TB MEETING July 10, 2025

 TB MEETING July 10, 2025

The regular meeting of the Town Board of Cherry Valley was held on Thursday July 10, 2025 with meeting called to order at 7.00PM by Supervisor Garretson

Pledge to the Flag was said

Roll call of Officers was taken: (P=present)
Tom Garretson-Supervisor P
Jim Johnson-Councilperson P
Ed VanDerwerker-Councilperson p    
Mark Cornwell-Councilperson P 
Holly Waterfield-P
Highway Superintendent Marty Field P
Mary Beth Flint-Town Clerk P

Reading of last month’s minutes will be dispensed of and minutes accepted as presented and or corrected.    

Presentation of invoices and payments:
HEALTH CENTER FUND
58 Ricoh USA Inc $77.86pd
59 Novitas Solutions Inc $46,014.00pd
60 Optum $24,344.00pd
61 Leona Johnson $170.00pd
62 Spectrotel $390.82pd
63 Bassett Healthcare $73,668.23pd
64 Public Goods Pool $8,249.00pd
65 Quill Corporation $36.95pd
66 Ricoh USA Inc $21.75pd
67 Quill Corporation $69.99pd

GENERAL FUND
118 Mishigan Millers $1,406.00pd
119 State Comptroller $601.00pd
120 Edward Harvey $250.00pd
121 Brian Haig $250.00pd
122 Kim Thompson $250.00pd
123 Millers Cleaning Service $2,008.80pd
124 Bruce Hall Corp $115.97pd
125 RL Parsons Inc $423.66pd
126 Hometown Hauling $43.25pd
127 Tri-County Communications Inc $179.10pd
128 The Daily Star $62.66pd
129 Spectrotel $248.23pd
130 Charter Communications $374.95pd
131 Cintas Corporation #121 $448.44pd
132 Constellation Newenergy Inc $3.95pd
133 Mary Beth Flint$133.68pd
134 Excellus BC/BS $343.86pd
135 ABM Fire Equipment Inc $571.00pd
136 Otsego Computer Experts $605.00pd
137 US Postal Service $907.05pd

Highway Vouchers:
Item 1 (351-355)
Item 3 (872-879)
Item 4 (0)

Councilperson VanDerwerker made a motion to accept the invoices and payments as presented; Councilperson Cornwell seconded the motion.  The invoices and payments have been presented and accepted.   All in favor 
5 ayes 0 nay

Presentation of Invoices and Payments:
•    udget reviewed as well as NBT Account balances
•    Otsego County sales tax for the month of $9,162.00
•    Otsego County Snow and Ice for January-April $57,211.00

Community Center Alden Field and Park:
•    Closing the Community Center for the month of August for maintenance.

Health Center: 
•    June Expense $157,494/Revenue $181,823
•    Kim Thompson gave an updated report from the Health Center board
        -Medicare money received from back billing
        -billing system Athena is going to start on August 13
        -nonprofit The friends of Cherry Valley Community Health Center is underway.  
         first meeting was on July 1 with a board of 9 people.  
        -receiving health center donations so far up to $26,000 as of July
        -Lisa Gerdin is attending local Town meetings in the surrounding area asking for donations      
          from the Towns if they can help.
        -a new banner will be in front of the health center
        -cleaning company has changed; we will be spending less money to clean the health center 
          this will help on the expense side.

Kim read an email from Lisa Heinrich as Lisa could not be at the Board meeting.  She is continuing to pursue the funding which would be available for 2026.

Supervisor Garretson gave a report regarding the anticipated upcoming 2026 budget for the health center. Donations are coming in.  Supervisor Garretson will be asking the Board to start thinking about what we want to do.  Two things we want to do lower the tax levy and find enough money to help the health center we want to do that also. We have to remember to take care of everything else, highway, insurances, pay roll, etc.  By this time in August Supervisor Garretson needs to know where the everyone stands so Supervisor Garretson can put together a budget.

Village:
•    Town and Village Board Minutes and info- www.cherryvalleyny.us 

Planning:
•    Nothing new to report

Highway Department
•    Paving is done.
•    Waiting for County Bridge and Rail to start Dietche Road.  CHIPS will take care of this project.

Question from the public:

There were many comments and questions from the public present regarding the health center.

Each board member was asked their position on where they stand on the health center.  

Councilperson Waterfield “I'm in favor of seeing where these other federal and state programs go in terms of making up some of that gap and those can help meet this rural healthcare gap and we have operational funding and there's additional subsidy there I think it would be irresponsible not to pursue those first before we make a final decision that's my thought”.

Councilperson Cornwell “I don’t know if the community is fine losing half a million dollars a year, then that's fine with me. The question that I have for all of you as your representative how much are you willing to lose to keep your health center.  So right we've run annually 1/4 of a million or a $300,000 deficit that's over the last 10 years that's kind of baked in we're getting that it looks like we're getting that down and down and down and down we're investigating some new promising things.  If you’re asking me I am a yes or a no?  I don’t know I would like to let it unfold.  If you were to ask me a year ago or 6 months ago it's too much for us to bare.  But we're in a slightly different place now we have some better communication.  I’ve been on the board for almost 20 years now and it's never made money.  So that's where I am.  If you were to ask me right now to cast a vote, I would probably be 60% let's keep it open for another year and give this a little time.” 

Councilperson Johnson “I agree with Holly and Mark we have to see what this fund-raising effort can accomplish.  Make an assessment when we know those number.  I am in favor of trying to keep it open.”

Councilperson VanDerweker “I vote the same.  When you supply a service, you’re not expected to make money on a service, that is what the health center is a service.”

Councilperson Cornwell added “with all that said I have a breaking point and what happened last year absorbing the taxes that we all did, and I say we all because I did it too, let me just say that cannot happen again it will not happen again.  I will not vote for a budget that has that kind of increase.”

Supervisor Garretson stated the public will get the preliminary budget at the October meeting and then there will be a public hearing on November 13.

Supervisor Garretson gave his opinion on the health center.  He stated “if you were to ask me this in January, I think I would have felt like Mark.  I think I would have felt enough is enough and I don't know if I can take this anymore.  But the outpouring that we've seen in the last six months is just amazing and I don't feel we can walk away from it.”

Motion made by Councilperson Cornwell to adjourn the meeting 2nd by Councilperson VanDerwerker

There being no further business meeting adjourned at 7:48PM.

Next Town Board meeting will be Thursday, August14, 2025 7:00PM

Respectfully submitted,
Mary Beth Flint, Town Clerk
Town Board meeting was recorded