001[music] This is NHTV2 North Haven Government Television, a service of North Haven Community Television. The following program is you through the port of the town of North Haven. All right. Good evening everyone. Welcome to the regular meeting of the North Haven Board of Finance for Wednesday, January uh 21st. Uh welcome to everyone. Um we [clears throat] do have our regular meeting this evening. Uh and then roughly 7:00 we will have our workshop uh with the public works department. Uh we have our CPAs here. They're going to give us a presentation. But before we get to them, let's just cover one or two things. Starting with the minutes from the last meeting. Uh, Tammy, did you send out the revised minutes? >> Yes, you have. >> They're on the desk. >> All right, they're on the
002desk. >> All right, I'll take a motion on the minutes. >> Make a motion. >> Questions, comments. >> So, the only revision uh is just the open space. >> No, there were some blanks uh in for motions in here is what I remember seeing. Right, Tammy? >> And they just missed some of the members. I think Tammy just had to get in the members that made the motions. Nancy, >> got you. Okay, thank you. >> All in favor? >> I Anyone opposed? >> I should have said I myself. I said I for me. Uh, under all business, uh, let's just Nancy, you did send me an email. >> Uh, which I have, but I'll find. Uh, but I'm going to let Rich andor Ingred cover your request that you had in your email, please. >>
003Sure. You asked for the balance and some of the funds from board of ed >> they're non-lapsing is roughly 291,000. >> There's actually if I I could just stop you for a second. My my specific request was that we receive the same types of reports that we received for several years which was the monthby-month uh not only the balance but the transactions so that we could see over time >> the board of ed's position is they don't provide that to their board any longer and if they're not providing it to their board they weren't going to provide it to this board. >> Yeah. And I would just jump in here. >> Yeah. The board of [clears throat] ed told us specifically and we we comply with this because this happened today. If the board of
004ed Patrick and Christian do not share this information with the finance committee and the existing board of ed, we're not sharing it here. That's the answer. >> Now, we can give you the reports I get Michael got from me last month. I use all really got from this [clears throat] month. They're Brown and Brown report, but their extrapolation that they do, they no longer do. That's a good point of distinction. Rich can provide the information that Brown and Brown gives us, but they're not going to extrapolate it for this board if they're not doing it for the board of uh the board of education. >> Do they provide that information to the finance office? >> No. [clears throat] >> So, you don't know the balances of any of [cough] their special funds from month to
005month [clears throat] or in terms of transactions? You don't have a way to actually see that. >> We control the dollars that are in those funds. We know what's in those funds. We don't know what they spend, how they where they spend it. >> We know it's a draw from the account. >> That that's what I'm asking. The the the in and out transactions >> [clears throat] >> uh to >> the total. We don't have it broken down by month or this is employee contribution, employer contribution. We don't have that detailed. >> Mhm. Right. But for for a long time, we were actually able to see from >> they were giving a report that their board requested. their board no longer, I guess, requires it. They're not providing the report. And as Michael said, they're
006not going to provide a report to this board that they don't already provide to their board. >> Mhm. >> Right. And >> I can give you Brown and Brown's report every month or whenever it does. It comes in basically monthly. >> It might lag us for a few weeks. You might be two months back, but >> I can give you those reports. Has all this information. You just fill [clears throat] out what you need yourself. >> Right. So c certainly the brown and brown information is is very useful but the the other information it seemed like we might get a balance in the the verbiage from from uh Christian and and Patrick but not an actual report. >> Yeah. I mean it's a cash report so it doesn't not knowing the purpose or how they're
007extrapolating their information. You can't draw a lot from that report. You can draw more information from Brown and Brown's report than you can from that report. They're making assumptions and projections out. Brown and brown report doesn't. It gives you actual what it is to that day. [clears throat] >> You will gain more information from their report than anything the board of ed. The report they're g they were giving their members was customized for a certain [clears throat] item somebody was looking for. >> Right. Uh so are you just going to read the the balances? I mean, I can end it because there's not I mean, there's there's basically only there's not a lot to talk about. Their education, their non-lapsing was end of year to 291,000 that you're aware of. >> Mhm. >> Um, their
008special ed fund is zero. Their legal reserve fund is zero. Their capital improvements is zero. >> Okay. Just let's go in order if you don't mind. I know the members I should pass the NY's email out, but the workman's comp fund rich is gone. >> The worker comps in the caffer for the end of that fiscal year. They have a million 533 >> with with the IBNR. Yes. >> Right. >> Page I mean >> 131 in the capper. >> Uh >> yeah, it's in the >> We'll get to that. >> And the worker comp is also on that same >> worker. >> That was the work that was the medical right next to it. >> Medical. >> The medical has a positive balance of like 175,000 I believe. >> Yes. 74. I mean the board
009of ed in their reports that they have been presenting they've been doing in the cash basis >> right but th this month we're completely in the dark we we have not received anything from the board of ed >> they didn't they did not have a meeting where they did any financial reports to their board >> so again if their board doesn't get it they don't share it >> but but your department >> No we don't get it either >> we don't get it >> so you don't have any information from the board of ed for the entire month of December >> related to their budget. >> Yes. >> Now, we know how much money they draw for payroll. We know how much money they ask us to transfer for accounts payable. >> We don't know
010what line it goes to. >> Well, this this is the second year in a row that this has happened and it never happened before that. In previous years, the board of education always met in the month of December and they had their budget workshops. So, last year was the very first year in which they canled their December meeting in order to hold their budget workshops. We meet right in order to have our monthly meetings and we still host workshops. So I don't know why our [clears throat] ability to function as a board of finance is constrained by the schedule that they choose. >> Because the numbers are the [clears throat] numbers whether they vote and approve them or not. They're not going to change the numbers. >> I mean their position has been clear. If
011their board doesn't see it, they're not going to for Nancy. I yes, >> I get it you object and don't see it, but I this isn't necessarily on the I'm trying to >> just answer your question as best we can through Rich. Right. So, I think what I heard so far was the education non-lapsing fund had 291,000 at the end of the year. Right. And we talked about moving part of that to the workman's common late in the fall. Right. >> Yes. >> The richest educ. I'm sorry to interrupt you. It was in there and they moved it from the non-laps. They split it between Orburn's comp. >> That was the recommendation. I don't know that they did that. We sent them an email. >> That's what they told us. >> Right. That he was
012proposing to, but they did not do it. >> Right. Exactly. >> They didn't. >> If I could just finish, please. Yes. Go ahead. >> Rich has agreed that we will get the Brown and Brown medical dental reserve report monthly. Right. >> The workman's comp reserve fund is a million 530 deficit as of the end of the fiscal year. Uh Rich, I'm sorry. What did you say about the special education fund? >> Zero. >> Okay. The legal reserve fund, >> zero. >> Okay. had a capital improve on >> zero. >> And the cafeteria funds a special fund which >> 656412. It's Yeah, it's restricted money. >> It's restricted though. Correct. Okay. Um so I think I mean these other points were just comments, correct? >> Okay. >> And they'll be here next not this Saturday, next
013Saturday. >> Okay. And and when will we be getting their actual balance? >> As soon as they give it to us. >> You mean the budget? >> Their their booklet, their proposed. >> My understanding is they voted yesterday, >> which means we should see it by the end of this week hopefully. [clears throat] >> Okay. >> All right. Thank you. >> Thank you, Rich. Appreciate it. >> All right. Go to the next agenda under new business. Um we do have um David Gabe here from Clifton Washington. They're going they have uh delivered the board previously. um the cap for the uh fiscal year 2025 and they're going to go over it for us. >> Appreciate it, Tim. Um yeah, thank you for the opportunity to be here. My name is David Flint from Lton Larson
014Allen. This is Gabe Epson. Um it seems like we were just here doing this and and that's because we were just here doing this. Um I I do want to celebrate the fact that that the town issued a timely financial statement for the first time since 2020. Um that's a big deal. Uh the trend in the state has we've seen more and more municipalities um with with uh delinquent reports and the fact that we we just issued um 2024 uh last summer and had a six-month turnaround and turn and issue 2025 is a big deal and something that should be celebrated. So hopefully everybody has a copy of the financial statement. I'm just going to kind of refer to page numbers and through um my presentation. Um so starting on page one uh this is
015our independent audience report. Um so so what does you hire us to do? Um and just and right from this report oursel um our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material in the statement whether due to fraud or error and to issue issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. um we say reasonably certain because the only way to provide absolute assurance is of course to review every single transaction. So we do um we do statistical sampling um to come up with our reasonable assurance. Back on page one um you'll see the second paragraph uh in our opinion the financial statements referred to above present fairly um in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. This is known as
016unmodified opinion and is the best opinion that can be received. So flipping ahead a few pages to page five. Uh this is management's discussion and analysis. It's a highle overview of what's reported within this report. It's prepared by management. Um I'm not going to go through it today, but if there's one thing that you guys read you through the management discussion and analysis. >> So page 18 getting into the Yes. for the board and and for people who are here maybe at home, I think we should at least cover the unassigned fund balance which is here on page six and the total fund balance. >> Yeah, for for general fund. >> Yes. >> Yep. So, I'm going to go through that when we get to the actual financial. >> So, starting page 18, uh we
017have exhibit one and this is your statement of net position, more commonly referred to as a balance sheet. Um, but here this is performed on the full acral basis of accounting. And what that means is that it includes your capital assets and your long-term debt. You'll see on page 18, right in the middle of the page, we have total capital assets of $275 million. That's net of accumulated depreciation. And then on page 19 in the non-current liabilities, you'll see we're bringing on things like bonds payable 81 million, notes payable 5.7 million. Other big items, your net pension liability, your net oped liability, 27 million and 85 million respectively. That brings us down to a total net position of $68.3 million. You'll see the majority of that is your net investment in capital assets. And what
018that what that is is your total capital assets less any debt outstanding to acquire those capital assets. So you see on page 18, we have $275 million of capital assets. The net investment capital assets is 179 million. So that shows us that of that 275 179 million is free and clear of any debt. That make sense? Okay. We have some various restrictions for um endowments. And then ultimately we have a uh an unrestricted amount of negative million. We often see a huge negative unrestricted portion because we're bringing on these huge liabilities like the net pension and net oped liability. So, skipping ahead to page 21, uh, I think this is what you're referring to, Tim. These financial statements is your fund financial statements, and they're performed on the modified acral basis accounting. They do not
019include those capital assets or long-term debt. They give you a better indicator how the funds are showing itself. So, in the general fund, you'll see um that ending uh total fund balance for the for the general fund is $1.7 million. the unassigned portion uh which which is the large majority of the portion which is great is $10.789 million for fiscal year ending 2025. Um we also have an assigned amount of $500,000. This was money that was put aside for the 2026 budget. Um and then we have a a committed amount of $291,000. Rich mentioned that that's the board of education non-lastancing amount. [clears throat] Does that make sense? Does that answer your question, Tim? >> Yeah, thank you. >> So, we also have two other major uh funds listed here. We have your bonded projects
020fund uh and your capital non-recurring fund. Bonding project funds has a total fund balance of $2.1 million. Um the biggest reason for that is because in 2025, uh there was a $2.6 $6 million payable for this to the state of Connecticut for the school construction prog uh projects that was um forgiven by the state. So that was taken back into revenue um which resulted in this $2.1 million uh fund balance that you see there. Capital non-recurring fund um fund balance of $1.2 million. You know, in a capital fund like this, you're going to see fund balance fluctuate all over the place based on the timing of uh grant receipts and an issuance of bonds for the capital projects. You'll see that $3 million of bond anticipation notes were issued for fiscal year 25 to support
021these capital projects. Right in the middle of the page, you'll see that $3 million sitting there as a liability. Once that turns into a bond, it'll hit revenue and will will impact your fund balance. And then finally, you have your other governmental funds, which is all the other small funds that do not individually uh make meet the threshold to be a major fund. Um those aggregated together have a total fund balance at the end of the year of $3.9 million. Skipping ahead to page 25, these are your proprietary funds, your business type activities. Um you know, funds that are supposed to be self-supporting. Um, we have first the Water Pollution Control Authority Fund. Um, again, there's capital assets in this fund. You have $22.2 million of capital assets right in the middle of the page.
