ENFIELD TOWN COUNCIL

SPECIAL MEETING

DISTRICT MEETING OPEN SESSION

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2008

The Special Meeting of the Enfield Town Council was held at the John F. Kennedy Middle School, Raffia Road, Enfield, Connecticut on Monday, February 25, 2008. Mayor Kaupin began this session at 7:09 p.m.

Present from the Enfield Town Council were Councilmen Bosco, Dumont, Jones, Kaupin, Kiner, Lee, Mangini, Nelson and Ragno. Councilmen Crowley and Edgar were absent.

Also present from the Town of Enfield were Director of Public Safety, Christopher Bromson; Director Social Services, Pamela Brown; Town Manager, Matthew Coppler; Director of Libraries, Henry Dutcher; Senior Assistant Town Attorney, Maria Elsden; Director of Planning, Jose Giner; Director of EMS, Art Groux; Director of Public Works, Pia Hawkes; Director of Finance, Lynn Nenni; Town Clerk, Suzanne Olechnicki; Chief Technology Officer, Paul Russell; Chief of Police, Carl Sferrazza; Deputy Chief of Police, Anjo Timmerman; Director of Economic Development, Ray Warren.

Mayor Kaupin explained the format for this meeting is to allow for an open question and answer session with no agenda.

Mr. Coppler provided a brief synopsis as to how the budget process works. He stated in November, the department directors look at the upcoming needs for the 2008-2009 budget year, and they then submit their requests to him. Budget hearings will then be set up so that department heads can come before the Town Council to talk about their budgets. He noted afterwards the Council will put together a budget for July 1^st.

Charles Woods, 11 Westerly Drive – questioned when will the Town develop a zero-based budget. Mr. Coppler responded they are working toward that. He explained this year, they will have all departments break out their budgets in the programs so that they can get an idea as to how much it costs to provide services and whether they’re spending money properly. He stated hopefully in the next two to three years, they will be at the point where the Council can tie money directly to a level of service and determine if it’s worthwhile.

Joseph Saroce, 10 Briarwood Drive - questioned why contracts are always negotiated on a three-year basis, and why aren’t taxpayers allowed to vote on this. Mr. Coppler pointed out there have been some four-year contracts. He explained the rationale is to try and lock in a certain cost structure.

Mr. Saroce stated his belief people who are making high salaries are not paying their fair share for benefits. Mayor Kaupin responded that has a lot to do with how collective bargaining and binding arbitration is done in Connecticut. He went on to state his belief it takes a lot of work to negotiate a contract. He noted on the Town side, negotiations are staggered out, which ends up being helpful in negotiating other contracts.

Margaret Jedziniak, 232 Abbe Road – questioned why is it that people who work for municipal government say their budget was cut even though they are getting more money than the year before. Mayor Kaupin stated his belief no one on the Town side says their budget was cut. Councilman Nelson stated the Board of Education receives an increase every year. He went on to state the teachers’ contract is large, and they have to find the money to fund that contract, and this sometimes results in provisions for the students being negatively impacted.

Ms. Jedziniak questioned whether books were ever purchased with the $340,000 the Town Council gave the Board of Education for books over and above what was already in the school budget. Councilman Nelson responded most of that money was spent on books.

Ms. Jedziniak stated she doesn’t understand why the taxpayers always have to sacrifice when there’s no sacrifice on the part of the Board of Education. She stated her impression the education isn’t improving even though the salaries are increasing.

Mayor Kaupin suggested an update on the line item for the purchase of books. Mr. Coppler stated his belief some of that money may have been set aside for technology.

Jack Sheridan, 7 Buchanan Road – expressed his appreciation to the Town Council and staff for hosting this type of meeting. He went on to state his belief the Council should put in place something that allows for only Enfield taxpayers to speak at budget meetings.

Referring to the recent erosion and flood control informational meeting, Mr. Sheridan voiced concern about the Town putting any money into erosion issues on private property. He noted once the Town gets involved in an erosion project on private property, the Town might then own that problem. He stated he’s also concerned about the Town allowing development on land that shouldn’t be developed. He feels that things happening at Planning & Zoning should be looked at more closely.

Mr. Sheridan stated he read the engineer’s report about keeping the drains clean at the South Maple Street Bridge. He noted that’s not happening. He stated it’s also recommended that there be plastic pipes to let the surface water drain, and those pipes are broken off. He acknowledged some bolts were replaced, however, that bridge is still in dire shape. He stated his belief the Town should take the advice of the State engineers who inspected that bridge.

Mayor Kaupin stated the Council’s rules and procedures only allow residents and taxpayers to speak at Town Council meetings under Public Communications. He noted the Board doesn’t have any rules about who can speak.

Mayor Kaupin informed the public that the recent power point presentation given on the erosion and flood control issues in Enfield is on the Town’s website. He noted it also shows the costs and breaks out the Town-owned and privately owned erosion problems.

