ENFIELD TOWN COUNCIL
MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING
JULY 24, 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 Monday, July 24, 2000. Chairwoman Strom called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.
PRAYER The Prayer was given by Councilor Mangini.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Pledge of Allegiance was said.
ROLL-CALL Present were Councilors Egan, Falk, Hall, Kaupin, Mangini, and Strom. Councilors Fiore and Vayda entered at 7:36 p.m. Councilor Dodd entered at 8:00 p.m. Councilors McGuire and Surapine were absent. Also present were Town Manager, Scott Shanley; Assistant Town Manager, Daniel Vindigni; Town Clerk, Suzanne F. Olechnicki; Town Attorney, Christopher W. Bromson; Director of Finance, Gregory Simmons; Director of Social Services, Dorothy Allen.
MINUTES OF PRECEDING MEETINGS
Councilor Kaupin pointed out its not necessary to vote on the Public Hearing minutes, therefore the first set of minutes "Special Meeting" (Public Hearing) - July 11, 2000 should be omitted from the agenda.
MOTION #4743 by Councilor Kaupin, seconded by Councilor Falk to accept the minutes of the July 11, 2000 Regular Meeting.
Chairwoman Strom referred to Page 12 and noted "Miscellaneous" was mistakenly added a second time.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4743 adopted 6-0-0.
MOTION #4744 by Councilor Kaupin, seconded by Councilor Egan to accept the minutes of the July 13, 2000 Special Meeting.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4744 adopted 6-0-0.
PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS & PETITIONS
Margaret Jedziniak, 232 Abbe Road
Stated she is in favor of a good education for all children. She went on to voice concern about raising the cost of the plans for Enfield High School from $1.5 million dollars for 10,000 sq. ft. of library expansion to $6.2 million dollars. She noted the 62% state reimbursement is also taxpayers money.
Ms. Jedziniak referred to information she received from the Connecticut Department of Labor and the Department of Fiscal Management pertaining to the Town of Enfield and surrounding towns. She noted Enfields per capita nominal income in 1996 was $27,152; Windsor Locks was $27,264; Manchester was $29,000; South Windsor was $42,000; Suffield was $43,000 and Windsor was $31,900. She pointed out all the other towns were higher than Enfield, however, Enfield teachers salaries were higher than Simsbury, Suffield, Somers, and South Windsor, which are all more affluent towns than Enfield. She stated according to a book from the Connecticut Public Schools Expenditures, it states Enfield spends less on the pupils instructional program than most of the surrounding towns. She stated her belief the instructional program should be most important.
Ms. Jedziniak questioned why the library expansion wasnt included on the last referendum.
She then spoke about proposed aquifer regulations and noted some of the biggest aquifers in the State of Connecticut are on both sides of Abbe Road. She added the industrial park is located right on top of an aquifer. She stated her belief the Town should be looking after peoples drinking water, rather than accommodating businesses.
Ms. Jedziniak concluded stating her belief its a crime that Connecticut gives more attention to lotteries and casinos than its citizens in towns and cities.
Paul DeGregorio, 15 Debbie Lane
Stated on or about May 19th, a member of the police department told him he didnt care about his rights and advised him to get a lawyer. He noted there was a witness in the room when this statement was made. He noted Senator Kissel told him today its out of his hands, and that the Police Chief would help him take care of this. He noted he has not yet heard from the Police Chief.
Mr. DeGregorio stated on October 19, 1998, Councilor Ludwick stated he would like to see the Town Manager and Town Attorney assist Mr. DeGregorio with his problem. He noted he has not yet heard from the Town Manager or Town Attorney. He stated one of the obligations of the Mayor is to protect the residents of the town.
Referring to discussions about a new prison being built, Mr. DeGregorio noted Somers receives $1.9 million dollars from the prison. He questioned what Enfield receives. He noted money is supposed to be allocated to the infrastructure of the roads in the area of the prison. He stated the patchwork done on Brainard Road will not hold up. He noted this road needs an overlay.
