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Chairperson Janice Snyder called the meeting to order at 4:35 p.m.
Members Present
Dr. Kate Carter, Superintendent of Schools, Board of Education
Chris Chemerka, Director of Finance and Operations, Board of Education
Matthew Galligan, Town Manager
Michael Gantick, Director of Public Works
Patrick Hankard, Director of Facility Services, Board of Education
David Joy, Board of Education
Elizabeth Pendleton, Town Council
Janice Snyder, Town Council (Chairperson)
Members Absent
Dr. Saud Anwar, Town Council
Carol Driscoll, Board of Education (Vice Chairperson)
Lisa Maneeley, Board of Education
Guests Present
Jeffrey Doolittle, Town Engineer
Raymond Favreau, Director of Parks and Recreation
Walter Summers, Fire Marshal
Stephen Wagner, Town Council
3. Approval of Minutes Previous Meetings
Town Manager Matthew Galligan made a motion to approve the March 26, 2014 Minutes; Councilor Elizabeth Pendleton seconded that motion; and it was approved unanimously with one abstention from Ms. Chris Chemerka.
Amend: In Item 4, under Review Prioritization of Projects discussion on page 6 in the first paragraph, the item “Police Department Boilers” should be changed to “Police Department Heat Pumps”. The amended motion was approved unanimously.
4. Discussion Items
List of Capital Projects for Final Review
Chairperson Janice Snyder asked Town Manager Matthew Galligan to discuss the Capital Projects Budget. Town Manager Galligan said $1 million is being put into the Capital Projects Budget for Fiscal Year 2014/2015. He discussed how the revenues and the projected health claims allowed him to comfortably add $1 million to the Budget. Critical items were also kept in the overall budget, such as Public Works items. The only new position in the Proposed General Government Budget is a police officer. The Town Council indicated they wanted to get down to a 1.5% tax increase. Town Manager Galligan said a 1.5% increase is not feasible without cutting critical components. He is suggesting a 1.75% tax increase, as any number below that becomes detrimental to the safety and wellbeing of the residents.
He suggested that the Board of Education should only take a cut of $300,000 at the most. Even if that amount is cut, it would come back in the following fiscal year. It is unfortunate because there is almost nowhere to cut in the Proposed Budget. The Town Council has to understand that the budget needs to be built up over the next few years. Town Manager Galligan stressed that he did not want South Windsor to become a cancer where nothing can be fixed. He apologized to Superintendent Kate Carter and Mr. David Joy about the proposed cuts to the Board of Education.
Chairperson Snyder mentioned that the Board of Education is withdrawing $58,300 from the Capital Projects List because they will be covering that in their own budget. Superintendent Carter said the Board of Education was also intending to give their approved reimbursement check for their School Security Upgrades to the Town to help with some Capital Projects. Mr. Patrick Hankard updated the Committee on the School Security project.
Chairperson Snyder asked Town Manager Galligan where the extra $263,000 will be put in the General Government Budget. Town Manager Galligan said it will be going into fund balance.
Chairperson Snyder asked about the joint health account between the Town and Board of Education. Town Manager Galligan and Superintendent Carter discussed the use of the funds in the joint account. There is an ordinance in place that does not allow money to be transferred from that joint health account. Councilor Snyder said that a major issue is that past Town Councils have not properly funded the joint health care account.
Mr. Joy explained that he is stunned by the budget cuts that were made between Monday night’s Town Council meeting and this current Capital Projects Committee meeting.
Chairperson Snyder redirected the Committee to a discussion on the Revised List. The proposed Capital Budget is $1.09 million. Mr. Walter Summers made a suggestion to look at the list when a final number is voted on because the number could change when the Town Council finalizes the entire Budget.
The Committee made the decision to review the list after the Town Council has finalized the budget.
Funding Stream
Town Manager Galligan said an ordinance should be set up to fund Capital Projects for the next eight years to get a total of $6 million. The Budget should be voted on in September, and the Capital Projects Budget should never be deleted to fund another budget. The average tax increase is about 2% over the past ten years for the Town Council and trying to cut the budget in order to lower taxes will result in angry taxpayers who want to know why their roads are not being fixed.
Mr. Joy said he wanted the Board of Education to receive more credit for being timely and transparent in their budget proceedings. He expressed frustration that a few phone calls from one or two Councilors can have such an impact on suggested cuts to budgets.
Town Manager Galligan said he cannot pass a budget without working with the majority party. Mr. Joy said he would not have a problem with that if it was worked out transparently, but that is not how it works.
Superintendent Carter said she has advocated that the Town should be better supported and funded. In the five years she has sat on the Committee, Town staff has put in an incredible amount of work with figuring out Capital Projects needs only to be told there is no funding. She is hoping the Town Manager’s suggested ordinance will try to change that, but she will never engage in actions that pit the Town against the Board of Education. She worries that the very flawed practices that have led the Town and Board of Education to this point of having $40 million in Capital Projects has been a result of deferred maintenance and lack of stewardship. She is very concerned that the lack of stewardship is now being directed toward the Board of Education. If this was a one-time fix to this problem, she would
be less concerned.
Mr. Michael Gantick thanked Dr. Carter for her words of wisdom and support. He expressed his concern and frustration at how both the Capital Projects and Operating Budgets are unfolding. South Windsor is becoming a third class community that dreams of being like other towns. There are unfunded mandates piling up, and the staffing levels are hard to maintain. Other communities are funding capital and still have reasonable tax increases, including West Hartford and Glastonbury. There is so much potential in South Windsor, but the lack of stewardship is holding the Town back.
Town Manager Galligan said it comes down to two key points: 1) the political parties have to stop worrying about tax increases and 2) the fiduciary responsibility to get the job done. He has proposed different funding mechanisms for Capital Projects in the past, and both politician parties have laughed at him. However, when something goes wrong, the Town Manager gets the blame.
Draft Resolution for Permanently Funding Capital Projects
Town Manager Galligan said he will be working on a draft resolution to create the ordinance mentioned in the previous discussion item.
Chairperson Snyder said she would like to see the draft resolution within the next few weeks.
5. New Business
None
6. Old Business
None
7. Adjournment
A motion to adjourn was made by Councilor Elizabeth Pendleton at 5:25 p.m.; the motion was seconded by Town Manager Matthew Galligan; and all were in favor.
Respectfully submitted,
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Ashley Summers
Recording Secretary
(Approved 6/3/14)
Exhibit A Revised Project List
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