Common Council Meeting 1/22/08
Another fine night for a Common Council Meeting. Full house tonight,
Moccia Serasis, Brown, Bondi Bolden, Conroy, Geake, Hilliard
Bonnefant, Kydes ,Lindstrom ,Hempstead, Straniti Krummel Sutton, McQuaid
They go through the excruciating details of Mr. Krummel correcting the minutes. [I wish they would send out the minutes by email before these meetings, and go through the corrections, and then do a proforma acceptance of the minutes since they already checked the minutes out.]
Mayor Moccia starts out the night with a resolution after observing that there is no one signed up for the public participation. The resolution acknowledges the outstanding season that a local community league football team had. The football team won, and includes a girl on the team.
Rick McQuaid: Asks that the press covers this because is a shining example of some of the good things kids do.
Straniti: Mentions that she sees some of her sons friends.
Moccia: Acknowledges that the cheerleaders also should be commended, and finds that there are boys on the cheerleading squad.
Bondi: Congratulates the teams and mentions the success of the baseball program and that he coached pop warner for 11 years.
Brown: Congratulates everyone and is thrilled that they achieved
Appointments: Steven Colarossi is up for Zoning Board of Appeals.
McQuaid: Says that this a is great appointment even though it is replacing a Republican with a Democrat. Speaks to the background of Colarossi. Has an extensive background in zoning. Kydes seconds.
Unanimous approval except that Doug Sutton abstained.
Moccia: Says more about his background, and that he is appointed despite being a Red Sox fan. [Laughter]
Colarossi: Thanks the council for the appointment and admits that he is also a Patriots fan.
Moccia: Talks about his upcoming trip the DC for the conference of mayors and that he will be speaking on infrastructure and storm drainage projects. Thanks everyone for coming to the Mayors Ball and says that the silent auction raised $7800 and that the evening was an overall success.
Bondi: Kydes is going to Land use, Bonnenfant is going on Finance,. Kydes is leaving finance due to a schedule change.
They approve the consent calendar unanimously.
They talk about 7 B 1 which is the item about the Maritime Rowing Club to use Vets park for parking.
Hempstead: Asks about the season pass that is being used.
Moccaie: Explains that its similar to the sailing school.
Hempstead: Asks about corporation status and that there is a contract with the city.
Moccaie: We do a lot with the Maritime Rowing Club, and that it is a good for youths and that it is a good water related use. And clarifies that they would not be using the beach during the season, and that they would be using a non-resident sticker. Typically non-resident fees are $150.
Moccia: Clarifies that anyone can go to the beach without a sticker.
Hempstead: Asks how they could tell during the season that these vistitors are different from residents using the park. There’s a discussion about it and then he asks for an amendment to limit the period to one year to see how it goes.
They vote unanimously on the amendment and the motion.
D 2. The Merit Matrix Pay Plan. They go over the increase amounts and questions that were raised in committee.
Bondi: Says Krummel should ask about the BOE., and cites some double digit increases.
Moccia: Says that the numbers mentioned were not quite accurate.
Bondi: Says he read about it in The Hour.
Moccia: We’ve had a few issues with some articles in The Hour. [Laughter]
Hasselkemp: Any of the council members can talk to him about the increases.
Moccia: They wanted to get away from giving everyone a 3% raise in lockstep. Explains evaluation process.
Hasselkemp: Explains the difference in ranges and pay plans.
They approve it with Bondi abstaining and Sutton and Conroy opposing.
D 3: The revised specification for combined dispatch, this is the other half of the Michelle DeLuca position.
Krummel: Asks what the title was.
McQuaid: They are striking the words Emergency Preparedness. The packet is correct.
Bolden: Asks if this is also a deputy director.
Hasselkemp: This is a different position, and will not be a deputy director.
Moccia: There are no funds available right now, so they do not intend to fill it right away. He explains the situation and how things are going along with the combined dispatch.
They approve unanimously with Geake abstaining.
D 4 Associate Corporation Counsel,.
Brown: Asks if they could have the previous job description.
Maslan explains that this is a new position intending to replace two part time positions.
Brown: Suggests that they are overworked in the corp council office.
Krummel: Says he’s reading about this in the Hour and that minutes of the meeting need to reflect what is going on. He is confused about the positions that are being filled.
Maslan: Explains that full time position is replacing the two part time positions. He adds that they have been vacant for awhile.
Krummel: Asks about the zoning complaints, and who was handling that.
Maslan: Explains that he was, and that Reid was now handling those since he became Corporation Counsel. Maslan explains the zoning violation volume.
Krummel: Confirms that Reid is staying on as part time.
Brown: Asks if they need more.
Krummel: Is impressed with the enforcement action. Asks about what the qualifications are for enforcement action.
Maslan: Explains that there is experience on staff that he doesn’t need someone with more than 2-3 years of legal experience.
Krummel: Asks about the salary ranges.
Hempstead: Asked a question but I missed it.
They vote unanimously on it.
7 D 5: Change of job description of Assistant Corporation Council.
Krummel: Says Brown noted before that the orginal job description should be there.
Hasselkemp: We’ll send the red line version down.
Lindstrom: Asks about the full time versus part item position.
Maslan: It’s a full time position, just changing the description.
E 1 A: New item they suspended the rules to add this.
1 B: New Canann offers a 1973 fire tanker. truck
McQuaid: Explains how the Norwalk Fire Deaprtment reuses stuff that other people get rid of.
Brown: Asks what kind of truck it is.
Conroy: Asks about the part where Norwalk says we would lend it back to New Canaan and if the truck can be given back if they run out of a trucks.
Bolden: Explains that they would do the lending anyways if there was a need.
Unanimously voted for it with Hempstead abstaining because he doesn’t think it’s a good idea to take on a 35 year piece of equipment.
They adjourn.
