report and noted that expenses for 2008 were staying within budget projections with the exception of mileage/travel expenses.  All revenues for 2008 have been received with all 19 member municipalities having paid their dues for the 17^th consecutive year.   Scheidelman referenced the proposed 2008 budget, approved by the NOCCOG Executive Committee.  Changes noted on the revenue side: interest and earnings are estimated to be $200 for 2009,  the anticipated fund balance has increased $200 to $6,380, and Tug Hill's contribution for the full time circuit rider's salary and benefits in accordance with the state bargaining agreement.  Changes to expense lines: an increase of $500 to a total of $5,000 for the full time circuit rider's travel expenses, associate circuit rider 1's travel expense was increased $500 to $2,000. Circuit rider 2's travel expense was decreased $500 to $1,000, and publications and subscriptions was decreased $100 to $250. It was also noted there was an increase in the salary and benefits for full time municipal management consultant Ritter, which are paid in full by the Tug Hill Commission.    Dues for member municipalities will remain the same at $550 per year for 2009.  Oneida County support for 2009 was requested in the amount of $7,500 the same as requested for 2008.  The Oneida County budget has not been finalized at this time.

Scheidelman also provided a fiscal report on the NYS Archives grant projects managed by NOCCOG in 2008.

A motion was made by Jim Ossont, Supervisor of the Town of Ava to accept the 2008 financial report and the 2009 NOCCOG proposed budget as presented.   Seconded by John Buczek, Supervisor of the Town of Floyd. 

All in favor.  Motion carried

Election of Officers:  Nominating Committee member, John Buczek, Supervisor, Town of Floyd, presented the slate of officers for 2006: 

Robert Sauer of Camden - Chairman; 

Arnold Talgo of Steuben - Vice Chairman; 

Mark Scheidelman of Trenton - Fiscal Officer. 

Buczek asked for further nominations from the floor. There being none, the nominating process was closed.  Cliff Hill, Supervisor, Town of Remsen and Nominating Committee member, requested that a single ballot be cast for the slate.   Motion was made by John Buzeck, to cast a single ballot for the slate and accept the nominations.  Seconded by Cliff Hill.

 All in favor.  Motion carried.

The new terms will commence January 1, 2009.

Program: John Bartow, Executive Director of the Tug Hill Commission, did a presentation on the results of the Tug Hill Commission's Local Leader's Survey completed earlier this year. The purpose for the survey of local officials and other community leaders is to evaluate the Commission's programs and help determine the future the Commission and its councils of governments with which it works. The survey has a 43% response rate. It was noted that for the first time in the history of Tug Hill surveys, helping communities protect the environment ranked the highest (96.3%).  Bartow also reported on several regional projects and community forums by the Tug Hill Commission and councils of governments planned for 2009.

The remaining program for the evening was a slide show by circuit rider Gerry Ritter highlighting NOCCOG's beginning in 1981, growth over the years, current projects, and goals for the future. Also recognized were those individuals who have served NOCCOG communities as circuit riders over the years.

There being no further business, the meeting concluded and was adjourned at 8:55pm.

Applications are now available for Local Government Efficiency Grants (formerly the Shared Municipal Services Incentive Program). The deadline is 4 p.m., January 14, 2009. In addition to the new name, the program has four new categories of funding, each with different levels of funding. Grants in all categories provide 90% funding up to the designated maximum and require a 10% cash match.

High Priority Planning Grants. These are non-competitive grants for plans and studies that examine the potential savings and management improvements for mergers, dissolutions, functional consolidations, and the transfer of local functions or shared services to be provided on a countywide or regional basis. The maximum award is $50,000 per application. Unlike the other three categories, these applications will be reviewed monthly with the following deadlines: November 12, 2008; December 10, 2008; January 14, 2009; February 11, 2009; March 11, 2009.

General Efficiency Planning Grants - Grants are competitive grants for two or more municipalities to fund plans and studies for potential consolidation or shared services involving two or more municipalities. This category provides grants up to $25,000 for two municipalities, plus $1,000 for each additional partner, with a $35,000 overall maximum grant.

Efficiency Implementation Grants - Grants will fund the costs associated with the implementation of consolidations, mergers, dissolutions, cooperative agreements, and shared services. They can also be used to cover transitional personnel costs associated with implementation. Grant awards will provide up to $200,000 per participating municipality with a maximum award of $1 million.

