HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB 2023-113b Endorse Dissolution Plan Forest Home Lighting DistrictMEETING OF THE ITHACA TOWN BOARD
July 31, 2023
TB Resolution 2023 - 113: Endorsing this Proposed Dissolution Plan for the Forest Home
Lighting District and Setting a Public Hearing on Same
Whereas, in 2021, the Town of Ithaca purchased from NYSEG the twenty (20) streetlights in the Forest Home Lighting District, and in 2023 the Town upgraded the streetlights to LED lights;
and
Whereas, there are one hundred ten (110) tax parcels located within the Forest Home Lighting District in 2023, and future annual costs for the District’s electricity and streetlight
maintenance are estimated to be around Two Thousand Six Hundred Seventy Dollars ($2,670) in current dollars; and
Whereas, because the Town’s bookkeeping burden and administrative expenses for the Forest Home Lighting District are disproportionate to the District’s minimal future costs, the Town
Board of the Town of Ithaca (Town Board) is considering dissolution of the Forest Home Lighting District and paying for the costs of the Town’s lighting districts, once dissolved, through
real estate taxes raised on a townwide basis pursuant to New York Highway Law §327; and
Whereas, New York General Municipal Law §773(2)(a) provides that the Town Board may commence a dissolution proceeding for the Forest Home Lighting District, which is a local government
entity, by endorsing a proposed dissolution plan; now, therefore be it
Resolved, pursuant to General Municipal Law § 774, the Town Board endorses the following proposed dissolution plan for the purpose of commencing dissolution proceedings for the Forest
Home Lighting District:
(a) The name of the local government entity to be dissolved is theForest Home Lighting District;
(b) The territorial boundaries of the entity were established when the Town Board adopted its May 11, 1929 resolution establishing the entity.
The current tax parcels included in the Forest Home Lighting District are as follows:
66.-1-3
66.-1-4
66.-1-5
66.-1-6
66.-1-7
66.-1-8
66.-1-9
66.-1-10
66.-1-11
66.-1-12
66.-1-13
66.-2-1
66.-2-2
66.-2-3
66.-2-4
66.-2-5
66.-2-6
66.-2-7
66.-2-9
66.-2-10.2
66.-2-11
66.-2-13
66.-2-14
66.-3-1
66.-3-2
66.-3-3.4
66.-3-3.7
66.-3-3.11
66.-3-3.12
66.-3-3.13
66.-3-3.14
66.-3-3.15
66.-3-3.22
66.-3-3.211
66.-3-3.511
66.-3-3.512
66.-3-3.513
66.-3-3.514
66.-3-3.515
66.-3-3.516
66.-3-3.517
66.-3-3.518
66.-3-3.519
66.-3-3.521
66.-3-3.522
66.-3-3.523
66.-3-3.524
66.-3-4.1
66.-3-4.2
66.-3-5
66.-3-7.1
66.-3-7.2
66.-3-8
66.-3-9
66.-3-10
66.-3-11
66.-3-12
66.-3-13
66.-3-15
66.-3-16
66.-3-18
66.-3-19
66.-3-20
66.-3-21
66.-3-22.1
66.-3-22.2
66.-3-23
66.-3-24
66.-3-25
66.-3-26
66.-3-27
66.-3-28
66.-3-29
66.-3-30
66.-4-1
66.-4-5
66.-4-6
66.-4-9
66.-4-10
66.-4-11
66.-4-12
66.-4-15
66.-4-16
66.-4-17
66.-4-18
66.-4-19
66.-4-20.1
66.-4-21
66.-4-22
66.-4-23
66.-4-24
66.-5-1
66.-5-2
66.-5-3
66.-5-4
66.-5-6
66.-5-7
66.-5-9.1
66.-5-9.2
66.-5-10
66.-5-11.2
66.-5-12
66.-5-13
66.-5-14
66.-5-15
66.-6-1
66.-6-2
66.-6-3
66.-6-4
66.-6-5
(c) The type and/or class of the entity is a lighting district that the Town Board formed pursuant to its May 11, 1929 resolution;
(d) The Town Board estimates that the cost of dissolution of the Forest Home Lighting District is One Thousand Dollars ($1,000), which is the cost of associated legal fees and the publication
cost of legal notices;
(e) The Forest Home Lighting District has no public employees, so it does not need to provide any plan for the transfer or elimination of public employees;
(f) The Forest Home Lighting District’s assets are as follows: Twenty (20) streetlights purchased from NYSEG in 2021 for FiveThousand Nine HundredTwelveDollars ($5,912). The streetlights
were upgraded to LED lights in 2023 for an estimated cost of SevenThousand Seven Hundred Nineteen dollars ($7,719).The fair value thereof in current money of the United States is Thirteen
