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Minutes of the Board of Finance meeting held on Tuesday, March 15, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. at the Old Lyme Memorial Town Hall.
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Present:~~~~~~~~~~ Regular Members:~ Andrew Russell, BJ Bernblum, H. P. Garvin, III,
Christopher Kerr, Janet Sturges, David Woolley
Alternate Members:~ Bob Jose, David Kelsey
Bonnie A. Reemsnyder, ex-officio
Nicole Stajduhar, Finance Director
Mary Jo Nosal, Selectwoman
Skip Sibley, Selectman
Absent:~~~~~~~~~~~ Regular Members:~
~Alternate Members:~~Adam Burrows
Guest: Mary Seidner, Director, Lyme Youth Service Bureau
Chris Buckley, Board of Directors Chair, Lyme Youth Service Bureau
Ian Neviaser, Superintendent of Schools, Regional School District #18
Jean Wilczynski, Treasurer, RSD#18 Board of Education
Holly McCalla, Business Manager, Regional School District #18
Richard Prendergast, Chairman, Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA)
Douglas Wilkinson, Budget Coordinator, Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA)
Anna Reiter, LOL Junior Women’s Club and several Club members
David Roberge, Emergency Management Director
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Mr. Russell called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
206-0610 Lymes' Youth Service Bureau
Mrs. Seidner, Director of the Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau, presented the LYSB proposed budget.
Governor’s budget cuts proposed may impact State Grants available to the LYSB. Majority of their budget is salary, which is a 2% increase, which is in line with the town. LYSB is one of the few private, non-profit, Youth Service Bureaus with approximately one-third of their income raised through fund-raising efforts. Their board continues to aggressively fund raise to defray their operating expenses.
Mrs. Seidner presented a Capital project in back of LYSB which includes the renovation of a multi purpose court, including sub-base excavation, paving, edging, tree removal, lighting, and landscaping. The total cost is projected at $50,250. The class of 2008 formed a committee and created the Jonathan E. Glenn Memorial Fund to honor the untimely death of a fellow classmate. The primary goals for this Memorial Fund are to build a Four Square court and benches, as well as addressing the mental health of students and to ensure that students can get the help that they need. The committee has set a fundraising goal of $10,875. LYSB’s Fundraising/Endowment has $21,000 and is expecting to raise an additional $8,375. Their Capital request to the town is $10,000 towards this project.
Mrs. Seidner stated that LYSB has partnered with the schools, the police, the library and Child and Family Agency, which brings resources and assistance with programs such as alcohol and drug prevention. Mrs. Seidner stated that LYSB continues to work very closely with the Police on various prevention efforts. In conclusion, the LYSB is requesting $85,000, a $4,000 increase from the town.
Board of Finance Meeting March 15, 2016
A motion was made by Mrs. Sturges, seconded by Mr. Garvin to approve $85,000 for Lyme Youth Service Bureau. Motion carried.
Regional School District #18 – Board of Education
Mr. Neviaser reported that the overall budget as presented represents a 2.84% increase, including Debt Service for Fiscal Year 2016-17, in the amount of $33,470,376. The driving forces of their budget are salaries and Special Education programs. He stated that there is an increase in High School population and a decrease in elementary school aged children. The breakdown is $29,282,906 for Operations/Program budget, an increase of $1,040,257 or 3.68% over the previous year. Mr. Neviaser stated that the Operating budget is comprised of Certified Salaries (up by $500,116 or 3.82%), Non-certified Salaries (up $43,585 or 1.44%), and Employee Benefits (up $30,736 or .74%), Special Education (up $336,534 or 28.57%), Pupil Transportation (up $4,504 or .47%) and Administrative Services ($167,484 or
41.36% which has increased due to marketing new students and an item that was miscoded). Decreases include Instructional Programs (decrease by $66,224 or 4.94%, and Support Services (by $3,979 or 4.72%). The Debt Service is $4,187,470, a decrease of $117,289 or (2.72)% over the previous year’s debt service.
202-0220 Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA)
Mrs. Reemsnyder stated that she had a meeting with the WPCA chair and the items that have decreased are the Consultant and Project consultant, which is Woodard and Curran. There was a discussion on the Legal Counsel line and how it should be spent. Mr. Kelsey stated that he would strongly recommend that the Legal Counsel line be reduced with strict control of how it is utilized.
WPCA Chair Rich Prendergast and Budget Coordinator Doug Wilkinson presented the WPCA’s proposed budget. Mr. Wilkinson stated that four of the line items: Legal ($45,000), Consultant/Project Consultant ($20,000), and Testing ($40,000). comprise 94% of the total budget. The Wastewater Management Consultant Project relates to DEEP Compliance Requests and Preparation for Resubmitted Plan Estimated by engineer, D. Prickett, anticipating DEEP actions. There was a discussion on WPCA and wastewater project related expenses.
