TOWN OF SOUTH WINDSOR
MINUTES
TOWN COUNCIL WORK SESSION
MADDEN ROOM FEBRUARY 3, 2003
SOUTH WINDSOR TOWN HALL 6:00 P.M.
1. Call Meeting to Order
Mayor Aman called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
2. Roll Call
Members Present: Mayor William Aman
Councillor Barbara Barbour
Councillor Paul Burnham
Councillor Thomas Delnicki
Councillor Edward Havens
Councillor Judith Paquin
Councillor John Pelkey (Arrived 6:50 p.m.)
Members Absent: Deputy Mayor Streeter
Councillor Fine
Also Present: Town Manager Matthew B. Galligan
Town Attorney Barry D. Guliano
3. Public Participation – None
4. Communications - None
5. Town Manager’s Report - None
Items for Discussion
Strategic Budget Presentation – Human Services Department
(See attached Exhibit A.)
The following information was presented by Dennis Sheridan, Director of Human Services, Youth & Family Services Division, in addition to the material in attached Exhibit A.
Not included on the staffing page for Youth & Family Services was a 15-hour per week clerical position.
6. A. Strategic Budget Presentation – Human Services Department (Continued)
Accomplishments for Fiscal Year 2001/2002:
Mentoring Program - there are currently 29 matches, 8 of those mentors are Town employees. The remaining mentors are from Town businesses, with several mentors employed by Gerber Scientific.
Summer Youth Employment Program - 10 youth worked 20 hours per week for 6 weeks for minimum wage. It is believed that the funding will be available again this year.
Care Initiative – South Windsor is a “community that accepts and respects everyone.” Murals are being designed for Town buildings An artist will translate the ideas of employees, students, etc. onto 4’ x 8’ pieces of board.
Saturday nights at the Teen Center are Middle School nights, with an average of 55 to 60 kids in attendance. Mr. Sheridan emphasized that the difference in the Teen Center in South Windsor is the connection to outside projects—doing service to the community.
In response to questions concerning the Crisis Intervention Program, Mr. Sheridan said that this is the individual’s first chance at an opportunity to have his/her situation addressed. It has elements of accountability but does not involve Juvenile Court. The Juvenile Review Board is for kids under the age of 16. If they offend again while they are still under the age of 16, they automatically go to Juvenile Court in Rockville. In the ten years that this program has been in effect, perhaps five kids have offended again and moved on to Juvenile Court.
When asked what types of offenses bring individuals to the point of community service, Mr. Sheridan said simple trespass, criminal mischief, underage drinking, shoplifting, or any other type of misdemeanor crimes.
6. A. Strategic Budget Presentation – Human Services Department (Continued)
Strategic Planning Goals and Objectives:
The demands on the individual working at the front desk were discussed, including the need for an increase in hours. Because of the difficult economic times, Mr. Sheridan said that they were asking for the hours of that position to be increased from 15 to 25. They serve a multiplicity of issues and a multiplicity of generations. The Department is trying to be responsive to all of these groups.
There is currently a full-time secretary, whose position is under the Human Services, Adult and Senior Services budget. That individual is shared with Youth and Family Services.
A “ropes course” is an outdoor experiential adventure program involving balance initiatives and group decision-making. The Department has been sending kids to ropes courses for at least 18 years—kids from the Teen Center, the high school, the middle school, etc. A variety of facilities have been used. A committee has been established to investigate the plausibility of constructing a ropes course in South Windsor. They are not looking at this as a budget item, rather consideration is being given to fundraising and grants. The cost would range from $25,000 to $40,000. In the future, they would be looking to develop a coordinator to oversee the course. When asked if the Recreation Department’s Adventure Program would tie in with a ropes
course, Mr. Sheridan said that he “wasn’t sure how that would play out.”
Two primary sites are being considered for the ropes course—Nevers Road Park as well as land adjacent to Timothy Edwards. Substantial acreage is not necessary; a decent course could be put on two acres of land.
At this point in the meeting Pat Schneider, Director of Human Services, Adult and Senior Services presented the following information in addition to the material in attached Exhibit B.
6. A. Strategic Budget Presentation – Human Services Department (Continued)
(See Attached Exhibit B)
Not included on the staffing sheet for Adult and Senior Services was an additional Social Worker position which was to be phased in. That position would spend half of the time with Adult and Senior Services and half of the time with Youth and Family Services. However, with the hiring situation, that has been put on hold.
