BOARD OF SELECTMEN
APRIL 13, 2015
Page 1 of 6
APPROVED
Attendance: First
Selectwoman Derrylyn Gorski, Selectman Donald Shea, Selectwoman Magda
Visitors: Larry
Eisner, Ann Eisner, Fran Doba, Ruth MacDonnell, Barry Collins, Sally Huyser, Bruce
Loomis, Nancy Spagnola, David Forman, Nick Poulmas, Bart Piccarelli, Art
Slicer, Clark Hurlburt, Steve Worth,
Todd Ryker, Attorney Kevin McSherry,
Melissa Spear, Jean Swanson, Amy Arnsten, Margaret Foley, Rob White, Cate
Horton, Stu Horton, Mary Schurtleff, Elsa Worth, Sue Hurlburt, Frank Pfeiffer, Eileen Ede, Sheila Wade, Pua Ford, Kathryn Sylvester, Nancy Spagnola, Linda
Saffrin, Lynette White, Peg Foley,
Paulette Clinton, Mena Argentari, Ruth Beardsley, Gail Sweet
APPROVAL OF
MINUTES
First Selectwoman Gorski called for a motion of approval for
the minutes of the special meeting of April 6, 2015. The motion was moved by Selectwoman Magda and
seconded by Selectman Shea. The vote was
called. The minutes were approved on a
unanimous vote by the Selectmen
First Selectwoman Gorski called for a motion of approval for
the minutes of the meeting of March 23, 2015.
The motion of approval was moved by Selectwoman Magda and seconded by
Selectman Shea. Selectwoman Magda moved
to put quotations around the question asked by Selectman Shea about the RFP for
Solid Waste. The vote was unanimous for
approval.
BUDGET UPDATE
First Selectwoman Gorski went over the draft of the budget
with the other Selectmen. The budget is
up 3.6% due mostly to Amity School budget, Resident Trooper Program and repair
of roads, to try and make up for the cuts of last year.
CONSERVATION
COMMISSION
Bruce Loomis spoke to the Board of Selectmen regarding
contributions not being made in a timely fashion to the Land Acquisition Fund
by the Town Treasurer.
Bruce indicated to the Board of Selectmen how disappointed
he is with Selectman Shea and Selectwoman Magda for voting last year to bring
the budget to referendum, when there was only 8% of the budget that could be
changed. The changes were to cut the
road budget and the Land Acquisition Fund to reduce the budget. The balance of the budget is fixed and cannot
be changed. The question was raised
about the cost of holding a referendum.
The cost for two referendums was approximately $6,000. The suggestion was made to put more effort
and dollars into getting people out to attend Town Meeting (which seemed to be
the consensus of those present), rather than a referendum where you can vote
only yes or no. The budget can be
adjusted down at Town Meeting, that way you would know what the people would
like to cut, rather than the Board of Finance doing it. Selectman Shea and Selectwoman Magda were
asked why they supported a referendum.
They indicated that it allowed more people to vote because of the small
attendance at a Town meeting. Bruce had the numbers that indicated there was
not a large turnout voting at referendum either.
April 13, 2015
Bethany Board of Selectman
Dear Selectperson Gorski, Magda and Shea,
Subjects: Land Acquisition Fund (LAF) and Budget Referendum
Land Acquisition Fund balance
In preparing for the March 26, 2015 Special Town Meeting
regarding using the LAF to partially fund the purchase of the Carrington
Preserve to be ready for the inevitable question of “How much is in the fund?”
I found that the actual LAF balance is not what it should be and would like to
ask that my information be verified and, if correct, be rectified.
For fiscal 2013-2014 I find that there appears to never have
been a contribution made even though the approved budget called for a $25,000
contribution. Also, according to the
auditor’s report money should have been deducted (presumably for the
appraisals) and was not.
Fiscal 2013-14 should be a “done deal” and these transaction
should not be hanging incomplete. I
would like to ask that the facts be checked and if I am correct that immediate
action be taken to rectify the error or oversight.
Additionally, I found that the $25,000 contribution for
fiscal 2014-15 has not yet been made. Admittedly
the fiscal year is not over so there is still time. On this item I would ask that the fact be
verified, and if correct that a time table be obtained for the contribution and
then followed up to be sure the money is in place by the end of fiscal 2014-15.
