LC Facilities Ad Hoc Committee
Meeting, Tuesday, August 11, 2009, 6:30 PM in the Lower Meeting room of Town Hall South
Present: LC Members – Dan Amaral, Jan Brookes, Pat Llodra, Paul Lundquist
BoF Member – Jim Gaston
Invited Guests – LeReine Frampton, Bob Merola
One member of the press
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The purpose of the meeting was to organize the remaining work. Specifically the committee discussed the following issues:
1. Should the committee have a chair?
2. What the committee needs to learn, and who do we need to talk to?
3. What additional questions will we want to ask in our next set of interviews?
4. What will be the time-line/schedule and a possible end date for the remaining work?
In regards to the need for a committee chair, Pat Llodra felt that while “the absence of a chair won’t hamper us if we commit to going forward with vigor, a chair would serve the committee well as a spokes-person.” Mrs. Llodra expressed some hesitation about being chair because she didn’t want the perception to be that she was advancing a political agenda. Mrs. Brookes felt that she couldn’t chair committee meetings and take accurate minutes. Mr. Amaral said that he was too busy to be chair. Mrs. Gaston suggested that co-chairs might work. Both Mrs. Llodra and Mr. Lundquist agreed to serve as co-chairs. Mrs. Llodra will take responsibility for gathering all the information together so that the committee can determine its recommendations. Mr.
Lundquist’s primary responsibility will be to present the committee’s findings.
Paul Lundquist suggested that rather than schedule separate meetings with department heads who had already been interviewed, the committee organize one meeting with all of them. This would give department heads the opportunity to respond to what others are saying. The committee identified a common set of questions that would be used as the basis for discussion. Our invited guests would be:
· Gino Faiella –BoE Maintenance
· Fred Hurley – Public Works
· Amy Mangold and Carl Samuelson – Park and Rec
· Scott Sharlow – GIS and Information Technology for the Town
· Carmela Amodeo – IT for the BoE
The school superintendent, Janet Robinson and BoE chair, Elaine McClure, as well as the Park and Rec Commission chair, Ed Marks, would also be invited.
Seven questions were identified for all invited guests to discuss. They centered around the following four areas of the concern:
1. Collaboration/cooperation among the Town and BoE agencies – How does that originate? Who facilitates?
2. Use of technology to assist/record work flow, inventory costs, etc. What are current and future plans?
3. Grant Writing: Degree of involvement at the department level? Time requirement?
4. Fairfield Hills: Who decides what work is done and by whom? How is the work tracked?
BobMerola suggested that if we can’t cover the agenda in the two hour meeting, we might have to hold a follow-up meeting.
Additional Committee Meetings
1. The committee will also interview the Director of Purchasing for the Town of Ridgefield to discuss the efficiencies and drawbacks of a central, town-wide purchasing agent.
2. Bob Merola suggested that we meet with Bob Tait after talking to the Ridgefield purchasing agent. At this time the Ridgefield Purchasing Agent would be invited to join our discussion via a conference call. The committee will need to develop a list of questions for Mr. Tait.
3. The committee still needs to schedule a meeting with borough officials to explore its responsibilities and processes for maintenance. The committee will also examine the how the borough’s responsibilities overlay with the Town’s
4. The committee will talk to the head of maintenance in a town that has combined both town and school maintenance under a single department. Mrs. Llodra will contact CCM for a list of towns that have a central department. The committee will choose one that is similar to Newtown in population and socio-economic status.
5. The committee might also interview Kevin Cragin concerning the maintenance of the various firehouses in Newtown. Committee members are also interested in what the Town owns and what is owned by each firehouse.
6. The committee will hold a final meeting to determine recommendations to the Legislative Council.
The committee’s work will be finished before the municipal elections on November 3ed.
Bob Merola suggested that the committee make an interim report to the Board of
Selectmen.
Jan Lee Brookes for the Committee
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