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ENFIELD TOWN COUNCIL
MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING
SEPTEMBER 18, 2006
Before the Regular Meeting was called to order, Councilman Mangini presented proclamations for Constitution Week and Partnership for Working Toward Inclusive Communities.
A Regular Meeting of the Enfield Town Council was called to order by Chairman Tallarita in the Council Chambers of the Enfield Town Hall, 820 Enfield Street, Enfield, Connecticut on Monday, September 18, 2006 at 7:40 p.m.
PRAYER – The Prayer was given by Councilman Lee.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Pledge of Allegiance was said.
ROLL-CALL – Present were Councilmen Crowley, Edgar, Hilinski, Kaupin, Lee, Mangini, Maxellon, Nelson, Peruta, Ragno and Tallarita. Also present were Town Manager, Matthew Coppler, Assistant Town Manager, Daniel Vindigni; Town Clerk, Suzanne Olechnicki; Town Attorney, Christopher Bromson; Director of Public Works, John Kazmarski; Chief of Police, Carl Sferrazza.
FIRE EVACUATION ANNOUNCEMENT
Chairman Tallarita made the fire evacuation announcement.
MINUTES OF PRECEDING MEETINGS
MOTION #8913 by Councilman Mangini, seconded by Councilman Hilinski to accept the minutes of the September 5, 2006 Special Meeting.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8913 adopted 11-0-0.
MOTION #8914 by Councilman Lee, seconded by Councilman Mangini to accept the minutes of the September 5, 2006 Regular Meeting.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8914 adopted 11-0-0.
PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS & PETITIONS
Tracy Robinson, 22 Pleasant Street & Ashley Johnson, 102 Windsor Street
Ms. Robinson urged the Town of Enfield to provide more activities for teenagers and that there be more after school busing so that students can be involved in after school activities. It was noted that due to a lack of funding, school activities and school supplies have been cut back.
Mrs. Collins, the Hazardville Section
Voiced her concern about the high mill rate and upcoming revaluation. She requested clarification about the resolution concerning a transfer of funds regarding the “Breaking Down Barriers” grant.
Margaret Jedziniak, 232 Abbe Road
Suggested all hired and appointed Town officials should read and sign off on the Town of Enfield Ethics Ordinance. She read the following from the Ethics Ordinance, “Public office is a trust conferred by public authorities for a public purpose. Public officials and municipal employees should not place themselves in positions where private interests conflict with public duty”. She noted she is not accusing anyone or suggesting anything. She stated her belief Section 2-8.2 should be repealed. She noted this relates to the procedure for receiving and hearing complaints. She read as follows: “The Commission shall receive complaints from any person of any alleged violation of the Code of Ethics. Any complaint received by the Commission must be in writing on a form prescribed by the Commission and signed under oath by the individual making said complaint”. She questioned why shouldn’t newly hired people sign off on the Ethics Ordinance. She further read, “If the person makes a false statement, he shall be subject to fines up to $1,000 and penalties of up to one year imprisonment under the provision of Section 53A-157 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a Class A Misdemeanor”. She questioned who would want to make a complaint, and she feels this is very unfair and something should be done about it.
Referring to the lead contamination issue in the school system, Ms. Jedziniak questioned if it isn’t part of the school administration’s job to look after the safety, health and welfare of the pupils inside and outside of the schools. She noted they shouldn’t have taken the vendor’s word for granted when the school system was assured there was no lead in the product. She stated her impression school administrators practice crisis management and rile up the people. She pointed out state reimbursement for these types of problems still results in money from taxpayers’ pockets. She stated her belief the Town Council is very generous to the School Board with taxpayers’ money. She concluded stating her belief there should be more accountability in the School System.
COUNCILMEN COMMUNICATIONS & PETITIONS
Councilman Mangini commended the Police Department for their support during last week’s memorial service for the young soldier. She added she was also grateful to see the outpouring of support from the whole community during this time.
Councilman Mangini stated she attended the Family Day event on the Town Green yesterday and noted this was a great event.
