Legislative Council held a regular meeting on Wednesday, April 20, 2005 in the Conference Room of the C. H. Booth Library, 25 Main Street, Newtown, CT. Chairman Rodgers called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.
PRESENT: W. Rodgers, T. Holian, R. Recht, D. Brown, P. Baiad, J. Shpunt, F. Pennarola, J. Hemingway. ABSENT: D. Amaral, J. DiCandido, M. Iassogna, J. Borst
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ALSO PRESENT: First Selectman H. Rosenthal, Financial Director B. Spragg, Parks & Recreation Commission Vice-Chairman Edward Marks and one member of public.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. None noted.
MINUTES. Upon motion of Mrs. Baiad, the minutes of the regular meeting of April 6, 2005 were unanimously accepted as presented. Mrs. Baiad noted that she was disappointed that the minutes were sketchy because the Council members were encouraged to discuss why they voted the way that they did.
COMMUNICATIONS. None noted.
COMMITTEE REPORTS. None noted.
FIRST SELECTMANS REPORT. Mr. Rosenthal reported that the governors budget gave us a slight increase in revenue. We may get more money for town aid roads and for payment in lieu of taxes for state property. We could receive $125,000 to $250,000 in education cost funds. Mr. Rosenthal requested that the Legislative Council encourage Representatives McKinney and Wasserman to support extending the conveyance tax. Mr. Rodgers noted that Mr. Rosenthal had a very good quote in the News Times to the effect that municipalities are not special interest groups.
NEW BUSINESS:
Special Appropriation in the amount of $275,000 from Parks & Recreation
Surcharge Funds for Treadwell Soccer Field Artificial Surface. Mr. Holian moved to approve a special appropriation in the amount of $275,000 from the Capital Reserve Account for Treadwell Soccer Field Artificial Surface and to authorize the Board of Selectmen to call a special town meeting for that purpose. Second by Mr.Pennarola. Mr. Marks explained that there were funds that were designated for Oakview field repairs but that project is not going to be done so only a study was commissioned of Oakview. Mr. Marks said that $225,000 that was encumbered for Oakview will be moved over to this project. Mr. Rosenthal said that this project had been presented to the Legislative Council previously as well as to the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Finance and each commission gave their consensus on the project..
Mr. Brown said that this money was designated for Oakview and should the money be returned since the project was cancelled. Mr. Rosenthal said that we would not have gone forward with this project had the Legislative Council not been comfortable with it. Mr. Brown is concerned with the appearance of this. Should we look at returning these funds and including in a special appropriation a request to allocate the funds. Mr. Pennarola feels that the beneficiaries of the Treadwell field would probably be the same as with Oakview. Mr. Spragg said that the reason this was brought to the Legislative Council was for the exposure rather than only he and Mr. Rosenthal reviewing it. He said this was a capital line item in Parks & Recreation and you can do other things with capital money. He feels that
we do not need to return the money because it was already appropriated for capital items. Mr. Rosenthal said Parks & Recreation has a capital line item with the objective of improving one or two more fields. Mr. Brown asked if this is the field that had the irrigation system installed and will that now be abandoned. Mr. Marks said this is not that field but that parts of the irrigation system will be saved and reused.
Motion unanimously carried.
Transfer. Mr. Holian Moved to transfer from Account 01570-2000 Contingency $76,000 to Account 01510-1003 Winter Overtime $40,000 to Account 01510-2031 Sand $18,000 to Account 01510-2032 Salt $18,000. Second by Mrs. Baiad. Mr. Rosenthal said that we will received about $75,000 from FEMA for some of the winter storms. Motion unanimously carried.
Establishing a Police Commission Canine Fund. Mr. Holian moved that the Legislative Council resolves to create the Police Commission Canine Fund. Any funds available to the Police Commission from a specific contribution to the Canine Program shall be placed in the custody of the Financial Director of the Town of Newtown and shall be kept by him in an account which shall be known as the Newtown Canine Program Fund and shall be kept separate and
distinct from all other Town accounts. All disbursements from the Canine Program account shall be made on order of the Police Commission in accordance with the donation or gift. All disbursements on the account shall be approved by the Chief of Police. The Police Commission shall furnish an annual report with regard to such account and the account shall not be closed at the end of any fiscal year. Second by Mr. Recht and unanimously carried.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. None noted.
EXECUTIVE SESSION. Mr. Pennarola moved to enter executive session at 8:02 p.m. to discuss the purchase of property and to invite Mr. Spragg and Mrs. Rodgers to attend, second by Mr. Brown and unanimously carried.
Executive session was exited at 8:12 p.m.
ANNOUNCEMENTS. Mr. Rodgers noted that the special meeting scheduled for Wednesday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m. in the Senior Center will be cancelled if the budget passes on April 26.
ADJOURNMENT. Upon motion of Mr.Recht, the meeting adjourned at 8:20p.m.
Ann M. Mazur, Clerk
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