Tonight’s common council meeting was moved to the concert hall. Given that the BET meeting filled the room, it was surprising that the room was hardly filled. I would say that there were fewer people than your typical common council meeting. The usual suspects of speakers spoke on behalf of the BOE budget and raising the cap, and against raising the cap and for supporting the flooding victims.
But apparently the fireworks sparked over a resolution that the Norwalk-outers attempted to get debated on the floor. A procedural motion to be sure, and it was quickly tabled by Council president Coffey. This prompted Miklave to ask for a 5 minute recess, to complain at the back of the room about how this was a procedural move to prevent debate. Well duh, I watch enough C-Span and CT-N to know that legislators play these games all the time. But then, that’s why this blog exists, to allow all sides to have that public debate. To do so only on the floor of the common council makes it a political event, and to do it here, well at least the public gets to participate, which debating on the council floor doesn’t happen.
That being said, Miklave should have been able to debate the BOE budget, but why wait till the last minute? The BET voted on a cap at another meeting, they voted on setting the cap already, why is still being debated?
update
with the usual apologies for mangling English and names …
Common Council Meeting
Meting minutes approved Kelly Straniti thanked for having the pages numbered correctly.
Walt McLaughlin: Spoke on Cancer Walk info
Charo Kateria ???: Speaking on parents magnet school students Columbus magnet schools, submitting petition. Contractual obligations are 5.7 % so the increase of 3.8% will cut programs. Last year budget turned the surplus back to the city, Averaging the two means that increase this year is not bad. Darien 5.85, Wilton 7.63, Westport ??%. [Notice that Stamford and Danbury is not used even though they are more representative of the demographic size o both the city and the student population.]
Assistant principals and instruction specialists are proposed to be cut. Assistant princiapals evaluate teachers, 2 x a year takes 5 hours, 3x a year for new teachers. Work with parents and special needs students, support teachers …
[mayor asks to sum up after 5 minutes]
Seemed like she could not speak off the cuff and really wanted to read off the sheet. [small applause]
Lorraine Montause: No more children in system, employee of special ed department. Wants an council members to have an open mind: Some facts: 16.7 million college enrollment {and its relevant how?} Colleges have a record number of rejections, the college enrollment more competitive, and cites some stats on obesity and teens, and this related how … so how can the removal of sports programs be promoted under these trends … essentially she is speaking to save sports programs. Grant monies have been declining and those programs ESL etc are being absorbed in budget. (spoke at BET meeting) Corda hands will be forced to ….
Dick Moccia appeals for 3 minute rule:
Gregory Pristine: Administrative costs for board of education 8 million costs, I don’t see teachers being hired .
Galen Wells: Urge the council to raise the cap to the point that the finance director suggested. Or the BOE amount. Keep progress going, “It’s the right thing for us to do, it will protect our property values†Program cuts hurt the most vulnerable kids. Mentions debt service being lumped in with the operating budget with BOE, not done with Police department etc. [↠good point, is there an answer to this?]
Larry Rutenberg. Thanks council members for support, transfer any additional funds to storm drains funding. You will continue to see us at every meeting, we ill be Hal Alvord his extended family. Fix the flooding sooner rather than later.
Tom Vetter: passes out handout. Math mistake on page 2. Last years budget was low, this years budget is high, hundreds of kids out of studyhall if budget is not approved,
Front page last years budget reconciliation, top line reduced by 2.2 million
(almost 3 million)
138 million was real budget … 143 million, if Hempsteads 3.8% used the wrong baseline was started with. [that’s another interesting comment]
Answered questions, reduced 2 million from our requests, held feet to the fire, have my word to keep looking for reductions. Please put our request in some context. We do have to pay for the flood victims. $2 week per family again.
Lynn Massey: PTO council co-president, supporting BOE school budget in full, increase the cap of dipping into contingency fund. Trust, education as number one priority, trust that Dr. Corda will fulfill his end of the deal, 1300 employees 11000 students and 19 school facilities, implementing curriculum across all subject matters. Trust that parents remain informed. Increase is just enough to maintain the status quo. People don’t leave a community because of taxes, but they do leave a community because of their schools. Compared Instructional specialists like Mike Moccaie, Hal Alvord of Chief Rilling.