He agreed with Councilor Halls comments about tree cutting by CL&P. He noted these were 200-year old trees. He pointed out theres a state public act whereby CL&P was supposed to get permission from the Mayor to cut any tree over 18 inches in diameter. Chairwoman Strom pointed out CL&P is not required to get the Mayors permission, but rather theyre required to inform the Mayor that they are going to do this, and that is the one thing they didnt do.
Frank Mancuso, 25 Bright Street
Stated at the last meeting he brought to the Councils attention how they can amend the rules and procedures. He read the following: "Any amendment to these rules shall be submitted in writing at any meeting of the Council and may be adopted by an affirmative vote of not less than six members at a subsequent meeting of the Council. No amendment will be made to these rules which will conflict with the provisions of the Town Charter."
Mr. Mancuso stated he would like to know when the Town Councils rules and procedures were amended as concerns changing from "Councilman" to "Councilor".
He stated he would like to see Enfield move ahead and be a desirable community.
Frank Jedziniak, 232 Abbe Road
Thanked the Public Works Department for doing a good job marking the crosswalks.
Mr. Jedziniak commended the Town Manager and Town staff for getting the $500,000 grant for Freshwater Pond.
He referred to the $300,000 surplus that the Board of Education returned last year and pointed out theyre not returning any money this year.
Robert Tkacz, 1300 Enfield Street
Stated his impression it will be costly to pick up condominium trash. He stated his belief condo owners are looking for something more than what the rest of the residents are getting. He pointed out most towns do not provide trash service and noted taxes would be reduced if trash pick up was eliminated.
Mark Arnone, 5 Oakridge Drive
Stated hes a member of the Prison/Town Liaison Committee and feels he has an obligation to work in cooperation with the Department of Correction to maintain an atmosphere of mutual respect.
Mr. Arnone requested the Council take into consideration the following reasons why there shouldnt be any more prison expansion:
o extra demand on local police and fire services
o safety of area residents
o increase the prison population already beyond existing institution capacity
o extra demand on the Water Treatment Pollution Plant
o possible destruction to the surrounding ecosystem
o psychological impact on children at area schools (Hale, Fermi, Memorial Schools)
o possible economic impact of losing industry to the area because of the extra costs they may incur to make their facilities safe
Mr. Arnone stated his hope the Council will consider these things when considering a possible expansion. He pointed out the state does have other alternatives.
Paul DeGregorio, 15 Debbie Lane
Pointed out it would cost him a lot of money for a lawsuit. He stated his rights have been violated. He went on to note there was a meeting on October 10, 1995 with the Chief of Police, and everything was discussed. He noted the meeting was taped, and he was told he would be getting a transcript, however, he did not receive it.
He concluded stating he wants something done, i.e., statements filed against these police officers in their personnel files, and he wants them held accountable.
Mrs. L. Collins, 25 Gordon Lane
Questioned how many students are in the school system. She voiced concern about the school budget getting out of hand.
COUNCILOR COMMUNICATIONS & PETITIONS
Councilor Mangini stated she recently heard there may be some interest by different towns to preserve historic cemeteries. She questioned whether she can get information from the Town Clerks Office or from the Cemetery Association. She stated her belief it may be of some interest to Enfield to try and preserve some of its history regarding this issue.
Councilor Mangini stated the American Red Cross is in dire need of all types of blood.
Councilor Mangini questioned whether theres any information on the bullet proof vests for the police officers. Mr. Shanley stated he just received some information today.
Councilor Fiore responded to Mr. DeGregorios comment regarding patchwork on Brainard Road and noted between August 2nd and August 30th, the contractor will be milling the road to the center line and will be repaving that portion of the road from Brainard Park to Route 5.
Councilor Egan stated there will be a discussion item tonight regarding the prison expansion proposal.
Councilor Hall stated she has not seen an Inland/Wetlands Committee agenda in some time. She requested these be forwarded to the Council.
Councilor Hall suggested a workshop with the Prison/Town Liaison Committee.
Councilor Falk stated the Town Councils packet included a letter from DEP stating they had given the Town final approval on the landfill closure. He suggested as part of any plan to develop the Mancuso Park, all issues be taken into account, i.e., erosion.
