AVON TOWN COUNCIL
MEETING MINUTES
May 7, 2009
I. 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. Pena, Shea and Zacchio.
II. PUBLIC HEARING:
08/09-56 7:30 p.m., Acceptance of Parcel, Foxcroft Run
The Public Hearing was called to order at 7:30 p.m. by Chairman Carlson, and the Clerk read the legal notice as follows:
"TOWN OF AVON
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, May 7, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. at the Avon Town Hall, Selectman’s Chamber, 60 West Main Street for the following purposes:
1. To accept two easements which will permit the construction of sidewalks. The easements are located on property owned by Ensign Bickford Reality Corporation known as parcel 2210016, located at 32 and 38 West Main Street, "The Shops at Avon Green".
2. To accept .4 acre parcel (17,433 sq. ft.), a portion of Parcel 3970055 (adjacent to Ensign Drive and Nod Brook), to be used for public Park purposes.
Dated at Avon, Connecticut this 3rd day of April, 2009
Philip K. Schenck, Jr., Town Manager"
Chairman Carlson stated it has been requested that action on accepting the easements be tabled until the Town receives some more information on the easements regarding completing monetary releases and subordinations.
On a motion made by Mr. Zacchio, seconded by Mr. Pena, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council close the Public Hearing
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Carlson, Pena, Shea and Zacchio voted in favor.
On a motion made by Mr. Zacchio, seconded by Mr. Pena, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council table the action on accepting the easement until the necessary released and subordinations are completed.
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Carlson, Pena, Shea and Zacchio voted in favor.
III. MINUTES OF PRECEDING MEETINGS: March 31, 2009
April 2, 2009
On a motion made by Mr. Shea, seconded by Mr. Pena, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council accept the March 31, 2009 meeting minutes as submitted
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Carlson, Pena, Shea and Zacchio voted in favor.
On a motion made by Mr. Shea, seconded by Mrs. Samul, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council accept the April 2, 2009 meeting minutes as submitted
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Carlson, Pena, Shea and Zacchio voted in favor.
IV. COMMUNICATION FROM AUDIENCE – Items not on this Agenda
V. COMMUNICATION FROM COUNCIL
Mr. Zacchio reported he attended the 157th Annual Meeting of the YMCA in Hartford on Tuesday April 21st. It was a nice event and well attended. Robert Knox Jr Outstanding Dedication to Community Service Award was presented to Dr. Bill Pettit Sr. at the ceremony this year.
VI. OLD BUSINESS
03/04-64 Avon High School Renovations
a. Final Report / Thank you
b. Appoint Town Council as Building Committee
Mr. Hank Frey stated it was a pleasure serving on the Committee and was glad to see the project come in under budget and it was a good team working on the project. A big thank you to all of the Committee members for all the hard work and dedication to the project.
Chairman Carlson stated this evening the Building Committee will be formally disbanded and turnover the remaining responsibility to the Town Council as the new Building Committee until the project is completely wrapped up. He further reported there were 60+ meetings that were held on this project and we know how difficult this could be. It was a very successful endeavor. All the tight timelines were met and the project is coming in under budget, around $450,000, which is a great accomplishment. Our thanks to all of you for a job well done! Chairman Carlson asked each member to come to the front of the room. Hank Frey, Douglas Evan, Jim Miller, Jed Usich, Ann Dearstyne, Jim Poppa and presented each a clock in appreciation of their efforts.
On a motion made by Mr. Shea, seconded by Mrs. Samul, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Avon High School Building Committee be thanked for their diligent service in completing the renovations and additions project begun in March, 2004 and they be dismissed and that responsibility for the final project closeout be transferred to the Avon Town Council
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Carlson, Pena, Shea and Zacchio voted in favor.