Sally Cordavno: Fully fund BOE budget, 5.7% non negotiable items. PTO executive board member 5 years, carefully assessing schools for 12 years, and thinks Corda does a great job. Dr. Corda monumental proactive effort has been underway. On the right track. PTO meets regularly with Corda, asks hard questions. Meets with teachers, no snap decisions, cites national stats,
Bruce Mellion: Norwalk Federation of Teachers. One time budget anonlomy in 06 this was accomplished health insurance designed changes … We should rasie if to 5x percent, 3 million needed. 26-28 students in each class. 11 teachers affected at the high school. Budget % was higher last year ….
Mary Pugh: Support decision to support the cap, make dollars work harder, first get some financial controls over BOE spending, hire a financial director. THe cap will impel the BOE to find savings not cuts. Spending levels alarming, duplicating roles and duties …. We don’t see streamlined costs. 800k a year high level administration … money g=could be better soent supporting our teachers not administration.
Survey of educational stakeholders, past teachers who have left …
We don’t have to accept substandard management of our school system (best applause)
Jacki Chiarmonte: 2 children in system. Time to keep BOE held accountable for our tax dollars. Every department held accountable except BOE. How do we let a 140 million budget ipoerate without a finance director … Sal Corda and Stuart Opdahl do not have finance degrees. Money for central office, but when it comes to children, oops we don’t have any money. We should not give blindly to the BOE.
Margaret Petersen: Flood victims, insists with us that the flooding gets fixed. Did you know if the pipes were functioning. Do you knw that a 7 mile radios that sewage would be pumped all the time. The smoke testing preformed October 2005. 18 months since testing done, no action since.
3 years waiting, others wiat much much longer. Stop putting the citizens at health risk longer.
Richard Bonnefant: Kids graduated live at the top of a hill. 7D3 increase density on reed put name area … send out a tax assessor right away, nobody builds anything, tax it on the value that it is.
Dean ?????: 39 olmstead place: I’m tired and older, come over to his house to see what he had to do to prepare his house for his vacation. 44 years, would accept storm water. Has sewage in his living area. Just can’t wait any longer. Needs to be done now, infrastructure been neglected for years. Help us, we are in dire need, once again we appreciate anything you can do for us.
End of Public Speakers.
Joe Santo to the Parking Authority: unanimous approved.
Moccia’s remarks, difficulty of balancing cannot be measured on any words concerning the flood victims. THe city has to make an effort to solve this problem. Grants coordinator working with FEMA on flooding issue funding.
Mike Coffey: [to flood victims] We stand with you and understand what you are going through and we will be there for you. Will do whatever we can.
Accepts joint committee going forward by Vetter to go forward with BOE more constructive way to move forward positively. Placeholder budgets in the past, this process a much healthier debate, passionate and vigorous on the issues. Multiple needs that the city needs to balance. You cant take a multi year format, its not fair to people move here this year. Budget director in place at the BOE, a 140 million budget, would not happen with Sarbanes ox. $12k per child more than our comparable city. $2 week, seniors and working families, how to we tell our working families to spend more time away form your family to work harder to apy more money in taxes. It is a responsible budget. 4.2%, slightly over the rate of inflation, we’ve all worked together on a process.
Corporate Counsel Question changing the cap and the budget. Resolutions are not for action items, just for a view on councils opinion. Not for taking action, can’t bring about an action or an event. Motion to amend the prior cap, not an appropriate cap under the carter. 2 minute recess.
Back:
9:09:
On the advice of counsel not a proper to amend the cap, motion to table resolution role call
Coffey y
Miklave n
Poruban n
Roamno y
Sutton n
Grant n
McQuiad y
Bolden y
Hillaid y
Kydes y
Heampstead y
Straniti y
Briggs n
Krummel n
9-5 passes
5 minute recess. Miklave makes a public statement.
[this is a paraphrase, matt spoke too fast, and I had to stand and type one handed]
Today procedural gamesmanship public assault on public school education
By raising the cap it would not have raised taxes a dime BET underestimated real estate conveyance tax plus rells budget educational funding….
