- for the meeting on June 8th, 2026. Chief, you wanna do the prayer? One more time we gather here to thank
- you for the many blessings. We thank you for this little town we serve. We thank you for all the things
- you do for us. That should be with us tonight to make good decisions that are important to this community.
- We ask you to say in Jesus' name, amen.
- I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands,
- one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Roll call, please. Scott Ullman.
- Here. James Walker. William Ellis. Here. Trevor Sager. Here. Candace Ambrose. Here.
- approval of the minutes for the meeting on six eight of twenty twenty six. Second. All those in favor
- say aye. Aye opposed. Anyone abstaining. Action pay accounts payable vouchers and payable vouchers.
- So moved. Second motion second all in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstaining? It's a very light
- agenda this evening.
- There are no ordinances on first reading. There are no resolutions. There are no ordinances on second
- reading There is no old business. There is no new business So we'll now immediately go to privilege
- of the floor and when having business for the council that is not part of our rather sparse agenda this
- evening Step up, please Good evening. My name is Jason Barrett and I own a little business down here
- and off of temperance I know a lot of you and I thank you for
- Having a few minutes, won't take long. I know you got a long agenda ahead of you. Quick backstory on
- my business. We decided to move it to Ellisville. Bought a piece of property subject with the floodplain.
- A lot of good partners here that helped me through that, especially Mike. Move back a little from the
- mic. And Kevin and his team with trying to revitalize that area. Long story short, we were on a great
- path and then
- had some challenges with being able to expand my business. Tried to get a project internally in the
- business approved. It took many, many months. Got the DNR involved in another project, and then we got
- a fine because we didn't follow the rules that were set aside by the town. And really it came down to
- after we've sat down with the town,
- It really took longer than anybody wanted to, expected to, or should have, but then we were fined because
- the DNR forced the town to. Anyway, there's still this little bit of a fine that's standing out there,
- and I've been trying to have somebody listen to just our story, and we're trying to grow our business.
- Really what we're trying to do is add onto the building that's there, and that's just to grow our business.
- Part of it's gonna be warehouse, part of it's hopefully
- Road frontage for for another business and I guess the whole thing reason I'm here is just to ask for
- some cooperation I'm not looking for that to be expunged. I've given some options of like contributing
- to Agriculture around the built planting trees doing things around our building helping the the campaign for the
- the town coming together with the township, whatever it is to help this, but some people don't realize,
- but it's at $2,500 now, and that's a big piece of money to me. That takes me about three or four jobs,
- which takes me a lot of time and effort, which we really don't feel like it was warranted. I won't get
- into the backstory of feeling like that it was done for reasons of retaliation, which I do, but that's
- not the point why I'm here. I'm here to be a partner. We're staying here. We've got kids here.
- You might know my wife, my co-owner, and we just want some cooperation to say, hey, is there a better
- way that we can handle this so we can move our business forward and continue to grow, build here more
- in Ellisville, and find some way to amicably decide on how to, for me to give the town $2,500 other
- than in cash, I'm happy to do it. So thanks for a few minutes. Thank you. Someone want to explain the
- town's part of this?
- I also note that any fine levied by the planning director is something that can appeal to the board,
- can be appealed to the Board of Zoning Appeals because that's their job. One of their jobs is to consider
- appeals from the zoning director's decision and that time limit has passed. It's 30 days after she renders
- her decision, so. Yeah, and to respond to that, I've met with the town three times after that. That
- was never mentioned. I'm sure it's in some writing somewhere.
- but as a partner that comes to them to talk about this, find ways to resolve it, it was not brought
- to my attention till I claimed to the planning committee after I was told to come to this meeting, was
- told you can't do it here, go to the zoning, went to the zoning, told them before I was coming that
- I was coming, didn't say don't come, came, give my piece, they said, oh, you can't do that now, you'll
- have to sign up for the next time, and then it was spoken up that it was past the time, so I get it,
- there's rules,
- And I'm not here to argue them or debate them. I'm just trying to look for some partnership. Be glad
- to share what the board are noticing, everything we know about it. And you guys can look through those.
- First off, I guess my question, and I'm not sure, Ms. Brown, is this even within our purview? No, sir,
- I don't think it is. OK. Is there an alternative that we can suggest to this gentleman, the court, or how?
