Board of Finance Meeting

001[Music] it yeah Hagrid Penrith told ya [Music] you're never gonna agree with that can't just ever see it right it ends up being it's an almost exactly 575 red [Music] I got my insurance check it is a over setting and unfortunately yeah all right good evening everyone it's a couple minutes past eight o'clock today is Monday June 4th 2018 I called this special meeting of the Brookfield Board of Finance to order ok so where we tabled last time around was we had some numbers in mind that we loosely agreed to amongst ourselves on the board and we had left it where we were going to kick the town cut in the town number back to the First Selectman so that he could go ahead and manage the cuts within his budget about a day and

002a half after the meeting adjourned Steve did that he sent us the cuts that added up to the total that was agreed to which was a hundred nine thousand seven hundred seventy three dollars and he went ahead and layered those in Steve is not with us just yet so what I would like to do is what I'd like to do is go over the Board of Education up and he's here I'll just give Steve a second to set up and we'll walk through these numbers good evening we're gonna we're gonna start going through this and I thought it would be best to start top-down so we can go ahead and go through if you could walk us through the one hundred nine thousand seven hundred seventy three in cuts that you had proposed it's a

003little out of focus we'd have to jump up on the on the table [Music] Wow let's do it I get irritated I don't want ice cream here the apartment made a number of Justices across the board normal apartment involving a board if it is his request we did some travel continuing education for our manager what could I do couldn't do that anything sense we are all being an education certifications and things like that we're going to ours one of our drivers $4,000 we $1,100 and we continue to go through and do the work we need to do we need to change that come back the words we also can travel continues out of there different that much across the board so it's alright talk too much I'm just we didn't say anything either ladies planning

004on a technical support we have a set of dollars we can belong to an opportunity that exists and we both reason to let us talk to the manager of the department again $400 on the travel in education ladies planning again took out some of the travel sending the fire marshal we do have some of the travel in health community disorder to be a dollar budget per travel city with assessor's office the tax collector's office the controller's offices so we were planning on industry or sending three people three years time that's an ending to the time depending on as opposed to those seen anything personal with a little bit their information technology again look at all those anniversary ball in the unit onerous social resources is they have a really high budget of $150 in their

005travel see the Senior Center $150 left the community grants there they are right now we could change those if necessary all of those who said we don't need to really help people in roughly a lot of other their participants in people them come from a minute we chose this organization employs rack we're going to wage American to director there we did it a little bit out of their travel time at trial and they were already probably gonna be over budget because all were doing cleanup in the public safety can discuss a little matter we had a very good proof conversation last week and Django already these are changes but I would like to be known that we're paying included a the police budget and we need to Minister you know now will we are anticipating

006one hire that I changed its three Myers that they have had an engineer we're going to come back to the board with finding yeah worse perhaps as long as it largely in January so things changed a little time in the category of Union wage as we identify significant savings because we have one officer and a literary deployment and this is sort of significant money officer it will continue to lead you to the end of the January 19 so we can identify forty two thousand three hundred twenty-five dollars and savings in that particular line item I'd like to put it on reserve ten miles in the bath or potential overtime in that so that the 31 was sediment were I'm going to ruin the mood we avoided it for hiring two people largely because we had

007one officer two officers recently with the FBI but came back so that the president of you has sought out the people at a position so is this and it's already a current employee so he won't remain in an interview don't realize some of the cost were 30 assumes they're 100 grams we proposed to eliminate the DUI and for immigrant with 525 Swiss below and Richard to be a completely watch it gives all the greens they're told he's ten into total forty thousand ninety dollars and the Rancho [Music] we wash essentially that that translates allowed a $90 savings say the equivalent we had proposed to add a fourth ke da the external defibrillator to our patrol of lead we would pull back off services phones to deploy agree and that is good [Music] on your uniforms

