ENFIELD TOWN COUNCIL
MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING
SEPTEMBER 5, 2000
A Regular Meeting of the Enfield Town Council was held in the Council Chambers of the Enfield Town Hall, 820 Enfield Street, Enfield, Connecticut on Tuesday, September 5, 2000. Chairwoman Storm called the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m.
PRAYER The Prayer was given by Councilman Vayda.
ROLL-CALL - Present were Councilmen Dodd, Egan, Falk, Fiore, Hall, Kaupin, Mangini, Strom, and Vayda. Councilmen McGuire was absent. Also present were Town Manager, Scott A. Shanley; Assistant Town Manager, Daniel Vindigni; Town Attorney, Christopher W. Bromson; Director of Finance, Gregory R. Simmons; Bond Counsel for the Town, Bruce Chudwick; Information Systems Director, Charlene S. Bond; Director of Social Services, Dorothy C. Allen; Deputy Director of Social Services, Marla Hauslaib; Town Assessor, Joyce M. Jacius; Town Engineer, Jeffrey Bord; Chief of Police, Ronald G. Marcotte Sr.; Traffic Safety Officer, Robert Boula; Town Clerk, Suzanne F. Olechnicki
MINUTES OF PRECEDING MEETINGS
MOTION #4804 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Egan to accept the minutes of the August 14, 2000 Special Meeting.
Councilman Falk pointed out his comments regarding prison expansion were not included in these minutes. He noted he had stated he was not in favor of prison expansion. An additional comment from Councilman Falk at the August 14th was that if this expansion was forced on Enfield, they could renegotiate once the sewer contract capacity is reached.
MOTION #4805 by Councilman Fiore, seconded by Councilman Mangini to table this item.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4805 adopted 9-0-0.
MOTION #4806 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Dodd to accept the minutes of the August 21, 2000 Special Meeting.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4806 adopted 7-0-2, with Councilmen Mangini and Vayda abstaining.
MOTION #4807 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Dodd to accept the minutes of the August 21, 2000 Regular Meeting.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4807 adopted 7-0-2, with Councilmen Mangini and Vayda abstaining.
PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS & PETITIONS
Mark Sheehan, President of the Enfield Ramblers Youth Football Organization
3 Harding Circle
Stated his organization has 160 children between the ages of 7 and 14 who are all Enfield residents. He spoke in favor of the improvement of the lighting at the Enfield Street School. He noted they practice there from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. He pointed out the current lighting is not very effective, is very old and some of the ballasts have burned out. He stated the electric bill is billed in the name of the Ramblers, and it would not be billed to the Town of Enfield, therefore, there would be no electrical expense to the Town for any new lights.
Mr. Sheehan stated their program is entirely self-funded with no financial support from the Town, however, the Town does line the field and offers them facilities for game days so that they can use the restrooms.
He pointed out as it gets closer to fall, it starts getting dark a lot earlier, therefore, theres a definite need for this lighting.
Thomas Lipomi, President of the Enfield Dolphins Parents Association
27 Taft Lane
Stated the Enfield Dolphins has always had three coaches. He noted they put about 150 swimmers into the Fermi pool for practice. He noted they need adult supervision for this many children, and parents help at times on the pool deck for safety reasons.
He stated they support the swimmers by providing them with ribbons, awards, and the officials to officiate the meet. He noted they travel throughout Central Connecticut, and they feel they show that Enfield has a first-rate program. He stated theyve also hosted two championships over the last two years. He added they also supply all the stopwatches, swim caps, and other swimmer needs to put on swim meets.
He stated a year ago their head coach left the organization, and Parks & Recreation assured them that they would hire them a new coach, as well as an assistant coach, however, nothing has been done, other than posting for the positions, as well as flyers.
He stated his concern this program will deteriorate if coaches arent found.
Frank Mancuso, 25 Bright Street
Referring to the proposed $6.2 million dollars for the Enfield High School library project, he questioned where they will get the money for books, computer equipment, etc., to finish the job.
Mr. Mancuso stated his concern $20 million dollars for a new senior citizen center might not be enough. He suggested the idea of raising funds by selling the stained glass windows at the present senior center.
He stated his belief they have a resource at Neelans track for the youngsters to use, however, it has been closed for a long time.