022And then you come down to your net position of $29.7 million. Um, you'll see that the net investment of capital assets is almost the same as your total capital assets, which is great. Um, those capital assets are not leveraged really at all. And then you have $8.2 $2 million of unrestricted net position, which is great. Uh, this fund had a $1.3 million surplus uh in fiscal year 25. >> Okay, Dave, the receivables struck me as high given they only do $5 million in revenue. Any thoughts or comments on that? >> Um, off the top of my head, I do not. I'm happy to look into it. >> Is that bring you rich or Mike? Why is that receivable so high? >> It's a million four. We only do 5 million year in revenues in that
023fund. We can take a look. >> Yeah. >> What's the um what's the billing schedule or >> Oh, for WPC. >> How do you bill? Well, the residents are bill once a year, right? October, >> but commercial is probably different, right? >> No, commercial is twice. I believe >> commercial pays when >> based on flow. I don't know if it's paid monthly, but it goes directly. >> We'll take Yeah, thank you. >> Yeah, absolutely. [clears throat] Um to the right of that we have your internal service funds which I know you guys were talking a little bit about earlier. Um this is obviously workers comp and health funds for both the town and the board of ed all for us aggregated here. Um they have ending fund or ending net position of $252,000. Um you
024experienced a $1.7 million loss because you're 25. So just a little detail about what I covered. If you go up to page 53, you'll see a footnote of all the capital assets within the town and the categories in which they which they fall in. Not going to go in too much detail, but uh page 53 has the the capital assets and page 54 has the water control uh capital assets. Let's head to 56. Um this is your long-term liabilities. So on 56 you'll see uh bonds outstanding and and the first category we have is your general purpose bonds. A total outstanding was $35.8 million and we also have school bonds uh totaling $46.8 million. [snorts] Skipping ahead to the next page, we have the remainder of your loan debt. Uh we have some notes payable
025for various things. Um you'll see firet truck, you'll see a clean water fund note in there. Um, and those totaled $6.9 million at the end of the fiscal year. Also included in here, we have some lease payables, subscription payables, your comp apps liabilities, landfill liability, your risk management claims, which come from your internal service funds, and then uh the big ticket items here are your net pension liability, which of course is, you know, there's five pension plan that are aggregated here, uh, $27.4 $4 million. And then the net op liability, which is a big a big number, $85.5 million here. So, skipping a pitch ahead to page 96. This is your budget to actual schedule for your general fund. Um, basically, it's a good indicator of of how you budget and then how you performed
026against that budget. So, page 96 and 97, these are your revenues. Um and you you know you you have it broken out by individual line items and you'll see at the end on page 97 you'll see that there was actually a small um deficit in budget revenues of $450,000. Um it's important to know that like I mentioned before $500,000 of the previous year fund balance was um allocated to this budget. So pretty much you were right on line um w with where you budgeted as far as revenues go. And you'll see in the other financing sources on page 97, you'll see appropriation of fund balance. You'll see that $500,000 and then you, you know, we show zero in that column because you're using absorbing that actual fund balance. Page 98 is RSI 2. This is
027the expenditure side of the general fund budget. Um, and without going through each individual line items, um, you'll see that, uh, at the at the end on page 99, um, you're $863,000 under, uh, your budget. So, I'm just going to go through your pension ends real quickly, just kind of show you where they are from a funded status um and and kind of um where the contributions were. So, page 101, uh this is your employee retirement plan, and you'll see um we we have to show 10 years of data, but looking at the left is 2012, and you see towards the bottom, you'll see something called the net pension liability. Um, and for this plan it was 11.32 million. And right below that you'll see 85.79%. Um, this is the the percentage that the plan
028is funded in comparison to how much uh value is is in that trust. [clears throat] So this plan is 85.79% funded. And if you go one page further to 102, this shows you how much your actuary that you actually did. So for 2025, they said 2.248 and we put in 2.290. You actually had excess contribution of $41,000. Five plans. So I'll go through each of them. Uh page 104 is your police plan. Um 2025, a net pension liability of $14 million. And that plan was 72.19% funded. Page 105 again shows the actual determined contributions of a little over $2 million. and you put in $199,000 uh more than that actuarily determined contribution. Page 107 has the fire plan. Um interesting here you'll see that actually the net pension liability is -169. That means that this
029plan is actually in in asset status. Um and you'll see that the plan is 100% funded which is fantastic for for a plan of this size. [clears throat] Uh, page 108 shows that we put in exactly the amount that the actuaries determined that we needed to fund. And then page 110 is the volunteer uh firefighters retirement plan. Um, again um a net [clears throat] pension asset of of $4,700 and this plan is also 100% funded. Much smaller plan though than than the regular fire plan. Page 111, 100% contributed to the plan. And then finally, our last plan is the elected officials plan. Um, this has a total pension liability of $2.1 million. And I say total versus previously I said net pension liability because this plan does not have a trust associated with it. There's
030no funds set aside. All benefits are paid as they come up. In addition to those five pension plans, the town also has a an OPED plan and other post-employment benefits plan. On page 116, you'll see a similar um a similar schedule. And you'll see in the middle of the page for 2025, we have a net OPED liable ending of $85.5 million. Um there is a trust uh for OPED, but it but it's it is small. So, this plan is 1.6% funded. Um there's about $1.4 4 million of funds in that trust. The last thing I wanted to highlight on page 123, this is the report of the tax collector. Um, basically shows you how you're doing uh in your collections. I just want to highlight that in fiscal year 25 uh 98.85% of the current
031uh levy was collected. That's uh in comparison to 98.5% in in 24. So collections continue to remain very strong. Anyone have any questions on the act before I turn it over to Gabe? Yeah. Yeah. Just three observations here. Um number one on the $500,000 fund balance. That was a strategic move on our part after working with the rating agencies SE 500 because we had been putting in a million million and a half. We got down to 500,000. So that explains that as we're trying to work within um not always utilizing fund balance. So that's why we see the 500,000 there. In terms of the pension plans, you see the good numbers here that you reported. And a lot of that is revolving around the fact that we were a couple of years funding the pension
032to percentage of payroll, but we realized that that was the incorrect way to do it. We now are funding the pensions in terms of the positions in the government that still may not have been filled at this point in time. >> Okay. >> On top of that, what we did was we re-examined all the pension plans and the investment strategies, which we do. Rich and I do this all the time. And we are trying to maximize the return against the anticipated rate of return, which is about 7.5%. So when we look for the future, we're going to continue to fund the pensions not by percentage of payroll which we stopped by positions within the government. We're going to continue to try to glean off as best we can without the utilization of fund balance. This
033is going to be a difficult year budget-wise. So we're going to have that temptation of probably using 500. We're not we haven't decided that yet. >> So the real dilemma that we have and I have in particular is OPE. We put the trust together about five years ago, which the radio agencies like, >> but the reality is [clears throat] um as much as I debated this even in my corporate business career because we are pay as you go or financially solid, it shows there's an acred liability on the books that doesn't look good, right? >> So, we've got to figure out how to put more money eventually into OPE and try to maximize the returns in the trust and try to marginalize that deficit. >> Yeah. It's it's not it's not something [clears throat] that's
034unique to North Haven. Um, you know, I would say the majority of the municipalities no longer have trust funds set aside really [clears throat] for OPE. Uh, you know, the recession in 2008, we saw a lot of those disappear >> and they're just pay as you go now and and the the liabilities get out of control for sure. So other than trying to raise the percentage of fund balance, which we've been um we've been very successful at staying between eight and nine down through the years, but as time has gone on, the rating agencies now are looking at 15 to 18 up to [clears throat] 20%. >> Correct. >> That's a tough thing for us to try to accomplish at this point. >> Understood. >> Uh any of the members have questions before we hear
035from Gabe on the other two reports? >> Uh just a quick question. You may have covered this in terms of the two components, but where did you land in terms of uh the final position uh regarding a a surplus for the year >> for for the year for the general fund? >> Yes. >> Yep. So, um, if you flip to page, >> I may have seen two >> flip if you flip to page 23, uh, you'll see at the bottom that it's it's called net change in fund balance and again it's on a modified acral basis of county. You have a surplus $434,000 434 518. >> 518. Great. Thank you very much. Um maybe not so much for the auditors, just them clarifications that at the finance department could give us here. On page 13,
036it it said that the the total fund balance in general fund increased by about halfway down uh 4418. So that that's our positive um net outcome for fiscal year 25 26 I'm sorry 2425. >> All right. Yeah. I I I think at that time we we did have some option to use fund balance but we decided to to to to not execute that. Is that right? >> If if if we had budgeted fund balance money and we didn't need it we left it. Yeah, there's only >> good good choice because um comparing this capper or this this uh this year's the 2425 report with the 2423 report um the percentage of um of unrestricted uh fund balance um relative to our budget. Uh it did uh we did improve our position. The previous year I
037think was uh 8.05% and now it's 8.45%. So if we keep moving a half percent per year in about uh with another um >> 20 years >> well in Mr. Freed's 30th year as as selectman. Um we're going to actually rem meet that goal and get to that 15% mark. So you just keep keep running. Whatever [clears throat] you're doing, it's working. Um one uh two questions here. the um on on page 14, the general insurance um final budget exceeded the the original budget by two [cough] um by 8 88252. Does that include the workman's comp? Does that have anything to do with workman's comp? >> I'm not sure. I'm not sure where you're looking. >> It's at the top of the page. The very first poll on the top of the page >> due
038to when claims I caused the fund to be out of depth. It was medical. Is that >> that's on page 14? >> Yeah. Medical. >> Yeah. >> So, we have a um our claims history was better than expected. >> It's on general insurance medical. [clears throat] So we still transfer the same amount our medical reserve increase was the the budget line. >> I didn't know what that general insurance was. >> Yeah, we the entire budget line even though >> we made an additional contribution though. >> So that's not does that is that workman's com. There is an additional contribution that we made out of the general fund to in our budget transfers to the medical because of >> okay >> to fund um >> all right >> if you recall our previous years are we
039had fund deficits so we that wasn't together >> all right um that same page about uh almost all the way at the bottom here under the internal service funds paragraph here uh I have to to state the sense here that this um uh as a result of expenses exceeding revenues in the education, dental, and medical fund um they ended up with a a uh deficit um of 2,819,000. Um, and of course it also mentions about the workman's comp fund which which we know about. [clears throat] But uh you know I I did run the red flag believing that they were um uh they were running a uh expenses in excess of of revenue or contributions of about $2 million. [clears throat] um was that none of that 2.8 million had anything to do with um
040uh the reserves being used for their their their general budget. Remember one year we asked that they they take a draw. >> Well, that no the take is just really the difference between the revenues and the expenses. Mike, that the million dollars is would be the beginning fund balance and I know I know you did that was two years ago. [clears throat] That would have reduced the the beginning that would have reduced the fund balance. This is just on a I'll ask if you >> if you look on page 131 broken out. >> Okay. We're closer there. Okay. This should have a close eye on on that category. >> I I think I think Mike since we have education coming up on Saturday and we haven't seen the budget yet. >> Yeah. >> But I