08/09-06 Review, Discussion and Acceptance: Management Consulting Services Study
Mr. Zacchio reported the Committee expected to have a final draft completed and voted on by the Committee to submit to the Town Council by this evening, but did not have an opportunity as a Committee to review and vote on it. It does strike a nice balance between opportunities that are long term and short term and low cost and investments that may need to be made to software updates and so forth. The biggest bang for the buck is opportunities for custodial staff at the schools. We do plan on having a meeting between this evening and the June Town Council meeting so that we can finalize, approve and vote on the final recommendation. What we are struggling with is how you would like to proceed from here and how would you like to disseminate the information to the public. Some discussions were we could post it to
the website as a PDF file, some overview highlight in the newsletter, and copies made available in the Library. The Committee is looking for some feedback on this. The Assistant Town Manager reported this could be sent out via the list serve to the website, and produce copies in house to the other boards. Chairman Carlson stated perhaps a three board meeting would be a good idea with a presentation by the Chair of the Committee and by the Consultant.
Chairman Carlson stated perhaps the other two boards can be invited to the June Town Council meeting and this can be added to the agenda for a presentation. The Assistant Town Manager reported this can be done but we would have to schedule a meeting quickly to meet the deadline. Mr. Zacchio reported this should be a quick meeting since most of the Committee members seem comfortable with the findings. There are just a few items that were requested that they would like to see. Mr. Shea reported the meeting should be one of information and not a rushed meeting. They should be able to digest the information and come back to discuss it at a later point. The meeting should be at the Town Council meeting, the presentation can be made, and we can go from there. The Town Manager reported there may be some items that may
need some financing and should be incorporated into next years budgeting process. Mrs. Samul stated supporting the comments that were said, it would also give the Board of Education the opportunity to budget accordingly. Hard copies at the Library would be a great idea, in addition to the website.
On a motion made by Mrs. Samul, seconded by Mr. Pena, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council table the Review, Discussion and Approval of the Management Consulting Services Study to the June 4, 2009 meeting
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Carlson, Pena, Shea and Zacchio voted in favor.
08/09-48 Review and Discussion: Proposed St. Matthews/AT&T Cell Tower,
Possible Alternate Location
The Town Manager reported both the Town Attorney and the Director of Planning and Community Development are present this evening to update you on this process. The Director of Planning and Community Development reported the Siting Council continued their Public Hearing to their offices on April 29th and at that meeting there were discussions on some alternate locations that were recommended by the Town Council, in particular there was a discussion on the Huckleberry Hill Open Space property. The other areas have been ruled out for various reasons. Focusing in on the Huckleberry Hill Open Space areas, AT&T reported it would be a good area to fit their needs. The location that is being discussed is about the same location where there had been prior discussion on the possibility of an elementary school. It is
at the end of Northgate, to where a small trail entrance is and the yellow marked trail is the location we are speaking about. AT&T was asked to fly a balloon at that site at the elevation of 150 ft. We are told the reason that they have done that is that they are always interested in co-location as is the Siting Council. At this point we do not know if the Siting Council would approve a 100 ft tower or something higher. Pocket Wireless is trying to join one of the towers in Avon and the location at the church fit their needs but the Huckleberry Hill location does not. This may set up a possible scenario that we do not know what will happen with Pocket Wireless, since they are just building their network. The visibility at 100 ft is much less than at the church site, at 150 ft. the visibility is a bit greater, but overall significantly less than the church site but it will be seen by some of the homes in the neighborhoods. Mr. Pena
questioned at what height does it require lighting? This would be at 200 ft or higher. Mr. Shea questioned if the proposal of a 70 ft. tower at the church has been dismissed, is that no longer an option? The Siting Council seems to be sensitive to the height of the tower, since AT&T would like to share the tower, and they would prefer fewer towers all together. It seems probably that the tower would be taller. The FCC awards different radio frequencies for different phone companies, so this location would be adequate. Mr. Shea stated as you proceed down Lovely Street there is a tower that looks like a phone pole and does not seem to be a controversial eyesore. Is this something that is possible? The Director of Planning and Community Development stated this is something that is done through negotiations; it is not typically what the company wants. There are structural limitations also. The Town Manager reported there is also an antenna
