There was a meeting of the Public Services Committee on Thursday, September 24, at Canoe Brook Senior Center, 11 Cherry Hill Road, Branford, CT.
This was a joint meeting with the Ways and Means Committee.
The meeting came to order at 7:02 PM.
Present for Public Services were Representative Hanlon, Representative Baker, Representative Flanigan, Representative Leonard, and Representative Twohill. Reps. O’Donnell and Infantino were absent.
Present for Ways and Means were Representative Avitable, Representative Nardella, and Representative Thayer. Reps. Cinque and Keefe were absent.
Also present were Human Resources Director Joyce Forte, Fire Chief Jack Ahern, Assistant Chief Shaun Heffernan, and Finance Director Jim Finch.
1. To consider and, if appropriate, approve a request from the Board of Fire Commissioners for the following transfer (FY09):
From: 101-4904-494.59-13 Contingency ( 55,872)
To: 101-4244-424.10-44 Medic Part Time 11,257
101-4204-424.33-03 Ambulance Billing 10,972
101-4204-424.10-94 Education 33,643
TOTAL 55,872
Chief Ahern presented. The transfer is needed largely because ambulance billings by the department exceeded projections, with corresponding increases in Medic Part Time and Ambulance Billing expenses. Revenues from Ambulance billings go to the General Fund. The Education line is for paramedic training and overtime to cover time devoted to training.
Representative Twohill moved to approve, seconded by Representative Avitable. Approved unanimously in a joint vote by both committees.
2. To consider, and, if appropriate, approve a request from the Finance Director for the Following transfer (FY09):
From: 101-4904-494.59-13 Contingency ( 35,000)
o: 101-4903-493.35-05 Hypertension Disability 35,000
Finance Director Finch presented. The Heart and Hypertension Fund, which covers approximately 33 firefighters and police officers who were hired prior to July 1996, currently has a negative fund balance. As of the most recent claims review, there were 14 open cases at an average of $89,000 per claim, 7 of whom are active employees. The transfer request will improve the cash position in the fund and maintain a minimum cash balance of $150,000.
Representative Nardella moved to approve, seconded by Representative Twohill. Approved unanimously in a joint vote by both committees.
3. To consider and, if appropriate, approve a request from the Finance Director for the following transfer (FY09):
From: 101-4904-494.59-13 Contingency ( 321,432)
101.4901.49120.14 Retirement Municipal Employees( 18,677)
101-4901-491.20-16 Social Security ( 16,766)
TOTAL ( 356,875)
To: 101-4201-421.95-01 Operating-Transfer Out/ 122,219
Police
101-4204-424.95-01 Operating-Transfer Out/Fire 234,656
TOTAL 356,875
Finance Director Finch presented. The FY 2008-2009 Contingency budget included funds to cover anticipated retroactive settlement costs for municipal union contracts expected to be settled in FY 2009. This transfer covers those costs for the Fire contract approved in FY'09 and the anticipated costs for the Police contract that would most likely have been settled in FY'09 if not for an accident that temporarily incapacitated the union's chief negotiator.
Representative Baker moved to approve, seconded by Representative Avitable. Approved unanimously in a joint vote by both committees.
4. To consider and, if appropriate, approve a request from the Finance Director for the following transfer (FY09):
From: 101-4702-472.91-12 Bonding Costs (15,810)
To: 101-4901-491.20-19 Vol. Fire Stipend 15,810
Finance Director Finch presented. The Volunteer Firefighter stipend program was more successful than budgeted.
Representative Twohill moved to approve, seconded by Representative Avitable. Approved unanimously in a joint vote by both committees.
The joint portion of the meeting adjourned at 7:46 PM.
