by Rachel Hunter
The Town of Gouverneur Council at its economic development meeting on March 28 approved special financing.
The Town of Gouverneur solicited Bond Anticipation Note (BAN) rates from the Community Bank N.A. and the Gouverneur Savings & Loan Association. The Town of Gouverneur sought rates for the Town’s building moving, installation and renovation project ($400,000) as well as for the purchase of a boom mower ($160,000). After much discussion, the Town voted to go with the low bidder, the Gouverneur Savings & Loan Association.
“By doing a BAN, this gives us an option of financing it for one year at this rate,” said Town Supervisor Dave Spilman, Jr. during the discussion.
The motion to approve the low BAN rate with the Gouverneur Savings & Loan Association for $160,000 (boom mower purchase) for a one-year term was made by Town Councilman Curran Wade, seconded by Deputy Supervisor Jay Bowhall. All votes were cast in favor.
The motion to approve the low BAN rate with the Gouverneur Savings & Loan Association for $400,000 (building moving, installation and renovation project) for a one-year term was made by Deputy Supervisor Jay Bowhall, seconded by Town Councilman Curran Wade and Town Councilwoman Lory Whitton. All votes were cast in favor.
The Town of Gouverneur Council will open a checking account (deposit up to $25,000) with the Gouverneur Savings & Loan Association. The motion to that effect was made by Deputy Town Supervisor Jay Bowhall, seconded by Town Councilperson Lory Whitton. The motion carried with votes cast in favor.
The Town of Gouverneur Council will also seek legal counsel for the BANs. The motion to do this made by Deputy Town Supervisor Jay Bowhall, seconded by Town Councilman Curran Wade. The motion carried with votes cast in favor.
In other news: Town of Gouverneur Supervisor Dave Spilman, Jr. offered an update on the building moving, installation and renovation project. Faithful readers of the Gouverneur Tribune Press will recall that the Gouverneur Central School District gifted the Town of Gouverneur the 4,200 sq. ft. building. It needs to be moved from its spot by the Gouverneur Middle School to the Town of Gouverneur’s property at 1227 US-11, Gouverneur. The update was given following an inquiry by Town Councilman Curran Wade. Supervisor Spilman said the following: “The guys were here to do a survey of the property. The Village was here and mapped out the sewer. If we put the building where the marks are in the parking lot, we are going to have to move the sewer. They thought it was just the first house that was attached to our sewer pipe but now it is the first two houses. So we either have to move their sewers coming off the back and coming over to ours to be able to get rid of the sewer pipe in here, or we’ve got to move the building back. The problem is also in depth. It is deeper out front than it is out back. We don’t have enough drift to move it a whole lot…
“I’m also waiting on Atlantic Testing to get boring samples done. I called them this week. He’s hoping to get out here within the next 10 days or so, and get boring samples where the marks are now.
“There’s also a water line that would be under the building. That is easy enough to move. The other issue is, for some reason, when they put the chlorination building in years ago, they brought the power from this building. So there is a power line that goes from the breaker box on this wall, underneath the parking lot, all the way under Route 11, to the chlorination building. Well, there is a power pole sitting next to it. So I am going to get a quote from Empire just to mount a meter over there and run power to the chlorination building. All it runs is the chlorination pump. But when we put in the building there (parking lot), we would dig right through it. And we already patched it once, when they did the water line project. That is where we are at with that…
“(Town Highway Supt. Mike Wainwright) has got the parking lot done (by the Gouverneur Soccer Field). He’s going to start digging around the building next week. This week was kind of a goofy week. He had to help the Village with something, and with the weather forecasted this weekend, we’ll see what that brings. We’ll get the building excavated around. He’s got the materials to start to build the roadway over.
“My commitment with Mike is just: “Get us a roadway.” And then he’s got to get his roads ready to pave, because he would like to pave in May. I think he told me the other day that tar is actually down $5 per ton. He’s looking at the Cole Road, the Peabody Road, and the Billings Road…”
Deputy Town Supervisor Jay Bowhall asked: “How wide does that road have to be?” Supervisor Spilman informed the town council that it would have to be 40-foot across.”
The Town of Gouverneur Council voted to send the $18,900 deposit check to Wolfe House and Building Movers, so that the Town of Gouverneur can get the building project started with a move date set. The motion was made by Town Councilperson Lory Whitton, seconded by Town Councilman Curran Wade and Deputy Town Supervisor Jay Bowhall. The motion carried.
The Town of Gouverneur Council also voted to pay the first quarterly installment to the Gouverneur Rescue Squad. The motion was made by Town Councilman Curran Wade, seconded by Deputy Town Supervisor Jay Bowhall and Town Councilperson Lory Whitton. There was a discussion about the annual contract.
The next regular monthly meeting of the Town of Gouverneur Council will be held on Tuesday, April 8, 6 p.m., in the Town of Gouverneur Offices Building, 1227 US Highway 11, Gouverneur. For more information, call 315-287-2340.