(Randallsville, NY- Oct. 2011) Lebanon town board members adopted a preliminary tentative town budget Oct. 10; the spending plan would increase the property tax levy 1 percent.

The board also set a budget workshop for Monday, Oct. 24, at 7:30 p.m. at town hall and scheduled a public hearing on the town budget for 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10.

The proposed budget includes increases in state retirement, Workers’ Compensation, health insurance, highway garage and office maintenance and repairs, and funds set aside for the town’s comprehensive plan, which is being developed in the initial stages by the town’s Comprehensive Planning Committee.

Lebanon officials also agreed to the recommendations by Town Supervisor Jim Goldstein and Town Highway Superintendent Alex Hodge to approve the agreement proposed by town attorney Steven Jones between the town, Norse Energy, Inc., and Vestal Asphalt.

The agreement will allow the town to receive from Norse and hold in escrow $82,500 in road repairs estimated for Vosburgh Road. The money would be paid to Vestal Asphalt upon satisfactory completion of the repairs to the town road.

Goldstein and Hodge said that given the fact that delays would prevent the work from being completed before winter and that repairs would have to wait until the spring, the town felt much more comfortable with the money in the town’s possession for repair use rather than delay and re-negotiate the matter next spring.

Hodge, Goldstein and Jones held a phone conference last week with Norse and Vestal in which Vestal held to its estimates, and Hodge was satisfied that the proposed expenditures would be adequate to complete the repairs next spring.

Town officials also discussed a recent low-volume hydraulic fracturing of the Keller well off of Reynolds Hill Road conducted over the holiday weekend without prior notice to the town but with approval of the DEC.

Goldstein and Hodge said that they had not been advised of the activity and became aware of it when constituents made inquiries. Goldstein said he requested that Norse include such prior notifications in any future activities so that the town can be in a position to recommend the proper route.

There were about six water trucks traveling on South Lebanon Road and Reynolds Hill Road at dusk Sunday, Oct. 9, where the “work over” of the Keller well proceeded, according to Norse officials.

Goldstein said he is still researching the issue and would report back on his findings.

In other town actions, board members:

* Authorized payment of the new 2011 Stadium International Highway Truck that has met the satisfaction of the highway superintendent at a cost of $188,962 on state bid.

The truck was paid for by a combination of town highway reserves and a bond anticipation note from Alliance Bank at a yearly rate of 1.85 percent for $127,000, which will be paid off over three years.

* Appointed former town historian Penny Hughes to the town Comprehensive Planning Committee. Hughes joins Judi Clippinger, Gary Will, Susan Galbraith, David Lopp, Thomas Hoe, Brian Musician, Pat Matson, James McDowell, Matt Powrie, Chad Nower, James Mulligan and Jeff Manley on this committee.

The committee is still looking for a representative who can communicate with the Amish community and will also have residents serving on sub-committees.

* Put the 1998 Chevrolet CK-2500 pickup out for bid. Bids will be opened at the Nov. 14 town board meeting.

The preliminary proposed tentative town budget for 2012 is on file with the town clerk and can be reviewed by members of the public prior to the budget workshop and public hearing.

Town Clerk Nicole Viera is also working to put more and more items on line, including board meeting minutes through the town’s new website townoflebanon.org.

Goldstein gave an update on meetings that southern Madison County supervisors have been continuing to use to discuss issues ranging from the state tax cap to a countywide road use law for natural gas issues that will be able to be adapted by the towns to their own needs.

Goldstein gave updates on the visit by the Madison County Natural Gas Development Working Group on Sept. 28 and also discussed the challenges the county faces in meeting the tax cap with the 2012 county budget.

Goldstein will be e-mailing out his annual survey later this month to take the pulse of the public on pending town, county and state issues of local concern.

The town board will hold its budget workshop Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m. The public hearing on the proposed budget will be Thursday, Nov. 10, at 8 p.m.

The next town board meeting will be Monday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m.

All meetings will be held at the Town Offices, 1210 Bradley Brook Road in the hamlet.

Submitted by Supervisor James Goldstein (D,C,I – Lebanon).