Board of Finance Meeting 3-6-18

001[Music] and then I [Music] good evening ladies and gentlemen today is Tuesday March 6th and this is a special meeting of the Brookfield Court of Finance if you would join me for the Pledge of Allegiance pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation indivisible okay we will start the evening with our first public comment I would like to note that this meeting is to review the Board of Selectmen proposed budget so with that we'll be going through revenue income will be going through capital and we'll also be hitting the at least the finance department tonight okay so with that do we have any members of the public that would like to make comment [Music] okay wait just to the podium comes and

002then state your name and address for the record sir yes sir come on roster Channel six big buckling Brookfield Connecticut my only comment is I went online to see what was going to be discussed tonight so that I wouldn't come in here ignoring to what you guys were going to be talking about and I couldn't find anything that that was online so I would say that if you're going to have a special meeting if you would post what you're going to be talking about online so that the residents can look at it before they come that would be most beneficial and helpful and would eliminate many questions thank you thank you is there anyone else that would like to give comment okay hearing none let's move on to new business mr. Dunn will take us

003through the Board of Selectmen proposed 2018-19 town budget going through this in some detail so I put together a brief highlight that will listed what I see as the main drivers [Music] come on so as we look at this this is what I see are the drivers we have a lowering of state grants that's about 0.47 percent of our overall budget the grants are based on the latest cut from the state as to what exactly they're going to give us from OPM that could still change insurance is up to hundred twenty six thousand dollars is our estimate and that's a point three six percent growth special education on the school side is eight hundred and two thousand dollar increase which is one point two seven percent of the total budget and the veteran is you

004know literally which we're adding back in is point seven seven percent almost one percent and salaries increases both mandated by contract and otherwise our point three four percent of the budgets we're total two hundred fifteen thousand dollars the total of these items is two million twenty four thousand dollars which represents three point two percent of the overall increase of the budget we're not asking for any new staff this year we're not asking for any major changes we are fine-tuning the budget to make it more accurately correct the real numbers as we see them as we go through that when we tighten them up from year to year so that's pretty much it we don't understand where the state is going to end up so we have kept the contingency fund of four hundred thousand dollars

005in case the state does cut our grants more or we get more special ed expenses it could happen and otherwise our budget is pretty much straightforward but it was simple very similar to the last few years no major changes at all I'm sorry there is one change we did ask we are going to ask for about twenty thousand dollars to do the if you remember last summer we did the hazardous waste recycling here in the parking lot four hundred and some-odd residents of Brookfield took advantage of that HRA was able to absorb the entire cost because they get a lot of fees from the from the haulers and we'd like to do that again this summer if you look at the very behind the very first page of your on the agenda it shows this

006is a breakdown of exactly what happened at that it was very very well received and I'd like to do that again it would be about twenty twenty one thousand dollars in expense it's not me this current budget its intubated it's in there yeah and that's your new ask yeah that's the only major change that by [Music] just make it all small I'm having a bathroom who so the numbers that we're talking about from your budget overview and drivers obviously tired of this main yeah this main militate page yo yeah that's where they come and you're saying that the five drivers that you have make up 3.2 percent of what's presented there your expenditures [Music] if it's correct they would have any general top-line questions before we move into greater detail or finite stuff okay all

007right so so I would like to explore each line of revenue sure while we're here so if you could just take us through your assumptions your backup let's say for each one of these I'd be extremely helpful yeah sure the current taxes whereas there's 63 million three hundred thirty thousand that's driven as a result of the increases in the lowering the state grants that numbers of number that you live that's a number we would need to raise if we're going to have a balanced budget and we don't change this budget at all prior your taxes are pretty close to what they were the year before our tax assessor Tax Collector think they'll go up a little bit supplemental taxes are going down a good bit and that's primarily because the people last year they thought

008with the changes in the tax code they wanted to pay their taxes as quickly as possible so we got a big bump in the payments that means this year we're going to get a little bit less in a supplemental so that's why that's going down and our tax collector but it's been pretty good at running these numbers so that's gonna go down from a budgeted last year 535 thousand down to three hundred ninety one thousand interest lien Zippy's remain the same this is our estimate on that and the forty eight thousand four telephone access is what we've got in front of state and the supplemental taxes yeah a lot of that is driven by vehicles right almost all of its vehicles when people register a car after October 1st right then it rolls into the

009next fiscal year and so we send out the bills and it takes a little while to process and so that's why we got that pump because people went found out what their taxes were and then paid them in last year so what do we do as a town to make sure that everyone let's say who lives in town or Connecticut right registers their vehicle here right we have we have students in the schools we have people that live here and I know for a fact that there's some folks that do live here that have out-of-state plates but they have a residence here and they send their children to school here what are we doing - well on a pinch right no one wants to pay more taxes but if you live here your vehicle should

010be registered in Connecticut and you should be paying your taxes so what are we doing to make sure is there an audit process in place no not really if somebody notifies us that somebody has a car a vehicle that is seems to be in Brookfield all the time and they know it's owned by somebody who lives in Brookville then their kids go to school our tax assessor will take that and approach the property owner and say listen I think you have a car here that should be registered in Connecticut oftentimes what you see is these cars registered in LLC's names it's a very tough tough one to go you we're primarily relying on the honor system that people are doing the right thing I know a friend of mine has a business in Danbury and

011TAM Barry's pretty tough about it and he also has a business in Brewster it's the same business but it's incorporated differently and occasionally his vehicles will move from Danbury to Brookfield and vice versa and he got tax bills from Danbury for two vehicles that spent the night one night in damper but they're really used almost exclusively in Brewster so he went through the process and explained to them what happened and they took that off it's it's not an easy thing to do thankfully it's not many but I would encourage everyone if you know that someone has got their car in their vehicle and they live here the kids go to school here this is their residence because a lot of people do have houses here who are no residents didn't tell us and we'll go

012after them is it something where we could join forces let's say with the school system where we require re-registration and use the registration at the schools and make sure that those folks are have vehicles little trickier because the schools does have privacy rules that they can't avoid right they can't be telling us all Kevin got these eight kids here in this school and this is where they live but they do they also have the same problem with students coming from out of town I think it's been done in other places let me let me get my bearings about me to find out I I know it's been done other places with school registrations used to drive supplemental taxes so let me we can look at that let me let me look back into that and

013let you know where the okay the past the precedent is New Canaan okay they so it's been done in this state and if we're in a pinch like we generally are this is a big problem I want to know that it's not a big problem I don't see it I don't see a lot of out-of-state license plates driving around I just know boat registrations I ever fall into that category as well the painting property tax on the back you know so I pay like 40 bucks in here on my trailer we don't charge you people for their golf carts now most yeah well our new tax assessor we strive around down and there is a community that has a lot of golf carts and those are personal property and their taxable so everyone she found

014she sent out a tax bill we have some very irate residents but fair is fair did he own the vehicle it's your book wheel it's got value to three four thousand dollars you should be taxed on it and two people came forward and said I didn't know that and told her they don't know although she didn't know so that's a good thing so we're looking for every possible Avenue the garden right taxes for people they're villains so when they register the state I mean usually there's this laundry list of every possible thing you could possibly know II don't know especially for small businesses yeah the personal property tax is really tough it's hard for people to understand and it's hard for them it's hard for us to get them to report to us exactly what

015they do want and if they don't tell us that they got rid of a computer we're going to continue to tact you on that there are also severe penalties for not filing it's it's it really expensive it's a 25 percent yeah it's really expensive and so people have a problem with that but you know what you have a business you own property that is owned by the to the Assessor like the registers yes absolutely absolutely it's up to them to make the declaration as to what their personal property is right anything else on the total property taxes any questions comments concerns okay so in the intergovernmental revenues the numbers we have here are the exact numbers that OPM told us are currently the numbers that we will receive they could change if they do change

016they would probably go down one number is changing the low sip grant we on Friday late Friday afternoon I got notice the low cypriot is now going to be a hundred and ninety thousand two hundred thirty seven I believe you get to the exact number yeah you said what I mean 1 9 0 2 3 7 [Music] and that's the only one that we know is changing so it's going up about $60,000 you can ask on the line below that the state-owned property last year's eighteen thousand what qualifies a street when the state owns a piece of property they do pilot payment in lieu of taxes so if they own a property and let's say garage yep they have up in the milford they'll give it down something towards that even though they're not required

017to pay taxes what did we have last year that we don't get this here that i'm sorry yeah what's 18300 know three hundred municipal stabilization grant you don't know the state-owned property fine yeah they were not getting that this year right they still on the property we're just not getting out it's like a $300 right yeah how are you gonna handle the proposed cuts that Malloy's put out there because he's got it on the website if you downloaded today he's got nine ninety nine in the ECS grant and he cut the municipal grant from 274 down to 120 and that's what he's got published on the website right now so there's three hundred thousand dollars as you're looking at yeah that we have a contingency fund that's contingency fund he really didn't utilize all the

018way this year like we have a new unit almost every penny yeah but we didn't really utilize it for what we said we were gonna utilize it for we had pretty broad brush of what it was for it was three hundred thousand four board a bed it was a hundred and eighty thousand five six hundred thousand of that we had established for certain costs and they seemed to go into other areas we took a hundred fifty for insurance we took a hundred for this it wasn't really how we outlined the contingency fund what it was utilized for that's why you have a continued I don't mind having a contingency fund but if you know going in that this one one four four four UCS is not going to be one one four four we don't

019know that we're going off of what they actually said you are going to get today well the boy has said remember he wanted to give us two and a half million dollars in teacher salary expenses so his desires are not as firm as what the actual state has told us I could say I want 69 million dollars from the now that's just saying something we just have to I think we have to go with the numbers that the actual state has ordered the legislators already committed to us so if it goes boy wants to change those we should be aware of them you're right Dan but you're chasing tail if you start if you change if we change our budgets every time Malloy changed his mind we would have had 64 different budgets so far