Councilman Kaupin requested an updated listing of local and appointed officials.
Councilman Kaupin informed everyone of the upcoming Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony to be held at the Crown Plaza on September 23rd. He noted those being inducted this year are Dana King, Brad Tweedlie, Erica Hebert, Tony Wingen and George Campbell received the George Daly Award. He informed the public that the Athletic Hall of Fame and Town Manager’s office is looking for relatives of George Campbell.
Councilman Kaupin stated this afternoon, he, Councilmen Edgar and Mangini attended the Felician Adult Day Care Center in recognition of Adult Day Care Week in the State of Connecticut. He noted this Wednesday, the Enfield Adult Day Care will also have an event.
Councilman Kaupin stated it has just been learned that the John Maciolek Post 154 will be honored with the dedication of a portion of Elm Street from Route 5 to the Route 91 overpass. He noted this dedication will take place on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. He pointed out the Maciolek Post does wonderful things in town and this is a well-deserved recognition for them.
Councilman Kaupin stated Hazardville Water is celebrating their new million gallon storage tank in the Green Manor section. He went on to note that he does have an outstanding Council/Manager referral regarding a property abutting Hazardville Water property that is experiencing flooding problems. He requested a follow-up on this.
Councilman Nelson noted Councilman Ragno previously requested a list of people who are delinquent on their taxes. He noted he has not yet seen that list. He added he would like a list distributed to the Council which includes all those people in Enfield who are receiving tax abatements at this time.
Councilman Maxellon requested an update on the Northgate and Booth Road projects. He noted in last week’s packet the Council received a breakdown of EMS revenue. He requested those figures be reviewed because he’s not clear on whether that’s the money collected or billed.
Councilman Maxellon referred to school busing and questioned the status on the waivers which will eliminate some bus stops and save some money.
Councilman Crowley referred to the young people who spoke under Public Communications and pointed out there are a lot of programs for youth in Enfield, i.e., youth basketball league, little league, Enfield Ramblers program, soccer program, etc. He noted although these are private non-profit groups, they do coincide with the town. He went on to note the Angelo Lamagna Center has programs for youth as do the schools. He stated Parks and Recreation has a pamphlet listing all the activities and those pamphlets are available at the Lamagna Center and Town Hall. He pointed out youth can get involved with the Police Explorers and the fire department has a similar program. He invited youth to share any ideas they have with Council members.
Councilman Peruta commended everyone involved in the recent September 11th ceremony.
Councilman Peruta thanked Mr. Vindigni and Mr. Kazmarski for their help regarding Fairfield Avenue sidewalks.
Councilman Peruta noted there’s a continuing speeding problem on Wallop School Road and Steele Road going toward East Windsor. He added no one slows down for the stop sign at the four corners on Steele Road.
Councilman Ragno thanked everyone for their remembrance on his father’s passing.
Councilman Lee questioned if the parks and recreation pamphlet is going out to the public, and Mr. Vindigni noted it will be going out to the public on the website and in school backpacks. Councilman Lee pointed out the mail-in registration deadline is September 15th, which has passed. He questioned if the Recreation Department can update that. Mr. Vindigni indicated he’d check into that.
MOTION #8915 by Councilman Hilinski, seconded by Councilman Mangini to suspend the rules to move Items 13b and 13e to Miscellaneous.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8915 adopted 11-0-0.
Chairman Tallarita expressed his appreciation for the young people coming forward tonight to share their thoughts about recreation for the youth of Enfield. He invited the youth of Enfield to share their ideas with the Council. He pointed out such ideas could also be communicated via e-mail. He noted one idea that has come up is to have local bands play at the old senior center.
Chairman Tallarita commended the police, fire departments, Town staff and Town residents for their show of support for the young Marine last week. He noted he was very proud of the respect Enfield showed this young man and his family.
Chairman Tallarita questioned the process involved when there is a dedication of a portion of road.
