Plainville Town Council Work Session and Regular Meeting - 05/18/26

001I'd like to call the work session to order tonight. We're going to spend some time. We do have on the agenda tonight, later in the meeting, uh, set the mill rate for the council to set the mill rate. Before we did that, um, obviously there were some significant changes with the state, uh, as far as revenues. The state, uh, made some changes late in the game and the result is the town will be receiving some revenue that we didn't anticipate receiving when we actually went out and passed the budget uh, locally. So, obviously we have the town manager, assistant town manager. Also, Rob Butin, the finance director, is here uh to help talk us through some of his thoughts on what we should do with the money um and how he thinks it might work

002best for the town. So, I don't know if I'm kicking it off directly to Rob or if the town manager, do you want to say a few words or >> Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yeah, I I think unfortunately um it's just the sources we have um it it seems a bit vague and maybe maybe that is starting to um you know come together in terms of guidance around on the state but we were reading different things. Uh Rob and I, you know, after the first uh bill passed and reading something from CCM talking about, you know, those budgets that passed and those that were still hadn't even gone to referendum yet. And we were one and essentially, you know, the disconnect between a revenue source, right, and our budget being passed based on expenditures,

003right? So how to reconcile the state giving uh additional revenue. So we just kind of stood back and and waited for cost to weigh in kind of the same thing. Then the legislature attempted to fix it. So I I think they had gone and and moved the ball so to speak in terms of helping. But I think from my perspective and and I could be wrong, there could be additional or new information and maybe you know I know Rob was tracking it with with his sources and you know the financial uh finance directors association as well. Um so I I'm not sure it's any clearer. Uh, and again, I could be missing a piece of information, but um I I think we're proceeding in in a nature tonight that Rob will outline as uh a

004means to try um in maybe address what the certainties that we know in terms of the Pquat funds and a recommendation to spend those funds and maybe uh then just hold the uh the rest of the revenue and fund um until we have a a more definitive idea. One option anyway. And again, this is for for us this hour to go through and and make sure that everyone understands of the council uh the numbers and and the impact and what we could potentially what the options are. So I think that's where we could we could start with Rob and and um out you know outline those options that we have and and then the best recommendation that we see because you know you know whether we do it this time and and and reduce or

005you know is there an option to to hold on to look at at next year's budget as well. So I think that's what that's where we'll >> Okay, >> I'll turn it over to Rob at this point. Good evening. >> Good evening. >> Yeah. So, like the town manager said, it's been very gray and vague and um you know, there was intent. The intent wasn't written the way it should have been written, blah blah. I mean, there's a lot of and and I know that our state rep is here tonight, too, to you know, um >> help us >> help help us weigh in maybe wherever we may go astray. But um like the town manager said as of um last Thursday and going with my finance officers group and our leaison through CCM and

006um cost uh information coming out the additional monies that are coming to us. We'll start with the easy one Pquat funds which is again apparently a one-time revenue source. Um now again the I say one time because that's what CCM is telling me. It's one time. So, we typically get about $27,000 a year. We will be receiving an additional $121,000 in change. I'll just round, but 121,000. Um, so the recommendation is just to put that in the general fund, help offset the Miller rate increase as a revenue source for fiscal year 27 budget um to help offset the expenditure increase that's already been adopted. Pretty straightforward. Um, again, if you know, uh, given the fact that we've been given $27,000 since the inception of this grant going back, I don't know, 20 years ago, whatever

007it was, I don't anticipate this amount being the same going forward. So, um, we'll have to see where that goes. So, best case scenario right now is just use it as additional revenue, uh, that we weren't anticipating when the expenditure budget went out to referendum. that will help reduce the um the estimated mill rate increase for 27. With regards to the educational funding, we are receiving an additional $745,435. Um and again, this is where it's a little more vague than the Pquat. And again according to our sources and our liaison with CCM GFOA um this money again depending on when the budget and I won't even speak to other budgets. I'll just speak to ours. So our our budget our expenditure budget which is the only budget that's uh legally adopted by the taxpayers the

008revenues are not you as the town council set um the mill rate based on estimated revenues at the time you set the mill rate which will be tonight. Um the expenditure budget was adopted with an estimated mill rate with revenues known at that point in time. Well, obviously subsequent to that, we've received additional revenues. So therefore, we're bringing it to you tonight. Um this $745,000 again I'll round um is educationally based revenue which means either a again according to interpretation that we use it to offset the mill rate increase which would go directly against the board of education expenditure increase to help offset that mill rate increase. Um, and in our scenario where our budget was already legally adopted, um, from an expenditure standpoint, this is just an additional revenue source to help offset that

009increase. That's it. Now, again, that's the latest information I have as of Thursday, we Wednesday or Thursday last week. Nothing has come to me subsequent to that to indicate any anything else. spoken to many many finance directors and CFOs across the state over the last two three weeks with regards to this and um again I think we're using this as the way the money was intended to be used in other words helping to offset the expenditure increase the increase just another revenue source it's it's good again the question that a lot of us have that I still have not received the direct answer although CCM says it's only one year is you know we heard initially this is over two years Is it going to be this amount over two years, the same amount for

010two years, or is it just one time, one and done like the peeka? Um, my recommendation at this point in time, again, based on what our leaison said last week, um, is to use this money to help offset the mill rate increase, the expenditure, the board of ed expenditure increase. If our board of ed expenditure increase had been less than this 745, there would have been a different scenario. But it's not. Our board of increase was what, 2.5 million, whatever it was. So, we're well above that. There's no MBR um minimum budget requirement um issues to deal with. Um so, we're I think we're using this money again to help offset the mill rate increase to help uh reduce the expenditure increase, which obviously nets out to another new mill rate. Um, so my recommendation

011is to put this money in the general fund revenue, use it um, again to help offset the board of education and I believe that's exactly what the legislature intended to help offset board of ed expenditures. What this does for us though, okay, is we have perhaps a bigger issue to deal with that we've been discussing for the last four years, including this year, and that is the use of fund balance to help offset the mill rate. Okay, we've been budgeting $1.4 million in the revenue to help offset the mill rate increase over the last four years. Okay, that's $5.6 million. So, rating agencies do not like that because we're using mill rate to offset operational budgets. Okay, we're meeting with the rating agency next week to go out to bond for our June bonding. This

012is the capital and the first um installment of the middle school. So, we're going out to bond $22 million. We meet with the rating agencies next week. You know, this additional revenue that came in, you know, totaling approximately $866,000. Um, my recommendation at this point in time is to reduce that 1.4 million revenue. Reduce it by 745. That 745 is the expenditure, I'm sorry, the revenue increase for educational funding. Okay. What this will do to us and I is why I said I think this is a bigger scenario for us is that it helps and shows the rating agencies that we're getting off the use of fund balance to offset our operational budgets. Okay. One um when when we meet with rating agencies they literally have a piece of paper goes positive negative excuse me

013this is a big negative. Okay. and the four years well including this year if we were use 1.4 again you know 5.8 million that's almost 3 mills so that money is not sitting in fund balance our fund balance percentage at the end of this year 26 will be right around your level where you need to appropriate some more monies we're going to be right around 12%. So not raising the revenue has caused fund balance to be low or lower lower ring over the years. Um this helps us get away from that a little bit. It will hopefully put a positive check mark on the ledger next week we meet with the rating agencies. Um obviously there's other factors involved with ratings. You know fund balance is one of them. A lot of different things. But

014this will be a hopefully something that will be off the negative side of ledger and on the positive side. Um what the repercussions are of the rating is that if the rating agencies were to reduce our bond rating that would increase our interest rate our interest rate over 20 years on you know outstanding debt of right now I'm picking a number I think 30 million plus this 22 would be 52 million at the end of June. Even a half point would be substantially more expenditure budget than that magic number of 4.4 we've been talking about for a lot of years. We would have to increase that to fund going forward and that would be obviously an expenditure increase which you don't want to do. So hopefully again the rating agencies will you know see this

015as a positive. We can revisit this again next year. Again we don't know if the supplemental educational aid is going to be two years or not. one year. Um, you know, play this year out. We'll have more information by next year. At this time, that'll be a given. We'll know if we're going to get the money or not. Um, I don't believe we're doing anything incorrect with the money by allocating it against the expenditure increase for the board of ed andor lowering the mill rate. We just happen to have other issues in our mill rate calculation that we can now address with some of this money this year. Um, I think overall it's a good thing. And what this would do, taking all of these factors in consideration, is we went out with an estimated

016miller rate increase of 1.99. We're coming into you tonight using the scenario, this scenario, it would be 1.91. Okay? So lower than what we estimated. Um, but I think it helps us to a larger degree going forward by doing it this way. You know, I I do have a question and I'm gonna I don't mean for the state rep to have to yell from the audience, but what was there was a the 300 was it $397,000 increase. >> Correct. >> What line do you know off top of your head what I'd heard about an additional in or revenue increase, but I'm not sure if we had it in our original budget or not. >> That was under the motor vehicle tax payments. Um >> Oh, yeah. over last year it's uh $397,850 >> motor vehicle.