Mr. Mancuso stated there are broken sidewalks at Misty Meadow, and half of their berms are granite and half are blacktop. He noted the extension of Taft Lane has all blacktop berms and sidewalks. He questioned why they waive the regulations and let anyone do as they please.
William Zimmerman, 32 Orbit Drive
Noted hes present on behalf of the Enfield Ramblers Football Association. He noted theres the possibility theyll lose the field behind Enfield Street School due to school expansion. He suggested they should look at a portable type lighting system should they have to move to a new location.
Robert Tkacz, 1300 Enfield Street
Stated his belief the Town Council is doing a great job. He then distributed cumulative drop-out rates. He noted Enfield graduates students at an extremely high rate- 82% to 84%. He pointed out the state average is around 72% to 74%.
Mark Conner, 17 Misty Meadow
Stated hes involved in the Dolphin Swim Program, and they see a lack of support for this program. He spoke about the lack of and the need for coaches and urged the Town Council to talk to Parks & Recreation and support this program in getting the resources they require.
David Beaudreau, 11 Holly Lane
Spoke about traffic calming, specifically in regards to the St. James issue. He stated his understanding the proposed plans didnt include anything for Holly Lane. He noted he and neighbors feel that any decisions made to calm traffic should not have a negative impact on Holly Lane or Ridge Road.
COUNCILMEN COMMUNICATIONS & PETITIONS
Referring to the Wallop School Park at the end of Neelans Road, Councilman Falk stated it appears the developer started the project in early spring, but construction came to a halt. He noted as a result of the construction, this park was closed for all Parks & Recreation programs this summer. He stated unless the developer develops this area between now and next summer, the park will be closed again next summer. He questioned if theres any action that the Town can take to force the developer to, at a minimum, do the enforcements to the park or rebuild the road in front of the park so that the Town does not have to close the park again next summer. Mr. Shanley stated he will check with the Planning Department to see if the Planning & Zoning Commission has any bonding related to an "end time".
Councilman Falk questioned if the Town has received any correspondence from the state on the prison proposals and the fact that they extended the date until September 22nd. He noted with that extra period of time, he proposed the Town have some type of public forum as was suggested earlier. He noted such a forum would give people in the community an opportunity to express how they feel about this issue.
Chairwoman Strom stated the Council did send a letter stating the Town is not interested, but that the Town did want to be involved in discussions relating to prison expansion. She noted it seems a little contrary to have a public forum after the Town has already sent a letter to the Department of Corrections saying the Town is not interested.
Councilman Egan stated she has heard from no one supporting prison expansion, therefore, she feels the Council was speaking for the people when this letter was sent.
Councilman Mangini stated the Prison Town Liaison Committee also represents the community.
Chairwoman Strom pointed out the meeting with the Prison Town Liaison Committee was well advertised.
Councilman Falk stated a public forum would give people the opportunity to vent.
Mr. Shanley stated his impression he does not see a consensus for a public hearing.
Councilman Hall noted it was made clear at the School Building Projects Committee that expansion of Head Start at Enfield Street School would not infringe on the football field. She added the architects are aware theyre not to touch that field at all.
Councilman Hall requested the Town Manager ask Mary Keller to get back to the people who spoke regarding the swim program issues. Mr. Shanley indicated that will be done.
Councilman Kaupin stated the proposal is to have portable lights for the football field. He noted theres a drainage problem on the field as well, and that issue will be looked at as well. He stated his belief there will be a final plan for the Head Start expansion at the Enfield Street School, and there will be a presentation to the Council on September 18th.
Councilman Kaupin stated the tree and monument at the Hazardville playground was cleaned up and replanted. He questioned who did this because theyve had some very favorable comments about the improvements. He stated people were also wondering when the Town would get around to weeding the planting around the playground sign.
Councilman Mangini stated she and Councilman Falk had the privilege of volunteering at the Barmak Tournament this weekend. She agreed with Councilman Hall about following up with the swim team parents.
Councilman Mangini stated the Children Helping Children Carnival is coming up on the second Sunday in October. She noted this is a fund-raising event to sponsor bone marrow research and help benefit terminally ill children. She encouraged everyone to support this effort or volunteer time to work at this carnival.
Councilman Mangini stated she would like to learn if theres a way the Town can allocate a certain amount of funding for officers choosing to purchase the bulletproof vests. She suggested this be an item for discussion to review this and find a way to have monies available to these officers so that they dont have to go into personal funds. She pointed out this is part of their uniform and part of their job. Mr. Shanley stated he will address this item under Town Manager Communications.