008again this is we know who knew higher we need to save Cena going on only there's on $4,200 [Music] generally stay identified to Alyssa capacitation they maybe thought we were in underneath we don't need to back out to vests the bananas are three dollars under patrol equivalent we had identified ten thousand dollars for a Sioux boss I'm a bit at the fire department donating one of their goes to a retrofitted it to be usable as a little yield for a school team that's a penance now a sentence a patrol line so we backed out soon because we did the technology to that and in our education and training we back out on a total reductions and we were able to find total 60 degree thousand readers to enjoy all the reductions the salary was gonna

009come back and visit you next year does not go away and it's simply a savings this year only the person is not here but you're gonna see it this is harder to increase next year we look at an apology the sensors do below saying there are some of these that are one one time so that we can eliminate those are good you won't see them again but that's our line but the biggest one everybody in the services were providing in town she was able to the candy can't be realized they were things we know now that we didn't know we made a budget so on the fire companies we reduced the one percent was just approximately the average of the costs that you would ask you for so senator we cut out the 1955 dollars

010and Canada would did not touch her because that row [Music] again and then we had [Music] so that's a crazy thank you was exactly what you know to be around every woman you know these are now we were really really really tight so we may be I think in education of the world and the community would be you know that you know that the town does managed those costs as possible you know and then every term standards that are there and in the low-income urban Probie age and if it was critically necessary thank you actively Norrish gonna have this way stay you mentioned that if we if Brookfield residents go to let's say di Mary to drop off you know will incur a little for that yeah the town incurs a bill was a student

011so there's a possible I he'll there's a sponsor are known there but usually if we go to the New Milford recycling event would be the last time we did it we got like a four thousand dollar bill that one foot hazardous waste that was paid entirely by HR are a we had absolutely zero expense which was great they had enough money in their budget to be able to run that event running a risk this year yeah a little bit of a risk to taxpayers to know that any other questions for the first segment comments of concerns all those in favor I'll make a motion now all those in favor of accepting these changes as we've outlined indicate bystander help second discussion further ok house in favor indicate by saying aye okay okay the next area

012that I would like to cover did there had been some discussion Eileen here and also John Lucas the treasurer did bring up that according to where we are right now in this year's budget the current year's budget supplemental taxes so personal property let's say from from businesses and home businesses things like that and also vehicle taxes we were running a little bit higher that's in part to folks prepaying and we asked Steve you have to go back and ask Roberta hey is there anything else in there could you take another look and what Roberta came back to Steve with which is excellent is based on the numbers in her analysis we're seeing conservatively another 75,000 in revenue that we can add to to those supplemental supplemental taxes and I think we can we can have

013a quick chat or a quick discussion on what we want to do with that so what I've done is and we don't have to make a final on that but I would like to communicate you know how this files rolling up now this supplemental taxes here now has that revenue increased and for the sake of this presentation I've just taken it out of this tax number so we balance now okay we can go ahead lulu-nee would like to go through that now would you like to wait till the end of our discussions okay you can do it now so what I had done was I again I added the 75 for the new information from our tax collector that Steve passed along I've added that the Supplemental taxes so now instead of 391 9 85

014pushing to the original estimate we now have supplemental taxes in there at four sixty six nine eighty five and then instead of let's say adding back to what had been cut from town in school we can go ahead and remove that from the necessary taxes okay or the necessary current taxes so as effect reduces the levy okay so that's reflected not only in the general property taxes here I'm sorry yes and it's also reflected in the supplement axis we had an increase here and a decrease here which all things being held constant and equal from our last discussion I apologize for the fuzziness lowers that millwright impact from where it was at 496 to 385 what was that Friant 396 I'm sorry down to 385 I move that we add that revenue to supplemental taxes

015and decrease the the current year taxes for the tune of 75,000 it's all seven okay discussion I mean I think my only hesitation is not hearing from the Board of Ed yet what types of programs could be potentially cut and so if you know we took a two-thirds type of of the 75 in revenue what would that 50,000 mean programming or school cider 25,000 on the town side and I think if it's possible to hear what that impact could be Oh I'm not sure if that's something that's prepared for tonight Mystikal decided to see what what the impact ago we asked for last week OPM schools I mean I'm certainly willing to table that motion and ask that Colette's term does join us if she has any new information I would like to speak on

