TOWN OF SOUTH WINDSOR
WORK SESSION MINUTES
TOWN COUNCIL MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 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: Matthew B. Galligan, Town Manager
3. Public Participation
None
4. Communications
Mayor Delnicki informed the Council that he has received a number of calls regarding setting up a Town meeting regarding school safety in light of everything that occurred last week. Mayor Delnicki requested that the Town Manager set up a meeting.
On December 23, 2012 there will be a number of Towns trying to organize vigils at 6:00 p.m. to remember those affected by the Newtown incident. Mayor Delnicki stated that he has informed the Town Manager to schedule this with other Towns if possible.
Wreaths Across America was held on Saturday, December 15, 2012 and was a tremendous event which was well attended.
Councillor Prague stated that he was at the Mayor’s house on Saturday night dressed as Santa and thousand of cars came through and gave donations. There was $2,400 raised and an enormous amount of food donations for the Food and Fuel Bank.
Councillor Anwar thanked Superintendent Dr. Kate Carter for writing a letter to the parents of South Windsor children regarding the Newtown incident with careful consciousness.
5. Town Manager’s Report
Mr. Galligan stated he would do the Town Manager’s Report later in the Work Session.
ITEM:
6. Items for Discussion
- Creating a nonlapsing account for Special Education
Town Manager, Matthew Galligan informed the Council that he had given a proposed draft resolution to everyone which explains the intention of the non-lapsing account. This would allow the Board of Education to have an account where there is extra revenue to be used when there is an under expenditure in a certain year. The amount needed for Special Education can vary from year to year and this would eliminate the worry of not having enough funding for Special Education. In order to have a non-lapsing account, a resolution from the Town Council is necessary.
Mayor Delnicki stated that this would provide a level of stability in the funding. It would act as a stop gap measure that would prevent drastic affects to the budgetary process on the Board of Education side and would smooth out the peaks and valleys.
Councillor Yagaloff stated that there needs to be a level of comfort that this is not a way of generating an additional revenue stream that is not being budgeted properly. This has not happened in the last couple of years, but did happen in the past. Language should be added into the resolution that says it is anticipated that the Board of Education shall balance its budget or shall construct its budget with reasonable anticipation of revenue and expenditures so it does not become an opportunity to try to put some money aside.
Mr. Joy stated that the State works off of a formula and reimburses the Board of Education for a portion of the excess cost of special education. The percentage in the formula can vary from year to year and this may be the reason why in the past the Superintendent may have felt there was a need to build into the budget a small cushion. In recent years there has also been a change in the Board’s interest in this expense. Special education is nearly 20% of the total operating budget. There is no way to predict who will move into Town or predict the needs a child may encounter who is already in Town. The Board of Education has a legal obligation to meet these needs and would like to dedicate the funds in this account to only Special Education costs. Special Education costs this year
have put a lot of pressure on the Board of Education. This type of account would help the Board of Education and the Town from a budget setting standpoint to give a cushion in the years where it may be necessary and in the years that it is not needed, the account will be built up for future use dedicated entirely to Special Education.
Councillor Yagaloff stated he would be supporting the resolutions and likes the idea of having the account dedicated to Special Education. The Town of South Windsor has a tremendous Special Education program in the school system.
ITEM:
6. A. (Continued)
Councillor Anwar explained that after talking with residents, he has found that a lot of residents feel that any surplus found in the Board of Education budget should be returned to the general budget to help both the Board of Education as well as the Town. Mr. Joy responded that there are also others that feel the Board of Education should spend the surplus. This account would help the Board of Education’s budget in terms of when there is a year when additional special education students may move to Town and there has not been funds budgeted, there would still be funds available in the budget to do what is necessary.
Councillor McCann stated that this proposal allows the Board of Education to have a fund for saving against certain shortfalls in the future, but it does not require the Board of Education to spend those funds at the end of the year.
Councillor Havens felt that any time there is the ability to put funds aside for a future year is never a bad idea and he would support this idea.
Mr. Joy stated that the enabling legislation allows us to direct funds to three areas now which are the health care reserve, pension and special education, which only benefits everyone in the future.
Mayor Delnicki stated that this is an opportunity to provide stability for a dedicated purpose which is for the special education account. Details will need to be worked out but feels this is a solid frame work and will work well.
- Contract between the South Windsor Board of Education and the South Windsor Administrator’s Association; and Contract between South Windsor Board of Education and South Windsor Education Association
Councillor Yagaloff felt that the Teachers deserve good salaries. There are concessions given within the contract, but there are also substantial increases in the salaries and steps. Councillor Yagaloff questioned what the impact on the budget would be?
Mr. Joy explained that over the three years the Teachers contract is an 8.34% increase. That can not be translated into dollars until the Superintendent presents her budget request which will be at the Board of Education’s second meeting in January. These increases are from a bargaining unit that made a significant concession over two years.
Councillor Yagaloff requested that the Board of Education give to the Council the estimated increase over the current budget based upon the percentage increases for both the steps and salaries. The Council would not need this request until they are presented at the Board of Educations meeting at the second meeting in January.
ITEM:
6. B. (Continued)
Answering questions from the Council, Mr. Joy explained that the bargaining unit saved the Town/Board of Education well over $1.2 million dollars. The Board received from the high school principal a report annually on classes that are under the desired size and classes over the desired size, but it is not practical in a high school setting to set a maximum size.
Councillor Anwar stated that if the Town was run as a business and had a mechanism where employees are getting a certain percentage increase each year, the Town would not be in business after a few years. Mr. Joy explained that the Board of Education is not a business and is subject to collective bargaining with binding arbitration and does not measure this contract against anything but other school district settlements. Mr. Joy stated that he agrees with Councillor Anwar that if the Board of Education were a business it would not be sustainable. The State is partially where it is today because of its decision to use collective bargaining and binding arbitration. Performance based assessment in the increase would not be accommodated in the contract.
Mr. Galligan explained to the Council that the Council has 30 days from the date the contract was filed in the Town Clerk’s Office to reject the contract.
Mr. Havens stated he feels the contract is a good contract and he would support it. The value of our homes will continue to increase partially due to education in South Windsor.
5. Town Manager’s Report
Mr. Galligan reviewed the Town Manager’s Report which discusses the Recreation Center options, Exhibit A as well as the proposed draft pro-forma which shows Options A, B & C as shown in attached Exhibit B. At the end of his presentation, Mr. Galligan requested that the Town Council come forward with a resolution on how the Council wishes to move forward with this proposal. Mr. Galligan also informed the Council that doing a project such as this would create approximately 10-12,000 square feet to expand Human Services. If the Council feels a gymnasium is an important aspect, the Town owns 7 acres on Sullivan Avenue or 11 acres near the Community Center.
Mayor Delnicki state that this item would be continued under Item 18 on the Regular Meeting agenda.
7. Executive Session
Mayor Delnicki stated that this item will be discussed on the Regular Meeting agenda.
ITEM:
8. Adjournment
At 8:00 p.m. Councillor Snyder 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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