Twenty-First Century Demonstration Project Grants - Grants will support pilot projects that involve transformative change

and significant cost savings on a countywide or regional scale and can involve policing, school support services, fire protection, and smart growth. Maximum grant awards vary by category (as indicated in the application guidelines), but generally do not exceed $400,000 per municipality. For grant application materials or additional information, visit the Dept. of State website at www.dos.state.ny.us and click on "Local Government Services", or call 1-800-367-8488.

For grant application materials or additional information, visit the Dept. of State website at www.dos.state.ny.us and click on "Local Government Services", or call 1-800-367-8488.

The speaker for the training will be Jo-Anne Faulkner from Oneida County Soil and Water Conservation District.  This training is one component of OCSWCD's Community Environmental Management (CEM) program that offers technical assistance for municipalities

The training is eligible for two hours of yearly credits for Planning Board and ZBA members. Light refreshment will be provided. Please contact circuit rider Gerry Ritter at 392-2260 or Gjriiter01@aol.comfor more information or to pre-register.

The Herkimer- Oneida Counties Comprehensive Planning Program (HOCCPP) will be hosting its second annual Land Use Training Conference at MVCC, Information Technology Building, Utica on Saturday, September 27, 2008 from 8:30 a.m. 3:30 p.m.  The conference provides an opportunity for local planning and zoning board members to receive training on a variety of land use topics, both basic and intermediate in scope.  The conference will allow planning and zoning board member the opportunity to complete their yearly training requirement.  Attendees for the conference will be able to receive 5 hours of required training in one day.

Topics to be covered include:

•Ø      Planning Board Basics

•Ø      ZBA Basics

•Ø      Site Plan Review

•Ø      Conservation Easements

•Ø      Mediating Agricultural and Land Use Conflicts

•Ø      Ethics and Legal Issues

•Ø      Historic Preservation Planning

•Ø      SEQR Mock Hearing

•Ø      Discovering Data Resources for Planning and Grant Writing

•Ø      Unraveling the Mystery of the Use Variance

The cost for the all-day conference is $30.00 for early registration by September 3rd or final registration $35 by September 17th.  The price for lunch is included in your conference registration fee.   Interested individuals can phone or e-mail HOCCPP at (315) 798-5710 or mailto:landusec%20onference@ocgov.net for additional information.

Among the many sites damaged were the Town of Lee Highway Department garage in Lee Center whose south wall was blown out, the McConnellsville golf course and the McConnellsville fire hall.  Lee Supervisor John Urtz said the whole south wall of the highway garage blew out of the cinderblock structure and the high winds tore off a 30 by 30 foot section of the roof. The town is working on seeking estimates of the damage costs and contacted a structural engineer to review the site.  At least 400 trees were either split  or uprooted in the McConnellsville golf course in Vienna. National Grid reported that over 4,100 customers in Oneida County lost power.

NOCCOG, working with OCSWCD, has scheduled informational meetings to give OCSWCD  staff the opportunity to answer questions about the services offered through the CEM program, the proposed fee structure and any questions local officials may have regarding this program. The meetings will be held:

            Thursday, May 22 @ 7:00- 8:30 PM at the Lee  Town Hall,  5808 Stokes Lee -Center Road,   Lee Center

            Wednesday, May 28 @ 7:00-8:30 PM at the Trenton Municipal Building,  8520 Old Poland Road, Barneveld

These meetings will give local officials a great opportunity to ask about the services offered through the CEM program and the proposed changes needed for the CEM program to continue.

The 24th Annual Meeting of NOCCOG was held on Thursday, October 25, 2007, at the Franklin Hotel in Rome, NY, with approximately 100 people in attendance.  Following the social hour, dinner was served, preceded by welcoming remarks from NOCCOG Vice-Chairman, Arnie Talgo, in absence of Chairman Robert Sauer who was not able to attend the meeting.    Municipal Management Consultant / Circuit Rider, Geraldine Ritter, recognized Tug Hill Commission Director of Economic Development, David Zembiec, Oneida County Legislator, 6^th District Les Porter, Oneida County Legislator, 5h District, Michael Waterman. Also recognized were Tug Hill Commissioners Ken Vigus, Chairman (Boonville) and Anne Schuler, Vice- Chairman (Annsville).  Assemblyman David Townsend and Senator Joseph Griffo were present for the social hour but left prior to the dinner for another commitment. They extended their wishes for another successful year to NOCCOG communities.

