MINUTES
BOARD OF FINANCE
JANUARY 21, 2003
A REGULAR MEETING of the Board of Finance was held on Tuesday, January 21, 2003, in the Council Chambers.
Present were Mayor Owen J. Quinn, Jr., members of the Board of Finance Theodore Miasek, Michael Nejaime (arrived at 4:08 p.m.), Diane Libby, Roger Dickinson, Bruce Cornish, and Corp. Counsel Albert Vasko. Absent was Comptroller, Alice Proulx.
Mayor Quinn called the meeting to order at 4:05 p.m.
MINUTES #020
On a motion by Mrs. Libby, seconded by Mr. Dickinson, the board voted unanimously to approve the minutes of the regular meeting held 12/17/02.
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC #030
On a motion by Mrs. Libby, seconded by Mr. Dickinson, the board voted unanimously to open the meeting to the public. There was no public participation.
SCULLY & WOLF #050
Mrs. Libby noted that she, Board of Education member Ken Edwards, Hugh Murphy, Alice Proulx, Bill Hoffman, and Mayor Quinn met to review the Board of Education’s questions and concerns in regard to moving them over to the New World software system and setting up shared services.It was her belief that everyone left the meeting with a positive attitude and that the Board of Education would soon be voting on it.
Mayor Quinn agreed that it was a positive meeting.
A potential start date appropriate for both boards would be chosen.
Mr. Nejaime arrived at 4:08 p.m.
Mrs. Libby reported that the Board of Education’s outstanding issue was that no other Board of Education was using the proposed software and that it wouldn’t be adequate to create reports they needed; however, their current software wasn’t able to create those reports either. Bill Hoffman presented them with add-on programs from New World, and the pricing of those packages.The Board of Education would review them.
Mr. Miasek reported from watching a meeting on television, that the Board of Education had an issue over where shared services personnel would be housed.
Mrs. Libby indicated that they discussed the fact that the Board of Education could do their own purchase orders, similar to what the Police Department, the Fire Department and Park & Rec were doing with the city’s system, but no specific discussion was held in regard to where staff was going to be housed.
UPDATE THE BUDGET PROCESS #200
Mayor Quinn reported that he had scheduled a Mayor’s budget meeting on Wednesday, January 29, 2003, at 7:00 p.m. He had invited the Board of Finance, the Board of Councilmen, the Board of Public Safety, Department Heads, and Boards and Agencies to be present to answer any questions on budgets.
Mayor Quinn noted that the Board of Finance had begun to set the stage last year for a zero based budget and he didn’t want to wait until the eleventh hour to set the mill rate. He felt it was necessary for Torrington to change its budget process in order to get through the next budget year.
Mrs. Libby inquired whether there was some indication from the state that some of its funding for Torrington’s 2002-2003 budget would be reduced.
Mayor Quinn noted that that was possible, however, he hadn’t received anything in writing. It could be as little as $40,000.00 or as much as $225,000.00.
Mrs. Libby suggested using some thought process on whether to begin or continue projects that may be affected by a reduction of funds from the state.
Mr. Miasek said he thought they should be prepared for the worse case scenario from the state by having a contingency plan.
Mrs. Libby felt that appropriate steps would be necessary, i.e., put a hold on projects, hiring, etc., if it was determined that the impact on the current budget was significant.
The board agreed.
Mayor Quinn noted that the process of scrutinizing everything had already begun.
BUSINESS: MAYOR & MEMBERS #710
On a motion by Mrs. Libby, seconded by Mr. Dickinson, the board voted unanimously to consider business presented by Mayor Quinn and members of the Bd. of Finance.
Mr. Miasek inquired about the status of the Charter Revision.
Corp. Counsel Vasko indicated that the Council had voted to accept the Charter Revision Commission’s report in December. They will now vote on whether or not to accept the charter questions and set the referendum date.
Mr. Miasek inquired about the wording and the intent of a Finance Director / Finance Department and who would be in control of that position.
Corp. Counsel Vasko stated that the Finance Department would report to the Mayor on a daily basis and to the Board of Councilmen.
Councilwoman Marie Soliani, Co-Chairman of the Charter Revision Commission, stated that only the Department of Finance was being addressed. Nowhere in the Final Report to the City Council did it even mention a Director of Finance. It only gives them a right to hire a Finance Director.
Mrs. Libby reported that Mastery Test Scores in Torrington’s school system had dropped significantly in the fourth and eight grades and the high school drop-out rate was 22%.
It was noted that the $219,000.00 matter with the Board of Education budget had not yet been resolved.
Mrs. Libby stated that she would be willing to discuss making the adjustment as long as the Board of Finance could get some assurances that this would not be a year-in and year-out issue. She thought they should come to an agreement, in writing, that everyone should abide by.
Mrs. Libby suggested that Mayor Quinn invite A. Bates Lyons, the head of the budget committee, to discuss budget matters. The Board of Finance was looking for two separate budgets with a 5% allowance for movement between the budgets. Anything greater than 5% of the capital budget would require Board of Finance approval.
For the record, Mr. Miasek personally thanked Carl Michelet for his seven years of service to the Board of Finance. The board echoed his sentiment.
ADJOURNMENT #1860
On a motion by Mr. Nejaime, seconded by Mr. Miasek, the board voted unanimously to adjourn at 5:00 p.m.
ATTEST: JOSEPH L. QUARTIERO, CCTC, CMC
CITY CLERK
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