017Okay. >> Yeah, we have we have that. >> So that was factored in. Okay. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. Now again that in 27 is increased because our 26 budget this year or actually it's based on grand list. >> Yeah. >> And where your mill rate comes in was higher than the state mill rate. >> Okay. >> So that is the state's portion of hey thank you very much. Here you go. Here's a little bit not 100% of what we needed. Right. But it is now with this year's budget. We still should get some money back next year as well in 28 because our mill rate's going to be higher than the state in 27. In 29 it'll we'll probably lose that revenue because more than likely with reval our mill rate will go below

018more than likely below the mill rate for motor vehicles of the state cap. >> Okay. Go ahead. So Rob, just to confirm then, you're saying the 397,858 was already factored into our proposed FY27 budget. >> Correct. Yes. >> Okay. There were a couple of other increases that that weren't very large. You know, like there was an adult ed of 26,000 something, um, special ed like for 6,000 something. Were those over and above what we had anticipated? >> They are not general fund revenues. >> Okay. Because >> they are board of ed specific grants. >> Okay. They go directly then to board of ed. Okay. So that takes care of and there was 861 in pilot small enough. Um yeah 912 is the tiered reimbursement as it's called. Yeah but okay. So that takes care of

019all the in we understand where all the increases. Yeah. >> Yeah. And we get those numbers right away from again our leazison at CCM once the governor comes out with them and then once they're finalized by the appropriations and >> right I'm looking at CCM generated list. Yeah. >> So we get them twice. So we get them early on like February when the governor has his uh gives his uh his speech a state of the union and then as the um sessions dra you know uh carry on and make changes we get those updates right away. >> Okay. So the only only additional funds in play in terms of what we do with the mill rate then are is the um supplemental education aid and the supplemental Pquat Moaggan. >> Right. And I believe that's

020on the bottom of Oh, I have it in front of me. That's on the bottom of the page you're looking at. Okay. Just one. Okay. So, we understand that. >> Okay. >> That's a good thing. >> Any other questions, comments? >> Mr. Chair, I have a question, please. >> Yeah, go ahead. >> Um, >> explaining I want to make sure I understand this at a very high level. Um, so I can understand it at a deeper level. So you're saying and have been saying for the last few years that pretty much borrowing from ourselves is looked at negatively and bonding out and borrowing is looked at favorably, which makes sense to people who want us to borrow money, right? They're going to always look at us borrowing more money favorably. Um, it's just counterintuitive logically,

021but I understand it from a credit standpoint. When I paid off my car, that wasn't seen as a favorable thing. It was seen as a a negative thing. That's a good That's a good analogy. That's a good analogy, right? Your credit rating is only based on if you pay over time, you pay cash, there's no credit, >> right? And it happened instantly when I was no longer in debt. Instead of being celebrated and giving given an increase in my rating, I was given a decrease. So I I just want to make sure that when we're talking about this that people, you know, I came into this new and you know, we understand it from managing our own households, but I just want to make sure everyone understands that when we borrow long-term and borrow more,

022we are going to have a more favorable rating instead of borrowing what we have inhouse and we actually have um which would make sense, but the problem and I and one that you're trying to bring up and we've been talking about is a concern for revenue, right? we're we're we're flat. That's the word that we keep hearing. Um so I I guess where I just want to express a concern is this. We I would love to know, you know, more in detail where, you know, the money that we're getting is coming from. We don't we know it's a one-time money drop. We don't know if we can plan for it next year. Um and it sounds like the goal is to borrow borrow more, but our revenue is flat. So, I I hear your concerns

023and I just want to make sure I'm understanding where where we're at because I don't know if a celebration is in order or if we are looking at a longer term problem. >> Can I just clarification because I don't I don't think we're borrowing more because our revenues are flat. That's not an accurate statement. >> No. And I didn't and that wasn't the statement that I made. I'm >> That's exactly what you said. >> No, I'm saying I'm not saying we're borrowing more because our revenue is flat. I'm saying there are two s I categorized it. We have a more favorable rating when we borrow versus spend our own. That's one issue. My concern and attaching it to borrowing is when our revenue is flat, we should have more I I guess on the reigns.

024And again, I'm asking questions. I want to understand from the expert if we shouldn't be borrowing more when we're not bringing in as much. Is that clear, Mr. Woodco? >> Not really. to me. >> Well, see the the issue is that >> these these projects that we are borrowing for, we're not paying cash. >> So, we have to borrow to pay for them. >> The middle school being the biggest piece of this um next borrowing that we do by the end of the fiscal year. Um these capital items, we don't pay for them in cash either. We have to bond for them. They're just I mean the dollar amount's just too big. You know, I can't go we can't go on and say, "Okay, residents appla here's a a tax bill for 22 million bucks.

025pay it up right now paying cash. We can't do that. So, we have to pay over time. >> I'm not suggesting that, >> right? We have to pay over time, which is why we have to bond. So, again, what our goal is has been to keep our our debt service expenditure aligned item flat >> and that flat level is 4.4 million, 4.43, whatever the dollar amount is. Um, we have, you know, we we reduced that line item since CO. We've slowly crept it back up to the 4.4, which this year will be that year we're back. And then going forward it's at that level. So there'll be no theoretically again if we can maintain that level you know based on what we do bonding and and our rating um if we maintain that level we

026shouldn't have to increase that line item that piece of the budget for additional borrowings. So we can borrow 22 million we can borrow 52 million. We should have enough sitting in the debt management fund back and forth every year. Again you look at this every fiscal year. So every year is different. So you kind of look at okay reassess reassess reassess but we've been able to extrapolating out over the number of years where our maturities are when these new maturities will come due uh what we have to pay when we have to pay. Um that this $4.4 million line items should not have to change over the next several years. Now again that's sitting here speaking today. Interest rates are higher than they were five years ago too. um costs are substantially higher than they

027were five years ago. So while this is still a magnetic number and while it still works right now based on our current debt portfolio and current maturity is when they're coming due with the potential bonding of this this one and then a couple years out we know we need part two of the middle school. We still should be able to keep the $4.4 million because every year maturities come off or at least some come off. You add new. So we're we're bonding 22 million. We're adding new maturities, but some older ones are also coming off. So it's like your mortgage. Your mortgage goes down over 20 30 year period, whatever time frame you budget it for or or have it for. Um your principal goes down, your interest may stay the same. So in our

028case, our principal goes down, our interest goes down, too. In some of these older maturities, when you go out to bond, you could set it to be, you know, um level principal or level payment period. So what we always have done and it's the way to go is this level principle. So I know that okay it's going to be X dollars per year. The interest rate goes down or the interest payment rather goes down every year and that's where you end up saving. Um if we were able to refinance if interest rates go way down, you know, we're looking at a potential rate of I'm hoping to keep it in the ballpark of 4%. Okay? So you and I can't go do anything for 4%. But we we should be able to get 4% is

029my goal seeing um a couple of closings last week right around 4% 4.1 3.99. So I'm hoping again the market doesn't tank between now and when we physically go out sometime I believe it's June middle of June um that we can maintain that level. If if we get that if the rating agencies maintain our credit rating at where we currently are then that $4.4 $4 million number is a a good number going forward and that will have a zero increase in the mill rate going forward if we can keep that level at 4.4. So I don't know if that entirely answered your question. It does. It It helps because I'm just trying to and and so your overall suggestion is for us to apply it all to this this term for this mill rate versus

030going into the into the next budget because we're just we're giving the taxpayer back their their money in essence. So that's what we're what we're suggesting. >> Yeah. I mean this funding this additional funding we received is just that it's additional that revenue that we did not know about. So we can use this additional revenue as again the way the legislature hopefully intended it to be used to help offset a mill rate increase expenditure a board of ed expenditure increase and at the same time I think it helps us to get off the use of fund balance >> if I could Mr. chairman. So, we actually had a brief meeting with Rob last week and talked about this a little bit. And I think that the way from what you're looking uh councelor Buchanan, from

031my understanding of it is that um you've got certain revenue. Those are our taxes, the fees that we collect. >> When we use fund balance, it's showing the credit agencies that our revenue is not sufficient to pay our debts. So, we don't want to use the fund balance cuz when they see that, they're going to get make us pay more interest. So, it's like your house, right? You got an income, you got to pay your taxes, your mortgage, and your your etc. If you're always going into your savings because your income is not sufficient, and you try to borrow money from the bank, they're going to either charge you more interest or they're not going to want to give you the money. It's the same basic principle. >> That's a good That's a very good

032analy. >> That's the way. I mean, I made it real simple and it's a lot more complicated for us, but that's the idea. >> Correct. >> We're already locked in for them. Not locked in, but we already have commitments for a lot of the borrowing that Rob was talking about. We already have that because we're going to do the schools. We already have that. So, what we're trying to do is just keep the interest rate as low as possible. >> Am I right, Robin? >> That helps. And it also, I think, reconfirms what I'm feeling inside, which is if we're not bringing in the revenue, should we be borrowing as much as we're borrowing? But I understand what you're saying. What we already have locked in is what we have locked in currently. So, no,

033I I it does I do understand. I'm just concerned about the future. And >> Mr. Chairman, if I could add something else as well. Um there's the other advantage of bonding as well which is it takes the item that we're purchasing and spreads it across multiple years. So for example if we take the fire truck right we hope the fire truck that we have will last 20 30 years and so by spreading the payment over the full length of a bond which is 20 years for its maturity. you have taxpayers from each of those years paying for a piece of equipment that they're benefiting from rather than if we paid it all at once today. Um it would just be the taxpayers of 2026 2027 paying for that firetruck. So by the one of the

034advantages and I I understand what you're saying too there are obviously the other sides of of bonding and and utilizing debt but there is the advantage of debt because you can more equitably um spread the cost of an asset over the length of its life, its useful life. So all of the taxpayers benefiting from it throughout that 20-year period have contributed to it rather than just the initial >> year when you acquire that asset. They're getting the benefit of that vehicle in this case in in in the scenario I just given. They're everybody's benefiting from having that truck for 20 years, not just the people living here today getting the truck or the new school. It's it's for everybody for the next 20 years theoretically. And everybody's paying for it. >> Mr. Chair, I think

035>> let's back up. I understood that at the your first scenario using the 745 to lower the mill rate. Your second scenario was we should put it in fund balance to make sure we didn't harm our credit rating. >> Reduce the use of fund balance to offset the mill rate increase. >> Which are you recommending >> that? And not reducing the mill rate. >> We are reducing the mill rate >> substantially. Reducing the >> No, >> more substantially. more stuff, right? Yeah. No, you're Yeah. >> Okay. So, you're you're recommending we'd lower the mill rate 08 >> uh 008. Yes. >> 080. >> What does it look like if we use the 7 What is the mill rate if we use the 745 1.41? Okay. But again, you will not be raising that revenue and

036you'll be a high a 5.8 million instead of 5.2 million. >> And that and that's where I think >> Say that again. So you haven't using the use of fund balance to offset the mill rate increase. Okay. Again, like the town attorney said, you're dipping into savings to cover your operational expenses. >> Right. >> Okay. >> You have the ability to raise that revenue, not dig into your savings. Okay. If you took that $1.4 million off the revenue as a revenue source and you didn't budget it, that means you would have to tax the taxpayers 1.4 4 million every year times four 5.6 million at roughly 3 mills. So again your policy as talent council between to keep the fund bal unassigned fund balance between 12 and 14 when that policy was created you know

037we were we were lower we had good year covid things like that had we so we were above 14 we have been steadily creeping down and at the end of this year at 26 we will be between 12 and 14 but very closer to the 12 than the 14. Your policy states that you get below 12, you have to appropriate monies to get back up over 12. That's your policy. By appropriating $1.4 million as revenue, you're essentially taking that policy and saying, "Well, we're not we're appropriating it now." But when you if you were to get below 12%, we would have to come to you as administration and say, "One, get rid of the 1.4 entirely, zero it out. Period. And you may have to appropriate extra fun monies, too. It's it's a double negative,

