MINUTES
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING
BOARD OF COUNCILMEN &
BOARD OF PUBLIC SAFETY
APRIL 10, 2006
A SPECIAL JOINT MEETING of the Board of Councilmen and the Board of Public Safety was held on Monday, April 10, 2006, in the Council Chambers to discuss budgets.
Those in attendance included Mayor Ryan J. Bingham, City Councilors Thomas C. Jerram, Rick E. Dalla Valle, Andrew J. Slaiby, Marie P. Soliani, and Drake L. Waldron, Commissioners Christopher Cook, Richard Zaharek, Douglas Benedetto, James Potter, Michael Colangelo, and Robert Zordan, Comptroller Alice Proulx, Police Chief Robert Milano, Deputy Police Chief Michael Maniago, Deputy Fire Chief Jaye Giampaolo, Emergency Management Coordinator Thomas Vannini, and Board of Finance members Bruce Cornish and Daniel Farley. Councilor James McKenna was absent.
Mayor Bingham called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. He stated that the Board of Public Safety was presenting their budgets to the City Council. He would note the changes made during the last Board of Public Safety Budget meeting. No motions were made.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT #045
No changes were made.
CANINE #070
No changes were made.
POLICE DEPARTMENT #115
Line Item 5120 - Lump Sum Retirement, a reduction of $30,000.00.
Line Item 5211 - Cleaning Allowance, a reduction of $2,300.00.
Mayor Bingham indicated that the Board of Public Safety tentatively approved the Police Department’s budget pending their next meeting whereby a vote on the Captain’s position will take place.
Chief Milano stated that the original intent to hire and stagger, two at the beginning and two at the mid point, was an effort to save money as well as a means to reserve seats at the academy. Recent changes in the Police Union’s labor contract states that the chief can, at his discretion, put new detectives on week-end coverage. This will help cut back overtime. The proposed new Captain will help with some of the work load carried by the Chief and the Deputy and distribute the work organizationally. The philosophical aspect of the new Captain position is to give people an opportunity to advance.
Councilor Dalla Valle asked Chief Milano if he saw the new Captain position as a cost savings measure for the future.
Chief Milano said he couldn’t place a certain degree upon it, other than it would create more efficiency in the department.
Line Item 5208 - Uniform Allowance, if four new detectives were hired, it would have to be increased by $1,440.00 to $59,042.00.
Line Item 5245 - Building Maintenance, the amount does not include the cost to repair the failing bricks in the front of the building. This money is for routine maintenance. He may squeeze a bit from the capital account and/or go back to the Council and Board of Finance for funds to repair the facade of the building. It’s too early to know how much this project will cost.
TRAFFIC #335
No changes were made.
Councilor Dalla Valle questioned the increase in the overtime line item.
Chief Milano said it was to keep in line with costs due to the more frequent events being held downtown which require street closings. It also includes overtime for Ray Carpenter, who was moved to this department from the Parking Authority.
Chief Milano explained that Capital Reserve-Parking was to pay for future needs of the parking lots.
Line Item 5267 - Collection Services, the agency receives a retainer fee for people in arrears in parking tickets. The program has not yet been fully implemented due to software problems in the connection with the Motor Vehicle Department.
FIRE DEPARTMENT #450
Line Item 5106 - Extra Help, reduced by $40,000.00
Line Item 5270 - Repairs, reduced by $16,150.00
Councilor Soliani inquired about the software Line Item 5346 .
Jaye Giampaolo explained that the new software will be interactive with the Police Department’s software and be much more efficient in moving forward with combined dispatch. The cost includes training.
Emergency Management Coordinator, Tom Vannini, explained that Litchfield County Dispatch offers a CMAC frequency in order for the ambulance and the hospital to talk to each other throughout this region.
PUBLIC SAFETY MISC. #840
No changes were made.
Commissioner Potter was uncertain whether the Board of Public Safety should vote for the line items concerning the volunteers, since it is the Council’s jurisdiction under the City Charter. Other Commissioners felt a recommendation from them to the Council would hold weight.
The budget was approved with no changes by the Board of Public Safety on a 5-0 vote, with one abstention. Drakeville asked for an increase of $3,000.00 for training. Deputy Chief Giampaolo stated that training could be offered at no cost through the career department.
Mike Maccalous, Treasurer of Drakeville Volunteer Fire Department, said they certainly could use a raise in funds from the city. He also thought the city should take a real close look at what they wanted from the volunteers in the future because he couldn’t see his department operating ten years from now at the rate they are going. They have a 31 year old apparatus which will be gone when it dies because there is no money to replace it. Their other apparatus is 17 years old. They have $26,000.00 in savings, enough to make a down payment on a new truck, but they don’t know where to get the rest of the $300,000.00 to pay it off.
Roger Rougeot, Burrville Volunteer Fire Chief, said his department was in the same boat with approximately $10,000.00 in their truck replacement fund. With a budget of $54,200.00, they have to raise $25,000.00 to make up the difference from what they get from the city. Any kind of increase would be put to good use.
Brian Cornell spoke on behalf of Lawrence Dauphanias from the Torringford Volunteer Fire Department. He stated that they purchased an engine two years ago and have six more years of $25,000.00 payments. Their next oldest pumper is 21 years old and needs $18,000.00 worth of work to remove rust. Their utility truck needs transmission work. They desperately need help as well, and will take whatever the city gives them. He agreed with Mr. Maccalous that the city needs to study what they want the volunteers to do in years to come. Are the volunteers there “as a matter of factly” or are they an important part of the whole system?
Councilor Soliani agreed that the city should look at how to re-allocate all the fire services throughout the City so all citizens are protected equally.
Mayor Bingham said some of those issues are being addressed in union contracts. Additionally, the Chief and Deputy Chief, as well as the Board of Safety, have been thinking along those lines.
Commissioner Potter said he personally found it difficult to recommend an increase to the volunteers while the career department has been held at a zero increase for the last five years and they are struggling to make ends meet.
Councilor Soliani credited the Fire Department for offering to do the training to save money.
Mr Rougeot stated that the career department has received increases on contractual items, while the volunteers have not been so fortunate.
Councilor Dalla Valle said Mr. Rougeot’s point was well taken, however, he pointed out that the Fire Department’s budget this year is zero percent, including contractual.
Deputy Chief Giampaolo stated that the volunteer chiefs had made very good points. The Fire Service Coordination Committee is the body that should determine what is expected from the volunteers and what contributions they should make. Once that’s done, the city could re-visit money and/or equipment issues. The volunteers have always been supportive and ready to help the career department. The city just doesn’t need redundant systems any longer. In going forward, they need to figure out what the city needs.
He asked if it was possible to include the volunteers in the city’s insurance coverage, specifically the umbrella policy. He noted that the volunteers are being heard, and that the city has been responsive, but everybody’s numbers are going up. Perhaps equipment pools, cooperative purchasing, etc. could be a lending hand.
He noted that the ISO has been a very pro-active opportunity for the Fire Department. They take a look at the entire city and plot out exactly what we need to help our insurance rates go down. That’s where the volunteers come into play. The city gets credit for having a station strategically placed within the city. In going forward, they’ll be looking for specialized proprietary equipment in those stations, and that’s possibly not what the volunteers would want.
Mayor Bingham stated that further discussions could be held in regard to the vehicle replacement account for the volunteers. That would definitely provide significant help in the purchase of new vehicles.
ADJOURNMENT #1590
On a motion by Councilor Jerram, seconded by Councilor Slaiby, the boards voted unanimously to adjourn at 7:48 p.m.
Joline LeBlanc
Asst. City Clerk
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