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2006-12-12 SP MTG54 1 SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 12-12-2006 MTG. #54 SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING MTG. #54 DECEMBER 12, 2006 RES. 605-607 7:00 P.M. TOWN BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT SUPERVISOR DANIEL STEC COUNCILMAN ROGER BOOR COUNCILMAN RICHARD SANFORD COUNCILMAN JOHN STROUGH COUNCILMAN TIM BREWER-ABSENT Supervisor Stec-Councilman Brewer has a previous commitment and will hopefully be at the meeting later tonight. BAY RIDGE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY CONTRACT DISCUSSIONS Supervisor Stec-Thanked the Company for submitting their requested budget in a timely manner, noted that the Board is seeking a one year contract with the fire companies. Representative of Bay Ridge Vol. Fire Co.-presented a statement to the Board ? Must stay OSHA Compliant nd ? 2 year the vehicle repair and maintenance budget has been more than ten thousand dollars under funded ? Past few years operated on bear bones budget there is no mechanism in case of shortfall ? Last year we were the last to come in front of the board and you asked that we hold the line on spending one more year and increase our budget this year ? Maintenance issues; roof repairs, ceiling tiles, sheet rock repairs from leaky roof, vehicle repairs ? Renewed mortgage negotiated to an increase of $38. per month mortgage payment now $9,030.29 locked until 10-29-2011 ? Allow our directors to have flexibility to take care of unexpected and unbudgeted expenses without having to come back to the Board for any line item increases We asked for a forty two thousand dollar increase over last years budget. If you increase by the forty two thousand it makes a one and one third cent per thousand of assessed value for the town, approximately three dollars and thirty eight cents for a two hundred and fifty thousand dollar house. Requested a thirteen month contract so if the budget isn’t done by January at least we would have the money for that month. 2 SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 12-12-2006 MTG. #54 Supervisor Stec-We have a thirty six thousand dollar difference between what the Town has budgeted and what has been requested. Councilman Sanford-Reviewed for the Fire Company his analysis of the budget. Fifty seven Thousand dollar difference… Representative of Bay Ridge Vol. Fire Co.-When you look at my expenditures and you see twelve thousand dollars behind in our budgeted line items, take from the Chief’s budget and remove it so he did not spend those dollars that makes your number of fifty seven thousand stretch double…Your numbers do not show the true picture. There is no cash what you are perceiving to be cash there is no cash, if we spend the three hundred and sixty two thousand there is no cash left. Councilman Sanford-I have to rely on the Audit Statement which stated at the beginning of 2005 you had cash of 104,162. at the end you had cash of 86,057. Representative of Bay Ridge Vol. Fire Co.-The cash that you are talking about is forty thousand dollars of a truck fund that is not available that needs to get wiped off. There is forty thousand dollars in a supplemental fund monies that the guys earn to pay for uniforms that you will not finance. In real monies we went negative eighteen thousand dollars in real money. At the beginning of 2006 our new funds of three hundred and sixty two thousand dollars was eighteen thousand short. Now we have a short fall of twelve this year, we at thirty thousand negative, I give you a budget of forty two. Councilman Sanford-If we use three hundred and fifty thousand dollars as the point of departure could you inform the board on variances that are extra ordinary or greater than what they have historically been to move that number up higher to close out the spread. Representative of Bay Ridge Vol. Fire Co.-We have truck repairs of ten thousand dollars we need to spend now, we have truck repairs that we have spent over the last two years ten or twelve thousand over what was budgeted by this Board, there is twenty thousand dollars that needs to be added … Councilman Sanford-If in 2005 you had truck repairs that were modest, and 2007 you are going to have twice as much in terms of magnitude of truck repairs then that would be a justification for moving into that spread. Representative of Bay Ridge Vol. Fire Co.-No matter what the trucks are older and we are doing more runs, the more you use them the more maintenance, there is hose and pump testing that we have to go out for, they were never budgeted. We did not get the items we had listed it went into truck repairs. Councilman Boor-We do not see where you pulled the money from the other lines, we do not know what lines you didn’t use. Noted that the tax rate is already set. 3 SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 12-12-2006 MTG. #54 Representative of Bay Ridge Vol. Fire Co.-We would like forty two thousand … Supervisor Stec-Your 2007 operating request can you go over the big chunks of the thirty thousand dollar difference? Representative of Bay Ridge Vol. Fire Co.