Chairman Tallarita received correspondence from a Marine Corps detachment out of Waterbury, Connecticut, and they will be hosting a “Welcome Home” to the Marines from Connecticut who have served in Iraq. He stated this will take place at the Hartford Armory at the end of October. He noted they have asked him to contact any local vendors or organizations that are willing to donate “Welcome Home” banners or signs. He noted the Marine Corps detachment is also seeking signs from the local school system, therefore, he will also forward this to the Board of Education through the Town Manager’s office. He noted anyone interested in donating a welcome home sign can contact the Town Manager’s office.
Chairman Tallarita commended the Adult Day Care programs in this town for the good work that they do.
Chairman Tallarita stated he received a number of phone calls recently regarding a flyer produced by the Montessori School which relates to a parking lot and an Enfield Zoning Appeals issue. He stated his belief this is a matter that the Town Council should not be involved with because there’s a separation of power involved with the land use committees. He noted he did ask that the Town Attorney prepare some type of statement for the Council that can be placed on the website so that some answers can be provided to the public.
Councilman Kaupin referred to the recent wake and funeral for the Marine, Philip Johnson, and pointed out all the vendors did everything at no cost to the family, i.e., Browne Funeral Home, the printing company that prints the memorial cards, restaurants donating meals to the marine groups that were in town, i.e., the Country Diner. He noted the town really rallied around this hometown hero and his family. Chairman Tallarita added the Police Benevolent Society provided dinners for Marines and the American Legion provided dinner after the funeral. He noted this was a total community involvement.
TOWN MANAGER REPORT & COMMUNICATIONS
Mr. Coppler stated the delinquent tax listing should be going out to the Council on Friday.
Mr. Coppler stated the denitrification resolution has to be in place to get the reimbursement. He noted earlier today they received some language that the State wants to see within the resolution and those changes, which are not substantive, will be before the Council later in the agenda.
TOWN ATTORNEY REPORT & COMMUNICATIOSN
Attorney Bromson stated he had no formal report this evening.
REPORT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES OF THE COUNCIL
Councilman Mangini stated the Enfield Food Shelf had their monthly meeting on September 11th and will have a special meeting on October 11th to discuss their bylaws.
Councilman Mangini stated the Prison Liaison Committee recently held their quarterly meeting. As concerns the prison count, Willard is down three inmates, Enfield and Carl Robinson remains the same. She noted there’s a lot of community involvement with Willard, especially with the Fourth of July Celebration and the Little Sisters of the Poor. She noted there was some Fourth of July involvement with Carl Robinson as well. She went on to note there will be some prison help with the Connecticut River Cleanup.
Councilman Mangini stated the Loan Review Committee held a recent meeting, and the Community Development office is doing a great job with pulling together the CDBG funding that’s available for people for emergency repairs.
Councilman Peruta stated the Solid Waste Committee met last week. He noted one of the key things they’ve been discussing is tipper barrels, and the Commission is leaning toward mandating tipper barrels for Enfield residents. He went on to note another item discussed was possibly giving a break to the “casual transfer station user”. He noted this would be someone who only uses the transfer station once or twice per year. He added they also discussed recyclables and in particular hazardous waste. He noted they learned it’s very expensive for the Town to hold onto hazardous materials, therefore, the Commission will recommend publishing sites where hazardous wastes can be taken.
Councilman Peruta stated the Chairman of the Solid Waste Commission would like to come before the Town Council to provide a formal update on what this Commission has been doing.
OLD BUSINESS - APPOINTMENTS (TOWN COUNCIL)
MOTION #8916 by Councilman Mangini, seconded by Councilman Hilinski to remove Item #5 from the table.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8916 adopted 11-0-0.
NOMINATION #8917 by Councilman Mangini to appoint Teresa Saiya (U) to the Prison/Town Liaison Committee for an indefinite term.
MOTION #8918 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Lee to close nominations.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8918 adopted 11-0-0.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared Teresa Saiya appointed to the Prison/Town Liaison Committee by an 11-0-0 vote.
