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Town of Willington
BOARD OF SELECTMEN • 40 OLD FARMS ROAD • WILLINGTON, CONNECTICUT 06279 • (860) 487-3100 • FAX (860) 487-3103
BOARD OF SELECTMEN
SPECIAL MEETING FEB. 27, 2007
TOWN OFFICE BUILDING 5:30 P.M.
First Selectman Eldredge called the meeting to order at 5:30 P.M. with the following in attendance: Selectmen Patton and Lewis, D. Latincsics, L. Nicholls and residents.
PUBLIC WORKS
The Board signed bills and time cards. Selectman Lewis asked about the brakes on Lynn’s truck. Lynn commented they did not find anything; it has to go back again. First Selectman Eldredge commented it is the anti-lock breaks and his van does the same thing. Discussion on the brakes followed. Lynn commented the brakes on the black pick up let go; it is at West’s. Lynn commented there is a problem with people plowing snow into the street, it is dangerous. Selectman Patton commented it is creating a hazard but it may not be the homeowner doing it but people they hire to plow. Letters will be sent to the homeowners regarding this. Lynn commented we are plowing and cleaning up and fixing, plowing and cleaning and fixing. First Selectman Eldredge asked what
is the status of Lucien’s truck? Lynn commented the controls were fitted for Lou and the radio is in, we probably won’t have it for this plowing season. The guys all love the new loader. Lynn commented someone came in looking for salt, I told him we do not give salt only sand and about a 5 gallon bucket of that. It is hard having the public there during storms. Selectman Patton asked do you know where the public can get salt? Lynn replied the hardware stores; I tell people to use calcium for the sidewalks. Lynn reported that they put a 50-gallon barrel for ashes at the Transfer Station.
BUDGET
Donna Latincsics, Business Manager, commented the employee insurance was reduced by $10,000 due to someone not taking it. After discussion on the CIP it was agreed it would be left at $140,000. First Selectman Eldredge commented that brings our budget to a 9.3% increase, I feel uncomfortable with that. The only place we increased cost was the time and materials contract that we would like to see but it is beyond a workable budget. Do you want to try to reduce some of this? Selectman Lewis commented to take anything away from Public Works as far as roads, snow and drainage is a mistake. You pay something now or pay a lot latter. If I did not maintain my machines I would have to buy new machines. Selectman Patton commented show me how to reduce cost, time and materials are
costs that already exist. First Selectman Eldredge commented the time and material is basically to be able to issue contracts to do some of the things we just haven’t had time and manpower to do. The other portions of the budget are a viable working budget. I am saying this is beyond the scope of the viable budget, I understand why we want it. Selectman Patton commented you make it seem this would be some nice thing to have, it is something we should have had a long time ago. Selectman Lewis commented it is a need. Selectman Patton commented we all agreed when we eliminated the position out of the budget a while ago that it needed to be put back in. The Public Works requirements have increased with the miles of roads and the amount of work they need to do and we have not increased proportionally to get those things done. Hence, they are continuing to fall further and further behind on the things that need to get done, eventually
this is going to break. You have to tell me how we are going to eliminate costs not just decrease the budget. I see the time and material money as just taking care of things that are cost that we haven’t been able to get accomplished. That’s just a cost, you are not eliminating dollars; if you reduce the amount of electricity you are eliminating dollars, if you reduce hours or eliminate people that is reducing cost. First Selectman Eldredge commented I understand what you are saying and I know why it is important to have that, I am just saying that it is an addition to a viable budget we already have. It is an addition, an addition we never had, and it is a justified reason for having it, I agree with you. Selectman Patton commented it is an addition we never had and it continues to show the fact that we fall further and further behind with things that we need to get done, the lists
SPECIAL MEETING -2- FEB. 27, 2007
get longer of things that need to be accomplished and we continue to say next year we are going to do this, next year we are going to increase people, next year we are going to do something and every year we don’t do it and every year the list gets longer, the cost to fix these things gets higher so what you are doing is borrowing money at a very expensive rate. When you don’t fix your roads, you are borrowing money at a very expensive rate and the interest rate goes up and up. First Selectman Eldredge commented these projects have been on the books for quite a while. Selectman Patton commented yes and the infrastructure continues to crumble and it get worse and worse. Lynn commented every time I do a road for GASB I am finding more and more; we have headwalls that are falling down,