041think >> I think they budget 20 I'll call it 50 give or take for the current year. The question asked them is what do they budget for next year and how does that correlate to the numbers you're seeing on page 131? >> I got more questions than just that but sure [clears throat] start with that one. >> Okay. >> Say there's there's a lot of um [clears throat] the this there's a lot of drama within the state right now because a lot of towns don't have them so nicely separated from the town as you guys do. And there's um there's a lot of back and forth on on whose responsibility the deficit is. And >> so [clears throat] I do commend you for having that segment. >> Thank you, >> Michael. >> No, that's um
042that's that's all for tonight. >> At the moment, >> other members before we go on with >> No, >> okay. Thanks everyone. Um, I'm going to start on the federal single audit report. Um, this is going to be the most lengthy probably the reports that I present. If you flip to the second page, it's just the table of contents here. Shows the components of the report. There's two letters. There's a schedule of federal expenditures and at the end there's a schedule of findings which summarizes the report. I'm going to have you guys flip to page five of the federal single audit. This is your schedule of expenditures of federal awards. shows each and every grant that was spent with federal dollars during fiscal 25. If you flip to the second page of the schedule, page
043six, you'll see the bottom line here, total expenditures of federal awards, 4.25 million. 2024's total was about 8.6 million. So, pretty sizable decrease in federal spend here. Uh what is the reason for that? It's mainly because of the Sacket Point Road Bridge project. There was significant significant money spent on that in 2024. That project was substantially completed, I would say, by the end of 2024. There's a little work that lingered into 25, but that's why you're seeing a big decrease here. Essentially, that grant went from 5 million spent in 24 to just over 200K in 2025. If you guys flip ahead here to page 10, this is your schedule of findings and question costs. that basically summarizes the whole report. Uh like I mentioned, there are two opinions in this report. One is on your
044financial statements themselves and one is on your federal awards, your compliance with what the federal government asked you to do, whether it be reporting, procurement, what costs are allowable, etc., etc. So, the first uh portion here, your financial statements, town received an unmodified opinion, as Dave mentioned before, that's the best opinion that can be received. That being said, there was a material weakness identified and we'll talk about that momentarily. Uh, skipping down to the second section, the compliance with federal awards. [clears throat] Once again, an unmodified opinion, but we do have significant deficiencies here. These are less severe than the material weaknesses, still important enough to merit your attention. And then at the bottom of this page, you'll see the two major programs that we tested uh compliance for this year, which is the idea
045cluster. does a special education grant and CDBG non- entitlement. Sometimes they call this the small cities grant and this is for the Temple Pines renovation. If you guys flip ahead uh to page 11, I'm going to go through each of the findings. The first item is on journal entries. This is your material weakness. You guys might recall in 2024 you had the same finding in your report. When we identified this, we were already into fiscal year 25. Controls have been put in place. It's it's noted here. If you look at the last parag last sentence of the clause paragraph, uh town has implemented additional controls. However, they were not in place for the entire fiscal year. There was a portion of 2025 when those controls weren't in place. Thus, the finding carries over. My expectation
046would be that this finding will be removed in 2026 as long as the town continues to abide by those controls they put in place. You flip it. This is a reporting finding. This one is a significant deficiency which is less severe. Uh this is for the Temple Pines project. There are two reports that the town is supposed to submit to DOH each year. Uh in regards to this project, the town actually hires a consultant to do that. Uh one of those two reports the consultant prepared, but it never got formally submitted to DO until we asked about it. U thus we're giving you guys this finding for for your internal control over submitting those reports. It seems like a small thing. There are many, many, many reports that finance submits to granters each year, but
047it's an important thing. It's something that everybody would hate to see the town lose grant funding or see cost disallowed because a report wasn't submitted. Um, that's what this finding is all about. So, our recommendation is just to revisit the controls in that area. U make sure that everything u is getting submitted timely to granters. If you flip to the next page, this one is procurement. This is for the idea grant. Often times with these special education vendors, there might be limited options that are available to the town in terms of vendors that can that can meet the district's needs. Sometimes a vendor might be the only vendor that can meet your needs. When that's the case, you know, normally we want to see all federal transactions follow the town's procurement policy. So you get
048quotations, you go out to bid if you have to, whatever the policy dictates based on the amount. Sometimes when a a vendor is a sole source vendor, it doesn't make sense to do that. Um, when that situation happens, all we need to see is is something formal on file, a bid waiver that the board of education might have, their rationale for for why it doesn't make sense to go out to bid, why this vendor is sole source, have it signed by the appropriate parties. That's all we're looking for in regards to this finding. Just making sure you guys have the proper documentation so that nothing like that could be questioned uh by the grtor. So Gabe, do you think in this case that there was limited or sole source here or that they they just
049didn't? >> Yes, I think that I think this vendor is a sole source vendor. >> Thank you. >> They needed a certain size vendor. They were the only one that fit the bill, but as Gabe said, they there's procedures they needed to follow. >> Okay. >> And agreed to it. They understand it and >> it was a good catch. >> This is a finding we do see a lot in this particular grant. >> Yeah. Okay. >> There's Yeah. There's nothing questioned about the costs of the vendor. Um it's simply just having the proper documentation. It's a vendor that many many school districts use. >> Okay. And if you flip the page, uh this is the last finding also for the IU grant. Um this is in terms of your allowable costs. Um one item that
050we noted is there was one employee whose pay rate was not updated when the new collective bargaining agreement for their union was ratified about halfway through the year. this resulted in a slight underpayment to that employee. Um, not something that's significant from an audit perspective. Um, but that being said, like Dave mentioned earlier, we're sampling here. You know, we're we're testing 60 payroll runs. We only found this one employee where this occurred. It was as a significant value. That being said, there's always the possibility that there are other things like this out there. So, our recommendation along those lines is just to beef up the process when a new contract is refied. Make sure there's a formal process in place about updating those pay rates and then some some type of recurring review after the
051fact. You know, checking checking people's rates against salary schedules, make sure everything is lining up as it should. That is it for the federal report. I'm going to go quickly to the state single audit report. This should be a bit quicker. It's the exact same format as the federal side. And if you flip to page five, it's the second page of your schedule of expenditures of state financial assistance. So your state grant spend, you have a spend of 2.4 million. Last year was 10.0 million. So pretty consistent year-over-year as far as what you spent. State of Connecticut awards. If you guys flip ahead to page nine, this is once again the schedule of findings and question costs. Just like the federal side, you have your financial statements which an unmodified opinion. There was one material
052weakness there. You have your compliance with uh state financial assistance. So making sure that reports were submitted timely. Um procurements done properly, costs were allowable. This one was unmodified and there were no findings on compliance with state financial assistance. The bottom of the page you'll see the three grants that we tested. ible grenade, that's a public works grant. Small town economic assistance program, steep, that's for the northeast firehouse apparatus bay. So, so the garage for the trucks and then uh last of all, town aid road grants. This is public works again, town uh roads and highways. And if you flip the page, you'll see the one finding. It's the same finding for journal entries. We already went over exactly the same as the federal side. Um, additional controls have been implemented on this and my
053expectation is that this will come off in 2026. That was the only finding on the state side. >> Quick question. How do you decide which of the programs you choose to audit? >> Yep. Um, there's a lot that goes into it. Um, based on ounce total expenditures, there's a threshold that gets determined. Um, so programs above that threshold are called type A programs. you look at your type A programs and uh a type A program has to be tested on one at least once every three years. So sometimes there'll be a type A program that we tested in one of the previous two years. We may not test it again. However, if it's a new parame has tested before, we always test it if it's above that threshold. Um and if you go to that
054schedule of findings and question costs um close to the end of these reports, it does call out exactly what that threshold is. Uh, so 750,000 on the federal side and then I believe it's 300,000 on the state side. >> Yes. >> And that's something that's determined by me. >> Thank you, Gabe. Any cautions from the members for Gabe on the state and federal audits. >> On page uh seven, you specifically say that there may be material weaknesses or significant deficiencies. >> State state or federal Nancy. >> Uh, sorry. This is the most recent one, but I think it applies to both. Um, that may exist, but were not necessarily identified in this report. Were there any that you noted >> that perhaps you didn't include in the report? >> No. So, that's getting like Dave
055mentioned before, what we're doing when we test these grants is statistical sampling. Um, what we do when when we do your audit is doing a risk based approach. Um, also doing sampling of certain accounts and transactions. It's almost impossible to look at every single transaction. That's why we do our sampling and that's why we do a risk based approach. But you know just because you sample something and you don't have any findings doesn't mean that something else is not out there that you didn't find. >> Sampling got uh any other members have any final questions for uh the review? I just have one and you might not be able to answer it but uh gets back to the the bigger packet uh on page 143 >> at the very bottom of the page. It's the
056schedule of debt limitation. Again, this is this is kind of looking forward into the future. Uh it says very specifically uh the total net indebtedness amounts to about 100 million and in no case shall total indebtedness exceed seven times annual receipts from taxation. So let's say it's about 115 uh million every year [clears throat] times 7 is about 800 million. So if we as a town are considering a variety of different big projects, you know, whether it be building uh uh schools or um other, you know, capital projects or acquiring uh various types of capital assets using bonding. Um what kind of thresholds would you recommend uh in terms of that's based upon the finances that you've you've just prov presented today? I I don't think that's >> Let me take that. Let me take
057that. >> There's other You want to do it. >> So for starting answer, >> that's a legal limitation which the town has never come close to coming to. Nobody would ever come and it's it's different for different municipalities across the country. Um [clears throat] >> you know what our debt appetite is for the town I think is a is a broader discussion. Mhm. Um but um and and frankly there's some metrics that probably our bond advisors look at things like the percentage of our our payments uh as a percentage of our revenue um and some other things. Um they'd probably be better equipped to answer the question. I'm not sure I'm a person by the way, but >> Mike Mike might have a comment. Mhm. [clears throat] >> So, a lot of it is debt
058burden to grand list, debt burden to assets, and [snorts] uh what we look at is does that 800 million that's that's irrelevant because like the auditor said we're never going to reach that and no nor would anyone even try to reach that. >> Exactly. >> So, the reality of the situation is this. Okay. because of the bonding projects, the capital projects we've had down through the years, we're still paying off on the uh the middle school, the police department, I think the firehouses. So, this adds to debt service every year. So, when we see our debt service line growing every year, that is a red flag for us because we know we cannot offset that by any other way but to pay it. So, when you bond more, you're adding debt service every year. It's
