TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON, WARREN COUNTY
Budget Meeting
January 20, 2007

TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON, WARREN COUNTY

Budget Meeting
January 20, 2007

The budget meeting of the Washington Township Committee was held this date at the Municipal/Police Building located at 33 Little Philadelphia Road. The meeting was called to order at 1:05 p.m. by Mayor John Horensky.

SUNSHINE LAW COMPLIANCE - The Mayor noted that this meeting was being held in compliance with the Open Public Meeting Law of 1975 in as much as a notice had been published in the Star Gazette and transmitted to the Express Times and posted at the Administration Building.

ROLL CALL: Dempski, present; Elbassiouny, present; Kovacs, present; Mueller, present; Horensky, present.
Dawn Stanchina, CFO; Dave Evans and John Mooney, Township Auditors were also present.

The Mayor said that all public comments will be held until the period of time listed on the agenda, which is after department heads.

RESOLUTIONS
The Mayor said that Resolutions 07-28 Temporary Capital Budget and 07-29 Emergency Temporary Appropriation had been added to the agenda.

Kovacs made a motion to approve Resolution 07-28, Temporary Capital Budget, Mueller seconded.
ROLL CALL: Kovacs, yes; Mueller, yes; Dempski, yes; Elbassiouny, yes; Horensky, yes.

Dempski made a motion to approve Resolution 07-29, Emergency Temporary Appropriation be and the same is hereby made for Capital Improvement Fund the amount of $65,000, Mueller seconded.
ROLL CALL: Dempski, yes; Mueller, yes; Elbassiouny, yes; Kovacs, yes; Horensky, yes.

ORDINANCE
The Mayor said that Bond Counsel had requested the following statement be read into the record: BE IT RESOLVED that Ordinance 07-04  entitled: BOND ORDINANCE TO AUTHORIZE THE MAKING OF VARIOUS IMPROVEMENTS TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS IN, BY AND FOR THE TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON, IN THE SUM OF $2,600,000 TO PAY THE COST THEREOF, TO MAKE A DOWN PAYMENT, TO AUTHORIZE THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS TO FINANCE SUCH APPROPRIATION AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF BOND ANTICIPATION NOTES IN ANTICIPATION OF THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS heretofore introduced, does now pass on first reading and that the said ordinance be further considered for final passage at a meeting to be held on the 20th day of February, 2007, at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter can be reached, at the regular meeting place of the Township Committee, and that at such time and place all persons interested be given an opportunity to be heard concerning said ordinance and that the Township Clerk is hereby authorized and directed to publish said ordinance according to the law with a notice of its introduction and passage on first reading and of the time and place when and where said ordinance will be further considered for final passage. 

Kovacs made a motion to approve Ordinance 07-04 on first reading, Horensky seconded.
ROLL CALL: Kovacs, yes; Horensky, yes; Dempski, yes; Elbassiouny, yes; Mueller, yes.
Public Hearing and Second Reading will be Tuesday, February 20, 2007.

2007 BUDGET DISCUSSION
There was discussion by the Township Committee, Dave Evans (Auditor) and CFO on the budget.  They did a line by line review of each department’s budget.   Evans said that they have not completed the work with the finances, but will be giving a list to the CFO on Monday of the things that need to be completed in order for them to complete their work. Evans said, it appears that surplus will be the same as last year. It appears, as of now, the committee is looking at, with the appropriation he had so far somewhere around 2.5 cents.

Police Chief James Mc Donald came into the meeting at 3:00 p.m.  Salaries, O&E, Overtime and vehicles were discussed.

Peter de Boer. Public Works Manager came before the Committee  at 3:45 p.m. and they went over the DPW Salaries, Overtime and Expenses.   Dempski asked that de Boer put in a monthly report to the Committee.
Kovacs left the meeting at 4:05 p.m.   Horensky left the meeting at 4:10 p.m.  

There was discussion on the budget submitted by Animal Control.  The Clerk was asked to have the liaison  to the Animal Control Officer issue a memo on the census procedure and a break down of her budget.

Elbassiouny asked Dempski to look into getting the permits, applications, etc on line so people can apply and not go to the building.  Dempski said he would also like to put pot hole reporting on the web site.  Dempski said the dog licenses could also be done and paid for on line. Dempski will look into doing this. Dempski said the Committee had discussed a place to put the IT Administrator and it would be good to put under Public Information, because it ties into the network.  Dempski said there would be a start up cost, which could be put in bond, in terms of laying out the IT of the building. Then there would be an ongoing maintenance cost to bring someone in routinely to update between $2500 and $3000 a year. This number of $2500 was added to the $600 at this time for IT Administrator.