At 7:45pm, vice chairman Talgo called the annual business meeting to order.  Talgo gave the chairman's report that included various projects in which NOCCOG is currently involved as well as recent accomplishments.  This includes but not limited to several New York State Archives Grants, training currently offered for local officials, and the development or revision of comprehensive and land use plans for NOCCOG communities. The second associate circuit rider position was filled in January 2007 with the addition of Susan Martin to the staff.  She is serving the central part of the NOCCOG area while associate circuit rider Harlan Moonen continues to cover the western part of the NOCCOG region and municipal management consultant Gerry Ritter covers the more northern region.  Talgo also thanked the NOCCOG municipalities for their support and thanked the circuit riders for their hard work and efforts.  

Minutes:    Municipal Management Consultant Ritter asked for the review and acceptance of the minutes of the 2006 Annual Meeting.  Motion made by John Buczek, Supervisor of the Town of Floyd, to accept the minutes.  Seconded by Mike Piper, Supervisor of the Town of Vienna

All in favor.  Motion carried.

Financial Report:  NOCCOG Fiscal Officer Mark Scheidelman gave the financial report and noted that expenses for 2007 were staying within budget projections.  All revenues for 2007 had been received with all 19 member municipalities having paid their dues for the 16^th consecutive year.   Scheidelman referenced the proposed 2007 budget, approved by the NOCCOG Executive Committee.  All expense lines will remain the same for 2008, with the exception of the salary and benefits for full time municipal management consultant Ritter, which are paid in full by the Tug Hill Commission.  Scheidelman also noted that NOCCOG has received from the Tug Hill Commission a one time grant in the amount of $1,000 this year to spent for office equipment.  This has helped tremendously due to the tight budgets the last few years. He also noted the anticipated fund balance would offset expenses of 2008.  Dues for member municipalities will remain the same at $550 per year for 2008 and Oneida County support will remain the same at $7,500 as requested for 2008.  Ed Wardner, Treasurer for the Village of Holland Patent, asked why the financial report and proposed budget did not list any interest that may be earned.  Scheidelman said that amount earned is minimal and interest earned is credited accordingly at the end of the fiscal year.

A motion was made by Steve Carpenter, Councilman, Town of Vienna to accept the 2007 financial report and the 2008 NOCCOG proposed budget as presented.   Seconded by William Smith, Councilman, Town of Floyd.  

All in favor.  Motion carried

Election of Officers:  Nominating Committee member, John Buczek, Supervisor, Town of Floyd, presented the slate of officers for 2006: 

Robert Sauer of Camden - Chairman; 

Arnold Talgo of Steuben - Vice Chairman; 

Mark Scheidelman of Trenton - Fiscal Officer. 

Buczek asked for further nominations from the floor. There being none, the nominating process was closed.  Cliff Hill, Supervisor, Town of Remsen and Nominating Committee member, requested that a single ballot be cast for the slate.   Motion was made by John Buzeck, to cast a single ballot for the slate and accept the nominations.  Seconded by Cliff Hill.

 All in favor.  Motion carried.

The new terms will commence January 1, 2008.

LUCA, the Local Update of Census Addresses, is the only opportunity for local governments to review and update the Census Bureau address lists. By participating in the 2010 Census LUCA Program, you can help improve the Census 2010 count for your jurisdiction. When you participate in the program you will have the opportunity to review and update the Census Bureau's address list or submit your own local address list to the Census Bureau; and review and update the legal boundaries and features on the Census Bureau maps for your area.

The Herkimer- Oneida County Comprehensive Planning Program and has scheduled a training session to be held on Thursday, October 18, 2007 6:30- 8:30 at the Trenton Municipal Center, 8520 Old Poland Road, Barneveld, NY.  You will need to register by October 15 to ensure there will be enough materials and handouts.  You can register by either: Emailing Dale Miller at dmiller@ocgov.net (please place LUCA TRAINING in the subject line) or calling the HOCCPP office at 315-798-5710 to register the names of attendees. 

The focus of the training will include: Assistance in understanding the best LUCA option for your community, an in depth presentation of Option 1, which allows you full access to Census Files, training on how to complete all phases of Option 1, information on the assistance HOCCPP will be providing for Herkimer and Oneida Counties, including mapping of census blocks, use of aerial photography to count units, block count data, identification of potential "at risk" units in your municipality, database management tips and assistance.

In order to assist your community in the upcoming LUCA process, you will need to have a representative, preferably the point person from your community that will serve as the contact source for all LUCA activities, at this important training. Local officials from other counties are also invited to attend.