059more co it's more uh feasible for us from a cost standpoint on some of these capital projects to lease some of these these trucks because it costs us more to bond because what nobody really understands other than a few of us here at Rich is the fact when you bond you're paying more cost for bonding cost in addition to bonding for the for the for the projects themselves. Yep. >> So, a lot of people don't realize that. They'll say, "Bond. It costs us more money to bond than it does to lease." >> Sure, >> you can't lease a building, so we have to bond for those projects. >> That's the answer. >> Page 142 also has some interesting statistics. Basically, you know, outstanding outstanding bonds as a percentage of taxable value and per capita. >>
060Yeah, the per capita I'm familiar with, Nancy. And generally speaking, I like to see it less than 5,000. So, 3,700's a good number. Um, I would say 2% is also a good number. I'm sorry, that's on the uh taxable value of the property. >> All right. Uh, anything else? >> Well, um, you also issued uh two letters to us um that were separate from the the books. And >> that's just the same two that were in the cover of the books, right? Correct. The the one we probably should go through is the management letter that you guys >> The one that starts off there's no there's no title at the top. Uh the one that starts off we have audited the financial statements of the governmental activities. >> Yep. So so very standard letter. Um
061we are required we are required to communicate with you as those charges govern governance twice. Once at the beginning of audit, you get a letter then and then once at the end of the audit which you get a letter here which would you know we come out and do this presentation in instead. Do you have any specific questions on the letter? >> Well, uh just in in one of the letters it just mentioned that uh uh some notes payable um might have been recorded in one year uh but they actually occurred in the prior year. uh of $581,000. Just want to know if there's any any implications from that. >> No. So, um >> so there are instances where we may find um we may find something that requires us to book a journal entry,
062but it's not material. >> Yeah. >> Right. So, we just accumulate those cuz it is possible that if we find five of them accumulated, they might end up being material. So, we have to accumulate those. So at the end of our letter, we do provide um those past adjusting journal entries, those non-material journal entries to those charged with governance. >> Okay. Yeah, it's labeled as a as a misstatement, but you know, I'm I'm not I'm not causing any any problem or any issue over it. Just wanted to know if uh if there was any uh budgetary or or uh annual impact in terms of uh of net position or something like that because it's it's half a million dollars. So, where you see this, by the way, what page? >> It's on the last page,
063Tim, of the um >> I don't have that board of ed computer. Sorry. >> Okay. I didn't I don't know what it's for, but uh just I'm just asking about um um what what the impact was. Okay. >> Okay. Michael, basically what happened here is whenever you guys have notes payable like this, I I I believe you know sometimes it's notes payable, sometimes it's leases with a buyout option. When Dave went over those first exhibits in the financial statements, the one that have your actual liabilities on the statements. So, so your bonded debt, your notes payable, they're actually right there on the face of the statement. there there were some notes that should have been brought on to that statement as a liability last year in fiscal year 24 when they started because it's not
064a material amount to those statements. They're the big statements right at the beginning. So they have the $85 million oped liability, you know, the the big big ticket items because it's not material to that rather than go back and and restate 2024, >> right? >> We're basically flowing it through in 2025 here. And we're saying here that's not the gap thing to do, but because it's material, you know, we're not going to back go back and restate. We're we're not going to do anything. >> So, this doesn't impact your general fund or any of your funds. This is just your governmental financial statements on page 18 and 19. >> Notation of a of a of a of a finding, maybe an adverse finding, >> correct? >> That um over a two-year period had had no
065material impact. Well, if I could, you probably mean this. Mike said it's an adverse finding. I'm not sure I'd characterize it that way. I mean, it's basically a prior period adjustment material. Correct. >> It's a past adjustment, right? So, we we we should have booked something to correct it because the amount's not material to those statements. We passed on doing that. It's past adjustment. It's not something that goes into your federal reports [clears throat] or your act for as a finding. It only goes into that table at the end of the governance letter to make you aware of it. Very good. Thank you. Uh, anyone else final questions for Gabe or Dave? >> All right. Appreciate you guys coming out and thank you so much for the the time of advance report this year. >>
066Thank you Ingred as well by the way and Richard >> Dave. Thank you Dave. Thank you Gabe. Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity. tell you want that back. >> All right, let's try and go into our our regular business. Uh we have just the uh town reports uh this month. We do have the revenue report. Um I'll take questions or comments. Uh I did look at it. The story uh hasn't changed dramatically. Uh elections good. We are well ahead on interest on short-term investments. On the other hand, we're lagging on town clerk fees, building fees, and fire fees. Uh, year to date though, we have collected 3% of our budget. Any questions for Rich or Ingred, please? >> [clears throat] >> I just have a technical question uh which is um the uh paramedic
067uh services that where we bring in money when we provide uh transportation uh to the hospital. Where does that money go? Does it just go into the general fund or fund have you created a special fund just it just goes into >> that's here in your second page. I I see it in the second page under town revenue. I just wasn't sure whether you have a have a >> No, it goes directly there. >> Okay. >> Oh, any of the members have other questions or comments on the revenue? >> No. >> Um, >> it's related to revenue. Um there's from today's New Haven register the uh the legal action being taken by the board of ed to New Haven trying to get recover some some uh some money that's owed to us for for education
068special education services by the New Haven students. Just want to know when that money comes in, is does that that an offset on for on a board of ed line item in terms of uh of of their expenses for for special ed out of district students or is that does that come in as a as a general revenue item to us? >> It would be something to address with the auditors, but I think we would take it into their non-lapsing and ask and ask that it be moved to medical and worker comp. I mean we we obviously receive money every year from them and other towns right for students who >> money comes in it's just like a grant it offsets expenses >> so it's right yeah okay so okay >> but this is this
069is well after the fact >> so I would think we would take it in and [clears throat] >> I think I don't know >> you'll have to consider that >> it's special ed so I think it go through that account >> in in the reports that we received from the board of ed when we received them um is actually under state grants one that says open choice and that's what you're referring to is for open choice. >> No, I think it is. >> Yes. >> Well, I think >> well that is state grant for >> this is what the city >> this is this is not the state. >> So this is reimbursement from another municipality for open choice >> for expenditures that we have students. >> Yeah. But I think what he's saying is
070that >> she's [clears throat] looking at the grant from the state. This is a reimbursement. from New Haven. >> Same name, but two different pockets. Right. Right. To do with the state. It's between New Haven and North Haven right now. >> Right. Yes. >> I see. Yeah. >> Okay. North Haven's in a strong position. Um I'll speak out of term, but Michael has to the mayor in New Haven and basically said the two need to get together and just settle it. >> Yeah. >> And that's a path for that. >> That that's the path right now. So, >> okay. Very good. Anything else on revenues? Michael expenses. >> May I have your attention? [clears throat] >> Uh, so I'll just say this. I did some math and it made it a little bit easier since
071we're halfway uh through the fiscal year. Um the report shows that we've used 53.5% of the budget, but there's a few things that need to be adjusted here. For instance, we haven't paid for our uh water fire protection yet. Um >> just came in actually today. >> Okay. Um same with OPED. Uh I kind of prated the capital. On the other hand, um you know, we've paid for virtually all of our bonds and notes, and I think there was something about workman's comp. We seem like we paid 100% of that so far. >> So, if you kind of do adjust those out, my shows that we've used 48.3% of the budget year to date, so obviously less than 50%. >> There are other items that will be hitting next month that are big items. Um
072so, you'll you'll see these numbers jump. One of them is the the boiler and annex which is like 60,000. The water line at animal shelter, >> right, >> which we probably spent 15,000. The fire engine will come out of contingency which is 200,000. >> Yep. >> In public works, uh, salt works. Yeah. You know what? All those good years we had, >> we're getting hit this year. >> Have the contingency funds been been paid already? >> No, they do in June >> this month. They they're doing but we put an encumbrance that way you can show that you know this will be expensive. >> It will be January but you won't see it until next year. >> Let me jump out of this. Okay. >> Okay. >> You just see it as an encumbrance. >>
073All right. Let me just add something to this. Okay. So everybody knows that what we're doing here is we've asked the department heads not to spend items that need to be spent. Now let me tell you why. Okay. Because a lot of times things get blown out of proportion. We're looking at a potential shortfall of revenue in building fees, fire fees, and other areas of this budget. The way that works is so everybody's clear, if we're going to project, if we project a deficit in revenue, the only way to make this up is to cut back on expenses. In the last couple of fiscal years, maybe this past year, one of the things that we've been successfully able to do to offset the revenue now coming in is come in under expenses. So when we
074see or when we say like we said to all the the employees and the department heads unnecessary or expenses that aren't critical do not spend the money. We're going to need to come in under budget to offset a potential under revenue. We've been successful on doing this. Now if there's things that are critically important of course we're not going to stop those. So, but we have to look at things that we don't need to spend right now to ensure that we balance this budget in the fiscal year. At the same time, we're projecting right now the way we stand as a board of finance, we're projecting another major tax increase. We're not going to be able to sell it to the public. I'm telling everybody right now, we're not going to be able to sell
075it to the public. So, we're going to have to really ensure that we're tightening our expenses [clears throat] and making sure that we present a budget to the public that they're going to accept because where we are right now, the public's not going to accept it. >> Thanks, Mike. Uh, comments, questions on the expenses. Usually I don't um complain I would I would complain about overspending, but on page five uh under bank fees, uh Mr. Monaco, are you using banks that don't charge fees? >> We get the bill. >> $80,000 and not not a dime spent in the first six month. >> We'll get the we'll get the bill soon. >> Yeah, this month we'll get the bill. You'll see it in there. >> So it's not on a monthby-month basis. >> No, it's every
076year. >> No. >> Yeah. Why is that's that's not our on our >> all the transaction fees and things like that. >> Why don't they build they don't bill us monthly? >> No. >> Which banks? >> Why can't they build us why can't they bill us monthly like every other bank? >> Last year I don't think they build us at all. So we're not going to push it. >> Yeah. >> They never used to build the town because they >> because our deposits were so high and they weren't giving us any interest. >> Our compensating balance was paid. [clears throat] >> We've changed that relationship. >> Yeah, I remember that. >> Yeah. So they started charging us a little bit but >> sometimes they don't. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Good catch, Michael. Anyone else comments,
077questions? >> Strain. [snorts] [clears throat] >> Why are the utilities for the animal shelters? with the pipe. >> Oh, the utilities or the >> There was a water man. There was a water line that broke and it was just running for days before it was even found. That's one of the things that's going to hit contingency in that we spent rough $15,000 to change 900 ft of line from Universal Drive to the animal shelter. >> There's any good news on that? Rich and I met with Dave Carney, the animal control officer today. Then they they start they stopped the bleeding so to speak with the water the water was gushing out. We didn't even know about it. So >> uh we patched it. This all happened right before Christmas. We patched it. It was holding.