020this year so I think we have to go with this my opinion what this legislature has so far allocated to the town of Brookfield that may change two years ago what happened to his projected budget what we lose on the education side two years ago 130,000 when we lose last year 160,000 so pretty much if he says these small cuts are gonna happen they've seemed to have happened historically two years in a row running we've taken hits on these accounts yep it was somebody legislature but historically two years in a row now pattern shows we lose about a hundred thirty hundred and fifty thousand a year if you guys want to cut the budget you can cut the budget I'm using I use the numbers that the state has given us so far and the

021same thing goes for the municipal stabilization brand that's also cut in half that's going from 272 120 on Malloy's projection but again the presentation of all this is where the revenue is at what was stated and the proposal has that shortfall covered in the contingency so I understand I understand your what you're saying when you say that the contingency wasn't all used for what we had broadly intended it for and that in this past fiscal year it becomes a lot of money that sits out there that's just able to be grabbed it becomes an awful lot of money sitting there we wouldn't allow the Board of Education to have that kind of money sitting there at their disposal at any one given time we hold them to a very tight standard as to the board

022of education and that's a lot of money to be sitting out there quite a few boards event do have their own contingency funds richfield's trying to do it this year's budget yeah less than one percent of their budget it's not unprecedented that boards of a by the of your nature of what a contingency is you don't know what expense you're gonna have but you're protecting it down from a supplemental tax bill or having to eat it to your general fund no highly likely I'm gonna go down I agree so look and I look I wouldn't I mean I would suggest I don't think it'll be as heavy as last year when we had 700 mm and a contingency you know they made the big cut this year if they make another cut I think it's

023going to be something less but again you know we're looking at a crystal ball here and we're making our best guess based on the best information we have today good change so again the one point one so all of us in the intergovernmental was you received that information from the state right the latest that we have right now yeah so according to the state we're gonna get one point nine seven million in state funding right correct so if we look at charges for services just can you explain what the municipal stabilization grant is it's a grant the state gives towns to stabilize the municipality how they honest-to-god that's the explanation I got okay that's it there's no other awareness you know it's oh well we know we're whacking you on EECS and on this and

024on that and so we've come up with our own formula no one knows what it is to make you a little more whole that's I agree with Glen this is not a good way to do it but I'd rather have just that formula just tell me what the number is and we'll live with it and we'll work with it thank you I know that that's enhancing you when we look at charges for services usually we're pretty steady here Leanne juice we think it's going to go down a little bit so we went from 482 and last year's budget to four hundred forty thousand this year Town Clerk though we think those fees will be going up a little bit as we streamline the department and get a few things a selectman office doesn't change almost

025every year it's it's the same now we got the vendor permits because we increase the fees for the vendors so I think five hundred dollars per person because no one likes vendors knocking on their doors and we we may look at that try to that again this year because that's what one of the single biggest complaints I get is there's some stranger knocking on my door on Saturday morning at 9 o'clock wide and they call police first and then the police and we have permits and have the pictures on them they're supposed to wear them around their necks but it's still not a lot of fun and the police don't issue a lot of tickets so this is historically a better number than what we had last year I think and the fire marshal fees

026will come in around 50,000 and that's the new fees we implemented last year in the commercial establishments so that we at least cover the cost of doing those inspections and that's going very well where are we draft wise as far as what we've actually earned 1718 for the for the fire marshal know for all of that like we budgeted 987 988 thousand where are we in in actuals I didn't bring my I didn't bring it either the revenue numbers like 50 running you're running overall for actually your lien uses down you Elena Lewis is running less than 50 percent but it depends on the cyclical part of it as well right on your reconveyance fees you're doing very well the red 84% you know but on your other ones you're down it isn't cyclical or

027not cyclical personalities come in conveyance fees are usually cyclical because most people sell their houses in the spring I'm also building from its are very cyclical spring and summer when most of those permits come out but based on the numbers we had from last year that's why we lowered it to 440 for land use else we get a big project you know like the supermarket we discuss that could give us 30 40 thousand dollars and fees like that they could so we guess low and we'd rather get low and then come in a little bit higher next year there are a number of other projects coming up that we think will generate quite a few fees now in also zoning you know we redid all the zoning and the ad hoc committee put that together

028that zoning rewrite is with the Zoning Board right now and they're going through it section by section by section they were also considering changing their fees because we put together an analysis of all the surrounding towns as to what they charge for various you know building permits in this permit and that permit and ours are in some cases very very different than other towns so we want we don't want to hurt our revenue stream but we certainly want to remain as competitive as possible so they're looking at that may take up a new fee schedule I think that that would be revenue neutral to the town and we wouldn't lose any money we might gain a loader so do we have do you have something more than a budget for the charges for services where

029we're ending up for this here we just wrapped up we can get you more information I think there's some business or something I mean what we do is we I asked you to department is to go through but historically these fees have if you look at them they're actual versus what we budget they they don't did you do huge joints let's have that let's have actual revenue before we start our deliberations and when you're talking about the revenue estimate form can they get redone because easily what Ben Watson's budget for current year for land use doesn't really make sense some of the fees lines in the town clerk has a projection of six hundred and thirty thousand dollars worth of revenue on the forms that we got they're not making six thirty she doubled the

030pnc I know what she did but I don't blame her for doing it I'm not saying that was done intentionally I'm saying it was okay I I met with her and we went over that and she understands they needed to be corrected right yes I'm saying if we're gonna talk about the revenue estimates would be nice to have the numbers correlate back because that numbers get back to the right amounts okay and the same thing with your land use estimate that revenue makes no sense whatsoever because you have fifteen sixty and forty five thousand sixteen seventy forty six thousand and seventeen eighteen you jump to two hundred thirty thousand and year-to-date you have twenty six thousand so that's that numbers don't matter this was the first year that the directors filled out those forms so

031I actually redid the revenue for them okay so I mean if we're gonna use them we should put it in the books let's just we'll double bet those musicians thank you investment income that's pretty straightforward 29,000 that's what we think it'll be higher but that's the number we're going with right now so let's see what's the year-to-date on there right now you're like Sigmund 5065 about indogene really 62,000 is what we learned here today so yeah it's July 1st up until January 31st we've earned about 62,000 okay so that's the full year you're looking at almost triple yeah I would have thought it would go up but not interest rates have not changed that's why I looked at how much cash we carry and what the interest is I mean that number should be something

032we should be able to get within 10 percent I have a the adjustment Leo 53 yep is here today yep no that's the whole year last year so we have 53 last year okay fifty-three 503 last year so why are we putting 25 in this year and not making that I understand you can't nail it I get that because if we did 52 this year we got 65 already year-to-date that number should be little closer no it should be you're right that's that's starting over right you're not looking at a cumulative balance last year through this year right so I specifically asked our contest you knew savings for fiscal year today we got implied July 1st up until the most recent data he had was up to January 31st so the answer is grew by

033a 62k like that yeah yep [Music] right exactly starting at zero this is a fixed rate no that's an overnight repo yeah we're very limited on what we can invest it there's a state stiff that we can invest in or overnight straight repo which most communities that's what they do you get securities from giving you the cash it's required by law on our miscellaneous income that $27,000 is the rent that we get for 49 federal Road we're now waiting for the state and have been for about four months they got about a sixty department process to approve the sale of that property to us so that we can then turn around and sell that property to the owner 49 federal and that's all they opposed this thing but until such time as that goes through

034he's paying us $2,250 a month rent he's been sending us certified checks every single month if you remember we hadn't gotten paid in a four years and so he last year he made good on all this background about one hundred forty nine thousand and we renegotiated a new lease so as soon as we get there we will and then the cell tower rental is going up because we're gonna get a full year out of it now if the company that owns a cell tower gets more companies to use his cell tower already goes out there he said he doesn't see anybody doing that right now but PTT he's got AT&T on this any questions we do have three folks who haven't been through this process before you guys have it yeah any of this whatsoever

035you don't have to hold your peace and you know after this moment but as we're going along please just and then no other funding sources and that's it for the revenue side you just want to put more emphasis on expenditures or capitals the expenditures we do have the department's coming in gonna go through capitalist are forever okay see if you would take us through the items capital yeah okay so for capital again this year we're following the same process we did the year before the year before that in every year increasing the amount that we will consider using borrowing for so this year I made it $30,000 some of our neighbors have numbers of 250,000 and 300,000 dollars I think that's a very good thing but we have to work our way back there we

036can't do everything for cash at once and we have a ten twelve percent increase in our mobile tax base and I don't take the poison the residents would vote for that Oh and move on from that Steve I would like us to consider putting in a policy or at least documenting this the fact that we started I think that 20,000 was it 10 20 30 this year it's in that letter yeah but I would I'd like us to look into having some sort of a documented plan that we can refer to other than the annual cover letter which is something that puts a commitment out there that we're going to try and put more of this into into operating versus small bombs yeah yeah I agree that we can I could write up a policy

037on that and while we're doing that we should do for the paving in the roads too that policy it's just not the right thing to be long-term borrowing every single year I don't think you know do the big projects you know if you got something 300 thousand another 250,000 enough okay if it's a long-term asset it's gonna be here 15 20 years it's a building whatever do that you know some of the equipment who are on big trucks you know we'll keep them 15 20 years so okay I can see spending you buying a truck for two and a quarter okay that you can ball to that but some of the other things and it's hard to get out of that hole once you start borrowing for smaller things it gives you lower tax increases

038to start with but over time eat up your bar capacity and you're going to have to pay the piper at some point I see the word reserve up there so we no longer have a reserve fund so now that fund has been moved and consolidated with another fund with the cash to capital fund at the recommendation of our auditors so I've dissolved the fun they dissolved it for last year and I dissolved it for this year and reclass the expenditures that is the name that was assigned to it by bloom Shapiro but I can try and update it that wasn't even that was assigned to by someone else throw my cash to Kaplan yeah yeah we don't like that so what would you like it is the cancer is a capital and then some businesses