-There only a few lines that are significantly increased, biggest increase on repairs to vehicles and maintenance 40,600 last year budgeted 19,000 year to date we have spent 29,528.75. the line that suffered is the Fire Fighting Equip. year to date we have spent 25,000 because we took 10,000 for repairs to vehicles the original budget on that line after removing the 18,000 short fall last year was 38,000 it was originally set at to be 56,000. Councilman Strough-Is that a one time deal? Representative of Bay Ridge Vol. Fire Co.-It is not a one time deal. Reviewed Chief Budget inclusive of the Fire Fighting Equipment line your communications equipment line and your small equipment line. Councilman Sanford-You have been cutting back on fire fighting equipment, communication equipment and small equipment in order to meet vehicle repairs and things of this nature. Representative of Bay Ridge Vol. Fire Co.-Since 2003 our calls have gone up 75 per year, combination of fire and ems calls. Councilman Sanford-Professional Fees you have 9,270. in 2005 it was 4,527. why did it go up? Representative of Bay Ridge Vol. Fire Co.-We used to have our own accountant, in 2005 that budget line was being used, you are correct I took the line and increased every line, there is four thousand there. Councilman Sanford-If you get enough of these couple thousand here and there we are probably going to reach common ground. Utilties, you have 28,840 but utilities was 21,059 …in Training and Education, 4,500 in 05 you want 6,000. … telephone has not gone up you have 5,484. here you have 7,210. Representative of Bay Ridge Vol. Fire Co.-There are more calls means more people on the phone so right now that line, I have spent 5,044. year to date…last year I came in with six lines that I wanted increases and you blew me out of here, this year I come back with all my line items and we took a seven percent across the board, now you want to go line by line. There is no come in here and have some common ground there is what ever you want to discuss this year. Supervisor Stec-Requested breakdown of 27,000 in building and grounds repair and maintenance .. 4 SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 12-12-2006 MTG. #54 Representative of Bay Ridge Vol. Fire Co.-Right now we are at $27,655. year to day, mowing lawn, all snow plowing anything building related, security alarms etc. Listed thirteen non fire related activities held at the fire facility and other fire related events. Councilman Sanford-Speaking for myself, 380 would work for me, if you go to 392 I cannot agree tonight. Representative of Bay Ridge Vol. Fire Co.-You would be about twelve thousand short, 392 is the number. Lets say fifty percent of what I was asking for is still 21,000 dollars, we do five thousand worth of repairs this year just to get the vehicles somewhere close to where we want to be, we don’t spend the ten this year that still gets me a 26,000 dollar increase. So, 26,000 over and above the 362,000 from last year we are close. Are you interested in going to 26,000. only do 5,000 in repairs and we will look at the other 5,000 next year? Councilman Boor-Requested to look at the budgets closer. Councilman Strough-Noted that we are already over inflation at 5% which is a bonus, 382 would be almost a 6% increase, I want to do you justice but I also want to do the community justice. Councilman Sanford-The thirty thousand dollar number seems to be fair and reasonable, if you go any more than that based on my analysis we are going to be over nine percent. Councilman Boor-We gave a lot more in fuel costs last year, and we know as high as gas prices were we had a mild winter in some respects we might have over issued to some companies, I am not picking on you specifically. Representative of Bay Ridge Vol. Fire Co.-We had a 368,000 budget year prior, you knocked 9,000 off of the budget last year so we did not get in the past four years one red cent increase for any fuel and surcharge. Councilman Boor-Don’t go with the total I am talking about when you submitted your preliminary budgets we bumped up the fuel. Representative of Bay Ridge Vol. Fire Co.-If we take the three eighty four the only issue I have is next year if we have repairs we are going to do the repairs that are necessary … next year we will have the same conversation, I will bring estimates of what needs to be taken care of. Councilman Strough-If you have anything extraordinary, you guys have never hesitated to come to us in the past. Representative of Bay Ridge Vol. Fire Co.-We will take the three eighty four the only addition to that, this is the new mortgage payment number you will have to bump that up thirty eight dollars. 5 SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 12-12-2006 MTG. #54 Supervisor Stec-It was one fifty seven three seventy five for the annual grand total Representative of Bay Ridge Vol. Fire Co.-Twelve payments of an additional thirty eight dollars. Supervisor Stec-We had nineteen five for insurance you asked for twenty five forty nine, do you want us to go with that number too? The total will be the same but for housekeeping. Representative of Bay Ridge Vol. Fire Co.