078Uh we were going to wait maybe till springtime and patch gave way and we ended up replacing it in time. >> Elio was down there engineering. They was an entire town and then we had an outside contractor run the line for us. and animal control personnel stepped up. They would turn the water on, fill buckets so they can clean areas, make sure the animals were taken care of, turn the water off, and then turn it on again later if they need more water just to try and keep the flow down. We didn't realize we had a problem until the bill because it was all underground. >> And we have the we don't utilize the pipe safe program. Is that right? >> Apparently not. Okay. >> I don't think we can get it for commercial. >>
079That's a good advertisement. >> I think it's more of a residential. >> Yeah, it probably is resial. >> For 900 ft of pipe, that wasn't a bad price. >> 15,000. >> It was about 13,000 plus some odds and ends we had to do. >> Just under 15. Say, >> we cut back on expenses by the way throughout the rest of the year. Hope we continue to have heat in this room and in the other room over at the uh [laughter] town hall which which we never have before. >> All right, we've got public works waiting and we have to get the public comment. Anything else for expenses? >> Wait a comment. >> Yeah. No, I All right. Motion to move the reports. >> So move. >> Second, please. >> Second. >> All in favor? >>
080I. Anyone opposed? Okay. Uh why don't we go to public comment? Peter, bother you. I have a few tonight. Don't take up too much time. >> Uh would you mind the mic there, please? >> Yeah. >> It's not that I have a lot of notes. I'd like to do a lot of things off the top of my head. So, if I jump around, I apologize to the board and everyone else. And I don't want to just think that I'm blaming you for rain. I'm going to give you credit for sunshine. Good job. We have a complete 100% pension for our firefighters. I'm happy to hear that. And for our volunteers, I'm happy, Rich, for not paying for bank also. They do a good job. What I'd like to talk about first is I understand last
081it was last week at the workshop uh the chief the fire chief mentioned that he is not allowed to do a safer grant request unless it goes through the board and I noticed like a small window with that like a 30-day window and I'm wondering if that was accurate or if it was missed because I'd like to see him write as many safer grants as he can. I believe uh West Haven just got 400,000 on the safer grant. So I think it's imperative that we let him write as many as he wants and it still has to go through the board before it's finalized. So why let him bring it to the board first and waste time and maybe lose the window. >> Um I'll comment. I'm sure Mike can comment. I we've done the
082s grant as you know some years ago. Um, and if there's any expenditure of funds outside grant, obviously we need to authorize it here. But to the extent that we're going to apply for grants, you know, we he should still be speaking with Mike as to, you know, what the program is. Uh, so I don't I know what a safer grant is. Other than that, people don't know what the specifics of this grant are. Um, so with that, I mean, I think he needs to do what he would normally do in town, which would be coordinate through the first selection's office. >> Well, I don't have a problem with that. I just it kind of sounded like he had to get permission before he even writes it. He has to go through the board and
083that'll take so much time that we'll lose the window. By the way, sorry, I apologize. Peter Cruscola for Fieldstone Court. I apologize. >> Uh so that was one question and the other one was uh you kind >> So if there's going to be you know there there's a couple different kind of grants that the town applies for. Linda does hundreds of grants, >> correct? >> She applies for They're one-time grants that have a portion match. Did a grant that Andy was involved with for $7 million. We pay $700,000. They give us 7 million onetime deal. Nice deal. >> Beautiful. >> Grants that involve personnel are long-term commitments. If you were talking about 16 firemen or even talking 10 firemen as an example, that's without equipment or anything else. That's that's a million6 that if that
084grant was for one year or two years, then the town is is basically have a million6 exposure, which is almost a half a mill board of finance at the the very least the first selectman would be involved. But the board of find if you're going to spend that kind of money, you have to know the board's going to be in agreement with it. And the original safer grant that I recollect that we did, >> we went to the town for approval, >> but it also it stepped down over a period of time. We got x% year one and then it dropped down. So we incurred a larger percentage of the cost of the new employees. >> And it was for if you remember it was for perex. >> Yeah. >> The town voted on. >>
085I remember. >> Yeah. >> And it was approved. >> I understand that. What I'm saying is does he have to come before you before he even submits it? Because if he submitted it today and it was approved, it still goes before your review. So why stop him from writing up it? let him write as many as he wants and then if it doesn't feel that it's right by the board, I understand that it gets stopped and I understand that. >> I think that's a management decision he has to take up with Mike. >> Okay. >> Y >> okay. >> So I think that uh tied into this um with knowing that there could be short windows because we applied for a safer grant a couple years ago. We didn't get it. Okay. So So the
086way it would work would be this. whoever it would would be in this case the fire department would apply for the grant. If we get notification that the grant is accepted and there's an illustration as to what the cost is in the first year and even beyond at that point in time we wouldn't stop in this case the fire chief from writing a grant but we'd have to have the board of finance myself at the very least and our defense department understand what the impact is before a final decision is uh for us to give back to let's say the federal government on the grant. So what I'm saying is this write the grants. This board myself reserves the right to see if we can afford it based on how many years it is, what
087the percentages are like there was back in 2007208. >> I agree with you 100%. But just >> as long as the as long as the >> he's not going to take the grant. It's not going to be finalized until the board finalizes it. So let him write as many. >> Yeah. No, there's there's difference of grants. as long as the first selectman is on board with it and the grant by submitting it isn't binding the town. >> Correct. >> Let's just, you know, binding the town. >> He has the right to write it. >> We're good. We're good with that. >> As long as the second half of that was, you answered it before about the revenue versus the expenditures about putting a freeze on what's being spent at the department. Hopefully, we're not going
088to tie the chief's hands because there's certain stuff that the fire department needs. If they need it now, I think that he's the person who knows if it's needed now, not to wait and decide if it's needed for certain >> it doesn't work like that. Anything that's needed is approved instantaneously, >> right? But he has a budget and now we're freezing the budget. We're asking department heads, all department heads to refrain from making purchases that are not necessary or critical. >> Right. But I'm sure >> that's all we've asked them, >> right? But I'm sure that if Chief needs something that he thinks is critical and you may not think it's critical >> or Mike may not think it's critical. It may be critical to the department and he is the chief. So I he
089knows I'm not here to dispute what you know about bookkeeping and accounting and managing money. I'm not here for that. I'm here to say that the chief, if he needs something that he thinks is needed today or tomorrow, we should let him do it. That's why he's the chief. I'm not speaking for any other department. Police, public works, but board of ed, not my business. I'm concerned about the fire department. >> So, let's maybe you're missing something or misinterpreting something. >> Okay, it's possible. >> Department heads, wait one second. Department heads are instructed not to purchase anything that they don't need. It's not saying someone's reviewing what you are are or are not requesting a purchase order for as long as policies are followed. Every purchase order pretty much is approved. It's their call at
090the time not to put a put order in if you don't need something. It's not like a order is being rejected that they put in. That doesn't happen. >> So that's your misunderstanding. >> Okay. I just want to make sure we get that that he has >> he knows that we just want to make the first year. >> It's not the first year, not my first day at the rodeo. >> Yeah. >> The next item I want to talk about is the engine that we don't know if we're receiving it, if we're not receiving it, the one that's supposed to come in in 2027. And I say this and let me go through the whole thing. I know we took delivery of our ladder truck, which is great. And I know we're talking about a
091million.35 I believe it is for the engine coming due in 2027. Yesterday by coincidence they had a meeting in Hartford. All the fire chiefs from all over the state. Uh Blumenthal was there a couple of other politicians and it's out of control what we're being charged for apparatus. We know that already. There's only a small group, couple of companies and they really have us at their mercy. Okay. So, I know it's coming in and we don't know if it's stopped, if it's not stopped, but it's replacing a 27y old piece of apparatus, engine 4. We've already spent 4,000 on repairs on it. You can see it's 27 years old. I don't think anyone has a 27y old vehicle in their garage or in their uh driveway. Okay. It has a shelf life has a shelf
092life of 20 years on a front line. has a shelf life of 25 years as a backup. Well, we're beyond a shelf life. Should that vehicle go down next year, six months tomorrow, okay? And we have to order a new one. First of all, if we stop delivery on the engine, is there a penalty? And if so, it's approximately what? 30 $40,000. >> There's I can give you my own thing if you if you want. >> Okay. I'm just going to give you the notes and you can come back, say whatever you want, jump in, feel free after. Okay? So, we're going to have a penalty to pay. >> In the event that engine 4 goes down and we have to rent one, you're not going to rent a brand new one. You're going to
093rent one that's usually 15 to 20 years old and it's going to cost us anywhere between 65 and $7,500 a month. I thought that the production time was 30 months to get a new piece of apparatus from the day you water it. I found out yesterday through the municipality of chiefs that it's 48 months now. They have us out 4 years. There's a chief in Hartford that ordered a piece of equipment. He's on his fourth year. He doesn't have it yet. So, if we lose that equipment, if that engine 4 goes down and we have to rent one for four years, you guys do the math better than me. If it's$7,000 a month times four years, do the math. Plus, we pay the penalty. Plus, if we order a new one in the last 3
094years, according to the chief court yesterday, not our chief, the chiefs in Hartford, it's gone up 200%. That means we'll be paying an additional 12 to 14% to order an apparatus that we'll get four years from now. So we'll probably waste between the penalty rental for the years and the increase on the apparatus half a million dollars will just throw out the window that I think that and I know what Mike said he >> All right. Can I can I interrupt for one second? Sure. Okay. Just a second. >> The chief is nothing but if if not passionate and persuasive. Okay. And he was just here. This engine shouldn't be needed the way you described belongs in his budget. It's not in his budget. Okay. And that's what we have to go on. So if
095you if it was if it was necessary for the department, it should be in the budget. It's not in the budget. >> Was it in the 5-year plan? >> Yes. >> Hold on. >> Be careful here. Okay. I'm just going to say what I said. >> Okay. >> He was only here a week or so ago. >> He's known about this engine for several years. It was discussed. I mean, I wasn't here. Diane covered for me, but it was discussed back in the fall. Okay. So, the opportunity to get this in the budget was a week or two ago when he was before us and he did choose to do that. So, to me, that would have been the opportunity to do so if it was needed as badly as you're describing. >> Well, again,
096I'm not going to speak chief. I'm not going to speak for you. It is needed definitely. And I don't have an answer why he didn't bring it up unless again I'm not speaking for him. He thought it his five-year plan and didn't have to bring it up again cuz I'm sure that >> the 5-year plan is just a is just a forecast for the future. So we know >> but I'm sure he arbitrarily not bring it up just because he didn't feel like it. >> The chief's been here a long time. >> Yes, he has. >> Okay. We've been through innumerable budgets. He gives one of the best budget presentations we get. Peter, >> I think he does. >> He knows the process. >> I think he does an excellent job. I agree. >> So,
097I just want you to think about that engine about not returning it. >> All right. >> If that's possible, >> let me just go ahead. >> Let me just add a few things. So, go ahead. Maybe you're just missing some information >> possible. >> Not counting the ladder trucks. [clears throat] It's not counting tower one. >> Okay. >> With the new vehicle just p purchased, which is a ladder and an engine. >> The Quint. The town has four fire engines under five years old. >> Okay. >> How many fire engines can they send out at a time? >> Okay. Let me ask you a question. Do you >> How many engines can they send out at a time based on their staffing? >> Based on their staff? >> Yeah, >> that's it. >> No, I
098don't think they can send They can't even send four. >> They can send monoise. They can send >> two engines. One ladder. >> They can send two engines. Yeah. Even if they even if they cannibalize the rescue, they could probably send three engines. You have four engines that are under five years old. You have another two engines that are 13, 12, and 13 years old. And then you have two that were in the 20s. All I'm saying is you have five engines under 5 years old. I don't think, and he could present to this board, that there's a >> [snorts] >> urgent need for another engine. >> Whoa. to replace an engine when you have technically one or two always sitting in a firehouse even if there was a fire because there's no one to
099move it. Well, not even if there was a fire because we do 4,000 calls a year now whether we put out the Twin Towers or we put out a fire in someone's garage. It's a fire >> some apparatus apparatus is leaving and that's the next thing we're going to talk about manpower. Do you plan on putting more manpower on? Because I have a chart here. I don't know if you can see from there how this works. Okay, >> but Peter, let's go back to the engine first. You have four engines. You have four engines under 5 years old. >> Okay, you respond that best, too. >> Even if even if the volunteers got out, you're responding three, you still have four engines under 5 years old. Is it really necessary? And that's the presentation he
100would have to make to this board to bring another engine on in under another maybe 5 years from now, >> maybe six years from now. Who knows? I think you're gonna need to bring it on because you're gonna have to put on more firefighters. >> Listen, we're kicking on the road >> and we're at the end of the culdeac. I'm not missing it. We need to put on more firefighters. That's what I'm going to tell you. So, you're going to need apparatus. You could put 12 more firefighters on and that would only man the fourth engine you already have, >> right? >> No, >> it doesn't. >> You you have to have another engine in reserve. if you don't mind. Okay. Okay. Let's >> And I had this discussion with both the chief and the
101deputy chief. Okay. They're they're in my office. Okay. >> In this 5-year capital plan starting next year on this particular entrance, there's 260,000 260,000 260,000 260. So it's in the plan. What I So that total amount would be financed by the money that's in the future capital plan starting next year. >> So wait, Mike doesn't mean next year. He means the succeeding year. >> The Yes, that year. >> 27. >> Right. So the plan is and I I even talked about this >> 28. Right. >> 28. >> Okay. I'm sorry. >> So So the plan is and I thought I've been very clear on this even at these [clears throat] meetings. Okay. What has to happen is next year, next year's workshop session, the fire department puts this into their budget >> in 2728 >>
102the 27 workshop for the 28 budget. >> The 28 budget. >> So now you got a four-year weight to get it into. >> So and we're financing it over the four years in the cat 5-year capital plan. >> But so it's it's so it's already in there starting four years from next fiscal year. So, we're going to talk about 27 28 to put it in the budget. We're gonna have a four-year wait, >> right? >> We're gonna have a four-year wait. We're going to pay We're going to pay another by then 20 25% more to buy that same engine that we can buy now >> and have it. >> But that's the problem. We can't because there's no money appropriate. That's the problem. I've been trying to tell the fire department. Money's not appropriated here.
