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Town Council Special Meeting Minutes 11/16/2011
AVON TOWN COUNCIL
SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES
November 16, 2011


I.          CALL TO ORDER

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. at the Avon Town Hall, in the Selectmen's Chamber by Chairman Zacchio.  Members present: Mrs. Samul, Messrs. Shea, Pena, and Evans.

III.       MINUTES OF PRECEDING MEETING:  None

IV.       COMMUNICATION FROM AUDIENCE:  None

V.        COMMUNICATION FROM COUNCIL:  None

VI.      OLD BUSINESS

11/12-06        FY 12/13 Budget: CIP Budget Presentations               
  • 7:00 p.m.  Board of Education - a power point presentation is attached and made part of these minutes
Mr. Eagen publicly recognized Mr. Shea and his great service to the Town and very unfortunate that he is not continuing in it and has been a very good friend to him personally and an even better friend to the Town of Avon and a great credit to the Town Council and enjoyed working with him over the years so they will both end their chapters together in January.  Mr. Shea feels the same way and it has been a pleasure working with Mr. Eagen; there was always an honest, candid, open relationship, always able to discuss things and maintain a quality, good, solid friendship.  He thinks it is unfortunate that Mr. Eagen chose not to continue, little different from his perspective than the circumstances that he is under but he only hopes that after Mr. Eagen takes a little break that he will think about running for office again, if not on the Board of Education, on the Board of Finance or Town Council.  Mr. Shea commented that the Town of Avon needs people like Mr. Eagen; he is bright, hard-working, you care, you are objective, and you have a balanced approach to how to satisfy the needs of the Town of Avon.  Mr. Shea stated that Mr. Eagen’s comments are wonderful towards him but it would be a real injustice if he did not get back involved and he would have Mr. Shea’s vote.  Mr. Eagen thanked Mr. Shea.

Mr. Eagen reported that he has been chairing the Board of Education’s capital budget for a number of years.  He reported that they have a series of requests that compromise their upcoming fiscal year.  In addition, there is a five-year plan that has been slightly adjusted to reflect their projected priorities in capital expenditures.  He reported that the starred items are the ones the full Board of Education approved in June 2011 when it was made known that there were some available resources in the operating budget as well as some residual funds in a revolving account that were being closed in accordance with some actuarial or accounting recommendations.  After consultation with school and Town officials it was recommended that the best approach for funding these items would be to put them on the capital plan and they compromise of $480,000. of their requests.  In addition, there are some other priorities that have been on the plan for seven or more years.  Floor covering is a continual concern for the district primarily for a corridor of Avon Middle School (AMS) and corridors and classrooms in Roaring Brook School (RBS) and has been a repetitive request and has put some stress on their operating budget as through 2009 they have expended approximately $103,000 in emergency repair expense for safety reasons and an additional $18,000 through 2011.  Chairman Zacchio asked if there is any connection to the Roaring Brook School Part 1 and Part 2 in terms of timing that we need to be aware of, $115,000 covering AMS and RBS (Part 1); is Part 2 separate and distinct of that or is there any economy of scale that is to be gained by doing those at the same time or can they be viewed as separate projects.  Mr. Eagen responded that he believed they were separate because of the intent to fund those out of the prior year’s operating budget and would want to do them together for economy of scale and for the project itself to not disrupt the school with having the flooring done in two projects versus one.  Mr. Shea commented that you think you would get a better price if you did both at once.  Chairman Zacchio asked if they prioritized it to say that they really need Part 1 and if we can do Part 2 it would be advantageous to do it at the same time.  Mr. Eagen responded yes.  Mr. Shea commented that the first three items are very worthy, therefore the fourth item is extremely worthy also in light of the discussion being had.  Mr. Eagen responded yes.  Mr. Evans asked if Pine Grove School is in the same dire condition as RBS.  Mr. Eagen responded that AMS is the worst and the most visible since it is the front entrance; after that the elementary schools are probably equally needy for replacement.  Mr. Franzi commented that Pine Grove was built in 1991.  Mrs. Samul asked when Roaring Brook School was last re-done.  Mr. Franzi responded during the renovation project in 1993-1994.  Chairman Zacchio asked if the new floor covering is the rubber material.  Mr. Franzi responded that the majority is going to be similar to what is in the high school that was put down during the renovation project.

Mr. Eagen reported that with regards to Technology – Phase 1, historically we have been funding computer and other technology purchases out of the operating budget.  This was in part designed to be responsive to the discussions that occurred about our use of operating budget surplus and revolving account for this purpose.  It will still be an ongoing Town/school discussion as to where should technology acquisitions be funded; we have to do it as it is very important to us as a district and to meet our vision and mission however whether or not it is appropriate to be funded through the capital plan is to be decided.  This purchase will allow for all of our facilities to be completely wireless.  He noted that it might have been nice during the use of the high school as a shelter for it to have had that capacity.  Council commented that we had a few requests.  Mr. Eagen added as well as provide for additional smart board access.  Chairman Zacchio commented that with this grouping of technology you seek to equalize technology across the district and equip each room with the same types of technology and equipment and right now it is sporadic.  Mr. Eagen responded yes.  Mr. Mala, Superintendent of Schools, commented that this would allow for every classroom to be equipped with interactive wipe board capacity and projection equipment in a wireless environment.

Mr. Eagen reported that the fire alarm system at Roaring Brook School is sixteen years old.  There are some issues with pull heights for some of the alarms that are not current ADA compliant however not required at this point to be replaced but something they would like to do.  Chairman Zacchio asked if the fire marshal or fire department has inspected that from a safety perspective.  Mr. Franzi responded yes, a lot of the ancillary areas of the building where there are either no pull stations or audio or visual alarms and they need to be installed to make sure the school is covered in the total square footage of the building.  Chairman Zacchio asked if sixteen years is typical of the life span of a system like that.  Mr. Franzi responded that it varies; the middle school for example went several years more but it was irreparable because of lack of parts and then collapsed.  These have been maintained but to get to the state of the art in terms of the tie in with the fire department and police department but also to get the ADA compliance which is primarily what is driving this.  Mr. Evans asked if there is an ongoing expense relating to maintaining this system.  Mr. Franzi responded yes and it is in their operating budget; we expect it and are maintaining it.  Mr. Evans asked if it is a lot of money to do that.  Mr. Franzi responded that on an annual basis he would say no, but if the panels need to be repaired or replaced it can run between $5,000 to $10,000.  He added that they had some of those repairs at Pine Grove School years ago but normal inspection maintenance runs around $5,000 per year for all of the schools.