Mayor Kaupin requested the Director of Public Works provide some information concerning the South Maple Street Bridge. Mr. Hawkes stated the Town has an engineering firm on call for this. He noted they completed the 30% design of the bridge. He stated they will be doing the approaches to the bridge, and it will be necessary to acquire some property from Spazzarini Construction so that they can improve that roadway and the site line safety. He went on to note they plan to put 20 parking spaces in this area for access to the Scantic River. He stated construction is planned for the spring or summer of 2009. He noted he will speak to the Highway Department concerning the underpinnings of that bridge.

Tom Walsh, 6 Rosanne Street – agreed parking spaces near the bridge is a good idea. He added his belief this is a better parking location than the parking site proposed for Route 190. He suggested the possibility of procuring a little more land from Spazzarini for this parking area.

Mr. Walsh stated his belief the new waterline for Broad Brook Road will open up that area for a lot of development. He noted since a developer would profit from using that water line, which was paid for by Enfield taxpayers, perhaps the developer should have to pay to tie into that line.

Mr. Walsh referred to the high number of apartments in Enfield and stated his belief this places a big strain on the town and school systems. He stated his belief apartment dwellers should have to pay something to the Town for the services they receive.

Mayor Kaupin explained what happened to the wells in the Broad Brook Road area and stated the DEP is requiring the Town to install public water to these neighborhoods, and Hazardville Water has the rights to that area of town. He noted the Town, Hazardville Water and DEP are working to come up with a plan to install this water line.

Councilman Nelson stated if a developer uses that water main, they should pay for a section of that line.

Mayor Kaupin stated his belief the additional parking near the Scantic River is a good idea.

Karen Pugliese, 6 Burnham Street and Rob Stefanik, Montclair Drive – questioned the Town’s position regarding a dog park. They questioned why they weren’t informed when there was a meeting about this topic with the Risk Manager. They pointed out this isn’t a small grass roots group, and many dog park supporters are present this evening. They noted they did a lot of research and can provide a lot of answers regarding this endeavor. They stated they are in the process of putting a proposal together which they will bring before the Council very shortly.

Mayor Kaupin stated the Council set up a subcommittee of the Town Council, and they put the dog park issue in the hands of the Leisure Committee consisting of Councilmen Dumont, Kiner and Lee.

Councilman Dumont stated that committee is currently in the information gathering stage. She pointed out she has heard nothing from staff as to whether they are for or against this proposal. She went on to state her understanding there were concerns about liability and maintenance of the park as well as noise and odor issues. She added she also understands the supporters want to be totally responsible for this park. She noted the Council wants to be sure that as this goes forward, the park stays maintained. She stated the staff and Risk Manager were supposed to meet, however, that meeting has not yet happened. She stated her understanding the dog park supporters do have a presentation they are preparing for the Town Council, and she understands they want to do this without tax dollars.

Greg Harding, 9 Sam Street - voiced his support of a dog park. He went on to express concern about the ever escalating taxes of Enfield. He noted he has not been happy with the quality of education for the past couple years. He questioned what will the Town do about controlling taxes. He noted he works for the State of Connecticut, and state employees have been feeling the pinch with state cutbacks. He questioned what is the Town doing to keep the next generation of people in Enfield.

Mayor Kaupin stated the Council has not yet started their budget process. He noted they need to look at every program and project. He stated the Town Manager is supposed to look at a .3% increase and what the impact would be if that happened.

Mayor Kaupin stated Enfield is not a growing community and they are almost out of developable land. He noted tomorrow night there will be a Council of Chairs meeting and all the land use committees that deal with development every day will talk about how they can get Enfield to grow again.

Charles Woods, 11 Westerly Drive

Agreed with the idea of a parking area near the South Maple Street Bridge. He went on to question what happened to all the granite curbing that was removed from the Green Manor area.

As concerns families who do not have property tax, Mr. Woods suggested the idea of charging those families for their children attending school. He went on to note he heard of an Enfield student who attended college and found he was behind the other students and had to catch up.

Mayor Kaupin requested staff learn where the granite curbing taken from the Green Manor area is stored.

Mr. Woods suggested the Town allow Enfield taxpayers to purchase that granite curbing.

Joseph Saroce, 10 Briarwood Drive - stated his belief the Town should have done major road projects first. Mr. Saroce then stated his belief there should be a Town Charter change to allow people to vote on their budget. He noted it’s getting to the point where it’s almost impossible to make ends meet. He stated his belief unions run the towns, states and country.

Mr. Coppler stated the Town originally took an inventory of the roads and came up with a rating system. He noted they looked at those roads that were less than 65 on the pavement condition index (PCI). He explained as part of a referendum, the Town set aside $800,000 toward road projects and bonded out the rest at $19 million dollars. He pointed out the long, major roads eat up a lot of money. He stated they first addressed the worst roads throughout the town.

Mr. Saroce questioned how far along is the roads project, and Mr. Coppler responded $13 million of the $19 million has already been spent. He added his belief Enfield is doing better than other communities in this regard since Enfield is using its money toward important things such as roads. He pointed out any infrastructure work is very costly. He went on to note Enfield hasn’t spent money on sewers in many years.

Mr. Saroce raised the problem of utility companies cutting into the town’s roads. Mr. Coppler noted this was recently discussed. Councilman Nelson stated the Town Council is looking at holding the contractors’ bonds for a longer period of time, i.e., five years to be sure the road was properly patched.

