Dissolution Implementation Plan of the Village of Morristown December 2017 Prepared for: Village of Morristown Dissolution Study Committee Cheryl Shatraw, Village of Morristown Mayor John Barse Phil Barse Mark Blanchard Chris Coffin Diane LaRock Jay Moore John Newtown Michele Whalen Don Woods This document was prepared with funding provided by the New York State Department of State under the Local Government Efficiency Grant Program – Contract No. T00025GG
Prepared by:
Dulles State Office Building 317 Washington Street Watertown, NY 13601 315.661-3200 23557 State Route 37 Watertown, NY 13601 315.661.3210 www.danc.org
i|Page
Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................. 1 A)
NAME OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENTITY TO BE DISSOLVED ............................................................................... 1
B)
TERRITORIAL BOUNDARIES OF THE VILLAGE OF MORRISTOWN ......................................................................... 1
C)
TYPE AND/OR CLASS OF THE VILLAGE OF MORRISTOWN ................................................................................. 2
D)
FISCAL ESTIMATE OF THE COST OF DISSOLUTION ........................................................................................... 2
E)
PLAN FOR THE TRANSFER OR ELIMINATION OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEES ................................................................... 4
F) VILLAGE OF MORRISTOWN ASSETS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY AND THE FAIR VALUE THEREOF IN CURRENT MONEY OF THE UNITED STATES ................................................................................. 5 G) VILLAGE OF MORRISTOWN LIABILITIES AND INDEBTEDNESS, BONDED AND OTHERWISE, AND THE FAIR VALUE THEREOF IN CURRENT MONEY OF THE UNITED STATES ........................................................................................... 6 H) ANY AGREEMENTS ENTERED INTO WITH THE TOWN IN WHICH THE VILLAGE OF MORRISTOWN IS SITUATED IN ORDER TO CARRY OUT THE DISSOLUTION ............................................................................................................. 7 I) MANNER AND MEANS BY WHICH THE RESIDENTS OF THE VILLAGE OF MORRISTOWN WILL CONTINUE TO BE FURNISHED MUNICIPAL SERVICES FOLLOWING THE VILLAGE OF MORRISTOWN’S DISSOLUTION ..................................... 7 J) TERMS FOR THE DISPOSITION OF THE VILLAGE OF MORRISTOWN’S ASSETS AND THE DISPOSITION OF ITS LIABILITIES AND INDEBTEDNESS, INCLUDING THE LEVY AND COLLECTION OF THE NECESSARY TAXES AND ASSESSMENTS THEREFOR .... 8 K) FINDINGS AS TO WHETHER ANY LOCAL LAWS, ORDINANCES, RULES OR REGULATIONS OF THE VILLAGE OF MORRISTOWN SHALL REMAIN IN EFFECT AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE DISSOLUTION OR SHALL REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR A PERIOD OF TIME OTHER THAN AS PROVIDED BY SECTION SEVEN HUNDRED EIGHT-NINE OF THIS TITLE................. 9 L)
EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE PROPOSED DISSOLUTION ........................................................................................ 10
M) TIME AND PLACE OR PLACES FOR A PUBLIC HEARING OR HEARINGS ON THE PROPOSED DISSOLUTION PLAN PURSUANT TO SECTION SEVEN HUNDRED SEVENTY-SIX OF THIS TITLE ..................................................................... 10 N)
ANY OTHER MATTER DESIRABLE OR NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT THE DISSOLUTION ........................................... 11
ii | P a g e
INTRODUCTION This document sets forth the Dissolution Implementation Plan for the Village of Morristown that was developed by the Dissolution Study Committee. The Plan is the culmination of a twelve month study that the Village undertook to determine the impacts of dissolution on tax rates and service delivery. The purpose of this Dissolution Implementation Plan is to summarize the actions that will take place to move forward with Village Dissolution and to provide details on how services, presently provided by the Village, will continue after dissolution. This Plan will be submitted to the Village and Town boards for adoption at their January 2018 board meetings. After the Dissolution Implementation Plan is approved by the Village Board, the Village will put forth a proposition to dissolve the Village. If the proposition is approved by a majority of the Village voters, then the Village of Morristown will be dissolved effective 12/31/2019. This report is being funded by and prepared in accordance with the New York State Department of State Work Plan requirements, as outlined in Contract No. T00025GG with the Village of Morristown. If the Village does dissolve, the Department of State will reimburse 80% of the local share paid by the Village, which would cover 90% of the total costs of the study. The Department of State also provides funding of up to $50,000 (90% grant, 10% municipal share) per community for activities associated with the implementation of dissolution. This Dissolution Implementation Plan identifies items that are recommended for completion prior to, or in conjunction with, dissolution and the estimated costs of completion.