MOTION #8919 by Councilman Hilinski, seconded by Councilman Mangini to remove Item #12 from the table.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8919 adopted 11-0-0.
NOMINATION #8920 by Councilman Hilinski to appoint Richard C. Woods (D) to the North Central District Health Department for a term which expires 6/30/09.
MOTION #8921 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Mangini to close nominations.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8921 adopted 11-0-0.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared Richard C. Woods appointed to the North Central District Health Department by an 11-0-0 vote.
All other Town Council appointments remained tabled.
APPOINTMENTS (TOWN MANAGER)
All Town Manager appointments remained tabled.
Item c. remained tabled.
MOTION #8922 by Councilman Lee, seconded by Councilman Hilinski to remove Item d. from the table.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8922 adopted 11-0-0.
DISCUSSION RE: VIDEOTAPING OF COUNCIL MEETINGS
Councilman Lee stated Cox Communications has been in touch with Town staff to start a process that was initiated in the Spring and that is to work with facilities staff to provide details as to how they would engineer the placement of the live connection to Cox’s system for taping of programming at Town Hall. He noted they’ve also started a survey of the JFK Middle School which could be a second point of origination. He stated they are still waiting for some additional details. Mr. Vindigni noted Cox needs to do some follow up on the cable integrity to determine whether it’s acceptable or needs to be replaced. He pointed out if the cable has to be replaced, Cox will take care of it. He went on to note the Town needs to designate a lead department to deal with Cox Communication on a consistent basis.
Councilman Lee noted he and Councilman Mangini discussed the policies and some of the priorities they would like to see implemented in bringing in full-time programming. He pointed out once this is started, Channel 16 will be the Enfield Town Government access channel. He stated they definitely want a clear sense of direction both from the Council and staff side.
Councilman Peruta questioned if they have a drop at Town Hall, will that limit them just to the Council Chamber. Councilman Lee stated there will be a point of origination, and that’s actually where the signal will be brought into the building, and they believe that origination point should be in the Council Chamber so they can have a live feed.
Councilman Peruta stated the Board of Education meetings at JFK sometimes take place in the auditorium, cafeteria, and other rooms. He noted having some flexibility may be beneficial. Councilman Lee pointed out the Town is entitled to one live feed, and another feed at JFK would come with a cost.
Councilman Crowley questioned if the Town will be responsible for 24-hour programming on Channel 16. Councilman Lee stated the Town would have to provide the direction on what the programming would entail. He noted one component is the live programming of certain meetings. He noted the rest of the time could be taped. He stated the Council would have to discuss what they consider appropriate programming.
Councilman Nelson suggested a line be dropped at one of the high schools so that they might also be able to televise sporting events, i.e., the Thanksgiving football game. Councilman Mangini pointed out they would have to learn what the cost would be for a second line drop. Chairman Tallarita pointed out the School Board should be involved in this discussion as well.
MOTION #8923 by Councilman Lee, seconded by Councilman Mangini to retable this item.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8923 adopted 11-0-0.
NEW BUSINESS
CONSENT AGENDA
MOTION #8924 by Councilman Mangini, seconded by Councilman Crowley to accept the Consent Agenda.
Chairman Tallarita noted Mrs. Collins asked about Item #3 and he requested the Town Manager clarify this item. Mr. Coppler explained the Town, through Youth Services, received a state grant to help get the Police closer to the youth to expose them to the fact that the police officers are not their enemies. He noted in receiving the $9,999, they have to reallocate that to the appropriate cost centers to reflect that.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8924 adopted 11-0-0. (Resolutions Appended)
RESOLUTION #8925 by Councilman Mangini, seconded by Councilman Hilinski.
RESOLVED, that in accordance with Chapter VI, Section 8(f) of the Town Charter, the following transfer is hereby made:
TO: See Attached
FROM: See Attached
CERTIFICATION:
I hereby certify the amount of $1,080,215 is available from Account # (see attached) as of 6/30/2006.