039capital cash is capital and banking cash is capital well because there's it's not till think of something else so thirty six hundred would be the cash capital and then 3605 is the Bondi capital or just called capital so we can't change it to dust cap at all so something to identifying it so we went through the Board of Selectmen went through each of these items and decided what we could do this year you know given the state cuts in the grants and all the other issues were facing this year this was a tough year to really put money away aside you know if we put money if we reserved it we then encumber it from year to year right yes so perhaps you receive something I think that's a good idea for big purchases you

040know just put money aside and so but this year the board is recommended that we don't reserve for the turf fields Dennis the Pinta I put in in the high school you've got in your books that he would replace four tennis courts with five all the answers on their lighting all new lining everything brand-new with courts that would be guaranteed because they're concrete and they're cord and they have post-tension they call it that holds the concrete together it's guaranteed for Pledge time almost but we I'd love to do it but we just don't have it right now but the schools coming up and some of the other big projects I'd like to see us get to the point we do have in here the $300,000 for tacked on to do the second stage of the

041design for the schools we need to do that I absolutely think we should do so we know where we're gonna stand with the schools because everyone's on tenterhooks and I think it's one of the reasons the library didn't get a permit is because people said hey I don't want to take a chance on the library until I know exactly what the schools are gonna cost and that we can afford it and what it's going to cost I think a lot of people use that reason for to vote no for the library and I don't think anyone would disagree that our schools need work you can argue which belly means the most work but I think we most of us agree on one building so tacked on will come back on March 27th there will be

042a presentation it's March 27th right left at the high school and I urge everyone to join because that's going to give us a good indication of where we should be going with this and then we need to hire them to give us the final estimate and the final plan and they can do that and we are hoping to go to referendum in this fall right so they could do that pretty quickly and I think we should do that we should have been working on the schools years ago so I would recommend a contract well it's all the same thing all of these you know go through the ones that you suggested moving forward I'm just quick you know two seconds in each one there's call us well you can see what things I said postpone

043which ends to pay for cash and which ones to borrow Parks and Rec does need that f-550 truck you see the documentation in the supporting documentation I would like to get I think we should get the aerator that helps our fields and cleans it up and it left those things last a long time and then we should if we're not going to build new tennis courts at the high school we should crack seal and we put that off last year and a crack ceiling does extend the life of the tennis courts maybe too far gone this year but we should at least try to do that why did you postpone the aluminum leaf and chip box poem is that because after in our opinion after having talked to Dennis at the aluminum leaf chip box

044was a very nice thing to have but they do it with plywood now it takes a few hours to put together but you got to draw the line somewhere either pay cash for it or don't do it right now you could go either way I can see going either way when the assessment on the area 226 550 eating right that's below the $30,000 guideline it is it is it's goes at long term answer right but in this case given the budget that we had I did put it there so it's just a budget that's not because it's a longer term assets it would hit last like 15 18 years the current one we have it's really old but when Dennis explained it to us and will probably ask Mary to come in and and help

045out if you want them to meet again he believed that the new AR Reiter would save like four or five hours a week in time for his staff you know in 40 bucks an hour that adds up and they use this from the end of March right through into November so that would in a sense almost pay for itself in time sake right in the assessor's office we are going to have to upgrade the system because some the rest of the stuff so we decided not to do it Tom just then make some tough decisions excuse me obviously there's no safety issues with football no major safety issues there's no drainage in our school it's not a perfect situation but it's not causing anything no no if there's an ax so it was dangerous to

046tell us immediately whether it was dangerous enough um the one thing on here tie into the septic roof doors floor BHS building you know and Parks and Rec has a building down here that they keep all their equipment something it isn't woeful mean it's leaking and it really needs some help and I think we put this this item these items have been in the budget year after year after year and they've not gotten done so I think we should do that we have to maintain our assets on the assessor's system that we're gonna be required to make an upgrade because they're gonna stop supporting the current version of the system we have but we have up to 2020 to do it so I'm suggesting that when we upgrade their system we do that next year

047it's it's not a critical need at this point so one time cause not a license it's a one-time cost I'm a licensed we upgrade then you have your normal annual maintenance but to switch room the one virgin Thurmond taxes $20,000 in here next year license fees with the the operating budget so outside of that [Music] good yes but your public works we got an 18 year old roadside mower that is starting to fall apart it's 18 years old a juice you know some months out of the year and the documentation is in there I think we should replace that we have a 1990 truck you've also seen that the supporting documentation that needs to be replaced on the street sweeper I didn't have Jerry K go out and look at what it would cost to

048outsource it street sweeping street forty and fifty five thousand dollars a year the street sweeper will last between 12 and 16 years seem like a no-brainer if you're going to pay $50,000 a year ask about company come in at Street Suite using our own is it just makes more sense and saves more money is that an item that could be cost shared with other accounts I mean that just seems like it's not use all year round usually actually I use it almost year round that they do use it consistently throughout the year okay you don't see a lot of it but they do I asked around that exact question is my question but they do use it because that would be great if you know you could share a piece of button you use it

049for two months and I use it for two months the factored truck tanks we're gonna keep the truck that we have but the tanks on them this is to suck out the grates you know the street cleans the tanks erotic but the trucks in good shape so we just want to replace the tanks in the back of the truck and that's $40,000 mini-excavator is talking to Ralph in public works that's a really nice app but it's a sort of thing you go out and you if you really need a mini excavator your current equipments too big to get into one spot we can rent it for three four hundred dollars a day how many days a year you actually using it it's a real nice to have but I just didn't see it as something

050if we were using it every day you know four times a week but it didn't sound that way to me with route you can see that everybody has an S each department to rank their needs on the left column then replace the air conditioning unit at the garage it's 30 years old it's incredibly inefficient it's probably gonna go and I said let's go ahead and do that again 2004 truck you said that's postponed you know no AC in the second and I'm saying we should replace the 2004 truck yes just going on it it's a mess and I mean mm 2017 18 year old truck that's pretty good we've been replacing two heat pumps in the Town Hall every year I think that's a good investment they're much more efficient units we're getting now the

051parts and supplies for the existing equipment thirty years old it's hard to come by we've been pretty lucky in paving the roads in cash we went up another hundred thousand dollars eight hundred and fifty thousand and saying do six hundred and fifty thousand in borrowing I think this is a good plan and spending one and a half million dollars a year it's getting us right where we need to be to the point where what we'll be able to do instead of doing the full replacement of a road we just stay ahead of it and then every eight to ten years you do what they call the milk rind and it's about half the price get you beautiful smooth surface but if you let those roads sincereiy too much you have to take the whole Road

052up but if you stay on top of it and that's a fair percentage of our roads were already doing that we're able the roads are in good enough shape so we could save some money on that so I would suggest that we continue to do that next year but nine hundred fifty thousand in cash the air conditioner of the library last year we put one of them off hit died we replaced it it was about ninety four hundred dollars the second one there is exactly the same age and I think it will go and I don't want to get stuck where somebody really holds us up we got lucky last year Mulvaney mechanical had the decent equipment needed in their shop otherwise it would have been over three weeks to get it and we would

053have been able to use the library for two weeks in July so I would suggest that we do that I put off designing and engineering the windows at the library I just right now I just stuff the new fuel tanks down at Public Works our original request and original design included a canopy over the fuel tanks the overall cost came in too high so we eliminated the canopy I think the canopy is a good idea it protects our tanks that lasts a lot longer but that's all the there's a lot of delicate equipment under there pumps and things I think it's a good idea to do that so I suggested that we go ahead and borrow for that I put off replacing the windows at the ten garage again because of cost the same thing

054with the carpet of the police station you know we're gonna be doing work on the police station in the next few years we can hold off for right now the carpets not in great shape it's not good looking but it's serviceable it's gonna last another three to five years before or they'll have a design and say hey we're not touching this section go ahead and replace the carpet I don't know if it down carpet two years later whip it out exterior lights at the police station this is again I think a nice app not a need to have they've got those new they look like new lights to me if you drive by the police station it looks like 3000 watts each they're pretty bright and the same thing would design an engineer Town Hall

055restrooms I think our restrooms work we're not getting a lot of complaints those lakes though they're currently working additional ones at the police station oh yeah for the police again we our standard policy has been for the last I don't know how many years every year we replace three mark patrol cars they do need computer software which one said we should pay for one in cash because if you borrow for computer software it's taxable event you know we have fish in taxable numbers of non-taxable he asked for one pickup truck put off with that they could use it to tow their trailer and some of their signing the thing is you know they pull we have enough trucks in town if they really need a truck we can probably borrow one from either Parks and

056Rec or Public Works not a perfect scenario for them and so we're work to get that the traffic radar I think we should do that the units that they have are out of warranty and the e-bikes which I well I think it's a great idea these are motorized electrical battery bikes that two officers could patrol the still wearing white and then you downtown I think again it's a really nice at a maximum of 20 miles 30 miles an hour as opposed to getting to someone on the stove River Greenway on foot we had to get the Gator out these would be experiencing these would sit right on the back of police cars you know they take it off it you know and Jay didn't make a good point he says we can't have our police

057officers getting to a site to help people and they're exhausted can't breathe so I just I think it's a great idea I just right now with the budget the way it is we have to make some tough decisions first for the fire company so we're very much where we were before Kyoto Lord is asking for a $300,000 reserve I just don't think we can do so I said we should put you know $75,000 towards new apparatus I do think we should insulate their second attic because that will save some funding they wanted a new command vehicle I just don't see that right now they'll talk to you thermal-imaging camera they one or two new ones they've got once at work for right now so what I would say on that is if something dies and

058it doesn't work the absolutely needed was a back to the Board of Finance the Board of Selectmen and they wanted a new vote for $250,000 I just don't see the need for that right now I just don't we got a new boat this year $7,000 a new boat that they want they'll describe it for greater detail when they talk to you but I just didn't see it right now I've asked the Avesta fire departments of the center directly and I have to get to mr. Murphy from Candlewood but I've asked them to come prepared with for their budget presentations with a chart of when their apparatus needs to be replaced and when when they would need their funding in place so we can compare that to any funds that they raised privately versus how much

