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ENFIELD TOWN COUNCIL
MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING
DECEMBER 18, 2006
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, December 18, 2006.
PRAYER – The Prayer was given by Chairman Tallarita.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Pledge of Allegiance was said.
ROLL-CALL – Present were Councilmen Edgar, Hilinski, Kaupin, Lee, Mangini, Maxellon, Nelson, Peruta and Tallarita. Councilman Crowley entered at 9:10 p.m., and Councilman Ragno was absent. 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; Enfield Day Care Assistant Director, Diane Wassenhove; Director of Social Services, Pamela Brown; EMS Director, Arthur Groux and Director of School Facilities, Arthur Pongratz
FIRE EVACUATION ANNOUNCEMENT
Chairman Tallarita made the fire evacuation announcement.
MINUTES OF PRECEDING MEETINGS
MOTION #8964 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Mangini to accept the minutes of the November 27, 2006 Special Meeting.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8964 adopted 9-0-0.
MOTION #8965 by Councilman Mangini, seconded by Councilman Hilinski to accept the minutes of the December 4, 2006 Special Meeting.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8965 adopted 8-0-1, with Councilman Mangini abstaining.
MOTION #8966 by Councilman Hilinski, seconded by Councilman Kaupin to accept the minutes of the December 4, 2006 Regular Meeting.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8966 adopted 8-0-1, with Councilman Mangini abstaining.
PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS & PETITIONS
Jack Sheridan, 7 Buchanan Road
Wished everyone a Happy Holiday and expressed his appreciation to the Council for their service to the town.
Mr. Sheridan questioned how the Town will come up with a mil rate adjustment that’s fair and equitable to everyone when people are getting assessment increases of 30%, 60%, 80% and 100%. He noted there are people who have been retired or on fixed incomes for several years, and it becomes harder and harder for these people every year. He stated they have to focus on not displacing those citizens that have been supporting Enfield for many years. He urged the Council to think about the mil rate.
He stated his belief the Solid Waste Committee seemed to skim over his concern about mercury thermometers. He noted disposal of this material has to be made easy and accessible. He pointed out mercury winds up in the atmosphere and the water, and it effects the children. He acknowledged the Connecticut River has cleaned up over the years, however, it’s loaded with mercury. He stated many people simply throw items containing mercury into their trash. He concluded stating his belief the Solid Waste Committee missed the boat on doing something to make it accessible for people to dispose of these items in a safe, conscientious way.
Mr. Sheridan cautioned the renaming of the Enfield Day Care because if it’s associated with schools or education, it’s possible it may be subject to federal guidelines, i.e., No Child Left Behind or other things that might be imposed that will cost the taxpayers even more money, but just out of a different pocket.
Mrs. Collins, the Hazardville Section
Questioned how the revaluation company came up with the assessment figures.
Mrs. Collins questioned the renaming of 100 High Street.
Margaret Jedziniak, 232 Abbe Road
Stated her impression the renaming of the Enfield Day Care is a precursor to an education program such as an all day kindergarten or some other pre-school program. She stated her belief this is the case since they have job vacancies for a teacher with a bachelor’s degree with the duty of teaching and training young children. She questioned why such a position is needed in a day care. She went on to note another vacancy calls for a teacher’s aide which calls for an associate’s degree in early childhood development.
She stated her belief a day care doesn’t require teaching, especially since some parents are paying only $9.00 per week for the service they’re getting.
Ms. Jedziniak questioned if any of the suggestions that were spoken to in the draft between the firemen and Council came to fruition, or were all of them negated. She stated her belief Enfield’s firemen, police and EMT’s are very special and should have every opportunity to advance themselves wherever possible. She noted the people of Enfield owe this to them because of all of their volunteer work over the years and the free service they provided in emergencies. She stated her belief the public should have some say in the running of all their emergency services. She stated her feeling it was unfair that EMT’s from the fire departments were shut out. She stated her understanding they were promised they would have some work to do, and she feels people should have been good enough to give them some say in what’s happening. She presumed that’s why the Town can’t park the ambulances in the firehouses.
Ms. Jedziniak questioned if it will take an act of Congress to move forward on the videotaping of the Council meetings. She expressed her appreciation to the volunteer who’s currently taping the meetings.
COUNCILMEN COMMUNICATIONS & PETITIONS
Councilman Mangini expressed gratitude to volunteer groups that help the less fortunate – Enfield Food Shelf, Meals on Wheels, Loaves and Fishes, Toys for Joy and all the other organizations that are helping year round on a daily basis. She thanked the Enfield Police Department for helping out with traffic at the Enfield Food Shelf during high traffic periods.
Councilman Kaupin referred to Mr. Sheridan’s question about the mil rate and stated they have to set one mil rate, and those below the curve will not have as high an increase, or they may have a decrease depending on how the budget is set, and those that are above will take a larger share of the tax increase so they will have a higher percentage of an increase. He noted they have collected some data, but the Finance Department doesn’t have the full picture, therefore, it’s too soon for the Council to understand what the mil rate will be. He stated not only is there a shift between business to residential, but also there will be a shift among the residential group. He acknowledged there will be unequal increases or decreases, and it will not be all the same.
Regarding Mr. Sheridan’s concerns about mercury disposal, Councilman Nelson noted he is liaison to the Solid Waste Committee, and he noted the cost of storing mercury in town is very expensive. He pointed out there are places that will take the mercury. He noted if a person purchases a thermostat, they can bring the old one back, and if a person buys fluorescent lights, they can bring back the old ones. He stated his belief it’s the responsibility of the resident to properly dispose of that material. He noted there are collection days twice per year.