A) NAME OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENTITY TO BE DISSOLVED The Village of Morristown would dissolve and become a hamlet called Morristown in the Town of Morristown.
B) TERRITORIAL BOUNDARIES OF THE VILLAGE OF MORRISTOWN The Village of Morristown has a village boundary line within the Town of Morristown. Please see map below showing the Village and Town boundary lines.
1|Page
C) TYPE AND/OR CLASS OF THE VILLAGE OF MORRISTOWN Morristown is a Village.
D) FISCAL ESTIMATE OF THE COST OF DISSOLUTION The Department of State provides grant funding for up to $50,000 per municipality for activities associated with Village. For the Village and the Town, this could total $111,111.10 with $100,000 of the funding being provided through grants and the Village and Town covering the remaining 10%. The following items have been identified for inclusion in Village and Town Implementation Grants. These items will not impact Village or Town tax rates as they will be paid for with NYS Department of State grant funds and Village fund balance to cover the local share: 1) Comprehensive Plan: The Village and the Town do not have a Comprehensive Plan. The estimated cost to develop a Comprehensive Plan is $12,000. 2) Asset Management Plan: The Village and the Town do not have Asset Management Plans for their assets or equipment. Estimated cost to develop an Asset Management Plan is $10,000. 3) Water District Formation: The estimated cost to complete the water district formation process is $5,000. 4) Sewer District Formation: The estimated cost to complete the sewer district formation process is $5,000. 2|Page
5) Sewer District Agreements Review and Revisions: The Village and the two Town Sewer Districts currently have agreements in place to negotiate sewer operations fees that the Town districts pay to Village. Fees are based on the percentage of users in the particular districts compared to the entire system. The Town will need to review these agreements and revise them to reflect the new sewer district (the former Village area) and the two existing districts. The estimated cost to review and revise the Village and Town’s sewer district agreements is $3,000. 6) Fire District Formation: The estimated cost to complete the fire district formation for the Village area is $6,000. 7) Local Law Revisions: The estimated cost to complete a detailed review of these laws and to develop new or amended Town laws is $10,000. 8) Water Withdrawal Permit Application: The estimated cost to apply for a NYSDEC water withdrawal permit is $15,000. 9) Municipal Records Inventory and Storage Upgrades: The Village municipal records will need to be reviewed and inventoried for retention by a records consultant. The Town would move Town records from their current storage area to the Village building, which is newer and safer for records storage. The Town would upgrade the space in the Village’s office building to accommodate more records storage (additional shelving, storage boxes, etc.). The estimate cost to complete a records inventory of Village records and upgrade the records storage area is $25,000. 10) Municipal Building Evaluation: The Village owns several buildings, including a very new office building with attached garage. The Village and the Town would evaluate all of the buildings that the Town would become responsible for, including the Town’s existing buildings, to determine the best future use for each building. This would include the evaluation of moving Town functions to different locations. The estimated cost for a Municipal Building Evaluation is $8,555.55. 11) Develop Community Informational/Marketing Materials: The Town would hire a consultant to develop new informational and marketing materials for the entire community that could be published on the Town website and made available in other public forums. The Village currently does not have a website or informational materials about contact information for officials, community details, recreation and historical sites, etc. The Town has an active and updated website, but it does not currently 3|Page
include any Village area information. This work would build on results and visions from the Comprehensive Plan. The estimated cost to Develop Town Informational/Marketing Materials is $11,555.55. The table below summarizes items to be considered for implementation grants: Morristown Implementation Grant Budget Task Comprehensive Plan Asset Management Plan Water District Formation Sewer District Formation Sewer District Agreement Review and Revisions Fire District Formation Local Law Review and Revisions Water Withdrawal Permit Application Municipal Records Inventory and Storage Upgrades Municipal Building Evaluation Develop Community Informational/Marketing Materials Totals
