Minutes

Mayor Hogan called the regular meeting to order at 7:05 PM.

1. ROLL CALL - PRESENT- Mayor Hogan, Deputy Mayor Curtis, Council member Graff, Council member Haverstock, Council member Lydecker, Council member Pacino, Council member Ploszaj, and Council member Trinks

2. PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS AND PETITIONS

Bradshaw Smith, 23 Ludlow Road, questioned how well the Homework Club will work which has been proposed by Town Manager Churchill at a cost of $9,000 and said if it is instituted it should be funded under Town Support for Education not under the Library Services.

3. COMMUNICATIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS

Council member Pacino - noticed that a set of bleachers are missing at John Fitch.

The Town Manager indicated they are being repaired and should be replaced this week.

Council member Graff - reviewed the responses of BOE and asked for past years’ statistics.

3. HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT

Dr. Petrillo reviewed the FY99 budget which will come in about $2,200 under budget.

The FY2000 shows a 1.2% increase. There is an increase in non-general funding. Supplies and services have gone up which is directly reflective of the additional grant funding. Maintenance and repairs - major repairs were made on the roof at the nature center during FY99 which was not budgeted for. The administrator position has been vacant since October, but will be filled next Monday. The camp program and environmental education are the two big programs at Northwest Park.

Mayor Hogan inquired as to mosquito spraying. Dr. Petrillo said $5,000 is budgeted for mosquito control, for spraying public parks and trails and where programs are held.

Council member Graff questioned landfill support and why it is not coming out of the landfill budget. Dr. Petrillo said about $52,000 is for administrative services for the landfill.

4. LIBRARY SERVICES

Laura Kahkonen gave an overview.

The FY99 budget will come in under budget.

There is a 1.1% increase for FY2000.

The biggest change under Children’s Services that they are proposing is a new program - Homework Club, with a cost of about $8,000 for part-time staff support. The program would be held in the main library’s meeting room. They hope for 30 to 40 students each day. Four sessions would be held during the school year. Transportation is a problem that hasn’t been solved, a possibility would be to use the same bus that is used for the daycare to Milo Peck with just adding a stop at the library.

Council member Pacino discussed the tutoring program held at the Wilson library and asked about Saturday Hours. Ms. Kahkonen said the average head count on a Saturday that is about 100 during the 3 hours it is open. He suggested opening longer Saturday hours or evening(s) hours. Also, he suggested contacting the large food chain that sponsors a homework hotline to see if they would help sponsor the homework club.

Deputy Mayor Curtis asked what type of criteria would be established for the homework club staff. Ms. Kahkonen said they budgeted the position at the librarian rate; they would like a librarian or at least someone with experience with children.

Council member Haverstock suggesting getting in touch with Grace Church which has done a small version of this type of program.

Council member Lydecker said it pleases him to se that the town is expanding services in this regard.

Supplies are increasing, however, book purchases are decreasing by 4.8%.

Services appear to decrease due to reallocation of data processing costs to the Building Programs.

Grants include a grant from the state library which reimburses the town for non-resident use. They may get more grants than are shown, which is unknown at this time.

Mayor Hogan asked about periodicals, etc. and asked if they have seen a savings by obtaining information on-line. Ms. Kokenen said she thinks there may be some savings derived from use of the Internet.

They have snack sales, which revenue purchases educational games, computer software and videos.

This summer they will be running a new program for youth ages 12 to 15, who are too old for a baby-sitter and too young to work. They will have the kids train adults to use computers, i.e. internet, mouse, etc. The kids will set up appointments and assist adults in using the computers.

5. PUBLIC LANDS, ROADS, AND FACILITIES

Wayne Radke gave and overview with Bob Dinallo and Jeff Doolittle.

The budget shows a 1.67% increase. Mr. Radke said their work plays a vital role in making Windsor a community of choice.

Two maintainers are being recruited now, up one from FY99.

Twelve part-time people are employed during summer for picking up trash, weed whacking etc.

Mr. Doolittle discussed Parks and Grounds. Personnel services is up due to reallocation of staff and the addition of a maintainer to the parks and grounds team. Maintenance and repair is up slightly.