016those proposed reductions before we move on the revenue in the education cut so just to recap last week we had proposed but not moved on to be noted nothing was moved on during this discussion last week additional cuts to the Board of Ed budget of two hundred thirteen thousand ninety dollars yes the Board of Ed is actually going to be meeting on Wednesday at its regular board meeting to discuss the cuts and identify areas for reduction so unfortunately I don't think I have anything more define that for you at this point that we had last time which was just areas of potential reduction in cuts that we would have I can review them again if anyone would like well anyone on the board like to hear those again I mean we're gonna it's it's all

017told 500,000 we're gonna find as many the efficiencies as we can go from there let's see what we can do I mean it's a lean budget to begin with we can always look at it to see what we can do there are gonna be cuts it'll be painful but we're gonna try to do what we can to find areas that would have the least impact on our students and I mean I think as a board we would ask the same of the Board of Education as we did to the First Selectman woman's budget passes managed to the best of of the board's ability of course and if and when it turns out that those needs cannot be met by the budget that was passed you know then we'll have then we'll have a discussion we

018always tried the best of our ability to meet your budget any other questions comments or concerns any board members would like the voice to collect okay I can I get okay so bring the motion back on the floor to add back or add to supplemental tax in 75,000 with a corresponding decrease in the current taxes of 75,000 second all those in favor indicate by saying aye aye opposed motion carries for one okay now following the discussion with this term I make a motion that the Board considers and accepts the proposed reduction to the Board of Education budget of two hundred thirteen thousand ninety dollars it's all separate discussion I don't think this is wise to put $500,000 cuts in front of the Board of Education or for the town I understand that it may be

019necessary but I just don't think it's wise it's all that I feel like we're taking a step backwards we've been making progress and but the town in the school site didn't ask for much beyond status quo and then especially increases and state cuts and to know that we're coming in to the budget season and asking them to take this much out of the budget just it feels like we're losing ground we were getting class sizes and where they are meant to be based on Board of Education recommendations that have been sitting there for a long time and even that the loss of programs and the things that are on the table because they're not mandated but that's going to hurt I wish we weren't at this point any further discussion hearing none we'll call the

020motion to a vote all those in favor indicate by saying aye aye okay motion carries five Oh okay sorry we just could we get a summary from the original referendum - now of what the cuts were on the town the capital plan and the school side just so that it's clear not choppy do you want to go to capital no no no I mean just just I think it'd just be good general for everybody to know that originally the town came in here and now we're here and this is how much has been caught and I think they need to know that you know even though yes it is still a 3.86 percent budget it's you know there is five hundred thousand of of last year's errors that we had to include and another shortfall

021from last year that we had to include and you know this is a this is a very lean budget and how do we not have those issues last year this would be a two percent budget currently or in the two percent range to institute a two and a half percent range at least so I Swan residents to know that if you're looking for a hard number it's not that easy there's other stuff that goes on prior that we have to make up for if you look at it this way well set the special ed costs for this year which the town funded to the the amount of 470 thousand five hundred that actual total cost to the board of ed was 1 million sixty five thousand I believe we also have the elderly tax relief

022for our seniors and our veterans that's four hundred and eighty five thousand and we also have a cut in the grants of about two hundred and sixty two thousand those three things alone represent 2.7 percent of the total budget of the total budget and those are things we cannot get away from they're mandated by the state they set the grants they set the requirements for special ed and we're required by law to give our veterans and our seniors that actually so if you look at it from that standpoint this increases not large alright I don't have everything you asked for a prepared no no no I don't expect like the like I'm now saying just yeah so yes I mean some of it is here and we can certainly walk through it perhaps not in