Thousand Six Hundred Thirty-OneDollars ($13,631). On December 31, 2022, the Forest Home Lighting District had an available fund balance of Nine Thousand Nine Hundred Fifty-Nine Dollars
($9,959). The Town assessed property tax of FourHundred Dollars ($400) to one hundred ten (110) parcels within the Lighting District in 2023, proportionately allocated based on assessed
value. The estimated expenses for 2023 (including the cost of conversion to LED lights,eight (8) months of streetlight maintenance, and electricity) areTen Thousand Four Hundred Thirty-Three
Dollars ($10,433). Any residual funds (estimated to be Seventy-Four Dollars ($74)) left at 12/31/2023 will be moved to the Town’s General Fund to offset future costs;
(g) The Forest HomeLighting District does not have any liabilities and indebtedness, bonded or otherwise, except as follows: The Town, on behalf of the District, owes the New York Power
Authority and/or its contractors Fourteen Thousand Four Hundred Thirty-Three ($14,433) for LED conversions. This amount has not yet been billed to the Town. The Town anticipates rebates
of Six Thousand Seven Hundred Fourteen ($6,714), which results in an estimated net indebtedness of Seven Thousand Seven Hundred Nineteen Dollar ($7,719);
(h) There are no agreements entered into between the Forest Home Lighting District and the Town of Ithaca in order to carry out the dissolution;
(i) following the dissolution of the Forest Home Lighting District, the residents of the Forest Home Lighting District will continue to be furnished municipal street lighting services
by the Town of Ithaca, which will be paid for by real estate taxes raised on a townwide basis pursuant to New York Highway Law §327;
(j) The entity's assets shall become assets of the Town of Ithaca. The terms for the disposition of the entity's liabilities and indebtedness are as follows: The amount of the entity’s
indebtedness (if any) to the New York Power Authority and/or its contractors as of December 31, 2023 as described in subsection g above shall be paid by moving the entity’s fund balance
(which is adequate to pay its indebtedness) to the Town’s General Fund and paying them from the General Fund. There will be no need for the levy and collection of additional taxes and
assessments for the entity’s outstanding liabilities and indebtedness as of December 31, 2023;
(k) There are no local laws, ordinances, rules or regulations of the Forest Home Lighting District which shall remain in effect after the effective date of the dissolution;
(l) The effective date of the proposed dissolution is December 31, 2023;
(m) The time and place for a public hearing on the proposed dissolution plan pursuant to New York General Municipal Law § 776 is September 11, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. in the Board Room, Ithaca
Town Hall, 215 N. Tioga Street, Ithaca, NY 14850;
(n) There are no other matters desirable or necessary to carry out the dissolution; and be it further
Resolved, that the Town Clerk for the Town of Ithaca shall post, publish and display the proposed dissolution plan and provide notice to the public as required by New York General Municipal
Law § 775;and be it further
Resolved, that the Town Board shall hold a public hearing on the proposed dissolution plan onSeptember 11, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. in the Board Room, Ithaca Town Hall, 215 N. Tioga Street,
Ithaca, NY 14850, and at such time and place all persons interested in the proposed dissolution plan may be heard concerning the same; and be it further
Resolved, that following the conclusion of the public hearing, the Town Board shall meet to take such other and further action on the part of said Board with relation thereto as may
be authorized and prescribed by law, which may include a resolution approving a final version of the Forest Home Lighting District dissolution plan.
Moved: Bill GoodmanSeconded:Rich DePaolo
Vote: Howe, DePaolo, Rosen, Goodman, & Johnson