059the town has set aside for these things and I think that will help us make a decision you know and how critical those apparatus ambulance firetruck reserves really are because we haven't met their request in the last couple of years and that's got the attention of those sideways on us I know I know that Candlewood has put together and they've given it to us I think you have it in here exactly what they believe what it needs to be replaced right so even if they're not it's really full amount that they want remember they're using at five percent inflation factor so they're playing on the safe side if we have 80 percent or 75 percent of the purchase price of a new piece of equipment besides a huge difference the only time the only thing

060on that is on the ambulance Reserve we should put the full amount for the system clearly place one of them every four years so if you don't put it aside every year you're gonna have to come up every four years with more money and these guys this year they've got a plan to save some money they're gonna keep the box on of their ambulance and just replace the chassis that'll save about forty thousand dollars so they're working pretty hard at trying to save money and make best use of the assets so Center fire again I said they headquarters company they asked 126,000 reserve again I said but seventy five thousand the Union Street Service it but the full amount they have to Lucas CPR devices now they would like a third one for the third

061ambulance we're starting to run it's something that's nice to have again it's a great thing that they also wanted an incident command vehicle and again I just don't don't seem agreed on an additional ambulance but not a CPR device for that not an additional Amiens we're taking whatever we're turning in one of our ambulances taking the box off of it and putting it on a new body we are buying one to Indians right now that's been in the schedule been in the works for four years they won't have it are we gonna be short a CVA I said no we don't use the third ambulance all the time we use it when there's emergencies of when there's a high demand we typically have to be eminences that are working right now the chances of three

062people having heart attacks exactly the same time is pretty slim there is a chance but it is pretty slim the chances okay just three animals out there you know it's I did it you're gonna have a mule incision we can write their own eyes that's good conversation I have further conversation with the actual lab the gas detector meter replacement stairs are out of warranty and they do need to be replaced this is safety item guys walked into a building he mentioned the gas co2 or everything so I think we should do that the remodel the bathroom again I put that off there HVAC control system they have just a mess over there and I'll let them describe it you greater detail but yeah they got that switch and the timer and I think it will

063save money in the long run you can also keep the facility running well and then on the brick replacement after looking at the pictures of it one I don't think we're going to spend $23,000 to repoint the Brecon clean it but if we don't do something pretty soon a lot of the Poynting is completely gone in the first four feet of their columns on the facade so if we don't fix it pretty soon it's going to become a really expensive job so I think we should do that that should we do that that should last pretty long time on the public library they asked for computer replacement just to save some money I thought they could you know II got bought into some of the computers and take $4,000 off of their request and spend

064$8,500 on computers they still have come down in price so they can I don't think we'll crippling by doing that when we move the public education this building is the primary recovery site for any emergencies that we have they generated we have is 33 years old in the army it sits outside outside the cafeteria I absolutely think we should replace the generator and the transfer switch it's an investment in the community and the safety of people here we see pretty big storms we've had people staying here for days it was fun during that October snowstorm we had people here for seven days and I think we should do that also the boys locker room I don't know if anyone's seen it it's it's beyond uninhabitable so I think we should do that because that's something

065I think that will not change in any plan that the schools come up with so we could do that the outdoor restaurant and food services sort right now I think we just need to put that off same thing with the coral risers John and Colette have convinced me that the kind of attendant citizen will save the schools a lot of money and finding in so we have an automated way to keep track of all the employees they have a lot of employees and I'll say right now in deliberations I disagree Thanks that's silly fifty thousand dollars to take off and then the Tecton design I think that's a no-brainer we have to before this for the schools in technology we don't I don't have a lot of changes normal computer replaces I brought that down

066a little bit on the downside we do need to upgrade our network continue to expand out there a software licenses that's what they are and we did cut a little bit from our printers which Darla is not happy with but she will make her case to you to keep her printers it land use the vehicle we have a two thousand you've seen the pictures of it 2000 Chevy it's a 70 so what we're going to do is we're going to sell the fire marshal truck that our previous fire marshal you just a to the fire department they agreed to pay $25,000 worth that's market value of that truck they will then make that the Chiefs car I believe it's what they plan to do it so it's an incident command vehicle and they look quick

067that as they need to and then what we'll deal with that $25,000 we'll just buy a new vehicle for land use so on that cost will be about $12,000 I think that's a good use of it the Health Department we do need to replace that 2001 vehicle these these cars are getting dangerous on the fire marshal vehicle what we're doing is we've been able to get one of the police vehicles an SUV coming off if they are fleet and we're going to be able to equip it without a lot of expense for our fire marshal department so we don't need to spend that money so we're not cutting it out we're just doing a little bit smarter and then building design I put this in here because at some point in the future we're going

068to need to look at Town Hall and reconfigure the office spaces so that they're more efficient that people aren't on top of each other I don't know if you've been through into the land use fire marshal area it's it's really it's a rabbit warren and so I would like to I don't think we can do it this year but I wanted to put it on here so we have it there as a marker that hire a company to come in do the office design you know putting the cubicles and do it in a way so we have space to grow if we ever need to grow right now people are coming out of the seeds because it's really kind of pachi it just kind of grew willy-nilly over the years and without real thought so

069I just left that in there and then the assessor's office we have the refile every five years it cost about four hundred thousand dollars a year I think we should put the money away so that we don't get whacked all at once last year okay can I just ask why the talk about the land use vehicles in a measure not in cash at this $12,000 $12,000 we're gonna sell the fire marshal feel great right but why is it not in cash I mean why are we buying it why is that um because well no it should it should be in cash right it should be in cash technically I was thinking about the whole price of the vehicle but so I agreed you probably should go to cash you're looking strictly at email and not

070trying to match a useful asset yeah no no we're trying to mention yeah we are that's the borrower only the useful life of the asset I don't have any questions on anything in Capitol related each department as they roll through and meet their presentation they will also be presenting capital so we'll get anywhere not that this was lackluster by any means but we'll get a more passionate presentation and pitch every item within each departments or that's true yeah this was more to get an understanding of the decisions that were made by the boys select so there's no other questions on revenue or capital we can get to we can go over the slightly Department tonight and the finance department tonight and I would also appreciate you know in addition to the deep dive on those

071teeth your eye level you know introduction to what we're going to see from the various departments and well further the food of people what to expect in those presentations your assessment of what was presented your assessment what he did high level five nine sees you yeah when each department presents IQ I'm sorry I'd like to do a little bit so that's nice like Department there aren't a lot of changes students in that for once and before we guard the capital with me about the capital can you have a missing a comma three quotes for these big-ticket items but the mower was 29 does he have three quotes out there to get us yes idea or any quote I mean it Oh before we go out to bid you know I mean we get something prior

072to approving one twenty nine thousand for a mower and here we get us a ballpark number than if you take a look now I can't find of course if you I'm not saying they're 100% but a lot of these we've already done that we've done you need to see some of them returned to the fact that Jerry they worked with Jerry right but I'd like to see the number like the email quote or something you because if we can like to generate or $350,000 if that's 320 maybe we can utilize that for the setter school software utilize after school the generator should do I think we should have not really good super vetted the schools requests as to no I'm just saying like new that that's an example if we have $350,000 and it's really

0733:20 I'm not seeing cut to 30,000 I'm saying utilize it somewhere else down the road for other items that were leaving out we do have at least one more chance to discuss all things education like the Board of Education I think okay is there a threshold that you would like to propose that we get to quotes or the work out from Jerry I think any over 50,000 is ruling then maybe to put other items in what I'm saying is if we're putting 350 is 320 or 120 that's 100 that allows us to put the risers in $15,000 would you want to see that presented with Department presentations yeah with the Department of Ed of prophetic does that capital in what they're requesting I mean it does that be hard but I mean a Terry get

074three quotes or whatever oh yeah I think he can get a good idea I think I don't let my son out and asked what would this cost right so they are experiencing things of what somebody says someone hundred twenty-five it comes right in there within five let's just make sure that's all it's not a matter of it's a matter trying to get risers it's a matter trying to get other things messy so I don't like this area he sends to the same about four hours we can hold down our are we gonna actually see that savings in the budget you see the salaries no no you're not gonna see a lowering our salaries most I'm gonna do something else at that time that's right yeah overtime overtime you say three or four hours a week

075on this you say three or four hours a week on that and this and that and also you've eliminated having hire another person okay but it's really hard to quantify that by going back and taking incremental little pieces that say do you sometimes have to look at it from the intangible and and work forward well Kimberly sir what do you want to do the finance alarm yeah we're gonna find him some saliva in it right either one it's a toss-up with everyone you guys wanna be first so I have three section so the only change that well I dropped the office supply because my not sure we had had it more office supplies because we transitioned from a smaller office and a larger one and we had some staffing changes so we needed survival shells

076and deaths and so forth so them obviously this year we don't have those expenses so I drop that down that was really the only significant change that I have there any questions in the controller's office section ok yeah I tried to update it's under control I can give it to you [Music] it's controlling your need for tax collectors line somebody third page and the elected official that is mr. mr. treasurer yes that's correct as far as staffing levels everything we did there properly executed the books make sure that's not the segregation of jeez oh and like that we feel comfortable what I say we're perfect no but you'll be not the right number Stan yes so you have two union positions in apartment 23 nope I am through being in position in one one exam

077Senior Accountant I had petitioned last year for a staff accountant but I was turned down did that need go away um it would be nice to have a staff accountant I have to clerk levels a senior level he certainly beneficial is there a we're we're we're this year is the very tips that's gonna go into my line into the non-union wages to follow up on dance point and what have we spent in the current fiscal year on temps do know off the top of our heads I don't know that off the top my head but I just started receiving the billing on the temp but I can look into that son only had a temper about a week and a half that fellow's out on the recs so it's not it's not a huge amount

