AVON TOWN COUNCIL
MEETING MINUTES
July 10, 2008
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. at the Avon Town Hall, in the Selectmen's Chambers by Chairman Carlson. Members present: Mrs. Samul, Messrs. Zacchio, Pena and Shea.
PUBLIC HEARING:
07/08-95 Amend Code of Ordinance: Permit the Conduct of Bazaars and Raffles
The Public Hearing was called to order at 7:30 p.m. by Chairman Carlson, and the Clerk read the legal notice as follows:
"LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Notice is hereby given that the Town Council of the Town of Avon Connecticut will hold a Public Hearing on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. at the Avon Town Hall, Selectman's Chamber, 60 West Main Street, Avon, CT to consider the following:
To consider and permit all interested persons to speak on a proposed ordinance to adopt the provisions of Connecticut General Statutes Sections 7-170 through 7-186, as amended, to permit the conduct of bazaars and raffles within the Town of Avon, subject to the regulation, restrictions and requirements of such statutes.
Dated at Avon, Connecticut this 13th day of June, 2008.
Philip K. Schenck, Jr., Town Manager"
Chairman Carlson reported the Town of Avon needs to change the Code of Ordinances to come in to compliance with the State regulations.
On a motion made by Mr. Zacchio, seconded by Mr. Pena, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council approve the change in the Code of Ordinances to permit the
conduct of bazaars and raffles within the Town of Avon, subject to the regulation, restrictions and requirements of such statutes.
Mrs. Samul, Messrs Carlson, Zacchio, Pena and Shea voted in favor.
MINUTES OF PRECEDING MEETINGS: June 5, 2008, June 9, 2008
On a motion made by Mr. Shea, seconded by Mrs. Samul, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council accept the June 5, 2008 minutes as read,
Mrs. Samul, Messrs Carlson, Zacchio and Shea voted in favor. Mr. Pena abstained (absent for a portion of the meeting)
On a motion made by Mr. Pena, seconded by Mr. Zacchio, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council accept the June 9, 2008 minutes as read,
Mrs. Samul, Messrs Carlson, Zacchio, Pena and Shea voted in favor.
COMMUNICATION FROM AUDIENCE – Items not on this Agenda
Florence Stahl, 2 Sunset Trail reported the Board of Education Administrators’ Contract is being negotiated this summer. "You already know my stand on this issue, so I won’t go into the financial details except to say that it has a stunning impact on the town’s budget. Once the contract is finalized, it comes to you for final approval or disapproval. Before you make that determination, I am respectfully requesting that you, or any Board you designate, hold a public meeting to explain the contents of the contract and answer any question the townspeople may have. It would be similar to the public meeting on the Teacher’s Contract. Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to your reply."
Chairman Carlson reported if there is a consensus on this matter and we should direct the Town Manager to ask the Board of Education and Dr. Kisiel to prepare a presentation on this matter, in the same manner as the Teacher's Contract.
On a motion made by Mr. Zacchio, seconded by Mr. Shea, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council authorize the Town Manager to draft a letter to the Board of
Education requesting a presentation be made at a public meeting on the Board of Education Administrator's Contract.
Mrs. Samul, Messrs Carlson, Zacchio, Pena and Shea voted in favor.
Tim Cronin, 11 Pine Trail Road, stated he would like the Council to explain why the Council did not take no for an answer regarding the budget. It was clearly voted no. The third vote the majority of the residents voted no and the Council did not accept the will of the people. Some of the people who didn't vote no the third time, probably because they have to work two jobs just to pay the taxes. This budget should not have been a 3% increase. It should have been a 50% decrease. The budget is way out of whack and it is your job to figure out how to cut 50% of the budget.
Mrs. Samul reported there was a lot of confusion as to the process. We had a working meeting to which the public was invited. We all came to the working meeting independently, going through what it cost last year to run the town. What the increases were in utilities and such. She had all her numbers laid out and her conclusion was that what we ended up approving was what it was going to cost to run the Town this year. However, we have to start looking at restructuring in various ways of doing things so that next year we have a more efficient, cost effective operation.
Tim Cronin reported residents have to get second jobs to help pay the taxes. Mrs. Samul reported there was no intention to make people feel like the Council was not considering every vote and what it meant. Tim Cronin reported he had 50 - 60 children in his classroom when he was in grammar school. He does not know why the schools have so many teachers and so may classes. You could balance the budget and cut it, if you would go back to a normal size class of 40-50 students. He thinks that is part of the problem. Mrs. Samul reported this may be part of the problem and everything is on the table.
