Skip Navigation
This table is used for column layout.
 
Meeting of 2010-02/22
MONSON FINANCE COMMITTEE MINUTES                                                                                                                                                                  FEBRUARY 22, 2010


Present:           Peter Fimognari, Bob Finnegan, Jim Pennington, Bob Margerison, Maureen O’Sullivan, William Dominquez, Brenda Payette (Administrative Assistant)
Also Present:  Deb Mahar (Finance Director), Craig Jalbert (Water and Sewer Department)
Absent:           William Dominquez, Gerry Brayton, Christine Edwards

The meeting was convened at 6:45pm

CORRESPONDENCE:
None

MEETINGS ATTENDED BY MEMBERS:
None

OLD BUSINESS / NEW BUSINESS:
Discussion with Craig Jalbert, Water and Sewer Department on budgets 7pm:
  • Mr. Fimognari asked Mr. Jalbert if the water tank was done.  Mr. Jalbert said yes.
  • Mr. Jalbert handed out a packet of information to FinCom members of the Water budget and expenses and the Sewer budget and expenses.  
  • Mr. Margerison said to Mr. Jalbert that the Water and Sewer is an Enterprise Account and that he pretty much can do what he wants to.  Mr. Jalbert disagreed with this remark.  He said he has a Commission that he has to answer to.  He said he has to look at the big picture and determine that best course of action to take that will benefit the future.  Mr. Margerison asked when the Water and Sewer Commission meet.  Mr. Jalbert answered they meet usually on Wednesday nights but they could meet in the morning at times.
  • Mr. Margerison asked about salary increases.  Mr. Jalbert said they are step raises.  Mr. Margerison said he was not talking about step raises.  Mr. Jalbert asked if he was talking about his raise.  Mr. Margerison said yes.  He said that Mr. Jalbert was getting close to a $2,000.00 raise and no other Department Head was getting a raise.  Mr. Jalbert questioned that remark.
  • Mr. Fimognari remarked on the thought process of looking at salary increases and possibly not having them for a year to save money.  But if they were contractual raises then there was not much that can be done.  He said that FinCom is looking at the budget situation and we can’t fund with the money the town has.  
  • Mr. Jalbert said he contacted other towns and did a very informal salary survey.  He said he found that Monson is very understaffed and a lot of other towns Water and Sewer were separate with each having their own Superintendent.  Mr. Jalbert stated that his point was not to make him the highest paid, but to be compensated for the work he does.  Ms. O’Sullivan asked him if he had a license, Mr. Jalbert said he holds two different licenses.
  • Mr. Pennington asked Mr. Jalbert his opinion on Monson having a DPW.  Mr. Jalbert said every town is different.  He can’t honestly see where savings would be by hiring a DPW director; this would require a higher paying salary so where would the savings be.  He is willing to talk and discuss further.
  • Mr. Pennington remarked that Mr. Jalbert has a commission that he has to work with and he knows best what he needs to be done and how to do it.  Mr. Jalbert replied that yes he does.  He realizes they have a lot of debt but all that was voted on at town meetings, but he said he is planning for the future too so it won’t be that much more expensive later on.
  • Mr. Jalbert said that state likes to use 90,000 gallons a year for a typical home for water usage.  So that would be about an $18.00 a year increase for water and $16.00 a year increase for sewer.
  • Mr. Margerison asked why the phone bill budget line was so much.  Mr. Jalbert said that is for internet and phone service and they have an alarm set up at every pump station.  He said he would look into why it is so much.
  • Discussion ended at 8pm.
Discussion with Stephen Kozloski, Chief of Police on budgets 8pm:
  • Mr. Fimognari began the discussion by informing Chief Kozloski that FinCom is in the preliminary stages and they are looking at everything.  No votes were taken to eliminate the cruiser purchase.  It was an item on their list to discuss with him.
  • Mr. Margerison asked Chief Kozloski about eliminating the cruiser purchase for only one year.  
  • Chief Kozloski stated his concern regarding other departments having a bay of vehicles and he drives his vehicles over 100,000 miles.  He turns three vehicles over every other year and they always are in excess of 100,000 miles and those vehicles are mechanically in bad shape.
  • Chief Kozloski stated his frustration regarding the vehicle rotation plan.  He said that this plan was instituted between FinCom and the past Chief years ago to avoid a big financial impact of replacing multiple vehicles.
  • Chief Kozloski said he has a total of seven vehicles in his department.  
  • Dodge Durango 10 year capital not a patrol vehicle
  • Two Ford Crown Vitoria’s – 1 black and 1 white
  • Three Dodge Chargers – 1 Dodge Charge is the Chief’s car
  • One Ford 4x4 Expedition 2005
  • He leases three vehicles every other year for a two year lease.  Full time officers drive the three new vehicles; other vehicles get moved to the back for the part time officers to drive until the next rotation of vehicles is purchased.
  • He feels it would be a costly mistake to divert the cruiser purchase for one year.
  • He would trade in Two Ford Crown Victoria’s 2006 and One Dodge Charger and get Three Dodge Chargers.  They are about $1,200 less and better on fuel than the Ford Crown Victoria’s
  • He said the maintenance line in his budget is for oil changes.
  • Mr. O’Sullivan asked when would be the best time to defer the vehicle rotation plan.  Chief Kozloski it would be best to have a few years to plan and prepare such as limiting mileage per shift
  • Chief Kozloski said he would only be seeking about $40,000 for cruiser purchase rotation.
  • Mr. Fimognari asked about level funding salaries from last year.  He mentioned a $9,000.00 increase in FY2011 budget.  He asked if this was contractual.
  • Chief Kozloski said the salary increases in his budget for FY2011 were all contractual.
  • Ms. O’Sullivan asked if Quinn Bill money was factored in.  Chief Kozloski said yes, the town is funding the difference per Town Council.  Town Council said the law prevails over the contract.
  • Chief Kozloski said he is currently involved in some options:
  • Examination of Regionalization:
  • Currently towns are accepting proposals to conduct a feasibility study.  Looking at regionalizing dispatch operations from three towns: Monson, Hampden, Palmer.  Study needs to be done by July 1.
  • Concept of Regional Policing: he floated this idea out but it was not welcomed by the town.
  • Mr. Pennington asked Chief Kozloski if he purchased the new cruisers with a large group would he get a better rate.  Chief Kozloski said he needs to be certain that he will be able to purchase the three vehicles before he puts the order in to get a discount.
  • Discussion ended at 9pm.
The next scheduled meetings of the Finance Committee are:
Monday, March 1, 2010 at 6:45pm
Monday, March 8, 2010 at 6:45pm
Monday, March 15, 2010 at 6:45pm
Monday, March 22, 2010 at 6:45 pm
Monday, March 29, 2010 at 6:45pm

The meeting was adjourned at 9:00pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Brenda I. Payette
Administrative Assistant to the Finance Committee