Even if we are wrong, the debate was worth it. There is a certainty of the cuts out of this budget. Should have been able to have it [the debate] ..,. Counil demonstrates their unwillingness … children who are not privileged or elite , are most at risk and the debate should have happened, and would gave …
Update: But Robert Koch, using pen and paper caught it so here’s the bit from his article:
“Today, this administration and the Common Council, using procedural gimmicks and behind-the-scenes gamesmanship, has prevented an important debate over the future of our children and our public schools,” said Miklave, who called a recess to hold a press conference at the rear of the auditorium, after the council tabled the resolution on a 9-5 vote.
“By raising the cap by $3.3 million, we would not have raised taxes a dime,” Miklave said. “But, even if we are completely wrong about that, this would have been a debate about risks and burdens. The risks that we were wrong about taxes, and they would be raised the equivalent of a cup of coffee per family per week, versus the certainty of disruption to our children’s public education system.”
kimmel says debate should have happened, that before there was debate before a motion to table was made … (I asked matt for a copy of what he said and I will post it.)
Meeting Reconvenes:
Coffey: explains what improper resolution made, not allowed under the charter, improper procedure, legal procedure, that was not adhered too, resolution was made for political gain … can be taken up at a finance committee meeting, if we vote to raise cap a billion dollars
Hilliard: we will be taking budget to finance committee meeting on Thursday, will call a special meeting.
Miklave asks for a special meeting:
Moccia: you didn’t consult with me on the resolution, I will take that in consideration.
Coffey: some people didn’t understand the charter, political game ship apology to audience.
Consent Calendar: Coffey reads off short description and item numbers:
Krumeel removes 4a 4b : concession stand removed brien McMahon
Miklave: 95/7 should go back to committee, 7b3 committee
Land use Building Management Committee:
Krummel: can’t agree to 350k to what he regards as a luxury … 2 years w/o use of concession stand, this year, sending the wrong message. Vote against authorizing
Moccia: Brien Macmahon is already bonded, original concession stand demolished to expand school building, its not extra money … cant switch money, originally $650k allocated, the delay was made to reduce the amount, and it can be used to raise money byut he school and other organizations.
Romano: would vote to fund it, involved with pop warner, make do concession stand during games …anyone who has been involved, it’s a very difficult situation
Hempstead: Though noble in your efforts, the BOE would have to let go of this money and let ti go back in the capital process… that they will not let it happen.
Krummel: Been understanding concession stand was never part of the expansion studies. Hamilton defers to lau: Concession stand has always been part of the project, concession stand was taken down for expansion wing, tried to get state funds, but state wouldn’t refund it.
Poruban: Support going ahead with project, although appreciates Krummels efforts. Whatever one school should have the other should have, should have equity.
Unanimous accepted.
Personnel committee:
Miklave will not vote on contracts because they exceed the inflation rate, and in the same meeting not have the debate on it, thinks they are excellent contracts otherwise.
Moccia: At least we have input on the contracts.
Krummel: ?????
Hempstead: What is in roll up costs.?
Hamilton: Overtime and a methodology used previously.
Coffey: openness and transparency this is good government, Grant thanked for beinging new procedures.
Poruban: will be abstaining on this .. contract better than private sector contracts.
Miklave: this contract will cost 5% every year, you can’t hold the line at 3.8 inflation, with 5% contract increases. It’s not responsible to be approving contracts at 5%.
Moccia: Binding arbitration awards coming in at this range.
Moves that item C 2 and 3 together.
Against
Miklave
Poruban abstained
Briggs
Krummel
Capital Planning committee
Miklave: More interesting times on the council. By the time it gets to us there is very little fluff. This years capital budget, non controversial, in part because there was no allocation of funding for a new fire station, Hamilton has not called for a new fire station. We just don’t have funds to build a new fire station. It is appropriate budget.
We can’t add money to capital budget that would raise the money beyond the other budgets.
We can’t put any money into anything that was not requested by a department head.
Coffey: commends committee, wishes more money for school projects and drainage projects could move along faster. Fire station needed to service cranbury and silvermine area. … committee did a very good job. Wish could do more but the fiscal reality is such that it is.