The NOCCOG Executive Board is pleased to announce the selection of Susan Martin as the newest associate rider for the Northern Oneida Council of Governments.  Susan, a Barneveld resident, is joining fellow associate Harlan Moonen and full time circuit rider/municipal management consultant Gerry Ritter in serving NOCCOG member municipalities.

Susan will primarily be covering the towns of Floyd and Steuben and the villages of Barneveld, Holland Patent and Prospect and began  attending some of the monthly municipal board meetings in January for these communities. Over the next few weeks Gerry Ritter and Harlan Moonen will be taking Susan around to introduce her to town and village boards.

The NOCCOG Executive Board interviewed several qualified candidates for this position and it was a difficult decision.  The position became vacant when Gerry Ritter was appointed to the full time municipal management consultant position in March 2006.  We are sure NOCCOG communities will continue to welcome this newest NOCCOG circuit rider.

Close to 100 local officials attended Northern Oneida County Council of Governments yearly meeting and dinner at the Franklin Hotel, Rome on October 26^th.   Ronald C. Brach, the executive director of the New York State Legislative Commission on Rural Resources was the guest speaker for the evening and shared with those present information this commission learned from listening sessions held around the state in rural areas this past year.   Copies of the Executive Summary by the Commission on Rural Resources which contains more detailed information was unveiled at the meeting and made available to NOCCOG town and villages for review. Mr. Brach stressed that the report is not cast in stone and the commission is encouraging feed back from the report.  Mr. Brach stated that rural communities need to work on an action agenda to address their present and future needs and need to make state agencies and officials aware of this agenda.

Floyd Supervisor, John Buczek, presented a gift and a resolution on behalf of NOCCOG and the communities it represents in recognition of Kevin J. Smith, the director of infrastructure and natural resources for the Tug Hill Commission, who will be retiring in November.  Kevin has worked closely with NOCCOG and the circuit riders in the past, as well as working directly with many NOCCOG communities on numerous projects during his tenure with the Tug Hill Commission.

 A business meeting followed with NOCCOG chairman, Robert Sauer, presenting the chairman’s report regarding NOCCOG projects during the past year. Fiscal officer, Mark Scheidelman, presented his report and noted that all NOCCOG communities paid their membership support in full for 2006 and dues for 2007 will remain at $550.  The proposed budget for 2007 was presented and approved. The business meeting included approval of the minutes of the 2006 annual meeting and the election of officers for the NOCCOG executive board for 2007 which will remain the same with Robert Sauer Chairman, Arnie Talgo vice-chairman and Mark Scheidelman Fiscal Officer. 

NOCCOG COMMUNITY’S FALL FESTS

The crisp air and beautiful fall foliage has arrived.  The NOCCOG area is celebrating the arrival of autumn by hosting a variety of community celebrations and events to mark the changing of the seasons.        

• A community celebration was held in Steuben to mark the 75^th anniversary of the dedication of the Baron Von Steuben Memorial Park on Starr Hill in Steuben. Visitors enjoyed candlelight tours of the recent restoration work on the replica cabin where the Baron lived and an 18^th century desert reception featuring wine made from the Steuben heirloom grapes.
• The 27^th Remsen Barn Festival of the Arts was held September 23^rd and 24^th.   The Barn FOTA features over 300 exhibitors and crafters, farmers’ market and country cooking exhibitions.    A variety of entertainment was also featured including Irish musicians and cloggers, bluegrass bands, a ladies barbershop quartet, a comedy-variety performance and several local bands. In honor of Remsen’s Welsh heritage, a Welsh Festival of Sacred Song was held on Sunday at the historic Stone Meetinghouse.   Even with the rainy weather, the event attracted over 40,000 visitors this year
• Western held its third annual Heritage Weekend on September 23^rd and 24^th. The celebration was kicked of with the lighting of the heritage candle at the Western Town Library. Events included a colonial country brunch, a musket and artillery demonstration by “revolutionary war soldiers”, a quilt show, an 18^th century dance demonstration, and a historical picture presentation of the past and present of the Town of Western.
• Old Forestport Days were held on September 30^th and October 1.  The celebration was built around the opening and dedication of the Boonville- Forestport towpath as a permanent connector segment for the North County Scenic Trail, the longest of the national scenic trails.  The trail starts in North Dakota and will end at Lake Champlain.  Other events included a parade, softball tournament, a chicken barbeque, music, free hayrides and buggy rides.  Michael Doyle, author of “The Forestport Breaks, A Nineteenth Century Conspiracy Along the Black River Canal” wrote a theatrical narration that was performed by local residents to highlight the history of the three Forestport canal brakes.
• The Trenton Fall Scenic Trail will be open to the public for two weekends, October 7^th and 8^th and October 14th and 15^th.  At one time Trenton Fall was world famous, attracting visitors from around the world. It was closed to the public for years due to its value in generating electricity.  Brookfield Power and the Town of Trenton worked together to develop the Trenton Falls Scenic Trail to offer the public an opportunity to experience the local history while enjoying the splendors of nature.  The site also highlights three themes: the geology of the gorge, the history of Trenton Falls as a tourist destination and inspiration for artists and writers as well as the current use of the site to produce electricity.
• The Boonville Fall Arts Festival was held October 6- 8.  The weekend featured a craft show in the little village park, a chili cook off, a pie eating contest, a pet parade, a scarecrow making contest, the fall art exhibition at the Dodge-Pratt- Northam Art and Community Center and a 10K road race..  Music entertainment was offered in the little village park and a community dance was held Saturday evening at the Hulbert House.   The weekend also included the formal dedication of Project Playground at Erwin Park. The project is a $42,000 park improvement project that was funded by an Iroquois Gas LEAF Grant, NYS Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Pratt- Northam Foundation,  the Village of Boonville and local businesses.