Councilman Peruta stated three years ago, he wasn’t sure why the Town was involved in the day care business. He noted he has come to learn that the day care is not really day care any more, but rather it’s preparing children for school. He noted day care is not just babysitting, but it’s also teaching. He pointed out Enfield’s Day Care Program is admired
and other towns would like to use it as a model. He explained the sliding scale is to help people who can’t afford day care, and it’s being offset by the people who can afford it. He spoke with the Enfield Day Care Director, Karen Edelson and toured the facility, and he was impressed. He suggested people visit the day care, and they’ll see that children are put on an educational path so that when they go to school, they’re prepared and open to learn. He pointed out this is a long-term investment if they can impact a drop out or expulsion rate and improve test scores. He stated his belief this is a good investment and he fully endorses the idea.
Councilman Peruta stated his belief the Town had the best intentions of getting the fire service involved in the EMS program. He noted he feels bad they aren’t more involved yet, but the Town is working toward getting them more involved.
Councilman Maxellon stated a few meetings ago, the Council received a milestone update about Public Works, and he was amazed at the projects they had. He requested this update be provided to the Council on a regular basis. Mr. Coppler stated the Council will have an update tomorrow.
Councilman Hilinski stated his belief they need to find a balance in the assessments as they go forward. He noted he recognizes they have to set one specific mil rate, but it does look like it’s going to be more of a burden to some people than others because of the uneven nature of the increases in assessments. He stated his belief it’s the Council’s responsibility to find some kind of happy medium, i.e., a sliding scale. He noted they do have several years within which to phase in this particular increase, therefore, there may be a way to minimize the burden over the next few years by gradually phasing in the increase.
MOTION #8967 by Councilman Hilinski, seconded by Councilman Mangini to move Item 13b to Miscellaneous.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8967 adopted 9-0-0.
Chairman Tallarita referred to the videotaping of Council meetings and noted just two or three years ago, the Council meetings weren’t taped even on a regular basis. He stated his belief the Council is moving in the right direction, and they are looking into a live system, but live systems require a lot more technology and cost. He noted they are working toward structuring this correctly so they are consistent, and this is why it’s taking time. He added they are also waiting for the agreement with the cable franchise. He noted they will put some money in the budget for this purpose this year, and they can continue moving forward.
TOWN MANAGER REPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS
Mr. Coppler stated at the last meeting there was discussion about residents getting double billed, whereby they would get a bill from AMR and another bill from the Town’s EMS.
He explained the issue is that the bundled bill agreement hasn’t been put into place. He noted staff has been working very diligently to try to get that into place, and he’ll be meeting with the regional director for Connecticut and Western Massachusetts later this week, and hopefully that will be finalized. He explained the significance of this is that they will be able to re-bill those extra bills that residents have received, and then they’ll be paid for.
He stated last week Councilman Maxellon inquired about the HVAC position, and at the last meeting he announced they were going to have the interviews. He noted they did have those interviews and they went very well. He stated they selected a candidate who was then offered a big bonus to remain with his current employer, and he then turned down the Town of Enfield offer. He stated they’ve decided to readvertise this position to attract another group of good candidates.
Councilman Maxellon stated when that position is readvertised, he would like his earlier comments to be reviewed because if some of his suggestions are incorporated, it may open this up into a bigger group of applicants.
Mr. Coppler referred to the comment about what certain people pay for day care and explained the balance of those individuals is being picked up by the state. He noted about 29% of the day care users are full pay and the balance fit into the sliding scale.
TOWN ATTORNEY REPORT & COMMUNICATIONS
Attorney Bromson referred to Ms. Jedziniak’s comments about the fire department’s role in EMS. He pointed out they did have a good presentation in September, but unfortunately a lot of the members of the press were not present, and he does not know whether that meeting was televised. He stated the Council gave explicit directions when they implemented the town-wide EMS system, and there was a proviso that there should be a role for the fire departments. He stated this was two-pronged – 1) that they should have an active role because they are supplemental first responders, which means they are also dispatched (first responders are the Police); 2) to try and integrate them back into actually getting on the ambulances as they had for many years and actually assisting the Town EMS people. He stated they meet with all five fire chiefs every month. He noted also in attendance are the EMS Director, Art Groux, the Town Manager, the Chief of Police, and the Deputy Chief of Police. He pointed out they have a very good rapport with all of the fire chiefs, and during the September meeting, Chief Richards came as a representative of the fire departments and stated he believed the rapport and the relationship between the Town and fire departments has never been better, and he feels that’s true today. He stated they work hard to keep it that way. He noted on September 1st they did implement an increase in the supplemental first responder role, which means the fire departments would go about 60% more than they were going before. He stated there will be little bumps along the road in the dispatching of them, but those are just growing pains that they can address.
Attorney Bromson stated they were also directed to get the fire department EMT’s grand fathered and on the Town’s license so that they are able to get in the ambulance and help them during short times or during emergencies, or perhaps as volunteers. He pointed out in the last resubmission of their license, Mr. Groux put in for 38 fire fighters to be on the Town’s rigs.
He stated in their last meeting there was a proposal as to how this would work since there are five fire departments. He noted they have to have a protocol that makes sense as to who will be used and when, therefore, they have been back and forth with the fire departments. He stated at this point, the fire departments had some questions about the protocol that has been offered to them, therefore, at this juncture they are not on the rigs. He noted they will continue the negotiations and deliberations and hopefully in January they will come to some accord with one or more of the fire departments to get them more involved. He pointed out this is a complicated process. He noted there is no hostility, and this isn’t the reason the Town’s rigs are not at the fire stations. He explained they have a State Office of Emergency Management that licenses the Town, and they have a medical control provider, which is Johnson Memorial Hospital, therefore, when they try to implement something, it can’t be done unilaterally by the Town. He explained the reason the ambulances aren’t at the fire stations is because the fire stations aren’t on the Town’s license and they couldn’t legally be housed there.