Councilor Falk referred to a letter from the Town Manager concerning awards to Town employees. He extended his congratulations to these employees.
Councilor Kaupin thanked the Town Attorney for the sample hold harmless agreement. He questioned if the Attorneys office will be working on an Enfield hold harmless agreement. He noted that was specifically what his request was. Attorney Bromson pointed out the only available hold harmless sample in the whole state was the South Windsor agreement. He pointed out putting together such an agreement for Enfield would be a big undertaking, however, if the Council sincerely wishes to have such an agreement put together, they can request that of the Town Attorneys Office. He noted they are also working on getting other information and hopefully theyll have a presentation by the end of the summer about the broader question. He suggested holding off until that time, and then perhaps there might be a consensus as to how the Council wishes to proceed.
Councilor Kaupin questioned when the Town Manager will be presenting the Road 2000 update. Mr. Shanley stated they had an update a couple months ago and not a lot has changed with respect to their current plans. He noted they have had a process of review and debrief over the first nine months of the project, and they have a punch list of about a dozen things theyd like to change in terms of process and procedures, i.e., billing and engineering. He noted he can provide an update at the next meeting.
Chairwoman Strom stated she received a letter from Dr. Gallacher regarding the Administrator Services Contract, and theyre looking for a Council liaison. She noted Councilor Egan has traditionally fulfilled that, and if the Council approves, she will take that on.
Chairwoman Strom stated six resolutions were distributed this evening, and these could be added to Items for Discussion.
MOTION #4745 by Councilor Falk, seconded by Councilor Mangini to suspend the rules to include six resolutions under Items for Discussion.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4745 adopted 9-0-0.
TOWN MANAGER REPORT & COMMUNICATIONS
Mr. Shanley stated he had no formal report this evening.
TOWN ATTORNEY REPORT & COMMUNICATIONS
Attorney Bromson stated they received a DEP provisional approval on the noise ordinance. He noted the Department of Air Quality Management has to look at this ordinance as well, and hopefully theyll have a final word soon.
REPORT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES OF THE COUNCIL
Councilor Fiore stated the Senior Citizens Building Committee will be meeting on Thursday, July 27, 2000. Mr. Shanley added that meeting will begin at 5:00 p.m. at the Jablonski Public Works facility.
Councilor Mangini agreed with Councilor Halls idea about a workshop with the Prison/Town Liaison Committee.
Referring to the Joint Technology Committee, Councilor Kaupin stated the Gartner Group will be giving their final presentation on August 14th.
Councilor Fiore stated his belief theyre due to have some traffic calming by October 1st, and he noted there needs to be a resolution passed through the Council. Mr. Shanley pointed out they have made a request of the Planning & Zoning Commission to assign a liaison, but thats been unsuccessful at this point. He suggested inviting the Chairperson.
OLD BUSINESS
APPOINTMENTS (TOWN COUNCIL)
MOTION #4746 by Councilor Kaupin, seconded by Councilor Mangini to remove Item #3 from the table.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4746 adopted 9-0-0.
NOMINATION #4747 by Councilor Kaupin to appoint Kevin Kibbe ( R ) to the Zoning Board of Appeals as an Alternate Member.
MOTION #4748 by Councilor Vayda, seconded by Councilor Egan to close nominations.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4748 adopted 9-0-0.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared Kevin Kibbe appointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals Board by a 9-0-0 vote.
All other Town Council appointments remained tabled.
Items c., d., and f. remained tabled.
MOTION #4749 by Councilor Mangini, seconded by Councilor Falk to remove Item e. from the table.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4749 adopted 9-0-0.
RESOLUTION RE: PROPOSED ORDINANCE ABATEMENT OF TAXES/VOLUNTEER FIRE PERSONNEL
Councilor Mangini directed a question to the Town Manager with respect to her request for information on the abatement of the taxes regarding the volunteer fire personnel. Mr. Shanley indicated the Finance Department is working on that.
MOTION #4750 by Councilor Mangini, seconded by Councilor Kaupin to retable this item.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4750 adopted 9-0-0.
