MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL AND WPC AUTHORITY
JULY 18, 2011
A REGULAR MEETING of the City Council & WPC Authority was held in the City Hall Auditorium on Tuesday, July 18, 2011.
Present were Mayor Ryan Bingham, Corporation Council Ernestine Yuille Weaver, City Councilors Marie Soliani, Paul Samele, Elinor Carbone, Drake Waldron and Gerald Zordan. Also present were Emergency Management Director Rick Dalla Valle, Purchasing Agent Pennie Zucco, Comptroller Alice Proulx, Deputy Fire Chief Gary Brunoli, WPC Administrator Ray Drew, Assessor Donna Patchen and City Clerk Joseph Quartiero. City Councilor Gregg Cogswell was absent.
Mayor Bingham called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
MINUTES
On a motion by Councilor Waldron, seconded by Councilor Zordan, the Council voted unanimously to accept the minutes of the Regular Meeting held July 5, 2011.
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
On a motion by Councilor Soliani, seconded by Councilor Waldron, the Council voted unanimously to open the meeting to the public.
Mr. Gerard Troughton spoke about open fires in his neighborhood, asking Council to revisit the open burning regulations. Mayor Bingham acknowledged Councilor Soliani's efforts on this, and promised to look into it further.
SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY COMM. APPTS.
On a motion by Councilor Carbone, seconded by Councilor Waldron, the Council voted unanimously to approve the following appointments to the Services for the Elderly Commission for three year terms as follows:
- Alternate Carol Buice and Alternate Sharon Cullen to fill the vacancies created by regular members Maureen Matava’s and Donald MacLeod’s end of terms which expired on July 6, 2011. New terms expire July 6, 2014.
- Alternate Joan Altschuller to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of regular member Archie Perez on June 21, 2011. The balance of this term will expire on July 6, 2013.
- New Alternates Sandra Richard, Brian Mattiello and Angelo LaMonica.
RESOLUTION – HOMELAND SECURITY GRANT
On a motion by Councilor Carbone, seconded by Councilor Samele, the Council unanimously to adopt the following resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute a Memorandum of Agreement with the State of Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security to secure grant funds:
RESOLVED, that the City of Torrington may enter into, with, and deliver to, the State
of Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security any
and all documents which it deems to be necessary or appropriate; and
FURTHER RESOLVED, that Ryan J. Bingham, as Mayor of the City of Torrington, is
authorized and directed to execute and deliver any and all documents on behalf of the City
of Torrington and to do and perform all acts and things which he deems to be necessary or
appropriate to carry out the terms of such documents, including, but not limited to, executing
and delivering all agreements and documents contemplated by such documents.
PAYMENT – REAL ESTATE APPRAISAL REPORT
On a motion by Councilor Soliani, seconded by Councilor Carbone, the Council considered a payment of $2,300.00 for Invoice #8439 for a real estate appraisal report by Kerin & Fazio, LLC, to be paid from contingency fund line item #0010.0047.5651.0000.
Mrs. Patchen said the 2008 Reval cost package allowed up to 40 hours for legal assistance and representation in any court cases once that revaluation has been implemented. When the last of 7 or 8 court cases went into pre-trial, Mr. Kerin informed Mrs. Patchen that the 40 hour commitment was completed, with anything above and beyond that would be charged. This invoice is the cost of doing that restricted appraisal, his time and travel for appearing at a pre-trial conference meeting, she said.
Councilor Soliani asked when Mr. Kerin told Mrs. Patchen that she was at the limit and would be charged extra. Atty. Weaver said they were in the Torrington YMCA case at that time, around the beginning of June.
Councilor Soliani said she thinks this should come out of the Assessor's budget, not contingency. Mrs. Patchen said she has no line item for law suits in her budget. Councilor Soliani said the cost was generated by this Department and the payment should be found within their budget. Councilor Carbone suggested the pre-trial piece could be found under Corporation Counsel's budget and the Appraisal Report piece found in the Assessor's budget.
Mayor Bingham suggested that this be tabled rather than denied, to allow time to meet and discuss ways to find the money.
Councilor Soliani made a motion to table, seconded by Councilor Carbone, and unanimously approved.
SANITARY SEWER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS
On a motion by Councilor Samele, seconded by Councilor Carbone, the Council voted to approve the following payments to P & G Pepper from Fund #490, Sanitary Sewer Capital Improvements for Emergency Sanitary Sewer Repairs:
DATE INV# AMOUNT DESCRIPTION
3/26/2010 11024 $2,645.00 Winsted Rd Force Main Repair
1/10/2011 11011 $4,821.69 Frederick St Sewer Repair
3/7/2011 11012 $6,911.35 Laurel Hill Rd Sewer Repair #1
3/22/2011 11013 $2,785.28 Laurel Hill Rd Sewer Repair #2
4/5/2011 11014 $3,087.57 Laurel Hill Rd Sewer Repair
6/14/2011 11022 $6,536.50 Laurel Hill Rd Sewer Repair #3
6/15/2011 11023 $4,651.50 Laurel Hill Rd Sewer Repair #4
EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE BUDGET AND TRANSFERS
On a motion by Councilor Waldron, seconded by Councilor Carbone, the Council voted unanimously to approve Adopted Equipment Maintenance Budget and Equipment Maintenance Chargeback Transfers for fiscal year 2001/2012.
BUDGET TRANSFERS
On a motion by Councilor Waldron, seconded by Councilor Samele, the Council voted unanimously to approve budget transfers per Comptroller's memo of July 13, 2011.
HVAC SERVICES
On a motion by Councilor Waldron, seconded by Councilor Zordan, the Council voted unanimously to award the HVAC services for fiscal year 2011-2012 to Air Temp Mechanical Services, Inc., of Southington, CT for the rate of $74.00/hour for a Journeyman and $50.00/hour for an Apprentice.
OPEN TO PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS ONLY
On a motion by Councilor Waldron, seconded by Councilor Carbone, the Council voted unanimously to open the meeting to the public on agenda items only. There was no one who wished to speak.
BUSINESS FROM DEPARTMENT HEADS
On a motion by Councilor Carbone, seconded by Councilor Waldron, the Council voted unanimously to consider business presented by Department Heads.
Mr. Dalla Valle thanked the Council for the Memorandum of Agreement which will be submitted to Region 5 allowing the receipt of grant monies. One component gained from this will be a license plate reader for a police car, he said, which will read license plates as they travel past, giving alerts or warrant information immediately.
BUSINESS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL
On a motion by Councilor Carbone, seconded by Councilor Samele, the Council voted unanimously to consider business presented by the Mayor and members of the City Council. No business was presented.
ADJOURNMENT
On a motion by Councilor Carbone, seconded by Councilor Waldron and unanimously approved, the meeting was adjourned at 6: 45 p.m.
ATTEST: JOSEPH L. QUARTIERO, CMC
CITY CLERK
Respectfully Submitted,
Carol L. Anderson, CCTC
Asst. City Clerk
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