As concerns e-mail communications, Attorney Bromson stated the Freedom of Information Commission is very concerned about e-mail meetings. He noted FOI will provide a symposium and update concerning this matter. He stated Boards and Commissions in other towns have been called to task for reaching consensus or making decisions via e-mail, and FOI considers these secret, illegal meetings. He noted many times this is innocent, but sometimes it isn’t and that’s where the penalty phase comes in. He advised the Council that a lot of these cases are coming forward, and the Council should be very careful and prudent with their e-mail communications because FOI is looking to make some law in this area.
Councilman Peruta suggested the Town Council be given some more education regarding Freedom of Information.
Chairman Tallarita clarified the Council can meet as a caucus and discuss issues. Attorney Bromson stated a political caucus is an exemption under FOI. He noted FOI has fought that in circumstances and tried to erode it to a degree because their mission is to make everything pubic and on the record.
Attorney Bromson stated he will provide some cases regarding this issue. He went on to note that Enfield is very conscientious and they have a good record at FOI.
REPORT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES OF THE COUNCIL
Councilman Mangini provided a brief report from the National League of Cities. She noted she e-mailed the synopsis. She added she has lots of information, and anyone is welcome to look at this material. She went on to note they’re looking to continue the inclusive community data, and they’re looking to maximize membership to NLC. She noted she suggested to the NLC president that they form a task force similar to the one they did with health care to include their big seven, local elected officials, state and federal officials. She noted this task force could look at their tax structure and three-tier system to see where they can consolidate and conform some issues. She stated they could look at their property tax structure and work with state and federal government in a more appeasable fashion rather than adversary. She stated they are looking at tools for public officials for budgeting sessions which will be helpful for Enfield’s process as well.
Councilman Maxellon stated he and Councilman Nelson belong to the Facilities Committee. He noted one of the buildings under their charge is the Higgins School. He stated last August, he, Councilman Nelson and the Town Manager toured the Higgins building and then generated a report with some minor recommendations, one of which was to do some minor repairs to prevent water from entering the building. He noted another recommendation is to look at items they’re storing in that building, i.e., town-owned material and evicted renters’ material. He stated this report was submitted in September, but they haven’t seen any action on this. He went on to note it was their belief that repairs could be done by Town staff.
Mr. Kazmarski stated prior to the Facilities Committee tour of the Higgins building, he received a copy of some invoices that were paid in August for work that had been done on three sections of the roof. He noted approximately $4,900 was paid to the roofing firm. He stated the firm indicated these areas of the roof were okay, however, they couldn’t guarantee that other parts of the roof wouldn’t give way. He noted at this time they’re trying to get a price for sealing the entire roof to insure there’s no water intrusion. He stated Town staff doesn’t have the skills or techniques required to do roof repairs.
Councilman Maxellon stated that in their tour they observed a couple spots where the water was obviously coming through. He noted another major area had to do with some
coping on the southwest side of the building which was letting a lot of water into the building. He stated the Facilities Committee provided a report with pictures specifying the trouble spots. He added the Town is also storing computers and eviction materials in that building. Mr. Kazmarski stated they’re in the process of getting everything out of that building, except the eviction items. He stated his belief that under State statute, they have to put those items up for auction, including allowing the prior owners to purchase them back.
Councilman Maxellon stated perhaps the Town could store these eviction materials at storage facilities. Mr. Kazmarski stated a number of years ago, the Town was relying on storage facilities for eviction materials, however, the Town had to pay a monthly rent.
He acknowledged that with water problems at the Higgins building, they will revisit the storage companies.
Councilman Nelson questioned whether anyone inspected the roof work done last summer. He noted the Facilities Committee did their inspection in September, and the leak is still there. Mr. Kazmarski stated it’s being assumed that the repairs that were made were in the same area. He noted he has not seen the Facilities Committee report, therefore, he’ll have to compare the report with the description within the invoice.
Councilman Nelson stated some of the eviction material goes back to 2000. He noted the Town has been storing this material for six years. He stated his belief this material is worth nothing since it’s been stored in a damp environment. He stated his opinion it’s garbage, and the Town should find a way to dispose of it without having to go through an auction procedure. He went on to state his belief this building is a great place to store material if they can seal the roof.
Councilman Maxellon stated he would like to be kept updated on this.
OLD BUSINESS
APPOINTMENTS (TOWN COUNCIL)
MOTION #8968 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Hilinski to remove Item #4 from the table.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8968 adopted 9-0-0.
NOMINATION #8969 by Councilman Kaupin to appoint Brian Trudeau (R) to the Enfield Beautification Committee for a term which expires 12/01/2009.
MOTION #8970 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Nelson to close nominations.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8970 adopted 9-0-0.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared Brian Trudeau appointed to the Enfield Beautification Committee by a 9-0-0 vote.
MOTION #8971 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Hilinski to remove Item #5 from the table.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8971 adopted 9-0-0.
NOMINATION #8972 by Councilman Kaupin to appoint Kenneth Varriale (U) to the Ethics Commission as an Alternate for a term which expires 10/31/2007.
MOTION #8973 by Councilman Mangini, seconded by Councilman Lee to close nominations.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8973 adopted 9-0-0.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared Kenneth Varriale appointed to the Ethics Commission by a 9-0-0 vote.
All other Town Council appointments remained on the table.
APPOINTMENTS (TOWN MANAGER)
All Town Manager appointments remained on the table.
Item c. remained tabled.
MOTION #8974 by Councilman Lee, seconded by Councilman Mangini to remove Item d. from the table.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8974 adopted 9-0-0.
DISCUSSION RE: VIDEOTAPING OF COUNCIL MEETINGS
Councilman Lee stated at the last meeting he indicated there would be an update, however, they will push that update to the first meeting in January. He pointed out things
are moving forward. He noted Cox Communications has been making some modifications to the process they use in order to set up live feeds at town halls. He stated there should be a lot of useable information for the January meeting.
MOTION #8975 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Mangini to retable Item d.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8975 adopted 9-0-0.
MOTION #8976 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Mangini to remove Item e. from the table.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8976 adopted 9-0-0.
