TOWN OF SOUTH WINDSOR
WORK SESSION MINUTES
TOWN COUNCIL MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2010
COUNCIL CHAMBERS TIME: 7:00 P.M.
1. Call Meeting to Order
Mayor Pelkey called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
2. Roll Call
Members Present: Mayor John Pelkey
Councillor Janice Favreau
Councillor Tom Delnicki
Councillor Kathryn Hale
Councillor Kevin McCann
Councillor Cary Prague
Councillor Keith Yagaloff
Members Absent: Councillor Bazzano
Deputy Mayor Havens
Also Present: Matthew Galligan, Town Manager
3. Public Participation
Chairperson Lisa Maneeley, 326 Quarry Brook Drive came before the Town Council to speak on the Board of Education budget. Ms. Maneeley stated that there have been various attempts to communicate with the Town Council to no avail. At the Joint Work Session between the Town Council and Board of Education, the Town Council made various suggestions to the Board of Education on ways to reduce the budget. The Board of Education is requesting that the Town Council give the Board of Education a number for the budget so that the budget for the Board of Education can be discussed by its members.
Dr. Kozaczka, Superintendent of Schools came before the Town Council. Dr. Kozaczka explained to the Town Council that over the last several years the Board of Education has been reducing the Elementary School teachers, class sizes are budgeted to the maximum number allowed, and the program budget has been managed and will only be a 1.2% increase. The drivers of this budget are wages and benefits and both those items are required and have been negotiated. If the Town Council is suggesting that the budget needs to be reduced by the amount of the wage increase, the Board of Education would have to review the athletic department, busing, student activities, and the gifted program. After those items are reviewed and if there were not enough cuts, the Board of Education would then have to start
looking at art and music at the elementary schools.
Work Session – Town Council
April 12, 2010
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ITEM:
3. Public Participation (continued)
Mr. Tim Kenefick, 62 Rosemary Lane and a member of the Board of Education also came before the Town Council to discuss the Board of Education budget. Mr. Kenefick explained that South Windsor has the largest class room sizes possible. Other Towns are presently working on cutting to where South Windsor presently is. Ninety-five percent of the increase to the Board of Education budget is for contractual increases. Programs will have to start being eliminated if the Town Council begins cutting the proposed budget. The Town Council needs to give the Board of Education a number so that the budget can continue to be worked on. Mr. Kenefick added that if you ask residents in Town why they have moved to South Windsor, they will say because of the school system.
4. Communications
Mayor Pelkey announced that the Timothy Edwards Science Olympiad Team has won the State competition for the third time in a row and will be heading to Champaign, Illinois on May 23, 2010 for the National competition.
5. Town Manager’s Report
None
6. Items for Discussion
A. Town Clerk’s Budget Presentation
Town Clerk, Lori Trahan came forward to review the Town Clerk’s proposed budget. She explained that there will be an increase in the advertising as well as the printing. The increases in both these items are due to the primary and election being held this upcoming year. Also in the printing budget there will be the need to print the Town’s absentee ballots, which had previously been paid for by the State.
Answering questions from the Council, Ms. Trahan explained that conveyance taxes are down which is an item that brought funds to the town, but the office still has the same work load. Ms. Trahan explained the technology that has been implemented into the office.
Mr. Galligan requested that before the Town Council goes any further, Mr. Scott Roberts and Mr. Walter Summers were present to update the Council on the Everbridge System.
Mayor Pelkey made a motion to Suspend the Rules to add a discussion item (6. A1) to the agenda regarding an update of the Everbridge System. Councillor Hale seconded the motion; and it was approved, unanimously.
Work Session – Town Council
April 12, 2010
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ITEM:
6. A1. Update on Everbridge System
Mr. Walter Summers explained that there are 1,392 people who have opted into the system. Everbridge sent 10,870 notices out on Saturday in 17 minutes. Sixty-two percent of the messages were delivered, but 38% were not. There are areas in Town that experienced problems such as Carman and Concord which are on the border of Manchester; and St. Marc Circle (being looked at the way the address is coded). There were also problems with some of the answering machines. The Town will next have to discuss how to handle notifications to individuals with special needs. Today there was a message sent out to individuals on Main Street. The Town delivered approximately 120 notices and 10 were delivered and confirmed. This testing was done at 9:30 this morning when most people were at work.
Answering questions from the Council, Mr. Summers explained that anyone who has experienced any difficulties or need assistance should either email the Town at www.everbridgehelpatsouthwindsor.org or call the Town Hall at (860) 644-2511 extension 309. If someone would like to be notified about another area in Town, they can opt into the system and supply the necessary address in the system.
Mr. Summers then stated that more sessions to introduce the system could be held at the Human Services Department if necessary.
B. Human Services Budget Presentation
Mr. Dennis Sheridan, Director of Human Services came before the Council. Mr. Sheridan explained that the cost for administration is $272,647 which consists of one Department Head, two Division Coordinators, one full time Administrative Secretary and one part time Administrative Secretary. The total for Counseling and Social Services for Youth & Family Service and Adult & Senior Services is $186,532; the total for programs is $169,694; the total for Food Service/CRT is $18,873 and the total for transportation is $53,350. The agencies that support the Human Services Department total $28,549. The grants that the Human Services Department has been able to apply for and get approved for total $101,000.