Mr. Shea stated the Council should be and is sensitive to everyone in Avon. He thinks the complexity of the three budgets going down indicated to everyone that some changes have to take place. Every year the Town Council, Board of Education and Board of Finance, senior staff and the staff people look at these budgets and go through many different methods of trying to reduce costs. What you are going to see, based on the communications from the citizens to the Boards, is a renewed enthusiasm looking at how to do things differently and make things as effective as possible. The Council acted responsibly and did what they felt was in the best interest of the Town. Everyone was very conscience of not compromising Public Safety, Police Department, Fire Department and Social Services. Social
Services are very active in these tough economic times. The Town is coming together and it was a compromised budget. Everyone had to give a little. Please continue to come to the meetings and stay active.
Tim Cronin further reported he feels that the high school students should not be dropped off or driving cars to school. School buses are provided and they should be used by all the students. They create too much traffic on the roads. Election Day they should be in school and should not have the day off. They should not drive to school at all on Election Day. The students should be there to see the residents voting and the Council should give Veteran's Day off. Chairman Carlson stated, as a point of clarification, those are both mandates through the Board of Education and not through the Council. Tim Cronin stated the Council is in charge of the Board of Education. Chairman Carlson reported this is not the case by State Statute.
COMMUNICATION FROM COUNCIL
Chairman Carlson reported we would like to recognize the Avon Volunteer Fire Department graduated cadets. The Fire Chief introduced the cadets that were present at the meeting, Dan Buonome, Matt Iwan, Miguel Nistal, Mark Volinski. The Fire Chief stated these are the four cadets out of the eight graduates that could attend this evening. Chairman Carlson stated the Council wanted to congratulate those on graduating and thank them for service to the Volunteer Fire Department. What you do potentially saves lives and we greatly appreciate that. The Fire Chief reported, on behalf of the Fire Department, would like to thank the Council for bringing this up and honoring these young adults. They spend a tremendous amount of time and it is a great honor for them. Mrs. Samul stated they are
exhibiting the spirit of volunteerism which is the backbone of our community in Avon.
Chairman Carlson reported they want also to recognize the Police Explorer cadets and he called upon the Police Chief. The Police Chief thanked the Council for recognizing the two graduates; unfortunately, they were not able to attend this evening due to prior obligations.
Mr. Shea reported he wanted to recognize the Director of Finance. She was given a certificate of achievement for excellence in financial reporting and wanted to thank her officially.
Chairman Carlson reported he sent out emails to the Board of Finance and Board of Education Chairs, to solicit input from them on the topic of hiring a consultant, potentially, to look at our operations. This has been suggested to us by a number of citizens throughout the budget process and before. There are really three different suggestions that come up. One, is the hiring of a consultant, which would be looking at an administration, operational, and financial review of the Town. Two would be a citizens committee, which would look more at programs. The third would be to appoint a Charter Revision Commission, which is on the agenda for later tonight, which needs to be because of our statute. The general sentiment that was received from some of the members of the Board of Finance and
Board of Education members, was hiring a consultant would be money well spent. Some suggestions would be: staffing, where do we have duplication from the Town side and Education side; financial operations on both sides; building and maintenance. He further suggested that the Council go forward with the hiring of the consultant. In order to affect that, we should form a cross committee, a Board of Education member, a Town Council member, a Board of Finance member and then senior staff members, that would be designated by the Town Manager and Superintendent of Schools. It would be a committee of about five people, to oversee the hiring of the consultant. He would look to the Town Manager to help develop a charge of the committee and we would look at it at the next meeting and we would approve it. He would look to the Council to designate the three none staff members. It would have to be bi-partisan. The committee would develop the RFP.
The consultant would be on board by the end of the year, if possible. This would be an expensive proposition so we will have to go back to the Board of Finance to solicit funds out of surplus. We did not build this into our budget and it is not in the Board of Education's budget. The advantage of a consultant is that government operations are very different than business operations. Getting someone with the expertise to look at it and also make sure we have transparency and we have this being looked at from an objective standpoint. The committee would just oversee the hiring and the report would come back to the Town Council.
