City Council

Mayor Mark D. Boughton, Mayor Common Council Members Mayor Mark D. Boughton called the Special Common Council Meeting to order at 7:00PM on March 10, 2009. Present were Council Members: Louise P. McMahon, Shay Nagarsheth, Michael Halas, Michael Calandrino, Duane E. Perkins, Fred Visconti, Benjamin Chianese, John J. Esposito, Thomas J. Saadi, Joseph M. Cavo, Paul T. Rotello, Jane Diggs, Robert F. Arconti, Philip Curran, Jack Knapp, Robert Riley, Warren M. Levy, Gregg Seabury, Colleen A. Stanley PRESENT 19 ABSENT _2_ Councilman Trombetta was out of town and Councilwoman Teicholz was ill. Corporation Counsel Robert Yamin, Deputy Corporation Counsel Laszlo Pinter and City Clerk Jean Natale were also in attendance. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag & Prayer Rick Gottschalk, Asst. Corporation Counsel led everyone in the room in the Pledge of Allegiance. Councilman Curran led everyone in the room in a prayer. Councilman Cavo moved to accept the call to return to service for the Special Meeting, seconded by Councilman Rotello. Motion passed by unanimous vote. NOTICE OF THE SPECIAL MEETING - There will be a Special Meeting of the Common Council on Tuesday, March 10, 2009 at 7:00PM in the Common Council Chambers in City Hall to act on the items listed. 1. Report- Board of Education, Teachers Contract 2. Report- Charter Revision Commission- Final Report Public Speaking Lynn Waller- 83 Highland Avenue spoke on items #1 and 2. Joseph DaSilva- 17 Mountainville Avenue spoke on item #2. Gary Goncalves- 55 Lawrence Avenue spoke on item #2. Bruce Lees- 157 Westville Avenue Extension spoke on item #2. Al Robinson- 182 Osborne Street spoke on item #2. Frank Anders- 9 Terre Glen spoke on items #1 and #2. Joseph Taborsak- 37 Clearview Avenue spoke on item #2. Ellen Farrar- 26 High Rise Road spoke on item #2. Linda Galloway- Thaddeus Avenue spoke on item #2. Public speaking closed at 7:23PM. 1. REPORT - Board of Education, Teachers Contract Councilmen Seabury and Arconti recused themselves from the discussion and voting. Elio Longo, Director of Finance for the school system was called upon to give a summary of the ratified agreement. Mr. Longo provided an analysis of the financial conditions of the agreement. General discussion and comment followed regarding, among other 1 Page 1 of 3  things, the impact of the financials on the City’s financial conditions, give-backs by the administrators, layoffs, elimination of positions, the actual contract ratification vote, step advancements and net/gross costs. Louis Brey, Human Resource Director, advised that the administrators’ contract went to arbitration, however the bargaining group held informal discussions regarding give- backs. Dr. Sal Pascarella confirmed that the administrators’ bargaining group was prepared to move forward with discussions regarding a give-back. The contract reductions have helped to retain positions, however the exact number has not been determined. Any funds from the stimulus package would be utilized to reinstate positions. Councilman Curran moved to receive and accept the report, seconded by Councilman Rotello. Further discussion took place regarding the City’s ability to pay and language changes in the second year of the contract. Motion passed by unanimous vote. Mayor Boughton thanked all those involved in the bargaining process for their efforts. The meeting recessed at 7:58. The Special Meeting reconvened at 8:09PM. 2. REPORT- Charter Revision Commission- Final Report Councilman Cavo, for the purposes of discussion, moved to accept the final report presented from the Charter Revision Commission, seconded by Councilman Arconti. Atty. Gottschalk gave an overview of the final report. The commission considered all of the recommendations of the Common Council and the final report addresses five (5) of the recommendations; authorized representatives in the context of public speaking, 4-2 dealing with donations, Chief of Staff, 7-8 dealing with public improvement assessments and limits on borrowing to be authorized by the Mayor and Common Council without a referendum. The next step would be to approve the amendments, reject or separate any recommendations within 15 days. The Charter would then need to be published and referred to the voters within 15 months. Councilman Saadi moved to amend the main motion to remove all recommendations for four (4) year terms for elected officials in the document, seconded by Councilman Perkins. Councilman, Seabury, Councilman Arconti, Councilman Cavo, Councilman Curran and Councilwoman Stanley spoke in favor of referring the 4 year term item to the voters as a separate question. Councilman Visconti, Councilman Rotello, Councilman Chianese, Councilman Levy, Councilman Riley and Councilman Perkins spoke in opposition to referring the item to the voters. A roll call vote was requested to strike any reference to a 4 year term anywhere in the document. A yes vote will be to strike 4 year term and a no vote will be to keep the language as it is. The roll call vote was taken as follows: Calandrino, Perkins, Visconti, Chianese, Esposito, Saadi, Rotello, Diggs, Knapp, Levy and Riley voted in the affirmative. McMahon, Nagarsheth, Halas, Cavo, Arconti, Curran, Seabury and Stanley cast negative votes. Motion passed 11/8. Members of the Council thanked Chairman Marino and the commission members for their 2 Page 2 of 3 fine work on the Charter. A vote was taken on the main motion to send the final report of the Charter Revision Commission to the voters. Motion passed by unanimous vote. Mayor Boughton stated that Atty. Gottschalk would craft the ballot question. Mayor Boughton thanked the Council for their positive debate and also thanked Chairman Marano and the members of the Charter Revision Commission for their hard work and dedication. As there was no further business to come before the Council, Councilman Rotello, moved to adjourn at 8:50PM, seconded by Councilman Nagarsheth. Motion passed by unanimous vote. Respectfully submitted, Dorathea A. Gulya-Stasny Attest: Mark D. Boughton, Mayor 3 Page 3 of 3