RESOLUTION #8977 by Councilman Mangini, seconded by Councilman Nelson.
RESOLVED, that the Enfield Town Council will hold a Public Hearing in the Enfield Town Hall Council Chambers, 820 Enfield Street, Enfield, Connecticut on Tuesday, January 16, 2006 at 7:20 p.m. to allow interested citizens an opportunity to express their opinion regarding amending the fine provisions of the Street Excavation Ordinance, Section 74-69 of the Code of the Town of Enfield.
Mr. Coppler stated the change would be to take the fine from $25 to the state maximum of $250.
AMENDMENT #1 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Lee to amend the date within the resolution to read: January 16, 2007.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared AMENDMENT #1 adopted 9-0-0.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #8977 adopted 9-0-0,
Items f., g., h. and i. remained tabled.
MOTION #8978 by Councilman Hilinski, seconded by Councilman Mangini to remove Item j. from the table.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8978 adopted 9-0-0.
DISCUSSION RE: AMBULANCE HOUSING
Chairman Tallarita stated at the last Council meeting there was a lengthy discussion regarding the EMS housing. He noted at this time, they are occupying a small area at the Enfield Police Department, and it’s becoming rather difficult for them to function at that location. He stated Town staff was asked to look at a couple different options and provide some cost estimates.
Mr. Coppler stated they looked at three options. He noted Option #1 was the use of a leased office trailer to be located at the police department, and the cost is about $12,400 per year, which covers the monthly lease, delivery, the electrical connection, etc. He noted this option doesn’t necessarily increase the level of services, nor does it harm the level of services because they’re still located at the same location.
He stated Option #2 would be the relocation to 1296 Enfield Street, which is the old fire house. He noted they put together a number of costs. He stated late last week, they started narrowing down that cost to reflect cost for demolition of some things, miscellaneous hardware replacements, re-keying, replacement and upgrade of mechanical systems, installation of radio communications data, etc. He noted the estimated cost is $31,000. He pointed out that although there were other things recommended by DPW, this option would get the personnel into that site.
Mr. Coppler stated there are positive service implications at 1296 Enfield Street. He noted this would get their resources to some of the high volume districts, which is the Thompsonville area. He added this also strengthens their ability to provide mutual aid to Suffield and East Windsor. He noted this also provides a direct route onto some good, main road accesses.
He explained the third option would be the relocation of equipment and staff to multiple fire houses, however, it’s difficult to determine what the cost would be for this option. He noted it would be necessary to sit down with the different fire districts to determine the cost of housing, and once it was determined where the equipment and staff would be housed, they would have to go through the state to get it licensed to allow them to keep their equipment there.
Mr. Coppler stated once they solve the short-term issue, they still have a long-term issue, and they have to make sure they determine that their resources are where they need to be. He noted once they’ve decided on the short term solution, they should look at the long-term solution right away.
Chairman Tallarita questioned Mr. Coppler as to which option he feels is the best, and Mr. Coppler invited Mr. Groux to come forward to address which option he believes is best from an operational standpoint.
Mr. Groux stated from an operational standpoint, he recommends Option #2. He noted Option #1 would work in the short term, but Option #2 would be the best. He stated they have to be sure what they’re looking at is flexible to what the need of the Town is. He noted they are not looking to house an ambulance where it’s in a static location for a prolonged period of time, but rather at a couple locations within Town where they could move those resources during peak times to reflect where that need would be. He explained they feel the ability to go to Route 5 would allow them to disburse those units through two section of Town and the ability to still be flexible to move them as the volume would warrant.
Councilman Hilinski stated he’s very appreciative that the costs for Option #2 have decreased significantly over the last couple weeks. He noted he had mentioned during the last discussion that they really needed to take a look at a bare bones approach at how they could get into the Route 5 location without spending a lot of money.
Councilman Hilinski agreed with Mr. Groux that Option #2 is a good option at this point in time. He noted he has had significant experience with leasing trailers in the past, and it’s his perception that trailers never go away, and they end up costing a lot of money over the years. He stated they would also be unsightly.
Councilman Maxellon stated the documentation distributed this evening is the third piece of EMS material he has seen in a report form that doesn’t note any author or dates. He noted in the future, it would be good to see an author and date. He pointed out that is helpful if they have to go back and ask questions. He went on to note trailers should only be considered a temporary solution. He stated his belief trailers are a quick way to get set up, and the trailer would be behind the police station.
As concerns Option #2, Councilman Maxellon expressed his doubt that $31,000 can accomplish what needs to be done. He feels it’s asking for trouble to jump the gun and go with Option #2. He noted it would be necessary to do re-licensing if they go to the Enfield Street location. He added he’s concerned that once they start investing money into that building, they will continue putting money into it.
Councilman Maxellon stated he was surprised no one talked to the fire departments regarding Option #3.
Councilman Maxellon questioned if the geographical demands analysis came out of one of the consultant reports, and Mr. Groux stated that was generated in the past, and it has been updated. He explained that does not have an author on it because it’s actually an excerpt from the application packet to license the facility.
Councilman Maxellon concluded stating he favors Option #1 because it’s quick and economical.
Councilman Kaupin questioned how many years is Mr. Groux willing to subsist in the Enfield Street location before the Town makes major renovations if they were to decide that were to be the EMS office. Mr. Groux stated they are not looking for Route 5 to be the home of the entire fleet, but rather they’re looking for it to be a satellite or a branch office. He noted in the development of the strategic plan, there may be other departments within the Town that could benefit from being housed in the same facility that EMS may be able to be housed in for parts of their operation. He stated his belief they’re not looking into the future and saying that Route 5 is going to be the housing of all of their vehicles. He noted he doesn’t anticipate that there’s going to be a lot of need to increase anything at the Route 5 location.
