MINUTES
BOARD OF FINANCE
AUGUST 17, 2004
A REGULAR MEETING of the Board of Finance was held on Tuesday, August 17, 2004 in the Council Chambers.
Those in attendance included Mayor Owen J. Quinn, Jr., members of the Board of Finance Daniel Farley, James Zeller, Joseph Nader, and Roger Dickinson, Comptroller Alice Proulx and Officer Robert Shopey. Absent were Board of Finance Members James Nichol and Bruce Cornish, and Corp. Counsel Albert Vasko.
Mayor Quinn called the meeting to order at 4:05 p.m.
MINUTES #010
On a motion by Mr. Dickinson, seconded by Mr. Zeller, the Finance Board voted unanimously to approve the minutes of the regular meeting held July 20, 2004.
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC #020
On a motion by Mr. Dickinson, seconded by Mr. Farley, the Finance Board voted unanimously to open the meeting to the public. There was no public participation.
SCULLY & WOLF #030
On a motion by Mr. Dickinson, seconded by Mr. Zeller, the Finance Board voted unanimously to discuss the status of Scully & Wolf.
Ms. Proulx reported that the consolidation of the Financial Management with the Board of Education was nearing completion. She stated that she would ask Mike LeBlanc to prepare an overview for the Board of Finance of what’s been completed, where we’re at, and what future projects the city may want to get involved with in terms of consolidation with the Board of Education.
CARGO TRAILER: TRAFFIC DEPT. #080
On a motion by Mr. Dickinson, seconded by Mr. Zeller, the Finance Board voted unanimously to accept the Council’s request to purchase a cargo trailer for use by the Accident Investigation Team. A gift of $2,500.00 received from the DOT, Office of Highway Safety for submitting Torrington’s model of traffic engineering and enforcement will be used. The remainder of $100.00 will come from the AIT line item.
Officer Shopey reported that he was able to obtain another quote for $2,500.00, leaving no balance for the city to pay.
Mr. Zeller inquired whether neighboring towns participating in the AIT generated any revenues.
Officer Shopey stated that all three towns share in the purchase of equipment used by the AIT. In this case, Torrington received the trailer, Thomaston was getting an awning for the trailer and Winsted would take care of the lettering and striping on the trailer.
GORDON, MUIR & FOLEY #170
On a motion by Mr. Dickinson, seconded by Mr. Zeller, the Finance Board voted unanimously to accept the Council’s request for the payment of $5,728.00 from Contingency to Gordon, Muir & Foley for professional services rendered in the Southwest School matter.
Mayor Quinn stated that he would have Corp. Counsel Vasko prepare a status report for their next meeting.
YEAR END ENCUMBRANCES #190
On a motion by Mr. Dickinson, seconded by Mr. Farley, the Finance Board voted unanimously to accept the year end City of Torrington encumbrances.
TRANSFER: TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT SQUAD #240
On a motion by Mr. Dickinson, seconded by Mr. Zeller, the Finance Board voted unanimously to accept the Council’s request to transfer $1,000.00 from Contingency line item 0010.0047.5651.0000 into line item 0010.0024.5387.0000 Traffic Enforcement Squad, which was inadvertently omitted from the original approved budget.
TRANSFER: SOCIAL SERVICE BUDGET #250
On a motion by Mr. Dickinson, seconded by Mr. Farley, the Finance Board voted unanimously to accept the Council’s request to transfer $828.69 from various accounts within the Social Service Budget and $1,566.47 from Contingency into the Social Service Eviction Special Account to cover the overdraft.
YEAR-END BUDGET TRANSFERS #290
On a motion by Mr. Dickinson, seconded by Mr. Farley, the Finance Board voted unanimously to accept the Council’s request to authorize the year end budget transfers for fiscal year ending June 30, 2004, per memorandum from Comptroller Alice Proulx, dated August 4, 2004.
TRUMBULL CONST. CO. #300
On a motion by Mr. Dickinson, seconded by Mr. Farley, the Finance Board voted unanimously to accept the Council’s request to authorize the final invoice (retainage) of $10,527.38 from Sanitary Sewer Capital Improvement Fund #490 to Trumbull Construction Co. for Sanitary Sewer Improvements to Oakbrook Lane/West Horace Street and Perkins Street.
CARDINAL ENGINEERING #320
On a motion by Mr. Dickinson, seconded by Mr. Zeller, the Finance Board voted unanimously to accept the Council’s request for the payment of $522.50 from Sanitary Sewer Capital Improvement Fund #490 to Cardinal Engineering Asso. for inspection services performed on the Tara Drive Sanitary Sewer Pump Station Removal.
BUS: MAYOR & MEMBERS #370
On a motion by Mr. Dickinson, seconded by Mr. Zeller, the Finance Board voted unanimously to consider business presented by Mayor Quinn and members of the Board of Finance.
Mr. Zeller reported that automated waste collection would begin November 1. He stated that the Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) will be proposing that the City Council institute a fee of $125.00 per year for Torrington residents who need an extra cart. The SWAC felt this was the most equitable way to handle residents who generate more trash, knowing that some of the burden will lie on people who might not get as much out of their existing tax dollars relative to others who use a certain amount of city services.
Mr. Nader asked why a taxpayer should be charged for additional garbage when he/she would pay the same if he/she had ten or two children in the school system.
Mr. Zeller said Mr. Nader’s thinking leaned more toward not providing trash pick up as a city service but as a “pay as you go” type of service, which would probably be the most equitable way, since the city wouldn’t have to pick up any of the tab. Mr. Zeller stated that the SWAC was nipping away at the few people who won’t have enough capacity with the 96 gallon drum. Those few always had the option to curb some of their waste by recycling more.
Mr. Zeller also noted that the SWAC was looking to amend the current ordinance concerning waste removal and that Atty. Vasko was working on the amendment.
Mayor Quinn informed the newer members of the Finance Board that Mr. Dickinson ended up with an incredible savings last year when the city stopped paying for commercial tipping fees and he was forced to take a good look at what his company was throwing away and figured out how to recycle more.
Mr. Farley inquired whether anyone had an answer on the $19,000.00 earmarked by the Board of Education for field maintenance that appeared to have been in Mr. Rollett’s budget as well.
Mayor Quinn indicated that someone would get back to him with that answer.
Mr. Dickinson informed the Finance Board that the Mayor’s Task Force of the Fire Department was meeting on a regular basis to implement some strategic planning for the Fire Department over the long haul. They were starting to identify things the city should be doing as a city versus those the city shouldn’t be doing. Those items that don’t need to be done could eventually end up as revenue for the city.
Mr. Dickinson inquired whether the unfunded teacher liability issue had been rectified.
Ms. Proulx indicated that it had.
Mr. Dickinson inquired about the pension fund balances. It was his belief that the Board of Finance should have a “plan” for doing something with the pension funds this year.
Ms. Proulx informed the Finance Board that Fleet had reviewed the Police & Fire, and City Employees’ Pension Funds with the Boards of Trustees in May of this year. She pointed out that the actuarials would be needed in order to project where we should be going with our funding and that they wouldn’t be done until March.
Mr. Dickinson asked if we could get something earlier than March.
Ms. Proulx indicated that there may be a cost associated with getting a report any sooner. She could, however, supply the Finance Board with information on how the investments were doing.
ADJOURNMENT #1180
On a motion by Mr. Dickinson, seconded by Mr. Nader, the board voted unanimously to adjourn at 4:40 p.m.
ATTEST: JOLINE LeBLANC
ASST. CITY CLERK
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