A motion was made by Mr. Garvin, seconded by Mr. Bernblum to approve $117,300 for the Water Pollution Control Authority. Motion carried.
Mrs. Stajduhar reminded board of unpaid invoices from last year. She stated that the town’s Auditor offered a few options which included to just pay them, or pay out of current year’s budget, or have an additional appropriation for these outstanding invoices which would come from this current year’s surplus.
A motion was made by Mr. Bernblum, seconded by Mr. Kerr to approve payment of $5,618.25 which has already been included in the FY2015 budget. The Board of Finance and WPCA agreed that two remaining unpaid invoices from the prior year totaling $3,067.50 would be paid out of the current year WPCA Commission budget. Motion carried.
Board of Finance Meeting March 15, 2016
A motion was made by Mr. Kerr, seconded by Mrs. Sturges to move Capital up on the agenda. Motion carried.
300 Capital Expenditures/Non-Recurring
Junior Women’s Club “Love Your Playground” Committee: Mrs. Reiter explained that the Junior Women’s Club formed the Love Your Playground Committee (LYPC) to design and fundraise for new playground equipment at Cross Lane Park. The Committee determined that the community not only enjoyed the former Cross Lane Playground but really needed a space for children with special needs to play. Upgrading the playground and including an inclusive play area will make Cross Lane park a destination for families along the shoreline and will hopefully bring new business to town. The LYPC collected bids for a new playground from four companies and has selected Columbia Cascade Company to design and build a new playground. The proposed playground will include two play structures with assorted
swings and climbing activites completely surrounded with a fence. Equipment cost is $104,840, installation - $13,800, rubber surfacing - $46,981.71, rubber surfacing installation - $3,000, mulch - $2,200, paving - $14,850 and fencing - $13,275. Total project is $199,946.71. The Junior Women’s Club plan to raise themselves $15,000, $10,000 from community support, and $125,000 in outstanding grants. Anticipated Town of Old Lyme request estimated between $50,000 and $175,000. So far, the Committee has met with and received approval from the Parks and Recreation Department and Parks and Recreation Commission, and has received acknowledgement of the project by the Board of Selectmen. Mrs. Reiter has discussed proposed playground location development with Inland Wetlands Commission chair and has met with the Land Use Coordinator at the site and received approval for going forward with the project. Besides the Cross Lane Park Playground, the
Committee reviewed the Towns Woods Park and is replacing damaged equipment and installing several new trees, completely paid for by the Junior Women’s Club fundraising efforts. The total cost of the equipment and trees will be $15,000. They will be installed in April/May 2016.
Emergency Operations Center Expansion: Mr. Roberge explained the function of the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) stating that a centralized command and control facility is responsible for carrying out the principles of emergency management functions at a strategic level during an emergency, and for ensuring the continuity of operation of the municipality. The facility provides for a safe, secure, uninterruptable working environment for staff to perform their duties. As the importance of emergency management and planning within a community has changed in recent years, the demand on having a functional EOC has also changed. Besides having a secure central location for commanding and control of large scale incidents, the EOC maintains a direct line of communication with the State EOC
via high band radio and internet communications, serves as a primary point to activate alerting sirens and also serves as a secondary “backup” dispatching facility for Town Fire and EMS.
Currently, the work spaces with the EOC are inadequate with current work spaces limited to 300 square feet for staff. When the EOC is functional, staff is required to create work stations within the truck bay areas of the building. The current configuration has inadequate storage space for equipment and supplies. Most equipment is packed in storage containers and must be pulled out and set up for every activation or exercise. The size of the facility lacks the ability to adequately provide training programs for EOC staff due to the limitation of available space.
Board of Finance Meeting March 15, 2016
The Capital request of $9,000 is to investigate a suitable design for an expanded space to adequately house a functional EOC. The construction of a 30x32 addition would provide space for an operations room, create an emergency call center, a location for installing municipal backup computer servers, storage space and could be utilized for regional emergency management training activities. State funding options include STEP grants and the Nuclear Emergency Safety Funds (NSEF), however the town is currently involved with a STEP grant and it is unclear if a future application would be viewed favorably at this time. NSEF funding has a limitation of $20,000 on annual dollar allocations over a 12 month period. Other possible grant sources may include the federal Hazardous Mitigation Grant
Program.
205 Public Safety
0570 Emergency Service Retirement
Mrs. Stajduhar stated that the regular annual contribution for FY16/17 contribution amount is $813 with 64 individuals qualified from the OLFD and OLVAA ($52,032). Additional pension contributions due to “opt in” from the $1,000 tax abatement is 19 participants, and $6,700 in annual fees associated with the plan for annual audit and mandated plan updates.