NEW BUSINESS
RESOLUTION RE: DAY CARE FACILITY LEASE APPROVAL
Mr. Shanley stated staff has been meeting with representatives of the Felician Sisters regularly, and there are some very minor details that have to be worked out.
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION
APPOINTMENTS (TOWN COUNCIL)
The appointment to the Zoning Board of Appeals will appear under New Business on the next agenda.
DISCUSSION RE: ADDITIONAL DELINQUENT TAX POLICIES
Mr. Shanley stated the Council has a memorandum of explanation and three separate policy proposals which relate to three different categories of properties in town. He noted the three categories are: vacant property; non-owner occupied residential properties to include multi-family units and apartment buildings; and owner-occupied residential units. He explained these are three different policies with some differing language in each one.
Councilor Fiore requested clarification on the policy referring to owner-occupied residential units and the statement that reads as follows: "If the property owner does not follow the payment procedure as outlined above, foreclosure procedures will commence immediately…". Mr. Shanley clarified this refers to "owner-occupied" properties, and the other two categories of properties allow for either a tax lien sale, a straight tax sale, or foreclosure depending upon the situation. He noted this particular one limits the staff to foreclosure which is a relatively prolonged legal process through the courts which the resident may take to avoid having the property sold for taxes. He stated in the end it will be a judge that will make that determination. He added in a foreclosure, the Town actually ends up owning the property. He noted in a tax sale or a tax lien sale, the Town never actually owns the property.
Councilor Fiore questioned if they can get an update on the tax collection process as it pertains to commercial properties for the next Council packet. Mr. Shanley responded yes.
Councilor Falk requested clarification on the policy referring to owner-occupied residential units and the statement that reads as follows: "The third payment will be 100% of the remaining balance of outstanding taxes, interest and lien fees and will be due and payable within two (2) years of the initial payment." He stated his impression earlier discussions talked about paying it off in three years. Mr. Shanley stated within two years of the initial payment, the first payment would be due within six months of the date of the final notice. Councilor Falk voiced his concern with owner-occupied property in that there are people who could pay and dont pay, but there are also people who truly cannot afford to pay. He noted if this policy is implemented, its very strict and does not provide any option for doing a payment plan as currently exists. Mr. Shanley stated there is the poverty abatement statute which allows the Town to waive the taxes in individual situations where the property owner demonstrated to the Town that they simply cannot afford to pay their taxes. He noted this is a power that is given only to the Council, and the Council could exercise that power. He explained there are three different resolutions to allow the Council to amend if they choose to, or adjust any one of them to meet their needs. He stated the concern in setting up these payments plans is to be equitable and treat people the same. He noted if its the desire of the Council to accommodate payment plans, they would like some structure that would define what those payment plans would or should be so they know at what point the Councils desire to have the taxes collected is not being met.
Councilor Falk questioned if these policies of the Council can be changed or amended at any time, depending on the circumstances. Mr. Shanley responded thats true. He suggested the Council discuss these policies as long as necessary so the Tax Office has a policy statement they can depend on.
Councilor Vayda agreed they should discuss these policies in depth. He added perhaps they can also have a public information session to get feedback from the public.
Councilor Kaupin voiced his support of these policies. Referring to the owner-occupied residential units policy, he stated his belief the attempts are being made to collect, and for some reason these people are not coming forward at all. He noted if its believed people should have a little more notification and one last opportunity to work with the Town, perhaps the resolution could be passed with an effective date of six months out and instruct the Tax Collectors Office to issue one more letter with the resolution showing the owner this is their last chance.
Referring to the owner-occupied residential unit policy, Councilor Egan questioned if that would mean in the future theyd totally do away with setting up tax payments, or would they still go through that policy and after three years if no attempt had been made, then they would implement whats in the policy. Mr. Shanley responded thats correct. Councilor Egan stated her belief this is very fair.
Councilor Hall agreed with Councilor Kaupin and noted she likes his suggestion that the Town send out a mailer to give the taxpayer one last attempt to set up a payment plan. She stated her belief most people in Enfield pay their taxes, and its unfair to let this amount of tax go uncollected. She voiced her support of all three resolutions.