023the past detail that you just no no a summary I'm looking for the total high level now I would like to review the reductions in the capital improvements paid with cash or unbonded capital improvements we did propose but not officially move on one hundred two thousand one hundred thirty-seven dollars from those that's on this approved capital tab did anyone need to go through those again or we're comfortable with those okay I move that we accept the reduction of a hundred two thousand one hundred thirty-seven dollars to non-bonded capital improvements as reviewed at the last meeting second okay for the discussion hearing none all those in favor indicate by saying aye aye aye motion carries five Oh okay I think we'll get to that as part of discussion so at this point we've been through the

024link everything all the highlights on the mill rate tab we've gone through on the revenue we've gone through the changes that we've made okay I'm sorry for those of you that have to squint beyond recent ability that number does say 3.85 okay all right I move that the board accepts the total proposed expenditures in the amount of sixty six million six hundred seven thousand seven hundred sixty seven dollars to include the Board of Education budget of forty two million seven hundred two thousand five hundred three dollars town operating budget in the amount of eighteen million five hundred forty two thousand nine hundred sixty-seven dollars capital projects financing of 1 million two hundred forty eight thousand nine hundred forty three dollars and debt service of four million one hundred thirteen thousand three hundred fifty four dollars

025which represents a proposed tax increase of three point eight five percent and a change in the mill rate of one point zero five as referenced in the attached 2018-2019 town of Brookfield budget summary well second okay not kind of repeat the motion on the floor but is there any discussion there on Ricky had mentioned just before is there a summary or let's say a role to get from last referendum to this referendum yes not last original run the original yeah oh yes yes yeah yeah March 23rd the well the budget that we proposed that March 23rd for the first referendum yes yep the town including contingency has gone down a total of four hundred five thousand seven hundred seventy three dollars okay and that's not only the what the First Selectman walked us through but

026it's also the the contingencies that we've reduced both general and personnel contingencies the volunteer stipend and the remaining hundred nine thousand dollars that we just walked through okay there's also that hundred mm that wasn't moved on for referendum - but we did move on it in preparation for referendum three we didn't go over that but that contained various items there that 100 mm the Board of Education from referendum to where it was cut or in anticipation the referendum - of one hundred seven and a half thousand and now the two hundred thirteen thousand in preparation for referendum three that's 320,000 648 that cut from the Board of Education so from first referendum to this point where we are now that's a reduction of eight hundred twenty eight and a half thousand dollars expenses yes that

027we've cut out and expenses so the first the first cut was about 400 three-and-a-half thousand the second cut is around in 425 thousand achieved through those three and then that doesn't include the seventy-five thousand of fat new revenue no it does not no it does not what that wasn't really not include the two hundred thousand extra in grants this was expenditure it says this is a chassis insurance allergist these are services that were cut from the town and so if we factor in the changes in revenue since then as well literally it's not a million bucks yeah we're up to really 1 million one of total tax decrease quest essentially yeah ok just one time to be out there [Music] so it was requested of both the First Selectman and the chair of the Board

028of Education to please manage to these cuts as we hope that they are passed in this budget we need to move our town forward we need to do so as a town not only from the education side which services our children into young adulthood but also our residents from infancy to the latter part of our lives and I think that's that's big and I think that as a Board of Finance we really did try and none of us are experts we're all volunteers here we really did try to make sure that everyone was served still in some capacity while attempting to present something to the voters that's perhaps more reasonable from the first cut I think now if it's the town's will the town needs to come together and support this budget after we vote

029momentarily that's where it is it's in the hands of the town I really hope to not be doing this again and you know the next eight or ten days is there anything else yeah I'd like to say it's not up to the town to decide right I mean we've made the cuts this is six of us can make oh then we feel we can make the pain I'll admit that as well but it's now up to the town to come out and guide us where they need to stick up if this is acceptable we pass it and we move forward to the cuts so if not there's going to be a facelift of some sort if it goes deeper and obviously it's just a six of us and if the town decides it becomes facelift

