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.