Mr. Zacchio reported he supports the idea of developing an RFP. It will be an expensive proposition. His opinion would be that there are not silver bullets in a consultant looking at even a shared services environment that is going to get us to a point where the impact to our budget is noticeable. It is a good exercise and there are some opportunities that we do not see since we are within the operation. The driver of our budget is predominately driven by the salaries, so unless you can achieve a 15-20% reduction in staff, which is hard to achieve without extreme pain.
Mr. Pena stated he supports the idea. He feels they heard enough from the Public Hearings, and through emails about hiring a consultant. It may be perceived as more independent then a citizens group. He questioned the Town Manager if the Town has ever done an audit such as this. The Town Manager reported the town, from time to time, has hired consultants. We have used one in the Police Department in terms of conducting performance audits we have not used them that frequently. The Council has not been enthusiastic about it in the past. We have hired them to assist the Planning Department, and demographically to look at enrollment issues. We have not hired them before to look at performance and operations administration, except for the Police department. At that time it was a
positive experience. We received a $5,000 grant to do that study. There was some apprehension going into it but it gave us 20 to 30 different recommended changes. Anything to help us take an objective look, from a staff standpoint, to help us look at things differently, more effectively, more economically, for less money is a bonus to us.
Chairman Carlson reported in order for this to be effective it must look across all aspects of Town government. That is why he solicited input from all three boards. There was support of this on the Board of Education side. The Town Manager reported the issues that he has seen come out is in financial administration, in facilities management and administration and perhaps in the Human Resources area as well, to see if there are any economies of scale. That is why we set up the Facilities Maintenance Management Committee back in 1998, reinstituted it again in 2004, and it has been very effective in dealing with joint sharing of services. There are several things we are doing that incorporate this, if the Council wants to look at a larger scale of organization changes. These types of
things can be threatening to staff people and they become nervous, but he feels it is good to have the eyes looking at what you are doing. The Town Manager recommended having some people on the Committee that understand the municipal and educational environment that we are working in, in terms of State regulations and laws, practices and the such. There is a grounding that needs to go on there.
Mr. Pena stated the perceived expectations can be very high with a consultant verses the actual. People sometimes feel the consultant will fix all the problems when that is not the reality. Chairman Carlson reported to have a consultant come in and objectively look at it and say you have two of "these", one on the Board of Education side and one on the Town side, and they state it really only takes one and a half of "these", whatever "these" are. At least now we have an objective opinion stating that recommendation. We can chose to act or not act on it and pay the price either way in doing so. Mr. Pena questioned what the cost would be for this service. Chairman Carlson reported they do not have a cost and it would be part of the RFP process which we need to go
through an RFP for Town bidding procedures.
The Town Manager reported he felt they should be very deliberate in defining what it is that they are looking for in the scope of services in the RFP. Mr. Shea stated Avon is not the first town that has gone through this. With the two leaders on both the town side and Board of Education can interact with other towns and see how they have done this. A cost benefit analysis may not get the results that people want but he would be pleased to be disappointed. He thinks the key to this is the information that the Council gives to the consultant. Of all the things we have done in the past 3-5-10 year in terms of sharing of services within the community, sharing of services regionally, how we interact with outside agencies. That body of work will benefit the consultant and thereby benefit us.
Government is about choices. We will have choices to make. There will be recommendations to limit certain services, or eliminate certain services. He further reported this should not be viewed as a threat. It is critical that the Town Manager and Superintendent of Schools share with their staff that the Council is just trying to improve the Town of Avon. It will be a healthy process and looks forward to trying to do this within a six to nine month period. This should be done before we start the budget process again.
Mrs. Samul questioned if the Council is looking specifically at a way to restructure to save money or a way to process workloads to be more efficiently, not necessarily saving money but have a policy and procedure in place. She feels the Council has to be very specific before we hire the consultant so the consultant can do the most for us. We need to do more than just say go in there and find ways for us to save money. It needs to be more efficient. Chairman Carlson reported the statement of work in the RFP needs to be very carefully delineated in terms of what we expect from the consultant. To the specific question, policy and procedures are fairly well documented within the Town, and the annual audits have attested to that, so that art is of less concern to me. Where he felt the
consultant would be the most benefit to us would be to look at the organization and operational efficiencies and with that comes the cost savings. A shared services model is a good idea. Mrs. Samul stated she wants to get the foundation strong otherwise it will be no good. She wants to know what they are asking for so that the consultant can provide us with the most for our money and it can be useful.