which is drainage; we have culverts that are collapsing, we have a lot of stuff out there. Selectman Patton commented soon they become an emergency and that’s when you really have problems. Selectman Lewis commented the one that comes to my mind is the problem on Latham Road. How long can that go on before it erodes the base of that road? Once you start eroding the base of the road then instead of putting in a drain you have to tear up the road and you are talking big dollars. First Selectman Eldredge asked what do we have to do there put in a drainage system or culvert? Lynn replied it needs a catch basin and cross culvert. Selectman Lewis commented that is just one example, how long can it go on? Lynn commented it is not only Karl’s and my list; it is the GASB list and legit things on people’s list. Selectman Lewis commented there are spots on Village Hill Road where you can see the road is actually deteriorating. These are not being fixed. Lynn commented there was a
sinkhole on Village Hill Road that we fixed, this is what is going to happen, and we are going to start having sinkholes all over the place. Selectman Lewis commented if you do it as an emergency it costs a lot of money, if you plan for it like we are trying to do it is better, I don’t like seeing the budget go up. Lynn commented there is a real icing problem by 49 Old Farms Road, you have the Senior Center there and housing coming soon, people that go down by there know about that and take it easy but when next year you will have many people going down there and it will be a major problem. First Selectman Eldredge commented that’s the drain across the road that has been shut down and we were always going to go over and put a dry well in there. Lynn replied yes but we haven’t had time to. First Selectman Eldredge commented I realize the manpower shortage, if we get the inmates that will free up our people to do some of these. Lynn commented she got a couple of phone calls
from residents that are not happy about having inmates around their homes. Selectman Patton commented to answer your question, no I don’t think that’s the case; it will certainly help with some of the more mundane issues, maybe cleaning up some of the area as far as trash removal but that certainly is not going to do the things that need to get done. First Selectman Eldredge commented they could clean out cross culverts. Selectman Patton commented you can’t just look at these budgets and say I am going to decrease the budget. We tried that with maintenance and equipment, it doesn’t work. First Selectman Eldredge commented we have $5,000 more in maintenance this year and we have 3 brand new vehicles; why should we need more maintenance money with 3 new vehicles that are under guarantee? Lynn commented because the other ones are that much older, look what we put into that backhoe just this year, almost $15,000 or better. First Selectman Eldredge commented I am just saying we
have 2 brand new trucks and the loader, there shouldn’t be any maintenance in the budget as far as those go. Selectman Patton commented because we continue to have more and more vehicles and more and more equipment that breaks down; labor is more expensive as far as trying to fix the stuff; I am looking at it based on reality. We can say we are going to present a real fiscally responsible budget and just cut maintenance. First Selectman Eldredge commented that’s not what I am saying; I am saying it is a fiscally responsible budget, I really think that what we have in here meets the requirements. I understand what you are saying to get these jobs done but I feel that a 9.3% increase is high. Selectman Lewis commented the Board of Finance can cut it but if you cut the budget down and then you need the money and you go back for it; people don’t realize that when you go back for it the budget just went up. I think you are better off
going in with a true number than to go in with a low number and then to have to go to the BOF and have it increase and people don’t know that it was increased. First Selectman Eldredge commented I think all throughout here we do have true numbers. Selectman Patton commented the 2005-06 budget was a good example of that. The original budget was 2.469 million then by the time all was said and done it was 2.61 million. First Selectman Eldredge commented that was the year we had the brutal winter. Selectman Patton commented about $150,000 in cost. First Selectman Eldredge commented the next year we adjusted the snow budget. Selectman Patton commented we adjusted it because before we wanted to be fiscally conservative, we just wished what we wanted the winter to be. Selectman Lewis commented it is much more honest by putting the numbers in that you think you are going to have to spend.
