TOWN OF EAST WINDSOR
BOARD OF FINANCE MEETING
March 15, 2006
The Board of Finance meeting was called to order at 7:35 p.m. at the East Windsor Town Hall.
Members Present:
Paul Catino, Chairman
Dale Nelson
Maria DeSousa
Tammy Sorensen-Duray
William Dove
Jack Manette
Noreen Farmers
Leo Szymanski
Linda Roberts, First Selectman
Mary Szabo, Town Treasurer
Members of the Board of Selectman Present:
Ed Filipone
Ken Crouch
Tom Sinsigallo
APPOINTMENT OF ALTERNATES
None
PREVIOUS MINUTES
Regular Meeting - February 15, 2006
Motion: To accept the minutes of the February 15, 2006 Regular Board Meeting.
Ms. Nelson / Ms. Sorensen-Duray/ Unanimous
First, before we go into the Agenda items, the Chairman asked if the Board wanted to add two (2) agenda items:
Open Space Proposal
North Road Sewer
Open Space Proposal – Mr. Grant needs to give the Board more information. The First Selectman is meeting with Mr. Grant and will have to supply more information, will come back to the Board of Finance at a later date.
Board of Selectman has to act on petition.
Board does not wish to add Open Space Proposal to the agenda at this time.
First Selectman to comment:
Open Space is more to put on record to make people aware of - no action necessary.
Petition Special Town Meeting for North Road Sewer – Provision to go to Board of Finance because of the financial piece involved. There is a two (2) week period to respond to the petition. Wants to address the Town Meeting issue tonight at this meeting.
Motion: To add the Special Meeting on the North Road Sewers to the Agenda.
Ms. DeSousa / Ms. Nelson/ Unanimous / Mr. Dove Opposed 5-1 vote
Board of Selectman did not forward to the board of Finance with any recommendations, forwarded under provision of Charter – will be item V (B).
COMMUNICATIONS
No Communications.
TREASURER’S REPORT
Mary Szabo presented the Treasurer’s Report, a copy of which is attached and marked Exhibit A. The following was pointed out:
An anticipated $14,000 shortfall in State Revenues.
Treasurer’s office Professional Services line is at 90%, which consists of ADP (Payroll), Taxes, Bank Reconciliations – they are going to try to make it to the end of the year.
The Town Property is at 90% and First Selectman will address it at the next meeting. The Town garage had to put in a new furnace.
Insurance and Benefits are at 109%. One bill from Anthem is posted to that line and then distributed to other areas. Also some settlements were higher than budgeted for and will discuss in more detail at the next meeting.
Public Works has no money spent (page 13). Road resurfacing and capital improvements transfer to L&R if not used.
The Chairman’s Regular Report at the April meeting – address gas, diesel, electric, natural gas, water, the Board needs to know where we’re going with that.
Motion: To accept the Treasurer’s report dated March 15, 2006 as is.
Ms. DeSousa / Mr. Nelson / Unanimous
REQUESTS/RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
A. To request an added appropriation of $9,000.00 for account #812, Referendum Account as requested by the Registrar of Voters.
The request for $9,000 is to cover the last two (2) referendums. If not, they won’t be able to cover salaries or any bills for the rest of the years. They will be back if a referendum comes back again. This request is for money spent.
Motion: Added appropriation of $9,000.00 for account #812, Referendum Account as requested by the Registrar of Voters and for discussion on request.
Ms. DeSousa / Mr. Nelson / Unanimous
Discussion: The question was raised at to whether or not we could reduce the number of people at the polls? By law a voting machine is needed per $1,000 voters. The last referendum costs $3,500, not including printing and the legal ad done out of the Town Clerk’s office.
Statute driven, does not have to be from 6:00-8:00, normal hours are from 12:00 noon – 8:00.
Can use one (1) polling place – not mandated to do a separate polling place.
Another question was raised as to whether or not there are any statistics on how many voters at the referendums. The Secretary of State does have control over referendum like elections.