Mr. Shea stated there may be areas where we make changes and we don't see any savings, or maybe it costs us money but could end up saving us down the road. Maybe the savings come five to ten to twenty years down the road.
Mr. Zacchio reported most consultants that you can bring in will look at operations and efficiencies. There are different disciplines that a certain type of consultant will come in and use and apply to either find efficiencies, find opportunities for consolidation, in both process and staff, which can save money and also open opportunities for new risks or changes of control. Government would be different than private business. He is apprehensive to think at best, the consultant's opinions about whether services are needed or not, falls on the bodies that are elected and the folks who are able to weigh in on it at some point, to determine whether they think that is necessary.
The Town Manager reported the services being provided are not so much in question than the method in which they are being provided. It the services can be delivered in a different manner than how they are currently being delivered we need to know that. We are not only looking at services. Most issues that have come up are internal processing issues, administrative issues. How do we run a specific department. Some of the departments do not offer actual services to the residents. They are providing facilities to the residents that are managed internally, so can they be managed better.
Mr. Shea stated the town will really benefit with the Town Manager and the Superintendent of Schools reaching out into the State of Connecticut and reaching out into New England and there will be prototypes out there that will greatly benefit us with how to go about hiring a consultant and the actual document you can give the firm to potentially come in and do the work. Once you have those, we can tailor it to our needs. We can welcome them in and let them know we are anxious to hear what you think and what you find, if we like it or not.
Mr. Zacchio stated the consultant will give us options that we can then consider. It comes back to what do the bodies, the elected and not elected, want Avon to be. A consultant can give you all sorts of idea that can change the character or format of the Town and we can make decisions on that, with a risk/reward basis.
Chairman Carlson stated if the Council is in agreement, and it sounds like everyone it, we would ask the Town Manager to work with the Superintendent of Schools, to develop a Charge for the Committee and come back to the Council no later than the August meeting. He will take feedback from the Council on the composition of the Committee. Chairman Carlson further reported he would ask the Town Manager to get some drafts of the Charge before the August meeting so we can give our feedback on that.
Chairman Carlson stated a member of the audience asked to speak on a topic that is on the agenda later but has to leave to get to a meeting so we are going to let her speak early.
Linda Goodman, 2 Farmstead Lane, requested the Council consider the formation of a Committee to look at a change in the Town Charter. Specifically, she wanted to address the issue of whether the Town Council should be authorized to overturn a Budget Referendum if it is defeated three times by the citizens. She visited the town office a few weeks back and spoke to the Town Manager to ask what the procedure was and it is my understanding that the Charter provides for a review for the provisions of the Charter every ten years, and this happens to be the year. Currently, half of the town's communities in the state operate under state statutes, which Avon is one of them, which mean we are silent on the issue. The Town Manager sent all of the legal opinions and documents going back to 2002. She
understands it has been reviewed by the Supreme Court but also understands there has been a recent review that says that there may be more discretion for individual municipalities, which she presumes cuts both ways, could mean more authority for the Council or more for the Town to restrict the Council. It is her feeling that if a Referendum is defeated three times by the Town that there ought to be a consideration this year and put to the voters on whether or not they then want to continue the existing Charter which allows the Council to set the mill rate or the tax, or if they want to restrict the Town barring any emergencies that are unforeseen that would have to be addresses. She realized this may be considered draconian, and there may be some steps that some would be as draconian and that may mean it may change the lifestyle of Avon that we know it now, or depress real estate values. She doesn't necessarily take exception to that position but she does take the
position that if that were so, and the measures were such that the residents were dissatisfied enough what it might do is get more support the following year. She does think the best analogy she can come up with is, as we all know the recent primary between the Republican primary and the Democratic primary, half the states in he county operate as the Republican primary, we seem to be the Democratic primary and the Council is the superdelegates. It is not a critique. Everyone is responsible about this and concerned, but it is a fundamental strategic question as to whether or not the ultimate decision ought to rest with the voters or with the Council. There is a question as to why something is put to a vote three times if the will of the people is not then honored. She feels very strongly about this. It ought to be at minimum a Committee. A Committee ought to be formed to look at this and ultimately it ought to be the decision by the Town of Avon
as to whether they want to continue with the Charter as it currently exists or look at a review.