Councilor Mangini voiced her support of an informational session with the public. She stated her belief its important to keep Enfield residents well aware of what policies theyre implementing and how they arrived at the implementation process and for what reason.
Councilor Fiore referred to vacant land and questioned the possibility of doing a foreclosure, rather than tax sale. He noted such vacant land could be looked at as open space or part of flood mitigation. Mr. Shanley stated they could add language that said, "or foreclosure should the property be deemed appropriate for municipal needs". He reminded the Council foreclosure is a lengthy process.
Councilor Egan agreed the Town is scrambling for open space land, and if there were something ideal, it would be good to have this option within the policy.
Chairwoman Strom requested clarification on an informational session. She questioned if the Council is interested in a separate evening to hold an information meeting. Councilor Vayda noted he was thinking of a brief session prior to a regular meeting where theyd give people an opportunity to address this topic. He stated his preference to move on the first two resolutions and spend more time discussing the owner-occupied residential unit policy.
Chairwoman Strom looked for a consensus on putting off the third resolution. She went on to state she agrees with Councilor Kaupins idea of including an implementation date of possibly six months later. She stated her belief its very clear the Town is willing to work with people as much as possible. She noted its three full years of not once approaching the town to arrange a payment plan.
Councilor Falk requested the Town Manager come up with some proposed wording that the Council can consider at its next meeting to address the concerns about the open space. He referred to Councilor Kaupins recommendation about the six month implementation, and stated his belief that should be every year when the new three-year "bucket" opens up so that those people have the opportunity to become aware of whats available. Chairwoman Strom stated each and every state statute is on the books, and they dont have extenuating circumstances every year. She stated her opinion they cant have that six-month period every single year. Councilor Kaupin explained his idea of a six-month implementation was an accommodation because the Council is implementing a new policy, but if someone falls into this situation in the next year, they will have known about the policy, and it can be supplied to them in their tax bill or in a mailing out to them. Councilor Falk stated if the Tax Collector is going to do certain things to notify people, then that should be in writing as well so people cant claim they did not know about these things.
Mr. Shanley indicated they can do something with the language in the resolution whereby taxpayers can get a copy of the document which explains that they have six months before the resolution actually kicks in as policy. He added his belief most people do understand that they do have to pay property taxes.
Councilor Vayda thanked Suzanne Longo, the Tax Collector, and Town staff for their hard work in putting these policies together.
Councilor Mangini stated they should also look at suggestions by Councilor Fiore and Councilor Egan regarding the vacant land/open space and flood mitigation ideas. Mr. Shanley noted they could add language that allows for the option of foreclosure. He noted it can be up to the Council to make a determination as to whether or not a parcel will be a tax sale or a foreclosure.
MOTION #4751 by Councilor Vayda, seconded by Councilor Kaupin to suspend the rules to address Item #7 next.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4751 adopted 9-0-0.
DISCUSSION RE: ENFIELD HIGH SCHOOL
Councilor Falk stated at a recent meeting, he requested the consultant put together a list of square footages by function, particularly the library/media, administration, and classrooms. He noted they provided a list which showed the square footages for each option. He stated he also asked for the costs in each case. He noted he spoke to Arthur Pongratz, the Director of School Facilities, who indicated to him hed try to get those figures for him.
Councilor Falk spoke about past referendum questions that failed and suggested the possibility of two questions:
1. The library, renovation of the old library and the Head Start area
2. Everything else
Councilor Falk voiced concern the whole question might fail because of issues other than the library, and he has a feeling there isnt support for the whole proposal, however, there is support for the library.
Councilor Kaupin stated he sees this as a referendum that addresses accreditation issues. He stated his preference for one question that promotes the package that the School Space Subcommittee feels best addresses the needs of Enfield High School.
Councilor Vayda stated he prefers one question. He stated his belief having administration on the ground floor would address safety concerns.
Councilor Dodd voiced concern about two questions because it seems a lot of parts are dependent on the whole scheme.
Councilor Mangini stated she initially supports two questions, however, shes concerned what the dollars will be if they break this into two questions since the different parts of the proposal may be dependent on each other.