SPECIAL MEETING -3- FEB. 27, 2007
Lynn commented last year 2 months after the budget was approved, items like Willi Waste increased along with some other things and threw the budget out the window. The snow plowing contracts will be up this year. Selectman Patton commented I think the money that is going to time and material is a good compromise position on trying to deal with problems we have on the roads without increasing our personnel. If you can tell me something else where we can reduce costs, I’ll listen. First Selectman Eldredge commented those are the only areas I can think of. Selectman Lewis commented I hate to see budget increases, I really do but the numbers are good that we are going in with so you should be comfortable with it because it is a true number; it might not look good to somebody that
doesn’t want to sit down and realize what we are doing but it is a true number and if the BOF doesn’t like it they will cut it but hopefully once they realize it is spending $5,000 on a spot on the road now out of time and material or we spend a $100,000 on it a couple of years down the road. It makes a big difference if you spend something on it now or wait until latter and have to do major recreation of the road or drainage. First Selectman Eldredge commented I understand where you guys are coming from, that’s the only place I thought we could reduce some, even if we didn’t go the full $40,000. Lynn commented look at chip sealing last year the prices came in and blew that part of the budget out of the water. First Selectman Eldredge commented we put back in exactly what we spent last year; that’s why I am saying this is a fiscally responsible budget as far as those items go. Selectman Patton commented the whole idea of a
budget is you use your best guess of what you think you are going to use unless you want to change your method of operation or reduce your costs. That’s what it is. If you want to start looking at this and eliminating equipment or people, which is what this is, then we do that. First Selectman Eldredge commented I don’t think we can eliminate personnel, that’s for sure. I don’t feel comfortable with 9.3 but is this the one we want to submit? Make a motion to submit at 9.3%.
SELECTMAN PATTON MOVED TO SUBMIT A TOTAL SELECTMEN’S BUDGET OF $2,926,983 BASED UPON THE 2/27/07 WORKSHEET WITH THE CORRECTED CAPITAL RESERVE NUMBER OF $140,000.
Selectman Lewis seconded the motion.
VOTE: 2 YES (PATTON & LEWIS) 1 NO (ELDREDGE)
C.I.P.
SELECTMAN PATTON MOVED THAT WE RETURN THE C.I.P. PLAN, AS PRESENTED, BACK TO THE C.I.P. COMMITTEE FOR MODIFICATIONS SO THAT THE RESERVE FUND IS NOT NEGATIVE.
First Selectman Eldredge seconded the motion.
VOTE: 3 YES (ELDREDGE, PATTON & LEWIS) 0 NO
Selectman Patton commented I find it absolutely incomprehensible how a capital planning committee can produce a capital plan that had a negative $650,000 in the reserve fund. I don’t know how you do that; I don’t know how you submit that as a plan that’s approved. Selectman Lewis commented it is an unfunded wish list. First Selectman Eldredge commented I agree, you have to find a way to fund it, you can’t come in with a negative reserve.