Councilman Mangini stated she would like a workshop to identify indoor recreational needs and space. Mr. Shanley questioned if that workshop should include members of the School Board since most of the Towns indoor facilities are school facilities, and Councilman Mangini responded yes.
Councilman Egan stated the Councils packet has a notice that there will be one more public input session on the outdoor recreational needs put on by Camp, Dresser & McGee. She noted this will be held September 20th at JFK from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Councilman Fiore referred to Mr. Beaudreaus concerns for the Holly Lane area. He noted there have been unofficial inquiries made by the remaining members of the St. James Committee as to whether at some point in time the Town might be interested in
blocking off Cartier Road and Holly Lane. He noted that proposal was pulled off the table, and theyve gone back to the drawing board.
Councilman Fiore stated on September 22nd, the Athletic Hall of Fame will be having their annual banquet at the Raddison.
Councilman Fiore questioned the status on the tree trimming policy, and Mr. Shanley noted this should have been in his packet.
Councilman Fiore questioned the status on the Northgate Project, and Mr. Shanley stated there will be a comprehensive update on this in the near future, as well as how it relates to Road 2000 with Bright Meadow Boulevard.
Councilman Fiore noted he had raised a question at an earlier meeting as to whether the Town or Board of Education had any water saving programs in place, i.e., toilets or showerheads. He noted hes still waiting for that information.
Chairwoman Strom referred to the St. James Avenue traffic calming issue, and noted they have been working on a traffic-calming plan for quite awhile. She stated this would also include a very clear process to be followed with a lot of input, i.e., a petition area, a percentage of people that would have to be involved, etc. She noted proposals would not be considered unless there is a policy in effect to handle such a process.
TOWN MANAGER REPORT & COMMUNICATIONS
Mr. Shanley stated he also received feedback that the Town was planning to put in a cul-de-sac. He noted the Town is making no proposals or plans to put in a cul-de-sac. He stated two years ago, Town Staff was directed by the Council to develop a policy so that if someone wanted traffic calming, a policy would decide what would and would not be acceptable. He pointed out that policy has been drafted and redrafted at the direction of the Town Council. He stated if someone wished to do traffic calming, they would have to comply with that policy. He noted they are still in the process of working on this policy.
Referring to the Misty Meadows berms, Mr. Shanley stated that was an FDIC property that was taken over in the early 1990s and developed again. He noted the developer went to Planning & Zoning and requested waivers, one of them being the granite curbing, and the Planning & Zoning granted that waiver.
Mr. Shanley stated the Camp, Dresser meeting on September 20th will be an opportunity for the public to have input.
Mr. Shanley stated the bulletproof vests were a subject of collective bargaining. He noted the Town is contributing in that process. He stated the Town received a grant, and the Town is also contributing funds, and the officers are asked to contribute $200 from their clothing allowance. He stated his belief the cost of the vest is $750.
Referring to the Wallop School Park issue, Mr. Shanley stated he will check to see if theres a requirement that the developer be complete by a certain time.
TOWN ATTORNEY REPORT & COMMUNICATIONS
There was no formal report this evening.
REPORT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES OF THE COUNCIL
Councilman Hall reported at the last School Projects Building Committee, they had a work session and revamped every single school renovation and removed certain renovations that were part of wish lists of the administration of that building. She stated her impression they did a clean up job of the renovations. She noted they wanted to be in a position to be able to give the Council all of the updated information, and the architects would not have had the time to revise the drawings for this evenings Town Council meeting. She pointed out the Committee will be prepared with all of the updated information for the next Town Council meeting.
OLD BUSINESS
All appointments remained tabled.
MOTION #4808 by Councilman Falk, seconded by Councilman Vayda to remove Item c. from the table.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4808 adopted 9-0-0.
PROPERTY MAINTENANCE ORDINANCE
Mr. Shanley stated its hoped to have a goal session with the Council this month so that they can develop a comprehensive list of everything the Council would like to get accomplished.
Councilman Kaupin requested a proposed date for that meeting be presented.
MOTION #4809 by Councilman Mangini, seconded by Councilman Fiore to re-table this item.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4809 adopted 9-0-0.
MOTION #4810 by Councilman Falk, seconded by Councilman Vayda to remove Item e. from the table.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4810 adopted 9-0-0.