038a double whammy. This reducing the 1.4 is not getting rid of it entirely. It's going to help you in the long run to perhaps get rid of it entirely, which will then help you with the rating agencies which will keep your credit rating. It's it it again, I don't have a crystal ball to say that they will ding us and say, "Whoa, we're going to lower your credit rating." But I will tell you there are several and I on two hands if not more than two hands talents across the state have been downgraded this year already. And it's just my job as CFO to bring you you know whether you agree or not. It's it's negative that we've been doing this for the past four years. So to this level anyway. Okay. So this gets

039us down to a level that I believe might have been 2020 maybe even before that. I know we were at 300,000 for a while, 600,000 and it slowly crept up to this 1.4, but I this gets us down a little bit to where I think it will help us. Again, I don't know if the rating agencies are going to take it as a positive or negative. I do know they have taken it as a negative. However, our other positives have helped off set that and outweigh it so that we're, you know, we we are able to maintain our credit rating >> and we still have all those other positives. >> Well, most of them I would think we do. Yes, I would think. But fund balance percentage, the fact that um you know, we're able

040to um support and keep our debt level the same, you know, but our fund balance is decreasing. They see that, >> you know, we've had losses every year. Again, this is on a cruel basis, not cash. So, just for audit purposes, we have losses. We've had losses the last three, four years again, which is why our fund balance percentage is coming down. um a lot of factors involved in that but it's not just you know this um it's just it's just another you know you want to have as many positives as you do you know uh to help outweigh the negatives if you will um I think this is a big positive because we were not expecting this revenue to come from the state the budget passed at a 1.99 estimated mill rate increase that's

041why we use the word estimated and really market the word estimated because we don't know until sitting here today. Now, we know we have extra money. We also know that we can solve help solve an issue that we've been dealing with for a long time. Not completely solve it, but it helps. And I think the help that this gives is a bigger benefit going forward than taking full advantage of the 74. I shouldn't say it that strike that um um than than not reducing fund balance. So again, the estimated mill rate is 08 lower than what was estimated. Yeah, it could be a little bit lower, but we need to start digging into that savings to stop digging into the savings. As a town attorney said, this helps that and I think it will help

042us even more going forward. I I understand that, but I think the taxpayers are going to have the same argument. >> I'm sure they will. And if I were sitting in the audience listening to myself, I would say the exact same thing you're saying because I don't want to pay higher taxes either. However, >> as CFO again, I'm thinking that this is, you know, it nobody wants to pay taxes. I don't care what town or city you live in. But at the same point in time, um the level of services that these revenues help offset are the level of services the taxpayers want. >> Well, there's a cost to that, >> right? >> And we need to offset that cost withever whatever we can. Council has done a good job in doing that, but using

043savings. I'm saying to try to get away from the savings a little bit. That's all. And that's all this does is get away from savings a little bit. That's okay, >> Mr. Chairman. >> Yes. >> Yeah. I I agree uh with u Mr. Getman's Councilman Getman's uh concerns and I understand what Rob is saying completely, but I really think it this is a gift to us that we can actually use to help re give some tax relief to to the taxpayers. And um you're right, it probably is a one-time shot deal. It's an election year for the governor, so you know, he's he's being generous. Um and I really think we should use it to be to give some tax relief to the taxpayers. um and the the 745 and the 121 and um not

044use it for the general fund this year. Thank you. >> Could I just before another question I I would like to ask state rep Martinez if you don't mind stepping up to the podium. Could you just give us some insight as to because our concern and my concern is this is onetime revenue and if it's law if it's gone the next fiscal year that that's a big negative for us. Can you just explain how you guys ended the the uh your um >> what's >> Session. Thank you. And you know what's the plan and and what plans have been made to make this more of a permanent fix than just a one-time revenue grab, I guess. I don't know if that's the right way to say it, but >> Yeah. Sure. So the legislature IBY

045we were really whether you were representing rural or city or small town or town. I think something that we were all really agreeing on is what we were hearing is bringing um some finances back for municipalities and the education. Now we cannot change the ECS formula in the middle of a bianual budget. That can only be uh changed with our budget which would be 2028. Um so what I do know is that this is the increase for this year. The plan is the um blue ribbon panel will be evaluating what this increase is uh doing for the municipalities so that they can uh adjust the formula next year. Now you know I will say we cannot um give any less money than what was given plus this this year next year right we can't do

046that. So you have to uh grow on ECS. I will say that uh the intention behind the legislature was definitely to um give this money so that uh municipalities can have a little um relief and the taxpayers can have that. And I do understand that four years ago um you know that money started being used and I know before that right even the income to debt ratio when that wasn't be being paid into correctly I know that we've had meeting over meeting uh talking about the middle school renovation and what impact that uh that would have. So I do understand that four years ago um we did do that. What I didn't understand though is uh paying attention to the budget process as much as possible. I didn't hear this being as much of an

047issue throughout the budget process and I'm wondering um I know our credit rating has been good in town. I know that you know we want to keep between the 10 and 15%. I know that bonding we will be coming down some because we were able to increase the um middle school of Planeville reimbursement rate by an additional 10% um which will also bring that bond rating down. So, I'm just curious, the 745,000, how much of an impact do you think that that would really make on our credit? Do you really think that they're going to lower our credit? Do you think we wouldn't get bonded? Do you think the insurance rate would be changed? Or what specifically would be the impact? >> Um, no. Again, I mean, I I don't have a crystal ball. However,

048again, very simplistically, don't use our own savings to fund operations. That's very simplistic. So you want to, you know, in Connecticut, we don't have many revenue sources other than taxes and state grants. You know, we're not other like other states in the country have other revenue sources. We don't. There's nothing to offset. We are the lowest level. You know, this is why we're sitting here talking on camera because the residents of Planeville can only vote for Planeville. They can't vote for the state budget. They can't vote for the federal budget. You know, and that's the problem is that we're here. We're getting cut. But thanks to you and the legislature this year, we're getting a little extra. Thank you. But >> we still need to be self-sufficient with the current level of our expenditures and

049the current level of services we provide by not dipping into savings. That's all I'm saying about this. It's just that simple. I mean, again, you don't want to, you know, you don't want to pay every penny out of your pocket to fund what you have. But I do know other towns and cities across the state are cutting services to lower the expenditure increase because revenues are not coming in because they don't want to tax the taxpayers. So, you know, you could offset the expenditure budget, lower it by cutting a service, meaning you don't have to raise as much revenue. But, you know, again, that's something that's up to you as a town council, >> right? And we know I know that you guys have worked really diligently to bring back some of the positions that

050have been cut. And we know that there's so many people that are overseeing so many uh various um positions already as is. So there really isn't room uh to to cut so so much from Planeville. But I did also just want you um to be aware, please reach out anytime if you have a question for me the budget. I can get somebody from OPM on the phone um you know that day. I know I'd given you my contact information before. >> Yes. >> This budget passed on um May 2nd and on May 6th is when we made the correction. So um I didn't, you know, I didn't realize um in any conversation that you know if there was confusion or that you guys still weren't clear when I checked in um on May 7th, but

051I am always here and available and something for the council to consider at some point if um they ever wanted to open up the charter. We did pass it in the state uh just a couple years ago that you can change when you vote in town and you can go along with the state and you'd know exactly what was coming um on time which you know might be really beneficial for everybody. >> Well well thank you for that and yes you know I I will definitely take you up in that those offers. Thank you. was more the questions than the un um the the um uh greyness, if you will. I think I used that word earlier, were more from my fellow colleagues and myself in dealing with CCM and talking because we're, you know,

052we're the ones who are in the weeds here going, "Okay, why do we use this money? What do we do? Do we put it aside? Does the board of have to approve it? What about this? What about that?" You know, questions that you as a legislature probably never even thought of or or heard, you know, and and the council never heard that. We we brought up the 1.4 million. We really don't look at it until the mill rate set and the town budget scenario because it's a revenue when the budget goes out for the taxpayers to vote on at a referendum. It's only the expenditures that are being looked at. It's not the revenues. So we then as administration come to the council and say okay here's the revenues we have. We know the state

053level now with this this came late in the game obviously but we know the state we know the state funding. Now we'll backtrack back into the number we need to balance. Well, that backing into it includes a 1.4. Do we use 1.4 or do we not use 1.4? Is there an offset? Well, I'm saying this offset helps us a little bit from a bigger picture scenario going down down the road. Again, no crystal ball. I don't know if the rating agencies will even buy this. The nature of the economy alone may dictate the rating agencies downgrade us. Who knows? I mean, I really, you know, again, I I'm just trying to get as many positive checks on the positive side of the ledger as I can. We meet with them next week, that's all. >>

054Great. Okay. Um, yeah, but just please, you know, any question, whether you think I've thought about it or not, maybe I have, maybe I haven't, but I can definitely >> um get you the answer. But I do know that a lot of residents are definitely looking for relief and that was, you know, yes, >> the intent to see how we can help you to provide that relief for the residents. >> Good. Thank you very much. I will take you up on that. >> So, I have a quick question. you know, regarding our use of fund balance, you know, can as a council, can we establish a policy or a plan that says, you know, over the next three years, and I know it it goes outside of this particular council, you know, another council would

055would probably inherit some of this, but, you know, could we say that we wanted to try and reduce our use by $500,000 a year for the next three years or, you know, be five, five, and four, I guess, technically, but you know, is That's something that that you're aware of any town's done. I mean, I you know, because I think we all agree we we do need to get ourselves off of using fund balance to fund operational expenses. That's that's clear. You know, does it help with rating agencies if if the town actually has a written policy or a plan that the town council to get off of it? >> Well, I will say that a big positive is definitely having written policies. Written policies that are adhered to, not changed annually, >> but adhered

056to. So, your fund balance policy that was created, I mean, I I don't know, five, six years ago at this point. I'm not sure what year. >> Um, I remember every number, but some some years I kind of kind of getting a little gray there. Um, >> that was a big positive. And if you also recall, we created an investment policy, I believe, four years ago. >> Another big positive. Y >> So, what you know, we follow these policies again as long as they're followed. rating agencies love it because that means that you have control. You as a council regardless of what council has the control to do what those policies dictate to do. Um with regards to your question about other towns, I mean again it you know we have so many different forms

057of government in Connecticut that it's it's too hard to say. I mean you want to look at like kind towns like us that have town manager council form of governments. You'd have to look at every individual budget and see if they're using fund balance or not. Maybe they are, maybe they're not. Um, however, a policy to, you know, put a dollar amount on it really no different than the policy you came up with with regards to the um, um, insurance fund deficit that we would use X dollars per year to help and by year five it would be eliminated. Well, we hit that in year four if you recall correctly. >> Um, so the policy worked. >> So I I don't know. I mean, that's entirely up to you and the town manager, but >>