103>> Right. I >> is there a way to appropriate it at a special town meeting? Is there something we could do to get it approved? And it's going to tie into this, and I don't mean to jump over, but it's going to tie into this. 10 years ago, 10 years ago, and this is a tremendous burden, not just on the paid firefighters, but it's a tremendous burden on the volunteer department. We had 105 volunteers. 105 10 years ago. All these yellow things are volunteers. Okay. All the red dots. All the red dots are volunteers. 105. Fast forward 10 years later, we have 15 down the bottom. Actually, now we're down to 13. I found out last night. 13 down the bottom. I have your attention, please. >> 10 years ago, >> if you had a
104check, >> fire scene, any kind of scene, a highway scene, whatever, in 11 minutes, you had firefighters on site. 41 on site. In 11 minutes, 10 years ago, fast forward today, you have 14. You have 14 on site. You have 10 paid, one shift has 11. and maybe have three volunteers. And the volunteers are only working, by the way on weekends. So, don't have a problem between 8 o'clock in the morning and five o'clock Monday through Friday because they're not there. Okay? I asked Rich about tax. He said it's basically the same. Okay? >> Basically flat. >> We've built a miniature Bronx city up on Washington Avenue at the heights. Okay? >> [snorts] >> We have in the last 10 years Lexington Gardens. We have the apartments Vigli built. The new ones going up. We
105have a lot of property there. But God bless you. And I hear that there's no more >> population growth, which is fine. I don't know who's living in them places, but they're there. And in the last 3 years, in the last 3 years with all this going on, all those yellow sites that you see are right now, all the yellow no longer in service. So there's this strain on our guys. In the last 36 months, we buried three firefighters. Okay, three firefighters in their early 50s. Now, again, I don't take notes. I don't like notes. This is a photo I'm going to use. There's four firefighters in here. It's 10 years ago, actually. Four firefighters out of the group that were there. Let's make each one 10 firefighters. So, we have 40. Well, now when
106you go to the same scene, we're going to fold back those two. We're going to fold back this one. And that's what you got left now. So, when you go to a fire scene in 11 minutes, you're going to have one out of the four cuz they're not there. Each one is 10. It's not just one firefighter. So, that's the problem we have. So, we need to get the apparatus. We need to get the men. I know it's a tremendous cost as you said. It's not penis the outfit of firefighter. I understand. Not my first day here. Okay. I'm a taxpayer. I don't want to pay more taxes. Mike's done a great job holding the taxes down. Thank God we got him. He's done a great job with economic development. But you have to have
107a balance if we're going to keep economic development, residential, commercial. We do the highways, the parkway, we more highways than any other fire department. 91, we cover all this space. We go up on the highway with three engines. We come up with a lot of truck and two engines. What do we do? We get to rescue. Everything's shut down. I go to mutual aid. Hampton, Wallingford, East Haven, New Haven. They're getting tired of supplying us with mutual aid. So, it works hand in hand. I know you're saying we have five engines. We have three engines really that are good. We have the ladder truck. We have the new Quint that came in. We're looking probably the new rescue soon. And I understand the cost. It's not like buying a simple SUV from one of the
108departments and saying here's $70,000. But when we think about the 70 80,000 for an SUV from the other departments, also think about we rotate those every two to three years. So in 25 years, if you do that, you put on 12 units. 12 units times the $80,000, you're at a million dollars almost with lights and everything. So it works out to be the same because our apparatus goes a long way. I just want you to think about that. I hope the presentation wasn't too long and it didn't, you know, [clears throat] seem foolish because I don't want it to be foolish. >> No, not at all. >> I think it's serious. >> I take it very serious about the fire department because they protect this town, the people that come into this town. And if
109we can't protect them first, they can't protect the people. It's like on an airplane. I've always said it. The stewardist tells you, "If we're going down, put your mask on first. Help the person next to you." you don't give it to my firefighters, they can't help the people next to it. My firefighters are number one. So, I thank you. >> Thank you for letting me speak. >> Appreciate it. Thank you so much. >> So, I'm not sure that we actually heard the answer to his question though about the engine. Um because there has been a lot of um Mr. Freda said at the fire workshop that that has been cancelled in terms of the order and then uh I happened to watch the fire commission workshop yesterday and there was some question as to whether
110it has been ordered. So, >> so >> here's the situation, and I I already I I thought I I thought I said this to the fire department yesterday. >> Okay, >> as of yesterday, it's in limbo, but it's scheduled to be cancelled. >> It's in limbo because we're determining whether we want to pay the 30 plus thousand or whether we're going to sell the vehicle, >> have the vehicle sold. Okay, >> so the bottom line is it's canled. >> Now, we go back to this what I just mentioned. there's money allocated over the next few years in the capital plan. So next year the fire department comes in and puts it in the budget and presents it as a need. >> But if if it's in the year plan and it won't be ready for
111another year, why don't we just keep it >> because of Can I Can I look, >> we're we're in public comment. Okay. This board's job is to oversee the expenses of the town. >> It's an unbudgeted item. That's what it is. Okay. It's an unbudgeted item that didn't even make the budget for the incoming fiscal year. So, as passionate as as presentation as I just heard, that's the process that we go around here. If the board wants to talk about it at another time, we can do it. But I'm I don't want to have that conversation before Mike and Rich and the chief look into the possibilities here. Okay. It's it's an unbudgeted item, Nancy. So the the two both the truck and the engine that Mike Freda signed the contract for two years ago,
112neither of them was in the budget. Neither of them had the financing. >> And in my opinion, what we did was we found a creative way to provide the ladder truck or the aerial vehicle right to the border uh sorry to the fire department. Okay. >> Because we couldn't get out of it >> because >> couldn't get out. >> The because is besides the point. Okay, we we got them a very expensive I think it was a million seven, right Rich? >> Yep. >> Million7 a vehicle that they said they needed. Okay. And this board was able to accommodate them. >> Okay. >> Tied into the fact an engine blew up. So this is the seventh time I've talked to you about this. How many times I have to explain it? >> So you have
113to explain it because there it is not clear. These are two different vehicles and the first time that we heard about this engine was at the fire workshop. So >> this is not in the agenda and I'm going to stop the conversation now. This is public comment. Okay. It's not in the agenda and we have the board of public works waiting to uh make their presentation. >> I agree with you Tim. Thank you. >> So if there are any other members like to speak, please raise your step forward. Not seeing any. I'll take a motion to adjurnn and then we will uh immediately move to the public works presentation workshop. >> Make a motion to adjurnn. >> Second. >> All in favor? I >> I. >> Anyone opposed? Okay. Let's just take uh one one
114minute. I'm just going to get a quick drink. myself and then Mike will be ready for you. Right. Thank you everyone. We're going to continue with the workshop portion of tonight's meeting. Uh Andy, if you could just uh please as you give your presentation to reference the pages that you're discussing, please. >> Yep. Absolutely. >> You guys ready? >> Go right ahead. >> Okay. Um so for the record, Andy Bevel, town engineer, interim public works director. Um so as far as the actual budget items, uh we're pretty flat. There's a couple items I want to point out that uh that'll change. Um >> page 30. >> I'm on page 30. Correct. Uh the overtime item um we're incing the budget to 45,000. That's based on the actual expenditures uh from last year which was about
11542. And let's see. >> Yeah. Sorry. Yeah, just about right. Um, and then the other change is under engineering, uh, the field equipment. So, I bumped that item back down again. We had bumped it up last year specifically for one piece of equipment that we purchased. Uh, that has been a big game changer for us. So, I'm bumping the budget back down again to, you know, to a normal level that we would normally have. So, in terms of budget items, that's pretty much it. outside of that were flat. Um, capital expenses. Just I'm sorry, Andy. Sure. Let's just give the members a question a second if they had any questions on the operating expense side for capital. So the the in the building department the overtime increase that you have um is a pretty substantial
116increase and I can see the actual for uh 2425 was uh uh 41,752 um uh and this year we're on track to spend looks looks to be about uh 52,000. So, I'm wondering, is that going to be sufficient? >> The 45 should be sufficient. I mean, I went over it with the uh uh the chief building official and assistant building official. >> Okay. >> So, they were confident in that change just reflects the reality of the, you know, the workload that that department is under to get the work done. >> Okay. Anything else from Gazanti capital? >> No. >> Okay. Uh so now moving on to capital um on page 38. Um one item uh the plan of conservative development. I've got $150,000 in for that item. Uh that is a a statemandated um item.