in the steeple in the church in that area, so they have several small towers instead on one large tower. The Town Manager reported if the town is interested in AT&T pursuing the Huckleberry Hill site in more detail then we need to notify AT&T and let them know we are comfortable with them exploring this site, and the town would lease the land or approve an easement to them. Secondly, we should refer the issue to the Planning & Zoning Commission to review the AT&T plans and come back to the Council with recommendations on these plans. The Council would then recommend the Planning & Zoning Commissions comments to the Siting Council. Chairman Carlson agreed wanting to hear from the Planning & Zoning Commission and felt this was a good process. Mr. Shea reported not being comfortable going forward with this at this point in time. The Town Manager reported it seems to be clear that there do not seem to be any restrictions on the
Huckleberry Hill property when it was deeded to the town, but there are some missing pieces that we are researching, to see if there are any restrictions. Mr. Zacchio questioned where we are with the Lovely Street tower, was any compromise made. Mr. Weiss reported attending the second hearing; AT&T is not interested in any compromise. At the last hearing we had the benefit of the details of the Huckleberry Hill site. AT&T is not interested in anything that can not be expanded. They are not interested in a flag pole. They are continually pushing for a large monopole that have antennas that extend 10 feet and down 30 ft, they want something that they can add to. Chairman Carlson questioned if the Siting Council can override the Planning & Zoning recommendations. The Town Manager reported yes, they only take suggestions, but they don't even have to do that. Chairman Carlson reported neither of these are great solutions, but
we need coverage near the elementary school. Mrs. Samul questioned what is the distance from the proposed pole on Huckleberry Hill Road to the nearest developed or undeveloped area? The Director of Planning and Community Development reported somewhere around 400 ft. She further questioned is this going to also affect property that is not developed? He answered it should not, it would really only affects the existing property. She questioned, whether leases are for a specific period of time with the option to renew? Does the carrier have the responsibility to remove the tower? The Director of Planning and Community Development reported being unsure of the answer to this. He further reported a certain question would be to be presented to the Planning & Zoning Commission, as to whether the Huckleberry Hill area is under discussion or not. Mrs. Samul questioned if the installation of this tower affect the use of the open space to the
town. The Director of Planning & Zoning reported the parcel is rather large, 200+ parcels. No matter how you access this lot it is not ideal for a school location for several reasons, but it would not impact the possibility of building one on the land. Mr. Pena stated the church would be more of a hardship to the surrounding neighborhood. The Director of Planning & Zoning stated he was told it would be unlikely that the Siting Council would approve such a pole like the one presented at the church, we do not know but it may be a likely scenario. AT&T has not spent the time we feel they should have to investigate all the other options as to what could be installed at the church..
Chairman Carlson reported they are not comfortable with either of the sites that are being proposed, either of the 100 ft, or scaled down version of the pole.
On a motion made by Mr. Zacchio, seconded by Mr. Pena, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council table item 08/09-48 Review and Discussion of the Proposed St. Matthews/AT&T Cell Tower, Possible Alternate Location to the June 4, 2009 meeting
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Carlson, Pena, Shea and Zacchio voted in favor.
08/09-55 Supplemental Appropriation: Roaring Brook School Boiler
Controls Project, $123,757.20
The Assistant Town Manager reported the Board of Education is in a deficit right now. The grant that came from the state for energy expenses is off the table, and the fact that this project would take several months to complete and really would fall to a next summer project, we recommend we take it off the table all together now. We will be going after a stimulus monies energy efficiencies grant application, or we will look at it for the Capital Budget for next year.
On a motion made by Mr. Zacchio, seconded by Mr. Pena, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council remove item 08/09-55 Supplemental Appropriation Roaring Brook School Boiler Controls Replacement from the agenda
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Carlson, Pena, Shea and Zacchio voted in favor.
08/09-63 Review and Discussion: Conflict of Interest Policy
Chairman Carlson reported it was the opinion of the Town Attorney that we table this item pending State legislation. The Town Attorney reported it seems likely that the State legislature will be passing a similar bill and it would require some changes to the language, so we should know within a month.