058also Mr. Mr. Chairman, if I could piggyback on that. Um, Rob has raised some some good points in terms of the policy. I think it also uh would match up with the practice of the council's recent decisions structurally to change the uh capital and and and and moving in that direction. We should likely have a policy that that the movement you've already made on capital is great, but you know, putting it into policy as well. Um, and putting the fund balance in there. I I think those are two areas and I call them structural issues or shifts in terms of how we do business but policy is the the appropriate way uh to talk about that and establishing those >> because as it stands now if we do end up using the 1.4 from from

059balance for next fiscal year I mean we're we are certainly sitting here next year at this time that amount will have to be less and it could be significant. We don't know where things go with reval. We have a lot of variables next year that we didn't have to deal with this year. But I mean it it sounds like from my perspective, you know, we are that fund balance usage is going to go down significantly when we're sitting here next year regardless of the >> I mean that that's you as a town council. I mean what what I'm proposing tonight is what I'm proposing to town manager to propose to you as a council. You certainly can do whatever you want tonight with regards to mill rate. I'll go back and get my computer and

060show you exactly what every number and what will be what will be whatever you want. Um I will do whatever you instruct us to do. Um it's just my professional recommendation to do it this way at this point in time. Um but you can certainly do whatever number you want and then again I think to your point though depending on how the rating agency looks at us next week and and perhaps even going forward it may become a bigger issue. So, you know, cutting it in half one year and then the next year, maybe creating a policy. I mean, it's totally, again, it's totally up to you. I will do whatever you need me to do to get it done. But I, you know, again, just trying to play devil's advocate and trying to be

061as >> open and honest as possible as I can be with you is that there is a possibility that this could go down. Our rating could go down, which will then increase our expenditures. >> That's all, Mr. Chair. >> Yes. Would an even would would any amount added reduced from the amount of fund balance we use help as a good faith effort if we took 200,000 of the 745. >> I see what you're saying. Yeah. I mean again I don't have a crystal balls to see what they're going to say to us, but I mean I think anything Yes. >> I mean >> a step in the right direction. >> Especially if I I'm sorry. Especially if I can say that the council is looking at a policy to structure a a way to reduce

062this going forward over the next >> five years, right? >> Five years or whatever, three years, five years, whatever it is, they will take that as a positive. How big that check mark will be. >> Mhm. >> I don't know. But I think it's a positive either way. So yes, any reduction would probably be viewed as positive um and would only be strengthened if we were to say a policy is coming forth that will >> wean us from this >> amount over time. >> Okay, Mr. Chair. >> Yeah, let me just make sure >> real quick. I'm going to take you up on that offer to get your computer and run the numbers. >> I knew you would the >> and I'm think I think I know the answer. I think it's about 125,000 to

063get to be at 1.5 mills. I I would have to I mean you're probably Well, >> no, it's going to take a little more than that. >> Well, it's going to take more than that. I mean, if we're reducing it by 745, if I added 745 back, that's.5 mills. So, if you wanted to get it to >> What was the number you wanted? >> Uh 1.5. >> Oh, no. You you'd be 600,000. >> Oh, I'm I'm looking at the other direction. >> The other direction. Yeah, that's okay. I see what you're saying. So you'd be able use 150 to >> to to reduce the offset fund balance. >> I mean you go down to you know >> I don't know. I mean let me get I don't want to speak incorrectly. So I'll get my

064computer and we'll have and we'll have every scenario you want. Whatever >> you answered my question just backwards from the way I was thinking of it. >> Yes. Well I'm a little backwards sometimes. So yeah. >> Did you have some >> you know I think I lost it. I was going to uh you know ask the same thing but also I just wanted to confirm Rob. Um, I think we've had it at 1.54 for about three years now. >> This would be the fourth year. Yes. If we were to leave it, >> the fourth year we had that, which doesn't mean it's great, but at least we haven't gotten taken more and more every every year. >> No, but it did increase because I again I believe we had 300,000. I think we went to

065six or 650 and then maybe it was somewhere in the middle. >> Could have been even 800 >> maybe. I I I >> again I the years get mixed up. >> Yeah, I only went back a few years to look. >> Yeah, I I know it was six. I don't know if there was a number between six and 1.4 at some point. I I just don't know at the top of my head. >> It jumped to the 1.4 at some point and at least it stayed at that for for three years. It didn't. >> Yeah, it didn't keep getting worse. You know, not that that was necessarily great, but uh um just wanted to >> Well, I mean, if there's, you know, again, like the state representative said, if there's any good news perhaps that

066the ECS formula will be looked at again, >> right, >> going forward, which could help us. >> Yeah. if they change the formula for 208. >> Yeah. I think that does address the side concern which is is this just a one-year thing. Yeah. Right. And and I I feel optimistic about that that I think there is finally a serious uh mindset about doing something for the uh ECS formula and hopefully that would be in play and be in effect for the uh next fiscal year. >> Right. At after the one we're >> correct. Yeah. 28 forward. Yep. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. >> Any other comments or questions? Yeah, I think if we we uh look at using some of it to reduce the mill rate and some of it to go to the general

067fund, I think that's a really good compromise. >> Yeah. >> All right. And >> yes. Okay. >> My my goal would be 1.5 mills increase as overall. >> So, whatever however those numbers work. >> Well, I'll have that number for you first. How's that? Okay. Well, that's and what I would say is yeah, once we're into the regular portion of the meeting, um you know, obviously it's on the agenda, we'll we can start having more specific number discussions, I imagine, once uh we get there and Rob has his computer. But anyone else with a comment or question? >> Oh, okay. >> All right, then. Uh what we'll do is we will uh adjourn the work session. We'll be back at 7 o'clock for the regular meeting. Thank you everyone. Good evening everyone. >> Um, we're

068just coming out of a work session, so we're still getting a little organized, but it is 7 o'clock. I'd like to call the uh Planeville Town Council's meeting of May 18th, 2026 to order. If everyone could please stand, I'm going to ask Councilwoman Christopher to lead us in the pledge of allegiance. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you everyone. Um tonight's agenda, we do not have any presentations or public hearings scheduled. So we can move right to item three, minutes of the previous meeting. >> Mr. Chair, >> Councilman Gman. >> Motion to approve the minutes of the May 4th, 2026 regular meeting. >> Second. >> All right. Uh motion

069and a second. Are there any comments, questions, any changes? >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. Item four, announcements and reports. Are there any announcements or reports this evening, >> Mr. Chair? >> Yes, Councilwoman. >> Okay. I attended a library board uh last week. Just a couple of highlights. Uh they received four grants over the last month. Uh one is for traveling toy collection. Uh student created mural for the new teen space. Uh citizen science kits which are very interesting. And they also received a pedit foundation grant for uh several items including furniture and supplies to make the new teen space uh accessible for young people with disabilities. Uh circulation is still going up. They voted officially to include the uh tree as a holiday decoration and of course the

070new library system will be going into place uh in terms of circulation and catalog and that's not just a local thing that's part of uh you know statewide consortium and um it'll be interesting to see what the new system looks like. It's going to take a couple of weeks for implementation. I also attended the conservation commission um news from Tomaso Nature Parks that turtles are nesting and laying eggs. Okay, they uh they the commission had a great day at the family fest at uh back a couple of weeks ago, a couple Saturdays ago. The kids loved the sunflower seed plantings. Uh river cleanup again was very successful, very productive, which I guess you could say successful, you know, like the fact that you're picking up stuff that shouldn't be there, but uh it was very

071productive. and they did it over I I think it may have announced this the last time the uh uh small Trump tribute tributary of of the Quinnipiac and Connecticut Trails Day is June 6th and Randall Paz who is chairperson of the conservation commission will once again lead a hike. It's going to be on Metac Ridge starting at 9:30. It is a four mile hike and you could go to the statewide trail day p uh web page to sign up trailsday.org. That's it. >> All right. Thank you. Anyone else with an announcement or report? >> Mr. Chair, >> Councilwoman Christopher. >> Um, just a few announcements. Um, the Planeville Police Association and Union will be having their winging fundraiser on Saturday, July 25th at the VFW. Um, it will be from 5 to 8:00 and tickets

072are $20. So, come sample your favorite wings and uh see who wins in categories of best specialty, hottest, and best buffalo. from the chamber. We have couple of ribbon cutings happening in June. So on June 1st, Escape from Reality, we'll be having their ribbon cutting at 10:30 in the morning at 56 West Main Street. They are currently open right now, but this is just the ribbon cutting from the chamber. And then on June 10th, the Charmed Emporium will be having theirs at 1:00 and that's at 62 Whiting Street. And also from the chamber, they are having their 136th annual dinner on June 3rd from 5 to 9 at the Bristol Event Center. And the business from Planeville that will be receiving the community business award will be UBI Federal Credit Union. That's it. >> All

073right. Thank you. Anyone else with an announcement or a report? >> Mr. Chair. >> Yes, Counciloman Buchanan. >> Thank you. I would just like to uh let you all know that the uh Planeville Recreation Department is in full swing and gearing for summer. You can register your kids for camp and the pool is officially open on June 7th at 3:30. And you can visit planeville, Connecticut.reces.com for info. >> Thank you. Uh anyone else with an announcement or report? Just just a reminder, the parade Monday 9:00 am. No, that's all right. You guys have done you guys have done a lot of work already. But yes, Monday 9:00 a.m. we have our annual Memorial Day parade. Um we do have flags with uh that commemorate the 250th uh anniversary of the signing of Declaration of Independence

074that we'll be handing out from the town side. Um hopefully the weather will work out and you know we look forward to seeing everyone get down there and help us celebrate Memorial Day. >> Um >> Mr. Chairman, >> yes. >> Also the after the parade we have the uh ceremonies at the >> Veterans Park. >> Very very important. We get a lot of people there. >> Yes. And we follow that up at Veterans uh Park right next to the Wreck Building uh where we continue the celebration and um I believe that's where we bring up the kids with the who won who wrote essays and it's a very wonderful uh time spent. So we'll look forward to seeing everyone there as well. Um unless someone has another announcement or report, we can move on to

075appointments and resignations. We have nothing on the agenda for tonight. Um, and hearing nothing else, we can move board of education. I know this technically uh it's the board chair's here. Is there anything you want to report or should I say grand marshall because this is also going to be our grand marshall for the Memorial Day parade on Monday. Uh, board chair M Mr. White. Thank you. Uh now there are just a few things I would like to bring to everyone's attention at the board of education meeting last Monday night. Uh a lot of honors students that have earned their honors. We honor our validictorian, our salutotoran, our top 10% of stu high school seniors this year as well as our student athletes. The other exciting bit of news is if you drive by the