They can reduce the number of hours the polls open, however:
it takes three (3) days to get ready
need machine monitors
need machine mechanics
The CT Statute states 12:00 –8:00
MOVE to accept Motion
Unanimous
Appropriation comes from the Contingency Account.
B. Petition for North Road Sewer to Special Town Meeting
Primarily this is the same petition as before. Petition with 20 signature requesting to bring in an issue to Town Meeting. Nothing with a financial impact goes to Town meeting without the Board of Finance recommendations; we are not compelled to do anything.
MOTION: To recommend petition to Town Meeting?
Board makes no motion.
OLD BUSINESS
Participation in Charter Revision - TABLED.
Only four (4) more meetings, so if there are any items, need to get them in before.
Department audits for Discussion – Fire and Cemetery – 3 Tier Audit Requirements and Final Structure of Fire Departments - TABLED
This item is tabled for future discussion.
NEW BUSINESS
Police Chief Edward DeMarco – Police Dept discussion regarding current year expenditures.
The Board of Finance is concerned with over spending in the budget. Chairman wants to establish and make clear that the budget is the law, the Board of Finance recognizes less resources than we need to meet our needs. There are constraints we must live with.
The Chief goes into explanations for the budget expenditures.
Discretionary items:
Over time process is approved. Most of the overtime incurred is due to obligations of number of personnel/officers per shift per day. If they fall below the shift level, it becomes mandatory overtime. This is done through rotation system. It is a feature of their contract.
Regular overtime process: Today (Wednesday) minimum number of officers scheduled to be on duty. One (1) officer is out sick – now they fall below the minimum shift level and it goes into the rotation book and fills off that rotation.
When an incident occurs and runs over the end of the shift, they put the incident number down and it is signed off by a Supervisor.
The Chief calls in overtime fill for storms, etc. There is no way that the officers can handle the number of occurrences during a storm, etc.
The $40,000 of overtime is caused by administrative leave, sick, vacation, etc.
Shift Minimum:
Monday –Wednesday 2 officers every 8 hours
Thursday – Sunday 3 officers
A, B & C Squad
A=12:00 midnight
Investigations require specific mandate, regular additional officers.
A means to bring down the overtime would be to have a dispatcher instead of using officers. Not enough dispatchers to fill if booked out and the next level is an officer at a higher rate.
Approximately 100 hours of work at their rate is $4,000 off the top. The overtime, vacation, holiday, sick time, etc make up the $40,000.
The Board would like established:
a level of understanding of approved overtime
personnel - Who is getting the overtime and why.
All the information is taken from time slips and shift fills.
The Board is requesting copies of the Chief’s log indicating who got overtime and why.
Overtime can be turned down by the officers when offered. There are a percentage of officers who didn’t participate in overtime. It is seasonal, based on personal needs; it’s usually the same top 5 or 6 who work the overtime.
Retirement does not include overtime, so its not a factor for overtime.
There is a stipulation that an officer can only work 16 hours straight.
Don’t fill Supervisory slots for Supervisors. Patrolman fill supervisor position and there can be a shift differential.
Private Duty sector work – payments don’t go back to the Police Department, they go to the Town. Police Officers cannot book off to do private duty.
Amount charged over private duty rate should have cover the cost of vehicle use, insurance, gas, etc. If extra officers are needed and on a private duty, they will shut down the private duty job to handle a call.
The cost is $49 per hour to hire a cop. There is $80,000 in the account from Private duty – why can’t some of the $80,000 be transferred back to the Policed to cover the extra cost of overtime?
A question arose as to when was the last time the hourly rate was revised? The rate changes every 12 months when the police officers get raises.
The expense for gas, etc gets passed onto the company requesting the services.
Board members mentioned that the benefit of the private duty needs to be returned to the police department – the police department earned it.
39,000 criminal investigations
1,000 motor vehicle accidents
40,000 overtime.