On a motion made by Mr. Pena, seconded by Mr. Zacchio, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council table item 08/09-63 Review and Discussion Conflict of Interest Policy to the July meeting
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Carlson, Pena, Shea and Zacchio voted in favor.
08/09-69 Review and Discussion: Requested Appointments, Canton, Avon,
Burlington Hydro Project
Chairman Carlson reported the Avon Clean Energy Commission has made a recommendation on an appointment to the Hydro Project. Martin Kaplan was the individual recommended.
The Town Manager reported the Avon Clean Energy Commission has created a Mission Statement for your review and approval as to their goals and objectives. It seems to be realistic, and as you may be aware, they will most likely be asking for money in next year's budget to start some projects. One of the most recent initiatives is to create no idling signs and zones around the schools and public buildings, so they may be looking to get donations or grants to post these signs. Mrs. Samul questioned if the presentation of the Management Consulting Services Study would be of use to the Clean Energy Commission? Mr. Zacchio reported not initially.
On a motion made by Mr. Zacchio, seconded by Mr. Pena, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council appoint Martin Kaplan to the Town of Canton Hydro Project Advisory Committee for a term to expire December 31, 2009
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Carlson, Pena, Shea and Zacchio voted in favor.
VII. NEW BUSINESS
08/09-70 Contract Award: Janitorial Services, $165,801.60
The Assistant Town Manager reported the current three year contract is expiring in June, so we put it out to bid. We had 23 vendors walk through the buildings for the review, and 16 bidders. We added something new in the process this year; we gave the bidders the opportunity to tell us what they would do to reduce their overall bid, if they were to win the contract for all of the locations. The low bidder is ISA Cleaning out of Newington. Their price was significantly less than the previous bidders, which would be a $21,000 a year savings for the next three year. We looked into the references since the price was so much lower. The recommendations came back very good and after a discussion with them, we feel comfortable awarding the contract with them. They will attack the job with multiple people as to the one person
we have had in the past. Mr. Shea questioned if they are bonded and the insurance limits? The Assistant Town Manager reported they are bonded and they are insured for $1million. Mr. Pena question what the problems were with the current vendor? The Assistant Town Manager reported the cleaning was very basic. We have a very specific list of what to do and when, and the work does not always seem to get done. Chairman Carlson questioned if the employees of ISA Cleaning have all the proper employment credentials? The Assistant Town Manager reported this would be looked into.
On a motion made by Mr. Zacchio, seconded by Mr. Pena, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council approve the contract with ISA Cleaning, Newington CT, in the amount of $165,801.60 for a three year contract for cleaning services for the Town Hall Buildings, contingent that the proper employment credentials are presented.
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Carlson, Pena, Shea and Zacchio voted in favor.
08/09-71 Review and Discussion: Contract with Burlington for Building Official Services
The Assistant Town Manager reported during the budgeting process we recommended that we reduce the funding for the Assistant Building Official from full-time to 20 hrs per week and you had agreed with that. During the budgeting process we have tried to reach out to other communities to find out if the over capacity we had was of interest to any surrounding community. We were aware Burlington was interested and we have negotiated a contract. They are excited to move forward to retain our Assistant Building Official for 10 hours per week throughout the next fiscal year. There is an interest in the Planning & Zoning Department to restore the position to full-time. The Director of Planning and Community Development reported we have a half-time secretarial position that we are not going to fill and use the
hours to provide the necessary funding to make up the additional gap. The gap at this point would be 6 hours, plus the additional dollars to provide the benefits. This particular individual through conversations has agreed to drop the town health plan in favor of his wife's plan starting January 1, 2010. In doing this, a meeting was had with all the department heads and the Building Official agreed the town has put a significant amount of time in training this individual and we are confident that the recession will be over some day and everyone is willing to help in filling the secretarial gap. The Assistant Town Manager reported this contract would be looked at should the workload start to increase in the Building Department.
Mrs. Samul reported this is commendable, but please watch out that the situation is not taken advantage of by Burlington. They have not had the same expectations of their employees as Avon has.