078of money right now and I don't think it will be but I'll be back sooner and for what we need to do for this on it and air for doing weekend next year I want to make sure that we all all be a proper number and skills a place to make sure that these numbers also I would like a staff account then core an assistant controller there's a wide variance there and salary range though between a staff accountant and we're in assisting controller and the travel and Dayton dude was a prior-year you spent $2,000 this year we're asking for 6,000 that is correct why are we adding 4000 but may have additional people that are interested in going to the Muniz conference and also I am a member of the government finance Officers Association and

079I attend some of their conferences and trainings along with the other controllers in the area I'm a member at a local level in a national level so last year only one person went to immunise conference when the finance apart we were hoping to have more than one coffee yes but the GFO is extremely beneficial in updates for gatsby I know that there's interest in the updates for the pension so forth so all that information would come from the GF away they also produce the blue manual which there's a lot of trainings and coincides with gap regulations and I get updates on that and trainings weekly are there online trainings that are utilized by I utilized the jfo a trainings so I get emails and then I sign up for them and just take them right

080at the desk yes under my kerala we do this year we bought a 10 pack a 10-day training compiler for the cost of 5 days and we use those for the entire town wall for AP training all of the various things but there are also online courses that our staff can take um those are advantageous than they work well but sometimes there's nothing like going to a class and actually sitting down and talking to people next to you how do you analysts that you handle it you can really get a lot out of it so everyone has access to Tyler University which is training on unis and all the modules is the BOE finance staff also have access to that we advise them throw all the training classes and SM wouldn't say like that but

081the ten-day thing where we have somebody online actually training with us yeah a lot of the Board of Ed people have come over we have today they attended a training with us today well people in the room get it cranked both Ammar side and from the Board of Ed unfortunately our trainer said he only did one side entries I was listening in and he had he had recommended an entry that was inappropriate saliva flew for my Terri Weedon corrected him there people are usually pretty good but sometimes you get something he's not an accountant or doesn't know that's her teeth that I'm not an accountant yes these are software John I think we talked about this before but the issuance costs of bond issuances they're capitalized or there are advertisers in that bond itself before

082we move on to public that diamond is there any questions it's on controller on this couple lines up there oh yeah hold on another deadline out for to finances two lines below it right I mean for to finance yeah cuz he's here maybe went are you undermine so the the Board of Finance yes there are two lines for Board of Finance okay how's that there a little control so on the handout that we have there are there are two lines for the Board of Finance one is the Commission secretary that is correct a thief and the other one is for the audit Oh looking at looking at what's been presented I think there's there's a change in budget methodology from prior years so the current year's budget there is $80,000 budgeted for 1617 but when

083we did 1718 that number did come down and I believe that was because the Board of Ed and WPC a were putting it in their own budgets because that's how it was going to be paid so it's not that the audit is costing us less future it's that the monies are any different more property is allocation is no what evening for cost of the audit that we're projecting next year I would have to look at the contract I can get that for you cuz we have 60 here port of NS 25 so that's 85 and if WPC has money in theirs it's got to be 10 we're at 95,000 is that what it's gonna cost us I don't believe so that's how high because the budget is gonna probably be less than the previous year

084yes 60 in here 25 in the BOE so right I think this number includes before we can we can look into that that either we remove it from the BOE and let them where we take it out of ours don't worry I'll get it well it was a good idea to allocate it where belongs just fine Linda for an 85 role or that we should reduce down somewhere yep the the chair of the Audit Committee would reach out to the partner that were working with over at Mahoney sable and get an estimate we're currently at what's for next year you see if we want to adjust the scope anything like that yeah yeah we'll have to request that I'm okay then I not wear it every day I'll get that for okay we're comfortable so

085there's likely an adjustment that we did if we're over about gotta go down yeah are we comfortable with the board secretary I think she's fantastic okay okay so move on to public data quality control and these numbers are pretty solid they came right from wiser our financial adviser so if you look at this summary does everyone have a copy of this summary from attach section of ten the binders has backup so this is right from Susan the being attached to schedules and it able to there are fighting dimmers you go over them with her you know I'm comfortable with them [Music] dan did you have any any questions on purrs day okay there [Music] any questions on public [Music] John you're comfortable my ability insurance for that so the workers comp remember that went out

086because we were audited and that's the new number we have we did have a clean audit no findings but they adjusted some of the classification codes so that's why you see an increase there what is that what does that mean exactly well the fees are based on the classification and within the department the job duties so if they reclassify someone you would see see a lot of that like in parks and recs and job they're more high-risk recreation generation where it's a higher risk to get hurt right so they look at him you see lifting boxes what is he sitting at a desk so they'll come they look at each job and they classify the interview they look at where the payrolls allocated and then they reclassify every year and adjust the read five percent

087sure we had no findings so that was good um the initial package she said they were good karma the rep from Kermit said there were gonna be any changes the fidelity bond that's so I'm on it and the tax collector responded so that's our bond and then the town clerk is bonded you know and those are the fees associated with our box busted yeah those are pretty fixed nod for folks I'm not suggesting do this your vendors that is that on a rotating basis oh he just in which category would see you what we go you go if market was here and then no no we're right here we have gone out in the past Kermit is owned by the municipalities in Connecticut they provide very very good ratings and every time we look and

088as you look historically you can't beat karma they have incredibly good service incredibly good support a lot of training and so there's 169 municipalities in Connecticut and like 160 to our members are currently yeah and do all their insurance through karma it's only for you uproot Connecticut Judas Paulo so we're pretty comfortable that their rates are very competitive the thought called boundary check they were way better then first but having said that that this year what I would like to do is for our financial analyst and for our bond counsel I don't know when we've ever gone out to bed and I think it's just now so time soon as the budget is finished it's finished go out and just get a feel for what's out in the market are we getting the right services

089for the right price because these guys are not cheap they're not cheap at all and I think we should just as due diligence make sure you haven't checked it in a while we should do that and I already have Jerry days put together the packages to do that and we'll go ahead and do that there was a question somebody had a question when we were going to talk about the financial advisor as to what they were charging us all the work they did and they don't charge us any fees they only charge us when we actually go out the market so the support functions of going through putting together the packages that they put together for us and doing the analysis that's kind of like their teaser rate they do all that work so that

090they get your business to do the actual issuance that's pretty that's pretty standard out there any other questions for the controller or the treasurer on anything in the finance department budget okay did you want an overview on the finance department while we're on that tab yeah I know so by 18x okay um yeah select my budgets you got the elected official salary that's me the Board of Selectmen we do say Sue and Harry a small stipend the only big change that I'm asking for this year after having gone out the market and looked at what people are paid my executive assistant Ginny is severely underpaid the job that she does the amount of effort and time she puts in she works a lot of nights so I'd like to bring her up closer to market

091and I'll make her salary $72,000 a year do you know how long she's been about yeah and there are people who work for the town and similar jobs for ten years that make eighteen thousand dollars a year and when she does so those people would still make about seven thousand dollars a year more than Jenni does but I'd like to at least get her to more parity the stipend is paid to the first of those company but are they in the book I'm sorry did you provide those mops I'm sorry Katie provide those comps oh yeah oh yeah yeah yeah the rest is pretty straightforward for the stipend is the first election in lieu of a pension our office supplies and equipment we are a little over and you need to get some equipment and

092that's you budget have been cut and then it was but back I would like to keep that because I need a couple desks and chairs for my office in the confidence desk we've been working without them my four chairs I'd like to get a couple more untraveled continent continuity I added I moved that up for next year because I would like to gonna attend the Munich conference this year in Boston next year I'm not going to be in Boston it's probably gonna be Phoenix or somewhere else it's going to cost a little more to get there they do have specific courses and flights that you take as a chief executive officer with me a nice training and I'd like to do that so that's why traveling continually handsome Jews went up by a thousand dollars

093and codified law sets Jenny Cassady we use a company that keeps track of all of our laws and make sure that they're filed properly with the state know of those things it's company that does it we're gonna have quite a few changes with the zoning so I want to make sure that we're covered with that so that we get Sam and she'd set up that we're covered and that's pretty much the only change that I have any questions yeah overall salary can you give us a list of anybody that's above 2% everybody so we don't have to go through this and line by line as most of them are 2% but you got about five or six in here the other couple ten outside yeah and instead of painfully going through this it should be

094noted we didn't have to dig it out like you just mentioned it and rub front about the position you talked about but it would be nice to have a list of how many employees are above the 2% threshold okay a salary list of any magnitude should be very simple to pull and identify outliers regardless of what sometimes it yeah you're right but it would be nice just have a list yeah I sent out the salary list but I'll send it out again with the changes that I suggested is there any way we can get a policy in place for pay raises like most companies have a policy and I know we're not a company or a town but generally there's objectives set there's steps set there's different like windows of 1% of 3% and we

095have seem to go from 2% to straight-lined everybody's 2% then we have outliers at our 8 10 12 percent that we really don't have any other than your word for what happens there's no guidelines there's no set like what we're looking at and it sort of is most of our employees are unions and we're set on what we pay them just the amount is the amount those who are non-union the town has tried in the past to put in incentive programs to do a fully formal review process that hasn't worked real well I see where you're coming from and I don't disagree with you I had the same thing in my private industry experience we have about 20 people under subject to this information the problem we have is in the town everything's F allowable

096everything right but I don't see why it's a determined well I mean that for why those my most of my employees had no idea what their co-workers made everyone in town home knows through the penny but everyone else makes its it's not private so once you go down the road and I know I don't have an objection to this and from people who have been done exceptional work I've asked for raises what you set up a formal process like that in a very public place where everything zepa liable and you can cause more problems than you you sob because remember if I write a performance review for somebody that's fo liable isn't it that's not a personnel record that's its own I still I still mo mo unless it's HIPAA related things I thought but

097can you see lack of policy gets us in trouble and lack of policy leads to opening doors do have you had lawsuits involving pays and not discriminatory pays and things like that had we had lawsuits in regard that in the past few years yes so would you think a policy would protect us when we're going to give some people ten percent since it is a viable and other people are getting 2 percent wouldn't you think that'd be more of a benefit on a liability side than a negative I did I see by C pluses and minuses to it I really do would you be able so it's a question would you be able to get an opinion from our town labor attorney another not it's a good you know practice and municipalities to put in

