The Board of Selectmen held a budget meeting on Wednesday, January 15, 2003 at the C. H. Booth Library, Main Street, Newtown, CT. First Selectman Rosenthal called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM.
PRESENT: First Selectman Herbert Rosenthal, Selectman Joseph Bojnowski,
Selectman William Brimmer
ALSO PRESENT: Finance Director Ben Spragg, various town department heads and committee members, two members of press
VOTER PARTICIPATION – None noted
2003/2004 BUDGET
ACCOUNT 460 BUILDING DEPARTMENT
Building Official Tom Paternoster was present. There are no increases in this budget other than salaries.
Selectman Brimmer moved Account 460 Building Department in the amount of $276,094. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 490 LAND USE AGENCY
Land Use Agency Director Rita Macmillan was present. There are no increases in this budget.
Selectman Bojnowski moved Account 490 Land Use in the amount of $504,767. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 740 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
Community Development Director Elizabeth Stocker was present. There are no increases in this budget.
Selectman Brimmer moved Account 740 Economic Development in the amount of $7,500. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 500 HIGHWAY
Public Works Director Fred Hurley was present. There is no increase in this budget.
Selectman Brimmer moved Account 500 Highway in the amount of $5,482,626. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 505 STATE AID ROADS
Selectman Bojnowski moved Account 505 State Aid Roads in the amount of $184,611. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 510 WINTER MAINTENANCE
Selectman Bojnowski moved Account 510 Winter Maintenance in the amount of $400,000. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 515 LANDFILL
Selectman Bojnowski moved Account 515 Landfill in the amount of $1,204,434. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 650 PUBLIC BUILDINGS
Selectman Brimmer moved Account 650 Public Building Maintenance in the amount of $400,000. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 710 CAR POOL
Selectman Brimmer moved Account 710 Car Pool in the amount of $5,000. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 550 PARKS AND RECREATION
Parks Director Barbara Kasbarian was present along with Asst. Director Carl Samuels, Commission Chairman Larry Haskell, members Ed Marks and Jack Ryan.
Selectman Bojnowski moved Account 550 Parks and Recreation in the amount of $1,625,213. Motion seconded for discussion.
The Parks & Recreation Department has now been given added responsibilities for the new high school fields, the 5/6 school fields, Tilson field and the Liberty fields. The majority of the increased expenses in this budget are for the high school and 5/6 school. After some discussion, it was decided to remove the funding request for design and engineering of a new maintenance facility.
Selectman Bojnowski moved to amend by reducing line item 550-5080 Capital by $150,000 (new total $207,850). Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED ($1,475,213) UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED.
ACCOUNT 670 LIBRARY
Librarian Janet Woycik was present, along with Board President Joseph Humeston, Board member Richard Sturdevant and members of the Friends of the Library.
Selectman Brimmer moved Account 670 Library in the amount of $847,710. Motion seconded for discussion.
It was noted that health insurance costs have increased by 8% and not by the 20% reflected in this budget.
Selectman Bojnowski moved to amend by decreasing $9,710 (for health benefits). Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
After some discussion, it was decided not to fund the request for a Reserve Fund.
Selectman Bojnowski moved to amend by decreasing $47,000 (for reserve). Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED ($791,000) UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED.
ACCOUNT 570 CONTINGENCY
Selectman Brimmer moved Account 570 Contingency in the amount of $302,533. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 580 DEBT SERVICE
Selectman Bojnowski moved Account 580 Debt Service in the amount of $7,234,867. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 600 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Selectman Bojnowski moved Account 600 Legislative Council in the amount of $33,150. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 750 LOCAL HOUSING PARTNERSHIP
Selectman Bojnowski moved Account 750 Local Housing Partnership in the amount of $300. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 860 CAPITAL RESERVE FUND
Selectman Bojnowski moved Account Capital Non-Recurring Reserve Fund. Motion seconded and carried: 2 YES – 1 NO (Bojnowski)
Selectman Bojnowski moved to amend by decreasing to $200,000 but there was no second for his motion.
ACCOUNT 500 FAIRFIELD HILLS
Selectman Brimmer moved Account 500 Fairfield Hills in the amount of $500,000. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 280 PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Selectman Bojnowski moved Account 280 Professional Organizations in the amount of $32,950. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 230 TOWN HALL MANAGERS
Selectman Brimmer moved to take motion from TABLE to approve Account 230 Town Hall Managers in the amount of $175,000. Motion to remove from table seconded and unanimously carried.
Selectman Bojnowski moved to amend by reducing Account 230 Town Hall Managers to $150,000. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 105 SELECTMEN OTHER
Selectman Brimmer moved Account 105 Selectmen Other in the amount of $729,657. Motion seconded for discussion.
Selectman Bojnowski moved to amend by reducing line item 105-2013 Non-Recurring by $79,450. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
Selectman Bojnowski moved to amend by increasing line item 105-2011 Office Supplies by $1,500. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
Selectman Bojnowski moved to amend by increasing line item 105-3051 Repair/Maintenance by $4,300. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED ($656,007) UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED.
ACCOUNT 490 LAND USE
Selectman Bojnowski moved to decrease line item 490-4061 Contractual Services by $10,000 which reduces total Account 490 Land Use to $494,767. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 500 HIGHWAY
Selectman Bojnowski moved to decrease line item 500-5080 Capital by $32,000 which reduces total Account 500 Highway to $436,500. Motion seconded and carried: 2 YES – 1 NO (Rosenthal)
ACCOUNT 550 PARKS AND RECREATION
Selectman Brimmer moved to decrease line item 550-5080 Capital by $10,000 which reduces total Account 550 Parks and Recreation to $1,465,213. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
TOTAL SELECTMEN’S BUDGET
Selectman Brimmer moved a TOTAL 2003/2004 SELECTMEN BUDGET in the amount of $30,521,494. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
This total budget amount represents an $837,707 (2.7%) decrease from the current fiscal year budget.
Having no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 10:30 p.m.
Jan Andras, Clerk
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