Common Council Meeting 2/24/09
Common Council MTG 2/24/09
Attending: Krummel, Serasis, Brown, Duleep, Lindstrom, Hilliard, Geake, Moccia, Maslan, Bolden, Straniti, Conroy, Bonenfant, Kydes, Hempstead, McQuaid
They approve the minutes with some minor comments about corrections, Duleep makes some adjustments and so does Brown but Kydes wanted to add something that he didn’t say and the Mayor reminded him that it was not a verbatim. They vote unanimously.
Public Commentary:
Scott Vetare : Secretary and Treasurer of local 2405. They did not sign the retirement package because there was a stipulation that temporary personnel could be hired to replace the people who would take the early retirement package. He points out that there are people with 30 years who can’t retire but they can’t move up.
Marney Smith: Reminds council members that she was on the conservation commission, and is presently the president of the Norwalk Land Trust. She is asking that the second position in the conservation office. Explains that the second person has been a great asset to the conservation office.
Christopher Aut: Reads from a statement about the economy and the city’s fiscal condition. Says that current national policy is to put people to work. Says that the city budget is doing the opposite by putting people out of work. Says that the public has not been informed about the cuts and that essential jobs and services should be saved. Supports raising the cap.
Tod Bryant: Speaking on the budget cap. Concerned about the charter and the registrars office. Says that is our guide to how to function, and that we should be careful in what we do to it. Also raises the issue of the budget cut in the environmental department and that in a two person department that cutting one person would double the workload of that office.
Mayor Remarks:
Says that most of the stimulus package will go to the state and that he has met with Congressman Himes and will urge that money get to the city, but that the stimulus package is targeted the 50 governors. Starts with saying that the stimulus build in primarily targeted towards infrastructure, and that will not help city operating expenses. Reminds the audience that other cities have already done layoffs, but the last thing he wants to do is tell people that don’t have a job anymore. He also says that there are people who don’t have a job in the private sector and that they can’t afford tax increases. Asks that the council members respect each other’s opinion and not have a crossfire of accusations going on.
Resignations & Appointments:
None.
Council President remarks:
Bolden talks about the dedication to the Bea Brown. On march 10th, the appointment of the ethics board will be on the agenda. Bolden reads off the consent calendar items.
Consent Calendar
They vote unanimously.
They go into Executive Session.
Upon return from the Executive Session and then take up the early retirement package.
McQuaid: Moves the item. He asks if they can make an adjustment that 2405 could still negotiate.
Hasselkemp: Says that they could condition in the approval by the union. Hasselkemp says that he spoke to the union and that they may come to a resolution.
McQuaid: Adjusts the motion and moves it forward, contingent on a deadline on Friday due to the time constraints.
Brown: Asks if the other 3 unions will be hindered if 2405 doesn’t approve it.
McQuaid: Says that 2405 just gets another at bat to negotiate.
Hasselkemp: Says that he has signed documents with the other 3 unions, so those negotiations are closed.
Maslan: Makes a suggestion on the language of the approval.
Moccia: Says that Maslan write the language, that specifically references 2405 and the Friday deadline.
Krummel: Says that early retirement package is only for City employees and not the BOE.
Moccia: Says they don’t need to make that amendment.
They do roll call vote on this.
Brown Y
Geake Y
McQuaid Y
Duleep Y
Bonenfant Y
Serasis Y
Bolden Y
Hilliard Y
Kydes Y
Lindstrom Y
Hempstead Y
Straniti Y
Conroy Y
Krummel Y
Hilliard: Moves the motion to set the budget cap on the city’s operating budget. The limit is $263,659,873. [An interesting tid bit: in 1996 the charter was revised to allow for the common council to set a budget cap. Prior to that the council had no budget cap power. As it is, the only power they have is really to lower the spending cap, since the BET can create a budget lower than the cap, but can’t exceed it.]
Duleep: Makes an adjustment to the language pointing out that the dates are wrong.
Krummel: Makes an amendment to increase to the numbers, and explains that the $400k increase is to cover services in the city, the human services fair rent field agent should be funded and that he’s adding back in the director of youth services, and that position is important because of gang activity, and the two registrars should be considered full time in the ordinance code, and includes the conservation compliance officer, and finally a civil engineer in DPW should be needed particularly because of the permit software pointing out revenue loss.
Serasis: Agrees with raising the cap, particularly the youth services department position. Says that the part time position of the Norwalk After School alliance. Outlines grants in hand that fund programs, and the coordinator is essential to this position. 42 members are in the alliance, and the work needs to get done.
Brown: Agrees with Krummel and Serasis, and says that the human relations and fair rent department in particular that in hard times we need to be fiscally responsible and that citizens of Norwalk deserve the same level of services. Says that several departments have been decapitated under Hamilton’s meat cleaver budget.
Kydes: Said that Hamilton never mentioned that he used a cleaver. [Moccia and Hamilton said he did] Kydes goes on to say that he won’t be supporting any tax increases or increases in the cap, or special interest groups that are done for political reasons and that they need to cut.