Mr. Eagen reported that there are two vehicle replacement requests for the upcoming fiscal year.  One is a very old and well beyond its useful life, a van that is used by one of their tradesperson.  Both vehicles need to be replaced soon; they could explore leasing through the operating budget if the capital request with its current size is not something that cannot be supported.  He added that typically and traditionally they have not leased vehicles; he was not sure what the Town’s policy is there as it has a larger vehicle fleet than they do.  Mr. Shea commented that part of it has to do with the overall debt and how we go about incurring debt and is something that should always be pursued.  Mr. Franzi reported that there are two cargo vans in the district right now.  One was equipped a few years ago for their HVAC technician; it has paid for itself over the years and is at the point now where it is very high mileage, rusted frames, etc. and have done a lot of repairs with the Town for maintenance but it really needs to be replaced.  The Board of Education truck came in several years ago when they started building the fleet at that time which was one truck every one or two years but now the older vehicles with the plow situation every year they bought trucks over the years that were full utility trucks and had the tool boxes and also able to plow and carry any parts that they need with year-round use.  He reported that the request is for a larger vehicle with a dump and a plow and used for maintenance during the summer months at the schools.  He added that the current vehicle is in need of replacement because of the age of equipment, the mileage, the engine has been replaced a few times, the transmission has been replaced, and now there are rusted frames and floor boards.  Mr. Pena asked with regard to the 1993 van, other than brake pads and tires, what does it cost for the maintenance?  Mr. Franzi responded that it would tie up Public Works as they do the work on their vehicles and they charge back to the Town on that but it is beyond the serviceable life and the book value of the vehicle you start putting in several thousand dollars that does not make sense at that point and we have crossed that threshold.  Mr. Pena commented that you are putting that much more into every year and you are paying more that you could buy a new truck.  Mr. Franzi responded that they have crossed that point; they built it into the plan four or five years but kept moving it out because of other priorities but it is at a point now where they definitely need to get these vehicles in place; they are worried about the safety of the driver.  Mr. Pena asked if that same thing applies with the truck.  Mr. Franzi responded yes, work has been put into it over the years to try and keep it as long as they can but when the frames start going on the vehicles that is when it is difficult and when floor boards are rusting you worry about exhaust fumes coming into the cabs.  Mr. Pena asked if these trucks are used in district only.  Mr. Franzi responded that there may be a parts run in Hartford but primarily is all in district and no one is taking vehicles home.  Chairman Zacchio asked if these vehicles are still being used on the road.  Mr. Franzi responded yes.

Mr. Eagen reported that they have a five-year capital forecast and one item that is new and had some media attention is ADA compliance updates required at the high school.  In 2009 there was an audit of the high school by the State Department of Education for ADA accessibility issues and it resulted in a compliance report from DOE.  There was some back and forth between the Town and DOE as to what they really have to do.  Some things have been done already in terms of policies and procedures to make the high school compliant but there are some facility issues that do have to be addressed.  They presented a plan to DOE that this is what we will do in response to the audit and they have been advised that the plan is acceptable; it is estimated that the cost, all in with the soft costs, is $240,000.  They have a five-year period within which to bring the school in compliance.  He reported that this was probably the most responsible way to address that and has been approved by the Board of Education; it is non-binding on the Town in terms of the capital plan but it can be presented as a commencement of their compliance with this voluntary plan.  He reported that the items vary, i.e. sink heights, grab bars, door swings, etc. and have been described as technical compliance issues but not negotiable; there is no reported access issues at the high school as we have not had disabled students indicating that they cannot fully access the facilities.  Chairman Zacchio commented that this was born of the audit and has to get done.  Mr. Eagen reported that there has been good work done to dwindle this down as early on when this was discussed earlier in the fall it was approximately $600,000.  Chairman Zacchio commented that Town staff and the Board of Education staff have been working on it.  Mr. Eagen complimented all involved on those efforts.  Mrs. Samul asked for clarity on the $170,000, actual construction work, as that implies wages versus the $240,000, premium work hours and prevailing wage rate.  Mr. Franzi responded that this is something that was reviewed by their architect and their town attorney, the balance of the cost that was described to them would be any additional architectural or engineering fees where you need to have some design work specifically, like egress areas of the building, so there would be more architect engineering work in that there would be the bid proposal that would go out to part of the contractors and be in conjunction with bidding on prevailing rate wages that could have some volatility for the contract.  Mr. Shea asked if it was fair to say that the prevailing wage aspect of this is the most volatile as it could double the cost of a project.  Mr. Franzi responded yes.  Mr. Eagen reported that they are not looking for funding for this in the upcoming fiscal year but it is new and wanted to flag it for Council.  The Town Manager reported about discussions with the State Department of Education about reimbursement for this project.  Mr. Franzi commented that given the kind of project and once the architectural work would be looked at for these improvements that have to be made they could also put in an application to the State of Connecticut for possible reimbursements as it would qualify; they talked to individuals in the Facilities Unit and the reimbursement would be 24 to 27% for Avon on this scale of a project.

Mr. Eagen reported that the Board of Education is requesting $915,000 for FY 12/13 capital budget and of that $480,000 was approved by the Board of Education back in June with the hope that we would fund it out of the FY 11/12 operating budget; based on what we discussed earlier, sort of the best accounting practices, they have added $480,000 into the capital plan.  Mr. Shea commented that he is 100% supportive and the top three projects are very worthy and he thinks they should include the replacement floor covering – RBS Part II.  He added that Tom Gugliotti is here from the Board of Finance and Mr. Shea commented that everyone is entitled to their opinion but he thinks that if everyone is in agreement that the top three projects are very worthy and should get done, we would be remiss to not consider the replacement floor covering – RBS Part II for $40,000 increasing the $480,000 to $520,000.  Mr. Eagen agreed and would have to revisit it with the Board of Education to adjust their approved request.

