The Board of Selectmen held a budget meeting on Thursday, February 3, 2005 at Edmond Town Hall, 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; Library Board members William Lavery and Kelly Urso; Public Works Director Fred Hurley; Parks & Recreation Director Barbara Kasbarian; Asst. Director Carl Samuelson; Parks & Recreation Commission members Ed Marks, Carlen Gaines; Trails Committee member Jane Nickerson
VOTER PARTICIPATION: None noted
ACCOUNT 670 LIBRARY
Selectman Brimmer moved Account 670 Library in the amount of $809,000. Motion seconded.
Trustees Chairman William Lavery and Treasurer Kelly Urso distributed financial statements which were discussed at length. Judge Lavery advised that he had made an error in calculations and that the amount being requested should be $817,000.
Selectman Brimmer moved to amend by increasing Account 670 Library to $817,000. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED ($817,000) UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED
ACCOUNT 550 PARKS & RECREATION
Selectman Bojnowski moved Account 550 Parks & Recreation in the amount of $1,842,284. Motion seconded.
Ms. Jane Nickerson of the Trails Committee explained that there is a line item for trails maintenance in the amount of $51,745 which could receive 80% reimbursement through grants that would be applied for by the Trails Committee. Of the two new maintainers being requested in this budget, one is for trails maintenance. After discussion, it was decided to remove one maintainer and have one new maintainer work part-time for trails maintenance, thus reducing the salary line by $35,464.
Selectman Brimmer moved to amend by decreasing line 1004 Park Maintainer Salary to $322,504. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
After discussion, it was decided to remove the following items from the Capital request – one-ton pick up ($42,000), GroundMaster ($24,300), Versa-Vac ($18,350), Turf Topdresser ($28,500), Lake Lillinonah gate ($7,000) and Treadwell Field fencing ($37,000)
Selectman Brimmer moved to amend by decreasing line 5080 Capital to $178,983. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED ($1,649,670) UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED
ACCOUNT 500 HIGHWAY
Selectman Brimmer moved Account 500 Highway in the amount of $5,878,427. Motion seconded
It was decided to remove one dump truck in the amount of $124,000 from the Capital request.
Selectman Bojnowski moved to amend by reducing line 5080 Capital to $463,000. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
Selectman Brimmer moved to amend by reducing line 5081 Capital Road Improvement to $1,850,000. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
Selectman Brimmer moved to decrease line 4064 Contractual Overlays to $332,000. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED ($5,584,427) UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED.
ACCOUNT 510 WINTER MAINTENANCE
Selectman Brimmer moved Account 510 Winter Maintenance in the amount of $537,197. Motion seconded.
Selectman Brimmer moved to amend by reducing line 1003 Overtime to $120,000 and reducing line 2031 Sand to $100,000 and reducing line 2032 Salt to $90,000. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED ($500,000) UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED
ACCOUNT 515 LANDFILL (TRANSFER STATION)
Selectman Bojnowski moved Account 515 Landfill in the amount of $1,284,727. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 650 PUBLIC BUILDING
Selectman Bojnowski moved Account 650 Public Building Maintenance in the amount of $693,543. Motion seconded.
It was decided to remove $200,000 in Building Capital that was requested for construction of a Senior Center Addition. The $24,000 for design will remain.
Selectman Bojnowski moved to amend by decreasing line 5080 Capital to $31,500. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED ($493,543) UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED
ACCOUNT 710 CAR POOL
Selectman Brimmer moved Account 710 Car Pool in the amount of $55,000. Motion seconded.
Selectman Brimmer moved to amend by decreasing line 5080 Capital to $25,000. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED ($30,000) UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED.
ACCOUNT 460 BUILDING DEPARTMENT
Selectman Brimmer moved Account 460 Building Dept. in the amount of $298,024. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 490 LAND USE
Selectman Brimmer moved Account 490 Land Use in the amount of $507,811. Motion seconded.
Finance Director Ben Spragg advised that the salary line needs to be increased. The Zoning Enforcement Officer received his final certification and was entitled to an increase.
Selectman Bojnowski moved to amend by increasing line 1002 Administration to $324,336. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED ($512,811) UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED
ACCOUNT 570 CONTINGENCY
Selectman Bonowski moved Account 570 Contingency in the amount of $689,783. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 580 DEBT SERVICE
Selectman Brimmer moved Account 580 Debt Service in the amount of $7,703,773. Motion seconded.
Finance Director Spragg had revised numbers to include bonding of the refurbishing of two fire trucks.
Selectman Bojnowski moved to amend by increasing line 2001 Principal to $5,110,099 and increasing line 2002 Interest to $2,618,074. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED ($7,738,173) UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED
ACCOUNT 600 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Selectman Brimmer moved Account 600 Legislative Council in the amount of $39,904. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 730 HATTERTOWN HISTORIC DISTRICT
Selectman Bojnowski moved Account 730 Hattertown Historic District in the amount of $500. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 740 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
Selectman Bojnowski moved Account 740 EDC in the amount of $7,500. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 750 LOCAL HOUSING PARTNERSHIP
Selectman Bojnowski moved Account 750 LHP in the amount of $100. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 870 FAIRFIELD HILLS
Selectman Bojnowski moved Account 870 Fairfield Hills in the amount of $700,000. Motion seconded.
Selectman Brimmer moved to amend by reducing Account 870 Fairfield Hills to $550.00. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED ($550,000) UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED
ACCOUNT 340 CANINE CONTROL
Selectman Brimmer moved re-open Account 340 Canine Control in the amount of $122,749. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
Selectman Brimmer moved to decrease line 2034 Uniforms to $2,200 and to decrease line 2036 Vaccinations to $1,500. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
Selectman Brimmer moved Account 340 Canine Control in the amount of $120,749. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
ACCOUNT 105 SELECTMEN OTHER
Selectman Brimmer moved Account 105 Selectmen Other in the amount of $705,020. Motion seconded.
After discussion, it was decided to remove the request for a Town Hall telephone system in the amount of $26,500.
Selectman Brimmer moved to amend by reducing line 2013 Non-recurring to $246,901. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED ($678,520) UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED
ACCOUNT 240 SOCIAL SECURITY
Selectman Bojnowski moved Account 240 Social Security in the amount of $756,687. Motion seconded.
Finance Director Spragg had adjustments to this account to allow for requests for new employees that the Board of Selectmen removed from this budget.
Selectman Bojnowski moved to amend by DEcreasing Account 240 Social Security to $749,987. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED ($749,987) UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED
ACCOUNT 260 PENSION
Selectman Brimmer moved Account 260 Pension in the amount of $447,096. Motion seconded.
Selectman Brimmer moved to amend by decreasing line 2011 Services and Supplies to $20,000. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED ($440,096) UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED
Meeting was adjourned at 10:15 pm. The budget will be finalized at a meeting to be held on Monday, February 7, 2005.
Jan Andras, Clerk
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