030now I bet this next stage and that's a towns right yes or no to vote that way but we're at a point now where the six of us have done that we can do from this point of view Steve I just would like to point out if you go back to your milray page the actual increase in expenditures right is two point eight two percent come behind town and schools now the mill rate does change it and machine your elderly does raise it a little bit but it's two point eight two percent given we had two hundred and sixty two thousand dollars in cuts and just state grants alone you look at these things and you say I think that's a pretty reasonable number given all the things that we're facing right now this is

031a really difficult year and that 2.82 includes a million dollars of specialized cost yeah includes a million dollars special ed because really earning yes good point I just want to make sure everyone has a fair chance okay and I will close discussion so we can vote the motion on the floor does anyone need a repeat okay all those in favor of the motion on the floor indicate by saying aye aye aye motion carries fives are up okay that was all the business that we had for tonight no it's attached it will be attached to them and today so we have public comment it will allow three minutes per speaker if you've got a chance to sign up great if not please slowly state your name and address for the record is there more than is

032there more than one person that would like to speak to I just want to say that it's been a difficult year for native address oh come on now so channel says big buckle in Brookfield Connecticut for sex 804 fits and I'll give you two turns okay okay I just want to say it's been a difficult year for the resolutions as well as the town and I hope you consider that when you look at it this budget is in my opinion still too high it's the highest in the area somebody asked a series of questions we hired a purchasing agent two years ago I couldn't find any evidence of any savings in purchases of supplies in this budget it was over $200,000 in spending reductions realized by the school in 2017 18 to compensate for a

033high spec special ed expenses they will put back into this budget we should we must eliminate it from this budget why is the school recommending positions increase when a woman has they posted it is declining I think we have to look at this we spend a lot of money over the past two years and technology and system improvements we are the efficiency gains in this budget how many active employees do we have now and what's the amount included in the budget that always used to be a way to hide expenses at least in a company I worked for you got to eliminate the contingencies in here I have no contingency my contingency just went after my lumberjack for cutting down trees if I don't have it the town shouldn't have it why is there still

034a ten percent increase in salaries and the selectmen Sophos I find this personally distasteful especially in the way this budget is growing the increases that we've had and we need to get this operating budget as well as possible because the residents are facing additional expenses and the town is facing significant increases in capital costs for our school over the next few years I don't know what the estimate for the school is but I bet you it's way over 30 million dollars and I like someone to comment on it as to what the new estimate is and this is going to increase our fixed cost of the future interest expense as well as debt payment the 2015-2016 actual expenses were about a million dollars below the budget where's this money and why can't we use it

035now thank you [Music] a rich Saluda 32 great crater in lane I'd first like to commend the chief for the delineation of the cuts in the public safety budget I wish other departments had been as diligent as that in cutting their pacheco budgets as well I agree with the previous speaker that this budget is again way too high I would like to just ask for some clarification you indicated that there's eight hundred thousand dollars in cuts but my understanding is the first four hundred and three thousand dollars which included a hundred and seven thousand from the Board of Ed in 296 from the town at 296 from the town was my understanding that 200 of that was the extra grant coming in and fifty thousand of that was the extra money and the veteran the

036EMT fired line and that left a $50,000 cut approximately in the town budget so if you could just clarify that because I believe that that's what was promulgated resign thanks so 200,000 came down what I mentioned before and then Ricky added on to it with the what the revenue part was just on expenditures right so if you if you take a look at the role of that 296 yes it was it was the 200,000 that we removed from contingency right and you saw that come out of on the mill rate tab right up here okay so that was initially 250 250 when we had it in for the first referendum we took out the toilet two hundred thousand and then we took away from this personnel contingency 34 five okay it's two hundred thirty four

037thousand five hundred so what's left in total contingencies on both fifty five thousand fifty five thousand yep five hundred so that's total contingencies general and personnel and then yes we did take out the forty nine five or the fifty thousand as you referenced it okay and then addition we also all the way up here the yep Park and Rec that twelve thousand okay so the total of those does roll to your 296,000 was there anyone else that would like to give comment today okay as I said now you get to two turns of the sand status quo in any channel cannot be cannot be done we are facing a lot of expenses and I would like an answer as to how much the school in place a capital budget are going to cost because I

