CITY OF DERBY BOARD OF APPORTIONMENT & TAXATION

Transcription

1 CITY OF DERBY BOARD OF APPORTIONMENT & TAXATION Aldermanic Chambers REVISED MINUTES David Anroman Jeremy Bell James Butler - Chairman Jason Cronk Anita Dugatto Carolyn Duhaime Richard Dziekan Carlo Malerba Daniel Sexton Judith Szewczyk A meeting of the of the City of Derby was held on Monday evening, July 16, 2012 in the Aldermanic Chambers, City Hall. Chairman James Butler called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. with the pledge of allegiance. By roll call, members present were David Anroman, Daniel Sexton, Anita Dugatto, Chairman James Butler, Carolyn Duhaime, Jeremy Bell, Carlo Malerba and Judy Szewczyk. Absent: Jason Cronk and Richard Dziekan. Also Present: City Treasurer, Keith McLiverty. Additions, Deletions & Corrections to the Agenda. Mr. Butler would like to add a personnel matter for the Derby Public Library, a personnel matter in the Tax Office, a Special Education transfer and a stipend for Joyce Sill in the Finance Office for Executive Session. Public Portion Dorothy Gleason - President of the Derby Public Library Board of Directors. Ms. Gleason has a letter to read... Mr. Butler stated he would prefer the matter be addressed in Executive Session. Mr. Butler met with Mr. Stankye and has the state statute and the City Charter. Lorrie Alberta- 325 David Humphreys Road. Ms. Alberta stated the Mayor suggested she come to the Tax Board regarding her tax bill. Ms. Alberta feels she made the wrong decision to buy in Derby. Taxes went up from 29.9 to Ms. Alberta has lived in Greenwich, Stamford, Stratford and Norwalk. She didn't like the statement on the tax bill saying Derby got a grant of 9M dollars, and if we didn't get the grant, the mill rate would have been The school system is rated very poorly. Who will live here. There is nothing in Derby. There is nothing here but high taxes. City of Derby 1

2 Mr. McLiverty explained the grant to Ms. Alberta. Each town by state statute must list the revenue that comes from the State of CT to supplement local government. Derby's bill cannot be compared to other towns. Mr. Butler stated property values went down. In order to bring in the same amount of money, the mill rate has to go up. Mr. Butler stated he hopes the mill rate remains stable. Ms. Alberta needs to go to the Board of Education meetings and discuss their budget. There are problems with the Police Department. There was an increase in their budget of $100,000 in overtime due to the union contract. Marc Garofalo - 95 Academy Hill Rd. Mr. Garofalo is interested in knowing about the demolition fund. Mr. McLiverty stated there was a meeting with the Board of Aldermen (sub committee) regarding blighted properties. Mr. McLiverty provided a list of blighted properties at that meeting along with the fines associated with it at 1.1M dollars. Mr. McLiverty suggested setting up a line item for demolition where the Tax Board would fund it every year and with money from fines. The committee agreed. The fund would be used to attack density and blighted property issues. Mr. Garofalo is also interested about a letter the Derby Public Library has, Mr. Butler stated it is a personnel matter which will be addressed in Executive Session. Mr. Garofalo stated it is not really a personnel matter. The Tax Board's jurisdiction is to put money in or not. Mr. Garofalo stated Executive Session - personnel matters must state what the issue is. The public needs to know what is going on. Mr. Garofalo stated the Mayor's Assistant resigned and is now hired back as a consultant. There is no authority to do that. Mr. Garofalo stated the Mayor hired a sitting alderman to be a janitor at the library, from the Republican Party and he didn't get a waiver. The point is the Mayor's Office is trying to force the Library Board to hire a political crony, to get a job or increase a job, that is this board's job to put the money in or not. We have a charter and ordinances. Somebody should be calling the administration out on this. Mr. Garofalo also stated the City of Derby Charter and Ordinances need to be updated and available online. Approval of Minutes - May 30, Special Meeting The item is tabled until the next tax board meeting. Approval of Minutes - May Special Meeting The item is tabled until the next tax board meeting. Approval of Minutes - June 18, Regular Meeting A MOTION to approve by Mr. Sexton with a second by Mr. Anroman, all in favor, Mr. Malerba abstained, motion carried. Treasurer's Report City Wide - Establishment of a Segregated Fund for Acquisition and Demolition of Properties Mr. McLiverty stated in % of the taxes were residential and last year was 74% of the taxes. Commercial stayed flat at 15% for and Personal Property went down from 8% to 4% in that same period. Motor Vehicle tax have gone down. City of Derby 2

