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Minutes 10/20/2009
MINUTES
BOARD OF FINANCE
OCTOBER 20, 2009
A   REGULAR  MEETING of the Board of Finance was held in the Shuffleboard Room of the Senior Center on Tuesday, October 20, 2009.
Present were Mayor Ryan J. Bingham, Board of Finance members Laurene Pesce, Thomas Scoville, Daniel Farley, and Wendy Traub, Corporation Counsel Ernestine Yuille Weaver, and Comptroller Alice Proulx.  Board of Finance members Mark Bushka and James Zeller were absent.
Mayor Bingham called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m.
MINUTES #20
On a motion by Mr. Farley, seconded by Mrs. Traub, the Board voted unanimously to accept the minutes of the regular meeting held September 15, 2009.  
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC #26
On a motion by Mrs. Pesce, seconded by Mr. Farley, the Board voted unanimously to open the meeting to the public. There was no one present who wished to speak.
PLOW TRUCK CHASSIS, DUMP BODY #42
Mrs. Pesce made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Traub, to waive the bid process and accept the State Bids for the purchase of a plow truck chassis and dump body for one vehicle out of Equipment Replacement Account #0309.5900.0105, as approved by City Council on September 30, 2009.
Mrs. Traub asked why this vehicle is so expensive, and Mayor Bingham explained it is a four-wheel drive with an additional side blade.
Mrs. Pesce asked if this motion should be two separate actions – one to allow payment from the Equipment Replacement Acct. and one to waive the bid process.  Mayor Bingham explained that it is the duty of the City Council to waive the bid process, the duty of the Board of Finance to appropriate funds, and the agenda item was incorrectly worded. Mrs. Pesce amended her motion as follows: To accept the State Bid up to $178,600 for the purchase of plow truck chassis and dump body with wing for one vehicle out of Equipment Replacement Account #0309.5900.0105, as approved by City Council on September 30, 2009. Mrs. Traub amended her second, and the motion was unanimously approved.
SNOW PLOWS #192
On a motion by Mrs. Traub, seconded by Mr. Farley, the Board voted unanimously to authorize the purchase of two Larochelle Snow Plows from Truck Builders of CT of Terryville, CT in the amount of $15,410.00, out of Equipment Replacement Account #0309.5900.0105.
BUSINESS: MAYOR & BOARD MEMBERS #242
On a motion by Mrs. Traub, seconded by Mrs. Pesce, the Board voted unanimously to consider business by the Mayor and members of the Board of Finance.

Mrs. Pesce requested additional instruction for all on the Vehicle Replacement Fund.

Mr. Farley-- reported on the Ad Hoc committee meetings with the Board of Education, saying there will be good ideas forthcoming.

Mr. Scoville asked about the Vehicle Replacement study, and added the Ad Hoc committee meetings have been a good step in opening more dialog between the Brd. of Education and the Brd. of Finance.

Mrs. Traub summarized the Ad Hoc Committee meeting on Capital Projects -- the city will be requested to form a capital projects fund. Grant money was discussed, she said, and whether it would be used to offset their budget or automatically applied to the capital projects fund. Mrs. Traub said there was a concern about being able maintain the capital projects fund on an annual basis to keep it growing for the future. She then reported on the Ad Hoc Committee meeting on Benefits. There are a lot of issues on the table there, she said, including how the Board of Education portion of it is calculated. Mrs. Traub said people need to get together to understand how the health insurance fund works because everyone has to understand what they're voting on but in the end it's the City's risk.
Mayor Bingham offered to call a meeting in mid to late November to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Mrs. Pesce pointed out that we should be trying to make the insurance better, that's where the real savings are. Mayor Bingham agreed that was a better conversation to have.
Mrs. Traub added that she stands behind her decision, made unanimously with all the Board of Finance members0, to use rainy day funds and health insurance funds to balance the budget in a bad budget year.
ADJOURNMENT #1000
On a motion by Mr. Scoville, seconded by Mr. Farley, the Board of Finance voted unanimously to adjourn at 5:31 p.m.
ATTEST:  JOSEPH L. QUARTIERO, CMC
                CITY CLERK    

Respectfully Submitted,.                                      
Carol L. Anderson, CCTC
Asst. City Clerk              k