Councilor Fiore voiced his support for one question and stated his belief all the parts of the proposal are tied together.
Chairwoman Strom stated her concern with one question is having the whole proposal being voted down, and this would mean another year without the new library. She stated her hope that if they went with two questions, they would get both of them passed. She noted by giving people a choice, theyre at least assured of being successful in the library issue.
Councilor Falk clarified hes not against whats being proposed because he feels all the things being proposed are valuable from an educational or efficiency standpoint. He noted this has to do with his concern about asking for too much and then having to wait another year to try again.
Councilor Egan voiced support for two questions due to her concern about the risk of the whole proposal failing.
Councilor Kaupin voiced support for one question, and noted they could work hard to sell the whole project.
Mr. Shanley recommended putting together two different resolutions one with one question and the other with two questions, and the Council can make a decision at the
next meeting. He noted the Council could then schedule a Public Hearing. Chairwoman Strom suggested addressing this at the August 7th meeting, and the Council agreed.
MOTION #4752 by Councilor Falk, seconded by Councilor Hall to suspend the rules to address Items 3, 9, 10, 11 and 12 under Miscellaneous this evening.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4752 adopted 9-0-0.
DISCUSSION RE: BUDGET REVISIONS/AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM
Present for this discussion was the Director of Social Services, Dorothy Allen. Ms. Allen explained this relates to a transfer of money from the After School Program. She noted this money was given to the After School Program to do a parent educator recruitment program. She noted theyve since decided they do not feel they are able to do this with the staff that they have. She stated during budget proceedings, they discussed having the parent educator as a part of the Family Resource Center as an in-town position and agreed to contract with the After School Program for that position for another year. She explained theyre switching them back as far as the categories are concerned.
As concerns the After School Program, Ms. Allen stated theyre requesting to hire a VISTA employee who has been working with literacy volunteers and has good knowledge and contacts of people in the Thompsonville neighborhood. She pointed out theyve tried for two years to recruit those children they believed were in most need of the program, however, its a very difficult thing to do because of some of the family situations that exist.
Councilor Falk questioned if this is an adjustment to the budget that was just passed, and Ms. Allen responded yes. Mr. Shanley explained the $22,324 was approved by the Council in the budget process. He stated during the time the Council was deliberating this, there was a reconsideration of the issue between the Director and the Executive Director of the After School Program and some prolonged discussions with their board, and it was determined that grant amount should stay with the After School Program, whereas the budget proposal was to eliminate it from the After School Program. He noted as a result, that was the accommodation and the agreement that the Director made with the Executive Director, and this would basically reverse the budget action that the Council took.
Councilor Fiore questioned how much grant money will be lost if theyre unable to recruit 15 children. Ms. Allen responded shes doesnt know for certain. She stated they just got a ruling from the state that because Alcorn School was the qualifying school in
order to receive this grant, its assumed that those children are the ones that should be in the program. She noted their stance at this point is that the Legislature passed this legislation saying that these children must be from the district of the school that qualifies for the grant. She stated the consultant told her that they would have to prove that they made every effort to reach these children, including going door-to-door if necessary.
Councilor Fiore questioned how much money is in this grant, and Ms. Allen responded $100,000.
Councilor Fiore stated he is bothered that they have to hire someone to go out to solicit people to participate in a program that is being put in place for them. He went on to note he is unable to figure who reports to who and who is responsible for what as concerns the After School Program, the Family Resource Center, and Social Services. He went on to note there are people in need in all districts, and these projects should be town-wide, and the grants applied for should be town-wide.
Mr. Shanley stated because of census data, the federal government wont recognize other school districts. He noted the only one that it will recognize as a need, based on the demographic data, is the Alcorn School. Councilor Fiore stated his understanding that at one time school districts were districted so that one or two, or possibly three schools would qualify. Mr. Shanley responded the objective reality, as it exists today, is that only that one school district qualified for this particular grant. Ms. Allen added her belief there are two other schools that are marginal, but they dont qualify. She stated the Enfield Day Care Center has children from every single district. She went on to note the reason the Legislature passed this legislation was particularly for this purpose to try and target children where there are significant problems with motivated parents, and helping those children who might have the most problems in the future if there isnt something done to get them into the system now and provide a pre-school experience.