Peter Anderson and Kathy Demers, both of the Conservation Commission, were present to discuss open space with the Board. Peter commented the 1990 Master Plan said we should preserve open space as does as our present Plan of Conservation and Development. The Governor is starting to set aside more money for this. We are looking at trying to follow some of those recommendations. The Conservation Commission is moving along doing an analyst of what the natural resources in Town are and finalizing an open space plan and establishing some priorities for lands to be preserved. Peter presented maps of the Town showing the open space. Peter commented we proposed to the C.I.P. Committee $52,000 for next fiscal year and then $100,000 a year to build an account for open space. If we have the
money ready to go when land is available it would be good. We are looking to the Town’s future; development costs more than open space but we need a balance. Kathy commented this is one piece of strategy, to have an account so if something comes up we can work with the landowner. We are trying to educate people, some people may want to donate an easement or donate land. Peter commented we may not have to sell you on this but people may come to you and ask what’s this in the
SPECIAL MEETING -4- FEB. 27, 2007
budget. You could tell them the Conservation Commission is following recommendations of POCD and goals set out and attempting to preserve some of Willington while we still can. Selectman Patton asked would you have an objection if that money was in a reserve fund that can be kept for multiple purposes, one of them being land acquisition? We do have a general reserve fund which we can fund a certain amount of money in there. At times every Town has priorities, whether it is equipment, open space or whatever. One of the uses of that reserve fund would be for open space acquisition instead of just having its own fund. My thought is there are roads that need to be fixed and equipment needed but we don’t have any money for that but we have $700,000 over here for open space acquisition
and no land that is identifiable to be bought. Peter commented it won’t be $700,000 for several years out but I see your point. Selectman Patton commented if the Town tries to maintain a certain level of reserve that can be used for multiple resources I think that would meet your goal, to have a pot of money to use, while still being able to use for other projects, it is not an open space fund but it is a fund that could be used for open space. Peter commented ideally we would want it separate but it is not we, as the Conservation Commission, against the Town we are talking about a budget for the Town. Selectman Patton commented we are taking $100,000 out of the reserve fund and putting it into open space acquisition and then we are getting to a minus $650,000 in the reserve fund; and I’m saying this is neat maybe the blue bird of happiness is going to spit dollar bills out, but I don’t think it is going to work. It is so hit or miss;
you don’t know when it is going to happen. I can see problems just having this money sitting there and for a decade you don’t purchase any property but every other department is going begging, I think it will create a little bit of animosity. Discussion on bonding followed. Kathy commented the Town has to come up with a plan, we are giving you our insight about some of the strategy, we feel some money needs to be put away, the question is how to do this. The Town has other priorities that all need to be addressed; maybe there is a way to work it all out. First Selectman Eldredge commented that is exactly what we have to do with the C.I.P. plan. Selectman Patton commented I think you can appreciate that when there has been open space initiatives the Town has stepped up to support them. Peter commented absolutely. Selectman Patton commented there is a certain commitment to open space, it may not be in the form of a reserve
fund but then again the State doesn’t have any money.
First Selectman Eldredge commented he wanted to ask Selectman Patton about different sources of funding. Is there an instrument to fund projects in CIP out of the fund balance? The reason I bring that up is thinking about different problems. Selectman Patton commented yes you can take money out of the general fund balance, you have to go to the Board of Finance. First Selectman Eldredge commented I realize we can’t come up with a negative balance but we have different projects that are funded under the reserve. One of the things I looked at is if there is any money available; the contract we are going to issue for the septic system, barring no tragedies we are going to get $220,000 back from ASHOW back into the general fund. Selectman Patton commented it would go into the capital
project. First Selectman Eldredge asked is there any way we could consider that money to be used to basically help some of the funding of these things from the general budget. I don’t know the mechanisms, even if it is possible. Selectman Patton commented it eventually goes back in the general fund, which means you have to go to the Board of Finance and Town Meeting for approval. First Selectman Eldredge commented it is not a capital project and there is nothing that we every specified here as an instrument to do that. We’ve got LOCIP, we’ve got reserve, and we’ve got capital projects. Selectman Lewis asked what’s not a capital project that you are planning on? First Selectman Eldredge commented I don’t think it fits the bill of the 930 capital project. Selectman Patton commented what you are asking them to do is increase the budget to pay for a particular project. What you are looking at
