MINUTES
SPECIAL MEETING
CITY COUNCIL & WPC AUTHORITY
April 17, 2017
A Special Meeting was held by the City Council & WPC Authority in the City Hall Auditorium on Monday, April 17, 2017 to review and discuss the city budget proposals.
Those in attendance included Mayor Elinor Carbone, Corporation Counsel Jaime LaMere and City Councilors Paul Cavagnero, Gregg Cogswell, Anne Ruwet, Daniel Farley, Luisa Noujaim and Drake Waldron. Comptroller Alice Proulx was also present.
Mayor Carbone called the meeting to order at 6:54 p.m. She explained that the level four budget is a level-funded, zero-increase budget, and said the revenue numbers from the State are not yet known. Mayor Carbone noted that the General Fund Pension and Benefits line item is responsible for a $1,288,760 increase, and discussed the need for the health insurance consultant to make a presentation to the Boards.
Mayor Carbone said an RFQ has gone out for engineering inspectors to oversee grant-funded projects, to insure compliance and prevent the loss of funding. She said this budget will cover those expenses.
Remove $7909 from Parking Meter Enforcement
Councilor Farley questioned whether Parking Meter Enforcement is a revenue-generating position and expressed his opposition to the Board of Public Safety’s decision to add $7909 for that position. Mayor Carbone said the Police Chief stated that this is not a priority for his budget.
On a motion by Councilor Farley, seconded by Councilor Cogswell, the Council voted 4/2 with Councilors Noujaim and Cavagnero opposed, to remove $7909 from Parking Meter Enforcement. Councilors Cavagnero and Noujaim said they needed more information.
Mayor Carbone pointed out that this is just a spending plan, until the revenue information is known. She said other towns agree that when the State imposes a mill rate cap on our motor vehicles, there is a significant deficit in our revenue stream.
Councilor Cavagnero noted that the City must provide for the safety and security of the people, and asked if the Police Chief feels this zero-increase budget compromises safety. Mayor Carbone agreed and said a three-year trend analysis was done at the Police Department, which showed surpluses in the salaries line item for positions that were never filled. Councilor Cavagnero expressed his support for body cameras, and Mayor Carbone said they are participating in a grant opportunity that ends June 30. Councilor Farley recounted that the Police Chief said the zero-increase budget will keep the officers ‘lean and mean, but they will do the job that needs to be done’.
Adjournment
On a motion by Councilor Farley, seconded by Councilor Waldron, the meeting adjourned at 7:44 p.m.
ATTEST: JOSEPH L. QUARTIERO, CMC
CITY CLERK
Carol L. Anderson MMC
Asst. City Clerk
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