The full-time secretary listed in this budget is shared by both Adult and Senior Services and Youth and Family Services.
The Resident Services Coordinator position is the position which previously serviced the Housing Authority. The Housing Authority has decided to get its own Resident Services Coordinator, but this position is still needed for Adult and Senior Services.
It was noted that many of the programs could not be held without the help of volunteers, 80 of which give their time to this Department.
Accomplishments for Fiscal Year 2001/2002:
The grant from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving was for $135,000 over a 3-year period. In order to receive this grant, certain rooms had to be designated for seniors only; and, therefore, some of the recreation programs had to be rearranged. The majority of the salary of the program coordinator comes from this grant. This is one of the first times that the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving has given to a municipal program. There was no promise that it will be ongoing at the end of the three-year period.
Strategic Planning Goals & Objectives:
In South Windsor, 21.5 of residents are over fifty-five years of age. As the senior population grows, the need for services and programs will increase.
Discussion centered on cuts at the State level and the effects of these cuts on the senior population.
6. B. Strategic Budget Presentation – Volunteer Fire Department
The following information was provided by Philip Crombie, Chief of the Fire Department, addition to material in attached Exhibit C.
The Fire Department is celebrating its 65th anniversary in 2003. There are currently fifteen officers, including the Chief. Those individuals were selected based upon the results of competitive examinations. Of those 15, 10 have new jobs since July.
Since 1994, the Department averages about 500 responses per year, the bulk of which are fire alarm activations. About a dozen of those are actual structure fires.
Recruiting and retaining individuals has been proceeding well. They are going to target recruiting individuals for specific jobs. The Chief Officers and the Explorer Post do not participate in the point program—reimbursement for expenses.
The Staff has donated more than 9,000 hours in a six-month period of time, in training and providing fire and rescue services.
The Department has been in the process of formalizing reports for both the Town Manager and the Town Council in terms of facilities and apparatus, and they should be completed within the next couple of months. In terms of fire apparatus, they are in a relatively good position with regard to age.
The Fire Department, along with the Ambulance Corps and the Police Department, was the recipient of a bequest, which has been used to make two major purchases of equipment for fire safety education. These purchases include a trailer which has been ordered and some associated material, and a utility truck to be used to tow that trailer.
They are equipped for operational readiness for “the most likely fire and rescue situations which may occur in Town.” They have agreements with neighboring towns to provide assistance if and when necessary. The limitations of the Department relate to complex hazardous material releases, which require specialized equipment. They are not currently equipped or trained to handle complex low-grade rescues. South Windsor has been active in getting regional initiatives progressing.
6. B. Strategic Budget Presentation – Volunteer Fire Department
When asked about aerial apparatus and funding, Mr. Galligan said that a number of years ago there were plans to purchase a rescue truck or a pumper, and instead the funds were used to lease two pieces of equipment. There is about $100,000 set aside in capital for an initial down payment, and it will take about two years for the construction of a truck. If $110,000 is for the initial down payment and we keep building the fund until the truck is delivered, then a good portion of it will be paid; the remainder could be leased, rather than bonding it with interest costs.
The Department is in the process of reviewing the apparatus, including the need for an aerial truck and the possible replacement of a pumper. The aerial apparatus is about $800,000 and a pumper is about $350,000. Discussions are occurring regarding replacement versus addition, whether two pieces of aerial apparatus are needed in Town, and what can be done in terms of mutual aid agreements and automatic response agreements.
There is space at headquarters for a second aerial piece. A piece of apparatus could be designed to fit in Station 3; however, it should be designed to perform necessary functions, rather than to fit in a particular space. Nothing would fit in Station 2, given the height requirements of aerial apparatus.
There is an issue of space at the Fire Headquarters. The training room has been taken over for office space, and there are now two offices in the conference room.
Mr. Galligan raised the issue of response time in conjunction with locations of the fire stations. Chief Crombie said that Station 3 has always been a problem because it is the most remote station in relation to residential areas. In discussing the possibility of a new firehouse, the idea of incorporating the volunteer ambulance corps in the same facility was addressed. There is no structural concern with regard to the current building; and, if the building were to be vacated by the Department, the building would be available for an alternate use.
Executive Session
A motion was made to go into Executive Session to discuss potential litigation. The motion was duly seconded and was unanimously approved.
Adjournment
A motion to adjourn was made at 8:00 p.m. It was duly seconded and was unanimously approved.
Respectfully submitted,
Merlyn P. Guild
Assistant to the Clerk of the Council
| 
