MINUTES
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING CITY COUNCIL & WPC AUTHORITY AND THE BOARD OF FINANCE
MAY 10, 2011
A SPECIAL JOINT MEETING of the City Council & WPC Authority and the Board of Finance was held in the City Hall Auditorium on Tuesday, May 10, 2011.
Present were Mayor Ryan Bingham, Corporation Counsel Ernestine Yuille Weaver, City Councilors Gregg Cogswell, Elinor Carbone, Paul Samele, Gerald Zordan, Marie Soliani and Drake Waldron, Board of Finance members Daniel Farley, Mark Bushka, Thomas Scoville, Laurene Pesce, Brian Paganini and Wendy Traub, Police Chief Michael Maniago, Fire Chief John Field, Officer Robert Shopey, Board of Public Safety Commissioner James Potter, and Tax Assessor Donna Patchen.
Mayor Bingham called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
PROPOSED BUDGET
Mayor Bingham reminded the Boards of his goal of getting to a 32.5 mill rate. He said $138,043 will need to be cut. He announced that Local 818, City Hall, and Public Works bargaining units all have tentative agreements for signing onto a high deductible HSA as a core plan for health insurance.
He said that as of today, Local 818 has ratified that piece. He thanked the representation from those unions for being diligent. Mrs. Pesce asked if the potential savings of $143,000 is for all three bargaining units, and the Mayor replied that it is.
Mayor Bingham said he has started discussions with the Police and Fire unions, who have been very generous listening to proposals such as accepting the HSA a year early, which would realize savings upward of about $180,000. He publicly thanked those unions that have a tentative agreement with the City, and noted there are no layoffs being considered in the projected budget.
Mayor Bingham listed the following budget cuts:
ASSESSOR -- $2,000 in cuts, for a total budget of $405,440.
BOARDS AND AGENCIES -- an unidentified cut of $10,000 due to changes to the Police Athletic League budget. Mayor Bingham said there shouldn’t be a huge impact on any one board or agency.
CITY COUNCIL – Zero
CITY REAL ESTATE -- $2,000 cut in Maintenance & Operation of Southeast School, for a total budget of $77,275.
CITY CLERK – The Annual Report expense (of $5000) is removed, as it will be published in-house rather than contracted out.
PERSONNEL -- Advertising was reduced by $2000, for a total budget of $196,208.
PLANNING & ZONING – Reduction of $100 for Maps, Photos & Printing, $200 cut in Publications, Dues & Fees, $200 cut in Education and Schools for a total budget of $217,032.
PURCHASING – Office Supplies line item was reduced by $1000, for a total budget of $110,315.
SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY – Building Maintenance was cut by $2000, for a total budget of 314,046.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Mayor Bingham spoke about the IT consolidation with the Board of Education. Information Services will now have a Department Head overseeing both the City and the Board of Education. Rudy Pullano will remain the City’s IT manager. Mayor Bingham said Rudy has requested more help, and needs more opportunity to do what his skill set is. This consolidation, in theory, gives him that flexibility, with staff shared between the two separate agencies. The City’s share of this position is $46,000, shown as a reduction on the Board of Education budget.
Mayor Bingham said contract services were reduced by $8000, and he wants to get away from using contracted services as much as possible by doing more in house. He said over the last six months to a year, the Board of Education has put a lot of effort into updating software programs and purchasing equipment to move into the 21st century. They have shown savings in doing that and he plans to put telephone, voiceover IP, and cell phones under the Information Technology Department. This budget is now $496,649.
PUBLIC SAFETY MISC - $11,522 was added to the Hydrant line for a capital improved surcharge that the Water Company has added to hydrant fees. This budget is now $1,848,460, Mayor Bingham said.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT - Reduced contract line by $750. Total budget is $28,096
DISPATCH Zero Budget
FIRE DEPARTMENT - Mayor Bingham listed $136,152 in cuts for a new total budget of $4,874,902, representing a 4.28% decrease.
