CAROLINE TOWN BOARD BUSINESS MEETING
Wednesday, August 12, 2020, 7 pm
Because of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Emergency and State and Federal bans on large
meetings or gatherings, and pursuant to Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order 202.55 issued on August 5, 2020 continuing suspension of the in-person meeting requirement of Open Meetings Law, the Caroline Town Board Business Meeting scheduled for August 12, 2020 at 7 pm will be held electronically via Zoom Teleconference instead of a public meeting. Members of the public may listen to and/or view the meeting by the web and telephone instructions below. Minutes of the meeting will transcribed and posted on the Town of Caroline website. Comments to the Board may be provided at Privilege of the Floor during the Zoom meeting, by email (clerk@townofcaroline.org), or by mail (P.O. Box 136, Slaterville Springs, NY 14881).

TO ATTEND ZOOM MEETING (https://zoom.us):
WITH ZOOM ACCOUNT, GO TO:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86148710458

Without Zoom account: https://zoom.us/join; enter Meeting ID: 861 4871 0458

Phone: 929 205 6099 
If not NY, to find the phone number go to: https://us04web.zoom.us/u/fmNjGEmu4

MEETING AGENDA
Privilege-of-the-Floor: Opportunity for citizens to bring forward matters of concern. Please be prepared to make one statement not to exceed 3 minutes in length
Additions or Deletions from Agenda
Highway Superintendent’s Report
Supervisor’s Report
Town Clerk’s Report
Department, Committee, & Liaison Updates
Town Business
• Resolution forming a Town of Caroline Planning Research Committee*
• Consideration of Thomas Road Wetlands Conservation Proposal
• Transfers
• Approval of Abstracts: Highway, General, Lighting, Fire Protection
• Approval of minutes of August 4
——Adjourn—--

Privilege of the Floor Policy
• Privilege-of-the-Floor is offered at the beginning of town meetings as an opportunity for individuals to provide input to the town board. Speakers have up to three minutes, subject to modification depending upon time constraints of a particular meeting. Each resident is provided one speaking opportunity per meeting; written input is also welcome.
• Comments should be directed to the town board. The Supervisor or Councilpersons may answer questions brought forward or defer to allow for further research and thought.
• Personnel matters should be directed to the appropriate Supervisor or Department Head.
• Respectful discourse is required.

*Resolution ____ of 2020. Forming a Town of Caroline Planning Research Committee to research development guidance tools in support of the community vision.

Whereas, the Town adopted a 180-day Moratorium on June 10, 2020, to allow completion of the update to the Town’s Comprehensive Plan in order to ensure that future residential and commercial land use developments are in congruence with the Town’s vision of the community; and

Whereas, the draft updated Comprehensive Plan reiterates and amplifies many of the goals concerning small businesses in Caroline expressed in the 2006 Caroline Comprehensive Plan of:
i. increased town pride, civic engagement, and community investment,
ii. increased support of local businesses and opportunities for new small and home-based businesses, central to continued viability of the town,
iii. economic development in hamlets compatible with other long-term goals,
iv. encouraging locally-owned businesses that integrate with the rural residential and agricultural nature of the town, and discouraging commercial development that would negatively affect local agriculture, business, and residential communities, and
v. encouraging businesses to protect air and water quality, reduce impact on traffic density and road quality, use clean and renewable sources of energy, and embrace sustainable business practices; and
Whereas, through its work on the revised Comprehensive Plan for the Town, the Planning Board identified a number of important tools for guiding future land use to promote the community vision that the Town may wish to implement, chief among them Formula Business Restrictions, Economic Impact Review Laws, and Zoning Laws; and

Whereas, achieving the goals of a Comprehensive Plan requires identification and careful development of appropriate regulatory tools; therefore be it
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Resolved:
1. There is hereby created the Town of Caroline Planning Research Committee charged with researching tools (laws, ordinances, and regulations, etc.) that promote the values and vision of
the Town as expressed in the Comprehensive Plan. The committee may adopt its own internal procedures and shall be an advisory committee to the Town Board. The Town Board shall appoint
a chair annually at its organizational meeting. Committee members shall be appointed by the Town Board annually, to serve one-year terms based upon a calendar year, with no restriction upon the number of terms, consecutive or otherwise, a member may serve. Absent a recommendation being received on or before January 1 from the Planning Research Committee, the Town Board may select such officers as it elects irrespective of the committee’s recommendations or lack thereof. The Town Board may hire a Planner to act in an advisory manner to the committee.
2. The committee shall keep minutes of meetings and submit them to the Town Clerk. The committee may request minute-taking assistance.
3. The committee shall pursue and examine the following matters and charges identified by the Town’s Planning Board in its update of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan in respect to its basic mission to make recommendations and findings as will promote the values and vision of the Town:
i. Formula Business Restrictions
ii. Zoning Laws
iii. Economic Impact Review Laws
iv. any other tools that may promote the Town’s vision at the discretion of the committee and subject to guidance and/or recommendations from the Town Board.
 
Note to residents: 
The US Census needs your response now!
PLEASE NOTE: If you receive your mail through a Post Office Box, you should have gotten a postcard in late June with information about how to complete the census information by phone or online.  If you missed that notice or thought you missed a deadline, it's not too late.   

All those residing in the US are required to respond, regardless of citizenship status so please respond. It's quick and easy and federal funding for our local schools, community services, and election districts depend on our responses.  To complete online:  https://my2020census.gov/Census 2020

To complete by phone call: 844-330-2020
Caroline Clerk Office - Please Read
Beginning Tuesday, June 2nd the Clerk’s Office will be open to the public from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  We encourage residents to continue to use phone, email, the drop box, and regular mail to help reduce traffic in the Town Hall during this limited reopening. All visitors must: maintain 6-foot separation from others if possible, wear a mask (we will have some available); use hand sanitizer as you enter and leave the building (provided) and sign into a visitors log (this will be used to trace visitors should someone come in contact with a COVID-19 positive person). Staff will sanitize surfaces after each visitor and continue to provide services remotely outside of these hours. This soft opening will continue until further notice. Public meetings will continue to be held via ZOOM Conference.   

The Code Officer will remain working off-site at this time and you can continue to contact him with questions or to schedule an inspection by phone (607-539-6400 Ext. 3) or email (codeofficer@townofcaroline.org). No inspections will be conducted until a Business Safety Plan affidavit is received by the Code Officer.
To find summary guidelines visit: http://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/ConstructionShortGuidelines.pdf
Business Safety Plan Template: https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/NYS_BusinessReopeningSafetyPlanTemplate.pdf
PAUSING for COVID-19: Caroline Town Court, please see court page. We continue to maintain services by email (clerk@townofcaroline.org; codeofficer@townofcaroline.org; supervisor@townofcaroline.org), phone (539-6400), and mail (P.0. Box 136, Slaterville Springs, NY 14881). All Tompkins County emergency legal proceedings will be held at the County Courthouse, 320 N. Tioga St. in Ithaca. See Town Court Page for more information. ​
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The phased reopening of non-essential businesses began May 15 in Tompkins County and the Southern Tier region. TCHD 5/16 press release. Please see: https://tompkinscountyny.gov/health/movingforward for more information.
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Coronavirus Update - Important information from Federal, State, and County agencies.

Welcome to Caroline, NY

Caroline is a small  town with a unique character and strong sense of community. It's a town where people care about others, about the environment, and where community events are a big part of life. 

​Learn more about Caroline

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