Councilor Mangini commended Ms. Allen and all those people who work with these groups for all their hard work. She noted the After School Program is a phenomenal program. She stated she has seen and felt the need that these children have. She stated her belief the community needs to do whatever possible to help these children.
Councilor Egan voiced her support in continuing this.
Councilor Dodd stated his belief its deplorable that they have to go out and recruit people to take advantage of a service that is being offered to them. He added he does
support this program.
Councilor Dodd questioned how the Alcorn School qualified for this, and Ms. Allen stated they go by the free and reduced lunches.
Councilor Vayda questioned how this consultant will work with parents to get children into the program. Ms. Allen stated this particular person has been very aggressive working with literacy volunteers and going out to the homes and pushing parents to get involved.
Councilor Vayda questioned if they have any performance measurements. Ms. Allen stated in dealing with the state they deal with performance measures and paperwork.
Councilor Kaupin voiced his support of this program. He went on to question why they would take $19,500 out of Line Item 4945 and then add $22,324 to the same line item. Ms. Allen stated the $19,500 is what had been in for the last two years going to the After School Program for the recruitment of the 15 children. She explained the $22,324 was in the Family Resource Center grant, and at that time they had asked that a parent educator be in-house, and they had included money within the budget for that position. She stated during budget deliberations, the After School Program had requested that this money not be taken from them this year because it would put them in a very bad financial situation. She noted she agreed to put off the request for an in-house position, and to give the money back to the After School Program. She stated the Council passed the budget as it originally was presented, therefore, they had to do the budget transfer after the fact.
Mr. Shanley stated because the Council is early in the budget year, there is money available to follow through. He explained the reason for the need for the action at the next meeting is so that they can have clear policy direction. He noted the transfer would take place after the third quarter.
Chairwoman Strom stated this item will be on the August 7th agenda.
DISCUSSION RE: BID WAIVER SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACT
Mr. Shanley explained this is to engage the parent advocate position, and the bid waiver is necessary because theyre engaging someone via contract, and it will be valued in excess of $8,000 which is what the bid maximum is according to the Charter.
Chairwoman Strom stated this item will also be on the August 7th agenda.
DISCUSSION RE: PRISON EXPANSION PROPOSALS
Chairwoman Strom stated there will be a July 26th meeting, and Enfield plans to attend that meeting. She noted this does not commit Enfield to anything, but rather keep the Town in the loop in order to be aware of whats going on.
Councilor Mangini stated she is not a supporter of a prison expansion for any reason. She noted she does understand they have to keep the lines of communication open to allow for the Town of Enfield to be included in any discussions. She requested this Council be given a report as to the content of that meeting. She also requested that should the Town entertain any further conversation with the State that they do invite the Prison/Town Liaison group to a joint session and that they also have a public information session to involve the people in the community as to what could be happening.
Councilor Kaupin stated his feeling its important the Town be part of the process. He noted he would like to see Enfield change the dormitory type institution into a cell type institution, which might make that facility safer for the community. He stated his belief they do need to include the Prison/Town Liaison Committee and get their feedback. He noted the Town is not committing itself, however, the Town needs to be informed and part of the process.
Councilor Fiore stated his belief the Town should keep all its options open.
Councilor Egan stated her belief its very important Enfield keep its options open and keep everyone informed.
Councilor Kaupin requested the letter and packet be copied and sent out to the Prison/Town Liaison Committee, as well as an invitation to Roger Olsen, who is the Chair to learn if he would like to attend the meeting if thats appropriate.
Chairwoman Strom noted this item will stay on the agenda.
DISCUSSION RE: ADOPTION OF RULES AND PROCEDURES
Chairwoman Strom stated the Council was given a copy this week, and this will be on the next agenda. She pointed out anything added is capitalized, and anything deleted is indicated with a strikeover. She invited comments from the Council.