038think the expenses with that the future expenses the interest and the repayment people should know this is where this operating budget has to be as low as possible I also think that the original cuts that you made like courage and insight you know finding 250,000 and cutting there were 200,000 from the budget we some could have done that when you guys are looking at the finances the financial integrity of the tale you know energy a financial flexibility going forward but we really have to attack this budget to get at at the basis of what's driving up cost if you look at this budget and if the increases over the past two years to the town's budget it's the highest in the area it's up over 10% even if there's an increase what's happened to the

039expending where were the way would be controllers in place where are the games from the purchasing agent and for the technology improvement I haven't seen that in any budget and I haven't seen anyone talk about it you know we'll need to understand what's going on to get at the root class of where we are expenses are increasing much quicker than others and as for education you can throw money at education but that doesn't mean it's going to increase the quality of education we have a really good education system here one of the lowest per pupil spending and just the true dat hat it doesn't mean it's going to increase anything his special rate is going up personally I'd like to know why rather than just say it's going up and there's nothing we could do

040about it where's it coming from was it soaked in a prior that they'll really recognize where is it going I think that's an important feature where is it going if it's increasing so much last year this year God where's it going these are things that has to be considered when you're doing a budget or I could say this I'll probably see you guys in two weeks and I know that sort of cuts are going to happen and in between Navin then what you're really going to do to tackle the issues that you should have tackled a few weeks ago the count has spoken twice there are time at the Apple I'm sure the town will speak again have you gotten any updates on how much in school it's going to cost it and the place

041we have not been presented by either Commission committee or board and we're still 30 million by our estimates there is no actual estimate from either one of those commissions right now into the Board of Finance Thursday night there's a town meeting with Thursday night at 7 o'clock and the auditorium is a town meeting on the street consultants for the school will be presenting some of the proposals it's on the town website it's on the Brookfield matters it's on the school website yes okay well I'll be there but reservations not there that is the presentation of yeah so there is a presentation that has been done by the firm that has been given to the Facilities Committee director the strategic committee that is going to be reviewed officially this week oh I can already say it's

042up over 30 million dollars if you're not telling us what the what the exact cost is like the moon the new estimate is that's a discussion for Thursday night I think it's important what do you guys know it because I think it's important that you consider it when can I look at this budget we're done for now okay thank you we've been done a walk I thank you thanks all right would anyone else like to give public comment before we wrap up name and address Sir Harry shaker I eighty-seven long medical bro if he gets a hat I'd like to thank all of the board's all the different departments again I've been in your shoes 14 times so I know how difficult it is people are comparing this budget to other towns budgets and I

043know that there are situations especially with Bethel that there were circumstances wide their budget is that low and also with new Millford I believe that there are things that they had that helped them I think that's important for people to understand also karma imparted the problem with that problem what part of the cost of the special education increase is an increase in the number of students that have been identified as having to be outsourced and that is I believe was about the tune of 12 860 thousand dollars this year that that's one of the reasons why there's such a high spike in the special education I'm not here to advocate a no vote I'm not here to advocate a yes vote but the biggest number the most important number is what the bottom line number

044is if the last referendum whether it's the third the fourth or the fifth I've been at four and it's not pretty so get out and vote whether it's yes or no but understand that that is the number that counts is whatever that bottom line is on that last referendum and it could go through you could go for it but just just this is serious stuff and I don't want anyone to think that anyone is taking it lightly whether it's support Finance Board of Education or selectmen or any of the people involved but you know three-point-nine is a number that has not been a popular number we're not there though no never whatever it is 3.8 3.8 or whatever and again I'm just saying you have to understand what that bottom line number is and get

045out and vote and let the people that these poor guys and gals know what what you want them to do but I do appreciate everybody's thank you all right that's cool once twice three times okay I move to adjourn those in favor aye vote thank you [Music]