Answering questions from the Council, it was explained that the requests for help have risen from families that need to use the food and fuel bank. The proposed budget will enable the Human Services Department to provide a level of service that has been provided, but in the future it will be necessary to determine what the growth in Town will be and how to provide services. The grants that the Human Services Department presently use help run the department tremendously. The Town has been fortunate to maintain funding and not impact services. Presently the Town buses approximately 20 to 25 disabled individuals. The Town will be collaborating with Hartford to make this service more efficient.
Work Session – Town Council
April 12, 2010
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ITEM:
6. C. Public Work s Budget Presentation
Mr. Michael Gantick, Director of Public Works came forward and introduced staff. He then began discussions about the proposed budget, (Attachment A).
Budget Challenges 2010/2011
- Unfunded Executive Secretary position.
- Reduced training.
- This current fiscal year Public Works had no summer help, it is hopeful to get two positions back.
- The road system has been a challenge and remains that way.
- Equipment replacement schedule/increase in cost of replacement parts.
- Fuel costs have gone up and this budget calls for a reduction of 5%.
- Timothy Edwards Middle School tennis courts will remain closed for another year.
- Pot holes have been a challenge.
- Heat exchangers and pumps at the Police Department and Community Center should be replaced
- Considering fee for hazardous waste this year to help with budgeting.
- At the Pollution Control Facility staff continues to try to meet the discharge permits with an ever changing construction improvement program.
- Some of the major budget drivers are mandates that are unfunded.
- Have reduced the salt usage that the Town has to sweep up and collect out of the catch basins, but the cost to dispose what is collected impacts the budget by $22,000 this year.
- Maintaining the new athletic field at the high school. The bid that came in was for $70,000 that is not in our budget as it stands now.
- The trash in the park program is approximately $64,000 item in the budget.
- There have been increases in utility rates, MDC Water increases, and Connecticut Water is looking at increases.
- There is a $63,000 increase in the residential recycling.
- Most of the increases in Pollution Control are with contractual obligations for employees.
Work Session – Town Council
April 12, 2010
Page 5
ITEM:
6. C. Public Work s Budget Presentation
Budget Goals for 2010/2011
- In Engineering there are significant effort underway with a number of roads: Sand Hill Road reconstruction, Nevers Road reconstruction, West Road alignment reconstruction, Lawrence Road reconstruction, Kelly Road design, Hayes Road design to reconstruct next year, Safe Routes to School, GIS system.
Accomplishments
- The Engineering Department completed the Buckland Road reconstruction.
- Six hundred road signs have been complete to date. It is expected to complete the remainder later this year.
- Staff did renovation of some roads.
- Staff was able to work and fix catch basins.
- The Parks & Grounds saved about $10,000 by replacing the backstop at Duprey Field.
- There have been various recognitions to staff.
- The change to single stream recycling has saved money for the Town.
- The $37 million dollar grant through the Clean Water Fund. The Town was awarded $293,000 grant through C L & P for some of those improvements and currently that project is about 30% complete.
Answering questions from the Council Mr. Gantick explained that the 16% increase in Highway Maintenance full time salaries is due to $78,000 that was not put in the budget last year and is being made up in this year’s budget, the 53rd pay period and the contractual obligations.
Council members then discussed items that seemed to be for different departments that were in the Public Works budget. Suggestions were discussed regarding refuse collection, Christmas tree collection and leaf collections. Mr. Shaw explained that reducing the amount of pick ups for refuse during September through April has been looked at previously. The size of the containers would not allow that and residents keep their refuse in their garage and there will be an odor issue. Mr. Gantick stated that having an area for the Christmas trees to be dropped off becomes a liability issue for the Town. There would need to be someone there to watch the containers at all times.
Mr. Gantick explained that there was a slight surplus in the plowing budget this year. Mr. Galligan stated that the Town could research the idea of buying used vehicles for the vehicle replacement plan instead of buying new.
Work Session – Town Council
April 12, 2010
Page 6
ITEM:
6. C. Public Work s Budget Presentation
Council members then discussed the road maintenance. There is a small amount for patch work, but road repairs are part of the Capital Projects budget.
Answering questions from the Council, Mr. Gantick stated that if he had to pick two programs that would need to come out of the budget, they would be bag leaf collection and trash pick up. Council then discussed energy savings and a referendum that should be considered in November.
7. Executive Session
At 9:47 p.m. Councillor Hale made a motion to go into Executive Session to discuss documents containing financial information provided in confidence and exempt from disclosure pursuant to C. G. S. §1-200 (6) and 1-210 (b))5)(B) regarding The Connecticut Studios project. Councillor McCann seconded the motion and it was approved, unanimously.
Individuals who went into Executive Session were as follows: Town Manager Galligan, Craig Stevenson who is the Economic Development Consultant, Dan Marsh with the National Development Council, Mayor Pelkey, Councillor Delnicki, Councillor Favreau, Councillor Hale, Councillor McCann, Councillor Prague, and Councillor Yagaloff.
8. Adjournment
At 11:15 p.m. Councillor McCann made a motion to adjourn the Executive Session and Work Session. Councillor Favreau seconded the motion; and it was approved, unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Deborah W. Reid
Clerk of the Council
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