PROPOSED ORDINANCE ABATEMENT OF TAXES/VOLUNTEER FIRE PERSONNEL
Mr. Shanley stated the Council had requested two pieces of information and both have been provided one was the count of the hydrants by district and the other information provided by the Town Attorneys Office with respect to specific questions asked regarding the tax relief ordinance and how that can be managed or administered. He noted staff is awaiting Council direction at this point as to how they should proceed.
Councilman Hall questioned if the fire district can do a dollar figure abatement. Attorney Bromson stated the difference in terminology was "abatement vs exemption", and the fire district cannot do an exemption because thats a function of the grand list of the Town Assessor, but they can do an abatement up to a dollar figure, and they would do this by passing an ordinance in their district which they have the authority to do under state law.
Mr. Shanley stated his understanding it would be up to the amount of money that the individual actually paid in fire district taxes.
Councilman Falk stated he sees a potential problem with this in that they have five fire districts, and they all have to develop and enforce a policy. He stated it doesnt seem fair that volunteers in one area would be treated differently than volunteers in another area. He feels in order to be fair to all volunteers, this needs to be a town-wide policy, and he feels the focus of that would come through the Town Council rather than the fire district.
Councilman Fiore referred to the comment, "any firefighter or emergency medical personnel who are volunteers for a fire department automatically get a $250 abatement". Mr. Shanley pointed out that is not a proposal of the Town staff, but rather a proposal of the fire chiefs. He added they could invite them to a meeting to explain this.
Councilman Fiore stated based on what he has read so far, retirees cannot qualify for this program. He noted in the original proposal that was given to the Council, the numbers
had retirees included. He stated his understanding a ruling has come down that retirees are not eligible, and if thats the case, he would like the fire departments to come back with a new set of numbers.
Councilman Kaupin stated his belief the next appropriate step would be to invite the chiefs back with the revised document and revised numbers and present the plan again.
Councilman Vayda stated he read in a CCM magazine that due to the fact there are individuals being granted an abatement in response to performing a service to the Town, their volunteer status is being changed to that of an employee. He noted it was unclear to him whether or not the article was very definitive or whether they were just speculating on this. He stated his belief it would be worth knowing this as a matter of fact, and he feels its worth exploring.
Councilman Vayda questioned if this is really a stop gap measure, or are they dealing with the real problem. He noted there may be some other things they need to be considering as well, i.e., the way in which theyre organized in town with the various fire districts. He stated perhaps they should look at the way in which they deploy equipment and manage the resources. He stated one of the concerns he hears expressed from residents is that they dont understand why certain equipment is purchased and how such decisions are made. He noted the whole issue of granting an abatement may "stick in some peoples craw" if they dont understand the whole picture and understand what they get for services relative to fire and emergency services.
Councilman Egan requested the latest figures from CCM to learn exactly what other communities have done.
Councilman Mangini questioned if theres a Connecticut State statute currently on the books which governs the abatement or exemption on a state level, or is this allowing the municipality to grant these. Attorney Bromson noted the one theyre discussing is the State enabling statute for a municipality to enact one, and the state statute also says what the fire districts may do themselves as well.
Chairwoman Strom stated about eight years ago a comparison was done to similar sized towns that have a fully-paid fire department and what their annual budget was vs the total of the five fire districts in Enfield. She requested a similar comparison be done.
Mr. Shanley stated his impression a special meeting might be required for this topic. It was the consensus of the Council a special meeting should be scheduled for this item in early October. Chairwoman Strom suggested having the fire department meeting on the same night as the Board of Education/Town Council discussion on indoor recreation.
MOTION #4811 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Vayda to retable this item.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4811 adopted 9-0-0.
Items d., f. and g. remained tabled
NEW BUSINESS
APPOINTMENT (TOWN MANAGER)
MOTION #4812 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Falk to accept the Town Managers recommendation to appoint William Marr (D), 17 Lake Drive to the Building Code Appeals Board for a term which expires 11/01/2002.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4812 adopted 9-0-0.
DISCUSSION RE: OPEN SPACE
Mr. Shanley stated he has asked the Town Attorney to look at the state statutes for Conservation Commissions and use that as a basis for the Conservation Commission charge, and that theyd be empowered to advise the Council on open space acquisition, not necessarily to do the open space acquisition. He suggested the Council look at that body as the group that will look at the roadside management plan, roadside trees, etc.