076middle school now it is now beginning to look a little bit like a construction site. Downs has some of their offices on hand. They've already begun to do some very little work in than the small gym that they can keeping that facility in use. So, uh that I think is a very positive start. Also, uh thanks to our state representative, there is additional funding that was obtained for the trades academy at the high school. Right now, this is looking like this is really going to be moving forward. uh we have students that are interested and the plans are to get that uh really going uh in September with a small group of students and get that I think it's going to be one of outstanding benefits for the town to have that done. Also uh

077we have our night of excellence on uh June 4th and also uh our super senior banquet is this Wednesday night uh at Aquaturf. That is a really great event. That is the event where we honor those students who have been at Planeville High School for four years and have never had a disciplinary action on them. And this honors them for going the extra mile right there. Uh as for the parade, uh the board of education will be participating in that. Although unfortunately our superintendent will not be there because his son is getting married on that day. And as was just announced, uh I cannot do that because somebody has me somewhere else in the parade. But uh the board will also be there. The National Honors Society is is is coming up on uh the

078May 28th is that induction. So uh uh there are things I think in the school district are really moving along well. Uh it is an exciting time of year, a happy and joyful time of year. So unless anyone has any questions, I'll let you folks proceed. Please >> any questions, comments other than I'm jealous of your voice still. Wish I could bottle that up, but thank you very much. >> Yeah, sometimes I don't. You just >> You don't need the microphone, I don't think. But >> thank you. >> Um, all right. We can move on to report of the town attorney. Good evening. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. The only thing that, uh, I'm going to discuss tonight is the, um, lease amendments to the Varigy lease on the, um, solar project on the former

079landfill. We did have a number of changes that were made as a result of the public comment and the concerns from the counselors at the last meeting. And actually today uh I had emailed all of the members of the uh council with the last set of changes that uh are going to be proposed in order to answer the questions that were um presented to us. In particular, the amendments cover the noise study. And so there's a process for having multiple noise studies done and remediation depending on the results of those studies. And it's been the way that it was designed here is that the studies will be done when the uh solar array is at its peak functioning. And so that um under the conditions that are the uh worst conditions as far as noise

080goes so that when we do the studies we'll have the proper baseline and then if there's an increase and it allows for up to another uh five total studies depending on what happens and if there are complaints. So depending on the complaints, if there are complaints and those complaints have to be documented with uh decibel ratings and then there'd be another study if that were to occur. So that's how that was uh and the amendments that was how that was uh addressed and then the uh there was um a proposed contribution being made uh either to the uh condo association or to assist the town in doing um plantings for the noise issue uh that the condo uh and that they are they had proposed a a contribution of $3,500 for that. And that's basically

081what the changes are. I know you have received that today. And uh if there's any questions, I'm you know, happy to answer them. I know that somebody from when you get so we're going to have this later on again, Mike also if there if they would like to ask because someone from the uh from Very is here. >> Okay. So you have somebody here if you want to ask further questions other than asking me any legal questions at this point. >> Okay. Melia, any questions for the town attorney regarding Varigy or anything else, I guess. Um, >> Mr. Chair. Yes, go ahead. >> Yeah. So, I did receive the amendments um and the contract today uh right before noon. I've gotten about halfway through it. So, I'm not sure that tonight is the right night

082to take it off the table. I would like to leave it tabled for next next time. >> Okay. >> Thank you. noted. >> We didn't have it any earlier than today, so I couldn't get it to any sooner. >> I understand. >> All right. Any other comments or questions for the town attorney? No. And we we could still discuss it when we get to old business. We don't have to necessarily make take any action tonight, but we'll talk about it more then. Um All right. >> And I have nothing else, Mr. Chairman, unless there's any other questions from the counselors on anything else. >> Anything else for the town attorney? >> Thank you. All right. So, we're up to uh the report of the town manager. Good evening. We have a number of items tonight.

083>> Yes. Good evening, Mr. Chairman. I have uh eight items and then I'll hand off to uh Andy for happenings. Uh the first item number one is it's um the appointment of auditor. It's our annual um appointment as required by the state of Connecticut through the office of policy and management. Uh the fiscal health monitoring system FHMS is now uh available for municipalities to complete their annual required filings of the appointment of auditor notification for the June 30th 2025 audit. Uh this notification is required required to be made in um the system portal by June 1st 2025. So in accordance with the state requirement there is an item under new business to appoint uh Clifton Larson Allen CLA as auditors for the 25uh 26 fiscal year. So that is under new business. >> All right.

084Any questions or comments regarding the auditor appointment? Okay. Number two. >> Item number two uh is the police uh vehicle fund. Um we discussed uh at previous meetings and so we reviewed the matter uh with the finance director. Our goal is uh to keep the implementation simple and administratively easy to follow. Therefore, the uh recommendation is for the town council to create a policy to allocate uh $25 of every $30 uh dollar in the special duty car charge to the town CIP policy car line item, leaving $5 of every $30 uh dollar car charge going into the general fund to cover the town cost of gas and insurance for the police vehicles used. So, it's a ratio of 5 to1 uh car to general fund. Um the policy uh can begin immediately upon approval going

085forward allocated uh accordingly between the two funds and all past uh AL uh collections for the fiscal year 26 can be recalculated and transferred out to the town CIP U policy uh police car line item during the fourth quarter transfers uh meeting on June 15th, 2026. um this year alone could result in at least 125,000 going into the town CIP uh police car line item. Um I would also recommend the town council create a policy procedure uh for the uh police to follow when using these uh town CIP um car line item funds uh either you know a cap or annual amount to to spend. then I can obviously make that recommendation back to the council for the 15th um and um have those procedures um in line uh for purchasing and our procurement uh

086procurement uh policies. Uh the town general fund uh does collect um PSD uh for administrative fees at 15 uh% an hour as well. This revenue goes directly to the general fund to help offset the mill rate. For this reason, the uh 255 split could change if deemed necessary. However, every dollar not going into the general fund will have an impact on the mill rate or the unassigned fund balance. Um these policies should be reviewed annually and adjusted accordingly if necessary. Um as the uh police special duty PSD work varies each year or year to year. Um there is an item under new business uh to establish the new special uh police special duty revenue fund and policy governing the use of funds for police vehicles and obviously the police uh policy has not been developed

087yet but I think it's important to create the uh fund to to move forward for for the deadline. >> So um uh any comments or questions? No. >> All right. Item >> I'm sorry, my microphone wasn't on. Uh item three. >> Item three is our uh firet truck lease purchase discussion. Um now that we've adopted the new budget for the fiscal year 2627, the town council may proceed with the lease purchase of a new firet truck. There is an item under new business to approve and authorize lease purchase of a new firetruck in the amount of 825,000. and didn't call. We had a lot of discussion on there. Um and uh I know the chief I know I saw him somewhere back there. Uh should there be any um um questions, but essentially and he

088can correct me if I'm wrong, we're looking to replace the 1999 uh pumper truck with uh with a new one. And again, we're you know, we've got uh a very good relation with KME and or um Bulldogs, I think it is. Um and so um I think this is um you know rather uh important piece of apparatus for the department and uh hopefully the council agrees that we can move forward with the with the lease purchase. I think makes sense. >> All right. Any comments or questions. All right. Next >> item four is uh plan of conservation and development discussion. The planning and zoning commission has completed its review and consideration of the municipal plan of conservation and development POCD sections chapter 9 uh promote business economic development and chapter 10 guide housing uh residential

089development. Final draft has been uh agreed upon and thus requests uh that requests that the revision to these chapters be referred to the town council for their endorsement or rejection of the provoked proposed revisions. the council county council may endorse or reject the revisions in their entirety or or in part thereof within 65 days. So there is an item under new business uh to set a public hearing date for Monday, June 1st, 2026 at 7 p.m. in the town council chambers as again recommendation um to set the public hearing. >> Yep. >> All right. Any questions regarding establishing a public hearing? >> Um Mr. Chair, >> yes, go ahead. Just I wanted to to clarify that the revisions are actually uh are amendments. Correct. >> That is correct. Yeah, they are amendments to the POC.

090>> Okay. Anyone else question or comment? >> All right, we will move on to number five. >> Number five, uh the high school generator replacement. The Planeville Community Schools facility department is seeking to replace the existing generator at the Planeville High School. Uh the current generator is aging and nearing the end of its useful life. Uh over the past two years, several major repairs have been uh required to keep the unit operational. Uh the high school serves as a Red Cross emergency shelter for the town and also houses critical town IT server infrastructure and maintaining reliable backup power at the school is essential to support emergency operations, protect municipal and school technology systems and ensure continuity of services during power outages. The total cost for the project is 329,993 through the Sourcewell purchasing cooperative contract

091number 092222 CMM with Cumins, Inc. located in Rocky Hill, Connecticut 06067. Funding for the project is available through bond funds approved by voters during the June 2025 referendum. My recommendation is the town council w bid 202625s phs generator replacement to Cummings Inc. Incorporated of Rocky Hill, Connecticut through the source purchasing cooperative contract number 09222- CMM in the amount of $329,993. There is an item under new business uh to award uh what I just read. >> Okay. Any comments or questions? All right. Fourth quarter transfers. >> Yes. Item number six, um, fourth quarter transfers and additional appropriation. This is our standard year-end procedure for fourth quarter transfers and additional appropriations as needed for the 2026 fiscal year budget. Uh, there are two items under new business to set a public hearing for both items on June

09215th, 2026 at 7 p.m. in the town council chambers. All right. Any questions, comments? >> All right. Next. >> Next is item seven, which is setting the mill rate. And there's an item under new business to approve two motions of setting the mill rate for motor vehicles and for real estate and personal property. And I think um obviously the workshop I think was very helpful. Uh I hope it was beneficial for the for the members as u information uh likely guide your decision for the mill rate discussion. >> All right. Um any comments or questions? Do we want to talk about this more when we get to it under in under new business? >> Okay. All right. Financial dashboard. >> Yes. Uh I would say unremarkable. uh summarizing the uh financial dashboard uh the um

093expenditures are on pace with the 2-year average and I won't again I'm summarizing not going into detail but they are right on track u and this is a report as of April 30th which is also available online um second page um the overtime discussion I think of already had with the council uh that uh uh the only piece that we're tracking is just the the regular overtime, snow overtime obviously was a big thing that we had to we had to deal with those numbers are essentially locked in at this point and now we're just going to be monitoring uh police overtime, dispatch overtime uh and then regular overtime for roadways and building and grounds. Uh on the solid waste uh side, um again um tonnage for uh solid waste is uh running in line with

094the two-year average. My bet is that it's the spring bolt pickup numbers are are factoring in there in some way. Otherwise, the trend had been, as I had said, uh lower on solid waste and higher on recyclables. That holds true on the bottom half in green there. You see the hall tonnage for uh recycling is uh is up uh 926 over uh 8.99. So, um that is still the trend that recycling continues to go higher. And uh next on uh revenue, it's just again like the expenditures meeting and on pace with the two-year average. Uh I'll skip fund balance because I think we've had a lengthy discussion on fund balance earlier this evening and uh go to the recreation and Robertson airport funds. Nothing to note there. uh water pollution control and uh library fund.

