Clifton Town Council accepts treasurer's report, approves Haunted Trail account and authorizes $3,000 streetscape appraisal

The Clifton Town Council on Feb. 4 accepted the town treasurer's financial report, approved a separate checking account for the Haunted Trail event, scheduled FY2021 budget work sessions and authorized up to $3,000 for an appraisal related to the Streetscape project.

The council voted 5-0 to accept Treasurer Marilyn Barton's report, which included a reconciliation of Haunted Trail receipts and expenses. Barton's attached report showed $60,402 in Haunted Trail receipts for July 1 through Jan. 31, FYTD expenses of $17,045 and reconciled net proceeds of $43,357.18.

Councilmember Darrell Poe moved to establish a separate Haunted Trail checking account with single-signature authority for Ester Pline and Sydney Sawyer, a bank/card for online subscriptions, linkage of merchandise sales for tracking and the ability to deposit merchandise proceeds directly; Councilmember Melissa Milne seconded. The motion passed by poll vote, 5-0.

In a forwarded email included with the treasurer's materials, Haunted Trail chair Ester Pline asked the town to open an account that would allow "Sydney and I [to] write checks with a single signature," to provide a bank/check card for online subscriptions, to link merchandise sales to the account for tracking, and to "directly deposit funds that trickle in from merchandise sales throughout the year." Pline also proposed releasing $7,000 on May 1 and $7,000 on Oct. 1 to support the event; she stated the event's expenses last year were about $19,000 and that $5,747 remained in the event account.

The council set FY2021 budget work sessions for 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25 and Wednesday, April 1, with a third session at 7:30 p.m. on April 15 if needed. The public hearing on the FY2021 budget will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6 following the regular council meeting.

After an executive session on rights-of-way, property acquisition and a building lease, the council authorized the expenditure of up to $3,000 for an appraisal and related activities in support of the Streetscape project. That motion passed by roll call: Regan McDonald, Melissa Milne, Bill Hollaway, Steve Effros and Darrell Poe all voted "Aye." The council certified on the record that only the authorized executive-session topics were discussed.

Other routine business approved without opposition included rescheduling Boy Scout Troop 1104's campfire event to March 5 and renewing Terry Winkowski's term on the Planning Commission. The meeting adjourned after the motions were approved.