117So every 10 years we're required to redo our plan of conservation and development which is basically kind of a master planning document uh that towns are required to have uh that that kind of lists what our goals are >> [clears throat] >> uh know what our resources are. The uh uh our current plan of conservation development is is [clears throat] up in September of 27. Uh but these plans are uh a big effort and there's a a big public outreach part of them. Uh there's also uh involvement from a lot of the different uh town departments that'll be part of this. So we we plan to hire a consultant and uh uh it'll it'll take every bit of a year for us to get through and and complete the uh the revised report. So that's
118what that one is is all about. Uh and that that fee there is based on the last time we had it done 10 years ago. I basically took the fee that we had paid that time uh and increased it at 3 cent to uh to come up with it. a little contingency on for that >> 3% per year. >> Yes. Yep. [snorts] >> Um, next item is the uh building department skink. This something that I've had in the budget for for quite a few years. Uh, currently the building department uh their all of their new permits and all the information associated with permits is in their electronic system. The problem is is that all the older uh permits and all the older data [clears throat] that we have related to building in town uh is
119all on paper and the hope was uh the software system that we have will accommodate the information. The hope was that we could scan those paper documents in bring them into their current system so that way their computer system will basically cover every property and every permit that was issued. Uh it becomes [clears throat] a great resource. uh right now if they need to research that stuff uh they got to pull paper files and a lot of those are stored down in the basement and it becomes a you know an issue. Um and then the other part of that too is the uh uh there's a portion of their data that's actually a microfich uh do not microfich reader. What I was told was New Haven Library is the only one that has one. Um,
120so, uh, the building department was looking to purchase $12,000 to purchase a microf [clears throat] reader, uh, to allow us to, uh, to be able to access that information. Right now, the only way they can do it is to get out of New Haven to be able to review those, you know, those micro records. >> And I think that I think in New [laughter] harder, right? So, I think what the thought was is that if if the if if the board uh you know can authorize $85,000 for the scanning, we won't need the microfish reader because we'll have those those microfish records scanned in as part of the scanning effort. If we can't get the 85, we'd like Wells to be able to to buy the machine to be able to read it so that
121we do have access to that data because right now it's very difficult to get at. >> Does the library have a microf? >> Uh I guess they do not. That's what I was told they don't or they don't have one that's capable of reading the the the data that we have. Okay. >> Um and the last item is uh dam safety uh improvements. [clears throat] Uh I have in my budget 125 for this year. Um and uh I threw 50,000 in for next year uh just to so we had continue to have funds to be able to make improvements. Um we're planning on getting started on some of that stuff in the existing budget this spring. Uh, and that'll include a bunch of tree removal and, you know, kind of minor repairs. You know, we're
122not going to make any major changes, but if we can improve the safety through some minor repairs. Um, [clears throat] that's what I'd like to try to accomplish. >> And that's pretty much it on the capital side. The rest is going to be covered by Mike, right Mike? >> Yes. Yes, sir. So just to recap, the plan of conserv and and development is a mandated item and it's in the budget because it's going to take about a year to produce this, right? >> Correct. >> Okay. Um I remember the dam safety vegetation from last year [clears throat] and then you've got the scanning which I remember from last year. If we do the scanning, we don't need the micro. >> Correct. Okay. >> Questions on the members? Uh, you're serving as both the interim public
123works director and the town engineer, correct? Okay. Correct. Lyn Lynn, because when when Lynn retired retired, >> yeah, I agreed to take on the responsibility of managing the department. >> Okay. >> Um, you know, her senior's dead. So, >> Okay. >> And is that expect to be go on for some time or is there some plan for you to do one or the other? >> Um, I mean, it's indefinite at this point. >> Yeah, that's going to be up to determine that. Correct. >> Gotcha. Okay. >> Anyone have anything else for Andy? Michael, >> nothing. >> LJ, Bob, >> thank you. >> Thank [clears throat] you. >> Thank you, Andy. [snorts] >> [clears throat] >> Mike, same thing. Jeff, if you don't mind call out the page as we get started here, please. >> All
124right. So, I'm going to start with page 31. Um, knowing that this is a uh tight budget year, um, I was going to request a full-time labor, but I'm going to set aside for now and, uh, possibly ask for it for next year. Um, so we're going to start with streets and roads. Um, personal full-time uh, contract is up in June, but we are putting an additional uh, increase on that uh, a 2% increase. So uh from a million713 um 143 to a million 755959. >> So that's an estimate you're saying? >> That's an estimate. Yeah. >> So their contract [clears throat] is going to be uh up in June. So we're looking ahead. Our personnel part-time uh because the state minimum wage has increased. We're going to increase that um as well. uh overtime
125um seeing the actual from 2425 we're are going to increase that as well from 301 344 to [snorts] 375. >> What are you running so far Mike? to have to happen to this year. >> Over time, streets and roads 89. >> We're at 89,69687%. So 70% right now. >> Said 89,000 >> is available. >> Oh, well, yeah. Sorry, read the wrong line. >> 70%. >> He's 70% 211,000 spent so far. >> That was 211. Sorry. Yeah, wrong line. >> Thank you. >> I mean, that's all based on uh you know, our weather. Uh that's a big part of the overtime. [clears throat and cough] >> Why is it mostly snowflated? [clears throat] >> It's mostly callins. Yes. >> To weather, right? weather related. Uh so wage differentials uh that we're [clears throat] going to increase
126uh 7% from 138777 to 148. Um office supplies, uh maintenance of office equipment, we increased that to 5,000 from 4,000. Uh building utilities is staying the same. Gas, oil, diesel staying the same. uh maintenance of equipment. Uh as our fleet gets older and some of our new fleet comes in, uh we're increasing that 3% from 235,4500 [snorts] to 242,565. Uh leave pickup. Um we're increasing that line uh 5% from 161 [clears throat] to 169855. [snorts] Uh materials and supplies and equipment uh that's get uh being increased as well from 135 to 139. Building maintenance is staying the same. custodial, [clears throat] that's a contract, uh that's increasing 3%. Uh sidewalk maintenance is staying the same. Uh winter maintenance, uh we're increasing that line, uh as well, 3% from 150 to 1545. Uh uniforms and shoes,
127they're saying the same. Meals, uh we're having a little increase there from 8,000 to 8,500. Dues and expenses are staying the same, no change. Tree expenses are staying the same, no change there. Line printing as well and meaning is staying the same as the following years. >> Uh, any question before I move? >> Yeah, thanks Mike. Let's just see if the members have questions and notes. >> Yeah, I'm I'm curious with the leaf pickup, what would the increase be? >> Leaf pickup. Um this is the um D trucks that actually we hire. Um we've had their uh hourly wage stay the same as we know everything has increased fuel the hourly rate. So we have to >> add a little bit to keep them on our uh [clears throat] to keep them moving. >> Thanks.
128>> All right. Go ahead. >> Okay. For uh sanitation personnel, this is all contractual as well. Um we're going from 647 937 to 664 135, >> but this is the same contract. >> This the same thing. Yeah, it's one union. Uh personnel part-time. These are these are our call-in uh sanitation workers. If uh an employee is out, a full-time employee is out on vacation or sick, we would uh call these guys and this crew in. Um we're going up 3%. That's also controlled by the state minimum wage. So um we're going from 6,816 to 70,537 overtime. Uh sanitation does overtime on uh the working holidays. So that is going to increase. Um wage differential uh we're increasing that 4% uh from 7,700 to 88. Gas and oil is staying the same as last year. Maintenance
129of equipment um I say the same as [clears throat] streets and roads. As our fleet does age, the the cost increases as well. So it's going 4% increase. Uh tires, materials and supplies, building maintenance, uniform and shoes and meals are staying the same. [snorts] Uh no change there. No increase. Tipping fees uh are going to increase 1%. So million64 to a million74 640. Uh condo trash pickup reimbursement is uh increasing 2%. So Mike, the tipping fees, I know in the past, this is based on obviously the amount of um weight that we deliver and the dollars per pound, is that on contract now? >> No, it is not contract. >> So I'm sorry. Did you say there's I know it says 1%. Did you say you raise it a dollar pound? Where' the 1% come
130from? >> 1%. >> So >> but where did it come from? >> Yeah. Where'd it come? How'd you come? Um well, as we saw last uh 2425 during the middle of the season, we had an increase from uh one of our uh trash disposal compass. So >> I guess my saying is this is relatively modest increase for a million dollar item. And so I'm just trying to make sure that and it's been a little bit volatile in the past. Mike's even talked about it at this meeting a couple times. So I'm just trying to make sure I understand how he come up with the estimate to make sure we're not underestimating it. Frankly, >> well, we we look at what [clears throat] what the increase was last year compared to what we predict it's going
131to be uh this year. Um we've we had, like I said, uh we did have an increase halfway through the year last year. So, so we're about 38% of expense elapsed the last time I looked. [clears throat] Okay. Versus here we are halfway through the season. So, as I've said many times these days [clears throat] that around the holidays, Memorial Day, then we start picking up a little bit. So, I think we're right on track right now. So, but there's a lot of volatility across the state of municipal waste and it's a project I'm working on with the state themselves on how to solve this problem. >> There are there are a lot of bills that have been lagging from New Haven. So, I think we might catch up in January with them. >> Yeah,
132we definitely will catch up. We've just [clears throat] had some invoices come in today. So that'll reflect it uh soon. >> So that we're doing now. We deliver to the transport station. >> Well, there we go. >> So there's two places. Uh we have one in Middletown Murphy uh road. >> Yeah. >> Um and have New Haven solid waste and recycling in New Haven. >> So New Haven can [snorts] work if you get there quick and dump. >> Yeah, definitely can. >> If not, you wait too long. So they use Haven charges less per ton. New Haven charges more per town. >> More per ton. We got to go up there anyway further. >> There's little increase on the fuel and the the wear and tear on the vehicles going to Middletown. So there's >>
133pros and cons there. [clears throat and cough] >> Thank you. Let's just see if the mayor presentation please Mike. >> Well, when we get to my question is about the fleet. Um, >> let's wait for >> Yeah, that's my question. >> But on the operating Spencer, I was just Anyone have questions, LJ? >> No. >> But I must say, I mean, I have to thank my crew at anticipation. They've been pulling a lot of weight and it's it's been tough for them. So, I appreciate the job they're doing. Now it's time to uh >> for RI summit of course there >> that'll come out next. >> Mike, did you have a question on this? >> Um I I think Mr. Monaco mentioned that the public works is is the next contract. >> I'll start it
134this month. >> Started it. And so they're they're [snorts] settled through the current fiscal year or >> the end of this fiscal year. >> They'll they'll appoint their [clears throat] board sometime in January. Yeah. hopefully next week and then I'll meet with them shortly afterwards. >> Okay. So, like the question I always have is the labor costs that are projected here. >> Are we using are we using this the special account for No. No. So, we're just projecting. Okay. Thank you. I need to know. [clears throat] In our current budget uh uh expenditure report, we have a line item that's referred to as equipment rental, but I don't see that listed here. This is under streets and roads, I'm sorry. >> Um is that has that been folded into something? >> Yeah, that's got name
135to proper. >> So So all equipment rental is basically related to leaf pickup. >> Yes. So even though we're we have bills that are in the month of birth >> $90,000, >> right? We're still getting >> we're still getting bills leave delayed. >> Yeah, we have some delayed invoices coming in. >> Gotcha. Okay. Thank you. >> See that? >> Go ahead, Mike. >> Uh transfer recycling. Um this is projected uh part to uh for the full full-time uh staff. of uh 2%. Uh part-time um increase here is uh state minimum wage. These are our um transfer recycling attendants. Um so we're increasing that budget line. So, are you are you expecting more work or because I'm just looking at the actual for 2425 was only about 42,000 [clears throat] and I believe year to date
136we've only spent about 20,000 halfway through this year. So, are you expecting some big variance for next year? This is for part-time. Sorry. >> Well, part-time this includes some of our part-time callings as well. >> Right. >> For sanitation. This is a recite the our recycling staff as well, >> right? But >> so this covers that expend expenditure as well. >> Yeah. I I guess I'm just trying to reconcile the last completed year was only about 42,000 and so far halfway through this year we've only spent 20,000. So how are we getting up to 81 for next year? >> Question. You can circle back if you need to. >> Can you get back to Rich, please? >> That's sure. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> So, o overtime, this is going to cover all the uh
137work holidays as well. Um >> with the the 4% increase. Uh wage differentials [clears throat] staying the same. Utilities, uh not changing. Gas and oil, uh we're increasing that from 318 to 32,000. equipment maintenance, materials and supplies, public education are staying the same. Disposal recycling materials [clears throat] that were um projecting a little increase on that uh from two 211 to 230,000. Uh disposal of hazard and regulated waste, that's staying the same. No change. Building maintenance, no change. No. Uh transportation hauling, we have a 6% increase from 131,500 to 140,000. This is uh everything that gets hauled out of our transfer recycling center. >> So is that a subcontract? What is that? >> That's a subcontractor. Yeah. >> And is this is this an estimate? Would you price this out? Well, we're looking at the
138actual expenditure of last year and [snorts] we're we're projecting that it's going to increase. Uh we've seen a lot of uh use of the transfer recycling center. It it seemed like it's been increasing more and more each year. >> So, just to make sure that we have funding there, we want to cover that with that uh increase there. Has that prompted [clears throat] any thoughts about perhaps uh checking IDs? I know at some point there there was talk of actually having people, you know, be able to demonstrate that they're actually town residents uh before they enter the the the transfer station because I'm I'm just a little concerned that perhaps, you know, people who are running various um lawn maintenance companies and so forth might be utilizing our our transfer station. Yeah, we did that.