098certain policies like end policies those mean like that anything I don't yeah something just looks something like that because it is ever liable one guys eight seven or one girl at woman man whatever no one's getting three and why am I getting it what's the why are you doing this because it leads to lawsuits and I think that's happening did it absolutely more than absolutely but that's why there's has something in place that gives you the vehicle to drive that it's so much less than that others I know our company need to overview every now and then across certain job grades and these make sure that everybody I've gotten raises every now and then when I was buffalo and everybody else but is there does that happen the time that looks at that my doesn't

099my experience has been over the last six months as we're losing people I mean we're losing Union people and we're losing regular people because in the town we've given and what I can see going back every single person has got the same race as the unions over the last ten however many years that in itself can cause inequities because we have some people who are better employees and others that do more work that work harder that work weakness at work nights and it's to certain extent that's true of the Union ranks too but we don't have a lot of control of them you always have some people who are your top performers and some we're not quite as good so the net result of the town and the town has done a good job of

100keeping salaries down but for like some of our Union people we just lost somebody who went to Bethel or eight bucks more an hour entry-level position and we are significantly below in some jobs significantly below every single surrounding town and it hasn't been a problem for the last six seven eight years because the economy has not been good and towns them to doing a lot of hiring and people have not been changing jobs but now with the economy becoming better with people feeling more confident in their ability to take a job and keep that job we're seeing people leave and turnover no matter what you do but you do not want your best people you don't so I mean I know like I believe that you know in general the Board of Finance that you

101request specific salary and specific raises for specific people and we don't we don't have that level of knowledge of who's good who's bad that's that's your job so is it possible for the Board of Finance Act monitor the Board of Directors and say here's the budget for salary increases for the year and go allocate them as you wish or have your department head it's it's a reward as opposed to us saying yes to this person and no that person without knowledge of their actual forms yeah we could we could talk about that actually you know it's support the force level in the first indictment who decide salaries if I needed to get somebody raised I could do that I don't need permission of for slacking or the Board of Finance to do that although in

102practice I actually do come to both boards and talk to you when we do something like that my a good example is our director of Parks and Rec we're in danger of losing him and I gave him a race away so awesome but he got a much better opportunity I mean even if we match the salary the opportunity wasn't the same but he's making 33 he's now making 33 thousand dollars more a year he got a 38% bump in his salary by moving so part of what we do is we look at the overall market what's out there we get the actual I can look at all the towns that are similar sized to us similar numbers people's similar budgets and revenues and look at the salaries that there may be for 5060 so we

103have pretty good hit with the market heads and our labor lawyer is also very good at helping us in telling us hey this is where the market is for these sex I think they'll read a mistake maybe I'm wrong they read the correct music we have a threshold everybody got two percent and then everybody got higher most companies we give the person three percent overall and then you decide some get one some get zero and that's purple eights - Ricky saying how you do how you take care of your better employees and we have a policy in place with something that says we give you 3% overall some people can get sick some people get one depending on their performance reviews on people who know right now we've given everybody 2% in this budget nobody

104got 2% or less so we're saying everybody's a 2% performer and then you have outliers and mostly you would see some companies you see 1% would be given to some employees 4% would be given to others and then this is not really set up that way and I think that's really where it dancing why is everybody in 2% are they all 2% performers and if that's what number ranking are you in your corporation and then why are other ones getting 7 percent why this is not in Union soon and your other state about people leave and that's always gonna happen in our area you drive 30 miles south you're going to get a better job it's reality every drive 60 miles to New York City my pay is going to increase tenfold and it's choices

105remain your limits so raising people's pay does not necessarily guarantee longitude in this area we live in a town you go to Richfield you only get a little bit more you will you're gonna go a little bit more you're very entertaining you make stepping stones and we are unfortunately even with superintendents stepping stones you know Lutz mr. Lutz knew where he wanted to go and he set it up nicely I'm proud of him he's a Brookfield person and even but the goal is you had South the Gold Coast and we're always gonna have that here whether we pay people did some people go to do that you're right no matter what this is what I collect money is there tracker not everyone is not everyone I agree I will accept that it's a very difficult

106subject it really is but I'll check with our labor lawyer to see what information is up a liable what what it's not I know it has been tried in the past by previous First Selectman to say okay I'm gonna get this person four percent of me to get this person one percent two and a half and it has proved to be an unmitigated disaster because there's no privacy salaries are fo viable and people go wait a minute why did you give this guy 2 percent on the scooters and you only gave me one and you are never going to convince people that they're not as good as the next guy there are a few people who are very very self-aware and they know how well they're doing but many many staffers do not most staff

107think that they're in the top one-third we don't have a formal performance remember given the number of people we have it's really hard to judge one person against another do we have a commitment to check with yeah we'll do it Dan oh I'll look into what what maybe some history is for boards of Finance assigning let's say you know we say back to the first life I might say alright you're a non-union salary 3% right figure out how to do that whether everyone gets one and a half percent across the board or what yeah let me look inside I'll do some checking around what else would you like I don't have any more questions on the selectmen budget the rest I believe is the the rest is really departmental so you have the 300 gone

108down to the open you have a contingency it's 350 so here's just before Hana right let me let my only one contingency then let's go over exactly again what let that 400,000 contingencies for there was ain't 300 and change to cover shortfall and state funding what constitutes the rest we have not failed our ended contract with the CSEA Union although we have put in two percent raise for all union employees we may end up higher than that we don't know so we're going to need some backup there our biggest reason we have decided with that you need to go to arbitration I said we're not moving at all relations and we're very very keen to have the pension plan accepted by the CSCI that's the hybrid plan where they would get a defined benefit for

10920 years and then to find contributions there after that is really important to the town for the long-term viability other doubt it's going to reduce a lot of the exposure we have 10 15 20 30 years from now having defined contribution every 20 years I don't think it will save the money any hard dollars the actual cost of doing both do you have your plan so it's exactly the same as a defined benefit but where we gain the advantage is in that when we go to defined contribution we're limiting the size of the defined benefit plan so that if the markets go against us we're not going to have as big an exposure if the markets go down 20% on $100,000,000 place it's a lot of difference in the market going down on 30 20

110percent on a 30 million dollar plan where you would have to refund it so that's what will save a lot of the risk we do very well with our pension plans we've had very good returns over the past couple of years the distension payment plan we have what we think are the best providers so we have a little room in the contingency I don't want to discuss exact numbers in public as to what is in there for that questions on contingency I mean I think we should drop the revenue and shrink the contingency I think that just leaves too much open can if we drop the revenues down from what my voice proposing shortly I stay overnight stay they drop that down to what you proposing online in this thing and then you take the

111that out of the contingency it just leaves too much money sitting there on a table I think that I it could be better managed and the state leaders in one place or another man well if we take another revenue loss you're not Club the holding in an accountant a better tax payer we have to manage you within our budget if we drop the revenue source down to what Malloy stopped in about the 9.99 to 122 you take 200,000 of the contingency when things arise we have to manage it within the budget instead of going to the contingency fund and I get what you're saying about the unions that we have to do certain things and leave some money there but I think five years if you really look at prior years we have fifty thousand

112in that account forty thousand in that account and we managed it and the contingency to of the prior four years we've had 50 and forty thousand dollars last year I know we went to because we had no idea what the state was to do whatsoever this year he's produced a document online of where he's headed so we pretty much have an idea where he's headed that whether it goes there or not is a whole different story but if we short-sighted the best thing that happens is he gives us the full amount we then have that money I know you know who looking in past years you know three two and a half years ago when I took office we found out we're missing three point three million of the town's money right and I think

113that was a direct result of not doing our County properly not closing out projects properly we discuss all the reasons but I think if there was some contingency there that maybe people maybe people want to said hey what over on this project I need to go to the Board of Finance I need to go use some of that contingency but since there was so little contingency there was nowhere to go except for the general fund it never came out that's my personal opinion I get that but that's Fault in the system in other words if we have this issue we're supposed to go through the process of you say you don't have enough money we go to the town we go to the town meeting and we go to well that argument I might weep

114there is having a contingency is a good thing yeah we get the fund goes to the town he goes into the general fund which is to the good because we want to build our general fund up to I'd like to see at least 10% and closer to 12 or 13% so then if we did have a hit we could take the head without on the rating agencies knock us down that's my opinion I just think with less contingency we really do have deeper into managing funds and looking at all right according to the budget best practices hosted that training hosted by CCM you do you account for a contingency I don't think there was a set guideline in there it's more of a town policy if you will but something in there is it best

115practice what that number is and I'm not saying cut it to the bone but yeah yeah what I'm saying is if you reduce the revenue side and then you can reduce it because what's the personal intention see fund to what is that personnel contingency that's what I was describing earlier that's pretty Union so now what we talked about really we have $450,000 in a contingency fund so I'm trying to say it's a big number that if we shrink the revenues down there's money to cover enough of what we need to cover just my opinion of it can you go over that again I didn't follow you if we reduce the state grant from one one whatever it is down to the 999 and they take the municipal grant if we could both Steve and I

116talked about we don't know why it's there anyway it's 274 he's reduced it down to 120 units he's presented this online if you go online to the governor's website it's there his numbers are there if you drop that down we can drop down a contingency of the 400,000 down to at least 200,000 because you got 50,000 already in a personnel contingency on the line below that a union piece so there's 450,000 in contingency in this budget right now realistically we're still on all contingency to walk away with the agency-wide language 7 you at the end wanted lower state grants all of the UCS all of that to what mobile is saying right now and also contingency yes so you're decreasing your revenues and you're actually increasing my expenses and if we get the money from