Chairman Carlson stated later on the agenda we will be discussing Charter revision. You can read the minutes or check with the Town Manager tomorrow on the verdict. Ms. Goodman questioned if the decision is then made not to pursue a Committee to review it then it goes to the next step. Chairman Carlson stated as he understand it, it would go to a petition. A group of citizens, 10%, could petition. The Town Manager stated the current Charter has a provision for petitioning for changes if the Council does not go along with the wishes of a particular group. If they get the right number of signatures they can petition.
Linda Goodman reported she was fascinated with the talk of a consultant earlier in the evening. What she would suggest and the Council may already have done this, but there are three buckets in which all decisions fall. One, is non-discretionary mandatory for maintenance of the Town. Two would be for the items that you would find extremely important to maintain the lifestyle but could be eliminated. The third would be what falls into discretionary. Ms. Goodman further reported she would be interested to understand how much of the budget in terms of the actual dollars, services, staffing falls in each of those buckets. Chairman Carlson stated there is not much of the budget that is discretionary. It is maintaining the level of Town services that was necessary. Ms. Goodman stated there
are something in the box and some that are out of the box. One approach would be we need this at minimum to maintain what we have. The second, would be out of the box we may be in a situation where we want to think about, we want to maintain what we have but maybe we can't or we shouldn't in this environment. It has to go beyond what is required to maintain the status quo to what are alternatives to the status quo if expenses continue to spiral up at the rate they are going. The real issue for me is the will of the people.
Diane Carney, 36 Rosewood Road, commended the Council for making the suggestion. It is a very good sign for Avon that you would make the suggestion and put it out as a vehicle for examining what our town does without it being a threat, just an open look. Things change and things might be made to be more efficient. It is a great idea and a great way to bring us all back together.
Mr. Pena questioned if there would be any grant money available for the consultant. The Town Manager stated they had checked to see if they could get grant money but was unsure if they were able to.
OLD BUSINESS
07/08-08 Status Report: Building Committee: Avon Free Public Library Renovations/Additions Committee
Diane Hornaday, Chair of the Avon Free Public Library Renovations/Additions Building Committee, stated all of the members of the Committee are present this evening which shows there interest and dedication to the Town. They are present this evening to inform the Council of the plan for the Library so the Council would then authorize them to apply for the state grant from the State Library Board at the August Town Council meeting. The Library Director has been working on the grant. When the Committee met, along with the needs survey that was done, we had specific items and one was to ask the architect to design what would be a final Library for the community, so we would not need to look at this type of Capital Project again in terms of the building itself. We also asked him to include
in the design a basement so there would be storage for the Library and for the Town. We will be going over a draft of the capital costs. This is not yet finalized.
Peter Wells, the architect for the project, presented the ideas for the Library design. The site plan includes all the needs that were determined in the "needs survey" and building program that the Library Board and staff created. The program identifies all the spaces needed in the library, what will go into the spaces and where they should be located in the Library design. When this is determined its goes into a formula and it produces a number of square feet for the complete square footage. We then do analysis on the building program needs and determine what goes on each floor. This then creates the footprint of the building. The design we currently have now satisfies all the needs of the building program and is projected for 20 years out. From the findings, the building should have been
expanded 15 years ago. What we are doing now is catch up from that. The current Library is 18,000 square feet and we are proposing a Library that is 41,000 square feet not counting the basement. The first floor would include all the adult collections, computers, the new community room, staff areas including reference desk, and technical services area. The rest of the programs will be on the second floor, which is primarily children's, and young adult's area, and administrative areas. The basement will house all the mechanics, electrical areas, and the computer racks and maintenance areas. The basement will be accessible due to ADA regulations and so it can be used for other things. The new design includes a new elevator to access this area and for efficiency purposes.
Peter Wells further reported the majority of the expansion is to the rear of the current building. Surrounding the property is a residential zone. We are proposing to relocate the handicap spaces in the parking lot and increase the number of spaces to meet the state requirement. The parking lot will now hold 111 cars. We have met with the Planning and Zoning and the proposed layout does meet the requirements they have. There will be a drive-by book drop, which was part of the requirements for the state grant. It will be located in the front of the building. There will also be a walk-up book drop as well on the building. We are suggesting the building be accessible on all sides of the building. There will be an emergency vehicle only road to the left of the building going out onto
Sunnybrook Road. It would be grass pavers that would be used for emergency use only. There will no access on to Sunnybrook Road. Along that side there will also be an outside courtyard that can be used for patrons of the Library to sit outside and read. It will be enclosed with a low decorative wall to keep people from walking off with the books.