On a motion made by Mr. Shea, seconded by Mr. Pena, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council approve the contract with the Town of Burlington in the amount of $18,200 for a one year contract for Building Official Services for 10 hours per week
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Carlson, Pena, Shea and Zacchio voted in favor.
08/09-72 Adoption: Revised Purchasing Policy
The Assistant Town Manager reported this is an update of the most recent version of the policy that was changed last in 2007. The purpose of this was for several reasons. One, was that the Board of Education should they wish to adopt any of this, they could. The second, the insurance limits are amended. It defines the RFP process and outlines what professional services are, and it adds an exemption to the Bid process when you are using an outside agent or third party to follow the process.
Mr. Shea questioned why the Board of Education would not want to have the same Purchasing Policy as the Town? The Town Manager stated the Board of Education has the authority to adopt their own policy and regulations, and would think they would want to have a policy but they may feel they want independence to do things on their own. Mr. Shea questioned how the policy could become one. It was determined that the Council would have to vote and have five of the Board of Education members vote in favor as well. The Town Manager reported the forms and procedures are different than ours and it would take training and they may not want to change. Mrs. Samul questioned does this policy read means that for one policy event the Board of Education can use it but for another one it does not have to use it? The Assistant Town
Manager reported the Board of Education can set forth their own modifications. They can go out on their own unless they decided to adopt some of these. Chairman Carlson stated they can totally ignore this policy, use the whole thing, or do a bit of each. When we acquire something on their behalf we will follow this guideline. Mrs. Samul stated then they have no policy. Chairman Carlson stated they do have a policy but it is not as in depth. The Assistant Town Manager reported they do a lot of the same things that we do but do not follow this policy. Mr. Shea stated we are headed for some interesting conversations if we can not come together as a community when it comes to a code of ethics and when it comes to a purchasing policy. The world has changed enough where there are many common similarities, business is business. We are in the business of government and it is not complicated but there are going to be people there that
are not going to like to hear people do not want to cooperate. The Town Attorney stated it is more common than not that Town's and Boards of Education have separate purchasing policies. It is more common that the Towns have better policies and more in depth policies. They may not have the administrative capability to do so.
On a motion made by Mrs. Samul, seconded by Mr. Shea, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council accept the “Town of Avon Policy Memorandum, Subject: Purchasing Procedures No. 3.1”, as presented
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Carlson, Pena, Shea and Zacchio voted in favor.
08/09-73 Eagle Scout Proclamations
Chairman Carlson stated he has signed the Eagle Scout Proclamations to be presented to the four Eagle Scouts. Mrs. Samul will be attending the ceremony.
08/09-74 Supplemental Appropriation: State of Connecticut Secretary of the
State Grant, $4,465.59
On a motion made by Mr. Shea, seconded by Mr. Pena, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council hereby recommends that the Board of Finance amend the FY 08/09 budget by increasing:
REVENUES
General Fund, Intergovernmental, Miscellaneous State Grant Receipts, Account #01-0330-43410 in the amount of $4,465.59
And increasing
APPROPRIATIONS
General Fund, Elections and Referenda, Temporary Part-time, Account #01-1403-51014 in the amount of $4,465.59 for the purpose of funding the May 13, 2009 Referendum, with a reimbursement for the
November 4, 2008 election through an approved State of Connecticut Secretary of the State grant.
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Carlson, Pena, Shea and Zacchio voted in favor.
08/09-75 Authorization to Sign: Historic Documents Preservation Grant, $5,000
Chairman Carlson stated we need to give the Town Manager authorization to sign for the Historic Documents Preservation Grant in the amount of $5,000, as well as the Non-Discrimination Certification.
On a motion made by Mr. Shea, seconded by Mr. Pena, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That Philip K. Schenck, Jr., Town Manager is empowered to execute and deliver in the name and on behalf of this municipality a contract with the Connecticut State Library for an Historic Documents Preservation Grant
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Carlson, Pena, Shea and Zacchio voted in favor.
