MINUTES
SPECIAL & TELEPHONIC MEETING
CITY COUNCIL & WPC AUTHORITY
January 5, 2017
A SPECIAL & TELEPHONIC MEETING was held by the City Council & Water Pollution Control Authority in the Mayor’s Office on Thursday, January 5, 2017.
Those present were Mayor Carbone and Mayoral Aide Timothy Waldron. City Councilors Paul Cavagnero, Drake Waldron, Gregg Cogswell and Luisa Noujaim participated via telephone. City Councilors Daniel Farley Anne Ruwet were absent. Police Chief Michael Maniago and Fleet Manager Emil Castro also participated via telephone.
Mayor Carbone called the meeting to order at 3:32 p.m.
Vehicle Replacement Plan Deviations – Police Department.
On a motion by Councilor Waldron, seconded by Councilor Noujaim, the Council voted unanimously to approve the following deviations to the Vehicle Replacement Schedule for the Police Department:
a. Price increases for Patrol Units 3001, 3002, 3005 and 3014 from $38,756 to $41,614.35
b. The retainage of retired vehicles as extra duty detail units, with no major repairs thereafter
c. Schedule adjustment - Crime Van 3038 to the 17/18 fiscal year
d. Schedule adjustment – Paddy Wagon 3026 to current fiscal year with transport body replacement
Mayor noted that the intention is to keep the retired vehicles in the fleet for use in extra duty detail instead of sending them off to auction.
Chief Maniago explained that requests from private contractors for patrol car protection are increasing, amounting to $76,000 in 2016. This is a burden on our primary fleet as they idle for 8 to 10 hours at a time, he said, and it is reducing the cars’ availability for regular patrol. He said a lot of money won’t be invested in the cars’ maintenance, the goal is to have them available for extra duty jobs so the primary fleet isn’t stressed.
Small Cities Grant Program
On a motion by Councilor Noujaim, seconded by Councilor Waldron, the Council voted unanimously to accept the recommendation of the Small Cities Committee to authorize the initiation of a boiler replacement process at F.I.S.H., and to have the cost information brought back to City Council for further approvals.
Councilor Waldron explained that the City needs to spend the money down in order to qualify for future grants because unused funds will need to be returned. F.I.S.H. has an immediate need for new boilers at their facility, he said, and this motion is to authorize them to go forward, get some numbers and come back to City Council.
Mayor Carbone noted that the Small Cities Committee has recommended this for Council approval and that program income from repaid Small Cities revolving loans was identified by our consultant, but no qualified borrowers were found. She said she reached out to F.I.S.H., which falls into the category and has a capital improvement project they need completed.
Councilor Cavagnero questioned the long term approach and philosophy of fiscal responsibility. Although not objecting to the motion, he pointed out that if all municipalities returned excess funds to the State, it would result in lower taxes for the citizenry. He said that is a conversation he thinks should happen.
Mayor Carbone replied that she understood and respected Councilor Cavagnero’s remarks and welcomed the opportunity for our consultant to talk to him about this situation. She explained that
when the City is awarded these funds, the expectation is that the City is going to expend those funds and lend them out to the best of their ability. If the City doesn’t utilize those funds, it does compromise the City’s ability to go back to the state and ask for more funds, she said. Mayor Carbone noted that the successful Small Cities program has not only provided funds for those under-resourced individuals who need to make improvements to their buildings, it also improves and increases Torrington’s Grand List. She said this program income is money that had already been loaned out, was repaid, and we have an obligation to reuse it or lose it.
Councilor Cavagnero requested a discussion on this at a Council meeting, saying there’s nothing horrible about money going back to the State.
Adjournment
On a motion by Councilor Waldron, seconded by Councilor Cogswell, the meeting was adjourned at 3:44 p.m.
ATTEST: JOSEPH L. QUARTIERO, CMC
CITY CLERK
Carol L. Anderson CMC
Asst. City Clerk
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