117the state with Wade's are the good if you don't get it you have no cushion you managed your budget of $200,000 cushion to manage to your rush there could be unexpected process for unexpected as you could order finance for a special appropriation you're pregnant at a time for hope right I mean we look at a big increase right now look at that huge increase in sales this year we need to manage these accounts as best we can I'm not saying you're missing management so don't think I'm saying now I'm saying when you go down when there's big contingencies human nature is we got a contingency taking out the contingency take it out of the kitchen we narrow this down and we drop the revenue down it makes us really dig for this money and with

118if you lower your revenue sources down right and I'll are my expenses and you lower your expenses you how much do you want to - what are you 20 - 20 to 30 according to Malloy and then you lower the contingency also right right well say they're offsetting each other right from an overall tax now exactly what it's awesome but it leaves less cash on the table leaves less cash on the table to use it for and item of contingency would not want identified between 1 and 11 months I'm gonna say prior year's practice has been 40,000 an account 50,000 in that account Wow okay notice however when we go back to so the 50,000 was 15 16 16 17 maybe we bumped that contingency up because we were changing out the health plans right

119thousand four so I was which we had isn't a transition the state brightly is netting that so there was a reason there was a reason for that it was a bit of a bogey so we went up there well we settled on 1718 I mean that number was comprised of some stuff right we covered ECS ECS special agents especially I had another bargain with 300,000 was special and you have fired from maybe that thousands of 380 80,000 was a kindergarten 200,000 was the ECS time some 580 of that was strictly on 300,000 was Board of excise Yeah right but they're now have a formula they built into their button there's 779 is based on their formula and they built that into their budget so I'm saying as the unknowns that we budgeted in five hundred

120eighty thousand dollars of last year's contingency are now knowns right yes and the way that we came up with those numbers though was pretty darn down to the wire through who are almost months of budget talks all right so I think if we were going to end all the talks now and not have any further discussions with the Board of Ed let's say or with other departments to sniff out some what ifs that aren't in the budget and we don't feel comfortable putting in the budget then yeah sure maybe we could take that out but I think I think at this point we need to go through to the end and see if there is anything else before we go thinking about cutting that out or not making any decisions today no we're just chatting

121but right I think that I think the concept first of all so you're suggesting that the two what items are not necessarily married that the revenue item the contingency which was identified as partially to offset decreases in the revenue that that number might be independent of that so if you separate the two just for argument's sake I think it makes perfect sense not to budget for the maximum state revenue this year when when we history says it's going to be not the maximum and I don't see why you would budget for the most you would get I was saying that before we jump to one in a lower contingency let's roll through the rest of the month I mean you recommend that you don't reduce the contingency and I'll tell you why because you have

12240 other funds and the general fund will have to make those funds whole if they're not managed properly and one of the reasons the reserve account was consolidated was because prior to 2016 it was not managed properly so those assets come do your general funds gonna pay for them well do not manage our funds properly no they are immense now prior to that so that money was spent elsewhere so if you had money reserve and it wasn't managed properly those funds were allocated appropriately to pay for other expenditures so if my name is went over budget in capital that money was used so the money's gone so I think it's my recommendation that you keep that cushion there another year so you're saying that Passons have not been absolved yet exactly and it'll be didn't

123you win it secure the photo Sanjay that's correct the general fine I'll have to make that fun home yeah for the last three years I watched us like a hawk and we're not letting any capital projects go over budget I'm sorry no you can't do it you can not do it if the schools go over I'm gonna find the money I'm sorry this is projected for 250 you spent 260 I'm sorry we're only spending 250 find the money yourself and that's why we took the canopy off of the fuel things and we're watching these very very carefully and we're not over budget on any single Capitol item we're not it's not the watch it like a log but see I could take that argument the other way and see we reduced the contingency thousand two

124hundred thousand i watch your line items like a hawk and if you can't go over too bad on you find it like you just said you do for the Board of Ed why would we shut it I'm talking about other funds I'm not talking about fun one I'm talking about your other funds your capital funds your reserve fund your cash to capital assets comes you for those funds from prior years from three years back safe from some reserve account and they never spent the money your general fund is gonna cover that and those assets were not trapped properly the exposures what is the exposure you're bringing us up what's the exposure that we're talking about we can't just make these statements and not have a quantifiable exposure [Music] I'm up to probably up to three

125to five hundred thousand you want me to ask me off the top my god we're gonna need an agenda item for our regular meeting to go over this where are we gonna cover this shortfall out of curiosity when I mean someone would have to go back and audit those prior years and that reserve account and figure out what those balances were but those assets and those those capital items were not tracked properly in the system you'd have to go back and look at where your budget overages are were and those other two funds you don't know three different funds a really dumb question I'm good at that when can we fix this how do we fix this and what do we got to pay to fix this because anything missing I'd like to fix it

126there's a module that I would like to buy that is used by Newtown that I think would help address this issue the problem is that I can't go back in a treat at retrieve the historical information no not all of it it's not there so I don't think I think it's exaggerated I don't think that exposure is so great but for the last three years we're watching every single project every single item so that it does not go over that we know exactly every single expense associated with every single project particularly if it goes over fiscal years and I favor 11 III agree with exactly every word you're saying right now I do think you are watching it like I'm not going to say it any different than that but we got this problem that's

127sitting out there that we don't know about we're talking about holding contingency funds this year and cover this it's so convoluted and so lost it what are we doing let's get it right well we've implemented the project Cody County County we've merged the funds we've moved we've eliminated that reserve fund so what it looked like to me that the projects were coated in the wrong signs and and which would cause that particular fund to go over and a budget budget line item and then the funds were not moved that were supposed to be moved from the general fund down to some of the other funds so it's you know it's it's complex and so I don't know how much time you want me to spend on 13 14 14 15 15 16 so I can

128tell you from 16 forward and I think Jerry gay has mentioned this that he has a lot of trouble looking up the the asset information from the prior years prior to 16 so years ago when we first recognized the problem we had with our general fund we did call in forensic accountants found you a part of it John you're a part of it they came in and looked at what we had and they said there's no way you don't have enough information here we could spend $700,000 chasing this out and the net net would be you're still out three point million two million dollars three point three million dollars and you just spent $700,000 to confirm that don't know how nice a little exercise right and I can tell you right now we're okay like

129we have enough money in capital in our capital account to cover what we have approved now for capital expenditures and to cover or Abani capital we're fine right now the the risk is if something comes up from a prior year and we just have to sit probably right five is probably too high but you know I'm nervous oh that's aggressive stomachs yeah correct I'm flying through that we weren't aware of I'm a project from five years ago we're looking at probabilities in the 0 to 1 percent yeah I mean I probably was an exaggeration but you know why are we bringing this up then there's a zero to one percent probability and now we have this on public record that we just said there's a 300 to 500 thousand dollar exposure you have images you're

130the 1% probability is not an exposure that's my that's why I guess so the question is do we want to go back and start researching distance many many many hours going after this now we're clean for the last 30 1/2 years we know every single capital project we're doing and we know how much were so then that's not the reason for the contingency in the budget no 300 she's just trying to play I'm trying to play thing I'm kind of protective I still believe that a contingency fund is there for exactly that contingency don't assign expenses that a contingent a contingency punch li they're simply for sake that I've seen to cleanse point that we can argue an ambush in the revenue side and everything and I'm pretty dependent on each other all of it

131is this year we got caught up with a hundred fifty thousand and wasn't there 130 150 that worked really what were you playing on to use that money for we had a lot of money put there and I do feel that if we shrink that account down it allows us to manage harder it's just human nature it's just a human nature process but maybe our compromises that we've got the ECF screen and the municipal stabilization closer to Malloy's but maybe keep the to continue to see yeah okay and again towards the end of the cut budget conversations I agree with that - I'm just saying it's a point to look at it's a high number and prior years have done what a lot less see if anything comes up in the next few days who's

132responsible for the fountain delays and utilities yeah but what departments at under you Parks and Rec and Public Works okay as I had a question what I looked at the budgets the Board of Ed had a 25% increase on fuel oil in the town side had a 2% increase and on the electric they're the reverse at the town and 18% increase in the Board of Ed had 4.5% increase now I would assume he's the same utility company so the electricity was either a 4% increase or an 18% increase and the same would be said for fuel oil fuel oil went up 20 cents a gallon across the board I mean she's a certain amount but on a percentage basis the numbers generally look quite noted that those are negotiated negotiates efficiency 20% to a percent

13380 percent to 4 percent I agree I don't stopovers it up the difference between the town and thing I said I calculated was one was 8 percent and one was 14 percent so that's a pretty big difference and unless Gerry came up to me everybody mention at this afternoon we used the numbers were Garrett Jerry has gone out and said this is where we think we're going to end up I'm not sure what the Board of Ed did but we can check to see if there was a difference in the percentage increases both the like that that's a good thing to look at because they should be very similar that's what I'm saying before we bring in a department I'd like to have no [Music] report of as long so those are that is right

134who are even if we're spying separately and should be similar yeah they should be moving in the same direction unless somebody has to find your contract or something like that discuss it that's what I'm saying they must be right now we were looking to lock in since this is the Board of Selectmen budget the Board of Selectmen I think last week did cut from the education budget about 180,000 can we review that in your in your proposal you know there were a number of items that Harry and I agree with and we thought that two things one at the end of the day we need to achieve a budget that we believe will be passed by the voters and a 5.4 percent increase seemed difficult with Harry and I not to be something that I

135don't think people would vote for that that's I could be wrong and in looking at the overall school budget though it's very hard to talk about specifics Harry does have some experience having sat on the board and he had identified what he thought were two hundred and thirty three thousand dollars in savings that they could achieve I don't want to get into the details because that's not really our job to decide how the school spend their money but we did agree that we needed to get the schools budget under five percent so we agreed on a number of $180,000 to get it under five percent I think it came for 92 I'm sorry it's not more scientific than that but at some point Glenn said this once you know you have to take a look

