INVESTIGATION AND AUDIT COMMITTEE
WELLING CONFERENCE ROOM
DECEMBER 11, 2012
C O R R E C T E D 03-19-13
PRESENT William P. Horan, Jr., Chair; Councillors Barbara-Ann Rossi and Eric Thompson
ALSO Mayor Marcia Leclerc (arrived 5:50 p.m.)
PRESENT Michael Walsh, Finance Director
Linda Trzetziak, Assistant Finance Director
Rich Gentile, Assistant Corporation Counsel
Vanessa Rossitto, Partner, BlumShapiro
Frank Ocskasy, Manager, BlumShapiro
Jeffrey Currey, Chair, Board of Education
Paul Mainuli, Director of Business Services, Board of Education
Al Costa, Director of Facilities, Board of Education
Joanne Zatarain, Certified Public Accountant, Board of Education
John Welch, Electrician, Board of Education
Dan Ford, Maintenance Supervisor, Board of Education
Susan Kniep (arrived 5:40 p.m.)
Rich Kehoe, Town Council Chair (arrived 6:05 p.m.)
Councillors Ram Aberasturia and Esther Clarke (arrived 6:25 p.m.)
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Horan called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
October 16, 2012 Meeting
MOTION By Barbara Rossi
seconded by Eric Thompson
to approve the minutes of the October 16, 2012 meeting.
Motion carried 3/0.
OPPORTUNITY FOR RESIDENTS TO SPEAK
None
NEW BUSINESS
Receive and Accept the Draft of the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for Fiscal Year ended June 30, 2012
Finance Director Mike Walsh initiated a general discussion regarding the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) and introduced Vanessa Rossitto from BlumShapiro. Ms. Rossitto discussed the CAFR and the process leading up to the report. She had accolades for how well the Town is operating. A general discussion of the CAFR followed, including the fact that town revenue (page 50) was over budget and that town expenditures (page 52) were under budget. BlumShapiro will also be issuing favorable opinions regarding internal control and compliance.
MOTION By Barbara Rossi
seconded by Eric Thompson
to accept the draft of the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report as
presented by BlumShapiro, the town’s auditors, for fiscal year ending
June 30, 2012.
Motion carried 3/0.
East Hartford High School: Tri-Gen Switch
Chair Horan acknowledged that all Board of Education personnel are present as a courtesy, in response to a request by the Committee that they attend, and the Chair expressed his gratitude to Chair Currey and the Board of Education personnel for attending.
Jeffrey Currey, Chair of the Board of Education, requested that Al Costa, Director of Facilities for the Board of Education, discuss the procedure involved in starting, operating and using the tri-gen and the specific tri-gen switch. Mr. Costa provided a detailed discussion of the general use of the switch and the tri-gen and indicated that during Storm Irene, the tri-gen was initiated and operated for approximately thirteen hours until such time as it experienced an overload and shut down. It was later determined that the switch had broken, and Mr. Costa brought the actual switch to the Committee meeting.
When it was determined that the switch could not be repaired it was removed, the tri-gen room was locked out, and the High School was up and running on grid power without the tri-gen. The switch was sent out to be remanufactured, which would take several months. The Board of Education scheduled CL&P to shut down the High School off the grid so that the switch could be removed, which shut-down was delayed by Storm Alfred. It was ultimately removed at a later date, and there was another grid shut-down when the new switch was later installed.
In response to questions by Councillor Barbara Rossi, Mr. Costa indicated that CL&P was advised that the High School was a regional shelter but that CL&P had priorities that were advanced ahead of the Board of Education’s request to assist with the removal of the tri-gen switch, causing delay. It was also stated that the switch is always manipulated by hand.