The proposed exterior appearance of the building will be keeping with the current look. We are proposing to extend out the main door to increase the entrance. The entrance to the new community room would be attached to the new main entrance. The courtyard will be accessible through the community room so that it can be utilized as part of the community room in the summer month. The restrooms will be accessible, as well, to the public using the community room. One end of the community room will have a small storage closet and the other end there is a small kitchen area that can be utilized by the public. The rest of the main floor would be the adult collections, reference and non-fiction. A large, double height window is proposed above the main entrance to provide additional lighting into the
interior of the building.
In order to keep the roof line down to match the existing elevation, we had to duplicate the existing character. It has a low pitch. The roof would drain off any water. The main doors would be moved out and relocated.
Chairman Carlson stated we put in a community room in the high school as part of that project. Have you had any discussions with the Board of Education around that topic? Diane Hornaday stated they have not had this conversation. Chairman Carlson reported he suggested they do this. If they are forced into something that needs to be cut back, this may be looked at. The Town Manager reported we did a study of the Senior Center community room and we figured by 2009 at the rate of growth at the Senior Center, it would be very well booked up all of the time. We were concerned with having adequate community rooms available.
Peter Wells reported the community room is used for Library programs and without it there would be a problem with a lack of space. We have to have an area similar to that for these reasons. We are trying to get the most effectiveness. The room can be divided with a partition so it can be used for two programs at once. The current community room is being used all the time. We have a few other areas that can be used for Library programs as well, multi purpose rooms. Attached to the community room will be the technical services area, with an entrance through the community room for book deliveries. Some additional office areas are in that area as well as the circulation desk. At the moment the History room is a small room on the second floor. We are proposing to move the History room to the
first floor and make it more accessible to the public. This will be adjacent to the reference and non-fiction area. The computer area and desks will be near the reference area. The layout of the first floor is set up to have good visual line of site around the area to help reduce the staffing and reduce any behavioral problems that may occur. There are two staircases that have access to the basement and second floor. One would be public and one would be private.
The Town Manager questioned how many square feet are in the basement of the building. Peter Wells stated there are 14,000 square feet in the basement that is a gross of 54,000 square feet for the proposed plan. The Town Manager stated we are going from an 18,000 square foot Library to 54,000 square feet. Peter Wells stated as far as the state grant is concerned they will not count the basement as usable space.
Peter Wells further reported the second floor is where the children's programs are. There will be an area for the young adults. It will have several quiet work rooms and the young adult collections. It will be screened off with partitions so it is separate from the children's area. It will have a television, computers, and tables and chairs for homework to be done. The rest of the space is for the children's collection and he preschoolers. The preschoolers have a section on the second floor with a bathroom located nearby. Each area can be divided with partitions so they can be utilized in many ways. The story hour room, play room craft and puppet areas are all located on the second floor. There will be a quiet tutoring area near the young adult section. The office of the
Library Director and administration will be located on the second floor as well.
Tim Cronin questioned if the project will be voted on by the residents? When it gets voted down what will be cut out first. Chairman Carlson stated the process states that the Council has to accept the recommendations, bring them to the Board of Finance, and then it will go to a vote. It would be preliminary for them to say what would or would not be cut out, until we have had further time to digest it.
Mrs. Samul questioned what the staffing impact will be? The Library Director stated she was not prepared to go over those figures at this time but stated the hiring of any new staffing would be on a phase in basis. We would start one at the beginning of the new fiscal year and then not again until January 1st. We are working it so any new personnel would not all be hired at one time. She further reported this was an item that was going to be presented and discussed at the August Town Council meeting.
Chairman Carlson questioned if the Town is awarded the state grant of $1 million, would this amount be subtracted from the estimated $10million budget. The Director of the Library stated it would be subtracted. The state grant is due in Willimantic on August 29th at 4:00 p.m. One of the requirements for the completion of the grant is the Council has to vote on and pass a resolution. The Library Building Committee plans on attending the August Town Council meeting to present the resolution and hopefully have it approved by the Council. She further reported the Town of Avon has a good chance of receiving the $1million grant but it is very important to show that we have planned ahead for 20 years.