095There's fluctuations as as water pollution control is a much larger uh entity and and funding source and library as well compared to the other two, but nothing to note at at this point that hasn't already been said. So, right right in line. Nothing unusual there. And on the last page, the only thing I'll I'll note, note no changes uh with those with the exception of the um MSP renovation um project, the middle school project. And obviously, as the state rep uh indicated, um we will have to work our way through that processing the 6 million um dollar um um revenue uh that result as a result of the state increase in reimbursement rate. So that is the only note I have for for that and that with that uh concludes the um financial report. >>

096All right. Um any before we open it up to happenings any comments or questions for the town manager and you know I did have a question before I try to tab back to um the recommendation from planning and zoning regarding the amendments to the PCD. Is there is there an executive summary, so to speak, you know, of their recommendation, >> and I I didn't see it when I looked real quick through the packet. >> Yeah, >> there was a couple >> there was Okay. >> Yeah, there was a >> and I just missed it. >> Should look like this with a front cover uh from John Bossy. >> Okay. All right. You know, I think I found it here. And >> it has the flowchart and the explanation on step. >> Okay. No. Perfect. Thank

097you. >> Yep. All right. Any uh questions or comments? All right. Thank you for your report. We'll move on to happenings. >> Great. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I do have some happenings to share this evening. Uh the town clerk's office reminds residents that all dogs over 6 months or older uh must be licensed for the 26 27 year. Renewals can be completed in person or by mail and must be done by June 30th. If a dog's uh rabies certificate is current, licenses may also be renewed online at www.plainvillect.com. Firsttime licenses and renewals with expired rabies certificates require updated rabies documentation before processing. License fees are $8 for neutered and spayed dogs and $19 for unaltered dogs. A late fee of $1 per month will be imposed after June 30th. And for more information,

098you can call the the town clerk's office at 860-793221 extension 7153. Planeville Paws Animal Control and the Ragged Mountain Veterinary Clinic will be hosting a rabies clinic on Saturday, May 30th, uh from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The cost is $10 per animal, and additional information is available on the Planeville Police Department and Planeville Paws social media pages. The library will have a delayed opening um on Tuesday, May 26. They will be opening at noon and will be open for their normal hours that day afterward. And this is to allow for staff training in addition to coinciding with the new computer system upgrade that was mentioned by Councilwoman Moranti. Uh please note that during the upgrade, uh there will be some temporary service interruptions. Uh the tenative go live date for the new system is

099June 3rd. And if you have any questions or concerns, you can call the library at 860-7931446 or you can visit them on their website. And finally, from the senior center. And for all information on senior center programs, you can call the senior center at 860-747-5728. All programs are free and open to the public unless otherwise indicated. Grandparents Raising Grandchildren is on Tuesday, May 19th from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. This is an opportunity to share resources, ideas, struggles, joys, and more with your fellow grandparents who are raising their grandchildren at the senior center. Veteran social hours on Tuesday, May 26th at 10 a.m. Join to connect, share stories, and enjoy great company. All veterans and their spouses are welcome and this will be conducted by Amanda Salt House, the veterans liaison for Hartford Healthcare Senior Services.

100And finally, vision support. The group will be meeting on Tuesday, May 26th at 10:30 a.m. Resources, support, and connection for those with low vision, no vision, or anything in between. That's all I have today for the happenings. >> All right. So before we move on, are there any comments or questions regarding anything under the town manager's report or happenings? All right, thank you very much for your reports. Uh we can move on to public comment. At this point in the meeting, anyone who wishes to address the council may do so. Please step forward to the podium. Uh give your name and address. You'll have three minutes to make your comments. Uh the first ring means you have about 30 seconds left. The second ring means the three minutes has run out. Is there anyone that

101wishes to address the council this evening? Yes. >> Good evening. Sandra Janini, 87 Metac Road. Um, I'm glad to see the chief is here tonight. I wanted to thank him. He did get those no parking signs up. We're still tweaking that issue a little bit, but they're there and thank you very much. Um, I wanted to recognize members serving on various boards and commission in the town that are volunteers. All of you here tonight volunteer as well, and I sincerely appreciate the time and effort people dedicate to serving the town of Planeville. However, with those positions come a responsibility to remain impartial, respectful, and willing to listen, especially when residents are taking time to participate in local government and voice leg uh legitimate concerns about their community. For anyone who has not watched or were

102did not attend planning and zoning meeting on May 12th, I encourage you to at least watch the last portion around the 2-hour mark. During that meeting, references were made about residents. We are complaining. People are mumbling, making faces at the meeting and beating them up during during uh during their meetings. Comments were also made regarding Tilcon, Connecticut, suggesting that whoever purchased homes near the ridge line should have anticipated blasting in their area. Let me remind you that everyone uh that nearly 200 residents from across Planeville attended a July 1725 meeting at Planeville High School to express concerns about health impacts, environmental issues like uh quality of life and protection to our our aquifer. Um those residents ca uh came from many different areas in town, not just our neighborhood. This is not just in our

103backyard. There were also comments regarding residents who raised concern about changes to the POCD that we that they believed occurred without s sufficient public hearing or public process. Those residents remain concerned about these uh circumstances surrounding those changes and are hopeful that this matter will resolve uh and will not bring additional negative attention to our town. Regardless of whether board members agree with residents, people should feel comfortable appearing before the town boards and commissions without feeling dismissed or discouraged from participating. In addition, when residents report potential safety concerns, the town should handle those communications with the appropriate discretion, confidentiality, and care. In closing, while these volunteer positions can be emotional, at sometimes emotions run high, it's important that everybody uh that's involved respect uh all dialogue. Uh remember, these meetings are televised. And uh at

104the end of this uh meeting tonight, uh you could talk about me, but not on camera. Thank you. >> Thank you. All right. Anyone else wish to address the council this evening? >> After I turn my microphone on. Anyone else wish to address the council? Yes. >> Georgia Videll, 28P Quat Road. Um, actually, I'm going to bounce off of um Sandy. When we went to the meeting with the town manager and town attorney, do we have any updates um that we discussed the procedural training for the committees? Has there been any talk about that? Okay, good. >> Yes, we are we are Morris is going to lead that and we are talking about bringing the uh committees together. >> Okay. And then the ethics board, we don't have one. Is there anything on that? cuz

105the se um on the charter section 14 does state that if we do not have an ethics board it's the responsibility of the town council to step in. >> Well um I know the chairman has a name uh we need two ind two more individuals before they can convene but they are working on it. >> We are actively I I don't want to say advertising but we are making it well known that we need looking for people to serve on the ethics commission. Um, we do have one person who has expressed interest. We would need at least two more to constitute the actual commission. So, again, I'll say I, you know, and I'll give you a little extra time because I'm taking up some of your time, but you know, we are looking for people

106to serve on the ethics commission. If you know anyone or have a friend, family who's interested, please have them call the town manager's office and they will help them through the process. >> Okay, perfect. And lastly, do we know when the speed bumps will go back on Peekquat? Uh well, I'm working on a notification. I'm trying to get out uh for the uh 28th. Um I'm glad you brought that out to try and reconvene um to meet with the neighborhood uh residents in the neighborhood and and then we can go from there. I think we have some other ideas in addition to temporary speed bumps, other devices as well. >> Okay. But I mean on Peekquat where they were removed, >> these are the ex these >> these are the ones that were already there.

107Yeah, we had gotten that approved um years ago >> that are on Peekquat. >> Just repaved. >> Yep, they just repaved it. So, they removed them. >> Gotcha. Okay. I can >> And the signs are already They're still up and everything. >> I can follow up. It's a different p It's a different crew that installs the speed humps than the crew that paved. So, I'll check in with our roadways team to see what the schedule is. >> Okay. Thank you. >> All right. Thank you, >> Mr. Chair. >> Yes. >> Just a a response. Um the charter I believe states that if we don't have an ethics commission that can handle a problem, it goes to the state. It doesn't come to the town council. It goes to the state ethics commission. That's my understanding

108of how what the what's written for. >> Yeah. Do we do we can we clarify that? It looks like you want to say >> I'd have to take a look specifically at the ethics code again, but I would agree with councelor Tomkins that there is a citizens advisory committee that the state has. My understanding would be that would be the next place. >> Okay. >> But we're my understanding was from our discussions that the council is trying to constitute an ethics >> uh right an ethics commission right now and my advice was to uh >> to wait until that gets done. >> Okay. >> All right. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Um anyone else wish to address the council this evening? >> Mr. Kislick. Don't forget the hat. >> John Keslick, 654 Spill Avenue.