/s/ Gregory Simmons, Director of Finance
Mr. Coppler stated this is a housekeeping measure to get the books balanced for the end of the last fiscal year. He explained this is moving money from accounts that had money available to cover some of the salary adjustments that were made during last year.
Councilman Peruta stated he was bothered by the $38,000 coming out of Information Technology. He noted he understands why they went after that account, but he always felt they were under-funded in that area.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #8925 adopted 11-0-0.
RESOLUTION #8926 by Councilman Mangini, seconded by Councilman Hilinski.
RESOLVED, that in accordance with Chapter VI, Section 8(f) of the Town Charter, the following transfer is hereby made:
TO: Insurance & Bond Charges $2,998.00
Other Professional Services
Misc. Charges & Transfers
Water/Sewerage $20,074.00
Electricity $46,569.00
_________
$69,641.00
FROM: G/F Fund Balance $69,641.00
CERTIFICATION
I hereby certify the amount of $69,641.00 is available from Account #G/F Fund Balance as of 6/30/2006.
/s/ Gregory Simmons, Director of Finance
Councilman Kaupin questioned if these are the only overages the Town has for any fuel-related expenses. Mr. Coppler stated as of right now, this is the only thing presented to him as needing this transfer.
Councilman Maxellon stated his understanding these are the overages in utilities from the last fiscal year. He stated his recollection that around budget time, the Council was presented a report, and he thought the Town was pretty well on track for expenses by a couple thousand dollars. He questioned how they ended up with almost $70,000 in overages. Mr. Vindigni stated at budget time they were looking very good in terms of utility costs, and that was back in the March/April timeframe, however, the school department was forecasting severe utility deficits. As concerns the overages at this point, he would have to defer to the Public Works Department that monitors these specific accounts. Chairman Tallarita requested the Town Manager look into this to get some clarification.
MOTION #8927 by Councilman Mangini, seconded by Councilman Nelson to table this item.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8927 adopted 11-0-0.
RESOLUTION #8928 by Councilman Mangini, seconded by Councilman Kaupin.
RESOLVED, that in accordance with Chapter VI, Section 8(f) of the Town Charter, the following transfer is hereby made:
TO: Town Manager $14,500.00
Travel
FROM: Contingency $14,500.00
CERTIFICATION
I hereby certify the amount of $14,500.00 is available from Account-Travel as of July 14, 2006.
/s/ Gregory Simmons, Director of Finance
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #8928 adopted 11-0-0.
RESOLUTION #8929 by Councilman Mangini, seconded by Councilman Hilinski.
RESOLVED, that in accordance with Chapter V, Section 14 of the Town Charter the amended salaries and rates of pay for certain employees of the Child Day Care Center, part-time, seasonal, and other listed employees of the Town will be increased according to the attached schedule effective and retroactive to July 1, 2006. (List Appended)
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #8929 adopted 11-0-0.
Item g. remained on the table.
MOTION #8929A by Councilman Hilinski, seconded by Councilman Nelson to remove Item h. from the agenda.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8929A adopted 11-0-0.
MOTION #8930 by Councilman Lee, seconded by Councilman Edgar to remove Item i. from the agenda.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8930 adopted 11-0-0.
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION
Consent Agenda items will appear under New Business on the next Regular Meeting agenda.
DISCUSSION RE: STREET EXCAVATION PERMITS AND LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Mr. Coppler stated there was an issue sometime ago where a contractor tied into a utility and did not get the proper permits. He noted in reviewing this, it was learned the contractor felt it would be better to pay the $25 penalty rather than paying for the permit. He stated the Planning Commission discussed this, and they felt it would be appropriate for the Town to consider increasing the fines related to the failure of getting a permit when cutting into the roadway. He stated the Council has a memo from the Town Attorney’s office regarding this.
Councilman Crowley stated the fine should definitely be substantially higher than the permit fee.
Councilman Maxellon stated his belief the Town is limited on how much they can fine someone. Mr. Coppler stated according to the memo the recommendation is a cap of $250 per occurrence per day. He agreed there is some restriction as to what the maximum could be.