Mr. Shea stated he has enthusiasm for the project but wants to analyze the effect on the debt service of the town. Chairman Carlson questioned if the town receives the grants, but it does not pass at Referendum, is the town still awarded the grant money. The Director of the Library stated once the bonding is complete the town has 18 months to start the construction of the project. We can apply for an extension of the grant we just need to keep the State Library informed of any changes and modifications of the project. Reported the state grant is for up to one third of the project cost, so for the project to be in any jeopardy, the budget would have to be cut to under $3million.
Mrs. Samul stated that all the costs need to be known before this project goes to Referendum. The residents should know exactly what they are voting for.
The Assistant Town Manager reviewed the preliminary Library Expansion/Renovation Referendum budget with the Council. The preliminary grand total for the project is $10,275,987.30. The design costs are $670,762.03, construction costs would be $8,076,827.00. Furnishing and Equipment is $845,000.00, professional fees, $108,800.00, moving and relocation costs, for when the Library is under construction, $361,230.00. The soft costs, including legal and bonding fees, advertising, contingency, totals $213,268.27. All these costs bring us to the grand total of $10,275,987.30. These costs do include inflation.
Mary Suter, President of the Library Board reported they have hired a consultant to look into fundraising for the project. They estimate that they can raise $500,000 in donations that would be used in the Library for enhancements to the space. They Board felt this would be an appropriate use for the donated funds. Any funds raised through fundraising would help offset the costs of the project.
07/08-104 Appointment: Town Council Representative, Avon Volunteer Fire Department
On a motion made by Mr. Zacchio, seconded by Mr. Pena, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council table the appointment of the Town Council's Representative to the Avon Volunteer Fire Department.
Mrs. Samul, Messrs Carlson, Zacchio, Pena and Shea voted in favor.
NEW BUSINESS
08/09-01 Approve Resolution: Capital Region Pre-Disaster Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan
The Town Manager reported this mitigation plan is recommended by the Capital Region Council of Governments. It is a requirement through Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The Plan identifies vulnerabilities related to possible natural disasters. It would allow the Town of Avon to apply for grants in the event of a natural disaster and they recommend that the Council adopts the Resolution.
On a motion made by Mr. Pena, seconded by Mr. Zacchio, it was voted:
RESOLVED:
WHEREAS, the Town of Avon in collaboration with the Capital Region Council of Governments
(CRCOG) has developed a Capital Region Pre-Disaster Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Town of Avon ahs established and prioritized goals and strategies for reducing the loss
of life and property from natural hazards that affect the region within the Capital Region Pre-Disaster Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Federal Emergency Management Agency/Department of homeland Security has
approved the Capital Region Pre-Disaster Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan, on condition of local adoption, enabling the Town to apply for Hazard Mitigation grant funding;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town of Avon Town Council hereby adopts the
2008 Capital Region Pre-Disaster Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Mrs. Samul, Messrs Carlson, Zacchio, Pena and Shea voted in favor.
08/09-02 Bid Award: Verville Road Sewer, $278,783
The Town Manager reported the Water Pollution Control Authority did not meet this evening because they did not have a quorum, but recommends the bid be awarded to Hubble Construction on a contingent basis upon approval by the Water Pollution Control Authority.
On a motion made by Mr. Shea, seconded by Mr. Pena, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council award the Verville Road sewer installation contract to the
apparent low bidder Hubble Construction Corporation of Burlington Connecticut in the amount of $278,783 on a contingent basis providing that the Water Pollution Control Authority approves the installation.
Mrs. Samul, Messrs Carlson, Zacchio, Pena and Shea voted in favor.
08/09-03 Review and Discussion: Consider whether or not to Appoint a Commission to Review and Propose Revisions to the Town Charter (Section 4.9.1 of Town Charter)
Chairman Carlson stated this item is on the agenda because it is requirement of the Charter. It requires us to look at the Charter and determine if any changes are needed to the Town Charter and to appoint to Charter Revision Commission every ten years, and this is the tenth year. Mr. Zacchio questioned the process for appoint a commission.
The Town Manager reported the Council would have to vote on whether or not to go forward with this. If the decision was made to appoint a Charter Revision Commission then the Council would chose who to appoint to the commission. The Town Council would determine the number of individuals that would be appointed to the commission, give the commission specific areas of the Charter to look at and focus on. The last commission was appointed in January of 1997 and met approximately 18 to 20 times. They reviewed the entire Charter and recommended changes to the Council. The Council does not have to accept or make all the changes recommended by the commission. The Council can make the changes, can do nothing, or send the changes to the voters for them to decide which changes should take place
or not. It can be a difficult decision. This is similar to the Constitution of the Town so radical changes can have dramatic effects down the road and should be approached with care.
