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, 5/15/2023 Attendees: Finance Committee Members: Councilor Dan Rist, Chair Councilor Tom Peake, Clerk Councilor Koni Denham Other Attendees: City Auditor Hetal Patel Mayor Nicole LaChapelle City Council President Homar Gomez Police Chief Robert Alberti Fire Chief Christopher Norris Police Office Manager Cynthia Perry Dispatch Supervisor Brenda Shoup Council on Aging Director Cynthia Tarail Building Commissioner BJ Hill Veterans Agent Michael Slater (remote) Meeting was called to order at 5:15 PM. 1) Approval of Minutes: On motion made by Councilor Denham and seconded by Councilor Peake, it was voted 3-0 to approve the minutes of May 11 as amended. 2) Mayor’s Communication: None 3) Public Speak: None 4) New Business a) FY ’24 Budget Review: i) Public Safety: (1) Building Inspection Services: There is an account labeled “Permanent, Clerical, PT” but that position is now full-time. The plumbline, electric, and gas stipend has increased. Building Commissioner BJ Hill stated that the stipend had not increased since 2012, and was still below what other communities paid. The item also moved from expenses to personnel. (2) Dispatch: Dispatch Supervisor Brenda Shoup stated that call volume is high. There is a new employee who is in the process of training, but that training will be completed soon. There is a grant which helps to cover overtime expenses, so the overtime budget is low. (3) Police Department: Police Chief Robert Alberti stated that they have been busy, and have been working with legislators to work around the POST Commission transition. He also stated that there had been an increased number of mental health calls, and that their clinicians had been very helpful. (a) Police: The education incentive has changed, which has increased that expense. The EMT incentive also increased, in part because more police officers have sought it. The increase of court time is due to the return to in-person court dates. There are two uniform allowances, one which pays officers to buy their own uniforms, and one that pays for when the department needs to replace a uniform. The new K9 expense covers vet expenses that were previously donated. Chief Alberti stated that the public safety supplies line item primarily covers ammunition and other similar goods. (b) Crossing Guard: This section went down as the crossing guards were consolidated. (c) Animal Control: Chief Alberti stated that the police try to keep costs down and take care of these things as they can, but still need help from Westfield when it comes to rabies, wild animals, and housing animals that do not quickly get claimed. (4) Fire Department & Ambulance: Fire Chief Christopher Norris stated that both Fire and EMS are working to improve their score with an audit that would bring insurance costs down. (a) Fire Department: Most increases in personnel costs are related to the collective bargaining agreement. On call compensation went down as the deputy chief has meant that captains are on call less often. Like with police, incentive costs increased as more firefighters graduate. The increase in the equipment item fully funds the maintenance of fire equipment that in previous years had been funded by supplemental appropriation. (b) Ambulance (EMS): The EMS department entered a new deal with Westhampton, with the costs gradually increasing from $25,000 to $40,000. They also received a cardiac monitor worth $35,000 as part of the deal. Overtime pay for emergencies increased substantially. Chief Norris also noted that ambulance revenue and the agreement with Westhampton brought significant funds into the city. He also noted that Miscellaneous Professional and Technical Services covers the billing for ambulances. If the EMS department responds to more calls, they may have to come back for more. He pointed out that the department might need to come back for  more funds for medical supplies as costs have increased. The EMS incentive decreased through the collective bargaining agreement. All EMS workers are cross- trained, so their salaries are accounted for under the Fire Department section. ii) Human Services (1) Health Department: Mayor LaChapelle stated that they are actively interviewing for a health director. The health inspector is the active director until the city makes a hire. The city’s community social worker has an “active caseload”. The city is looking at opioid lawsuit money to supplement this field. She also noted that there are many state agencies that don’t have a nearby office that would be accessible for a person without a car. Professional Services increased. A lot of that is paying Northampton to help cover gaps when people are on vacation. (2) Council on Aging: Council on Aging Director Cynthia Tarail stated that there has been some reorganization, with a principal clerk and an outreach coordinator and an events coordinator. The overall staff has increased to nine. This is the first fiscal year uninterrupted by COVID. They are using a “no wrong door” approach where they will help with anything that people approach them with (RMV, passports, etc.) The Executive Office of Elder Affairs is using the 2020 Census numbers for their state formula grant, which increased available funds by approximately $20,000. She also stated that there are certain other expenses that are covered by IT or DPW. (3) Veterans Services: The city is no longer part of a district and is reorganizing. There will be a 25 hour/week, benefitted position, with the hope that it will increase to 34 hours/week by the end of the fiscal year. The Veterans Cash Benefit line item is in line with the three percent in the mayor’s guidance. Veterans Agent Michael Slater stated that he felt that this would be sufficient. He also stated that they have already hired a new director, who he is currently onboarding. 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 6:21 PM Next meeting: 5/22/23