Mr. Pena asked on the technology item do we have in mind going forward on the budget a Director of Technology or related position to take care of technology problems that can exist.  Mr. Eagen responded that they did include that position in last year’s request and did not ultimately fund it; they have not begun its process regarding this.  Mr. Mala commented that they are considering putting that in the upcoming proposed operating budget and very much aware that they have to increase their staffing to support the technology; it may not necessarily be a technology director as a person; they will have a comprehensive technology plan implemented by the end of this school year so you can see the next steps forward as a community.  He added that it is being considered and will be included in the proposed operating budget that he will submit to the Board of Education.  Mr. Mala reported that the technology that they are seeking to acquire in the capital plan is a low maintenance item and that is being considered also.

Mr. Shea commented that he has thoroughly enjoyed working with Mr. Franzi and has the greatest respect and admiration for him; he has done a great job and only wishes him all the best in the future and sure that he has a bright future ahead of him and wishes him well in whatever he does next.  He added that Mr. Franzi has been a good friend to this Council and we have always gotten straight forward candid answers and that is all we can always expect.  Mr. Franzi extended his thanks and gratefulness to the Council over the years on all the projects we came forward with the Board of Education in getting your support over the years and think in retrospect and look back on these things and we continue to move the district and Town forward with all of the professionalism that we have had on the Boards in Town here and it makes him very pleased to look back on that and say that we have accomplished something.  He thanked Council and concluded that he is grateful to the people of the Town of Avon.  Council wished him good luck.

  • 7:30 p.m.  Secret Lake Association - a power point presentation is attached and made part of these minutes
Jean Dellamarggio, Town Council representative for Secret Lake Association, reported that the Association’s capital request is the same as it has been for a number of years for the improvement to the streets that lie within the Avon perimeters of the Secret Lake Association.  It is to improve and bring the roads up to standards, to improve our storm water collection, to raise the elevation of Secret Lake Road in that area that floods when we have periods of heavy rain.  She reported on one occasion this year where the school bus had to stop and figure out how to get to the children on the other side headed out toward Lovely Street.  She commented that they are using the same figures in part after consultation with the Town Engineer knowing that there is likely going to be some change there but until the actual complete engineering assessment is done they are not going to know precisely what those figures are or the increase in the $2 million figure will be.  She added that they are also looking at draining and dredging not Secret Lake in its entirety but those areas in and around the storm water outfalls that would allow for a better flow from the storm water system into the lake.  She commented that they do a little bit of that when they have their hydro-raking endeavors but over the years the sediments in the lake have accumulated to a point where the outflows are not working as well as they could.

Ms. Dellamarggio concluded that nothing has changed with their capital request other than the condition of the streets which continue to deteriorate and erode and become that much more hazardous to the people who walk on them, ride bikes on them, and school buses that travel on them.  She reported that her informal observation demographic survey suggests that they are getting younger families in the association and a lot of people out walking with young children who are looking for this kind of neighborhood and enjoying the various aspects of lake and the beach.  She asked Council, with the understanding that it is a lot of money and times are what they are with prospects of any funding from the State and Federal resources and that some of their streets are exceptionally bad, to consider that if they are not going to be a big blip on the radar screen in the near future if there is any possible way that Public Works can go out and assess whether or not a significant overlay can happen for now.  She realizes that it is a band-aid but it might stop the infection for a little while if we are a long way off.  She does not know how much it will cost, if it can be worked into a one or two time increase in their operating budget but at the moment what we are doing is spot fixing with pot hole filling.

Mrs. Samul commented that last year she asked the question about doing this in phases and the response was that it really should be done all at once.  She asked if what Ms. Dellamarggio is suggesting something slightly different than doing it in phases.  Ms. Dellamarggio responded yes; she is suggesting going out to the extent that a particular area can support laying down a layer of asphalt to keep the integrity of the underlayment is what is really starting to be a concern when they get these big sink holes that have been reported in the past and when you look down underneath there is nothing under there and all of the cracks in the road continue to get worse and worse; it is being referred to as an alligator effect where the pavement is little chunks now.  She commented that if Council could and would consider doing this in phases that would be fantastic.  Mrs. Samul responded that it was not pragmatic to do it that way.

The Town Engineer commented that they really are two projects that Ms. Dellamarggio is talking about, the flooding area and raising the road can be done completely independently of creating drainage and doing a paving project.  He commented that he is not sure why they were combined and he is perpetuating what the prior town engineers did.  He commented that they have separate concerns and issues alike.  In terms of doing drainage throughout Secret Lake it involves establishing road base and formal drainage and those could really be done as neighborhood projects breaking down areas.  He commented that ideally the whole thing should be done at once then you are combining all aspects of the systems and getting the best bang for your buck.  Mrs. Samul commented that if you have done the drainage on the side roads coming off of Secret Lake Road and improve that drainage without improving the drainage system that it connects to you have just exacerbated what is doing on Secret Lake Road.  The Town Engineer responded that is correct; any new drainage off those roads is going to have to be run directly to the lake.  Mrs. Samul asked if we need easements.  The Town Engineer responded that there will be easements.  Ms. Dellamarggio commented that something that is being experienced on streets like Mountain Ledge or Pine Trail is because the drainage systems cannot accommodate it in the winter time we are getting major build up of ice and had a fairly significant accident last winter.  They have conversations with the plow contractor to be out there as early as they can to sand because of that ice accumulation.  Mrs. Samul asked if this project includes widening those streets.  The Town Engineer responded that there would be some basic widening on some of the streets.