Councilman Nelson stated his understanding that when the road is cut, there has to be a bond. He stated his belief that until that bond is issued and on record with the Town, a contractor doesn’t have a permit. He noted the bond is what the Town would go after if the work failed. He pointed out if the State limits the Town as to the dollar amount, at least the Town should be able to get the proper bond paperwork which will generate the money to fix the problem. Mr. Copper stated his belief that this is exactly how it would be written, in that each day that the contractor does not have the proper permit in place, which would include the bond, it would be a separate offense.
Councilman Crowley questioned whether this can include sidewalks. He noted sometimes the sidewalk is torn up to get to the road. Mr. Coppler indicated that would have to be looked into.
Mr. Coppler stated a resolution will be prepared for this.
Item d. will appear under New Business on the next Regular Meeting agenda.
DISCUSSION RE: MANNING ROAD DRAINAGE EASEMENT WARRANTY DEED
Mr. Copper stated the Council’s packet includes an easement that is being offered to the Town by the owner of the property at 9 Manning Road. He noted this has been an on-going issue. He explained the owner of the property is looking to improve his driveway as one of the final pieces of the construction of the new home at 9 Manning Road. He noted the owner had two issues – one was that the drainage line was substandard and deteriorating due to the age of the system. He noted the second issue has to do with a catch basin right in front of the area where he was going to put his new driveway. He stated he and Mr. Kazmarski met with the property owner and his attorney to discuss this matter. He noted they found that the catch basin was substandard and probably causing some issues for the drainage area, and Public Works put that on their list to actually improve it so that it would meet the necessities of the fire marshal that was stating something had to be done prior to the construction of the driveway. He noted the other issue was the line itself, and the property owner has agreed to grant the Town a 20-foot easement from the catch basin onto his property, and from that point forward, the property owner would then maintain the storm line to allow for the drainage of the water coming off the street. He stated this is a little different because generally the Town likes to get the easement to maintain the whole line, but the resident is actually offering to repair it and keep it in repair and allow storm water to go through it in perpetuity.
Chairman Tallarita questioned whether staff is recommending to go forward with this offer, and Mr. Copper responded yes.
Chairman Tallarita questioned if this applies to future ownership of this property, and Attorney Bromson responded yes.
Mr. Kazmarski stated the property owner is willing to perform any required maintenance on this pipe, and the Town is being granted a 20-foot easement from the right-of-way line into this property so that if the Town has to make a connection change or something of that nature, the Town can take care of it. He added the property owner is also granting an unrestricted right to drain any and all waters from the storm drainage system into that pipe and he is accepting responsibility for maintenance of it.
Councilman Maxellon stated the fire department had no input into this, and that should be clarified in this document.
Councilman Nelson stated he doesn’t understand why the property owner would want to maintain this pipe. Mr. Coppler stated he can only assume there’s a concern on the property owner’s part that if there were any issues in the future, it might take a long time to get it corrected, and with this arrangement, he could get it corrected quickly.
Councilman Crowley expressed concern about safety to children at the storm water discharge in the pond behind this property.
MISCELLANEOUS
RESOLUTION #8931 by Councilman Hilinski, seconded by Councilman Mangini.
WHEREAS, $350,000 was budgeted in Fiscal Year 2006-07 as part of the Capital Improvement Program to purchase textbooks and computers for the School District; and
WHEREAS, at their August 22, 2006 meeting, the Enfield Board of Education passed a motion requesting the Town Council to waive competitive bidding requirements for the purchase of textbooks; and
WHEREAS, the Enfield Board of Education passed this motion because the purchase of textbooks are based upon their compatibility with the goals of a particular department, learning objectives from the State of Connecticut, the Board’s adopted curricula, and student performance objectives; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council has determined that it will be against the best interest of the Town of Enfield to require the Enfield Board of Education to seek competitive bids for the purchase of textbooks as part of the Capital Improvement Program.