109Feeling Western tonight. Uh, a few things on the solar. I know you're going to approve 53,000 a year, but what I want to say is if you ever get your utility bills and they compare to last year, say you've paid uh you use 12 and a half% less usage, but your bill is $100 more. So, we're going to be stuck at 53 and they're going to be selling electricity for more and more. I just wanted to bring that up. The other thing I was glad to read minutes online that um the uh library board of directors approved the Christmas tree which is great. We're going in the right direction. I heard a rumor that we may have nativity scene back where it originally was. So I hope that's true. The other thing uh what you

110just did tonight, you have um Robin here and you know I I can't get here at six o'clock. I got more things in my life and they still you're going to vote on this tonight on a mill rate and nobody here or nobody in the town knows what our mill rate is going to be and I don't think that was fair because I don't know if it's if the mill rates going down to I caught a few things. it's going to drop I don't know 045 of a mill or something you know I we don't know so how can I intelligently make a comment on it you're doing it after oral petitions and I don't think that really was right but I have a I have another thing here and because of my ignorance in

111a lot of this stuff and not really well educated in this sort of thing I I I like reading our charter and chapter 7 financial provisions. Section five, duty of the town council on the budget. We have a capital and non-reoccurring expenditures fund. The council shall have the power to transfer from time to time this to this fund any portion of the general fund cash surpluses not otherwise appropriated. Now from what I saw what the state did they appropriate they two things uh called for the 80,000 for trade and 26,000 for adult education but all the rest of that is that unallocated? Could that go into this fund and then you having the authority to distribute it whichever way you feel fit? I I don't know. I'm confused about this budget. >> So, yeah. And

112we'll give you some time since, you know, I might take a little bit here to explain. >> Can you tell me what you what your plan is for the budget the uh the mill rate reduction is going to be? Do you have an idea or you see you're still waiting for Rob? No, we had a very productive six o'clock meeting work session with him and I think it helped kind of frame where we are and what we're allowed to do with the additional revenue that the state has approved. You know, we are still waiting for the governor to sign the to sign the budget, but you know, once that is we are going to have, you know, and I don't know if you're you know, we have 121,000 in additional Pquap money. Uh we do

113have the 745 additional ECS funding, >> right? >> And as a council, yes, we need to decide how are we going to use this revenue that wasn't anticipated when the budget was approved. >> I I understand all that. Okay. You're going to approve it tonight. And uh none of the citizens in this town or in this room know what you're going to do. And I don't know if you even >> Well, I'll be honest. As of 7 o'clock tonight, I don't think the council knew what they were going to do. So I mean we are going to have discussion you know we did that at you know it was we did it is taped it's recorded at six o'clock but we when we get to it under new business we will continue the discussion. Well,

114well, Chris, I know it's it's like Sandy said, and you know, you guys, your life's not your own being on here, and I I appreciate that, but the citizens can't all get here at six o'clock and and to listen to this. And um you know, it's just my point on that. And you're going to you're going to set this and I don't I'm not going to have any say or opinion on well, I think you should have put more into reducing the mill rate. So, that's all I want to say. Okay. >> Okay. >> I know you guys are going to handle it and you're going to you're going to do what's right for the citizens, but with me not knowing what you're going to do when it really should be known at this point,

115it disturbs me a little. >> You know, this isn't an unusual situation. You know, this is the first time I think we've we've kind of the states passed a budget after we've approved a budget, which actually is going to help us. Yeah. >> So, you know, >> because they added all that. >> Yeah. So, I you know, obviously, yes, I I agree. It would have been great if we could have told people what we were going to do before we got here tonight, but I think under the circumstances, we really just got our feet under us tonight. >> Okay. >> Um, you know, and we do need for tax purposes, we obviously need to get the budget or get the mill rate approved so we can have the property bills. Um, you know, >> I

116know. >> Okay. I just up enough of your time. >> Okay. Well, thank you. All right. Is there anyone else that wishes to address the council? >> Yes, Miss Edmond. >> Me? >> Yes, you. >> Oh, okay. >> Take your time. >> I couldn't hear you. >> I'll try and talk. I Yeah, I'm Maybe I'll hire Foster to talk for me. >> That would be fun. >> Okay. Joanne Edmund, 166 West Main Street. Well, I've been doing some tall thinking this week and uh I've decided that Planeville needs to change their name to guess what? Gridlock. Gridlock City. because I think that's what we're going to have if all those apartment houses that are in the planning stages are going to be built. Holy moly, where is the traffic going to go? You know, there's

117if there's a little something that happens up on the highway, we get gridlock here down in town as it is. And uh from but 2:30 on it seems like, you know, you can't get out on the the streets at all. Our streets can't handle this. I don't know. You this you've gone apartment mad. Is this a carryover from the Bidener years? I wonder it's everybody has to make a buck, but boy, we're going to catch it. >> Anyway, on to the >> I honestly I thought you were going to talk about all the street construction that's going on in the town cuz it takes me like 10 minutes to go a half a mile from my house to here. >> It's not a little town anymore. It's a city. >> I told you you're on

118your way to being a metropolis. Oh my god. Now on to the um the landfill. Has anything been decided about that? Are you going to go through with that? >> Well, we it was on the agenda under old business. Um if we got to the point where we wanted to take action, we could have tonight. There's been a recommendation from Councilwoman Tomkins. Uh we did get some more information today from the town attorney. she would like some additional time to go through the information we received. So I you know and I I don't want to speak for the entire council. I I would bet we're going to wait till our next meeting on June. >> I really don't think it's enough money. It doesn't >> for all the the the upheaval it's going to cause.

119I really care about what's going to happen to the animals down there. They're not going to like that humming sound constantly and and whatever other sound it's going to create. And then all those trail people coming through. Where are they going? Uh through just exactly in between Jude Lane and Julia Street. >> Are they going >> I and I don't have the map. I >> can't quite fathom where it >> I believe it's coming further east than that. I believe it's coming along, you know, around the landfill or the, you know, I guess, >> you know, >> it's coming on the east side of the landfill. I believe >> it's not >> transfer station. That's a better way to say it. >> Yeah. It isn't really clear where this stupid trail is going to go.

120It it's it's going to be quite a bit of a bother to say the least. And and people want to know, well, sure, first of all, we'd like to can it, but that's probably not going to happen. But people want to know what you have in mind. >> Well, I will I'll get you the answer about where it's like that section. >> Call me cuz I want to know. >> I promise I will call you. >> I want to know. And I also would like for you to think seriously about giving the taxpayers a break. This new money that you've got, can you please cut the mill rate? that you know it it this has been it's been a real hard time for the taxpayers and it still is because of of of various things

121that have happened but um if you can give the taxpayers a break cut the mill rate. >> All right. >> Thank you for the extra time. >> Miss Sheret, you were you had your hand up as well. Good evening. >> Good evening. >> Marilyn Sheret, 18 Milford Street. How y'all doing today? >> Good. How are you? >> Thumbs up. I only have a couple quick things. Um, one of the things is Whiting Street. Remember a few months back I brought it up when all of these crazy >> the bike lane showed the bike lane paintings. Yes. >> Is this ever going to change? >> Short answer, no. >> Why? >> Well, I think from a safety perspective, you know, they they lined it where they did so that bicycles have a dedicated space if they're

122on the street. >> Yeah. But we lost we lost a lane. Well, I mean, you you you still can use that part of the road, I believe. And if I'm wrong, someone or I know police chief's here, he can stop me before I say something really stupid, but um yeah, you know, the road is still, you know, it's just it it gives bicyclists a place to go when they're on that street, >> but they're going to have a whole new place to go coming from New Britain. >> That's true. And maybe and maybe when we get there, you know, we can certainly pay attention to what's going on on Whiting Street and maybe we can make some changes. >> I I think that you should uh it was brought to my attention recently that it's

123affecting some of the businesses in that area. So, >> okay, >> something for you to keep in mind. >> Yeah. No, that one I had not heard that one, but yes, that's something we'll keep in And um as far as the uh solar project goes, I'm another person that's saying you really need to get more money. They're going to get money and it's going to keep on increasing every year on our on our utility bills. And so I think that we as a town should definitely $53,000 is pocket change. And yeah, it looks nice in the budget for the moment, but what about next year and the year after and the year after? Our taxes are going to keep going up. their utility bills are going to keep going up and we're going to get

124the short end of the deal as far as I'm concerned. So, you definitely need to address that particular issue before you make any agreements. Okay. Uh let's see. Oh, I wanted to ask, has the town manager uh considered the possibility of using the town vehicle that was uh Mr. leaves in the past since he's now a resident of Planeville. Um, I thought that it would, you know, help save on some of our tax dollars, another 600 a month. And >> well, I know it's his option. >> Yeah. Can we talk about the $600? Um, I'm not sure. And I I know we we talked about this a few months ago, but are you referring to >> Well, we give him $600 a month travel pay that he's now living in Plainville, >> but >> in

125in lie of that. Yeah, I I'm I'm considering it. I mean, it's not a far-fetched idea. U but uh at this point, no, I haven't I haven't made a decision. Um, but >> but we would appreciate >> I'm not sure I I think my last statement at the last meeting or previous meeting. I'm I'm not sure it would save us any any money given the uh >> you know just I don't know I just haven't had a decision yet. >> Okay. >> Contemplating it but no. >> But we would appreciate it if he would consider donating it back to Plain. And I want to thank you for your time. >> All right. Thank you. Anyone else who hasn't spoken that wishes to address? Yes, sir. >> Yep. >> Good evening, Mr. Chair and the council.

126Uh my name is Brian Fitzgerald with Var, the project behind the uh solar project at the landfill. Um I know we've spoken at length about this project. I just want to mention a couple things that we heard here tonight. Just to be completely clear, the project's revenue stream is a fixedpric contract from Eversource. So the revenue does not increase over time. We have the same amount of revenue that we bid into the program over one year ago. In that same amount of time, our costs to construct the project have gone up quite significantly as everyone has expected with everything that's going on. I'm sure we all paid almost $5 $5 a gallon for gas today. Um, also with that, the project has agreed to take on more costs to make sure the town has their

127concerns met through the noise studies. As a town attorney mentioned, we agreed to a preconstruction noise study, a post construction noise study, and then up to three additional post construction noise studies to ensure that if an issue exists, the town can pull us right back to the table and say, "Fix it." because we have the study that shows it needs to be fixed. Um, outside of that, we also offered the 3500 for plantings for the Granger condominiums simply because based on the scope of the project, the the landfill cap itself is ashvault millings. So, we can't plant anything up there. You simply can't do it. It would not be feasible. They would not survive planting anything in those ashalt millings. So that the idea was provide some dollars that could be used for the Granger

128condominium to put plants where they thought it would be, you know, best best fit on their on their condominium grounds there. Um, outside of that, the lease amendment also includes uh Varie offering uh first responder training to the fire department through one of our consultants, emergency response solutions, uh, individual by the name of Tony Granado out of Glastonbury. We work with him all over the state. We did this in the town of Glastonbury and are doing it in many other towns as well. So that's where we offer up that training if the town fire department would like to have it. We bring in that consultant. He hosts shows everything, make sure all the shutdown and emergency response procedures are um are in place and well known. But I just wanted to make sure it was

129clear on the revenue side of things. Our cost does our our contract resource does not go up every year. It's fixed. Um, and again, since we've acquired that contract, our costs to construct have gone up quite significantly. And we have no ability to come back to the town and request a change in order to, you know, get the economics back. But thank you for your time this even. >> All right. And actually, you know, I was going to have you come up under old business anyway. But since you're up there, is there any comments or questions for Brian? >> Okay. I >> I just I have one comment. I just I'd like to thank you. You addressed all of the concerns I had in the contract. Um, and I'm satisfied with it. >> Thank you.

