TOWN OF SOUTH WINDSOR
SPECIAL WORK SESSION MINUTES
TOWN COUNCIL WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 2013
COUNCIL CHAMBERS TIME: 7:00 P.M.
1. Call Meeting to Order
Mayor Delnicki called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m.
2. Roll Call
Members Present: Mayor Thomas Delnicki
Deputy Mayor Gary Bazzano
Councillor M. Saud Anwar
Councillor Edward Havens
Councillor Kevin McCann (arrived at 7:14 p.m.)
Councillor Cary Prague (arrived at 7:35 p.m.)
Councillor Janice Snyder
Councillor Keith Yagaloff
Also Present: Matthew B. Galligan, Town Manager
3. Public Participation
Mr. Robert Dickinson, 19 Birch Road came forward and thanked the Town Council and Town staff for the progress made so far in making walking and biking safer in South Windsor.
Mr. Mike Sullivan, 24 Jared Court came before the Town Council and stated that he attended the Capital Project Committee meeting tonight. If the Town is going to pursue an alternative way to finance projects, Mr. Sullivan questioned if the voters should be included and he would like to have a Town Attorney opinion regarding this issue. A resolution should be decided upon by the Town Council.
Mr. Kevin Foley, 498 Main Street came forward and stated that no one wants the taxes to increase, but it is something that will need to happen in order to move the Town forward.
Mr. Bob Goldman, 153 Krawski Drive stated that the Council needs to make investments into the Town. Right now is the right time to do something because the interest rates are so low.
Mr. Craig Zimmerman, 5A Amato Drive stated that there are ways to find some funds to get something started. The Town of South Windsor needs to move forward.
Mr. Steve Kaczmarek, 135 Talcott Ridge Road stated that since moving to South Windsor fourteen years ago, he has been nothing but satisfied with the Town of South Windsor but feels that the facilities and the fields in Town are falling behind and should be improved upon. The proposal before the Council would help South Windsor improve.
ITEM:
4. Communications
Councillor McCann stated that he had made statements about the calculations of tax increases but did not have the numbers to share with the Council previously. Councillor McCann explained that through revaluation the grand list declined about 11% from last year to this year. To adjust that there was also 1.12% of increase in the developed properties that was added to the grand list in the past year. That means that existing properties have declined on average 12% from last year to this year. Councillor McCann reviewed the calculations that support his statements. The way to make South Windsor’s government more affordable is to increase our grand list. If the grand list is increased, this will reduce the burden across the board. The mill rate in 1983 was 56.10 where the mill
rate today is being proposed at approximately 35.33. Historically we are not looking at a huge mill rate. The mill rate has dropped over the years because the grand list has been expanded. Fiscally, this is the appropriate time to make investments into South Windsor because the financing is low. A tremendous amount of the proposed increase in this year’s budget comes from items that are beyond the Town Council’s control and the Town Council should be looking to make improvements not just maintaining.
Councillor Yagaloff stated that he was willing to put funds into the school system because the economy should not be depriving children. Councillor Yagaloff said he also supports fire, police and basic services but beyond these services he does not understand how the Town Council can propose a 20% increase to the mill rate.
Mayor Delnicki recognized the individuals who were recipients of the Eugene Policelli Service Award. The citizens award was presented to Maureen Bourn, Howard Fitts and Ed Havens while the student award was presented to Emma Richard. Mayor Delnicki then informed the Council that he attended the CCM Emergency Management Symposium. School safety was discussed and Mayor Delnicki stated that there is a State Police Audit Team that for free of charge will go into any school and do an audit. Mayor Delnicki briefly discussed utility patching and requested the Town Manager to distribute Avon’s policy to the Council. The individual in East Hartford who is head of the Community Emergency Response Team is willing to help South Windsor with Emergency Management and the establishment of a CERC Team.
5. Town Manager’s Report
None
ITEM:
6. Items for Discussion
A. General Government
Mr. Galligan reviewed a memo he sent to the Council regarding revaluation as shown in attached Exhibit A. Residents should go to the Assessors Office in order to really understand how the increase to the budget will affect them.