BE IT RESOLVED, that the competitive bidding requirements as set forth in the Town Charter, Chapter VI, Section 8, Paragraph (d) are hereby waived; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Enfield Board of Education is authorized to make the necessary textbook purchases within the financial authorization of the Capital Improvement Program based upon the aforementioned criteria.
Councilman Mangini voiced concern about passing this resolution because there’s been no reason given to waive this bid.
Councilman Lee agreed with Councilman Mangini. He stated his understanding there’s plenty of competition emerging in the textbook market when it comes to collegiate book sales. He noted if the Council is to entertain any type of bid waiver, he feels they should at least require the specifications of what it is they are looking to purchase. He stated they put together that CIP arrangement granting the Board an additional revenue source, which allowed the Board to do a lot more this year. He feels if $350,000 is to be spent, the Council should know what they are waiving. He noted by knowing more specifics, the Council could do a little more due diligence to determine if there are competitive channels for making those purchases. He added if they’re making such a request, they are not impeding on the Board or the Curriculum Director’s purview whatsoever.
Councilman Kaupin requested Councilman Hilinski explain the process of selecting a textbook since he used to be the Chairman of the Board of Education.
Councilman Hilinski explained the large textbook manufacturers have been merging, therefore, there are only one or two large textbook companies. He noted the Curriculum Directors, along with the department heads, look for the textbook that is best aligned with the curriculum. He suggested this item be tabled until someone from the Board of Education can be present to explain this process.
MOTION #8932 by Councilman Hilinski, seconded by Councilman Mangini to table this item.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8932 adopted 11-0-0.
RESOLUTION #8933 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Mangini.
WHEREAS, it is deemed by the Enfield Town Council to be in the best interests of the Town of Enfield to enter into contracts with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, In furtherance of this resolution, the Town Manager Matthew W. Coppler is duly authorized to enter into and sign said contracts on behalf of the Town of Enfield. Matthew W. Coppler, Town Manager, is further authorized to provide such additional information and execute such other documents as may be required by the state or federal government in connection with said contracts and to execute any amendments, rescissions, and revisions thereto.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, Town Clerk Suzanne F. Olechnicki is authorized to impress the seal of the Town of Enfield on any such document, amendment, rescission, or revision.
Councilman Kaupin stated over the weekend he forwarded an e-mail to everyone from Senator Kissel. He noted this is supposedly the last step for the release of the $2.8 million dollars.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #8933 adopted 11-0-0.
PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS
Mrs. Collins, the Hazardville Section
Questioned whether the Charter states only registered voters can speak at Town Council meetings. Attorney Bromson stated his belief rules and procedures allow anyone to speak. He noted on public hearings for the tax rate, speakers need to be taxpayers. He added he can look at this again.
Margaret Jedziniak, 232 Abbe Road
Stated her belief it would be a good idea if the Town publicized every bid made so that people will know how much the bids are and what’s going on with their tax dollars.
COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS
Councilman Nelson stated he does not agree with waiving bids. He added his belief the whole Council feels this way, and that is why the textbook resolution was waived so that they could get more information.
Councilman Lee referred to the announcement that the aquatics program has been suspended due to a shortage of lifeguards. He suggested this item be added to an agenda for discussion. Mr. Vindigni stated this has been an on-going problem, and the Town has been making recruiting efforts.
Councilman Maxellon suggested a future special meeting with Public Works for an update on road projects in different sections of town. Chairman Tallarita suggested putting that on an agenda for the next special meeting.
Councilman Maxellon stated the ratio of funding per capita for social programs is a lot more in Enfield compared to other surrounding towns. He noted they should look at this for next year’s budget. He suggested perhaps there’s a way to encourage other towns to provide proper funding.
Councilman Crowley referred to road cut fines and noted there should be clarification on how emergency situations would be handled.
ADJOURNMENT
MOTION #8934 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Lee to adjourn.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8934 adopted 11-0-0, and the meeting stood adjourned at 9:35 p.m. |