On a motion made by Mr. Shea, seconded by Mr. Pena, it was voted:
RESOLVED : That the Town of Avon hereby adopts as its policy to support the Nondiscrimination agreements and warranties required under Connecticut General Statues § 4a-60(a)(1) and § 4a-60a(a)(1), as amended in State of Connecticut Public Act 07-245 and sections 9(a)(1) and 10(a)(1) of Public Act 07-142.
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Carlson, Pena, Shea and Zacchio voted in favor
VIII. TOWN MANAGER’S REPORT/MISCELLANEOUS
Misc. A Construction Update: The Assistant Town Manager reported the middle school roof is out to bid and the pre-bid meeting is next week and bids are due by May 26th. Mrs. Samul questioned when the Library will be coming back to the Council. The Assistant Town Manager reported they have a meeting this month, and it will be on the July agenda.
Misc. B. Purchasing Update: The Assistant Town Manager reported scrap metal recycling received an increase of $10 per ton for our bid for a multi-year contract. E-Waste recycling saw no proposals turned in. The state has been pushing off the date of when they will be requiring this and we asked for everything and we are looking at that again and how we will approach it.
Property and Casualty- we received one proposal on this yesterday, and will be meeting on this with the Board of Education and will be bringing that to you on the June agenda.
Mr. Shea stated since the Library will be coming back to the Council in July and there is no interest in increasing the debt service level at all, would it be fair to request that DixWorks update the debt service model? The Town Manager reported this can be done before then.
Misc. C. Town Manager’s Report: The Town Manager reported there is a Public Hearing on May 14th at 7:30 p.m. with the Avon Water Pollution Control Authority for the Deepwood Drive sewers. Informally we have been hearing increased resistance now from many of the residence that had signed the original petitions back in 2004 and again in 2008. They will be holding the Public Hearing and assuming the budget passes they will be recommending that we go ahead with the project. The issues are around the financing of the project and the impact on the homeowners. In a related item, the bill that we have pushed through to this point in the State Legislature has been passed and is waiting for formal approval in the House and the Senate, then the signature of the Governor. That would provide us with an installment options. We are talking about an assessment price of about $9,000, and that does not include the hook up or connection charges.
The Town Manager further reported on the Revaluation, we have had four suits filed, all by commercial people; Nod Brook Mall, Avon Meadow, Avon Park North Associates, and one other.
The Town Manager reported on the Probate Court consolidation - There is major movement regarding the potential consolidation of the Probate Courts. If you do not have a court that is serving 40,000+ people then you will be forced into a consortium with other towns. We are slated to merge with Simsbury, so we would lose our Probate Court. Issues related to this is, as you know from our budget, we have a very small Probate Court budget of $3,000-$4,000 per year. Under this new system, the consolidated courts will need to refurbish, renovate a new location and we may end up paying $50,000-$60,000 per year paying for the consolidated court. There is a substantial chance that this will be happening. They are now requiring all Probate Judges be licensed through the CT Bar. They have set up a committee to oversee
the implementation of this process. This would be a forthcoming issue moving forward.
The Town Manager reported on the Paramedic Services - We have been approached by UCONN through Peter Agnesi, who is the Chief at UCONN, concerning the paramedic services and our contract with UCONN. The Assistant Town Manager and Police Chief have met and will be looking at alternatives. Part of this is being driven by finances at UCONN. Accordingly to the information we have they are running a $500,000 per year deficit in providing this service to the Towns. Essentially if we are to continue to use this service it would be increased to $150,000 per year, but this is not even an option. There are extenuating circumstances with Farmington since they are housed in Farmington but it is my understanding that Farmington will not be let off the hook for the services. We do have several options going
forward. Mr. Shea questioned if anything in writing was received regarding this change. The Town Manager reported a letter should be received. The Fire Services in some way will be fighting this at the legislative level to retain the services at the same cost. The potential here is we may be able to improve our service at the same price or a lower price. The UCONN service is only a point of service. They do not transport to the hospital, the ambulance does and that is at the EMT level and not the paramedic level. There is a chance we can get transporting at the paramedic level. The Assistant Town Manager reported the memo was good background on how the service works now. Mr. Shea question how should the Council respond to the residents on how we get the possible coverage. Chairman Carlson stated the level of service should not be downgraded in any way. Maybe a press release from the Town Council would be a good idea. This is a
top priority of the Town Council. This should be a standing item for discussion until we have it resolved.
