MINUTES
SPECIAL MEETING
CITY COUNCIL & WPC AUTHORITY
APRIL 25, 2005
A SPECIAL MEETING of the City Council & WPC Authority to discuss budgets, was held on Monday, April 25, 2005, in the Council Chambers.
Those in attendance included Mayor Owen J. Quinn, Jr., City Councilors Thomas C. Jerram, Paul F. Samele, Jr., Marie P. Soliani, James F. McKenna (arrived at 6:16 p.m.), Paul W. Summers, and Drake L. Waldron, Comptroller Alice Proulx, City Planner Martin Connor, Tax Assessor Donna Patchen, Torringford Volunteer Fire Chief Brian Cornell, Drakeville Volunteer Fire Chief Aaron Picz, and Burrville Volunteer Fire Chief Jason Noad.
Mayor Quinn called the meeting to order at 6:10 P.M. He commended Comp. Alice Proulx for the remarkable job she did in getting the budget ready.
The following budgets were reviewed without comment:
Board of Assessment Appeals
Corporation Counsel
City Council
Mayor
Personnel
Purchasing
Registrars
Services for the Elderly
Treasurer
Public Works
Sanitary Sewer, Street Lights
Recreation
Economic Development
Bond Redemption
Debt Interest & Expense
Insurance
Board of Education
ASSESSOR #200
No savings will result from an employee taking maternity leave because she will take her sick time.
BOARDS AND AGENCIES #220
5527 Susan B. Anthony = General request for $10,000.00.
5199.0004 Contract Grant Writing = The contract with the grant writer is for a minimum of two grants per year at $3,000.00 for writing the grant proposal and a maximum of $5,000.00 per grant, which are a percentage of the dollar amounts of the grant.
5388 Evictions = We continue to pay rental for storage, per state law.
5528 Contribution Bus & 5529 Rural Bus Transportation = Councilor Jerram inquired whether the ridership was increasing.
City Planner Martin Connor said it was his understanding that it was.
Ms. Proulx indicated that rides given in 2004 totaled 28,738.
5503 Community Development = This line item is for Christmas lights, street banners, receptions, etc.
5400 Programs Community = FISH
BUILDING #435
Ms. Proulx requested adding $10,265.00 to Line Item 5103 - Regular Wages for Dolores Trapp’s payout for sick time. This amount included FICA.
It was indicated that fees collected in Building covered the department.
CITY REAL ESTATE #560
5970 Capital Outlay = Funds in the 2005 adopted budget were for the Machuga property. There were no monies allocated to the Machuga property in the proposed budget.
CITY CLERK #620
Councilor Jerram stated that the Council should look at raising the wages within this budget for the City Clerk’s position to bring it in line with other towns.
5201 Advertising = Increased from $7,000.00 to $12,000.00.
City Clerk Joseph L. Quartiero informed the Council that he anticipated a drop in the conveyance tax from .0025 to .0011 in July. Connecticut Town Clerks were lobbying against the drop and hoping that it would sunset in 2007, giving us two more years at the higher level. Town Clerks won’t know for certain what the Legislators will decide until June. As a result, Mr. Quartiero reduced his revenue to $250,000.00.
COMPTROLLER #850
Ms. Proulx said her Chief Clerk was reduced to a part time position in order for her to take on the responsibilities of the Assistant Treasurer’s position on a part time basis. That move enabled the Comptroller’s Office to be reduced by one full time position. Ms. Proulx’s staff was now 3½ instead of 4.
ELECTION #910
City Clerk Joseph L. Quartiero reported that town clerks previously had been told that the state would furnish each voting district with one electronic voting machine by 2006. However, the Secretary of State hasn’t decided which machine the state would use. There are no funds in the proposed budget to purchase additional machines.
PLANNING & ZONING #1010
5220.0001 State Mandated Fees was increased by $7,000.00, but is actually a pass through. $30.00 is collected for every land use application of which $28.00 goes to the State of Connecticut, and $2.00 stays with the city.
Mr. Connor indicated that the fees cover the advertisement costs and the state taxes charged in each application.
The open space fees are kept in a separate account.
DATA PROCESSING #1160
5345 Computer - this line item handles the hardware for every department in the city other than the Board of Education. Most departments purchase their own software with Mr. Hoffman’s guidance. Most of the work is done in-house as opposed to using contract services. Repairs to computers are contracted out.
Mayor Quinn noted that it was more cost effective to hire a second person in the Data Processing Department than to contract services.