- I think his time limit to appeal it has passed, so. Okay. Yeah, in fairness, I did tell him to speak
- to the council because I didn't know what else. I just want to make sure we don't overstep our bounds.
- I guess the only proper relief at this point in time, if there is any, would be to seek from the New
- York County Court, is that correct? He could. He could. I would argue that he's late.
- The final decision I get that that you will have to seek, you know, your attorney will have to go through
- the court to receive that $2,500. We also have other pieces that we will bring to a court if that's
- exactly what happens. I will say that working with the town has been incredibly difficult.
- We have one employee of the town who very much does not like me or my husband and has held that not
- only against our business, but against us personally. It took over three months to receive a permit
- for us to make our building habitable. I think anybody that has been in that place knew that you could
- not be in there without a mask, let alone work in there.
- It took over three months to get a permit so that we could actually move employees and we couldn't have
- them safely in the building. So we started the inside work. We did not break DNR rules with this. But
- then when we applied for a personal pool permit at our own home, it was denied within an hour. So to
- say that there's not something else behind this is just simply not accurate. And I understand if that's
- the direction that the town has to take, but I think you also have to understand that as
- Community members and business owners. We also would have to take action at that point in time as well
- Again, I think it's important to note that it's not that the council's unwilling to hear you understand
- or render if it's just outside of our purview and outside of our power Yeah, the only thing again to
- the town's detriment into your detriment that I can suggest is some type of Action with the Monroe County
- Court, of course the town will have their arguments You will have yours and neutral magistrate will
- have to appeal theirs
- simply nothing under the law that this board can do for you at this point. Yeah, we understand that.
- We're trying to go through every process that we can before it comes to this point. I think if we had
- known about an appeal, a 30-day appeal long before, we would have been at that meeting in a heartbeat.
- But unfortunately, communication has been less than stellar. OK, thank you very much. Mike, let me ask
- you, do you see any
- I mean, I know no decisions really can be made tonight. Is there any room for movement for us to discuss
- this with the business owner? Because one of the things that... I caution this discussion, again, in
- fairness to all parties, if there is going to be some legal
- Maneuvering done and some legal filings. It is perhaps best that we end the discussion at this point.
- I'm just trying to avoid getting I get it But again if we're if we're to the point where we're at loggerheads
- and again I apologize guys if we're at loggerheads and perhaps we need to preserve all I guess if we
- actually are longer if we are in the town's position is Stated by the planning department planning
- Commission. They have their position I don't see litigating this in front of
- everybody involved. No, I wasn't asking that. I was just asking if it's worth a conversation.
- That's all. I don't know if we can have that conversation. We can. I would like to make it clear that
- there was another entity involved. And when you deal with DNR, they have rules and there's complications
- in when you don't follow them. And so I think there was some misunderstanding about what could and couldn't
- happen. And so we've
- We have expectations as a town from the DNR. So, you know, it was a complicated affair and it's too
- bad it turned out like it did. Understand the board has expectations as well. Anyone else? Privilege
- of the floor. Having business for this council not part of the normal agenda. Seeing none, we will now
- move to supervisor comments beginning with the town manager.
- Just thank the first responders for response to the storms Appreciate everybody including DPW for helping
- out Things to remind everyone this year's fireworks are on July 4th up around the high school junior
- high area and
- There will be food trucks, and they'll be out by the junior high parking lot. And then our annual blood
- drive is July the 18th at the fire station. And you can sign up for that and get additional information
- on the fire department Facebook page. Or you can call the station, and I'll get you in contact with
- Chris Klaus. Thank you. And again, what time we expect the fireworks? Not that it shouldn't be dark,
- but what are you thinking here?
- darks about all I can tell you. It's not uncommon for people to start getting up or, you know, 3.34
- o'clock in the afternoon, but I'd say fireworks probably a little after nine would be my guess. Would
- it help Kevin if you pass an ordinance to make the sun setting at a certain time? That's a whole nother
- thing. Thank you. Thank you for doing the fireworks again. I have nothing. I don't have anything. Okay,
- council comments.
- As you can see, the agenda was very light this evening in preparation for a 645 combined meeting with
- the Richland Township Trustees Board advisors. So seeing nothing further before this council will stand
- adjourned for three minutes.