Councilman Fiore stated he agrees with the idea of splitting this Commission. He noted he would like to see the Conservation/Open Space Committee be Council appointed, and he would like the Inland/Wetlands Committee to remain as a Town Manager appointed body. He stated his belief the new Conservation/Open Space Committee would be a policy-making board that would come before the Council with recommendations.
Mr. Shanley stated his belief in his correspondence to the Town Attorneys Office that he had suggested that the Conservation Commission be a Council appointed body.
Councilman Egan suggested they invite the Conservation Inland/Wetlands Commission to participate at the next meeting. Chairwoman Strom agreed.
DISCUSSION RE: TRAFFIC CALMING POLICY
Councilman Falk stated the subcommittee met last week, and they went over the proposed policy again, and its back to the Town Council in a revised format. He summarized some of the highlights. He noted they had a difficult time defining a neighborhood since they couldnt set a definition that would meet every street in town therefore, it has to be on a case-by-case basis. He stated theyre proposing a subcommittee of Town staff, including the Town Planner, Engineer, and Traffic Officer, and that they review whatever proposal that comes before them to determine what the effected area would be. He noted that group would then determine the area that would need to be notified or petitioned in order to implement some sort of traffic calming in that area.
Councilman Falk stated another item addressed at that meeting was the fact that in the prior policy collector streets were not allowed to have any traffic calming, and theres a clause that stated the streets listed could not have traffic calming. He noted they basically took the list of collector streets out, which would then allow them to be open for some type of traffic calming if the procedure allowed this.
Councilman Falk stated before the policy gets voted on by the Council, two things should happen. They should have a public meeting to learn how people feel about the policy. He noted they also need the Town Attorney to review this because it does tie in with the Planning & Zoning Commission, and they need to understand what kind of legal problems they could run into as far as zoning ordinances or Planning & Zoning ordinances are concerned.
Councilman Falk stated if they have a policy, hes unsure as to whether the Council can vote to approve it unless they have the approval of Planning & Zoning because Planning & Zoning is the body that controls all the road specs. Mr. Shanley agreed that once theyre done with the policy, they should have Planning & Zoning approve it.
Councilman Falk stated they also discussed increasing the petition size from 51% to 66%. He added they also discussed the standardization of a petition so that theres no confusion, and that every petition used is the same and its worded in such a way that they dont create any controversy or confusion.
Councilman Falk stated his belief the process is fairly well outlined.
Councilman Fiore agreed that if Planning and Zoning and the Town Council buy into this, this would be a good starting document with a lot of safeguards.
Councilman Falk stated another item they talked about is that potentially they could be inundated with requests from different neighborhoods. He stated his belief they have to develop priorities so that they dont overburden Town staff.
Councilman Hall stated if emergency services doesnt endorse this, where does that leave the Town liability-wise. Attorney Bromson stated some things have to be endorsed by certain emergency services, however, with traffic calming hes not aware of what the legal impact might be if emergency services doesnt endorse this. He noted he will look into this.
Mr. Shanley pointed out the Committee of 12 or 13 people included representatives from the insurance company, the fire departments, Planning & Zoning, the police department, and Engineering.
Councilman Hall stated her belief the liability question is a valid question, and she feels that as a Town this question needs to be asked. Attorney Bromson stated as long as the insurance carrier looks at this policy and says it comports with state and federal standards, then the Town is protected. He noted he will look to be sure theres no requirement since this is a little unique and new. Mr. Shanley pointed out the Towns insurance carrier was at all the meetings.
Chairwoman Strom stated the traffic calming policy has been pared down with input from the fire, police, and ambulance departments. She noted they took out what they considered dangerous, i.e., speed bumps.
Councilman Egan stated her impression theyre setting up a good, thorough check and balance that nothing will be done without a lot of thought and effort on everyones part.
Councilman Dodd referred to the petition signatures and questioned whether those have to be the signature of the homeowner, occupant, or either. Councilman Fiore stated his belief the Committees intent was that one occupant of a household signs the petition, and that could be the homeowner or renter. Councilman Falk stated that should be clarified.
Councilman Mangini commended the Committee and Town staff that worked on this. She noted this policy was compiled by a group of people that obviously have a concern for traffic control. She supported Lt. Boulas statement regarding enforcement being the key.
