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Chairperson Janice Snyder called the meeting to order at 4:40 p.m.
Members Present
Dr. Saud Anwar, Town Council
Carol Driscoll, Board of Education (Vice Chairperson)
Matthew Galligan, Town Manager
Michael Gantick, Director of Public Works
Patrick Hankard, Director of Facility Services, Board of Education
Janice Snyder, Town Council (Chairperson)
Richard Stahr, Board of Education
Members Absent
Dr. Kate Carter, Superintendent of Schools, Board of Education
Chris Chemerka, Director of Finance and Operations, Board of Education
Cary Prague, Town Council
Guests Present
Jeffrey Doolittle, Town Engineer
Raymond Favreau, Director of Parks and Recreation
Scott Roberts, Director of Information Technology
Walter Summers, Fire Marshal
3. Approval of Minutes Previous Meetings
Mr. Patrick Hankard made a motion to approve the January 30, 2013 Minutes; Town Manager Galligan seconded that motion; and it was approved unanimously with one abstention from Ms. Carol Driscoll. The minutes of May 8, 2013 will be approved at the next regularly scheduled meeting.
4. Discussion Items
Council-Approved Projects Status and Review
Chairperson Snyder thanked the entire Committee for the past year and a half, as it has been a rewarding experience. The future of the Committee is uncertain because of the election in November. New members may be appointed, so Chairperson Snyder wanted to take the opportunity to thank the current members. In a short period of time, the Committee was able to get a tremendous amount of work done.
Town Manager Galligan gave an update to the Committee. The Town Council allowed for certain projects to be leased in Fiscal Year 2013-2014. Most leases will not start until January 2014. Bid documents are currently being drafted for some leases. In May, RFPs went out for the generators. An engineer was interviews and selected, and they have since looked at the five possible generator locations. The high school needs an exceptionally large generator since it is going to be the emergency shelter for Town residents during disasters. Since the fuel cell was located at the high school, a lot of electrical work will need to be completed to outfit the building for a new generator. Also, gas is not considered a fuel that provides constant power during emergencies, so the generator would need to
be powered by another source, most likely diesel. Mr. Patrick Hankard also mentioned that gas is twice as expensive as diesel to power large generators.
Wapping School might also receive a generator switch, as it could be used as a smaller emergency shelter with a portable generator. A large portion of the building could be powered with a portable generator. Dr. Saud Anwar asked about powering the middle school. Mr. Hankard said the portable generator would not be able to power the middle school, as it is a very large building.
The major concern with installing generators in schools is that the building has to be shut down during installation. This would need to be timed during the weekend or during a school vacation. Mr. Jack Sloan’s people would use another generator to power the building during installation and keep switching the generator off when needed.
Ms. Carol Driscoll asked how long it takes to install a generator. Mr. Michael Gantick said that it takes anywhere from eight to sixteen weeks to receive the generator, depending on the size. The high school is complicated because of the electrical work. He explained the different situations for each building. Some new generators would need to be put in different spots than the current generators. The biggest constraint is the lead time to actually receive the generators. Mr. Gantick said that everything will be planned with as little disruption as possible to anyone using these buildings. Ms. Driscoll was concerned with the students, and Mr. Gantick assured her that everything will work around the schools’ schedules.
Chairperson Snyder asked for confirmation of generator placements. The generators will be located at the high school, Police Department, Community Center, Town Garage, and Fire Station #2. Dr. Anwar asked when the functionality of the high school generator would take place. The estimate is summer of 2014. Dr. Anwar asked what would happen if there was a major storm this winter. Town Manager Galligan said that two shelters may have to be opened: one at the Community Center and one at Wapping School. The panel at Wapping School will be changed now in order to accommodate a portable generator. Dr. Anwar asked if it was worthwhile to have the generator at Wapping School ready rather than wait for an emergency to happen. The panel work at Wapping School would take approximately three
to four weeks, and Mr. Gantick will be soliciting bids within the next couple of weeks. Dr. Anwar would prefer to be prepared and ready before a bad storm hits. As of tonight’s meeting, the only available shelter would be the Community Center. If another storm like Alfred hit the Town, that shelter would not be enough. In a pinch, the Town Hall and fire stations that have generators could be used as shelters.
Town Manager Galligan discussed the selection of the leasing company for the generators. TIP Capital has a lower interest rate, but they request insulation time. Town Manager Galligan explained that was the best option out of the leasing companies, so TIP Capital was chosen. However, Real Lease was selected for rolling stock, so the new Public Works trucks are being leased through them. These items came out of the Public Works Operating Budget, not the Capital Projects Budget. Rolling stock trucks were never financed through the Capital Projects Budget.
Town Manager Galligan discussed the two underground storage tanks. Per State Statute, both tanks need to be removed after 25 years of age, or else the Town will be fined. Mr. Gantick is working on this process, and it will be accomplished before August of 2014. Chairperson Snyder asked why a bid is being put out instead of using a State contractor. Mr. Gantick said that the Town is using a State contractor for the Police Department generator. All underground storage tanks will be replaced with aboveground storage tanks that can hold 6,000 gallons of heating oil diesel and 10,000 gallons of gasoline for Town vehicles.
