MINUTES
SPECIAL MEETING
CITY COUNCIL & WPC AUTHORITY
MARCH 13, 2006
A SPECIAL MEETING of the City Council & WPC Authority to review budgets. was held on Monday, March 13, 2006, in the Council Chambers
Those in attendance included Mayor Ryan J. Bingham, City Councilors James F. McKenna, Thomas C. Jerram, Rick E. Dalla Valle, Andrew J. Slaiby, Marie P. Soliani, and Drake L. Waldron, and Comptroller Alice Proulx.
Mayor Bingham called the meeting to order at 6:10 P.M.
ASSESSOR
Line Item 5199 - Contract Services, decrease of $5,000.00.
Under Line Item 5363 - Revaluation, possible reduction of to $125,000.00. Al will be looking at the legal obligations of the city. We might be able to spread our full physical revaluation to 2009.
On a motion by Councilor Dalla Valle, seconded by Councilor Jerram, the Council voted unanimously to tentatively approve the Assessor’s budget with the aforementioned amendments.
BOARD OF TAX REVIEW
On a motion by Councilor Jerram, seconded by Councilor Dalla Valle, the Council voted unanimously to tentatively approve the Board of Tax Review Budget.
BUILDING
More information was needed in regard to the cost of extended hours for a secretary.
On a motion by Councilor Dalla Valle, seconded by Councilor Jerram, the Council voted unanimously to table the Building Department Budget.
CITY CLERK
Line Item 5104 - Overtime, reduced by $1,000.00
Line Item 5213.0002 - Conference & Education, reduced by $1,000.00
Line Item 5280 - Office Supplies, reduced by $1,000.00
Line Item 5352 - Land Index Merger, reduced by $500.00
Moving Line item 5360 - New Equipment to Line Item 5284 - Service Agreements for the Lanier Equipment.
Line Item 5803 - City Clerk’s Records, reduced by $7,000.00
On a motion by Councilor Jerram, seconded by Councilor Dalla Valle, the Council voted unanimously to tentatively approve the City Clerk’s Budget with the aforementioned amendments.
COMPTROLLER
On a motion by Councilor Dalla Valle, seconded by Councilor Slaiby, the Council voted unanimously to tentatively approve the Comptroller’s Budget.
CORPORATION COUNSEL
On a motion by Councilor Slaiby, seconded by Councilor Dalla Valle, the Council voted unanimously to tentatively approve the Corporation Counsel’s Budget.
COUNCIL
On a motion by Councilor Dalla Valle, seconded by Councilor Jerram, the Council voted unanimously to tentatively approve the Council’s Budget.
ELECTION
On a motion by Councilor Dalla Valle, seconded by Councilor Jerram, the Council voted unanimously to tentatively approve the Election Budget.
PERSONNEL
Line Item 5526 - Labor Negotiation Fees, reduced by $15,000.00
A 9% increase in Line Item 5101 - Salary II was in anticipation of the Personnel Assistant’s retirement and having to train someone to replace her for four weeks.
On a motion by Councilor Dalla Valle, seconded by Councilor Soliani, the Council voted unanimously to tentatively approve the Personnel Department’s Budget.
PLANNING & ZONING
Discussion took place in regard to the Legal Stenographer and whether or not the department should have a line item for legal fees.
On a motion by Councilor Jerram, seconded by Councilor McKenna, the Council voted unanimously to table the Planning & Zoning Department Budget pending further information.
PURCHASING
Discussion took place in regard to the disposal of a mobile home and ways to do so at a lesser cost.
On a motion by Councilor Jerram, seconded by Councilor Dalla Valle, the Council voted unanimously to table the Purchasing Department Budget pending further information.
REGISTRARS
Line Item 5350 - New Equipment, a reduction of $3,600.00
If the registrars can justify new work stations, the funds will be reinstated.
On a motion by Councilor Dalla Valle, seconded by Councilor Jerram, the Council voted unanimously to tentatively approve the Registrars’ Budget.
SENIOR CENTER
Increases in line items 5103 - Regular Wages and 5106 - Extra Help. The custodian became a union position where he was entitled to step and pay increases that he was not entitled to in the prior year. The increase in Line 5210 - Clothing Allowance, also concerns the custodian becoming unionized.
A possible reduction in Line Item 5246 - Parking Lot Maintenance, depending on whether a second round of bids comes in lower to pave the parking lot and add a couple of spaces.
Councilor Dalla Valle made a motion to table. There was no second.
The plowing of the lot should also be revisited.
On a motion by Councilor Jerram, seconded by Councilor Dalla Valle, the Council voted unanimously to table the Senior Center Budget pending information on the paving and plowing.
TREASURER
Increase in Line Item 5103 - Regular Wages is for additional hours for the Assistant Treasurer specifically during the end of the fiscal year and calendar year.
On a motion by Councilor Jerram, seconded by Councilor Waldron, the Council voted unanimously to tentatively approve the Treasurer’s Budget.
DATA PROCESSING
Line Item 5295 - Telephones, reduction of $40,000,00. A Capital Improvement Plan will be explored for possible new phones in the future.
Line Item 5345.0001 - Computer, City-wide Upgrade, reduction of $28,620.00. They will be looking to Homeland Security to pay for some of the equipment.
On a motion by Councilor Soliani, seconded by Councilor McKenna, the Council voted unanimously to table the Data Processing Budget.
BOND REDEMPTION
On a motion by Councilor Jerram, seconded by Councilor Waldron, the Council voted unanimously to tentatively approve the Bond Redemption Budget.
It was noted that $340,000.00 would be added to the city’s bonding in the next budget for Torringford.
Councilor Jerram requested a list of outstanding debts.
BOND INTEREST
On a motion by Councilor Jerram, seconded by Councilor Dalla Valle, the Council voted unanimously to tentatively approve the Bond Interest Budget.
It was noted that the next budget schedule should be changed to include the budgets that were tabled.
ADJOURNMENT
On a motion by Councilor Dalla Valle, seconded by Councilor Jerram, the Council voted unanimously to adjourn.
Joline LeBlanc
Asst. City Clerk
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