Councilor Jerram inquired whether the new software package recently purchased by the Building Department had a maintenance contract.
Ms. Proulx indicated that she would check into the matter.
PUBLIC SAFETY MISC. #1250
Councilor Jerram inquired about the Heart & Hypertension Line Item.
Ms. Proulx indicated that CIRMA monitors the Heart & Hypertension claims for the city for a small administrative fee. There is no policy that covers the Heart & Hypertension; the city actually pays those claims. The claims are not so much for people who are out, but rather for medical claims associated with Heart & Hypertension. Much of the cost is for widows and retirees who have been labeled with Heart & Hypertension.
The large increase will pay for pending claims expected to be settled.
CIVIL PREPAREDNESS #1320
Ms. Proulx indicated that approximately 50% of this budget is reimbursed through the state.
Mayor Quinn noted that anything related to homeland security comes through the Police & Fire Departments.
CANINE #1400
Councilor Jerram inquired about the number of calls he responded to on a yearly basis.
FIRE DEPARTMENT #1450
Councilor Jerram inquired whether the increase in the wages included the back wages for the three prior years.
Ms. Proulx stated that it did. There was no increase in the proposed budget for wages in the Fire Department budget. The 05-06 increases for the Fire Department is in the Official Wages budget.
POLICE DEPARTMENT #1550
Councilor Jerram inquired about the lump sum retirement.
Ms. Proulx indicated that they budget the same dollar amount each year and draw from it when needed. This eliminates fluctuations.
TRAFFIC MAINTENANCE #1600
The large increase was because the Parking Authority merged with Traffic Maintenance.
CITY HALL #1660
Councilor Jerram inquired whether $35,000.00 was enough to cover the fire safety code repairs.
Mayor Quinn indicated that Mr. Rollett had a four-year plan and that the budgeted amount would take care of the fire doors in the stairways.
ENGINEERING #1720
The increase in the Salary II Line Item reflects a new position to perform the GIS work under the Management Resolution.
EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE #1780
Councilor Summers inquired whether the budget amount reflected the employees working a 40-hour week.
Ms. Proulx said yes. Their contract already allowed them to work 40 hours. The extra hours were necessary to handle the additional vehicles from the Board of Education. Additional personnel will be required in the future.
LANDFILL #1840
Councilor Jerram inquired about the increase in the Post Closure Activities.
Ms. Proulx indicated that she would have to check into it.
STREET DEPARTMENT #1950
Ms. Proulx increased this budget by $25,000.00 for Line Item 5259 - Sand.
5816.0014 - Sidewalks, Small Cities - $500,000.00 was budgeted in anticipation of receiving a grant from the state.
Councilor McKenna inquired about the significant increase in Line Item 5257 - Bridges and Guard Rails.
Ms. Proulx would check on it.
Councilor Jerram also inquired about the Pinewoods Road Reconstruction and the Torringford West Drainage line items.
PARKS #2240
Ms. Proulx pointed out that this budget included $1,500,000.00 for the Bike Path Project, which is STP money.
HEALTH #2270
Councilor Jerram inquired about the $33,000.00 increase in the Recycle Contract Line Item.
Ms. Proulx will look into the matter.
PENSIONS & BENEFITS #2550
Blue Cross’ census increased by four contracts on the city side and 16 contracts for the Board of Education. The overall increase was 10.2%. The increase also covers the fully insured plan for retirees.
TAX COLLECTOR #2660
The Tax Collector’s commission is reflected in Line Item 5215 - Contract.
Line Item 5469 Additions and Deletions reflect amendments that impact the tax rolls. Line Item 5601 - Interest Expense - In the past, the Tax Collector would have held onto prepaid money and given it to the city on a certain date, however, his contract was amended so the city receives the money and the interest earned is given back to the Tax Collector. There is a revenue line item as well.
CONTINGENCY #2740
Line Item 5652 - Management Operations, $160,000.00 was encumbered; $60,000.00 for the Finance Director and $100,000.00 for the financial management upgrade. No additional funds were included in the proposed budget.
Ms. Proulx stated that the net effect of revenues and expenditures on the city side of the budget brings us to a 3.10% increase (or $1,042,690.00) over last year’s net budget. This does not include the Board of Education.
ADJOURNMENT #2910
On a motion by Councilor Jerram, seconded by Councilor Summers, the board voted unanimously to adjourn at 7:30 p.m.
ATTEST: JOLINE LeBLANC
ASST. CITY CLERK
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