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TOWN OF GRANBY
BOARD OF SELECTMEN
MINUTES
JANUARY 19, 2010
The regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was called to order by First Selectman John Adams at 7:35 p.m.
PRESENT: John Adams, Ronald Desrosiers, B. Scott Kuhnly, Sally King, Mark Neumann, and William F. Smith, Jr., Town Manager
OTHERS: Michael Guarco, Chairman Board of Finance, Francis Brady, Robert Clark Alfred Wilke, Cal Heminway, Chairman Board of Education, Ed Ohannessian, Ronald Walther, Matthew Wutka, Alan Addley, Superintendent of Schools, and Roger Hernsdorf, Treasurer
First Selectman Adams opened the meeting by stating that this is a regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen, however the Board’s rules of procedure are suspended for the meeting of the Three Boards.
First Selectman Adams began the meeting by welcoming all Board members, town staff, and public. He reviewed the Plus One budget that only includes required estimated sustained operation levels. It was suggested to Town Manager Smith to provide a bare essentials budget with a 0% increase. To sustain current levels of service and staff there would be a buget increase of $218,000 over the 0% suggested. To meet the 0% increase, we could not maintain current services and staff. Most likely cuts would come from staff. First Selectman Adams stated that there are some departments that are truly reliant on part-time staff just to function. Election services for instance, has only part-time staff and they rely on temporary help during election time. Other services that rely on part-time staff are Fire
Prevention, Emergency Management, Communications and Dispatching, Solid Waste and Recycling, and Building Maintenance and Town Grounds. By reducing part-time staff to eliminate the $218,000 needed to sustain current levels of service, it would mean cutting the part-time and temporary budget by half. Likely cuts would come from the Police Department, Library Services, and Department of Public Works.
Cal Heminway, Chairman of the Board of Education, spoke of their current operating budget of $26,667,594. In order to keep at a 0% increase, it would mean they would have to find $278,150, which is mostly comprised of health benefits and salaries. He spoke of reducing library services and texts, no additional full time employees, a reduction in noncertified employees, and no new sports. There are obvious contractual obligations that have to be considered. The goal is to develop a budget that is responsive to the economic climate and to follow the Board of Finance guideline of a 0% increase. They would like to maintain levels of personnel, programs, infrastructure, and services that meet essential needs.
Michael Guarco, Chairman of the Board of Finance, wanted to let everyone know the Board of Finance is well aware that households and businesses are hurting. The year 2012 may be the hardest hit year, particularly from the lack of federal funding. Even with flat budgets, there still needs to be a 1.7% increase in taxes. We need to reduce the use of reserves, because we can’t continue to use surplus and not replace it. The mill rate must be increased, but the public will ultimately decide that. Our revenues are coming in and that is holding us. Board of Finance member Al Wilke congratulated everyone for a job well done putting budgets together. They are well aware just how tough the job is. Taxpayers also have a tough job and a flat budget is clearly in the cards. Mr. Guarco stated he
knows the numbers will come down before we bring this budget before the public in the spring.
First Selectman Adams concluded the meeting by saying we all need to work together, and he appreciates what the employees did last year by giving up their raises to help meet budget requirements. He also stated we need to ratchet back the numbers to keep our reserves from going down because we have less going into the General Fund.
There were no other comments.
ON A MOTION by First Selectman Adams, seconded by Selectman Neumann, the Board of Selectmen adjourned the meeting at 8:15 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
William F. Smith, Jr.
Town Manager
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