Chairman Zacchio commented that today there is no formal drainage system going into the lake.  The Town Engineer responded very little.  Chairman Zacchio commented that if we do that it will introduce the question around does the DEEP get involved in terms of what kinds of salts can be used.  The Town Engineer responded no but DEEP would be involved with raising the road but that is a separate project.  Mrs. Samul asked if we could get raising the road shovel ready.  The Town Engineer responded that we could start a design process on that.  Mrs. Samul asked what the design process will cost.  Ms. Dellamarggio responded that $35,000 was awarded years ago to create the engineering assessment and some of that has been done.  The Town Engineer reported that we spent money to acquire mapping of the entire Secret Lake area so we have the base mapping that we need to do that but we have carried it no further in terms of engineering design other than a prior town engineer completing paper layouts of storm drainage which was how we came up with an estimate for the project.  Mrs. Samul commented that Tropical Storm Irene was incredible in that area and she would like to move this along but she is not sure how.  Chairman Zacchio asked the Director of Public Works for any comment regarding the temporary overlaying.  The Director of Public Works responded that truly what it would be is a band-aid and throwing good money after bad and in light of what he is hearing with potential infrastructure improvements with drainage it will require the road to be ripped up and based correctly.  Mrs. Samul asked if we can go out and fix one road including the drainage without raising Secret Lake Road.  The Town Engineer responded that he would have to look at it topographically but theoretically yes.  Ms. Dellamarggio thanked Council for their consideration.

  • 8:00 p.m.  Engineering - a power point presentation is attached and made part of these minutes
The Town Engineer reported that in summary most of the projects are what we have talked about last year as well and seen before his time in some cases.  Key factors in determining projects for Engineering are: public safety, reduce property damage from flooding and the like, protect the environment, try to manage and maintain our existing infrastructure or make improvements in combination with initiatives like the paving management system and we listen to what the public and town officials have to say.  He reported that the items are in order of priority starting with reconstruction and additional drainage in Cider Brook Road – it is the single worst rated road in the Town.  He has worked with the Director of Public Works to combine projects with the paving management program.  Cider Brook Road would be two separate projects trying to push it into two years by first being a drainage development project and second doing the road reconstruction to bring it to a Town standard.  He reported Cider Brook Road is also listed in the sewer capital budget program.  He noted that he re-lists Chidsey Road which has been on the list for a number of years.

The Town Engineer reported that the second project is the Town-wide aerial mapping.  Uniquely CRCOG is in the process of developing a grant application for the regional incentive grants which he, the Assistant to the Town Manager, and Director of Public Works has been involved with.  In 2009, CRCOG did an aerial flight of the entire region which resulted in digital photographs that we can use within our mapping system and they want to extend that to get aerial mapping which is directly relevant to this capital request.  If that grant application goes forward and it is approved by the State then most of the money requested here would not be needed.  Having said that the specification for the mapping is being derived by a meeting starting this week.  He would like to revisit this once he has a better sense for what CRCOG’s confidence level is for getting the grant and what the specifications for the mapping is.  He thinks it will meet everything that we want to do with this and means he would be asking for zero.  The regional grant program has been reinitiated in the last few weeks.

The Town Engineer reported that the next project is drainage from Deepwood Drive down to New Road to the Farmington River.  He added that much like the aerial mapping where an alternative source of funding showed up at the eleventh hour but the Director of Public Works has been communicating with FEMA through the Irene issues and flooding and there is a possibility that he is going to get some funding from FEMA to assist with this project.  This means that his request for $200,000 has the asterisk of perhaps being reduced significantly from FEMA assistance.  He reported that this problem is erosion that has occurred from a channel that comes down through a private lot and some erosion is severe.  Chairman Zacchio asked if this is the section of New Road that ices over in the winter time.  The Director of Public Works responded that it was but that issue was corrected within the last two years.

The Town Engineer reported that the next project is the replacement of the box culvert over Thompson Brook on Tillotson Road.  He added that its age is unknown; two sink holes have occurred in that structure since 2009, they were filled in with concrete by Public Works, we observed that there was no breach of the interior surface when they filled the exterior but we know that this is something that needs to be replaced in the not to distant future.  He noted that above the water line we have seen degradation of the deck support walls.  He reported that when this culvert fails the road is going to have to be closed and therefore needs to become a high priority very soon.

The Town Engineer reported that the next project is the Old Wheeler Lane Bridge over Roaring Brook.  He noted that last year $25,000 was funded as seed money to start looking at this structure; it qualifies under the Federal Local Bridge Program and we applied and were approved and sent in our initial interest letter and the process is just starting now where we will go through a qualification based selection for a consultant.  We are under no obligation to continue with that program other than it makes sense to vet this out in terms of going through the selection process, working with the consultant on bridge design and replacement, and finding out those costs now and come back to Council with true hard costs on construction, permitting, and the like.

Chairman Zacchio commented that these projects are in priority order and asked the Town Engineer to talk to Council about the difference between Cider Brook Road paving, knowing that it is probably the worst-rated road in Avon but a low traffic road, versus the culvert problem on a very heavily traveled road.  The Town Engineer responded that they are all high priority.  The Cider Brook Road is on the high list primarily in reaction to the pavement management program.  He added that in terms of a public safety issue although there is potential for a public accident where the pavement has failed it does not have the same priority as the Tillotson Road culvert.  Chairman Zacchio agreed that they are all important and asked how risky the culvert is.  The Town Engineer responded that unfortunately it is impossible to tell; they have worked with Public Works to get the photographs taken and nothing has happened to it this year and it saw flooding twice; it is like you have to take it apart to figure out how bad it is.