Dr. Anwar asked if the new tanks are larger than the older tanks. Town Manager Galligan said that 10,000 gallons is standard, but 25 years ago the Town had smaller tanks. They were replaced with larger tanks (6,000 gallons and 10,000 gallons) that now need to be removed. Mr. Gantick said he hopes to cut fuel consumption with a fitch catalyst system, so tank capacity will not need to be increased. Timothy Edwards Middle School already has this catalyst system, and they have seen good results. Mr. Gantick explains that the fuel’s ability to burn is increased with this system.
Mr. Gantick is hoping to replace three burners: one at the Town Hall, one at the Library, and one at the Police Department. Capital Lease won the bid for the burner replacement project. Town Manager Galligan said the system would be tested with the old burners first as part of protocol to calculate savings. Then the new burner will be installed without putting the system in, and the difference between the old and new burners will be figured out. Then the system will be added to the new burner to discover if there are any additional savings.
Dr. Anwar asked if there will be more needed storage because of the new generators. Mr. Gantick said that all the generators come with a tank that can power the generator for 48 to 96 hours. The only generator that will probably be connected to a fuel tank system would be the Police Department generator because there are code issues that will cause the system to be split.
Ms. Driscoll asked if all of these projects were approved by the Capital Projects Committee. Town Manager Galligan said these projects were Committee-approved and Council-approved under the lease arrangement.
Town Manager Galligan said that Mr. Scott Roberts is working with TIP Capital for their I.T. equipment needs. He clarified that copiers are not part of the I.T. equipment leases, and that they are done through standard leasing. Mr. Roberts discussed his meeting with TIP Capital that occurred previously that day. There are about ten projects that I.T. is hoping to accomplish. They include purchasing desktops, improving Police Department systems, and increasing security for different system components.
A question was asked regarding the source of funding for computers for both the Town and Board of Education. Town Manager Galligan said that all of the computers used to be in the operating budget, but one Town Council decided they should be in the Capital Budget. Town Manager Galligan had argued against it because computers only half a shelf life of approximately three years. That does not meet the threshold of capital projects for useful life. The technology changes so quickly that having the funding in the operating budgets makes more sense.
Chairperson Snyder said that the successful school referendum gives the Board of Education time to build up its operating budget for future capital projects in the Five Year Plan. The Capital Projects Budget will be used for leasing items that the Town still needs but did not pass at referendum. Dr. Anwar said that it is critical to have the emergency situation needs met and to upgrade our systems so we can successfully communicate.
Town Manager Galligan said it is embarrassing when an employee is attempting to communicate with a developer and encounters problems between office programs. The Town is still using Microsoft Office 2003, which is ten years old. It wastes everybody’s time to attempt to convert documents into a format that can be read. Mr. Scott Roberts said the plug-in only works when it is converting the newer features that are not being used in the product.
Ms. Driscoll asked why the school computer costs should be kept separate when everything costs so much to upgrade. Mr. Hankard said that the current I.T. needs through 2014-2015 were funded through the successful referendum. That gives the Superintendent time to build the budget to a level that will support I.T. needs in the future. Mr. Roberts elaborated and explained that companies sell Government licensing and Board of Education licensing. The Board of Education gets a tremendous discount because they are training the future business leaders of America with their software. However, only the Board of Education can use those licenses. A Town Manager would not qualify as it would be a violation of licensing. They are essentially apples and oranges, and they cannot be jointly purchased.
However, the Town of South Windsor is joining forces with both Coventry and Tolland to jointly purchase items as all the same type of equipment is being purchased with the same licensing agreement. Town Manager Galligan explained a regional effort to obtain fiber optic communications for municipalities.
Mr. Roberts said that currently, the Town is served by a 3MB internet connection. That is lower than what most private residences have from their cable provider. For the same amount of money that the Town is paying for 3MB now, once the Town is on the new system, the speed will increase to 75MB. That is going to be a huge difference for the Town with regard to running government. Town Manager Galligan said that fiber optic needs to be installed to connect Public Works, the three fire stations, the Police Department, and the Town Hall. Then a fiber optic loop will be created. This would increase the efficiency of emergency communications. There have been many disputes over the years between telephone poles, fiber optic, and what can be charged for the services.
Town Manager Galligan said that the Council has to understand that even though nobody wants to raise taxes, the Capital Budget needs to be replenished. It was once $3 million, and then it was devastated when a certain Council wanted a zero percent tax increase. Tough decisions need to be made.
Chairperson Snyder asked Mr. Jeff Doolittle about the paving projects status. Mr. Doolittle said that the company in charge of paving had equipment break down in the last few weeks, or else the current wave of paving would be complete by now. So far, $1.2 million of the allotted $4 million has been spent. By the end of the season, $1.8-$1.9 million will have been spent.