The NOCCOG Executive Board is pleased to announce the Gerry Ritter has accepted the position as the full-time Municipal Management Consultant, effective March 23, 2006.  Based upon earlier interviews the Executive Board believes that Gerry is the best candidate and that her appointment will provide seamless transition at this time for NOCCOG communities.  The Executive Board is confident that Gerry's new role will be a great success for NOCCOG communities based upon her proven outstanding service and dedication.

The Executive Board  will be working with Gerry as well as assistant circuit rider Harlan Moonen  to ensure a smooth transfer of duties and responsibilities.  Assistance will be  provided during this transition period by the Tug Hill Commission

NOCCOG is committed to providing exceptional assistance to member communities and will continue to make every effort to meet each community's needs. 

The 22nd annual meeting of NOCCOG was held on October 27, 2005 at the Franklin Hotel in Rome with approximately 100 people in attendance.

Guest speaker for the evening was Charlie Murphy, the director of Local Government Services at the NY Department of State. Ms. Murphy spoke in depth regarding the many funding programs available through the "Quality Communities" program.  Ms. Murphy also presented information regarding the expanded "Shared Municipal Services Incentives" awards program, which fosters grant funding for innovative shared services of two or more municipalites, including school districts.

NOCCOG Vice Chairman Arnie Talgo gave a presentation about the formidable and lengthy career with NOCCOG by recently retired Circuit Rifer, Steve Hunter.  Chairman Robert Sauer spoke about Hunter's many years of dedicated service and presented him with a plaque with a commemorative inscription.  Hunter graciously accepted the  honorarium and spoke of how much he enjoyed his years serving the municipalities and working with the numerous public officials  and community residents.

Chairman Sauer gave his annual report and discussed projects in which NOCCOG is currently involved, as well as recent accomplishments. He thanked the NOCCOG communities for their support and thanked the circuit riders for their hard work and efforts.

NOCCOG Fiscal Officer Mark Scheidelman gave the financial report and noted the expenses for 2005 were staying within budget projections.  All member municipalities paid their  yearly dues for 2005 for the 14th consecutive year.

Scheidelman referenced the proposed 2006 budget approved by the NOCCOG Executive Committee, noting an increase in mileage reimbursement due to higher gasoline costs.  He also noted the anticipated fund balance would offset expenses for 2006, however, in order to keep a balanced budget and remain solvent, the Executive Committee has proposed an increase of dues for member municipalities to $500 per year, as cited in the proposed budget.  A motion was made, seconded and carried to increase dues in 2006 for member municipalities from $500 per year to $550 per year.

A motion was made, seconded and carried to accept the 2006 NOCCOG proposed budget.

Nominating Committee member John Buczek, Supervisor Town of Floyd presented the slate of officers for 2006:

                              Robert Sauer of Camden - Chairman

                              Arnie Talgo of Steuben - Vice Chairman

                              Mark Scheidelman of Trenton- Fiscal Officer

There were no further nominations and the nominating process was closed.  Peter Billard, Mayor of the Village of Remsen and Nominating Committee member, requested that a single ballot  be cast for the slate.  Motion was made , seconded and carried.

There being no further business, the meeting concluded and was adjourned.