Mrs. Samul asked how the Town Engineer would compare the Tillotson Road culvert with Old Wheeler Lane Bridge.  The Town Engineer responded that Tillotson Road is in worse condition.  Mrs. Samul asked if Tillotson Road has any potential for federal funds.  The Town Engineer responded no.  He added that when DOT did their review of Old Wheeler Lane Bridge they did not recommend a downgrading of its rating so that is why it is a lower priority than Tillotson Road.  Mr. Evans asked that if we get the approval under the Federal Bridge Program what would be the cost to the Town on the Old Wheeler Lane Bridge, $80,000 or is that the first year.  The Town Engineer responded the $80,000 is the first year; it was an estimation that they would be into a process where they are in design mode and the Town’s funding on that before reimbursement.  Mr. Evans commented that the total cost of the project is $820,000.  The Town Engineer responded that is the estimate from WMC.  Mr. Evans asked if we are eligible potentially for 80% of that total cost.  The Town Engineer responded yes and having said that it is possible that the consultant is most likely going to present the concept of replacing the bridge when in fact it may not require a wholesale replacement; the consultant design process will ultimately give the most costly renovation and maybe that ends up being more work than we really need to do and rather than completely rehabilitating the bridge they may say that we can do a renovation of these aspects in which case it could significantly reduce the cost to the Town and not apply under the Federal Bridge Program.  He added that the Federal Bridge Program will only apply to replacement.

Mr. Shea commented on the Tillotson Road project and that it mirrors the conversation we had last year; everyone had real strong concerns.  He added that there is a budget request of $235,000, a soft cost, and asked what it would cost to get the estimate.  The Town Engineer responded approximately $25,000.  Mr. Shea asked if it would be wise for us to get the estimate as soon as possible so that we have a real number; he cannot speak to how we will go about our priorities and this conversation reminds him of the last conversation about this road and we need as close to a hard number as we can get and to take the pressure off the Engineer and get the design work done.  The Town Engineer commented that right now Tillotson Road is a bridge and the reason he came up with that estimate was to replace it with a culvert rather than a bridge.  Mr. Evans asked if we go with that approach to go with a culvert do you still need to go through the process of spending $25,000 for estimates.  The Town Engineer responded that he did not think so.

The Town Engineer reported that the next two projects are Old Farms Road/Old Farms Bridge.  He commented that Council is up to speed on the progress and process that Tom Daukas and Phil Schenck have undertaken for many years.  He initially requested $125,000 for the bridge projects and $250,000 for the road; subsequent to this request he met with them earlier this week and they both had acquired additional reallocated funding from CRCOG and DOT which will cover them for the coming fiscal year and require nothing but they would like to reserve the right to come back to Town Council and Board of Finance for supplemental appropriation if those projects gain some traction that might require additional funding.

The Town Engineer reported that two other projects that are in his request again this year but are five years out are the Arch Road/Darling Drive connector and the replacement of the box culvert; low priority projects at this time.

The Town Engineer reported that in terms of sewers, the WPCA looks at public safety and environmental impacts, the recently adopted sewer facilities plan, development interest in the Town, and infrastructure maintenance and improvement projects.  He reported that the first project on the list is the lateral expansion program and they are looking at doing capped sewers on Cider Brook Road with the intent that if we rebuild Cider Brook Road it does not make sense not to do the sewers at this time.

Also carried from years past is the capital replacement of infrastructure and this year we have no specific request with the intent that they would like to reallocate some of the funding from the Haynes Road project that was approved last year that has been funded by private means rather than through the Town.  He reported that last year they requested and were approved for $420,000 for phase one of the Haynes Road project; they worked with Sunlight Construction and the residents in that area and secured a reduced cost for the residents and as a result that funding is not required from the Town to fund that and reallocate some of those funds to other capital projects.  WPCA is on board with that and will be coming to Council with individual requests to reallocate in the not to distant future.  Mrs. Samul confirmed that the sewer project money can only be used for sewers.  The Town Engineer responded yes.  Mrs. Samul asked if some of it could be moved over to the Cider Brook Road project to offset the sewer portion.  The Town Engineer reported that among the things that they talked about last year in terms of infrastructure upgrades were the Meadow Brook pump station that runs off an emergency mode, a single motor with a single pump that worked ok during the recent power outages but not a comfortable position to be in and want to add a generator to that system so all of the pump stations will run on generators rather than a standby motor; the Route 44 pump station is the oldest in Town, thirty-four years old and thirty-five feet in the ground with a confined space issue and very difficult to maintain and would like to do some upgrades to that.  These are not items that he is requesting for next year but those are the things that Council will hear from Engineering/WPCA in the next four to six months.

The Town Engineer reported that other things on the list for the next fiscal year are the meter installation for the Canton flows into Avon in the Secret Lake area.  The Town of Canton has come to them and asked them to look at and revise some of their inter-municipal agreement with them and increase their flow into Avon which ultimately goes into Farmington; we have some significant issues with infiltration and inflow into the Farmington system.  He reported that in order for them to get a better handle on the true flows they want to meter them and requesting $45,000 which they believe to be a high estimate to add a meter into that incoming line.  Concurrent with that Canton would be interested in metering the flow from Avon into Canton.  It is a fair way to identify what we are really paying for in terms of sewer effluent treatment.

The Town Engineer reported that the final item on the sewer side is an infiltration and inflow study and modeling program.  They are requesting two infusions of $150,000 from the sewer fund; this is CWF (Clean Water Fund) eligible having talked to DEEP staff much like the sewer facilities plan was eligible for 55% grant funding.  The intent is to study the whole system but specifically the Farmington side for infiltration and inflow which is storm water and ground water that enters into our system through leaks in the system or illegal connections to the system.  He added that he wants to develop a predictive model for flows in our system.  He thinks that our system is soundly designed but knows that there are areas where the capacity of the system has the potential to be challenged based on future build out.  He wants to use computer modeling to do what-if scenarios and all applicable under the DEEP’s Clean Water Fund that is 55% reimbursable.