-That’s fine. Supervisor Stec-Twenty five forty nine and then I will add those two together and subtract and back out an operations number. There operations over their approved contract 11.3% and the total would be 6.2% increase. Sixteen thousand dollars over what was budgeted. Councilman Strough-Noted that their debt load is a little high which makes everything look a little bit high everyone should consider that. Supervisor Stec-Willing to go to public hearing on 384,000. Board agreed to set the public hearing… Discussion held regarding holding this budget process earlier, Councilman Sanford requested that a template prepared that when you come up with your projections that it replicates the audit, both for EMS and Fire. VISION ENGINEERING Dan Ryan Supervisor Stec-Our expectations for you to serve as the engineering liaison between the Town, Town Planning Board, Zoning Board, Town Board and any other engineering enterprise that we may contact for projects that are beyond …the other thing we want you working for the Town Board Members and the Planning and Zoning Boards when they need engineering assistance. We should be your primary customer. One issue where you will interact directly with staff without necessarily one of the three boards interacting is on some of these deep hole tests. Your point of contact on septic issues will be Dave Hatin. We want you empowered to drive the septic issues. E-Mail the Town Board on requests for engineering inquiring if the Board wishes you to work on certain projects. Councilman Sanford-We are going to be holding you accountable so therefore you cannot be duly influenced… Councilman Boor-Noted with sewer system, what wasn’t given a serious look before really needs to be scrutinized. 6 SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 12-12-2006 MTG. #54 Supervisor Stec-Noted other projects such as drainage issues are forth coming. Mr. Ryan-The Town Board, Planning Board or Zoning Board will be initiating the project. Councilman Boor-The reports should be given to those boards not the staff. Mr. Ryan-Lets get the agreement and the documentation and in the agreement basically we have a schedule of fees and a scope of services that I will outline for you I want it defined as much as possible. Councilman Sanford-Suggested that Mr. Ryan contact Bob Vollaro the outgoing Planning Board Chairman … Mr. Ryan-I think it is explicit in some documentations that I have received from you, that I am not supposed to correspond directly with applicants or staff, basically the response is forwarded to the Board. Councilman Boor-You are an advocate for the Boards and we are using your professional services. Mr. Ryan-I include in my agreement that I am not going to explicitly contact directly the staff or applicants unless directed otherwise. Supervisor Stec-The Planning and Zoning Board they will have a lot of flexibility how they want you to interact with them. Councilman Strough-Spoke about the Rush Pond Project, would like the Board’s approval on having Mr. Ryan look at the RFP for his comments. Reviewed the Rush Pond Project and its different phases. Councilman Sanford-You also might be a resource for cost effectiveness… Councilman Boor-You are an advocate for the Board. Mr. Ryan-Basically it came down in the scope to technical review, also some ideas on special projects on an as needed basis, septic is straight forward… 7 SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 12-12-2006 MTG. #54 th Councilman Strough-Invited Mr. Ryan to a meeting on January 4 for any potential bidders on the RFP for Rush Pond to ask additional questions. RESOLUTION CALLING FOR AN EXECUTIVE SESSION RESOLUTION NO. 605, 2006 INTRODUCED BY: Mr. Roger Boor WHO MOVED FOR ITS ADOPTION SECONDED BY: Mr. Richard Sanford RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby moves into an Executive Session to conduct interviews for Budget Officer. th Duly adopted this 12 day of December, 2006 by the following vote: AYES: Mr. Boor, Mr. Sanford, Mr. Strough, Mr. Stec NOES: None ABSENT: Mr. Brewer RESOLUTION ADJOURNING EXECUTIVE SESSION RESOLUTION NO. 606, 2006 INTRODUCED BY: Mr. Roger Boor WHO MOVED FOR ITS ADOPTION SECONDED BY: Mr. Richard Sanford RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby adjourns its Executive Session. 8 SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 12-12-2006 MTG. #54 th Duly adopted this 12 day of December, 2006 by the following vote: AYES: Mr. Boor, Mr. Sanford, Mr. Strough, Mr. Stec NOES: None ABSENT: Mr. Brewer No Action taken during Executive Session RESOLUTION ADJOURNING SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING RESOLUTION NO. 607, 2006 INTRODUCED BY: Mr. Roger Boor WHO MOVED FOR ITS ADOPTION SECONDED BY: Mr. John Strough RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury hereby adjourns its Special Session. th Duly adopted this 12 day of December, 2006 by the following vote: AYES: Mr. Boor, Mr. Sanford, Mr. Strough, Mr. Stec NOES: None ABSENT: Mr. Brewer Respectfully submitted, Miss Darleen M. Dougher Town Clerk-Queensbury 9 SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING 12-12-2006 MTG. #54