In response to questions by Councillor Eric Thompson, Mr. Costa explained the process followed by the Board of Education after the switch failed. It was learned that the switch could not be repaired on site and it became clear that the switch needed to be closed manually so the High School could have grid power and that the switch needed to be removed and repaired/replaced off site. The process of determining how the switch would be removed and repaired/replaced took some time for research and planning, and was then further delayed by Storm Alfred. Mr. Costa also explained that Dan Dubé, of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), was notified that the High School could not be utilized as a stand-alone shelter while the tri-gen could not be used, and Mr. Dubé knew that prior to the onset of Storm Alfred. Storm
Irene was in August 2011 and Mr. Dubé was notified of and was made aware of the fact that the High School could not be used as a stand-alone shelter in the event of a power outage. Mr. Costa produced an email of September 9, 2011 to Mr. Dubé of the EOC relevant to said notification.
Mr. Costa reviewed again that Mr. Dubé asked in advance of Storm Irene that the High School be prepared for use as a regional shelter, and the High School was readied as such and operated as such while the tri-gen ran for approximately thirteen hours during Storm Irene until it failed. Chair Horan agreed to make Mr. Costa’s letter of December 9, 2011, sent in response to questions regarding the failure of the tri-gen, part of the record and a copy of said letter shall be attached to the minutes of this Committee meeting.
Mr. Costa, in response to questions from Councillor Thompson, restated the process of what was done once the tri-gen stopped working. It was determined on Monday (two days later) that although the four turbines were not harmed the tri-gen could not be operated. It was eventually determined that the switch needed to be replaced. The switch had never been manipulated from until 1986, when it the generator system was installed,. So for some 25 years the switch stayed closed and was not manipulated. From 1986 periodically the switch was manipulated and it was finally damaged by until the onset of Storm Irene in August of 2011. CIRMA later opined that the switch should have been periodically lubricated but Mr. Costa stated that the Board of
Education was never advised of this requirement/suggestion beforehand especially given the steps that would need to be taken to perform such maintenance on the tri-gen, such as taking EHHS off the CL&P grid for maintenance. There was no maintenance schedule in place to lube the tri-gen and/or the switch because the Board of Education did not know and was never advised that any maintenance was ever required.
John Welch, Electrician for the Board of Education, discussed the present maintenance plan for the tri-gen, and Mr. Costa indicated that quarterly shut-downs are scheduled so that the High School will go off-grid and the tri-gen will be run under load to insure that everything is working properly. The tri-gen new switch will also be lubricated every five years pursuant to the new maintenance schedule. Mr. Welch indicated that the tri-gen recently, in preparation for 2012 Super-Storm Sandy, was run for approximately sixteen hours to test it and that there were no problems.
Dan Ford, Maintenance Supervisor for the Board of Education, indicated that there were no prior indications that the tri-gen or the switch would fail in the manner in which it failed. There were instances wherein United Technologies Corporation (UTC) had minor issues getting the turbines to run in stand-alone mode, but there really were no issues before Storm Irene with the tri-gen, and on grid mode the tri-gen and the switch had not experienced issues.
A general discussion of the process and of the scheduling and running of the Committee meeting ensued. Councillor Thompson expressed his displeasure with the hearing and despite having no further questions for Mr. Costa, Mr. Welch and Mr. Ford, or anyone else, repeatedly described the Committee process as “malarkey”. Chair Horan inquired of Councillor Thompson as to what questions he had that were not answered and there were none. Chair Horan indicated that Mr. Welch and Mr. Ford would not be asked to return to another Investigation and Audit Committee meeting and that Councillor Thompson should inquire of them while they are present but Councillor Thompson had no further questions. No further action was taken.
2011 Bond Referendum Procedures
Rich Gentile, Assistant Corporation Counsel, initiated a general discussion of the 2011 bond referendum procedures. No questions followed. No further action taken. The matter is considered by the Chair to be resolved and may be removed form the next Committee agenda.
ADJOURNMENT
MOTION By Barbara Rossi
seconded by Eric Thompson
to adjourn at 6:45 p.m.
Motion carried 3/0.
C: Town Council
Mayor Leclerc
Mike Walsh, Finance Director
Linda Trzetziak, Assistant Finance Director
Rich Gentile, Assistant Corporation Counsel
Jeffrey Currey, Chair, Board of Education
Al Costa, Director of Facilities, Board of Education
Susan Kniep
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