  • 8:30 p.m.  Public Works - a power point presentation is attached and made part of these minutes
The Director of Public Works reported on the five-year plan and very much identical to last year.  He asked Council to look at the paving management program funding request in its order and he can provide a breakdown by street if necessary.  Chairman Zacchio requested such breakdown for Council in the event that we cannot fund the request under the paving management program.  He reported that they are requesting to do sixteen miles of crack sealing to preserve the streets.  He reported that the municipal parking lots that they are targeting for next year are Countryside Park at $24,500 and the rear lot at Fire Company #1 at $35,400.  He reported that the total unfunded balance in the report is incorrect; they took the unfunded balances from previous year requests to what was actually appropriated and shows what they are in arrears of this program.  Chairman Zacchio asked if the Director of Public Works had the stat that he provided last year on what percentage of the roads are above a 60-70% ride rating.  The Director of Public Works responded that he did not provide that number this year.  He provided a percentage more so on mill and overlay, crack sealing, and deferred; roughly 25% of the Town is in the condition for mill and overlay.  Mrs. Samul asked that of the roads listed, does it equal the 25%.  The Director of Public Works responded no.  He added that when the paving management program was introduced in 2007 the goal was to maintain a ten-year funding plan at $1.378 million per year.  He added that we talked about it last year and raised the question that if they were given the money, would it really be spent?  He has looked into that creatively over the last year and he thinks he can do it by outsourcing a lot of the drainage improvements as that slows them down and it would cost more money but they could get the asphalt done.  Chairman Zacchio asked that is based on asphalt prices as of when.  The Director of Public Works responded that it varies as there is an escalator cost.  Mr. Shea commented that he would not look at it as spending more rather more as progress and trying to attack that challenge.  He knows that the Director of Public Works is conscious of cost but it is also a big job.  The Director of Public Works commented that if we was given the money and told to make it work this is how he would do it; put a bid on the street and outsource a lot of that.

The Deputy Director of Public Works reported on the list of vehicles being proposed for replacement next year.  He commented that many of these vehicles have been on the list in previous years, up to three or four years, as they have been deferred.  They all have issues, including structural, mechanical, and high mileage.  He reported that vehicles #17, #51, and #75 are out of service today due to the frame, engine and transmissions.  Mr. Shea asked the Town Manager his thoughts.  The Town Manager responded that his thoughts are that it is a problem because when you have so many vehicles out of service at once you are paying because you have a vehicle that is already completely depreciated, old, and plowing money into it and on the other end when you have a vehicle out of service it equates to having some person or number of people who are idled or greatly hampered in what kind of work they can complete during that time; it costs us all around so what we have to do is balance that cost with the cost of the new vehicle.  Mr. Shea questioned how we measure what should get done and what shouldn’t get done; he realizes that is more of a February workshop conversation but he was trying to get a little glimpse of that.  The Town Manager reported that broadly looking at the fleet as a whole we have an old fleet by design that is expensive to maintain and is an expense in terms of the opportunity cost of work foregone so in terms of how he is thinking about things with capital, other capital needs, this is beginning to rise up as we are getting a critical mass of vehicles that need replacement.  He added that we have a few other items, including the Michigan loader which is a big ticket item but is the heart from an equipment perspective of the Public Works operation and in terms of priorities that is worth a couple of smaller trucks and is becoming a priority as well.  Mrs. Samul asked what a Michigan loader is.  The Deputy Director of Public Works responded that it is their pay loader, the single biggest piece of equipment they have and use it year round for road construction, loading the trucks with salt, moves all heavy loads, and if we didn’t have this kind of a storm at this magnitude that loader would have been out in the field trying to move the trees out of the way.  He reported that most communities our size have two loaders: a secondary and a primary; we have one so if it goes down not only does it slow down their operation even in snow for loading vehicles but handicaps them everywhere throughout the community.

Mrs. Samul asked why a 2002 heavy duty pick-up truck higher on the priority list than the Michigan loader.  The Deputy Director of Public Works responded that the 2002 pick-up truck has 200,000 miles on it; the mileage and the wear and the tear is worse than the 1990 heavy truck and just as important.  He added that all vehicles listed are utilized by staff every day; when one vehicle goes down they have to move staff around and not an effective or efficient operation and that does not take into account when they have summer help on board.  He reported that other than the vehicles listed that are offline he has from last fiscal year through this fiscal year in some cases double the down time.  He reported that last fiscal year they spent $16,000 to keep the loader operational versus the previous fiscal year was $4,000; we are throwing a lot of money at old equipment.  He commented that from a fleet management standpoint it does not make sense and some of it is getting to the point that is beyond repair; once you get to structural frame issues there is nothing you can do about it.

Mr. Evans asked if they had to boil this down to your “Top 3” priorities what vehicles would they be.  The Deputy Director of Public Works responded that he would not be able to because they have two separate divisions doing two different functions so what would happen is he would take care of road construction/maintenance at the cost of athletic fields on the Buildings and Grounds side or he is going to take care of the athletic fields at the cost of road construction/maintenance.  He commented that the smaller equipment has taken priority over the 1990 dump truck with plow because it has gotten to the point that they have received money for the big trucks for winter at the cost of the smaller trucks.  He noted that with the costs of one big truck he could buy two to three little ones but that still does not get them to the point where they need to be; they still have a problem and next year the problem multiplies.  He noted that when they start losing vehicles greater than what they are buying there will be staff that is inefficiently getting deployed.

Mr. Evans appreciated the Deputy Director of Public Works candor but he is not sure where that leaves them or where they are headed.  He asked for any recommendations.  The Deputy Director of Public Works responded that he had a similar situation with a previous employer and the only way to get out of the mess was to do a lease program, financing the cost of the equipment and own it for a dollar at the end of the lease.  He added that we had to do that here with the police cars with five cars that were leased and when those vehicles came up we had to turn them back in because the residual value on them did not make sense for the Town to buy and own them at that point.  He commented that he does not recommend that we buy all equipment on a lease but the commitment needs to be made that somewhere in the middle, maybe offset it to do something this year and something again next year until we catch up so we are in a reasonable point where maybe we are only putting $200,000 to $300,000 into the fleet at one time and not having a $2 million bottom line.  Chairman Zacchio commented that we introduce a debt ratio that becomes problematic with our bond counsel.  The Town Manager commented that conceptually this discussion sounds very familiar because it is the same discussion that we had regarding road maintenance for instance by coming up with some annual amount that you are willing to invest in the system or you risk a catastrophic failure that you then have to deal with much larger numbers.  Mr. Evans asked what you need to invest on a year-to-year basis to make this work.  The Town Manager responded that is something that we need to take a closer look at.  Chairman Zacchio commented that is a February workshop recommendation that Council will get from the Town Manager.