3 There is a density issue with residential multifamily units. Other towns are reducing density. The more bedrooms we have, potentially the more cost exposure. Mr. McLiverty suggests blight fees be put in a segregated fund in accordance with the blight ordinance to acquire properties to demolish etc. Mr. McLiverty stated his desire is to rekindle the fund for demolition of property (as was done in past), start with some seed money and each year put it back in the budget and to direct the Aldermen any blight fees be put in this fund. Mr. Butler asked if Mr. McLiverty had a proposal. Mr. McLiverty does but it needs some solidification of logistics. Mr. McLiverty suggests creating a separate fund (money goes in there, and at the end of each year it stays there) for the purposes of reducing density, eliminating blight and the renewal of uninhabitable properties. All revenues from the blight fines and sale of City owned property will be deposited into this fund. A MOTION by Mr. Bell with a second by Mr. Malerba to approve the concept of a fund with $1.00, for reducing blight and property demolition and to direct the Treasurer to work with Corporation Counsel to draft language for terms and conditions of said fund and come back to the Board of Aldermen and Tax Board at their next regular scheduled meeting for adoption, all in favor,...discussion...ms. Szewczyk feels the tax board is overstepping its bounds, Ms. Szewczyk is opposed, motion passes. Police Department Transfers FY Finance Office Request Transfer $1, from Recording Secretary to Recording Services Transfer $1, from Mechanical Services to Mechanical Services A MOTION to approve by Mr. Sexton with a second by Mr. Anroman, all in favor, motion carries. Town Clerk Transfer Transfer $1, to Electronic Records Management from Line Item to be Determined FY A MOTION by Mr. Malerba with a second by Mr. Sexton to transfer $2, from Fixed Asset GASB 34 to Working Balance and to transfer $1, from Working Balance to Electronic Records Management, all in favor, motion carries. General Transfer $ to Notices and Publications from Line Item to be Determined FY A MOTION by Mr. Anroman with a second by Mr. Sexton to transfer $ from working balance to Notices and Publications, all in favor, motion carries. Transfer $1, from Working Balance to Building Official Wages ( A MOTION by Mr. Anroman with a second by Ms. Duhaime to transfer $1, from working balance to Building Official Wages, all in favor, motion carries. Fire Department Transfers FY City of Derby 3

4 Mr. Curtis read through his transfers: Transfer Amt Acct No. Account Transfer Amt To Acct No Acct Name Yankee Gas Water Co Education Ann Svc Cont Outside Dem Fire Wqtch Station Stand Fire Watch Yankee Gas Physicals Education Equip Maint A MOTION by Mr. Malerba with a second by Mr. Bell to approve the Fire Dept transfers, all in favor, motion carries. Executive Session A MOTION to go into Executive Session at 8:13 p.m. by Mr. Bell with a second by Mr. Sexton, all in favor, motion carried. A MOTION to come out of Executive Session at 8:54 p.m. by Mr. Malerba with a second by Mr. Bell, all in favor, motion carried. Library Board A MOTION by Mr. Malerba with a second by Mr. Anroman that Mrs. Gleason be referred to the Board of Aldermen on the hiring issue at the Library and that the Tax Board rejects any additional funding at the Library to fund the cost of additional funding to the library of additional custodial expenses, all in favor, motion carried. City Hall Personnel Tax Office Issue There is no action. Stipend For Ms. Joyce Sill - Finance Department - July 1, 2012 until the Next Tax Board Meeting Unless a Finance Director is hired. A MOTION by Mr. Anroman with a second by Mr. Bell to approve by with the same conditions as they were from the last meeting, all in favor, Ms. Duhaime opposed, motion carried. Board of Education - Transferring Special Education Funds - $527, Mr. McLiverty suggests waiting on this matter until the books are closed. A MOTION by Mr. Bell with a second by Mr. Anroman to table this item until the next Tax Board meeting, all in favor, motion carries. Milone and MacBroom Bills and Revenue A MOTION by Mr. Anroman with a second by Ms. Dugatto to table and refer to Planning & Zoning as to which invoices are to be billed, all in favor, motion carried. Adjournment A MOTION to adjourn by Mr. Bell with a second by Ms. Szewczyk, all in favor, motion carried. The meeting ended at 9:04 p.m. City of Derby 4

5 Respectfully Submitted, Denise Cesaroni Recording Secretary ****These minutes are subject to the approval by the at their next regular meeting. City of Derby 5