Council member Trinks asked if an arborist or any qualified individuals are on staff. Mr. Doolittle said there is a licensed arborist on staff.

Goals include to develop a schedule for field restoration and regrade/reseed 1 soccer field at LP Wilson, repair damaged turf areas on ball fields bi-weekly, transplant 50 trees from nursery at Northwest Park to other locations and replace with new stock, develop long-term plan for ball field restoration, and improve turnaround time in ball field preparation after bad weather.

Under Town Buildings there is a $50,000 charge to other service units representing charges for telecommunications administration which has been transferred to this program from Information Services. A full time employee from the internal service fund was absorbed into this program mid-year which results in higher than budgeted personal services.

Donald Cunningham discussed the goal of adding multimedia equipment to meeting rooms allowing for increased professionalism in presentations, i.e. upgrading Council chambers.

Under Pavement, a town aid grant of $15,000 is available from the State for supplies in support of various pavement products and services. Also $350,000 in LoCIP funding is anticipated and will be used to support the repaving of roads.

They hope to complete the curb repair program by 7/1/2000, backfill and restore roadsides behind curb and road repairs within 2 weeks, and sweep winter sand and debris from all streets by 6/15/2000.

Mr. Doolittle discussed Stormwater drainage which has decreased. They hope to perform a complete inspection of the condition of the concrete lining in the Deckers Brook Channel, and to respond to customer complaints regarding stormwater drainage, flooding and erosion within 1 working day.

Bob Dinello reviewed Traffic Safety and Community Support with the emphasis being on community support. They provide traffic safety, support community events, replace and maintain town vehicles and heavy equipment and support for town’s fuel dispensing system. Their goals include to begin conversion to larger and more readable street name signs along Bloomfield and Poquonock Avenues, and for increased safety, add signs to identify all roads in Wilson which are not through streets. He said state-mandated evictions and auctions have gone up, they have 1-16 evictions annually.

Design Services has gone up with personal services increases to reflect the reassignment of 1 regular full time staff to the design services program.

There have been substantial changes in Storm Control. For FY2000 only overtime expenses are budgeted in the Personal Services category though staff budgeted in other PLRF programs will conduct all plowing and related services.

Mr. Radke explained the training given to the summer help, which are usually college age kids.

Firsttown Downtown discussed buying benches. Mr. Radke said they are looking to buy some chairs and benches for the center of town and they indicated they would purchases a few. He said they purchase these type items for all the parks.

Mayor Hogan said she is glad to see the movement of internal service funds into the budget. She would the Town Manager review the whole service unit for next year’s budget.

6. TOWN SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION

Donald Cunningham reviewed Town Support for Education.

The increase in Town Support for Education is attributed primarily to the addition of capital projects in the FY2000 budget. He reviewed the table illustrating insurance costs and retirement services which is also increased for FY2000.

The Town is responsible to pay for the nurse at St. Gabriels and Loomis. The State reimburses some percentage for this amount; last year about 80% of the money was reimbursed. The service costs about $45,000.

Debt service can be found in 3 areas in the budget book including this portion, which is down this year.

Mr. Cunningham reviewed debt service, general government, risk management, retirement services, youth protection services, public buildings, lands and roads and capital projects - schools. Schools is a new item; funding for school-related capital projects is budgeted in Town Support for Education.

Council member Pacino asked how many individuals have gone through the Dare program and then subsequently gotten arrested. Donald Cunningham said every fifth grader in the Town of Windsor goes through the Dare Program. Donald Cunningham noted Chief Searles is out of town for a few days but someone will report back with an answer.

Council member Graff said his feeling and recommendation is to remove the $196,000 in terms of capital projects from this budget and from the budget overall and plan on funding those budget from the school surplus.

9. ADJOURNMENT

Council member Graff made a motion, seconded by Council member Trinks, to adjourn the meeting at 9:18 PM. Motion Passed 5-3-0 with Council members Pacino, Ploszaj and Trinks opposed and the remainder in favor.

Respectfully submitted,

Abigale LaViolette

cc: Town Clerk, Main Library, Wilson Branch