Minutes of the Board of Finance meeting held on Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. at the Old Lyme Memorial Town Hall following Town Meeting.
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Present:~~~~~~~~~~ Regular Members:~ Andrew Russell, Wayne Devoe,
H. P. Garvin, III, Christopher Kerr, Janet Sturges, David Woolley
Alternate Members:~ Anne Coburn, David Kelsey,
Timothy C. Griswold, First Selectman Ex-officio, and
Nicole Stadjuhar, Finance Director
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Absent:~~~~~~~~~~~ Regular Members:~~
~~~~~~~~~Alternate Members:~~Judy Read
Guest: Skip Sibley, Selectman
Jenna Cho, The Day reporter.
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~Mr. Russell called the meeting to order at 7:55 p.m.~
Setting the Mill Rate
A motion was made by Mr. Garvin, seconded by Mr. Devoe and passed unanimously to approve setting the mill rate to 19.50.
Minutes of April 7,2009
It was decided to postpone approval of the April 7th minutes until the June 16th meeting.
Chart of Accounts
The Chart of Accounts was thoroughly reviewed and discussed.
Selectman’s Report
Honkers, LLC: Mr. Griswold stated that Sanitarian, Ron Rose, received a letter and new contract terms from the goose control company, Honkers, LLC. The new contract states that Honkers will operate only on the land portion of Hains Park on a per visit basis with an average of ten visits per week and include a written report detailing date and time of visits. Ms. Pettit, Manager of Honkers will no longer utilize water tactics or addle the eggs as part of the contract.
Board of Finance Meeting May 26, 2009
It was agreed the Board will have a transcript of what Ms. Pettit said at the March meeting concerning documenting her visits.
Bus Barn: Mr. Griswold stated that there is a Zoning Commission Public Hearing meeting scheduled for June 8th to discuss the Bus Barn project. If the project is approved, the Board of Selectmen will call for a Special Town Meeting to request approval of funds to complete the Bus Barn facility by the end of the current contract; June 30, 2010.
Church Corner: Mr. Griswold stated that the bids for Church Corner were opened and American Industries was the apparent low bidder at $329,000. The Town’s engineer is presently reviewing all the bids for accuracy and performing reference checks. Several years ago, American Industries was the contractor who reconstructed Lyme Street, so the Selectmen are aware of its workmanship. The Town has hired a Clerk of the Works to oversee the Church Corner project. Bids are being accepted for the drainage portion of the project which is estimated at approximately $16,000.
Public Works Garage: Bids have been received for the roofing and siding of the Town Garage. Contracts for the generator, boiler, plumbing and garage doors have already been awarded so far.
Police Officer Interviews: Interviews of five candidates for the Town police officer positions have been completed. The Police Hiring board has recommended that the Town offer the full-time position to Thomas Heinssen, as he received the highest scores. If the Town is awarded a COPS grant, the Board of Selectmen will request the Board of Finance for an appropriation to fund a sixth police officer. The COPS grant will pay for the salary and fringe benefits.
State Police Contract: The two-year contract with the State Police is up for renewal at the end of June. The new contract provides two State Troopers to the town and will run from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2011, with several changes anticipated. Presently, the town pays 70% of the total cost and 30% is paid by the State. That percentage may increase to 85% for the first year and 100% for the second year. Mr. Griswold stated that there is also some discussion regarding increasing the town’s cost of overtime work performed by the troopers outside of the contract. The town would be charged the overtime rate plus 53% to help pay for fringe benefits.
Board of Finance Meeting May 26, 2009
Probate Court Consolidation: In order to reduce expenses, the State is considering consolidating the probate courts from 117 courts to 45 to 50 courts with each court serving a population minimum of 40,000. The State is hoping for voluntary cooperation and wants the towns to decide on how to consolidate the courts. Old Lyme has two possibilities. One is to consolidate with some or all of the Lower CT Valley Selectmen’s Association towns and decide where the court will be located. The second possibility is to consolidate with East Lyme, Colchester and Salem in order to make up the 40,000 population requirement. Presently, Waterford and New London are already working together.
Public Works Contract: Mr. Griswold distributed a spreadsheet prepared by Mrs. Stajduhar detailing the cost and budget implications of the Public Works Union settlement (attached). The gross cost for FY08 and 09, including overtime and FICA, is $55,251.62. This will be reduced in terms of the budget because the FY10 wage numbers do include assumed wage increases over the two year period.
Mr. Russell stated that the next Board of Finance meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. Budgets for Rogers Lake Patrol, and Capital Nonrecurring, along with some minor adjustments will be discussed.
A motion was then made by Mrs. Sturges, seconded by Mr. Woolley and passed unanimously to adjourn the meeting at 10:40 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Michele Hayes-Finn
Secretary
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