Comments from the Public: Chairman explained that the Youth and Family Services Commission is an Advisory Board and then opened up the floor to Comments from the Public and asked that speakers be brief in their remarks and identify themselves. Chairman also said that he would not limit the Public to the total of ten minutes allotted on the Agenda. Numerous people made comments, and asked questions. First Selectman responded to various questions and also asked Chief of Police and Union President to respond to others. Numerous members of the Public expressed concerns about the proposal to move programs from Youth and Family Services to the Police Department. First Selectman cited his goal in proposing this move was to cut costs and still maintain all programs, maintain all staff and focus on preventive programs for youth. Numerous members of the Public questioned whether these programs fit within the recently restated mission of the Police Department and whether they had the resources to supervise the additional programs and additional staff. Other concerns cited by the Public included confidentiality, administrative functions of youth service bureaus under state statute, why the Selectmen see the need now to fix something that is not broken and has been held up as a model for other communities. Also members of the Public
asked for more information regarding the financial savings that would be realized and asked if grant funds might even be jeopardized by the administrative move between departments. Several of the Public reiterated that both organizations – Youth and Family Services and the Police Department are wonderful organizations but are fundamentally different. Concerns were also expressed by several speakers that while input had been sought from the Police, the Schools, Parks and Recreation and others, no input had been sought from the Youth and Family Services’ Director, its staff nor the members of the Youth and Family Services Commission prior to the announcement of the proposal at the Special Meeting of November 24, 2009. Also, during the Public Comments session two Youth and Family
Services’ employees read letters which included their resignations (Jane Moen, Youth Coordinator and Paula Palmieri, HCHY Coordinator) in which they stated they did not feel they could properly do their work under the structure being proposed. A third employee (Wendy Mill, Volunteers Coordinator) did not resign but did ask questions seeking some specifics of how the proposed plan would work, e.g. to bring deliverables closer to consumers, to improve structure behind staff, to provide for program evaluation, and to save funds. First Selectman asked staff not to leave prematurely and also informed the Public he had asked Youth and Family Services Counselor Kathy Ferrantelli to step in with more hours on an interim basis to help out. Chief Spera distributed copies of the plan he presented to the Police Commission, which was presented, voted upon and approved by that Board the evening before. At the conclusion of the Comments from the Public First Selectman stated the Board of Selectmen would meet on Thursday, December 3, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. to discuss the proposal further but would not vote on it at that time. In response to requests from the Public First Selectman agreed to schedule another meeting for the public to provide input at a time of day more convenient to the working public than 10:00 a.m. Upon questions from the Public about how the Selectmen would publicize the next
meeting, Administrative Assistant asked if the Commission would be willing to approve the use of the Community Email system to notify the public of such meeting and the consensus of the Commission members was that that would be okay. Most of the Public left the meeting at the conclusion of Comments from the Public.
|