Public Services Committee only :
4) To consider, and, if appropriate, approve a request from the Board of Fire Commissioners for the following transfer (FY09):
From: 101-4204-424.10-00 Salaries & Wages ( 78,637)
101-4204-424.10-38 Special Detail ( 1,000)
101-4204-424.10-47 Utility ( 863)
101-4204-424.10-50 Deputy Fire Marshal ( 180)
101-4204-424.10-92 Holiday ( 7,696)
101-4204-424.10-95 Stipends ( 12,066)
101-4204-424.13-00 Longevity ( 1,830)
101-4204-424.32-01 Physicals & Innoculations ( 5,191)
101-4204-424.30-00 Administrative Expense ( 675)
101-4204-424.15-00 Accrued Payroll ( 2,032)
101-4204-424.41-01 Service Contracts ( 5,543)
101-4204-424.41-03 Equipment R & M ( 7,254)
101-4204-424.41-05 Replacement Equipment ( 9,328)
101-4204-424.41-09 Hose Replacement ( 309)
101-4204-424.41-13 CMED ( 9,249)
101-4204-424.42-02 Electricity ( 1,164)
101-4204-424.54-01 Membership ( 55)
101-4204-424.58-01 Training & Education ( 6,765)
101-4204-424.58-04 Fire Prev. / Investigat. ( 763)
101-4204-424.58-06 Stewards ( 3555)
101-4204-424.61-01 Misc. Operating Supplies ( 3778)
101-4204-424.61-15 Medical Supplies ( 2638)
101-4204-424.62-01 Postage Expense ( 521)
101-4204-424.70-07 Portable Radios & Pagers ( 3083)
101-4204-424.70-10 Breathing Apparatus ( 29)
101-4204-424.70-16 Fire Police ( 1151)
101-4204-424.70-93 Medical Equipment ( 927)
TOTAL (166,282)
To: 101-4204-424.10-90 Overtime 108,831
101-4204-424.10-93 Sick 39,741
101-4204-424.58-02 Uniform & cloth allow 548
101-4204-424.42-01 Telephone 3,053
101-4204-424.42-06 Marine Fuel 202
101-4204-424.10-91 Vacation 5,513
101-4204-424.42-09 Hydrants 8,364
101-4204-424.10-94 Education 30
TOTAL 166,282
Chief Ahern presented. The transfer represents end of the fiscal year bookkeeping as the Fire Department was forced to fulfill scheduling and minimum manning requirements while two firemen were unavailable due to injury. This caused a significant logging of replacement time (not really bonfide “overtime”) which is necessary when manning requirements require additional fireman to be called in due to manning shortages. The Fire Department is now fully staffed.
Representative Twohill moved to approve, seconded by Representative Hanlon. Approved unanimously.
5) To consider and, if appropriate, approve a request from the Board of Police Commissioners for the following transfer (FY09):
From: 101-4201-421.10-00 Salary ( 34,398)
101-4201-421.41-01 Service Contracts ( 9,800)
101-4201-421.10-95 Supernumerary Training ( 6,957)
101-4201-421.11-04 Winter Boat ( 5,238)
101-4201-421.58-01 Education Expense ( 5,001)
101-4201-421.10-93 Sick ( 4,808)
101-4201-421.56-00 Training ( 3,429)
101-4201-421.15-00 Accrued Payroll ( 3,097)
101-4201-421.61-01 Operating Expenses ( 684)
TOTAL ( 73,412)
To: 101-4201-421.10-90 Overtime 62,464
101-4201-421.10-91 Vacation 1,679
101-4201-421.10-92 Holiday 3,905
101-4201-421.10-94 Education Incentive 750
101-4201-421.42-02 Electricity 4,614
TOTAL 73,412
Item could not be heard because of a lack of Police Dept. personnel to explain transfer. Discussion postponed until special Public Services meeting Wed. Oct.14, 2009 at Canoe Brook Senior Center.
6) Discussion regarding letter resident Frank Cirillo read during Sept. RTM session regarding Crescent Bluff Ave, which requested that the RTM consider and, if appropriate, find out the status of whether the street is a town-owned thoroughfare.
Frank Cirillo presented. A group of residents from Crescent Bluff explained that there were property claims being made on portions of their property by another resident of the street. This resident was also claiming that she owned property which included the existing Crescent Bluff Ave. This included road that had been paved, plowed and had sewers installed previously by the town of Branford. The residents ask that the First Selectman to authorize the hiring of an attorney to determine the towns interest and position.
The committee made a motion to recommend to First Selectman DaRos that a town attorney be hired to investigate the town of Branford’s potential ownership of the road. Motion by Representative Flanagan, second by Representative Baker, motion passed unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Douglas Hanlon
Public Services Committee Chair
October 12, 2009
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