There was discussion on combining the various bonds and doing  an electronic bond sale in the future.    Evans gave the Committee the guidelines if they should want to do it in the future.

Evans, Mooney and Stanchina left the meeting at 4:55 p.m.

PUBLIC QUESTIONS & COMMENTS
Richard Strunk, 116 Brass Castle Road said he would like to note for the record regarding Mayor Horensky’s opening comment that they would not allow any discussion during the meeting.  That, in the past as Mayor he had allowed discussion and since he (Strunk) was the only person in the room, he had to assume that the comment was made toward him. Strunk said he was sorry that the format does not allow them to discuss, in public, in an open forum regarding some of the bond issues until a later point.  Strunk said he had some comments regarding the bond issue that was just introduced and asked that his comments be made part of the record in the minutes:

Presently, to date,  the Township has introduced bond ordinances for the B& B land and building of 1.5 million dollars, 2nd ordinance for $250,000, 3rd bond ordinance for $850,000 and a January 20 ordinance of $2.6 million.   Strunk said there is the potential of either being in debt for $4.1 million or $5.2 million, depending on how those bonds are eventually realized. The original concept when this purchase was first conceived was to keep the building cost at zero dollars for the taxpayer. This was the proposal when the real estate person first proposed to switch properties with our current administration building.  As time progressed this became naive in its concept.

It was then proposed to renovate, using as many current workspaces as possible. Plans where developed and approved over a 2-year period by the committee and are sitting at the state code office for approval.  At this time, he thought it would be prudent for the Township Committee to be using energies on how they can consolidate and reduce the $1.5 million that the original bid came in for and consider options, instead of existing one of total gutting and renovation.

The present course of action headed by Mr. Kovacs and Mr. Horensky, there has been no sign of any fiscal conservancy for the tax payer, meaning can we use some of the existing products that are at the building.  Instead, we are faced with a total gut and possible total reconstruction.   He thought it would be good for the taxpayers if the Committee redirects their energies and stops with the total gutting and reconstruction . The tax payers are deserving of good adequate facilities when they come in, the employees are deserving of good adequate spaces to work and with a properly managed renovation campaign this is still possible and with the $!.5 million that the Township has in place. 

Strunk said, on a separate issue, he hoped the Committee will delay any awarding of demolition contracts for the Brown and Brown Building until a first bid is received on this new concept of total gutting and total reconstruction.    If   you go and total gut and then the cost of construction for finally reconstructing this comes into being too expensive, the rational could then be used we now have a gutted building we have not alternative but now to do a total reconstruction.

A fall back position must be maintained that no demolition should be done until you get in a first bid option on the new plan.  

Strunk said he had a third item, During the snow of Jan 19, 2007, he observed that the DPW used 100% salt.  In the past they had mixed salt with sand and grits   Normally the mixture is possibly 1/3 and 2/3.   Salt is around $50. a ton and sanding grits is around $14 a ton, he recommended that they go back to this process for two reasons. For salt to activate it needs to have a high traffic volume, which you see demonstrated on the State Roads. Many of the roads in the Township are low traffic generators and the salt does not work, but the grits mixed  adds for additional stopping traction on hills  and intersections.  The Township could save money if they went back to the method of mixing grits with sanding salt.
 
Strunk said, finally, regarding the last meeting, he understood it went into Executive Session to discuss items regarding the Brown and Brown Building   At this time, as a person that is very interested in those actions, he requested that the minutes and any papers be brought out of Executive Session and opened to the public for full examination.  There was no discussion about litigation, because there is none pending, there are no contract pending that would require the need for the Committee to discuss in private and the minutes should be made available to the public. 

Dempski said, on the Brown and Brown debt  renovation so far, is $840,448., exclusive of the bond  purchase of $1.475 million, until the $2.6 bond was introduced.  Dempski asked this be made part of the record.

Elbassiouny said there are no actual minutes of the meeting. They no longer tape Executive Session minutes and just a brief summary is put in the minutes.  Strunk said he continues his request, if there were any plans introduced or talk that they be brought out and be made public.  Elbassiouny said they will go on the attorneys advice regarding this.

Dempski said the he had discussed an Executive Session with the Mayor being held to discuss police negotiations and code and construction information.

Dempski made a motion to go into Executive Session at 5:05 p.m. to discuss matters of police negotiations and construction code negotiations, Mueller seconded.   All were in favor.

The doors were opened. Dempski made a motion to come out of Executive Session at 6:16 p.m., Elbassiouny seconded.  All were in favor.

Elbassiouny said that police negotiations were discussed and code and construction officials.  No action will be taken.

Elbassiouny made a motion to adjourn at 6:16 p.m., Mueller seconded. All were in favor.

Respectfully submitted,

Mary Ann O’Neil RMC/CMC
Township Clerk