Administrative leave of officers cost $11,000
1 officer leaves the department cost $1600
1 officer on medical leave costs $1000
Mandatory contract – Comp Time leave payout $8,198.70.
Overtime – can choose money of comp time. Comp Time is 1.5, which is the usual rate.
Comp Time is paid as overtime.
The advantage to the Town to have comp time is we make out in the end there is no shift differential.
Questions arose on the Dog Pound Account – Animal Control Account. Have looked at it being joint with Ellington, South Windsor, and Windsor Locks.
The Board would like the overtime information in writing
YTD overtime
Dates incurred, personnel and reason
Vehicle Maintenance – is preventative items, don’t have a mechanic. Don’s Auto is the vendor. Some vehicles are up over 100,000 miles and break more. The supervisors do vehicle checks at the beginning of each shift; they monitor the gasing, mileage, etc.
2 line cruisers replaced over 100,000
2 Administrative vehicles over 100,000 – high end.
4 cars just came in:
2 line cars – not on the road yet
2 Administrative – on the road now.
Every 2 years they go out to bid on vendor for vehicle maintenance and repair. Going out again in July.
Looking at leasing programs, but small amount of cars. Administrative cars can be used a cruisers – unmarked. They got 2 cars for $31,000, didn’t cost what line cars cost.
Uniforms – Chairman ok with this item –
New officers – unexpected equipment issues
$600 a year x 26 cops.
Gas – Linda will give a report at the next meeting.
Conferences & Training – there was some concern that Training is being offset to cover other expenses
Three (3) of four (4) Tazors are broke and no money to fix them.
Training – they are good at keeping mandatory training. They do mandatory training and then that’s it because they are in overtime mode. Will probably make it to the end of the year on $20,000.
Worse case scenario, $113,000 no factors for training dollars, etc. Within 30 days will know what he will need.
The Board would like expenditures incurred in line item and then come to us to have appropriation. Would like regular monthly meetings to funnel information to 1 person not a formal meeting to keep abreast of what’s going on. The Board of Finance is trying to take a more proactive roll in the budgeting. Not meant to be a police lynching.
It was mentioned again that the dollars that the Police Department generated through private duty, they would like to get some of that back.
This is the type of discussions that need to be made to the public. How can the Chief explain the crime rate in relation to the budget? Exit Poll done, the majority of people made comments and stated don’t cut the Police Department.
BREAK – there will be a two (2) minute break at 9:55
Readjourned at 9:58
Fiscal Year 2007 Budget Discussions
Library –
Vincent Bologna came before the board to present the budget. The budget is up from last year. $10,000 needed on staff computers. The now staff computers will become public computers. A copy of the budget may be obtained in the Town Clerk’s office.
Endowment lost $400,000 due to fluctuations in the stock market.
Status Quo or 5% decrease, no books, no DVD, and will lose 1 person.
$6,435 in lost hours. Would like to restore 6 hours a week and weekends. Weekends closed and holidays, starts in July, week of Christmas and Thursday and Friday at Thanksgiving.
The Board mentioned that there are computer needs throughout the Town and questioned as to whether or not there could be some savings to consolidate the functions. This is a $500,000 expense and there should be some source of cost savings. Could consider tapping into a joint IT individual. Questions raised as to one (1) contract to service the Town. The Town side buys in bulk, question if they could leverage off of that.
Cemetery Association –
Craig Arnold and Danny Burnham came before the Board to present their budget. They gave a vehicle back to the Town - Public Works has it, it was a truck. They lost a full-time Supervisor. A Cemetery Audit is done every year – the Board mentioned that it should go to the Town Clerk or Mary. Their investor is Infinox. They raised fees to $700 for a winter opening.
The Board raised that question as to whether not the Broad Brook Library is utilized. They haven’t replaced books in years. Does the Town own the building they are in?
ADJOURNMENT
Motion: To adjourn at 10:37 p.m.
Ms. Nelson / Ms. Sorenson-Duray / Unanimous
Respectfully submitted,
Lori P. Holden
Recording Secretary
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