doing is increasing this number but sort of doing it off the books; $638,000 what you want to spend for local funds, you want to increase it by $100,000 so we would be spending $738,000. First Selectman Eldredge commented right but what I am thinking of saying is that I have money coming back in to the general fund to offset that. Selectman Patton commented you are still going to increase this to $738,000, you say to the BOF take $100,000 and encumber that, they typically use $300,000 or $350,000 to lower the mil rate, as an application of the general fund balance; you are asking them to increase it by another $100,000 to $400,000 or $450,000 so the mil rate will be basically the same. If you don’t do it as part of the normal budget process, if you do it outside the budget process you are going to ask them to increase the application of the general fund. First Selectman Eldredge asked would you show this coming in on the revenue side of the general
budget? Selectman Patton commented I guess it is coming in as
SPECIAL MEETING -5- FEB. 27, 2007
revenue. First Selectman Eldredge asked what would you call it on here? Selectman Patton commented you would call it local funds. You are taking local funds and you are increasing it. First Selectman Eldredge commented if you look at this and that was viable to do, you funded these projects out of fund balance, general fund and this money came back in you would just leave this capital $220,000 we have in the plan for capital projects but what it does is reduce the spending throughout these years and you actually come out with positive balance in reserve all the way across if two other things happen; if you were to get a grant for some of these projects like the drainage. The drainage should be able to be under a STEAP grant, we have a STEAP grant now for a drainage project. Selectman
Patton commented we have drainage grant for a water system for a school and we have a STEAP grant for drainage for a housing project. First Selectman Eldredge commented correct, it is all drainage. Selectman Patton commented because you have a project that meets social need the State said we will give you money to do that, that’s how it was sold, I don’t think we sold a STEAP grant to anybody on we just don’t feel like paying for the drainage work ourselves we want you to pay for it. It has no particular social economic value other than it needs to get done to prevent further deterioration of the roads. It makes a very difficult sell saying it is not really important enough for us to pay for it but it really is important you pay for it. I have a tough sell with that one. First Selectman Eldredge asked you don’t think you could get a STEAP grant on drainage problems on a road? Selectman Patton commented I don’t
believe so unless you have some sort of economic development; if you were going to redo Turnpike Road because there was a hundred million dollar development going up there, they might give you some STEAP money. First Selectman Eldredge commented that’s a good question to ask, I will ask that and see if it is viable. I believe we have to do something to make this thing make sense. I thought of economic development issues also and there were some of them that might be able to be applicable to a master project like rebuilding the whole road. I know some of the EDI s that were on the books that were not approved by the 109th Congress were for road construction and stuff like that. Selectman Patton commented I want the tree out front to grow gold bars but I don’t think it is going to happen, I don’t believe you can get money for road projects that go nowhere. First Selectman Eldredge commented not just for road
reconstruction that’s necessary. Selectman Patton commented because the Town of Willington failed to maintain their roads you want us to pay for it; I have a tough sell to believe in that because quite frankly when Windham or Hartford fails to fix their roads I don’t want to pay for it because they are incompetent. I don’t want anybody to pay for our incompetence; I think that’s our job. First Selectman Eldredge commented we might be able to get either an EDI or STEAP grant. Selectman Patton asked how do you sell it? First Selectman Eldredge commented I would sell it to improve drainage and stuff to correct problems all over. Selectman Patton asked what would be the societal gain, what would be the economic gain? There we had a great story to tell, we are building subsidized housing for low-income and moderate income seniors. We are going to do the subsurface sewage disposal system for the senior housing, it is
a nice story. Just saying we are going to divert water through our drainage, for what. Selectman Lewis commented didn’t Karl looked into that on roads that go into other towns? Lynn replied yes, it did not work out. Selectman Lewis commented even Village Hill Road, that’s a main road, that whole developed area. First Selectman Eldredge commented on the EDI request they don’t go into the social economic portion of it. Selectman Patton commented look at what it said, Senior Housing Project, it had a particular project that was associated with it when they sold it; it was helping low and moderate income seniors to live in dignity in that particular area in the town they lived most of their lives. You can’t say that for drainage on Turnpike and Village Hill Roads. First Selectman Eldredge commented I think I will at least broach that subject. First Selectman Patton commented ask Sen. Courtney if he thinks