The auditor’s report for 2013-14 does not agree with the
account balance and the above appears to be the reason. The only changes in value of the fund that I
could find were because of the monthly interest earned. Otherwise the fund is virtually unchanged for
the past 2 (two) years.
Budget Referendum
Last year the Board of Finance listened to residents at the
Annual Budget Hearing and increased the LAF contribution from $25,000 to
$100,000. Subsequently the budget was
moved from the Annual Town Meeting to a referendum without an exit poll. The budget was then voted down and the BOF
was left scratching their heads with no idea why it was rejected. The two biggest cuts they made were the LAF
(75%) and the road repair budget even though these may or may not have been
cause for the negative vote.
The Town had the expense of 2 (two) referendum votes and an
extra town meeting and never learned why the negative vote or whether the
changes really made the vote change.
In my view this is irresponsible and a waste of money. We need to know why so the BOF can make
responsible changes based on actual public opinion.
I thought last years budget was very responsible and I feel
that many who voted did not understand how much of the budget is “locked in”
and cannot be changed and which items make up that majority portion of the
budget.
While I do not agree with moving the budget to referendum
(last year only 18% voted in the 1st referendum (11.5% voted no) and
only 10% voted in the 2nd) I do understand that it is a legal
option. My first preference is not to go to referendum and let the Town Meeting
vote and decides the budget. The people
who attend the meeting are the interested and informed voters. If we are to have a referendum PLEASE HAVE AN EXIT POLL!!!! Let us not make the same costly,
irresponsible mistake as last year and have a straight yes/no vote and walk
away not knowing why there is a rejection and again leave the BOF not knowing
the proper areas to address. It is not fair to the BOF and does not properly
serve the residents of Bethany
There are important issues that people may not and probably
do not fully understand when they go to the polls and vote in a “yes/no” budget
referendum:
1)
Over 90% of the budget is locked in items and
essential services that are absolutely necessary and cannot be reduced.
2)
Even after approval the budget can be reduced at
the subsequent Town Meeting by voting to reject or reduce certain capital line
items.
3)
By rejecting the budget they may not get a
reduction in the item(s) that they feel are too high.
One of the first cuts they will make with no direction will
again be the Land Acquisition Fund.
Our Town Budget is not the budget of one person. It is laboriously crafted over a long time by
a bi-partisan group of involved citizens with budget experience and then fine
tuned by this dedicated group after meetings and input from the citizens who
are interested and go to the Budget Hearing followed by the Budget Hearing. It is only then that the budget is finalized
and presented to our “Legislative Body”, the Town Meeting.
The end result will better serve all town residents if the
budget is voted by the interested and informed residents who attend the Town
Meeting than it will be by a greater number of less informed voters casting a
yes/no vote with an incomplete understanding of what the budget really
represents.
Thank you for reviewing my concerns and for your time in
doing so.
Bruce Loomis – Resident and Chairman, Bethany
|
2011-12
|
2012-13
|
2013-14
|
||||||
|
A) Budget
|
20,383,921
|
20,838,716
|
21,882,854
|
|||||
|
Amity
|
8,439,785
|
8,591,647
|
8,670,180
|
|||||
|
BCS
|
6,276,791
|
6,368,791
|
6,559,417
|
|||||
|
Debt
|
805,555
|
680,799
|
694,824
|
|||||
|
L/P
|
217,311
|
285,923
|
231,914
|
|||||
|
B) Sub total-a
|
15,739,442
|
77.20%
|
15,927,160
|
76.40%
|
16,156,335
|
73.80%
|
||
|
Ins & Ben.