The Deputy Director of Public Works reported that they have to look into the future and if they were to buy eight vehicles and those life cycles will come due about the same time and you do not want that and want to spread that out.  He added that even if they were given money to buy the vehicles they would not buy them come July 1st rather buy half of that July 1st and then the other half towards the end of the fiscal year so the life cycle is spread out.  Mr. Evans asked if there is any market for more gently used trucks and vehicles of these kinds.  The Deputy Director of Public Works responded that the problem they have is that you usually end up buying someone else’s problems as there is no such thing as gently used when you are talking work trucks.  He noted that opportunities have knocked on some other equipment that he and the Director of Public Works have brought forward and the Council and the Board of Finance has approved with some demo equipment including the chipper and the roller.  When they find deals like that they bring it to Council’s attention and have been great in supporting it but when it comes to trucks, for example the heavy trucks that plow our streets, a regular contractor cannot buy that size truck.  He commented that last year West Hartford bought three slightly used loaders out of New Hampshire and then tell him that they would have been in trouble with all of the snow they had last year.  Mr. Evans commented that he meant more like the pick-up trucks.  The Deputy Director of Public Works responded that one of the pick-up trucks mentioned was bought second hand from the State of Connecticut and put more money into that vehicle than what they bought it originally for with 90,000 miles; the State has gotten smarter when it comes to fleet management as they depreciate the vehicles over four years and get rid of them as they do not want to take on the operating cost and the down time.  Mr. Evans commented that he is not suggesting that we substitute one headache for another and agreed.

The Director of Public Works shared some photos of the storm debris pile.  The Town Manager asked if there is any truth to this spontaneous combustion argument that he has been hearing about.  The Director of Public Works responded that if you take that chip pile and build it too big you have a good chance of it catching on fire.  He noted that the piles are approximately thirty feet in height.  Chairman Zacchio asked when they are going to grind the debris.  The Director of Public Works responded that it should begin in the next few days.  The Town Manager asked how many cubic yards there are through today.  The Director of Public Works responded as of this morning there is approximately 17,500 cubic yards.  Chairman Zacchio reported that he has heard good reports from folks on our contractor and the cleanliness of the job.  He added that we are hitting the heaviest hit neighborhoods first so that meter is going to be very fast for awhile then it will slow down towards the end.  The Director of Public Works commented that when they did the assessment they went from worst to better.  He will keep Council posted through the Town Manager on the quantities.  He added that they are posting when the roads have been completed for the first round.

VII.     NEW BUSINESS

11/12-29        Review and Approve Request from Planning Department to Waive
                Purchasing Policy vis-à-vis Ordinance 55

The Director of Planning reported that the Planning and Zoning Commission adopted some new regulations for the village center, creating a floating zone so the parameters of the district have been established but the zone itself has not landed.  He reported that Ensign Bickford has submitted an application under that new district and has a public hearing scheduled for December 13th.  He added that they have prepared a very comprehensive study for ninety-three acres of land in Avon Park North which they still control and the idea is to rather than wait for another couple of decades to sell out the remaining land hoping that we can develop with some additional office and manufacturing space which we think based in today’s world is an unrealistic set of expectations is to reinvent the Park and enhance the village center by continuing the same type of development that we already have in the center.  He reported that the way the zoning regulations were worded it gives the Planning and Zoning Commission the option to hire one or more of its own consultants to review and critique that plan because there are some real special disciplines that are helpful in the review of that work.  He added that the Commission is to estimate what the cost of its own consultants might be and Ensign Bickford then would deposit a sum of money with the Town equal to that amount plus an additional 50% for contingency so the cost to the Town taxpayers is zero.

He reported that the Planning and Zoning Commission asked the Director of Planning to get a quote from the consultant that helped the Commission in the writing of the zoning regulations that were just adopted and that program was done through a $50,000 planning grant that was received from the State.  He noted that the consulting firm is Milone & MacBroom and the Commission was quite pleased with the work they did in connection with that study; they have a good rapport and relationship with the Commission as well as Ensign Bickford who attended all of those meetings and discussions; the estimate received from them is $8,500.  He reported that he has discussed this with the Town Manager, Assistant to the Town Manager, and Town Attorney; it appears that given the fact that these are professional services and the estimate is under $10,000 it would normally be exempt from our bidding requirements however as noted by the Town Attorney, although it is less than $10,000 since this project is likely to go on for several years and since the Commission might want additional consultant help as time goes on the bill could cross $10,000 at the time.  He added with that in mind he is here to request Council to give some special consideration and waive the Town’s purchasing policy for this item.  He noted that we also have a unique circumstance in that the Planning and Zoning Commission is bound by State law as to how much time they have to review this application so there is no break because they are wanting to hire a consultant so for them to put an RFP out and go through a formal selection process it would take time that would take away from the Commission’s ability to do a thorough review.

The Town Manager added that we talked about this a lot internally and waiving purchasing regulations isn’t something we like to do or recommend but in this case given the circumstances this is a consultant who has already been on board, has the background with respect to the project, and this particular service falls below the threshold but again taking a very conservative view of it and looking at it as an aggregate rather than an individual service it makes sense in this case.  Mr. Shea commented futuristically how would the Town Manager communicate with the Council on the ongoing costs so there is a healthy understanding and a check and balance?  The Town Manager responded that he will communicate such accordingly and also internally monitor this to the extent the scope expands that is something very different.