Village $0.00 $0.00 $5,000.00 $5,000.00 $3,000.00 $6,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 $25,000.00 $0.00 $11,555.55 $55,555.55
Town $12,000.00 $10,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 0.00 $0.00 $10,000.00 $15,000.00 $0.00 $8,555.55 $0.00 $55,555.55
E) PLAN FOR THE TRANSFER OR ELIMINATION OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEES The following Village elected and appointed positions will be eliminated: 1) The Village Mayor, two trustee positions, and one Elections Inspector will be eliminated. 2) The position of Village Clerk/Treasurer will be eliminated with most of the current Village/Clerk duties. The remaining duties of this position will become the responsibility of the Town Clerk and Town Bookkeeper, including water and sewer billing. The Town will add $3,000 to its General Fund to cover General Fund duties that will transfer to the Town. The portion of the Village Clerk/Treasurer’s wages for tasks related to water and sewer billing in FYE 2016 was $3,135. This amount will be divided in half and $1,568 will be added to the water district and the sewer district to cover costs related to billing tasks. 3) The three full-time and one part-time Village Department of Public Works (DPW) positions will be eliminated and the non-water and sewer system related duties of these positions will become the responsibility of the Town Highway Department. The Town Highway Department will be responsible for the maintenance of streets, culverts, and other formerly owned Village infrastructure in the same manner that it is currently 4|Page
responsible for maintaining Town-owned infrastructure. The Village spends $54,051 per year on salaries for non-water and sewer system related DPW functions in fiscal year ending 5/31/16. It is anticipated that the DPW duties transferred to the Town after dissolution can be performed with the addition of two Motor Equipment Operators (MEO) to the Town Highway Department staff. 4) The current Village DPW positions also perform the work of Village Water and Sewer Operators, and since the DPW positions will be eliminated with Village dissolution, the Water and Sewer Operator positions will also be eliminated. The responsibility for operating and maintaining the water and sewer systems will transfer from the Village to the Town. The Village spent $62,624 on salaries for water and sewer operator functions in fiscal year ending 5/31/16. It is anticipated that the Town will hire a contract operator to perform these services. The anticipated cost to the Water District for water system operation and billing services is $28,493; the anticipated cost to the Sewer District for sewer system operation and billing services is $41,955. 5) There are no Village retirees receiving benefits, so there will be no transfer of retiree costs to the Town upon dissolution.
F) VILLAGE OF MORRISTOWN ASSETS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY AND THE FAIR VALUE THEREOF IN CURRENT MONEY OF THE UNITED STATES 1) Upon dissolution, title to real property owned by the Village at the time of dissolution will be transferred to the Town or a Special District. Currently, Village property consists of the following parcels.
Parcel ID
Total Assessed Value
Acres
83.041-4-9.1
$325,000
12.7
204 Ann St
83.041-3-22.1
$60,000
1.5
Library
200 Main St
83.041-2-1.1
$120,000
0.1
Fireman’s Memorial Rec Field, Wastewater Treatment Plant, Water Tower
159,161 High St
83.041-4-15
$660,400
5.3
#
Use
1
Fire Hall
2
Chapman Park
3
4
Address 200 Morris St
5|Page
51
Water Supply
Ann St
83.041-4-14
$2,000
0.1
6
Boat Launch
Water St
83.041-6-17.2
$104,100
0.24
7
Dock
Water St
83.041-6-16
$112,800
0.87
8
Old DPW Garage
500 Northumberland St
83.041-4-12
$26,000
0.1
9
New Village Office and DPW Garage
402 Gouverneur St
83.041-4-13
$175,000
0.3
10
Sewer Vacuum Pump Station
802 Northumberland St
83.049-2-24.2
$32,000
0.13
11
Old Stone School House (Museum)
600 Columbia St
83.049-4-7
$81,500
0.4
12
Water Pump Station
300 Caroline St
83.048-3-1
$95,000
0.13
13
Rural Vacant >10
SH 58
83.057-2-1.112
$96,000
127
14
Rural Vacant