that is a viable project or talk to STEAP. You would be better off looking at some of the other projects to see if STEAP funding could be used for them. First Selectman Eldredge asked like which ones? Would you have any time tomorrow to sit down with Donna and I? Selectman Patton commented he thinks the CIP committee should be doing this. First Selectman Eldredge commented I know. Selectman Patton commented that’s why we sent it back to them, you have 6 or 7 smart people that sit around here to do that. Donna asked could the Board make a recommendation to take back to the CIP for their consideration? First Selectman Eldredge commented I think we are going to have to, basically because I think these people have accepted that these are the projects they want to see. Selectman Patton commented the other thing they can do is to say we are going to increase the amount of money we put in the reserve fund by $150,000 a year so
you don’t run into a negative number; the number would be $788,000 instead of $638,000. First Selectman Eldredge commented so you don’t come out with a negative. Selectman Patton commented this
SPECIAL MEETING -6- FEB. 27, 2007
is what they need to do, this is what they are supposed to do, this is what they signed up for. First Selectman Eldredge commented I know John but you have the financial expertise. Selectman Patton commented I realize that but I have companies to run, this is not something you just sit down and do. This is something you have to give careful consideration to and you have to run through iteration after iteration after iteration, if I wanted to do it I would have stayed on the CIP Committee. I don’t want to do it, I can’t do it, and I don’t have time to do it. Selectman Lewis commented more and more the Town really needs to support the Economic Development Commission to try to draw in business. There is 400 acres. Selectman Patton commented we could get a STEAP
grant for that. Selectman Lewis commented maybe Mike through your connections with the State we can help them attract people to that area. Maybe there are State Economic Development people that need a little bit of nudging. We should have a real push on developing business property. First Selectman Eldredge commented my point is the grants are an excellent way to go. I support going after every grant you can get, whether it is EDI, STEAP or anything to support big cost projects. Selectman Patton commented I agree but you have to have a realistic chance of getting it, some story to tell, these are not money trees, these are not things that just fall out of the sky. This is not manner that comes from the sky. You have to tell a story of a project you are doing that will makes sense in Hartford and in Washington because that is really what your representative is bringing forward because every town of 6,000 people has all these issues
they are looking for. Selectman Lewis commented we have 400 acres open. Selectman Patton commented that is something you can do but the other issue is the fact that we were able to grants for a viable project that was started and that you can tell a story about, not only is this a vision this is something that is happening, you can go there and see a road, a building that’s up, there is other funding coming in. That’s another thing money follows money, you were able to do that because you had something that was viable, that was moving forward, the land was there, the buildings were going up, there was site work being done. It was an easy sell vs. someone that was starting out saying this is what I want to accomplish, having a slide show is much different than having shovels in the ground. First Selectman Eldredge commented the STEAP grant questions I can answer by talking to OPM, asking if it is a viable project to go after. For the
EDIs we have $600,000 worth of cost here for a complete road reconstruction, I will ask if that is a viable consideration for EDI. Selectman Patton commented talk to Sen. Courtney. First Selectman Eldredge commented the good thing about them is it is not like floating a bond issue to do the project. Selectman Patton commented yes, somebody else pays for it. First Selectman Eldredge commented I think going after it anyway you can is good. Selectman Patton commented we could try to get people to pay more taxes voluntarily, if we just have a road construction fund and people can just pay more taxes voluntarily for that. Selectman Lewis commented Economical Development fund, work at attracting more business and help the Economical Development Commission, it is a lot better than going to Foxwoods. What you are doing here is gambling, we might get this. First Selectman Eldredge commented I think you should go after every grant possible. Selectman Patton commented sure but don’t
count on it. Selectman Lewis commented we also need to try to get businesses into Town to generate taxes year after year. Selectman Patton commented hope for the best but prepare for the worse. There is no way I would every say depend on getting an EDI or STEAP grant. If these road projects are becoming that much of an issue then we bond them. It is a perfectly legitimate reason to bond. First Selectman Eldredge commented yes it is but with the bonding issues we have now, we have some commitments. Selectman Patton commented we have commitments there we are spending more and more for. I would rather see a 20 year bond on road reconstruction which is certainly understandable, that’s what you do bonds for. Village Hill and Turnpike Road are two main arteries and they are falling apart. I don’t have a problem saying we have to bond these things to pay for them and at the same time apply for the EDI and STEAP