Councilman Vayda stated his belief the Town is on solid ground with this. He noted what really matters is that they make a good, solid decision for the community.
It was agreed to send the proposed policy to Planning & Zoning to get their input.
RESOLUTION #4813 by Councilman Mangini, seconded by Councilman Falk.
MOTION #4814 by Councilman Mangini, seconded by Councilman Kaupin to waive the reading of a resolution to appropriate $6,265,000 for the expansion and/or renovation of the Enfield High School Library, Classrooms, Pupil Services and Administration Space and to authorize the issuance of Bonds, Notes or temporary Notes in an amount not to exceed $2,380,700 to finance the Towns portion of said appropriation, with the balance funded by Grants.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4814 adopted 9-0-0.
Copy of the resolution appended to these minutes
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #4813 adopted 9-0-0.
RESOLUTION #4815 by Councilman Falk, seconded by Councilman Mangini.
MOTION #4816 by Councilman Falk, seconded by Councilman Vayda to waive the reading of a resolution to submit to referendum the Appropriation and Bonding Resolution for the Enfield High School project, as approved by the Town Council.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4816 adopted 9-0-0. Copy of the resolution appended to these minutes
Councilman Kaupin questioned if everything has been passed through and approved, and Bond Counsel responded yes.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #4815 adopted 9-0-0.
RESOLUTION #4817 by Councilman Falk, seconded by Councilman Hall.
BE IT RESOLVED:
SECTION 1. That the Town prepare and print a concise, explanatory text of the following appropriation and bonding resolution which, by vote of the Town Council, has been submitted to a referendum vote on the voting machines or paper ballots of the Town, said explanatory text to be prepared in accordance with Connecticut General Statutes Section 9-369b, which text shall not advocate either the approval or disapproval of the question:
Resolution To Appropriate $6,265,000 For The Expansion And/Or Renovation Of The Enfield High School Library, Classrooms, Pupil Services And Administration Space And To Authorize The Issuance Of Bonds, Notes Or Temporary Notes In An Amount Not To Exceed $2,380,700 To Finance The Towns Portion Of Said Appropriation, With The Balance Funded By Grants.
Councilman Falk questioned the benefit of an explanatory text. Mr. Shanley stated the distribution of any information is subject to legal challenge, and the approval of the explanatory text allows the Town a legally proper Town Attorney/Bond Counsel/Town Clerk approved text that is neutral.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #4817 adopted 9-0-0.
RESOLUTION #4818 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Falk.
RESOLVED, that the Town Manager, Scott Shanley, is empowered to enter into and amend contractual instruments in the name and on behalf of the Town of Enfield with the Department of Social Services of the State of Connecticut for a Counseling Program 10-1-2000 9-30-2001 049-SSBG-20 and to affix the Corporate seal.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #4818 adopted 9-0-0.
RESOLUTION #4819 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Falk.
RESOLVED, that Town Manager, Scott Shanley is empowered to enter into and amend contractual instruments in the name and on behalf of the Town of Enfield with the Department of Social Services of the State of Connecticut for Child Day Care Program 01-01-2001 thru 12-31-2001 049-CDC-30 and to affix the Corporate Seal.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #4819 adopted 9-0-0.
RESOLUTION #4820 by Councilman Mangini, seconded by Councilman Kaupin.
RESOLVED, that the Town Manager, Scott Shanley, is empowered to enter into and amend contractual instruments in the name and on behalf of the Town of Enfield with the Department of Social Services of the State of Connecticut for Human Resources Development Program 01-01-2001 12-31-2001 049-HRD-27 and to affix the Corporate Seal.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #4820 adopted 9-0-0.
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION
APPOINTMENTS (TOWN COUNCIL)
The appointment to the Historic District Commission will appear under New Business on the next Regular Meeting agenda.
DISCUSSION RE: NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCE CENTER GRANT
Present for this discussion was Director of Social Services, Dorothy Allen and Deputy Director of Social Services, Marla Hauslaib.
Mr. Shanley stated the Council has before them much of the documentation that will be resubmitted to the Department of Social Services for the release of the $400,000 grant.
Councilman Hall questioned square footage. Ms. Allen stated they really wont know the square footage until they talk to an architect.
