[Marker]
REDDING BOARD OF FINANCE
MEETING
March 31, 2008
Filed subject to approval
Present: Alvarez (Chairman), Kearney, Simeonidis, Viscio, Dolan, DeSalvo
Also present: First Selectman Ketcham, Selectman Miller, Selectman Takacs, Treasurer O’Donnell, Controller Hutvagner, Superintendent of Schools Fossbender and Redding Schools Director of Finance Sullivan, Redding Board members Lewson, Miller, and Goldberg, five members of the public and a representative of the Redding Pilot.
Mr. Alvarez called the March 31, 2008 meeting of the Board of Finance to order at 7:35 pm
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Motion: move to approve the minutes of the meetings of February 25, 2008, March 2, 2008 and the Public Hearing of March 6, 2008 as presented. Kearney, Viscio. Approved. Unanimous, with the exception of the February 25, 2008 meeting with Mr. Simeonidis abstaining.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Mr. Soler (GLDC) was present and provided an update on the progress of the Georgetown project. Mr. Soler expects to go for bonding in May for the roadway and internal infrastructure work. Most of the other types of construction will begin later in this calendar year, with the first anticipated building permits to be requested in September 2008. All state permitting documentation has been received and a State Project Review Task Force will be on Site on Thursday, April 3, 2008.
Al Landwehr, Great Pasture Road: suggested that the Highway Department purchase of a pick-up truck be done through a state bid for a lower price and suggested a lease purchase of the excavator rather than an outright purchase.
DISCUSSION OF THE STATUS OF THE CURRENT OPERATING BUDGET
1. Board of Education: Mr. Lewson reported the Redding Board of Education reviewed the current budget expenses and were able to achieve an additional $102,687 savings. That brought the total savings to $202,687. The savings included a reduction in the contribution to the Health Insurance Reserve Fund by $50,000, supplies, furniture, professional development, software and testing. A capital expense, $25,000, for paving at RES was eliminated with the thought that it would be moved, along with an estimated $25,000 for the RES west wing stairs, to the Town’s Capital Request.
The only Board of Education reduction in the 2008-2009 budget was for the JRMS classroom conversion. The Board anticipated that this item could also be moved to the Town’s Capital Request.
2. Region #9 Board of Education: The increase in the operating budget for Region #9 is 3.33%. The Region #9 Board plans to have a third question on the referendum, requesting an expenditure of up to $375,000 for engineering, cost estimating and biddable documents for the field project, with the total project not to exceed $5,000,000. Redding’s share of that funding would be approximately $201,000.
3. Board of Selectmen: Mrs. Ketcham reported the total savings for the current budget is $855,854. Those reductions, along with the revised revenue figures were reviewed and discussed.
4. Taxes: Tax Collector Patricia Moisio reported the amount of collectible taxes was reduced recently due to a removal of $8,000,000 from the personal property tax list. That amount reduces the amount of taxes to be collected by approximately $200,000. Mrs. Moisio reported on the status of planned tax sales and liens to be put on properties for back taxes. She stated that the adjustments to the Grand List after the budget was approved have reduced the amount of taxes to be collected by approximately $306,000.
AGENDA ADDITION
Motion: move to add an executive session for a discussion of possible litigation. Kearney, Simeonidis. Approved. Unanimous.
Board of Finance members continued to discuss the current shortfall in revenue, now estimated to be $537,000. Members were in agreement to reverse the $160,000 allocated to the Capital and Non-Recurring Account. That change would reduce the shortfall to $377,000.
The Redding Board of Education was asked to consider a decrease in the amount of funds in the current Health Insurance Reserve Fund. Mr. Lewson, BOE Chair, responded that the Board of Education will look again at the current budget and the Health Insurance Reserve Fund with the understanding that if that account becomes a deficit, that the Board of Education will go back to the Board of Finance for funding.
Motion: that the Redding Board of Finance direct the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Education to review their current year budgets with an eye to stopping or deferring all nonessential spending. Simeonidis, DeSalvo. Approved. Unanimous.
DISCUSSION ON THE 2008-2009 BUDGET
1. Board of Selectmen: Mrs. Ketcham reported that $915,337 in reductions have been made to the Town’s operating budget. All capital items were removed from the operating budget for a separate capital funding proposal. The current budget proposal is $12,114,449, representing a negative 3.56% increase over the current year approved budget.
Action on the budget by the Board of Finance was deferred to a meeting to be scheduled for Monday, April 7, 2008.
Discussion followed on the capital items and the process of seeking approval at a Town Meeting for long term financing.
Motion: move that the Redding Board of Finance request approval at a Town Meeting for the funding of capital items in an amount of $1,000,000, to include a Highway Department excavator, roadway paving and drainage work, two trucks to be refurbished, and a pick-up truck with a plow, and for the Redding Board of Education repair of the RES west wing stairs, paving & parking, and at JRMS conversion of a conference room to classroom use for September 2008, for short term financing pending long term bonding. DeSalvo, Kearney. Approved. Unanimous.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
Motion: move to recess to executive session for a discussion of possible litigation. Kearney, Dolan. Approved. Unanimous.
Mrs. Ketcham, Mr. Hutvagner and Mrs. Moisio were invited to be present.
The meeting recessed at 9:47 pm
RECONVENE
The Chair reconvened the meeting in public session at 10:10 pm. No further action was taken
ADJOURNMENT
Motion: move to adjourn. Simeonidis, Dolan. Approved. Unanimous.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:25 pm
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Maday, Recording Secretary
Mary
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