Mr. Coppler stated when they first started looking at the Route 5 building, they looked at it with a very comprehensive approach and what has to be done long term to keep that building in the shape it needs to be in. He noted there was also talk about utilizing space within that building for record storage as well. He stated staff came up with the fact that they have to pull out an underground storage tank at that location, and they have to repair the parking lot, and there are windows on the building that need to be replaced. He noted the big numbers seen earlier on encompassed all of that, plus they were also looking at the long term quartering of staff at that location and that would involve restroom issues, locker facilities, and a whole list of things. He stated if it’s decided that the Enfield Street location is the way to go, there will be more things that have to be done after this short term solution. He pointed out that as part of ownership of that building, improvement will have to be made whether EMS goes in there are not, and that will have to be part of the budgeting process.
Councilman Kaupin questioned how hard is the $31,000 estimate. Mr. Coppler stated they are confident they can get into that building for this amount.
Councilman Kaupin stated he would have liked to see some numbers for Option #3.
Councilman Peruta stated his impression it would be less costly to install the radio communication data in the trailer rather than the Route 5 location. Mr. Groux stated IT is working on something that may make part of that connection cost go down dramatically.
Councilman Peruta questioned if anyone else is currently using the Route 5 building, and Mr. Coppler stated right now there are three components at that location – the Purple
Heart organization, the Historical Society, and records storage. He noted the concept they’re working on right now is that they’re not going to relocate anything out of the building, but rather they’re going to relocate it to the front bays.
Councilman Peruta questioned if there are relocation costs involved, and Mr. Coppler stated it’s intended to do a majority of the work in-house.
Councilman Peruta questioned if they would store medications at the Route 5 location, and Mr. Groux stated the medications would stay at the police department.
Councilman Peruta stated he would like to see more data regarding Option #3 as a long-term option. He noted in the short term he prefers going with Option #1.
Councilman Edgar thanked the Town Manager for working over the weekend on this issue. He went on to state he did not like the idea of trailers because once they install them, they never seem to go away. He stated his understanding the $20,000 in the budget was to consider going to the old firehouse and not a firm proposal to do that. He noted his concern with the old firehouse is that once they go there, they’ll end up staying there. He pointed out his number one priority is patient care, and the time it takes to get to different places. He stated he is concerned about unexpected costs with the old fire house, and he’s not prepared to put that money into this building.
Councilman Edgar stated he doesn’t feel they’re giving Option #3 a fair shake because they don’t have the costs. He acknowledged they have to be licensed to have ambulances in any location and questioned whether the firehouses were licensed to store ambulances in the past. Mr. Groux responded no, but in July 2005 when the State did their inspection, they were told they had to submit a plan to correct that issue. He stated at that time they told the State they would remove the ambulances from those fire houses by the middle of September because they were not licensed to be stored there. Councilman Edgar stated he doesn’t see that as a major obstacle. He questioned the number of EMS employees, and Mr. Groux responded 24 and their maximum would be 31. Councilman Edgar noted those employees are scattered through different shifts, therefore, it wouldn’t be a major problem to disburse those employees.
Councilman Edgar stated he does not see medical supplies having to be stored at the police station as a problem. He feels there’s better control having them stored in one location. He concluded stating without the figures for Option #3, he’s not ready to make a decision. He added he’s not sure he has enough information for Option #2.
Councilman Nelson questioned if the heating system, roof and all the other components of the old firehouse have been thoroughly inspected. Mr. Coppler stated his belief the heating system has been looked at, and parts of it were replaced. Mr. Kazmarski stated his belief they put a new roof on that building about five years ago. Councilman Nelson questioned the age of the heating system, and Mr. Groux stated a gas line was put in within the past couple years, and there had been some changes to the heating system to accept that gas line. Councilman Nelson stated his concern that if they approve the expenditure to fix up this building, there’s the chance the furnace will need to be replaced in the near future. He added he heard the bathroom facilities in that building are inadequate. He voiced concern that once the EMS is operating out of that building, they will be back for more money. He stated if he had to make a decision on this tonight, he would have to go with Option #1.
Councilman Lee agreed with Councilman Nelson because he feels it would be foolhardy to make a decision this evening without knowing the full story.
Councilman Mangini disagreed and stated she wants to stand behind Mr. Groux’s opinion because he is the Director of EMS and she has faith in his foresight and abilities. She noted she can’t count Option #3 because they have no cost information. She stated she wants to move forward and take a chance on Option #2.
Chairman Tallarita stated he understands everyone’s concerns about trailers and unexpected costs with the old firehouse. He pointed out the old firehouse is a town property and has to be maintained anyway. He stated this building would be used for some purpose, and he sees it fitting into the EMS structure to some degree. He noted in the past the Town has not taken care of buildings that didn’t fit into day-to-day activities, but in this case there’s a reason to invest in this building. He voiced his concern about putting money into trailers that may be around too long.
Chairman Tallarita stated housing EMS in fire stations throughout Enfield makes some type of logical sense, but he suspects it will take more than a few months to get that resolved and at this time they have an immediate need.
Chairman Tallarita agreed patient care is the most critical component of EMS, and staff is the provider of that critical care. He noted the EMS Director is making a recommendation based upon how he believes it’s best to serve the community, and he recommended Option #2. He questioned the Town Manager’s opinion.
Mr. Coppler stated he has had all the same thoughts that the Council has expressed. He stated his belief that based upon the geographical demand analysis, going with the Route 5 location makes sense. He agreed with Chairman Tallarita in that if the Town owns that building, they should be maintaining it. He noted from a service ability, it makes more sense to be at the Route 5 building because it reduces response time. He pointed out they
are talking about a very limited amount of work to be done, but it will still be better than a trailer.
Chairman Tallarita stated his belief at some point they are going to make an investment in the old firehouse even if it’s for storage purposes. He suggested they look at this in the global plan as to what is the most cost effective thing to do as the Town of Enfield and while at the same time protect one of their facilities. He added they are also getting recommendations from the Town Manager and Director of EMS to go with the Route 5 building.