130I appreciate that. >> All right. Any other comments or questions? All right. Thank you. Um, anyone else? Anybody that hasn't uh Yes, Mrs. Chase. Good evening. >> Good evening. Sue Chase, 36 Pequat Road. Um, I'm just playing off of what I spoke to you about last time. Um, I know Chimney Champs was being addressed, but now there are kitchen cabinets that are thrown there in the corner. So, they're kind of using that as a dumping ground. Um, also Wendy's property is like a eyesore. They haven't maintained it at all. And we have our welcome to Planeville sign with tall grass all around it. I mean, it's not very welcoming. Also, again, by the bus stop, I have a picture here. I mean, the grocery carts says seating >> again with these bus. >> Is that

131the one up by Big Y or >> uh in front of Friendlyies? >> Friendly. And again, you know, with the Memorial Day coming up, people coming into town, it it's embarrassing. >> Well, thank you for sharing because we definitely can get on that. >> Okay. If you want to >> Yeah, you please leave. Yeah, we'll leave them. It will help us. >> Thank you. >> All right. Thank you. >> Anyone else wish to address the council that hasn't done so? All right, we'll uh close the public comment section now. Old business uh the Farmington Canal, we have no uh reason to take that up tonight. I I will just one more time. I know the solar project um we did have have an indication of waiting until our June 1st meeting to uh take action

132on it. Is there any other questions or comments from anyone? All right. So I I would it my expectation is then plan on June 1st meeting to actually take this off the table and take action. All right. Thank you. Um we can go now to new business. We have several motions to make this evening. Item number one, >> Mr. Chair, >> Councilman Gtman. >> Motion to appoint the firm of Clifton Larson Allen to conduct an audit for the town of Planeville's 2026 fiscal year. >> Is that a second? >> Motion and a second. Um, any comments or questions? All those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Motion carries. Item number two, >> Mr. Chair, >> Councilwoman Christopher. Motion to A establish a police special duty revenue line item within fund 1100 CIP town.

133B allocate $25 of every $30 collected for police special duty services to the newly established police special duty revenue line item. and C, authorize the town manager to develop a policy for town council approval governing the use of these revenue funds, specifying that the purpose of the funds is to purchase police vehicles and including any additional details necessary to define appropriate use, administration, procurement, and oversight of the funds. >> Second. >> All right. Motion in a second. Um I am I don't know if the chief do you have anything you want to add? You don't have to talk. I just I >> Thank you. >> Okay. >> All right. Um, anything additional? I know uh we touched upon this in your report. Anything else that we need to know? >> No, I think it's going

134to serve the department well. >> Yeah. >> All right. And any questions or comments? Oh, go ahead. >> I think it'll serve the department well. >> Okay. And any comments or questions from the any council members? >> All those in favor? >> I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Item three. >> Mr. Chair, >> Councilman Gdman. >> Motion to adopt a resolution entitled Resolution authorizing the exeu ex execution of a lease purchase agreement to acquire equipment for the purpose of replacing the 1999 engine 3 KME pumper truck with a Fout Brothers FB-94 custom pumper. >> Second. >> All right. Motion and a second. Any comments or questions? All those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. Um item four, >> Mr. Chair, >> Councilwoman Tommpkins. >> Motion to award bid 2026 25S of Planeville High

135School generator replacement through Sourcewell Purchasing Cooperative Contract number CMM to Cummings, Inc. Rocky Hill, Connecticut in the amount of $329,993. >> Second. >> All right. Motion and a second. Any comments or questions? >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. Item five, >> Mr. Chair. Oh, go ahead. >> Okay. >> Counciloman Moranti. >> Thank you. Uh motion to establish a public hearing on Monday, June 1st, 2026 at 700 PM in the municipal center to hear public comment on amendments to the plan of conservation and development as recommended by the planning and zoning commission. >> Second. >> All right. Motion and a second. And we're just again clarifying these are amendments. They're not necessarily revisions. >> Yeah, I do just for discussion. Yeah, I do think that's important because it is the

136official term and it's the term that's used in the state statute that um um you know sets forth the policy for adopting amendments. >> All right. Any other questions or comments? >> I just have one question. How can the where will the public be able to see the documents? Will they be >> Yeah, I imagine we'll put they will be online at some point if they're not already. >> Is that appropriate? And >> typically our process is when there's a public hearing, we post to the website under news and announcements and on social media um the information on the public hearing and any other information that we can provide that is relevant to that public hearing. Okay. >> Which would include this information. >> All right. So >> once we get the notice from the

137clerk's office, that's our offic's signal to post to social media and to the website. That would be the process that we would do for this as well. >> All right. >> Thank you. >> Uh any other comments or questions? All those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Motion carries. Item number six, >> Mr. Chair. >> Councilman Gtman. >> Motion to establish a public hearing on Monday, June 15th, 2026 at 7 p.m. in the municipal center to hear public comment on an ordinance entitled Ordinance establishing fourth quarter transfers for the fiscal year ending June 30th, 2026. >> Second. >> Motion and a second. Any comments or questions? All those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Motion carries. Item seven, >> Mr. Chair. >> Councilwoman Buchanan. >> Motion to establish a public hearing

138on Monday, June 15th, 2026 at 700 p.m. in the municipal center to hear public comment on additional appropriations for the 2026 fiscal year budget. >> Second. >> Motion and a second. Any comments or questions? >> All those in favor? I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. Now, before we entertain a motion on item eight, we probably want to have some discussion. And I'm going to ask uh Mr. Butin, if you don't mind coming up to the hot seat in the front here so we can throw some numbers at you. So, just to summarize, the motor vehicle mill rate is that's pretty much locked in. there's no need for any adjustment based on the information we talked about earlier. I guess our you know for the council the conversation is >> with the personal property and real

139estate mill rate. Um currently the 36.27 would would be us using the Pequat money grant increase to offset the 1.99 mil rate increase that was approved through the budget process. Well, it wasn't approved. >> Well, the expenditures were the anticipated to offset the revenue. The expenditures is your job tonight to that, right? So, yes, the the estimated mill rate at that point in time when the expenditure budget was adopted was 1.99. >> This currently as stated in front of you based on our recommendation would be to lower it to 1.91. >> Okay. So, I think the next question is it sounds like there was some momentum to um reducing the mill rate even further. Um I don't know if anyone has a number they want to throw out and have Rob do some calculations, >>

140Mr. Chair, >> Councilman Gman, >> one 1.5 increase. Where do the numbers go? >> Right. So if you were if you wanted a 1.5 mil rate increase, you could reduce the use of fund balance to 1,2875. A reduction of 137. That would get you to one uh that would be using the the extra e the extra educational monies of 745 minus 137. So you'd be using 608 of it. >> Okay. >> Well, let's start there. Any comments or questions? And that would be a reduction of the use of fund balance which is in the right direction albeit not what we proposed to you but it's your call and again that would be a positive I imagine if we were to set or at least start the process of creating a policy to get this down

141over the next few years. Okay. And and just you know for for purposes if we're if we're going from a 1.99 to 1.5 so it's 0.49 you know from a tax perspective I mean what assessed value in town about 180 for residential I mean single unit >> yeah that's that's that's all over the ballpark. So I mean >> just to give a sense of how much dollar-wise what we're talking I mean you know.5 of 180. >> Well you're you're I mean >> be like $90. >> That's yeah I mean it varies but you know Yeah. Um but essentially 049 is half a mill. >> Half a mill value is approximately $865,000. >> Okay. So, um, you know, that's the additional revenue again given by the state to help offset the mill rate increase in this

142case. How $865,000 impacts everybody's individual tax bill. >> Again, it it's going to vary, you know, by your your assessed property value. Um, you know, you're you're probably talking, you know, on a on a higher value property, it's obviously going to be more on a, you know, on average, I think we went through this mo uh process is about 180,000, I think you said. Yeah. >> Like you said, so um >> um I I don't recall the numbers I sent to you with regards to that, but it um you know, you're looking at probably 20 bucks a month, maybe if that. >> Okay. But over a year that's you know over 240 250. Yeah. I mean but again that is a real rough. >> No and that's just you know we are talking potentially three

143digits. Yes. You know it's you know it's certainly >> I think from my perspective you know it's some something significant. I think >> it's it's a reduction regardless. So yeah. >> Y. >> Okay. Um any other comments or questions? >> So Mr. Chair. >> Yes. So Rob, that would bring the the mill rate down to 35.78. Is that correct? >> 35.86. >> 86. Okay. >> 35.86. >> All right. Any other questions or comments? >> Mr. Chairman, I I would just uh plant the seed uh for this um >> opportunity to um develop a policy as Rob has stated in terms of our meeting with uh the rating agencies and uh the mo you know or the idea to to move uh that if if the um maybe the minutes could reflect this discussion that there

144is a um I think there may be uh some consensus among the council to move in the direction of next year. Maybe doing more or just at least outlining conceptually something like 250,000 or 300,000 over four years to >> as a plan to reduce the you know general fund um >> the fund balance. >> Yeah. I mean I think it's reasonable to say that tonight, right? So I think that can that can be conveyed to the and backup you know material in terms of the minutes saying that there was a discussion involving a policy that will be set at a later date but that would move to to seriously move uh to to reduce that. >> Yes. And I think, you know, saying, you know, framing it that, you know, over the course of three

145or four years to reduce that use, you know, by at least 300,000 a year until we're back to where we need to be is, you know, I certainly >> can support that being reflected in the minutes. >> Any other comments or questions? >> 100% agree. >> No. And and I would agree also that way we know that also and we could do, you know, plan for that right when we're doing budgetations and not in May. get out ahead of it a little bit. >> Yeah, that would be part of the proposed budget. >> Okay. So, yes, let the minutes reflect that then. >> All right. Does uh anyone wish to make a motion unless there's another comment or question, >> Mr. Chairman? >> Yes. Go ahead. >> A motion to set the to set the

146mill rate at 32.46 for motor vehicles for fiscal year 2027 and the mill rate at 35.86 86 for real estate and personal property for fiscal year 2027. >> Second. >> All right, we have a motion and a second. Any additional comments or questions? >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. Um item nine, >> Mr. Chairman. >> Councilwoman Tomkins. >> Motion to approve the tax refunds as listed on the addendum. >> Second. >> Motion and a second. Any uh comments or questions on the tax refunds? All right. All those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. That concludes new business. Um other discussions of interest. Is there anything we haven't uh covered yet tonight that needs to be brought up? >> Uh I do not have any other items,

147Mr. Um I don't know in state representative Martinez I know is there anything you want to share tonight >> what >> I think we're okay >> okay that's fine >> okay thank you um well seeing no other matters for uh discussions of interest uh we don't have an executive session scheduled so a motion to adjurnn is in order >> so moved >> second >> motion and second all those in favor I >> I >> we are adjourned and we will be back on June 1st >> for our next regular meeting.