|
775,407
|
870,510
|
959,898
|
|||||
|
Solid Waste
|
383,700
|
386,154
|
390,266
|
|||||
|
Gen Govt
|
1,046,131
|
1,130,215
|
1,168,489
|
|||||
|
Public Safety
|
498,755
|
516,453
|
532,431
|
|||||
|
Public Works
|
1,143,204
|
1,220,338
|
1,745,621
|
|||||
|
Sub total-b
|
3,847,199
|
18.90%
|
4,123,670
|
19.80%
|
4,967,705
|
21.90%
|
||
|
C) 80% St-b
|
3,077,758
|
15.10%
|
3,298,936
|
15.80%
|
3,974,164
|
18.20%
|
||
|
D) B + C)
|
18,817,200
|
92.30%
|
19,226,224
|
92.30%
|
20,130,499
|
92%
|
||
|
A) - D)
|
1,566,721
|
7.60%
|
1,612,492
|
7.70%
|
1,752,355
|
8%
|
||
|
L/P = Lease/Purchase contractural
agreements
|
||||||||
|
B) Locked in, cast in stone,
cannot change
|
||||||||
|
C) Minimun essential services to
run the Town with no frills
|
||||||||
|
D) Minimum amount not actually
being voted on
|
||||||||
|
Items NOT included in
either B) or C) that would increase the non-changeable and decrease what we
are
|
||||||||
|
what we are actually able to vote
on:
|
||||||||
|
1-Library
|
|
|
2-Land Acquisition Fund
|
|||||
|
3-Cemetaries
|
|
|
4-Park & Recreation
|
|||||
|
5-Human Services Adm.
|
6-QVHD
|
|||||||
APPOINTMENT TO
CONSERVATION COMMISSION
First Selectwoman Gorski announced that she had appointed
Mathew Pop as an alternate to the Conservation Commission.-
TAX REFUNDS
Selectman Shea moved to refund to April Amellin the sum of
$47.98, to Daimler Trust the sum of $306.86, to Richard McCurdy the sum of
$34.37, to Marshal Kamai or Tara Barbieri the sum of $115.55, to Taylor Kelsey
the sum of $146.45, to Walter and Sarah Briggs the sum of $2,999.98, to Arthur
or Melita Willoughby the sum of $11.66, to Corelogic the sum of $4,096.82, to
Dorothy Dierolf the sum of $78.99, to Industrial Materials Group the sum of
$4.32, toJohn & Susan Wolanic the sum of $294.97, to Kathryn Garre the sum
of $100, to Linda Greco the sum of $206.01, to Michael & Roseann Esposito
the sum of $118.64, to Old Amity LLC the sum of $171.80, to Paul Manger the sum
of $50.85, to Paul or Edwina Weston the sum of $24.99, to Peter Dileo the sum
of $68.41 and to Toyota Lease Trust the sum of $674.74 all for over payment of
taxes. Selectwoman Magda seconded the
motion. The vote taken was
unanimous.
EARLY COURT MAINTENANCE
BOND RELEASE
Isabel Kearns, Alan Green and David Nafis all met at Early
Court for a road inspection. The group
determined that the road was in good condition and the bond should be
released. Selectwoman Magda moved to
release the maintenance bond for Early Court.
The motion was seconded by Selectman Shea. The vote taken was unanimous.
ROOF REPLACEMENT
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
First Selectwoman Derrylyn Gorski reported that the RFQ for
the Elementary School roof replacement has gone out to bid.
TREE TRIMMING
The Town has met with EverSource regarding the tree problems
on the side of the roads where there are wires.
They are going to start tree work in the Downs Road area where the wires
are the oldest and work from there throughout the Town. The
Town is organizing a plan and will go out to bid for the trees that are the
Town’s responsibility.
OTHER
Attorney McSherry has
just about completed the RFQ for the curbside recycling.
INTENTIONS TO GO
TO REFERENDUM FOR TOWN BUDGET
Selectman Shea and
Selectwoman Magda indicated their desire to bring the Town budget to
referendum. Dave Forman commented that a
referendum only brings the responsibility of the budget cuts back to the Board
of Finance. It should be changed at the Town Meeting. Reduction can be addressed at the Town Meeting.
The Rev. Elsa Worth and member of the newly formed Heart of Bethany group likes
the Town Meeting form of government as it gives the people civic participation
and allows for a more democratic society.
Barry Collins feels that Bethany has had Town Meetings for
175 years and they have always worked.
Art Slicer commented that each referendum costs
approximately $3,000. If we used that
money to better inform the people it would be money well spent instead of
wasted.
ADJOURNMENT
Adjournment was called at 9:20 p.m. after a motion was moved
by Selectman Shea and seconded by Selectwoman Magda.
Respectfully
submitted,
June
G. Riley
Secretary,
Board of Selectmen