RESOLUTION #4753 by Councilor Kaupin, seconded by Councilor Dodd.
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Enfield Town Council does hereby authorize the Town Manager to enter into and amend the attached Agreement Regarding the Sale of Real Estate between the Town of Enfield and Heritage Development for the purchase of 8.42 acres of real property to serve future municipal needs.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #4753 adopted 9-0-0.
RESOLUTION #4754 by Councilor Kaupin, seconded by Councilor Dodd.
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Enfield Town Council does hereby authorize the Town Manager to enter into and amend the attached Agreement Regarding the Purchase and Sale of Real Estate between the Town of Enfield and Heritage Development for the purchase of a 9.77 acre conservation easement.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #4754 adopted 9-0-0.
RESOLUTION #4755 by Councilor Kaupin, seconded by Councilor Vayda.
RESOLVED, that in accordance with Chapter VI, Section 8(f) of the Town Charter, the following transfer is hereby made:
TO: Public Works-Bldgs/Grounds $87,054.55
Acct. #3400-621 Natural Gas ~
FROM: Public Works-Bldgs/Grounds $87,054.55
Acct. #Various Accounts ~
(see attached) ~
CERTIFICATION
I hereby certify the amount of $87,054.55 is available from Account #Various Accounts as of July 14, 2000.
/s/ Gregory Simmons, Director of Finance
Councilor Fiore stated his recollection this is the second time within the last couple months that the Council moved a fairly large amount of money out of the electricity budget. Mr. Shanley responded thats correct. Councilor Fiore stated his belief the Council did this years budget on electricity based on what they thought they were going to use this past year. Mr. Shanley explained they projected a decrease at 5% in the current year.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #4755 adopted 9-0-0.
RESOLUTION #4756 by Councilor Kaupin, seconded by Councilor Falk.
RESOLVED, that in accordance with Chapter VI, Section 8(f) of the Town Charter, the following transfer is hereby made:
TO: Public Works-Administration $704.51
Acct. #3100-535 Postage ~
FROM: Public Works-Collection & Disposal $704.51
Acct. #3900-550 Printing & Reproduction ~
CERTIFICATION
I hereby certify the amount of $704.51 is available from Account #3900-550 as of July 14, 2000.
/s/ Gregory Simmons, Director of Finance
Councilor Falk stated he does not recall in past years doing quite so many transfers at this point in the budget process. Mr. Shanley explained the accounting system changed this year, and the new chart of accounts, which distributed the money differently than it had been distributed before, and it did it mid-year.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #4756 adopted 9-0-0.
RESOLUTION #4757 by Councilor Mangini, seconded by Councilor Kaupin.
RESOLVED, that in accordance with Chapter VI, Section 8(f) of the Town Charter, the following transfer is hereby made:
TO: Capital Improvement Program $9,000.00
Acct. #99-3200-130 FY 98/99 ~
North Main Street Bridge Replacement ~
FROM: Capital Improvement Program $9,000.00
Acct. #98-3200-026 FY 97/98 ~
Soil Conservation, Freshwater Drainage ~
CERTIFICATION
I hereby certify the amount of $9,000.00 is available from Account #98-3200-026 CIP as of June 2, 2000.
/s/ Gregory Simmons, Director of Finance
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #4757 adopted 9-0-0.
RESOLUTION #4758 by Councilor Mangini, seconded by Councilor Kaupin.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town Council of the Town of Enfield hereby authorizes Coyle Crete, LLC of Hamden, Connecticut to perform sidewalk work on Park, Summer, Belmont, Warriner, Columbus, Harrison and Westford Streets/Avenues for the same price as work currently being performed on North Maple Street in lieu of other contractual work from which the Town and contractor will be mutually released.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #4758 adopted 9-0-0.
ADJOURNMENT
MOTION #4759 by Councilor Kaupin, seconded by Councilor Egan to adjourn.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4759 adopted 9-0-0, and the meeting stood adjourned at
Respectfully submitted,
Jeannette Lamontagne
Secretary to the Council
By Suzanne F. Olechnicki
Suzanne F. Olechnicki
Town Clerk
Clerk of the Council