A motion was made by Mr. Woolley, seconded by Mr. Garvin, to approve $78,000 for Emergency Service Retirement. Mr. Kerr abstained from voting. Motion carried.
300 Capital Expenditures/Non-Recurring
Mrs. Stadjuhar highlighted the revised Five Year Capital & Nonrecurring Budget. There was discussion on the various line items that were decreased, eliminated or pushed out another year or so. Several changes include miscellaneous items (totaling $18,750) requested from the Information Technology department, Academy Lane Fire Dock ($125,000), Historical Society’s capital campaign ($5,000), and the Lyme Art Association capital restoration project ($10,000). Under Parks and Recreation, items included playground mulch (every 3 years) at Town Woods Park, as well as Lacrosse and Soccer goals (all 25% reimbursed by Lyme). There was a discussion regarding taking carryover ($5,000) from Little League batting cages line and shifting it to Cross Lane playground ($5,000). The Senior Center Capital
includes inside painting ($5,200), new outdoor railing ($2,000), door replacements ($6,100), and replacement of air conditioners ($50,000), all of which is 25% reimbursed by the Town of Lyme. Public Works Small Equipment ($5,000) and replacement of the 2000 International dump truck with plow ($40,000). The Fire Department Capital includes air bottles ($2,400), portable radios ($1,560), Lyme Street boiler ($25,000), rugged laptops ($5,000) and two tankers replacement ($130,000) which are included in Fire Apparatus Capital Project Funds. Emergency Management’s Capital is comprised of Equipment ($40,000) and the EOC Expansion study request ($9,000). Police Capital requests include a police vehicle and accessories ($32,000), miscellaneous accessories and computer for the new vehicle ($4,500), Radar Unit ($2,500) to replace the old ones on car (one per year), and, Mobile Video recorder on car ($21,900) (three per year), HVAC ($9,000), and Vests ($1,000).
There was discussion regarding requests for exterior painting and window replacement at the Police station and moving out to FY17/18.
Board of Finance Meeting March 15, 2016
Public Works Roads and Projects is comprised of Town Woods Park to Route One sidewalk feasibility study ($3,000), Transfer Station Garbage and Recycling bins ($25,000), Garage floors ($85,000), Overlay ($125,000), Salt Shed ($20,000), and Road Improvement Fund ($400,000) which is included in the Capital Project Funds. Miscellaneous Public Works Project includes $$20,000) for Outside Contractors. Mr. Kerr reported an additional $92,000 was needed for the salt shed and not the estimated $20,000 as reported.
Approval of February 23, 2016 Minutes
The minutes of February 23rd were reviewed.
There being no corrections noted, a motion was made by Mrs. Sturges, seconded by Mr. Bernblum, to approve the minutes of February 23rd, as written. Motion passed.
Approval of March 01, 2016 Minutes
The minutes of March 1st were reviewed. Correction noted on page 3, under Health, to delete the 1st sentence. The 2nd sentence, add to word “total” before “salaries”.
There being no other corrections noted, a motion was made by Mrs. Sturges, seconded by Mr. Woolley, to approve the minutes of March 1st, as corrected. Mr. Bernblum and Mr. Kerr abstained. Motion passed.
Approval of March 08, 2016 Minutes
The minutes of March 8th were reviewed. Correction noted on page 1, 1st paragraph, to add, “PGN Library requests an increase in the town’s contribution from $305,000 to $315,000” before the first sentence. On page 2, under Lyme Art Association, 8th sentence, change “in the” to “under”. Page 3, under Historical Society, 1st sentence, add “for operating expenses” after “$3,500”. Same paragraph, 4th sentence, change “still trying” to “working”. In the 5th sentence, it should be noted that the Capital Campaign raised $247,000 to date. Page 4, under Other Business, 1st sentence, add “maintenance of”
before “Town Woods Park”. Same section, 3rd paragraph, 1st sentence, add the word, “budget” after “Commission” and change the approved amount to $1,512.
There being no other corrections noted, a motion was made by Mrs. Sturges, seconded by Mr. Bernblum to approve the minutes of March 8th, as corrected. Motion passed.
Board of Finance Meeting March 15, 2016
Other Business
Mr. Russell stated that the next Board of Finance meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Hall Meeting Hall. Agenda items will include Parks and Recreation Commission, Animal Control budget, Suspense List, Capital Expenditures, Revenues, and approval of the March 15th minutes.
A motion was then made by Mr. Russell, seconded by Mrs. Sturges to adjourn the meeting at10:40 p.m. Motion carried.
Respectfully Submitted,
Michele E. Hayes
Secretary
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