Committee of the Whole

Special COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE City Municipal Building | Council Chambers 295 Meridian Street, Groton, CT 06340 Monday, July 21, 2025 | 6:00 PM Special COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE - Minutes Mayor Keith Hedrick, Deputy Mayor Gweneviere Depot, Councilor Erin Artale, Councilor Paul Norris, Councilor Tony Patterson, Councilor Christine Piazza and Councilor Stephen Sheffield and City Clerk Dani Baycura The following minutes meet all requirements under CT FOIA for public meetings and is not a transcript of the meeting. Please visit Groton Municipal Television on YouTube to view the meeting in further detail. I. CALL TO ORDER & ROLL CALL Mayor Hedrick called the meeting to order at 6:01pm. Present: Mayor Hedrick, Deputy Mayor Depot, Councilor Artale, Councilor Sheffield and Councilor Norris. II. NEW BUSINESS OR REFERRAL A. Finance - Annual Auditor Appointment Finance Director Yuhas discussed a one-year extension with CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, as proposals from other companies proved difficult to obtain this year stating a neighboring municipality was also not receiving responses for the same. It is his recommendation to accept the one-year extension and reassess submitting another RFP early next year. Motion to move to Mayor and Council meeting of July 21, 2025: Deputy Mayor Depot. Second: Councilor Sheffield. Motion carried, 5-0-0. B. Public Works 1. Truck Vehicle Purchase (2) Mayor Hedrick requested the replacement of two public works vehicles due to their age and mechanical issues. Both have been experiencing significant problems and are no longer economically viable to retain usage. Motion to move to Mayor and Council meeting of July 21, 2025: Deputy Mayor Depot. Second: Councilor Sheffield. Motion carried, 5-0-0. 2. Forklift Purchase It was decided to discuss this request at the Committee of the Whole meeting on July 28, 2025. 3. Paving Project Part of the City’s Road Work Schedule for FY2026 includes the paving and milling of Ledyard Ave., Hamilton Ave., Denison Ave., Oak St., Indian Ave., and Griswold Avenue. Councilor Norris requested a complete list of City streets inspected with 1  Special COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE City Municipal Building | Council Chambers 295 Meridian Street, Groton, CT 06340 their corresponding grade. Mayor Hedrick affirmed and that would be requested from the Town as they hired the agency which did all roads for Town and City. There was discussion regarding the city street database and who all can access it. To which it was discovered the newly interred Supervisor does indeed have access to the program. Motion to move to Mayor and Council meeting of July 21, 2025: Councilor Norris. Second: Councilor Sheffield. Motion carried, 5-0-0. C. Parks & Recreation 1. Washington Park Security Cameras Director Hill resumed the topic of installing security cameras within Washington Park, particularly the newly renovated basketball courts. It was agreed there should be an effort to protect City assets. Cameras would be motion activated. Director Yuhas stated him and Director Hill could pursue other funding sources for the remaining sections of the park to complete in future. A resolution to commence implementation at the basketball courts will be presented at a future COW meeting. 2. Tractor Purchase Parks and Recreation requested approval for the purchase of a new Kubota tractor equipped with a bucket and backhoe, to be paid for by capital funds. The tractor will be used for grounds keeping and field maintenance. Motion to move to Mayor and Council meeting of July 21, 2025: Deputy Mayor Depot. Second: Councilor Piazza. Motion carried, 5-0-0. D. Police Department 1. Nexgen Purchase Order Request This request represents the annual maintenance fee for the Nexgen software the police department uses for Computer Aided Dispatch as well as the Records Management System. Motion to move to Mayor and Council meeting of July 21, 2025: Deputy Mayor Depot. Second: Councilor Piazza. Motion carried, 5-0-0. 2. Accept K-9 Grant Chief Burton discussed the possibility of obtaining a canine for the police department, with a grant from the Stanton foundation offering $52,000 total, including $32,000 upfront and $1,100 per week for 14 weeks. The department 2  Special COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE City Municipal Building | Council Chambers 295 Meridian Street, Groton, CT 06340 reviewed statistics supporting the use of a canine, with 129 incidents last year, mostly narcotics arrests and motor vehicle stops. The initial cost for the canine, handler training, and equipment would be covered by the grant, with recurring annual costs estimated at around $3,000 to $5,000 after the grant runs out in three years. The council approved moving forward with the grant acceptance process, and the department plans to introduce the canine to community events once trained. Motion to move to Mayor and Council meeting of July 21, 2025: Councilor Norris. Second: Councilor Piazza. Motion carried, 5-0-0. 3. Patrol Vehicle / Admin Vehicle Purchases Lt. Winkelman presented the need for replacement of two pursuit vehicles and one administrative car. The two patrol SUV car replacements, costing approximately $58,000 each, will be purchased through a state bid and include all necessary outfitting. One of the older vehicles will be retrofitted to accommodate the upcoming K-9 Unit. The administrative vehicle, a Durango, will replace an older vehicle at a lower cost since it requires less outfitting. All purchases align with the budget and department vehicle rotation plan. Motion to move to Mayor and Council meeting of July 21, 2025: Deputy Mayor Depot. Second: Councilor Piazza. Motion carried, 5-0-0. Motion to move to Mayor and Council meeting of July 21, 2025: Deputy Mayor Depot. Second: Councilor Sheffield. Motion carried, 5-0-0. 4. Accept DARE Program Donation Chief Burton requested the council accept a $1,000 donation from the Mohegan Striders organization. The importance of the DARE program and maintaining a presence at local schools was briefly discussed. Motion to move to Mayor and Council meeting of July 21, 2025: Councilor Norris. Second: Councilor Piazza. Motion carried, 5-0-0. 5. Accept NSEP FY26 Budget The council accepted the annual Nuclear Safety Emergency Program budget. The funding specifically is allocated for critical resources to local emergency operation centers. This year, $31,500 was requested from the State Office of Policy and Management to replace a failing server used for digital storage. 3  Special COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE City Municipal Building | Council Chambers 295 Meridian Street, Groton, CT 06340 Motion to move to Mayor and Council meeting of July 21, 2025: Deputy Mayor Depot. Second: Councilor Piazza. Motion carried, 5-0-0. III. EXECUTIVE SESSION Motion to enter into executive session pursuant to CGS 1-200-6(B): Deputy Mayor Depot. Second: Councilor Sheffield. Motion carried, 5-0-0. Union Contract Negotiations – Police Department Present: Mayor and Council, Chief Burton, HR Director Deidra Leconte and Attorney Paul Testa IN: 7:18pm OUT: 7:44pm Motion to enter into executive session pursuant to CGS 1-200-6(A): Deputy Mayor Depot. Second: Councilor Sheffield. Motion carried, 5-0-0. Personnel – Police Department Present: Mayor and Council, Chief Burton, Captain Lieteau, Stephanie DiBenedetto IN: 7:45 OUT: 7:51pm Motion to enter into executive session pursuant to CGS 1-200-6(A): Deputy Mayor Depot. Second: Councilor Sheffield. Motion carried, 5-0-0. Personnel – Police Department Present: Mayor and Council, Chief Burton, Captain Lieteau, Nesenya Johnson-Claudio IN: 7:52 OUT: 7:58 IV. ADJOURNMENT Motion to adjourn: Councilor Piazza. Second: Deputy Mayor Depot. Motion carried, 5-0-0. Meeting adjourned at 7:58pm. ATTEST: APPROVED: Dani Baycura City Clerk 4