136at the numbers and then just make your best guess as to what you think there is what I did say that he quoted me correctly that was me correctly absolutely I know you back away from it so that's how we arrived at that number it's a big increase but again if you look at the schools and I do think you know we added in to this the 1718 budget the amount of money we appropriated these additional money we appropriated to the schools right to get their base budget from that year to this year but if you add in the money that we put into the schools this year both the schools from taking from other things right and the four hundred seventy thousand dollars that the town appropriated that gives them a new base new

137base for this 1718 actual expenditures of almost a million dollars more than their original budget if you compare that to the requested increase it's nowhere near 5.4 percent so what I'm saying is last year if if Colette and her team had known ahead of time that they were getting always special that kids they would have asked for one heck of a lot more money and we probably would have given it to them which sets their new base budget so if you take that new amount add it to their budget this year and then compare it to the increase they're asking for next year it's inward year's this big so nowhere near this five point four percent so that's something to think about I just absolutely understand it we funded these guys because they didn't have

138enough budget I don't see I'd probably not look looking at this right but I don't see where the department requests to the worst-looking budget was mr. Khan so we're I guess transpose numbers and we look at it's like the two or three - OH - oh yeah I did look at that five times oh thank you what what that's made a pass at you man yeah it just came out - looks a little creative tool - three guys but the other thing on the board of that budget just so we are clear and I'm not saying anything bad about it I actually think it was pretty good once we give it to them it can't be clawed back out so even though it's a bubble year if we appropriate 44 million or 43 million and

139the special ed costs shrink down a million dollars that money we can't get back out through the minimum state budget requirement for education you take back thirteen thousand per student decline in enrollment I'm next year to take it out so that budgets there to stay at that's the whole budget or the amount budget especially that you can only claw back on an education budget the reduction of cost per student I believe that could be corrected I think special that it's carved out from that you know I'm not talking about the three point five percent increase all right you give them a ten percent increase an eight percent ahead and you check I'm pretty sure no Colette you think plan is right would you like to join us real quick no I think we're talking about

140this thing no no we're talking about the minimal algebra crime can you if you're yeah come so Abel please try to join any Lisa yeah Colette's term everybody chairperson of the Board of Education here for a specific purpose at the table yes yes the only way it can be reduced to like half sari the only way it can be reduced as if you have a decrease since its population and it's a formula based on what you pay per student its and I think Brookfield is a $13,000 formula so this and I'm not saying we're cutting it so don't look at me like we're doing that I'm not just something to be aware of but if we grant all of this money the next few years we have to be cognizant of that money is there

141to stay it's like now becomes a new baseline going forward yes unless she has when I'm saying the Board of Ed well as a decrease in amount of students and then it like I say well you can take back as $13,000 per student so there's 20 less students you can only take back with that amount but the Board of Ed has the right and authority do not spend their entire budget right let's say their special ed costs went down by half absolutely they then could not spend that at the end of the year return it then adapt but we do understand this is a rhetorical question the chances you're right it's private Oracle thank you for clarifying that negative makes no sense to me anything else at all from anyone today once twice three times

142okay we officially cancelled or if Town Hall is closed and we have so tomorrow night's that's one so if Town Hall is open tomorrow's meeting is scheduled to be at Town Hall if Town Hall is open then we do have a meeting tomorrow we have library tomorrow we would have IT the schools are already closed for tomorrow and the school administration is already closed tomorrow we're gonna try to open because it doesn't look like it's gonna be real bad in the morning but my guess is we're gonna have to close early you would post that though yes absolutely the announcement we posted an agenda just in case the weather people happen to be wrong this 50% and if they are then we have a meeting if not then we do not have a meeting and

143as much as we can do the schedules will be pushed to Thursday as it's noted at the bottom of the agenda and what we can't push the Thursday will reschedule okay all right I do we have a little bit of discussion before him I don't know if anyone listening could see that Ricky was taking notes on the file with them we were all going through what we are going to try and do this year is improve on the budget that is posted after all is said and done via deliberations and the Board of Finance actually has the budget that we've approved as a board so we are going to and hopefully this sticks going forward we will have a budget that is presented in a format where any changes are big ticket items it will

144speak for themselves as noted and decided on by the majority of the Board of Finance we haven't done that in the past we're gonna go ahead and do that this year and any any policies that we have in place any agreements that we've made we will be attaching to here for example one hundred fifty thousand remainder in the police outside services fund that's been a handshake agreement something like that we will do our best to put in writing and attach it to this because that is a way of working for us just like this budget is a way of working for us as a town so that is something that will be will be doing so it should be a more robust more than four pages in a file for the town to look at

145and for us to look at let me look back any questions or comments or concerns any of that all right business do I have public comment to invite to the podium okay there is a timer which I will time frame that says okay your name and address name is Carmine raza channel six big buckling I have a few questions concerning what was presented here tonight first thing is that I noticed the total budget increase was over four percent I thought the state limited the increase to 2.5 percent so I'm wondering why we're looking at a budget at a four point one percent increase if in fact the state limits it to 2.5 percent second is that I keep reading news articles about the state budget deficit for the next budget cycle it's now estimated to

146be over a billion dollars again I would concur with using what the what the governor posted is revenue sharing rather than the number that Steve had in I think it's a more realistic number and provides us with the more realistic budget assessment going forward third is I would really be interested in how much new tax revenue is coming from new development especially in the Four Corners district that I keep hearing it's a large amount but I haven't seen any any evidence of it and what was presented just as a matter of curiosity I've heard around town that the courage years road paving budget was actually cut by five hundred thousand dollars and those funds reallocated somewhere I liked confirmation with denial of it okay it's good but I'd like to know that then that money

147on paving is actually being spent this year while all we can do nothing but Saturday okay six just a matter of format 2005 and 2016 still has budgeted numbers on it in 2016 and 2017 still has the budget numbers on it I've heard we spent a lot of money upgrading our accounting systems I'd like to know why there are not actuals in there so that we could more understand what the budget flow is on an ongoing basis we especially 2015 and 16 you know it's two years from now the seventh I'd like to put my comment on the contingency I I've never liked contingencies I've been involved in budgeting most of my life I think eliminating the contingency of putting the expenses where it belongs enhance and it really truly enhances the transparency in town

148financial matters and let us know exactly where it's going especially after hearing tonight that what we what the contingency was budgeted for in the last budget cycle it's not really spent on on what it was meant for that's uh that's that's time sir three minutes yes sir so I think between the folks here at the table we can address your questions Steve I know you've talked before about the 2.5 cap versus the increases that you've proposed that the potentially the Board of Finance will propose the tone for this fiscal year coming up there is a 2.5 percent cap but there is no penalty from the state if you exceed it there will be a penalty starting next year 50 cents for every dollar you go over that carved out from that is any arbitrated settlements

149any long-term borrowing and a couple other small things like not smaller like special idea is carved out too so the fact that they allow you to borrow and not be penalized is gonna push a lot of towns in to borrow so they don't lose their grants it makes no sense to me whatsoever but there is no penalty this year this is a very unusual year I don't think I never imagined when I first took office that we'd be looking at a budget increase like this but given the perfect storm of things that have happened between special ed state cuts insurance going up which you can usually expect that but we're really hitting a perfect storm here so I think we need to position ourselves to be able to weather that storm yeah yeah if you

150take the specialization [Music] especially on the school side because that's most of their salary yes yeah I have to send a report up to the seat and we are yeah right now it's not and we do have actual versus budget the board got it tonight what else yeah there was um there was we changed our chart of accounts so there was a bit of a delay and more work that had to go into getting actual numbers moved into the budget report so the budget that was given and presented up here had only the budgets in there but we do have one with actuals and what those get posted for the town to review with the comments will have actuals next to the budget for each of those years when we're done with our deliberations the

151Board of Selectmen budget should be up what we submitted we'll make sure that that gets told me today they didn't see it but are you gonna include the actual is up there or not well no we'll just do it the way because we've already submitted we'll send it the way right okay Steve you have one more but I'll just wrap up your comments on the contingency that's something that obviously we will be discussing and we take very seriously that topic so we'll take notes on items that departments may bring up you know and we'll also during our deliberations discuss what is has been proposed and we will as a board vote on what actually makes it in there so there's we hear you and it is something that we will be discussing and deliberate I

152think the last one that I think we can comment on tax revenue from four corners developers you yeah the biggest about we've had so far smoke-filled village the agreement that we put in place of them four years ago or so really gives him you can like this or not like it but there is literally no increase in their taxes for right now the first three years and then it will slowly ramp up we're giving them 1.3 million dollar abatement we're hoping very much that they achieve a 70 percent occupancy on their commercial space because then they're required within one year to build the next two building to start that and that will help with offsetting that 1.3 million Tony Lou Sarah is building the Enclave he's now negotiating with his bankers he hopes to start

153that soon we don't have any other huge projects that are really throwing off any revenue right now we do have the supermarket it looks like that it's going to move forward we're negotiating with them right now and that will generate probably two hundred thousand two hundred and thirty thousand dollars in new taxes the tax abatement we're working with them will give us some immediate increase in taxes we do not give them a hundred percent pretty right we have to get some revenue from these projects in my opinion and so with some of the other projects I think it's the next two three four years where we'll really see some of these bumps coming in but right now we're not we're not seeing it okay thank you does anyone have any objections to answering questions that

154are raised by the public if we have the information on the spot I don't as long as we have the time you know sometimes you get just getting pretty long if as many questions as they can ask at the end of the meeting and at the end of the conversation that interaction let's address it as they come oh yeah again right hey that's her in that being kind just address Carmen your first comment you asked about the information being up the agenda did go up today we had to correct the toys are called we get it up as soon as possible so people can see it this was being worked out up until 6 p.m. I don't know if you could tell yeah it's this timestamp this was just completely at 6 p.m. so it

155was just so weird we put up the Board of Selectmen proposal to the Board of Finance and it will let the Board of Finance to decide with what you want to put up as an interim basis I don't know if you do or you don't want to put anything up that's partial so we'll get that up we'll make sure that tomorrow any further any further discussion ok I'd like to make a motion that we adjourn okay oh favorite give us a high carries okay thank you everyone have a great night [Music]