Chairperson Snyder asked if all $10 million from a previous referendum has been spent. Mr. Doolittle said that to date, $9.1 million has been spent. The remainder of the money will be spent on the design of Avery Street and the last Main Street bridge. Waiting for grant funding will usually slow down the process.
Ms. Driscoll said that the public should know how much hard work has been done on projects so far. Town Manager Galligan and Chairperson Snyder discussed how it could be distributed. The Committee agreed that they should report back to the Council. Town Manager Galligan said a report could be drafted. Mr. Gantick said that a new “What’s New in Public Works” episode will be aired.
Mr. Raymond Favreau updated the Committee on current recreation projects. He is waiting on the final drawings of the skate park to send to Mr. Doolittle for final approval. The final version may also have to go before the Planning & Zoning Commission. That is the only large project in progress currently. There are small items, such as fencing around the playground, but that needs to be coordinated with the skate park. Also, new handrails should be added to the pool.
Mr. Walter Summers said he was only looking for funding for his fire code inspections. Town Manager Galligan said that a lot of upgrades need to be done in the Town Hall alone. The handrails on the stairs are not adequate.
Chairperson Snyder said she hoped the next Council would continue the Capital Projects Committee. Town Manager Galligan said the next goal is to replenish the Capital Budget because it desperately needs to be funded well.
Mr. Hankard gave the Committee an update on the schools. Phase I for the high school roof has been completed, and Orchard Hill’s roof is completed. The high school paving is completed. The asbestos kitchen floor at Pleasant Valley has been replaced. The kitchen serving line at the middle school has been replaced. The roof at Pleasant Valley has been bid and awarded, and it will be the first job to kick off next spring. Phase II of the roof for the high school is under design. The track at the high school has been designed but not been bid yet. The two-year I.T. spending program is on schedule. Mr. Al Mothersele is managing that project.
Mr. Summers said that with regard to fire code upgrades, an RPF has already gone out. The cost is known, and the drawings are received. Everything is ready to go, but there is no funding in place.
Mr. Doolittle said that in the future, the Town will still need money for roads even after the referendum funding. He will make a funding plan that will continue after the referendum funding.
Chairperson Snyder said that if the Committee is fortunate enough to have a meeting in November after the election, the Committee members should be ready with funding requests and plans to bring forward. Mr. Hankard said that a request from the Committee should go to the new Council indicating commitment or support for the Capital plan in the upcoming budget. Without that, to go through the effort that the Committee goes through just to have it decimated is disheartening.
Town Manager Galligan said that a resolution was approved in 1996 to continually fund Capital Projects. He said there should be a policy, or even an ordinance, to fund that budget. If it were an ordinance, a public hearing would have to be held if anything about it were to be changed. Councils change, and the powers also change. Sometimes the Council worries more about keeping taxes low than keeping infrastructure intact. A financial ordinance should be created regarding Capital Projects. It would essentially protect the Councillors from themselves.
Dr. Anwar talked about balancing increases with cutting items from the budget to lessen the burden on the average citizen. Town Manager Galligan said that South Windsor is not like many other towns in the State. There is a high level of service that is provided to the residents. Many other towns do not have leaf pickup nor do they have convenient ways to get rid of bulky, hazardous, or electronic waste. Dr. Anwar clarified that he did not want to take anything away; rather, he wants to know if there is any way to keep the budget stable. Town Manager Galligan said that if the Council left the Capital Budget alone in the past, there would be $4 million in the current budget, and there would not have been such an increase. Many of these operations were in place for years, and they never increased the
cost. Once everything was taken out, the budget needs to be increased. Today, the Town is suffering because items need to be done or replaced, and the costs have risen.
Mr. Gantick said that the Council changed the Sidewalk Ordinance, and now the Town maintains all of the sidewalks. This includes a $4 million liability that was not funded during the 2012-2013 budget. Now if someone trips on the sidewalk, there can be a lawsuit.
Chairperson Snyder said that a government provides a service to residents. Those residents expect a level of service comparable to what they are paying for in their taxes. Glastonbury residents pay a lot of money for taxes, and they do not have trash pick-up, leaf collection, and other services that South Windsor provides to their residents. If Councillors want to really understand how government works, they need to understand that it is a service.
Dr. Anwar said that the Town has a shifting demographic to an aging community. Town Manager Galligan said that there is a shift in demographic, but that there are seniors in Town who are making a good amount of money. Dr. Anwar said that he is hearing from people of all ages who are upset about taxes in Town.
Town Manager Galligan said that if the State did not change the revaluation from ten years to five years, the 2013-2014 Fiscal Year problems would not have happened. It is hard to catch up with recessions and upturns in the economy with revaluations that happen every five years. The revaluation also disproportionally affects people who own modest-sized homes.
5. New Business
None
6. Old Business
None
7. Adjournment
A motion to adjourn was made by Chairperson Snyder at 5:40 p.m.; the motion was seconded by Town Manager Galligan; and all were in favor.
Respectfully submitted,
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Ashley Summers
Recording Secretary
(Approved 1/29/14)
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