POLICE DEPARTMENT - Over $90,000 in cuts were made for a new total budget of $7,824,789. Councilor Zordan questions the FICA reduction. Ms. Proulx explained it fluctuates. Mrs. Pesce questioned the lump sum contribution reduction. Chief Maniago said a contribution is made to this every year.
Mayor Bingham thanked both Chiefs and their staff for coming to the table with additional reductions.
ANIMAL CONTROL - The uniform allowance was reduced by $750 and building maintenance reduced by $3500. This budget is $101,481.
TRAFFIC - This budget was reduced by $33,214 for a total of $227,159. Mrs. Pesce asked if makes long term sense to reduce the capital reserve contribution by 100%. Chief Maniago replied that since they’ve been adding to this fund for several years, they felt they could skip it this year.
CITY HALL - Mayor Bingham explained the Public Works Director updated his projections, based on longer building occupancy. Electricity and Fuel were reduced by $10,000 each for a total budget of $238,719.
SANITARY SEWER AND STREETLIGHT - Half of the projected savings for the LED streetlight program and its maintenance reduced Electricity by $25,000 and Electrical Maintenance by $3260. The total budget is $477,660.
Mayor Bingham said the other half will buy additional LED streetlights.
ECONOMIC DEVEL. – With $1,000 cut in Publication, Dues Fees and Program expenditures, the new budget is $67,826.
INSURANCE – The workman’s compensation figure was reduced by $50,000 for a total budget of $1,371,269.
PENSION AND BENEFITS - This is the largest cut from one department, Mayor Bingham said, and it includes negotiations and renewal with Anthem, and projected savings from the high deductible HSA. The contributions to alternate plans were reduced by $22,000 because the dispatchers who were on the defined contribution are no longer employed by the City. He said the budgeted CT Unemployment Payments were reduced by $50,000, in anticipation that we won’t have layoffs this year. The total budget is $10,682,285
CITY WIDE SERVICES – Mayor Bingham explained this is where the Vehicle Replacement and Equipment Maintenance Chargebacks were moved to. This has been funded with an additional $50,000, to keep the Equipment Maintenance Chargebacks program in line.
The total City Budget is $49,208,063.
DISCUSSION
Mrs. Pesce asked what wage increases were negotiated with Local 818. Mayor Bingham said it would be zero in the first year, then 3% and 2%.
Mrs. Traub asked for a projected revenue sheet with the current grand list included, to get a complete picture of the revenue.
Mayor Bingham commended Treasurer Mattiello for investing City bank accounts into CDs. Approximately $8,000 in interest has been received, with a conservative projection of $40,000 more in investment income.
Mrs. Pesce asked for a list of mill rates for the last eight years, and asked if a request has been made to City Employees for suggestions. Mayor Bingham said yes, as part of the Blue Ribbon Commission’s kick-off. He added that a suggestion box is located in his office but a significant number of suggestions has not been received.
Councilor Soliani asked for a list of City Vehicles currently in the fleet and those eliminated by the Blue Ribbon Commission’s recommendation. Mayor Bingham explained that none of that has been projected into this budget.
Mayor Bingham said he is keeping a very close eye on what goes on in Hartford and its impact on the City of Torrington.
Mrs. Pesce asked when the mill rate must be set by Charter. Atty. Weaver cautioned that we are cutting it very close. Mayor Bingham said it has to be concluded before the end of May as the real issue is being able to set the mill, generate bills, and give them out to taxpayers in an orderly and timely fashion so people can project their home budgets.
ADJOURNMENT
On a motion by Councilor Carbone, seconded by Councilor Cogswell, and unanimously approved, the meeting was adjourned at 6:39 p.m.
ATTEST: JOSEPH L. QUARTIERO, CMC
CITY CLERK
Respectfully Submitted,
Carol L. Anderson, CCTC
Asst. City Clerk
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