Attorney Bromson stated initially he believed they should go with the trailers because it was quick, short-term and it would facilitate the long-range plan, however, the trailers only alleviate crowding. He noted the old firehouse improves the response time to the Thompsonville section which is a high density area, and that is a patient care issue. He stated they are also able to store the ambulances indoors if they go with the Route 5 option. He added this also provides a better location for providing mutual aid for East Windsor and Suffield. He pointed out that even when they come up with a long-range plan, he envisions the old firehouse becoming a satellite location for EMS; therefore, he doesn’t believe this is a waste of money. He stated the trailers may very well end up being in place for a few years, and it may be more cost effective to invest that money into a permanent building.
Councilman Kaupin stated after hearing all this discussion, he believes it would be best to invest in a Town building. He noted he never liked trailers.
Councilman Crowley agreed they should make the investment in the Route 5 location.
Councilman Nelson stated he prefers they get more information on Option #3.
Chairman Tallarita questioned how Mr. Groux feels about having staff housed in five different locations around town, and Mr. Groux stated from a supervisory standpoint, it makes it difficult. He added he’s concerned about spreading out the resources and tying them to structures, and once that resource is spread too thin and it’s tied to structures, it becomes a fixed location. He stated his belief they need to be responsive to the needs of the Town and from an EMS standpoint, those needs change every day.
Attorney Bromson stated his belief they should not look at the Route 5 location as a short-term option because of the reasons stated by Mr. Groux. He noted that he, the Town Manager and Mr. Groux are looking at this site for the long term. He noted Option #3 can’t be done in a short term because there are five fire departments and they have to go through their commissions. He stated he’s confident the Town will have a great long-term solution that everybody in Enfield will be proud of, including the fire departments.
Councilman Nelson stated they have 90 days to get their license, and in the meantime they can start negotiating hard with the fire departments to see if they can get them on board and a plan in place.
Councilman Lee stated for the purposes that were driven home, in that this is an improvement of service, he will support Option #2.
Councilman Kaupin voiced his support of Option #2.
Councilman Hilinski voiced his support of Option #2.
Chairman Tallarita voiced his support of Option #2.
Councilman Edgar stated he partially agrees with Councilman Nelson. He noted if they exclude the fire departments without even getting the cost, it could effect the integration that everyone wants.
Councilman Mangini voiced her support of Option #2.
Councilman Peruta voiced his support of Option #1. He added his belief trailers are not long term. He added he would like to talk to the fire departments as well.
Councilman Crowley voiced his support of Option #2.
Councilman Maxellon stated his belief Option #2 is a money pit. He stated he’s appalled they haven’t talked to the fire departments. He voiced his support of Option #1.
Chairman Tallarita stated six Council members support Option #2, therefore, staff has direction to go with Option #2. He pointed out they do have to develop a long term plan as soon as possible. He noted he would like to see that plan by budget time.
NEW BUSINESS
MOTION #8979 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Mangini to approve the Consent Agenda. (copy of resolutions appended)
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8979 adopted 10-0-0.
APPOINTMENTS (TOWN COUNCIL)
Chairman Tallarita requested there be some clarification regarding the CT River Assembly.
Appointments will appear on the next agenda.
DISCUSSION RE: SOLID WASTE ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPORT
Chairman Tallarita stated they would like the Director of Finance to verify the numbers. He added they would like the Town Attorney’s office to look at some of the fundamental questions with regards to the Town’s ability to mandate the tipper barrel program, and if they mandate, what is done if someone doesn’t want to use the tipper barrel service. Mr. Coppler stated the Director of Finance indicated he would have information for the first meeting in January.
Councilman Maxellon suggested checking with some other towns that have implemented the tipper barrel program.
NOMINATION #8980 by Councilman Hilinski to reappoint Anthony DiPace (D) as an Alternate to the CRCOG-Regional Planning Commission for a term which expires 12/31/2007.
MOTION #8981 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Mangini to close nominations.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8981 adopted 10-0-0.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared Anthony DiPace appointed to the CRCOG Regional Planning Commission as an Alternate by a 10-0-0 vote.
NOMINATION #8982 by Councilman Hilinski to reappoint James Hickey, Jr. (D) to the CRCOG Regional Planning Commission for a term which expires 12/31/2007.
MOTION #8983 by Councilman Kaupin, seconded by Councilman Crowley to close nominations.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8983 adopted 10-0-0.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared James Hickey, Jr. appointed to the CRCOG Regional Planning Commission by a 10-0-0 vote.
RESOLUTION #8984 by Councilman Hilinski, seconded by Councilman Mangini.
RESOLVED, that in accordance with Chapter VI, Section 8(f) of the Town Charter, the following transfer is hereby made:
TO: Pension – Police $135,535
FROM: Contingency $135,535
CERTIFICATION
I hereby certify the amount of $135,535 is available from Contingency as of November 22, 2006.
/s/ Gregory Simmons, Director of Finance
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #8984 adopted 9-0-0. Councilman Peruta absent at the vote.
DISCUSSION RE: DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY JOB DESCRIPTION
Chairman Tallarita stated a couple Council members raised the question where in the Charter does it call for the Council to be involved in reviewing job descriptions. Mr. Coppler stated he passed this question onto the Town Attorney’s office, and they forwarded the question onto Sarann Murray. He noted they should have a response very soon.
Councilman Kaupin questioned if this inquiry relates to the review or approval of all job descriptions. Chairman Tallarita responded both.
Councilman Edgar clarified he had raised the question of whether they need a job description for this particular position because the duties are clearly spelled out in the Town Charter.
Councilman Mangini agreed with Councilman Edgar.
Attorney Bromson stated he doesn’t mind Council input, and he feels it’s an important job for now and in the future, and the Council should know what the responsibilities are.
Mr. Coppler stated if they hire someone or add duties, they need to have that document. He pointed out this is something that is needed for every employee.