Regional Dispatch Process- The Assistant Town Manager reported having a kickoff meeting on the Regional Dispatch efforts. All stakeholders and participants were in attendance and it seemed to be very well received. We will be receiving just over $75,000 in federal stimulus money in energy efficiency funds. We hope to build on that and the Avon Clean Energy Commission and Board of Education will be helping as well.
You may remember we discussed the Library parking lot, we had a meeting and given the issue of the budget this year, we were wondering if you wanted to wait until July when you already looking at the Library. Mr. Shea stated this is a safety issue and will need to be resolved. The Assistant Town Manager stated it will need some funding and it may need to be paved. The other option would be to bring in gravel. This may not be as easy to maintain in the winter months. The Council questioned if it needed to be paved since this would only be a short term solution, for a year or so. Mr. Shea stated this should be an easy decision to make, it is a safety issue. This will be added to the June agenda as well as the striping of the walkway across the roads. The Town Manager reported there are a
number of issues that need to be discussed, and will need to speak to the Library about their winter Library schedule.
IX. EXECUTIVE SESSION: Land/Negotiation:
On a motion made by Mr. Shea, seconded by Mr. Zacchio, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council go into Executive Session at 9:30 p.m. to discuss property negotiation and personnel issues.
Mrs. Samul, Messrs Carlson, Pena Shea, and Zacchio voted in favor.
The Town Manager, the Clerk, the Director of Human Resources and Chief Rinaldo attended the session.
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 11:00 p.m.
Mrs. Samul, Messrs Carlson, Pena, Shea, and Zacchio voted in favor.
On a motion made by Mr. Shea seconded by Mr. Pena it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council add to the agenda item 08/09-76 contract Between the Town of Avon and Local 541 IBPO
Mrs. Samul, Messrs Carlson, Pena Shea, and Zacchio voted in favor.
08/09-76 Contract Between the Town of Avon and Local 541 IBPO
On a motion made by Mr. Shea seconded by Mr. Pena it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council approve the following agreement with 541 IBPO as follows:
a. Wages 2.5 - 07/01/09
2.5 - 07/01/10
2.5 - 07/01/11
Duration 07/01/09-6/30/2012
b. Clothing allotment $700.00 for employees appointed to plains clothes duty in
the Detective Division.
c. Co-pay premiums for employees hired prior to 07/01/1997 shall increase as follows:
Effective 07/01/09 - 8.33% Medical - 5% Dental
Effective 07/01/10 - 11.6 % Medical - 10% Dental
Effective 07/01/11 - 15 % Medical - 15% Dental
d. Effective 7/1/2009 - retired employees that were hired after 7/1/2009 and their
spouses when each reaches age 65 will be covered by the Town under Medicare Supplemental Plan provided with the Plan
Mrs. Samul, Messrs Carlson, Pena Shea, and Zacchio voted in favor.
On a motion made by Mr. Shea seconded by Mr. Pena it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council add to the agenda item 08/09-77 Non-Organized Employees - Increase Medical and Dental Contributions
Mrs. Samul, Messrs Carlson, Pena Shea, and Zacchio voted in favor.
08/09-77 Non-Organized Employees - Increase Medical and Dental Contributions
On a motion made by Mrs. Samul seconded by Mr. Zacchio, it was voted:
RESOLVED: That the Town Council approve the following increased contributions towards medical and dental to non-organized employees:
Effective 07/01/09 - 8.33% Medical - 5 % Dental
Effective 07/01/10 - 11.6 % Medical - 10% Dental
Effective 07/01/11 - 15 % Medical - 15% Dental
Mrs. Samul, Messrs Carlson, Pena Shea, and Zacchio voted in favor.
X. ADJOURN
The meeting was adjourned at 11:40 p.m.
Attest:
Caroline B. LaMonica
Clerk
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