PUBLIC HEARING MINUTES
JUNE 6, 2005
7:00 P.M.
SOUTH WINDSOR COUNCIL CHAMBERS
PURPOSE: To Receive Citizen Input on the Transfer of $40,000 from the Capital and Non-Recurring Expenditures Account to the Capital Projects Account for the Services of an Architect for a Proposed New Firehouse
Mayor Havens called the Public Hearing to order at 7:00 p.m. The Clerk of the Council read the call of the meeting (a copy of which is attached).
The following Town Council Members were present:
Mayor Edward Havens
Deputy Mayor John Pelkey
Councillor Thomas Delnicki
Councillor Deborah Fine
Councillor Elizabeth Pendleton
Councillor Roseann Williams
Absent: Councillor Cary Prague
Councillor Matthew Streeter
Also
Present: Town Manager Matthew Galligan
Town Attorney Barry Guliano
Mayor, addressing the Town Manager, remarked that there seemed to be some question about the dollar amount, and the proper writing of the Public Hearing Notice. He asked that it be corrected, if necessary.
Presently, according to Mr. Galligan, the Public Hearing addresses the need for an architect for “the firehouse.” He reminded the Councillors that “we have been looking at architects to come in and give us a proposal on the firehouse.” However, he continued, “over the years we have looked at this as a ‘joint project’ with the Police Department, at the same time.” The $40,000 being looked at here, he added, included both projects.
Public Hearing Minutes
Re: $40,000 Transfer from Cap. And Non-Recurring to Capital Projects Acct. - New Firehouse
Page 2
June 6, 2005
Continuing, Mr. Galligan reminded Council that if the Ambulance Corps is to move into the new Firehouse, the Police Department would be able to expand that space. The Space Study, he added, had indicated that, were this to happen, there would be an additional 6,000 square feet needed to expand.
Mr. Galligan said that because the Legal Ad mentions only the proposed new Fire House, then Council’s Public Hearing to “just stick to the fire house.’ He reiterated the fact that whatever architect was chosen was suppose to look at both projects, come up with cost estimates, and get back to the Council who would then decide whether one or both projects should be done.
Saying he did not wish to delay the commencement of the fire house project; and suggested that, under the circumstances, only the fire house be discussed; amend the Resolution to so read; and, if Council wished the Police Department representatives to come forward at some future date.
Town Attorney Guliano then stated that he saw no reason for the Council to not go ahead with this Public Hearing as long as they confined their discussion and consideration to the proposed “fire house.” He also suggested that the two Resolutions associated with this Public Hearing could be “amended” as long as the Amendment took out any reference to the Police Facility; and as long as any straw vote taken was on the firehouse.
Mr. Galligan suggested that Council proceed with this plan; and that sometime later in June, or in July, the Police Department could come forward to discuss their needs with the Town Council. Atty. Guliano also stated that the Council could leave the figure at $40,000 even when referring to the firehouse, alone. The Mayor concurred.
Deputy Mayor Pelkey, referring to the Public Building Commission’s legal ad seeking “Requests for Proposals” for both projects, asked if discussing only the firehouse this evening could cause a problem. Atty. Guliano responded that he did not see it as a problem. The Deputy Mayor also sought, and received, clarification that the Ambulance Corps’ possible move to that new firehouse could be a part of this evening’s Public Hearing discussions.
Public Hearing Minutes
Re: $40,000 Transfer from Cap. And Non-Recurring to Capital Projects Acct. - New Firehouse
Page 3
June 6, 2005
Councillor Delnicki reminded his fellow Councillors that at Council’s previous meeting on May 16, the amount of this transfer, for Public Hearing purposes, was raised from $30,000 to $40,000 in order to have sufficient funds available to study both projects. He went on to state that it would be his understanding that when a Public Hearing was set sometime in the future for seeking the services of an architect for possible expansions and renovations to Police Headquarters, the money for that architectural study would come from this same $40,000. Atty. Guliano said that this was correct.
Councillor Delnicki then added that he had no problem with having this evening’s discussions deal only with the firehouse.
Councillor Pendleton asked for clarification on what was the “public safety building,” as mentioned in the Town Manager’s previous report to Council. Mr. Galligan stated that the only “public safety building’ in South Windsor was Police Headquarters. Councillor Pendleton then asked if a $40,000 appropriation for both projects would equate to $20,000 for each project; and, if it did, could the amount for this evening’s Public Hearing be changed to $20,000 for a fire house study; and, sometime in the future, appropriate another $20,000 for a Police Headquarters study.
Atty. Guliano said that of that $40,000 Council could choose to reappropriate any way it chose—as long as the public was on notice of, essentially, what it is the Council is attempting to do, so that if they had an interest in the subject the could come out and speak to it. He felt that this had been done.
Councillor Pendleton asked if the Ambulance Corps could be included in the upcoming Resolution since it was understood that they were interested in being located with the Fire Department. The only question the Town Attorney had was with regard to input from the Public Building Commission.
Councillor Williams, in an attempt to address any confusion with this entire topic, stated that it was her understanding that when referring to the two (2) different projects, they would be known as the “Ambulance/Fire Building,” and the “Police Facility.”
Public Hearing Minutes
Re: $40,000 Transfer from Cap. And Non-Recurring to Capital Projects Acct. - New Firehouse
Page 4
June 6, 2005
Councillor Fine questioned the legality of continuing a Public Hearing that included references to the “Ambulance Corps” when, in fact, the Public Hearing Notice did not refer to the Ambulance Corps. The Councillor felt that such an omission deprived interested parties from prior knowledge that the Ambulance Corps would be discussed at tonight’s Public Hearing.
Atty. Guliano said that it was his understanding that the Ambulance Corps was included in the Resolution that discussed the firehouse as a public safety facility. Mr. Galligan added that for the last five or six years it “has always been the intention that this was going to be one building (a different building, maybe, located closer to homes for a quicker response time) and the Ambulance Corps was always a part of that process.
Councillor Fine then asked, pointedly, if the Ambulance Corps was aware that this Public Hearing also referred to them. Mr. Galligan replied that “Yes they were”….that he had had many prior discussions about it with Larry Gorman.
Mayor Havens then called for a straw vote on this evening’s Public Hearing discussion. The vote results were:
Those in favor of the $40,000 transfer = 0
All those opposed: = 0
The Mayor adjourned the Public Hearing at 7:15 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Patricia R. Brown
Clerk of the Council
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