Mayor Kaupin stated at the end of the Roads 2005 Project, they should be done with two-thirds of the roads in Enfield. He stated his belief there should be another referendum to address the balance. He suggested the Town post the debt payment on the website.

Maureen Brennan, 11 Sandpiper Road – expressed her appreciation for this type of meeting. She went on to voice her support for the tipper barrel program. She noted this is not only good for the environment, but saves money as well.

Ms. Brennan stated she does not mind paying taxes for the increase in the cost of education. She stated her belief the Board of Education is doing an excellent job to be sure all checks and balances are in place as concerns their budget. She pointed out she volunteers in the schools and doesn’t see unnecessary spending, but rather things are run very efficiently. She noted there are many state and federal mandates for school systems, and she doesn’t believe school systems can be held liable for not funding mandates.

Ms. Brennan stated the Board of Education is asking for about a 3% increase over last year’s budget. She added her belief a lot of needs aren’t being addressed, and if the Town gives them a little more than 3%, the school system could use that money for very beneficial items.

Ms. Brennan questioned whether there’s an update on the IT merger.

Ms. Brennan stated the parking accommodations for the Lamagna Center are terrible. She suggested looking at the idea of a recreational center.

As concerns the IT merger, Mr. Russell stated they completed the first phase, and they’re already gaining some efficiencies, and they’re getting much stronger technical support for the town and school system. He stated they’re hoping they will start improving their IT equipment over the next couple years. He noted the infrastructure for the school system needs replacement.

As concerns the Lamagna Center parking issue, Mr. Coppler stated improvements are planned. He noted the Town leased some land between the Strand and the Lamagna Center, and with good weather, they will work in that area to produce some parking spaces.

Judy Apruzzese-DeSroches, 28 Celtic Court – stated when she voted on the referendum for the athletic fields, she never imagined they would not be able to use those fields for all the same things as they did before. She noted she has learned Fermi High School cannot have their graduation exercise on those fields. She suggested they consider this issue when working on the Enfield High School fields to be sure they will still be able to use those fields for all the same functions.

She noted no one clears the sidewalks of snow in the area of Shannon Drive and the four corners. She went on to note these walkways are sometimes obstructed by piles of leaves or trash cans. Chief Sferrazza stated it’s a good idea to call the police department to inform them when a sidewalk hasn’t been shoveled. Mayor Kaupin suggested the new tipper barrels educational effort include the proper placement of tipper barrels.

Councilman Dumont questioned how many hours do residents have to clear snow from sidewalks, and Chief Sferrazza responded 12 hours.

John Shlatz, South Road – stated he has been unable to sell a piece of land. He noted the northeast is in trouble with high electricity and fuel rates and high taxes. He noted developers don’t want to come here, and many young people are leaving this region.

Brian Peruta, 33 Celtic Court- voiced his approval of this type of meeting. He questioned the status of the tax delinquent list. He went on to state he would like to see sidewalks on Simon Road. He requested an update on the leaf program and ideas to save money.

Councilman Ragno stated his belief they do need to tighten up on delinquent taxes. He noted their biggest problem is collecting motor vehicle taxes. He stated if people aren’t renewing their registration, they can’t be made to pay their taxes. He noted they will make an effort to send out delinquent tax notices more often.

Mr. Coppler stated his belief a 97% collection rate is very good. He stated hopefully, within the next few months, the Town Council will be happy with the steps the staff is taking to collect delinquent taxes.

Mr. Coppler stated the Town was not able to utilize the inmate labor for the leaf program. He noted they will discuss this with the Department of Corrections. He stated there was also an idea about the Town doing its own composting.

Joseph Saroce, 10 Briarwood Drive - stated his belief everyone wants education for the children, however, 85% of the budget goes toward wages and benefits and only a small portion goes toward the students.

Margaret Jedziniak, 232 Abbe Road – questioned how mandates have anything to do with the education of children. She stated her belief students are unable to read because the methods are not proper.

Charles Woods, 11 Westerly Drive – stated Somers refused some of the mandates, and they lost only the money for that specific program. He stated his impression Enfield has historically been afraid to say “no”. He noted he would rather be sure the students know how to read, write and do math.

Mayor Kaupin questioned if the audit committee is looking at mandates. Ms. Apruzzese-Desroches stated they have not selected the target areas.

Tom Walsh, 6 Rosanne Street – Questioned whether the recycling information will be on the website. Mayor Kaupin stated his belief the Town needs to do a better job at directing people to the website.

Councilman Dumont stated her belief they need to look at the big picture regarding the tipper barrel program.

Don Martin, Crescent Lake Road - stated he used to live in Illinois, and the taxes paid for the building and faculty. He noted the parents would get a materials expense list at the beginning of the school year. He stated his belief that was a fair system. He noted he now has no children in school and is still paying the fee.

Mayor Kaupin announced the next district meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27^th at Enfield Street School. He noted these meetings will be held quarterly.

ADJOURNMENT

MOTION #9692 by Councilman Jones, seconded by Councilman Ragno to adjourn.

Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #9692 adopted 9-0-0, and the meeting stood adjourned at 9:05 pm.