Councilman Fiore questioned if there are any figures as to what the expense will be to the Town afterwards, i.e., how much additional staff will be required. Ms. Allen stated their day care center today is totally grant funded. She noted some of their operational costs will be contained in the School Readiness Grant, the Family Resource Center Grant, and the DSS Grant.
Councilman Fiore questioned if theres a plan in place as to how much additional staff will need to be hired in order to support the additional programs, other than day care. Ms. Allen stated they dont anticipate having anything beyond day care staff, school readiness staff, and family resource center staff. She noted theyre satelliting services that they already have into that building.
Mr. Shanley stated the School Readiness Grant and the Neighborhood Resource Grant are operational grants.
Chairwoman Strom stated they really need to know the size of the building so that they can determine whether it will be necessary to put an addition on the building. Mr. Shanley stated the architect has been requested to put something together for the next meeting.
Councilman Fiore questioned if the majority of this building is going to be used for Day Care Services, and Ms. Allen responded yes.
Mr. Shanley stated the Graphica Building was purchased with a federal grant two and a half to three years ago.
DISCUSSION RE: NETWORK SEPARATION UPDATE
Present for this discussion was Director of Information Technology, Charlene Bond.
Mr. Shanley stated the Council had requested an update on the separation of the current single network that serves all Town and School functions into two separate networks as had been discussed at a previous meeting.
Ms. Bond stated due to some of the activities that have been going on with the network, theyre requesting they shorten the date to November 1st, rather than January 1st. She noted shes also asking to have some rules put in place for how things will work and where the responsibility will lie between now and then. She feels theyre at a point in time when the Town has no authority, but the Town takes the responsibility. She feels its important at this point in time for Enfield Public Schools to take total responsibility for their network security, performance, down time, and troubleshooting.
Councilman Kaupin stated his impression the subcommittee had unanimously agreed that the Towns IT Director would maintain control during the separation phase, i.e., all change requests would have to funnel through the IT Director. Ms. Bond noted she recalled this. Councilman Kaupin agreed with the November 1st date.
Councilman Vayda stated his belief its not in the Towns best interest to continue with this arrangement, and he feels its worthwhile to move ahead as soon as possible.
Councilman Dodd questioned what date Ms. Bond would be most comfortable with, and Ms. Bond noted theyre pushing for November 1st to have everything in place so that they can separate the networks. She added they would like to have access to all 12 schools and all wiring closets because they need to do a physical check to make sure they dont find anything thats putting the Town network at risk.
Councilman Dodd stated he does not believe the Town should go through another business day without having some of Ms. Bonds concerns addressed.
Chairwoman Strom noted the Town Manager will speak to the Superintendent of Schools regarding this.
Councilman Fiore stated his belief wiring closets must be locked down.
DISCUSSION RE: RAMBLERS FOOTBALL FIELD LIGHTING
Mr. Shanley stated a memorandum has been provided to the Council. He noted the cost is approximately $9,000 to provide what the facilities people believe to be adequate
lighting. He noted this lighting can be mobile in nature, whereby they could transfer the lights elsewhere.
Councilman Kaupin stated he would like a timetable if this is approved. He noted he would like to know how quickly those lights can be installed.
Mr. Shanley stated if theres a consensus, staff can move forward right now. There was a consensus to get the process moving to provide lighting for the Enfield Street School football field.
DISCUSSION RE: VISITING NURSE & HEALTH SERVICES OF CT APPOINTMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mr. Shanley stated the Council needs to appoint a representative to the Board of Directors. Councilman Vayda volunteered for this.
DISCUSSION RE: REVALUATION BID
Director of Finance, Gregory Simmons and Town Assessor, Joyce Jacius were present for this discussion.
Mr. Simmons stated the Council has the bid results before them.
Councilman Egan questioned if theres any benefit in going with the group who did it last time, and Mr. Jacius responded no.
Discussion followed about where the revaluation firm can have room to work, and it was agreed to use one-third of the Enfield Room. There was a consensus on this.
MISCELLANEOUS
No items were raised.
PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS
No one wished to speak.
COUNCILMEN COMMUNICATIONS
No one wished to speak
ADJOURNMENT
MOTION #4821 by Councilman Falk, seconded by Councilman Kaupin to adjourn.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4821 adopted 9-0-0, and the meeting adjourned 11:21 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeannette Lamontagne
Secretary to the Council
By Suzanne F. Olechnicki
Suzanne F. Olechnicki
Town Clerk
Clerk of the Council