grants, maybe you will get them. We usually bond every few years. You can authorize the bonds; if you don’t need them you don’t sell them. Selectman Patton commented if you are going to do this, I would say plan for having a bond issue if you don’t want to pay for it out of reserve funds and go for the EDI and STEAP grants. First Selectman Eldredge commented you don’t lose anything by going for the grants. Selectman Patton commented don’t assume you are going to get them. First Selectman Eldredge commented you can’t assume the funding is going to be there. Selectman Patton commented which is why I am saying that’s not a viable way to go through a plan, if you want to go through there assume that you are going to bond. Annemarie Poole asked if you are not accepting the CIP plan and you are sending it back to the CIP Committee what direction are you giving them? Selectman Patton commented
my motion said you are not going to have a negative reserve balance. Annemarie commented so they need to do something with that plan
SPECIAL MEETING -7- FEB. 27, 2007
so the reserve is not negative. First Selectman Eldredge commented right. Selectman Patton commented I can’t believe they approved it, you had to look at this thing before they approved it; a negative $650,000 balance, it is ludicrous, it is absurd, that’s not a plan. First Selectman Eldredge commented I know but if we can give them direction how to make it work it would certainly help them. What I was asking you is does it make sense what I was telling you if you did some of these projects out of fund balance, knowing that you do have money coming back in, is that a viable way of doing something? Selectman Patton commented yes, what you are doing is increasing the amount of money you are spending, that’s always a viable option. You are increasing the budget but at the same
time you are increasing the amount of applied surplus so your net effect on taxes would be zero, but the amount of money you are spending would go up. Those are your options. The other options is maybe they can transfer right into the reserve fund, you would have to ask the auditor, transfer from capital projects into the reserve fund. First Selectman Eldredge asked wouldn’t that money come right back into fund balance? Selectman Patton commented no because we had an approval to spend the $560,000 out of fund balance, not out of reserve. First Selectman Eldredge commented I think it was out of fund balance. Selectman Patton commented I would have to look at it, if it is in capital projects you might be able to transfer to the reserve fund. Still you have the issue of the water system that went a couple of hundred thousand over budget, we told them that if some other projects come under budget we would use that. First Selectman
Eldredge commented and that we will be able to do on the drainage because we should have some STEAP money left, OPM told me that we could request to change the STEAP to go to that, it would be around $75,000. Selectman Patton commented there is still another $125,000 we have to make up to bring all those things in line. First Selectman Eldredge commented yes make it up so we are not spending down money basically, which would be fortunate if we could do it, I don’t know if we will be able to do it all the way down on the water system. Selectman Patton commented those are the things that need to be looked at. First Selectman Eldredge asked do you think that it is viable that if we have $180,000 left on the septic system we could do that, put it into the reserve fund? Selectman Patton commented you have to ask the auditor, you can always can spend it, the question is how does that get transferred from one project to another. You have to ask
the auditor if the BOF can take that money and transfer it into the reserve fund or have to transfer it into the fund balance. First Selectman Eldredge commented then once it is in the reserve fund we would have to go to Town Meeting. Selectman Patton commented yes. First Selectman Eldredge commented okay we will have to work these things through, either that, or there is going to be large increases in the reserve funding for the use of these costs. Selectman Patton commented you have to get the reserve fund down to zero to begin with, not this $650,000. The other issue you have is that after this year there is no money left in emergency services so that will have to be paid for too. There is a giant sucking sound in the emergency services fund. There is a lot of iterations they have to go through, you have to look at what the debt schedule is in the out years, you have to go through and reiterate and look at some of the other projects and
see if they can be used for STEAP funds or if there is a better probability of getting STEAP funds for other projects. First Selectman Eldredge commented the other thing is how much STEAP is going to be available; the Governor’s budget says it will be reduced by 50%.
SELECTMAN PATTON MOVED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 7:03 P.M.
Selectman Lewis seconded the motion.
VOTE: 3 YES (ELDREDGE, PATTON & LEWIS) 0 NO
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Bowen
Secretary
Board of Selectmen
860-487-3100
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