139Uh you mentioned that the last time. Uh we did have a u a meeting with our attendants. We did make them aware of that. We are checking license uh driver's license for each vehicle that goes in there unless it's a vehicle that they know, >> okay, >> that is a North Haven resident. So, we've >> we've stopped a few out of town vehicles from dumping before they were able to uh unload their uh vehicles. So it it is working. >> Yeah, we we certainly don't want cars piled up onto, you know, Elm Street, but >> No, it it moves fairly quick. I mean, knowing that the attendants are there weekly, they recognize vehicles, faces, so it it actually moves a little quicker. >> Great. But we do we do get on the occasion uh other
140towners coming in and trying to >> um the rest of the lines there site maintenance uh rental uh uniforms meals dues and expenses and permits they all stay the same. [snorts] >> Um I want the next one. Any questions? Okay. uh maintenance. Uh again, it their contract is coming up, so we're projecting a little increase there, a 2% increase. Overtime, uh we're keeping the same wage differential. We're increasing uh just to uh [clears throat] make sure we're above the actual from 24 to 25. Um wage differential. I'm going to explain it cuz I know this is going to come up. This covers some of the specialty jobs that we're doing down there. Uh because of the vehicle uh well, we haven't been replacing vehicles, we've been um doing some work to upkeep them and keep
141them safe for our uh staff to to [clears throat] drive and operate. So, that's where that increase comes in. Um the rest of the lines, office supplies and equipment the same, gas and oil diesel [clears throat] same as last year. Maintenance of equipment is staying the same. No increase uh garage equipment and supplies staying the same. Uniforms and shoes is [clears throat] the same as last year. Meals is staying the same and training is not getting changed. It's remaining the same as last year. So running a tight budget here. Any questions for Mike on this page before he goes on to capital? >> He has one more. >> I got more. >> Parks. >> Sorry. >> So, uh, with parks just a personnel part-time increase of 2%. Um, water for the parks is staying the
142same. Park gas and oil is remaining the same. The electrical [clears throat] for parks, uh, that we're increasing of 1%. So 46,000 to 6,500 that controls all the uh field lights and power that they need to run their um programs. Parking vehicles is remaining the same. I'm just going to run down all of them. Park maintenance and supplies uh maintenance of parks and park equipment are remaining the same. uh landscape beautifification. We're actually going to increase that 5%. So 11,000 to 11,05 that is utilized for our garden club um and trying to make the town look more inviting and and replacing some shrubbery around the central block, the town green. So we're we're taking out some of the older we're putting in some in some new shrubbery so that we're increasing a little bit. track
143field maintenance. Uh that's remained the same. That's staying uh same as last year. So very tight budget this year. >> That's a contract, right, Mike? >> That's a contract. Yes. >> So does that be rebid every year? Do we order that's what it's going to be? >> I'm not sure if it's every year. Might be every other year. >> It probably has a three-year contract. >> Okay. >> And that for uh budget lines, I'm going to move down to capital. John, if you want to do the capital pictures, we all like to see pictures. [clears throat] Start here. >> Good evening. John Laza, assistant director of field operations. Um, so one of our major challenges that we face is that we have to overcome is that probably have over 50 vehicles um and equipment in
144our inventory. So while understanding that vehicles and equipment are expensive in today's market, um, we're trying to do our best to keep our inventory shape. [clears throat] However, due to the daily usage and wear and tear is necessary that we need to update our inventory to best serve the residents of North Haven in mind. So going forward, capital requests. If I could start with sanitation. Um our first item we're requesting to purchase a 33yard refuge truck which would replace a 2012 Peterbuilt 3. Um the replacement cost for this item is 381,500. Uh if you buy it outright, a second option would be a year lease to buy option to lower the upfront cost significantly. Uh the reason we are requesting a replacement of this vehicle is that it is a 2012 and no longer reliable.
145Most refuge trucks have a lifespan of about 8 years uh before significant maintenance costs occur. This truck is over 13 years old. It is used every day. In the past 9 months, the truck has incurred approximately $35,000 in repairs to keep it on the road and over 192 man hours of labor for repairs. We are asking to replace this vehicle with a 33yard refuge truck. rear loader to continue curbside trash pickup and our dumpster pickups across town. Any questions with that item? >> Why don't you just go through them all, John? Then we'll open up the feed, please. >> Uh second item, we're requesting to purchase two automate helping arms to the two semi-automatic trash truck loaders [clears throat] for trash pickup. These side loader arms will increase the safety of our employees and reduce
146worker comp claims significantly. Total estimated cost to add these two helping arms to our trucks is approximately 172,256. >> So this is how many trucks? >> Two. Two. >> Two truck. >> One arm per truck. Okay. >> Right. >> Uh third item request is a Ford F350 or a Chevy 35 rack body 4x4 equipped with a liftgate and plow package. This new truck would replace a 1995 Ford rack truck. Uh we are requesting to replace this truck with a Ford F350 Chevy 3500 four-wheel drive with body lift gate. Estimated cost of this item is 72,000. Uh the reason for the replacement request is that the truck is 30 years old and is no longer reliable. The truck would be used gate for production projects and during bulk weeks for sanitation. would also be used for
147work orders with our facilities in town in the central block region for um helping move equipment and register for a moving um [snorts] voter registry with the plow package. We would also be able to utilize the clear roads which we can't do currently because of its condition. A new reliable truck would ensure the essential services are not interrupted by unexpected breakdowns. Item number four, we're replacing a 1988 Ford L8000 with asphalt hotbox with an international cab and chassis with snorkel for asphalt projects. So, currently this truck has been out of service for over 2 years. It is imperative to have this truck placed increase efficiency in asphalt projects. This will result in less product waste and it would significantly improve operations going [snorts] forward for paving driveways flesh lateral paving large paving areas and overlaying
148curving townwide during the spring, summer and fall months. We are currently one truck down for our winter snow operation. This would allow us to be back at 100% operation. The cost would be approximately 265,000 or um at least the buy option. Um >> so John, what which one are you looking at? The 506. >> It's both of them. International, >> the 507, the 131, and the 134. >> Okay. >> So, an example would be like last weekend, we were down three trucks plus this one. So, we're four trucks down. So, it' be great to put this back in the uh get full capacity. >> The hot box is what? Just the behind the cab piece. >> Yeah, just a it's a just a unit that we use for asphalt operations. >> Back of the bed.
149There's a actual picture floating around [clears throat] of the >> but also like a six wheel. I could use it for snow operations. Okay. Lastly, we are requesting the purchase of a hook lift with tarp system with various attachments. With those attachments comes dumpster, flatbed, and dump body. So, it's a multi-use truck. Um, we have the truck. We're just looking to replace it with with this um with this setup. This would replace a rundown aging dump body that is desperate need for replacement. estimated cost of repair and materials exceeds the value of the dump body with a $133,000 estimate for replacement costs. Uh by transforming this truck, we'll be able to increase usage and ability to change attachments for various projects. The cost to transform the truck be approximately 133,000. So that's the last item
150that we're requesting for this year. However, I just want to take a moment recognize the men and women of public works, field operations from all of us for incredible hard work and commitment. [clears throat] Their work is vital um and to our success and their positive attitude keeps team motivated. [snorts] We would like to thank everyone for consistently raising the bar by giving the town residents the best service possible. Thank you. >> Thank you, John. Uh let's open up to members if they have any questions on capital for either uh Mike or John. >> Does does the refuge truck um have the automatic arm in case someday we decide to get the trash cans? So, this truck is going to be like our older trucks with the rear mount tipper so that we could also
151do dumpsters and do our trash pickup at curbside. So, it won't have a side. It's not a side loader. It's a rear loader. >> Okay. >> We're always going to need a uh rear loader for some of the roads in town that we can't get the the automated side loader in. >> All right. Sorry. Thank you. And they have multiple stops a day for dumpster pick runs. So they need this truck. >> All right. [clears throat] >> Anyone else have questions for public works? >> I I I do. I guess we've seen these pictures for years and years and years. Um >> probably call Victor Palmer. Victor probably had him draw >> probably. Um [clears throat] >> the trucks do look older now. [laughter] pictures. I always love the pictures. Um, but if you had
152to pick the priority out of this list, which you haven't you have a really old fleet, what would be your >> So, we would definitely pri prioritize the rear loader refuge truck. Um, being that's a 2012, they have an 8year lifespan pretty much, and after that, you just throw a [clears throat] lot of money into them just to keep them on the road. So that would be number one. Number service for 2 years with a hot box asphalt hot box in the back. Um [snorts] it would significantly be more efficient than what we're doing now. Um we [clears throat] we have a limited time for our asphalt. So we have to use it in a certain amount of time before it gets cold. So that would help out a lot. Um we're also down one
153truck for snow plowing. So we really felt it this past weekend. >> You're going to feel it again this week? >> Yes. Oh. [laughter] >> So that would be a huge help to [clears throat] the guys. field ops. >> All right. Thank you. >> Any final questions or comments for >> Mike? John, >> did you want to talk at all about the uh full-time employee that you'd like to add? >> Well, he said he was not requesting that. >> Well, you're not request because of the tight I I know you're not. >> Okay. Got it. I mean it it would be for an additional labor uh if not this year. I don't think it reflects this budget. >> Yeah, I didn't see the number change in in the uh plantation. >> Yeah. So, it would
154be an additional uh labor for our streets and roads and parks uh to help with the maintenance of central block and throughout the whole town. So, I mean the town is getting bigger. Um, our staff is the same as it's been since I started and that's over 30 years. So, I think it's I think it's time to increase our uh personnel. >> And how much of the snow plowing is done exclusively by uh our public works staff as opposed to, you know, do you ever have to supplement it? But >> it's all done by our staff. >> It's exclusively done. Okay. >> Just want to make sure. So, >> and that's >> got a dedicated uh staff that wants to once the snow starts and they know what to get done and they want to
155get it done so they could complete it and be done. >> We treat the roads right before Yes. Before >> So, we want to make it safe for all our residents, our visitors, our families, and the business [snorts] owners. We want to make it so that they can get to work, get to school, and get things done. >> I'm sure you've seen that. social media. You go to bed at night and the roads are covered. You wake up in the morning and there's no snow on the roads. Curve to curb >> and they compare us to other towns all the time. >> Yeah, I do. >> And we always look the best. >> Do a great job. >> Yeah, you do a great job. >> Thank you for what you guys like. >> Oh, yes.
156Yeah. tonight. [laughter] >> This is just a public. It's good to see you. Got to know the rules. >> The proceeding program is brought to you in part through a grant from the town of North Haven. Watchings, other videos on demand at nhtv.com.