The Director of Planning commented that his intention and he believes the Planning and Zoning Commission’s intention is to keep the cost modest; we are trying to scale the cost to Ensign Bickford relative to the cost that they have incurred preparing the application; $8,000 is maybe 10% of what Ensign Bickford has spent on the application phase.  He reported that assuming that Ensign Bickford gets an approval from the Commission the next steps that follow will be when Ensign Bickford actually sells off portions of the property; they have divided their ninety-three acres into nine individual districts and their intention would be to market the nine districts separately and their hope is that whereas the Commission has granted several approvals already and the road map is set it would be more attractive for developers to buy it knowing that there is a great certainty of approval if they follow that plan that the Commission has approved.  He added that down the road when applicants start to come in with individual site plans we may actually need different consultants to help us because that will be more of an architectural review and consideration.  The Assistant to the Town Manager commented to that point that we are going to have to re-open the purchasing policy at some point in the near future because of the upgrades that we are making to the financial system and perhaps we can carve out a way for Ordinance 55 and the purchasing policy to coincide.

The Director of Planning reported that the exciting pieces to this is that it does include approximately 1.2 million square feet of new space and certainly would help to build out growth with the grand list over time.  He commented that there was very few negative comments received at the public hearings that were held but a couple of questions raised had to do with some of the fiscal impacts to the Town so part of the application that Ensign Bickford has submitted does include a fiscal impact study to see how this 1.2 million square feet of space would compare with an office/business park that had been established decades ago and according to the study is quite favorable.

Mr. Evans commented that we hired a consultant and it is reimbursable from Ensign Bickford and asked at what point in time that happens.  The Director of Planning responded that they make a deposit right away and no money out of the Town’s pocket.  Mr. Evans commented that we are really discussing a procedural issue deviating from our standard purchasing policy.  Chairman Zacchio added that it is the Town Attorney’s opinion that it will go over that threshold so as a matter of courtesy we are here to weigh in on this item.

On a motion made by Mrs. Samul seconded by Mr. Evans, it was voted:
RESOLVED:  That the Town Council waive the Purchasing Policy vis-à-vis Ordinance 55.
Mrs. Samul, Messrs: Zacchio, Shea, Pena, and Evans voted in favor.

VIII.     TOWN MANAGER’S REPORT/MISCELLANEOUS

Misc. A:   Purchasing Update:  The Assistant to the Town Manager reported that we had bids out last month for snow plowing at Secret Lake, Lakeview, Town Hall, and Senior Center.  He noted that putting out some of the Town properties that Public Works had previously done has been a plan that the Director of Public Works has had for a few years; they have seen their staffing decline at the same time that they wanted to consider putting out sidewalks and parking lots so the staff could hit the ground after a snow event and focus on the roadways.  He reported that the Town Hall was not a very popular item and turned down this summer when we put it out to bid and the low bidder this time also turned it down; part of that has to do with a lot of tight turns, the bridge, and the sidewalks.  He reported that we ended up spending a little more than we would have but is within the amount that Public Works had set aside for moving in this direction.  He noted that Secret Lake and Lakeview will be done by the same firm who did it the last three years.

The Assistant to the Town Manager reported that the Director of Recreation and Parks has been working on getting a program that would allow the participation rating over the internet to increase; the vast majority of applications for programs currently come through on a piece of paper to his department that his staff then has to key in to the computer and it is a lot of hours that they could be focusing on improving the program, the billing is timely, and so on.  He reported that we went through an RFP process, put together a Committee from Department of Recreation and Parks and the IT Committee and they are recommending a small company that also does work for Canton, Simsbury, and Granby and their rates are fifty percent above; we have been stuck at twenty-three percent with our current vendor because it is not internet user-friendly, it is pricey as the fees are hidden in the programming fee on the user end.  He reported that the fees with the new firm are both lower and the Department of Recreation and Parks will be absorbing part of that through a licensing fee out of his budget and we are making it more attractive to go online and sign up for programs.  He added that the Director of Recreation and Parks justification is that he will pay a little extra out of his operating budget and hopefully push those rates higher which will free up a lot of staff time for more productive items.  Mr. Evans asked if there is an increased cost to have electronic registration.  The Assistant to the Town Manager responded that if you look at what the participants and the Town are paying for the program it is cheaper but the department is taking on a little more of it on his side and not on the user side so when you are applying to participate in a program you will be paying slightly less than you were with the other vendor.  He added that the Director of Recreation and Parks’ goal is to get to sixty to seventy percent rating for online registrations.  Mr. Evans asked if the fees for a particular program are the same if you walk in versus if you apply online.  The Assistant to the Town Manager responded that with the previous vendor it was more expensive to apply online.  Mrs. Samul asked if that has changed now with the new vendor.  The Assistant to the Town Manager responded that the fee will be nominal.  He suggested to the Director of Recreation and Parks that it would be worth subsidizing that to make it level.  Mr. Evans suggested going one step further and discounting the enrollment fee if you apply online if it saves manpower hours in the office and provides financial incentive to people to complete it and pay online that may eventually recoup a lot of the cost.  Mr. Pena commented that you have to give someone incentive to go online.

Misc. B:   Library Project Update:  The Assistant to the Town Manager reported that the Library Director and Site Superintendent did a great job during the storm as work continued; we lost one week in our schedule due to the power outage.  The library will still re-open as planned right after Thanksgiving.  Demolition will start this coming Monday versus the Monday just past.  Mrs. Samul commented that it was very good of the Library Director to have the Children’s Librarian come over to the shelter on several afternoons and entertain the children.  The Assistant to the Town Manager reported that we had another very successful BAN sale before the storm.

Misc. C:   FY 11:  The Town Manager reported that the Finance Director is working with Finance and Accounting Departments to prepare the fiscal year-end closing transactions for FY 2010/2011 and the plan is to have that ready for Council’s December 1st meeting.

Mrs. Samul reported that in talking with residents our storm system/drainage is aging and some of them are not operating the way they should and asked if that is something that we should start looking into by doing some kind of study to see if this is something that we need to get on our radar.  The Town Manager commented that is preventative maintenance that we try to keep up with but never can.  Chairman Zacchio asked if Engineering can look into this.

IX.       EXECUTIVE SESSION:  None

XI.      ADJOURN

The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m.

Attest:  


Caroline B. LaMonica
Clerk