Present: First Selectman Woody Bliss; Selectman W. Glenn Major; Selectman Richard Miller; Town Administrator Tom Landry; Administrative Assistant Judy DeVito; Employees and member of the press

 

 

Mr. Bliss called the meeting to order at 7:32pm.

 

Selectman Bliss made a presentation regarding the budget. Mr. Bliss said that 2006-2007 revenues minus expenditures is more than 1 million dollars to the good and he forecasted a fund balance as of June 30, 2007 of $9,688,046.  The total 2007-2008 proposed budget is $61,572,664 which is an increase of $3,830,793. The total town budget is $10,228,322 which is an increase of $356,631.

 

Account Number 100 Administration and Finance- Mr. Major asked about the First Selectman’s salary of $45,000. He said the increase should not take effect until after the next election and that was not the way the budget is being presented. Mr. Landry said that figure was wrong and should be $37,700.

 

Account Number 110 General Administration- Mr. Miller said he did not believe that Warm Up Fund, Interfaith Housing and First Night should be line items. They should be in a discretionary fund for the First Selectman and the board for applications by needy and worthy organizations.  Mr. Major said Interfaith Housing made a request for an amount which was less than $14,400 but when they realized they had a line item they raised their request. He felt that these become entitlements and they should not be entitlements. You should have the discretion for using the money as you think is proper.

 

Mr. Major said in light of the way things progressed last year he would like to see those three line items removed from the budget. When the appropriate time comes the entities can make their request to the Selectmen and they can look at them at that time, on their merits and make specific allocations at that time. Mr. Major said the Board of Finance made a conscious choice not to give us a line item so that we would be able to have a fund from which we can draw to make these types of allocations. Mr. Bliss said he did not like to get into the habit of taking something out of the general fund and asked if he should go back to the Board of Finance and ask for one line item. Mr. Major felt that we were in a much better position to go back and argue because we can say we did it your way and it did not work.

 

Mr. Landry suggested that we could put that amount in the Board of Finance budget for supplemental appropriations and not label it to any specific organization. You would be raising those funds on the mill rate rather than taking them after the mill rate from the general fund.

 

Mr. Miller wanted to increase the line item 115 Memorial/Veterans Day to be $9,300 to include color guard equipment.

 

Mr. Bliss asked Mr. Landry to prepare a memo for Thursday night to go over all the changes.

 

Mr. Major said he had an issue with Kids In Crisis. He said until he got the budget it was the first time he knew that the Town was considering this project and to talk about a $65,000 line item in the course of trying to go through the annual budget is not an appropriate place to have the discussion. He has all sorts of questions about the program. His immediate reaction is why is it not in Human Services. His suggestion is to take this out of the budget.

 

Line item 206 Subscription Membership- Mr. Major asked for a list of supplemental appropriation for this year and last year and if the supplementals have been rolled into the budget as a regular budget item they need to know. Mr. Major is concerned that just because we decided in one year to make a supplemental appropriation does not mean that they should presume or that we should presume that we are now making that for every year going forward.

 

Line item 113 Commission for the Arts- Mr. Major said that he did not believe that we had ever approved giving scholarships for the Commission for the Arts. He wants that item removed from the Commission for the Arts budget. The Town is not in the business of giving out scholarships.

 

Account Number 191 Building Inspector- Mr. Major said he had gone back to last year’s budget and did not see the administrative position changing from 66% to 100%. Mr. Landry said it happened when Nancy McCormick left the position and we hired a replacement that the First Selectman had approved.

 

Account Number 210 Police Department- Mr. Major asked about the police car being put in the Capital Budget. He wanted to know why we were doing this. Mr. Landry said he was doing this so that the vehicles would actually be bought. Last several years they have covered overtime expenses that were way over budget by not buying vehicles. They had budgeted a vehicle and ½ a year and this would carry some money forward since you can not buy a ½ vehicle. By having it in a Capital Budget it will stay there until it is needed.

 

Account Number 260 Communication Center- Mr. Major asked about the decrease in overtime. Mr. Landry said they have three certified part time dispatchers who are eligible to step in and do that.

 

Account Number 263 SW CT Emergency Medical Service- Mr. Major said that he would like a better explanation as to what the impact is to Weston. He wants to understand what the entity does and what the $1,300 request is tied to.

 

Account Number 600 Human Services- Mr. Major said there should have been a note put on the budget sheet explaining the movement of receipts from this account to the General Fund.

 

Mr. Major said in general there should have been more notes on the budget.

 

Account Number 750 Commission for the Elderly – Change name to the Commission on Aging.

 

Account Number 810 Public Library- Mr. Major said the department request for the computers that the Town’s recommendation is ½ of the request. Mr. Landry said that we are going to buy the other half this year.

 

Account Number 912 Parks & Fields – Mr. Landry said the big jump was for the fields which were in response to the observations that the fields are not where we want them to be. Mr. Major asked how we were addressing the problem. Dave Ungar, Director said they are allowed to use controls for crab grass, etc. which they were not using but will this spring. The sod is down and they have a fully operation irrigation system.

 

Account Number 930 Debit Service- Correct typographical error in 07-08 line presentation.

 

Account Number 970 Capital Budget- Mr. Landry said the Capital Advisory Committee voted this morning to recommend the capital budget as presented. The Board of Finance will review with further discussion regarding the selected Dial a Ride van, and whether the fire truck should be refurbished rather than replaced.

 

Mr. Major asked about the new work for Lachat. Mr. Landry said for the ten year plan we are carrying an estimate of $450,000 in each of the next two fiscal years. In the mill rate projections and in the charts it shows up as a debt. It is not in the budget as a line item. Sometime between now and Town Meeting, Town Meeting will have to vote that as an appropriation. If they do vote it, it will be in the mill rate and if they do not, it will not be included in the mill rate. Mr. Landry said someone will have to come forward between now and Town Meeting requesting the $450,000.

 

Adjournment: At 9:50pm Mr. Miller made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Mr. Major seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

 

Respectfully submitted

Judy M. DeVito

Administrative Assistant

Approved 7/12/07