Councilman Kaupin stated he does not mind the review, but the people questioning it have to realize that if the decision comes back, it effects any job description or any position that’s outlined in the Charter.
Councilman Maxellon stated he e-mailed his opinion of the job description to the Town Manager. He suggested distributing his opinion to the other Council members.
Councilman Peruta stated his belief they not only need to get into the responsibilities, but they also need to get into what’s appropriate experience.
DISCUSSION RE: NAMING OF 100 HIGH STREET
Councilman Lee suggested naming the 100 High Street building “The Village Center”. He noted this name is simple and doesn’t invoke Thompsonville or individuals, but rather it’s simply a destination. He stated his opinion this is a multi-purpose facility and keeping the name simple doesn’t identify a specific use. He added in the future, this also allows them the opportunity to name the great hall of the former sanctuary. He went on to note that this promotes the Thompsonville Village concept.
Chairman Tallarita noted other names can be suggested, and they can vote until they get a two-thirds majority to adopt a particular name. He questioned how tight they have to stay with the building name procedure because one of the things it states is that it has to be a person’s name, i.e., a person that has had a history with either the Town of Enfield, the State of Connecticut or the United States. Attorney Bromson indicated he’d check into this.
Chairman Tallarita voiced his support of Councilman Lee’s suggestion. He suggested waiting until a future meeting in case other people wish to suggest names unless it’s the consensus of the Council that they wish to move this right away. It was agreed to have a resolution for the next meeting. Chairman Tallarita suggested if anyone has suggestions, they should contact a Councilman.
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION
CONSENT AGENDA
Consent Agenda items will appear under New Business on the next Regular Meeting agenda.
DISCUSSION RE: ENRICO FERMI HIGH SCHOOL ENERGY CONSERVATION PROJECT
Mr. Pongratz stated this is typical of what they do for any of the State grant projects. He explained the State is making sure the municipality has the money up front in order to do the work. He explained the work at Fermi involves replacing two 350 HP fire tube boilers with two 200 HP flexible water tube boilers. He noted the new boilers will be able to produce the same BTU’s as the old boilers.
Mr. Pongratz stated they are also taking advantage of Public Act 05-01, an act concerning energy independence, by doing some customer side distributed resources, which means either a co-generation machine or a micro-turbine. He noted they’re hoping to produce 20% of Fermi’s electrical usage. He stated his belief with the new equipment, they should save about 20% on their fuels, and 20% on electricity. He noted it’s dual-fuel (gas & oil). He stated once they have things up and running, they expect the utility bill at Fermi to be effected by about $80,000.
He stated with the State Department of Education contribution that they’re hoping to get, it will make a payback on this project in about five years between the savings and State grants.
Chairman Tallarita stated his understanding the resolution establishes the Building Committee to be the Town Council and the Town Manager. He stated his understanding the Board of Education isn’t involved. Mr. Pongratz explained on CIP projects, only the Town Manager and Town Council are involved. He noted before this goes out to bid, he would come before the Council for permission to go out to bid.
Councilman Maxellon questioned whether this project will be completed in this fiscal year, and Mr. Pongratz responded no.
Councilman Maxellon stated he was under the impression that when the Council was doing CIP, they moved money that was left over from other projects into this account so that they could start movement on the Fermi boilers. He stated his understanding that Mr. Pongratz was going to go forward this year and get at least one boiler completed and then they could start capturing some of the energy savings this year. Mr. Pongratz stated they will bid this out this winter for installation during the summer of 2007.
Councilman Peruta stated his impression they should be putting money into this budget so that when this boiler is done, they’ll be ready to implement the following fiscal year.
Mr. Pongratz stated if the Council wished to move Enfield High School forward, they would be looking to put money into it for July, 2007 for the 2007-2008 budget, and that would get them into the cue for the grants.
Councilman Crowley questioned how long the work would take, and Mr. Pongratz stated if they went out to bid this winter, it should be ready by the time they would be turning on the heat in October.
DISCUSSION RE: FERMI REMEDIATION PROJECT
Mr. Coppler stated they could answer some of the questions regarding this topic, however, there are a couple questions revolving around funding and he does not yet have those answers. He explained they heard the State would be covering the cost, however, they don’t have anything in writing as yet, and he is trying to get that before they act on this. He noted the Town still has to upfront the money for this and will probably have to do that with another emergency appropriation to cover the remainder of the cost from what was done last fiscal year plus what was budgeted and the amount above that.
Chairman Tallarita stated the cost came in at $2.3 million dollars, and the Town has $1,370,000.
Chairman Tallarita questioned if the Committee is comfortable with the proposal comments, and Councilman Maxellon stated they reviewed the content of the bid at the last meeting, and they were comfortable with it. He noted he just wants to be sure to get the contractor on board so that whatever he is going to do prior to mobilization that he has sufficient time to do it, and they can hit the ground running.
Councilman Lee stated there was a lot of discussion early on in the process that there was a very strong delineation between what is considered fields renovation work and part of the bond project and what can be classified as remediation. He noted in looking at the bid responses there seems to be at least 12 items totaling over a half million dollars that appear to be very renovation oriented with things ranging from electricity to actual installation of discus cages, etc. He stated he would like to know where that delineation is and how those items ended up as part of the remediation work. Chairman Tallarita suggested this response be put in writing.
DISCUSSION RE: RENEWAL OF STATE OF CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES CHILD DAY CARE GRANT: 01/01/07 TO 12/31/07
Ms. Brown explained this is a grant that the Town of Enfield Child Day Care has had since its inception. She noted they currently get about $620,936, and it provides the subsidy for 121 children to be able to attend child day care. She noted the figure may change depending on whether there’s a change in figure from the State Legislature.
Councilman Peruta questioned if this figure covers the children and staff, and Ms. Brown stated they can use the funds for any costs related to providing day care.
