City Council - Finance Committee

CITY OF EASTHAMPTON OFFICE OF THE CITY COUNCIL Easthampton Municipal Building 50 Payson Ave., Ste. 100 Easthampton, Massachusetts 01027-2260 Telephone #: (413) 529-1460 Fax #: (413) 529-1417 Minutes City Council Finance Committee Meeting, 5/10/2023 Attendees: Finance Committee Members: Councilor Dan Rist, Chair Councilor Tom Peake, Clerk Councilor Koni Denham Other Attendees: City Treasurer Jessica Hebert City Auditor Hetal Patel DPW Director Greg Nuttelman Procurement Officer Michael Owens (remote) Meeting was called to order at 5:30 PM. 1) Approval of Minutes: On motion made by Councilor Rist and seconded by Councilor Denham, it was unanimously voted to approve the minutes of April 26 as amended. 2) Mayor’s Communication: None 3) Public Speak: None 4) New Business a) $3,500 for temporary clerical position – Veteran Services Office: Motion made by Councilor Peake and seconded by Councilor Denham. The Veteran’s agent is moving on, so this would fund a temporary replacement as we hire a new person for the position. Motion made by Councilor Peake and seconded by Councilor Denham. Motion passed 3-0. b) $4,000 to create/purchase educational & promotional items for upcoming veteran events: These would fund Easthampton Veteran’s Wellness events. Motion made by Councilor Peake and seconded by Councilor Denham. Motion passed 3-0.  c) $2,603.13 for Ferry St. project expenses not reimbursed through MassWorks grant: Procurement Officer Michael Owens spoke to a clerical error where the city’s contribution was calculated incorrectly. The grant is now closed, so this cannot be submitted as a reimbursement request. These funds will close out the project. Motion made by Councilor Peake and seconded by Councilor Denham. Motion passed 3-0. d) $11,528.61 for deficit in bullet proof vest grant and payment of FY ’21 medical bill: City Auditor Hetal Patel stated that there is a requirement for vest purchases for the police department, but that there was a disagreement between state and federal authorities, and the police department did not receive the reimbursement. Motion made by Councilor Peake and seconded by Councilor Denham. Motion passed 3-0. e) $125,000 NPDES compliance & maintenance/repair projects at Treatment Plant: To “repair a pump at the Lovefield Street pump station and enlist a consultant to assess the need to revise discharge limits for industrial users based on requirements of our updates National Pollution Discharge Elimination System Permit”. Motion made by Councilor Denham and seconded by Councilor Peake. Motion passed 3-0. f) $324,000 to cover annual DPW Snow Removal budget deficit for FY ’23: As discussed in previous years, the city makes a practice of setting a low budget for snow and ice removal because it is the one item that the city is allowed to run a deficit on. The price of salt increased by approximately 30 percent over the course of the year, and there was a lot of ice. There was some discussion of whether the city should explore alternatives to salt if the prices continue to rise. Motion made by Councilor Denham and seconded by Councilor Peake. Motion passed 3- 0. g) $12,000 to fund trash pickup costs at municipal building and school department buildings: Trash hauling expenses increased over the course of the year, and funds are needed to make the account whole. Motion made by Councilor Denham and seconded by Councilor Peake. Motion passed 3-0. h) $11,345.08 to cover deficit in in-kind match staff time - Cherry Street MVP Action Grant: The Cherry Street grant required an in-kind match in terms of staff time. The project began during COVID, and the staff fell short on the level of work they were able to perform. The city needs to pay these funds to make the grant whole. Motion made by Councilor Peake and seconded by Councilor Denham. Motion passed 3-0. 5) Old Business 6) Continuing Business a) Quarterly fiscal reports from the City Auditor: This was not discussed tonight. b) Quarterly Report on Covid-19 grant funding and spending: This was not discussed tonight. By motion made by Councilor Denham and seconded by Councilor Peake, the meeting was adjourned at 5:53 PM Next meeting: 5/11/23