Bonenfant: Explains that while some have said that they are raising the cap for specific purposes that the BET makes the determination.
Lindstrom: Says that she supports Krummel’s amendment and reasons for it, and says that purpose of raising the cap allows the public to have a voice and gives the BET an opportunity to listen to the public and adding positions back in.
Bolden: Appreciates all the comments, supports raising the cap, and says that the BET does have the final say. Speaks to the Employee Assistant position and that it’s a hard position to lose and it’s a very important position for seniors.
Duleep: Supports the Krummel amendments and that because there’s uncertainty in knowing when the economy will turn around, that because particular positions are cut that the city may be opening itself to a liability that may be down the road. Points to an item that was approved on consent. Agrees that it gives the public an opportunity to advocate for positions in front of the BET.
Moccia: Points out that law suit that was referenced by Duleep was an eminent domain issue under the Knopp administration. That it didn’t have anything to do with personnel.
Duleep: Says that it was a point about not having money available for stuff.
Geake: Speaks to inspector for fair rent, the person who did the job did 250 inspections in the past year. There’s no point in having a fair rent department if not inspections.
Moccia: Says Geake should check numbers the 250 may be complaints not inspections.
Conroy: AAA bond rating didn’t mean much in the past, but now it makes a big difference. There’s a 4 point difference between single A and triple A. It’s been good management that has led to this. The BET will be juggling monies in the budget and that so many of our constituents will be paying higher tax bills. The timing for advocating for a cap increase is difficult. Doesn’t support the amendment, because he thinks that there’s plenty of room in the original budget.
Hilliard: Thinks there’s savings that can be made in the health care services, and that his personal experience has led him to this conclusion.
McQuaid: Does also believe that the BET will be compassionate to positions that are still needed. That the pencils need to be sharpened and that other savings can be found and positions may be saved.
Brown: Based on Conroy’s assessment, but asks what the tax levy increase would be with the extra 400k.
Serasis: Supports the Krummel increase because children are not a special interest, and that the after school alliance is important to the city and the children and that children are special.
Krummel: Says he’s pleased that we have public participation, and that he remembers that one summarizes his position, “put people to work” Says we have no business in putting people out of work. Cites Nancy Wyman’s pitch to have non union workers to take days off.
Moccia: Says he’s not trying to cut off debate, but Nancy Wyman’s and union contracts is not what is on the table for a vote. Points out that his office has had cuts and that he cut the assistant to the mayor position before.
Straniti: Says that she has been consistent she has been opposed to any increases including any tax increases. Agrees that there is some wiggle room in there.
On the Krummel’s Amendment to raise the cap:
Brown Y
Geake Y
McQuaid N
Duleep Y
Bonenfant N
Serasis Y
Bolden Y
Hilliard Y
Kydes N
Lindstrom Y
Hempstead N
Straniti N
Conroy N
Krummel Y
The amendment passes 8-6.
Hempstead: Tries to make an amendment to lower the cap to 262,548,231, the original cap as recommended by Hamilton.
Maslan: Checks the rules to see if Hempstead can made an amendment, and says that only one amendment can be made.
Hempstead: Said he listened to the proposal and that we are missing a few, the library, police could use some over time, said that all the departments probably asked for because they were needed. Says that they were elected to make those financial decisions on how to impact the taxes on the citizens can absorb. Says he’s never seen a nose dive in the economy in his life, and that key indicators are still diving, that we have not hit bottom. He has difficulty going to taxpayers who may have lost their job or had reduced hours. The people who will be impacted will be people who own cars, and how live in apartments, because commercial properties will be seeing tax increases. “Our job is choices, and those decisions impact us today.” He cites the 96 million spent on school improvements that are being paid today to at tune of $10 million that represents positions. Says that the extra $20 or so that anyone says increases its on top of the $580 a month in the average taxes a home owner pays.
Brown: Says that the BET will set the final budget, but that this cap allows a wiggle room. Says she’s impressed by Hamilton’s budget, but that they are not increasing anything tonight, they are trying to maintain in the best of our ability to preserve the services that the public wants.
They vote on Hempstead’s amendment:
Brown N
Geake N
McQuaid Y
Duleep N
Bonenfant Y
Serasis N
Bolden N
Hilliard N
Kydes Y
Lindstrom N
Hempstead Y
Straniti Y
Conroy Y
Krummel N
The motion fails 8-6.
Now they vote on the main motion:
Hempstead: Will not vote on the cap because it’s the council’s authorization to spend more.
Brown gets confused on what they are voting on after voting no on the initial roll call she votes No. Mary Roman reads the amended motion, and they start the roll call vote over.
Brown Y
Geake Y
McQuaid N
Duleep Y
Bonenfant N
Serasis Y
Bolden Y
Hilliard Y
Kydes N
Lindstrom Y
Hempstead N
Straniti N
Conroy N
Krummel Y
The budget cap passes 8-6.
They move to adjourn.