Chairman Tallarita stated his understanding that if there’s an increase from the Legislature, there can be an adjustment made at the beginning of the next fiscal year, and Ms. Brown responded that’s correct. She pointed out last year, in the middle of their own fiscal year, they received an additional $50,000 that they weren’t expecting when they were before the Council the year before.
Chairman Tallarita questioned whether there’s any chance the money could decrease, and Ms. Wassenhove stated there’s currently some talk about taking the DSS money out to bid similar to the School Readiness dollars for the following fiscal year (2008). She noted they’ll be attending some meetings in the next couple weeks to see if they’re actually going to move forward with that or leave it as it is.
Chairman Tallarita questioned whether this will play into the equation in the Hartford debate as concerns pre-kindergarten. Ms. Brown stated the Governor’s Early Childhood Research and Policy Council has made some recommendations for increasing funding for early childhood care, and it’s pretty substantial in many different areas, most of which the Enfield Day Care is already getting funding from, i.e., School Readiness and Care4Kids. She noted Care4Kids brings in about $400,000. She explained this is a voucher program that parents can use to get day care at any place they choose.
Chairman Tallarita stated it appears this legislative session may be a session that really has a focus on early childhood and education. Ms. Brown stated the Town receives funding from a private foundation called Graustein, and they’re willing to put forward half the money that it would cost the State of Connecticut to increase their early childhood programming for at least one fiscal year.
Councilman Peruta requested clarification on bidding out DSS money and he questioned if that effects the School Readiness dollars, and Ms. Wassenhove noted that does not effect the School Readiness dollars.
DISCUSSION RE: RENEWAL OF NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES GRANT FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM – 01/01/07 TO 12/31/07
Ms. Brown stated this grant funds their general neighborhood service program, which provides everything from administering entitlement programs, energy assistance, home owner’s tax relief and renter’s rebate. She noted they serve about 5,000 citizens a year through this grant. She stated the grant is around $17,000, and 100% of it is used for staffing.
Councilman Kaupin questioned if they need to get the grant application prior to the end of this year, and Ms. Brown noted this can wait until the first meeting in January.
MISCELLANEOUS
NOMINATION #8985 by Councilman Kaupin to appoint Alice Egan (R) to the Commission on Aging as an Alternate for a term which expires 12/31/2008.
MOTION #8986 by Councilman Hilinski, seconded by Councilman Mangini to close nominations.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8986 adopted 10-0-0.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared Alice Egan appointed to the Commission on Aging by a 10-0-0 vote.
PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS
Jack Sheridan, 7 Buchanan Road
Stated he has not heard what the cost would be for the Town to collect products containing mercury. He stated his impression the aquifer protection people should be concerned about this, as well as parents of children with learning disabilities because there is an association to mercury. He pointed out preschool vaccinations contain Tamarisol and Tamarisol contains mercury. He stated his belief more attention has to be paid to the risks of mercury in the environment, and he doesn’t feel they’re looking at the big picture.
Mr. Sheridan stated he appreciates the work the Solid Waste Committee did, but he feels they’re remiss in paying better attention to the mercury issue.
As concerns people walking on the Higgins roof to check out water problems, Mr. Sheridan stated at the last budget session, it was said that it was supposed to be too dangerous to even walk on that roof. He added at that time it was stated it would cost about $500,000 to repair that roof.
Mrs. Collins, the Hazardville Section
Stated she has not done any work on her home in ten years, and her assessment went up $82,000 in three years. She noted her taxes will be over $5,000.
Mrs. Collins stated good money was spent to make repairs on the Higgins roof. She expressed concern that this firm didn’t know about the other leaks.
She questioned why the school boiler work wasn’t done yet.
Ms. Collins questioned why it costs $600,000 for 123 day care children. She stated her belief things are out of control.
Margaret Jedziniak, 232 Abbe Road
Stated her belief the new Town Manager has his hands full with the EMS. She stated if only it was left the way it was at the beginning, there wouldn’t be any problem storing ambulances at the fire stations. She noted she still feels that the firemen should have been involved with this, and she feels a terrible injustice has been done to them. She concluded stating her belief this has to do with dirty politics on some peoples’ parts.
COUNCILMEN COMMUNICATIONS
Councilman Nelson stated he and Councilman Maxellon spent a lot of time going through a lot of reports covering many years, and they had a lot conflicting information. He noted they believed the only way they could figure out what was really going on was to inspect the Higgins building themselves. He stated his belief between himself, Councilman Maxellon and Mr. Kazmarski, they can do a good revaluation of that building and at least make it weather tight.
Councilman Maxellon clarified to Ms. Collins that the boiler money did not disappear, but rather it will be spent a little later. He noted that money is still in the account. He noted this delay has to do with the timing of things.
Councilman Peruta stated when the Council put EMS together a year and a half ago, the spirit was to get the fire departments involved, and he believes they’ve been very slow to get them involved as he had envisioned. As concerns the Town Attorney meeting with the fire chiefs, the rank and file fire personnel feel they’re being thrown scraps and they’re not being fully brought into this service. He stated his belief they’re a great group of people with 70 or 80 EMT’s, and the Town should take advantage of them. He noted there are some issues at this time that the Town Manger, Town Attorney and EMS Director are working through. He acknowledged they are moving forward, but he still feels things are moving very slow.
As concerns Ms. Jedziniak’s comments about EMS, Chairman Tallarita stated his belief Enfield is well-protected, and he feels they’ve made giant steps forward, and he feels the Town is much better off today than a few years ago. He stated his belief they’re heading in the right direction, and Enfield is in good shape.
ADJOURNMENT
MOTION #8987 by Councilman Lee, seconded by Councilman Mangini to adjourn.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #8987 adopted 10-0-0, and the meeting stood adjourned at 10:50 p.m.
Link to Consent Agenda Resolution
$200 Child Day Care Transfer
$2,200 Child Day Care Transfer
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