TOWN OF SOUTH WINDSOR
WORK SESSION MINUTES
TOWN COUNCIL MONDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2012
COUNCIL CHAMBERS TIME: 7:00 P.M.
1. Call Meeting to Order
Mayor Delnicki called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
2. Roll Call
Members Present: Mayor Thomas Delnicki
Deputy Mayor Gary Bazzano
Councillor M. Saud Anwar
Councillor Cindy Beaulieu
Councillor Ed Havens
Councillor Kevin McCann
Councillor Cary Prague
Councillor Janice Snyder
Councillor Keith Yagaloff
Also Present: Michael Gantick, Acting, Town Manager
Kari Olson, Town Attorney
3. Public Participation
Mr. Don Gonsalves, 40 Bayberry Trail came forward and stated that he hopes the Town Council will listen to the changes proposed for the budget by Councillor Prague. Mr. Gonsalves stated he has requested that the Town go to a calendarized budget for six years because a Town can not be run with out one.
4. Communications
Councillor Anwar reminded the public that the Food Bank at the Community Center is in need of donations.
Mayor Delnicki recognized two new Eagle Scouts, Chris Guay and Chris Moran. Mayor Delnicki stated he attended the South Windsor Person of the Year event for Hal Cummings and Sunday the 100th Anniversary of Post Road Stages was celebrated. There is a ribbon cutting ceremony for the New Main Street Bridge over Stoughton Brook on Thursday, October 4, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. There also will be a grand opening on Thursday, October 4, 2012 for Peter’s Carstar on John Fitch Boulevard.
5. Town Manager’s Report
Answering questions from the Council, Mr. Gantick explained that the contractor is on schedule to finish the first two phases of the Kelly Road project on time. Next year the third phase will be complete. There have been a lot of problems with the utilities, but the phases should be complete on time. The contractor will get through as much as possible, but the sidewalks will have to wait until after the winter. The telephone poles are kept in a straight line and it is determined by the utility company where those are placed.
ITEM:
5. Town Manager’s Report
Councillor Anwar voiced concern regarding the utility company laying its fiber optic lines over the top of the thin walled existing metal pipe that needed to be replaced on Clark Street. Mr. Gantick explained that this work was probably done 15-20 years ago and the Town is not always there while the utility companies do their work. Some times best practices are not followed by utility companies.
At 7:15 p.m. Mayor Delnicki recessed the Work Session in order to call the Public Hearing to order. The Work Session reconvened at 7:24 p.m.
Answering further questions from Councillor Anwar, Mr. Gantick explained that for the most part, the utility companies work well with the Town, but if the Town finds a lot of things that are wrong, the Town will send a letter to PURA who regulates the utility companies.
Mr. Favreau, Director of the Parks & Recreation Department came forward to answer questions from Councillor Anwar. Mr. Favreau explained that when a Town Council member requests information from a Department Head, the approximate time the Town Councillor should be waiting for information depends on what the request is. Mr. Favreau explained that any projects in Town that are being worked on are directives from the Town Manager.
Councillor Anwar requested that any time a Council member requests information, all nine members of the Council should receive the information.
Mayor Delnicki explained that all requests should go through the Town Manager first who in turn will pass the requests onto the appropriate staff member. The Town Manager reports to the Town Council, but the Town staff reports to the Town Manager.
Deputy Mayor Bazzano questioned if Ellington Road would be repaved by the State, from Sullivan Avenue to Ellington? Mr. Gantick answered that he has not received anything official. Deputy Mayor Bazzano requested for Mr. Gantick to double check on this item.
Answering questions from Deputy Mayor Bazzano, Mr. Caldwell who is the Superintendent of Parks explained that he received the email today showing the vandalism to the all purpose sports wall at Rye Street. He will be meeting with the Police Department in the morning to review the video.
6. Items for Discussion
- Opportunity for New Budget Procedure for 2013/2014 (requested by Councillor Prague)
Councillor Prague presented to the Council a PowerPoint presentation on an opportunity to change the budget process, as shown in attached Exhibit A.
ITEM:
6. A. (Continued)
Mayor Delnicki stated that he is impressed and feels this is a good step in the right direction.
Councillor Yagaloff stated that the Council has tried different ways of doing the budget in the past and nothing has worked. The budget is decided upon by the majority of the Council at the time when the budget is decided upon.
Councillor Prague explained that the goal of changing the way the budget is done is to produce a budget book that everyone can understand, the public and the Council members.
Councillor McCann felt that doing the budget this way would provide a tremendous tool for the Town Council to understand where funds are going. Councillor McCann stated he would support this budget process.
Councillor Anwar stated he would support doing the budget process this way but felt that South Windsor should not copy one Town’s budget, but should review other options and discuss those options also.
7. Executive Session
None
8. Adjournment
At 8:00 p.m. Deputy Mayor Bazzano made a motion to adjourn the Work Session. Councillor McCann seconded the motion and it was approved, unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Deborah W. Reid
Recording Secretary
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