Councillor Anwar felt that the Town Council as a whole should establish a strategic plan which will set priorities for the Town.
Deputy Mayor Bazzano stated that the proposed projects are improvements for everyone in the Town. If the Town does not do our part to make things better then property values will go down. Deputy Mayor Bazzano said he would rather pay a little today then pay a lot more in five years. This is the right time to get projects done.
Councillor Yagaloff felt that the Town Council should be backing off additional projects in order to mitigate against a large increase because the increase to the budget will hurt seniors and young families.
Councillor McCann stated he feels the Town can not just be maintained, it needs to be improved. The Council needs to discuss alternatives to the budget and focus on the specifics of what the budget will be.
Councillor Havens said that any major improvements that are being proposed should be decided upon by the public.
Councillor Beaulieu felt that the Town is a great Town but if the Town Council continues to run the Town the way the budgets have done, the Town will not move forward. Right now is the best time to borrow funds and to make improvements to the Town.
B. Proposed Amendments to the General Government Budget
Councillor Anwar stated he would support taking care of the pension plan for a smaller amount and an additional police officer for the Police Department but felt that the rest of the items could be reviewed in next year’s budget. The Capital Projects items should be addressed further. Councillor Anwar felt that there should be more conversation regarding the computers. The fiber optics is not a priority and could be discussed further next year.
Councillor Prague also felt fiber optics should be postponed. Funds are going to have to be spent in the next couple of years to bring the Town forward. The Town has invested a lot into education. Eventually the Town Council will have to say no to more items in the Board of Education budget. Individuals who are new hires should be starting with a lower salary then what is being given.
ITEM:
6. B. (Continued)
Councillor Yagaloff felt that the Town should bond out for the generators under Capital Projects but would like to cap the capital leasing at $1.5 million dollars for this year. If the approach works to reduce the Capital Projects then that can be continued in the future. The proposed spending increases above what the Town Manager has proposed should be eliminated in this budget. The fields project should go ahead as planned. The project would not be paid for in the budget and there are enough funds in Contingency to do the planning for the field projects. The new revenue adjustments should remain as proposed. The fund balance should go back from $400,000 to $800,000. Councillor Yagaloff requested the Town Manager to come back with a proposal of a 4% increase.
Deputy Mayor Bazzano commented that a lot of priorities would be addressed in this budget as proposed. The items proposed for the budget is an additional $800,000 into the budget.
Mr. Galligan stated that the decrease to 4% will be a total of $1.6 million dollars which could go into services for Town residents.
Council members discussed using LoCIP funds for the fields project.
Deputy Mayor Bazzano stated that for the amount that the budget would be increased with the proposals above and beyond what the Town Manager proposed will give residents a lot of improvements.
Mayor Delnicki stated that the Council needs to establish a policy regarding leasing. Mayor Delnicki then stated that he would be willing to go to referendum reading the athletic fields project.
Councillor Snyder felt that the budget should not be reduced any further because it could impact services to the residents. Money should not be taken from fund balance.
Councillor Beaulieu stated she has no interest in looking at ways to cut the Capital Projects budget because Capital Projects need to get done; and she would not support a budget that uses fund balance and cuts other services.
Public
Mr. David Joy, 100 Bramblebrae and Chair of the Board of Education requested that the Town Council support the Town Manager’s budget proposal in full. To reduce what Mr. Galligan has asked for would be a disservice.
ITEM:
6. B. (Continued)
Public
Ms. Mary Sullivan, 102 Wyndemere Court came forward and spoke in opposition of the proposal of additional athletic fields on Nevers Road. The financing of this project should be explained further and should be voted on by the voters.
Mr. Kevin Greer, Windshire Drive stated that he is willing to pay more taxes in order for the Town to move forward. This proposal will help keep the property taxes up.
7. Executive Session
None
8. Adjournment
At 7:59 p.m. Councillor Anwar made a motion to adjourn the Work Session. Councillor Yagaloff seconded the motion and it was approved, unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Deborah W. Reid
Recording Secretary
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