Mr. Shea stated he sees no compelling reason to form a commission. The Charter serves the Town well.
Mr. Zacchio reported this item is new to him and would like to have another month to review and get a stance on it. He agrees the Charter works for the Town and does not see a reason for it. He sees the process of the petition a more meaningful process. He further reported this item can be brought back up for discussion once the Council has had an opportunity to think about it. It is not something that can only be looked at every ten years. The Council can revisit this issue whenever they feel appropriate.
Mrs. Samul reported se needs another month to decide this issue. Presently, does not have an opinion.
Mr. Pena stated he did not think there is a compelling reason to go into this now.
Mrs. Stahl reported there is the need for stronger language in the Charter regarding conflicts of interest. There should be language in the Charter that provides if anyone is elected and if they could have an impact on the budget. They should not have a family member on the payroll of the Town of Avon.
On a motion made by Mr. Shea, seconded by Mr. Pena, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council not appoint a Charter Revision Committee at this time.
Messrs Carlson, Zacchio, Pena and Shea voted in favor. Mrs. abstained
TOWN MANAGER’S REPORT/MISCELLANEOUS
The Assistant Town Manager reported on several items under the construction update and purchasing update. There are two updates with the high school renovations/additions project. The change order for the extension of the timber guard rails did not pass at the last meeting and there are some recent problems with the old gymnasium floor. The flooring that was installed is not adhering the way it should be and we are looking into how to repair it before the start of school. It may not be ready until the end of September.
She further reported the technical equipment bids for Avon High School are due in next week for the video and data equipment needed for the renovated and expanded school. We received the reimbursement check for the Avon High School emergency generator on July 2nd. The emergency roof repairs at the middle school started the week of July 7th and the painting at the Senior Center is due to start shortly.
The RFP's for the appraisal services for Old Farms Road were due back to the Town Manager's office on July 9th and five proposals were received. On June 25th Capital Region Council of Governments opened bids for the procurement of treated road salt for fiscal year 2008/2009. They bid all four DOT districts, and obtained two bids for those Towns (including Avon) in Region 4. The low bid is from International Salt Company at $84.94 per ton. Unfortunately, this is a steep increase over what we paid in FY07/08 ($63.00/ton) and budgeted for FY 08/09. The price increase alone on the 1,800 tons of salt budgeted is $39,482, and on the usage from last year of just over 3,000 tons the shortfall grows to $ 141,420. Last winter was especially difficult and hopefully our salt
needs will not be so high this year. We are reviewing our options; including bidding our salt needs on our own to achieve a better price.
The Town Manager reported the Town has received a letter from Louis Usich regarding a legal opinion from the Town Attorney on the Roaring Brook School. He is requesting that the Town get an additional legal opinion and feels his questions were not answered. An additional legal opinion could cost the town up to an additional $1,000. Chairman Carlson stated this is not necessary and if Mr. Usich feels this is needed he should hire an attorney. The Council agreed to send a letter to Mr. Usich stating they felt this was not necessary.
The Town Manager reported the Police Non-Emergency Interagency agreement that was approved at the June special meeting may need to be put back on the agenda. It may require a Public Hearing and we are looking into that process.
The Town Manager questioned the Council on the process of sending out emails, and whether or not it is to much. The Council agreed they enjoyed the emails and feel it keeps them informed of all the ongoing issues.
Chairman Carlson reported he will not be available to attend the September 4th meeting. The September meeting was rescheduled to Monday, September 8th.
EXECUTIVE SESSION: Litigation/Negotiation
On a motion made by Mr. Shea, seconded by Mr. Pena it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council go into Executive Session at 10:25 p.m. to discuss land
negotiation and personnel issues.
Mrs. Samul, Messrs Carlson, Pena, Zacchio and Shea voted in favor.
Present: Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Town Council Clerk.
On a motion made by Mr. Shea, seconded by Mr. Pena, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council come out of Executive Session at 10:45 p.m.
Mrs. Samul, Messrs Carlson, Pena, Zacchio and Shea voted in favor.
ADJOURN
The meeting was adjourned at 10:45 p.m.
Attest:
Caroline B. LaMonica
Clerk
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